Widely revered as the father of Western literature, Homer was the author of The Iliad and The Odyssey, the epic poems which immortalized such names as Cyclops, Menelaus, and Achilles, and inspired such films as the Brad Pitt blockbuster Troy. In this vivid introduction, Elton Barker and Joel Christensen celebrate the complexity, innovation and sheer excitement of Homer's two great works, and investigate the controversy surrounding the man behind the myths -- asking who he was and whether he even existed.

From soap operas to Salman Rushdie, the authors also highlight just how much we owe...