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A Thousand Ships

A Novel

by Natalie Haynes

Narrator Natalie Haynes

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Length 8 hours 33 minutes

Language English

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Bookseller recommendation

“From The Aeneid to The Iliad and The Odyssey, classic stories of the Trojan War are implicitly reliant on the role of women, however reticent they are portrayed. Finally — finally! — we have a retelling that does women, girls, and goddesses justice. Through the perspective of women in various places and times during the war, Natalie Haynes constructs an epic collage that follows the warriors, refugees, oracles, muses, wives, and daughters of Troy, Greece, and beyond in one of the most famous conflicts in world history.”
— Cat Chapman • Oxford Exchange

Bookseller recommendation

“An absolutely riveting performance! I found myself at times holding my breath as Natalie Haynes brought to life the women, the unheard, the other half of the epic tales of the Trojan War. Their names are familiar from the classics, but now we meet them as fully realized women, with stories of their own, dreams, brutal disappointments and fierce heroism. We finally hear their voices. Fans of Madeleine Miller’s Circe and Sue Monk Kidd’s The Book of Longings will relish these tales of ancient kingdoms and rivalries, superbly reimagined and narrated by a storyteller who makes you feel events are unfolding right now, right before your eyes.”
— Sonia • Warwick's

Bookseller recommendation

“A retelling of the Trojan War where the women are as heroic (if not more so) than the men. I especially liked Penelope’s arc, told through letters to her wayward and philandering husband. Having the author read the audiobook was 100% the right choice. ”
— Leah • Scrawl Books

Bookseller recommendation

“THIS is the literary Greek Mythology retelling that fans of Circe should get immediately! The narration by the author is perfect, the story is beautifully written, and it's from the perspective that we've always needed to hear from—the WOMEN of the war. I so so highly recommend this one!”
— Nichole • The Yankee Bookshop

Bookseller recommendation

“A Thousand Ships transports the reader back in time to the Trojan War, but in such an intriguing way. Rather than the women playing "bit parts" in the story, Natalie Hayes puts them front and center relegating the "heroes" of the past to the back burner. Her brilliant format weaves together smaller stories and experiences of ordinary women and women famous to the Iliad and the Odyssey in a way that is refreshing and enlightening. Hayes' story telling fleshes out these women in a way that is insightful and worthy of so much more conversation than they have received in the past. Hayes' narration of the audiobook is brilliant and imminently engaging. ”
— Rebecca • Rediscovered Books

Bookseller recommendation

“With A Thousand Ships, Natalie Haynes has secured herself a seat at the table with Madeline Miller as a great contemporary-classical novelist. I'm so glad that I listened to this one on audio, as Haynes is able to lend her literal voice to these characters and do them a great service. On a related note, I'll wait in line for stand-alone works following Penthesilea and Penelope! Homer experts and novices alike will devour this novel. ”
— Matt • Innisfree Bookshop

Bookseller recommendation

“If you read The Iliad and The Odyssey more than the single time required in high school, if you've seen Troy in it's entirety with its Hollywood heartthrobs an embarrassingly number of times, if you've named a pet Hector or Patroclus, or if you love Madeline Miller's Song of Achilles, then this book is certainly for you. If none of that is true, but you appreciate creative narrative play or have an interest in the role of women in history, if you enjoy Greek mythology or read the entire Percy Jackson series with your kid, then this book is also for you. Well written, strong voices, and a unique style make this a delight.”
— Kristine • Buttonwood Books and Toys

Summary
About the author
About the narrator

#6 in Bestselling Classics Audiobooks

NATIONAL BESTSELLER

An NPR Best Book of the Year

“Gorgeous.... With her trademark passion, wit, and fierce feminism, Natalie Haynes gives much-needed voice to the silenced women of the Trojan War.”—Madeline Miller, author of Circe

Shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction, a gorgeous retelling of the Trojan War from the perspectives of the many women involved in its causes and consequences—for fans of Madeline Miller.

This is the women’s war, just as much as it is the men’s. They have waited long enough for their turn . . .

This was never the story of one woman, or two. It was the story of them all . . .

In the middle of the night, a woman wakes to find her beloved city engulfed in flames. Ten seemingly endless years of conflict between the Greeks and the Trojans are over. Troy has fallen.

From the Trojan women whose fates now lie in the hands of the Greeks, to the Amazon princess who fought Achilles on their behalf, to Penelope awaiting the return of Odysseus, to the three goddesses whose feud started it all, these are the stories of the women whose lives, loves, and rivalries were forever altered by this long and tragic war.

A woman’s epic, powerfully imbued with new life, A Thousand Ships puts the women, girls and goddesses at the center of the Western world’s great tale ever told.

Classics Fiction Historical Fiction Fiction - Literary

Natalie Haynes is the author of six books, including the nonfiction work Pandora’s Jar, which was a New York Times bestseller, and the novels A Thousand Ships, which was a national bestseller and short-listed for the 2020 Women’s Prize for Fiction, and Stone Blind. She has written and recorded nine series of Natalie Haynes Stands Up for the Classics for the BBC. Haynes has written for the Times, the Independent, the Guardian, and the Observer. She lives in London.