002– War Horse
Listen:
The stories of the Trojan War and its aftermath are a foundation of Western civilisation. They’re also some of the greatest books ever written, and much better than modern versions of the stories. But which is the greatest of all?
Battle of the Books - Round 2
Homer – The Iliad (available in many translations; Robert Fagles does a very accessible version in modern verse for Penguin Classics).
Homer – The Odyssey (the Peter Jones translation for Penguin Classics is a good place to start).
Wildcard: Virgil – The Aeneid (we like the Fagles translation for Penguin; there’s also a good abridged audio version with Derek Jacobi and Ralph Fiennes).
Shortcuts
Oddly, no good ones, unless you count the magnificent 80s cartoon, ‘Ulysses 31’. The Avenger (1962) – is an Italian sword and sandals adaptation of the Aeneid, but not a patch on the book. And please, whatever you do with your life, don’t watch the Brad Pitt film ‘Troy’.
Battle of the Booze
Buck’s Fizz - Take any fizz, add orange juice; the perfect drink for breakfast or long car journeys.
Nero di Troia – Literally ‘Black Trojan’: an Italian red grape variety. Goes well with that greatest of Aeneas’s discoveries: pizza. Proof that Rome was founded by Trojans.
Poll of Champions
We want your votes! Which book would you save? Vote here!
Feedback
Are there any sequels as good as or better than the original? We’d love to hear from you with thoughts, comments, questions and suggestions – email us at brekofchamps@gmail.com.
