JOSPEH NIGG | The Book of Fabulous Beasts: A Treasury | 1ST ED 1999 HC

Description: • For Your Consideration: • A First-Edition Hardcover of: • “THE BOOK OF FABULOUS BEASTS: A Treasury of Writings from Ancient Times to the Present” (OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS, 1999) • EDITED BY JOSEPH NIGG • SAMPLING OF CONTRIBUTORS: Ctesias • Strabo • Lucan • Lucian • Solinus • Horapollo • St. Clement • St. Basil • St. Ambrose • St. Bernard • Pomponius Mela • Theobaldus • Hildegard Of Bingen • Philippe De Thaun • Richard De Fournival • St. Adamnan • Isidore of Seville • Albertus Magnus • Geoffrey Of Monmouth • Benjamin Of Tudela • Odoric Of Pordenone • William Caxton • Paracelsus • Robert Chester • Sir Thomas Browne • Edward Topsell • Olaus Magnus • Thomas Boreman • Sir Henry Yule • Sir James George Frazer • Carl Jung • Lewis Thomas • & MANY OTHERS • SAMPLING OF CONTENT: “Serpents of the Libyan Desert” • “The Son of Unicorns” • “St. Columba and the Ness Monster” • “Prophecies of Merlin” • “Thor and the Midgard Serpent” • “The Vegetable Lamb and Other Miraculous Things” • “The Treasure of the Alchemists” • “How We Visited the Land of Satin” • “Of the Unicornres Horne; Monsters and Prodigies” • “Of the Horrible Monsters of the Coast of Norway” • “The Singular Fable of the Barnacle Goose” • “The Rukh” • “In Defense of Ancient Learning” • & MUCH MORE • ABOUT THIS BOOK: • “A host of…strange and magical animals of the imagination appear in widely diverse writings scattered throughout literature across millennia. THE BOOK OF FABULOUS BEASTS is the first comprehensive collection of such Western writings, from ancient epics of creation to modern fantasy…. THE BOOK OF FABULOUS BEASTS is the rare combination of an exhaustive source book and a delight read. Readers can browse the excerpts, trace one particular creature as it develops through time and translation, or read this epic story straight through discovering along the way as much about the history and dreams of the human creature as about the fanciful animals on every page.” —THE PUBLISHER • “Basilisks, griffins, and mermaids inhabit this ambitious collection of representative writings about mythical creatures that, according to the original context, may or may not exist. NIGG, the author of several books on imaginary animals, has arranged this source book chronologically and divided it into four parts roughly corresponding to the classical, medieval, Renaissance, and modern periods of Western history, each prefaced by a brief introduction. From HOMER’s sirens to JAMES THURBER’s unicorn, over 100 writers, both familiar and obscure, contribute to the literary histories of beasts.... The glossary, index, and cross references to particular beasts add to the accessibility of this recommended work.” —LIBRARY JOURNAL • “I…strongly urge you to seek out THE BOOK OF FABULOUS BEASTS: A TREASURY FROM ANCIENT TIMES TO THE PRESENT by JOSEPH NIGG.... From Babylonian myth to Renaissance heraldry, from HERODOTUS to J.R.R. Tolkien, this dazzling book follows the tracks of magical beasts down through the ages.”—TERRI WINDLING, “THE YEAR’S BEST FANTASY AND HORROR (1999)” • “The definitive work in the field. It provides a comprehensive and compelling journey through a mythic dreamworld.” —DAVID LEEMING, “THE WORLD OF MYTH” • “He has done for the world of fantastical animals what JOSEPH CAMPBELL did more generally for the world of myth: He has set it down in all its intricacies, citing the most relevant sources, and come up with a book unique for its dogged thoroughness. The scope of NIGG’s study, and the care with which he has gathered his materials, are such that I believe this work will become the bible of imaginary creatures.”—JEFF VANDERMEER, THE NEW YORK REVIEW OF SCIENCE FICTION • “I’ve finally found a book worthy of being shelved next to my copy of KATHERINE BRIGGS’s AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF FAIRIES (1976). JOSEPH NIGG’s THE BOOK OF FABULOUS BEASTS, assiduously assembles excerpts from a wealth of primary texts to chart the origin and development of western civilization’s belief in various mythological creatures. From ancient Mesopotamia to the present, NIGG conducts a tour of a menagerie that never was, one worthy of DR. SEUSS. NIGG’s lucid framing material places enthralling snippets from ARISTOTLE to BORGES in crystal-clear context. Learn how the manticore and the phoenix came to assume the shapes we recognize today, and discover lesser-known but even more incredible entities, such as THE VEGETABLE LAMB OF TARTARY, a beast I'm surely charmed by. This book is like reading a handful of lost AVRAM DAVIDSON essays, and that’s high praise.”—PAUL DI FILIPPO, ASIMOV’S SCIENCE FICTION • “Anyone interested in the humanities will find this anthology of writings on imaginary creatures an invaluable, superbly organized and rich tool to explore the imaginal realm. There’s no doubt that it will become a classic.”—GINETTE PARIS, “GODS, GODDESSES, HEROES” • “A book on fantastic beasts should awaken a sense of wonder in us. NIGG’s book succeeds in doing this…. In THE BOOK OF FABULOUS BEASTS, JOSEPH NIGG writes about his subject matter with wit, charm, and erudition.”—MALCOLM SOUTH, Editor, “MYTHICAL AND FABULOUS CREATURES” • “Here is required reading for everyone who appreciates fantastic fauna—those tests of human creativity and credulity. Rather than arranging the material alphabetically, as has been done previously, JOSEPH NIGG offers a convenient chronological compilation, making clear the enduring appeal of these mythical monsters, from antiquity to our own day.”—JANETTA REBOLD BENTON, “HOLY TERRORS; GARGOYLES ON MEDIVAL BUILDINGS” • “JOSEPH NIGG’s books are always a treat and this one does not disappoint. Arresting images and informative content, and well researched. Highly recommended for anyone curious about the lore and legacy of mythological creatures from antiquity to modern times.” —JOHN LOCKE, AMAZON REVIEW • “If you only buy one book about legendary & mythical creatures, this should be it.” —MARK DEBOULT, AMAZON REVIEW • • For details about this title, please see below. •TITLE: “THE BOOK OF FABULOUS BEASTS: A Treasury of Writings from Ancient Times to the Present” EDITED BY: JOSEPH NIGG CONTRIBUTORS: CTESIAS • STRABO • LUCAN • LUCIAN • SOLINUS • HORAPOLLO • ST. CLEMENT • ST. BASIL • ST. AMBROSE • ST. BERNARD • THEOBALDUS • HILDEGARD OF BINGEN • PHILIPPE DE THAUN • RICHARD DE FOURNIVAL • ST. ADAMNAN • ALBERTUS MAGNUS • GEOFFREY OF MONMOUTH • BENJAMIN OF TUDELA • ODORIC OF PORDENONE • WILLIAM CAXTON • PARACELSUS • ROBERT CHESTER • SIR THOMAS BROWNE • EDWARD TOPSELL • OLAUS MAGNUS • THOMAS BOREMAN • SIR HENRY YULE • SIR JAMES GEORGE FRAZER • CARL JUNG • LEWIS THOMAS • ET AL. ILLUSTRATED BY: More than 100 black & white photos & drawings PUBLISHER, LOCALE, & YEAR: J.M. DENT & Sons (London) & E.P. DUTTON & Co. (New York), 1965 TYPE: HARDCOVER PAGES: 408 EDITION: FIRST EDITION, FIRST PRINTING* *RE: This Number Row on the Copyright Page: “1 3 5 7 9 8 6 4 2” ISBN: 0-19-509-561-8 EDITION EMPHASIS: NOT ex-library. NOT a book club edition. CONDITION of DUST JACKET: VERY GOOD PLUS. Price ($30.00) is unclipped. Spine tips are slightly crumpled. Light bumping on corners. Light scratching on sides but overall: bright & clean. (Now protected in a Brodart archival cover.) CONDITION of BOOK: VERY GOOD PLUS.Boards are clean with sharp corners. Spine is tight but slightly slanted/cocked. Text-block edges & endpapers are fine. Pages are bright & clean—with no marks on any page. Looks unread. •• SHIPPING NEWS: This book will be wrapped with care before being shipped in a cushioned & sturdy mailer. 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Price: 55 USD

Location: Chapel Hill, North Carolina

End Time: 2025-01-15T04:36:52.000Z

Shipping Cost: 5.75 USD