The Homeric Hymns have survived for two and a half millennia because of their captivating stories, beautiful language, and religious significance. Well before the advent of writing in Greece, they were performed by traveling bards at religious events, competitions, banquets, and festivals. These thirty-four poems invoking and celebrating the gods of ancient Greece raise questions that humanity still struggles with—questions about our place among others and in the world.

Hymns to the Silence: Inside the Words and Music of Van Morrison

Peter Mills' groundbreaking new book Hymns to the Silence is a detailed look at Morrison as a singer, performer, lyricist, musician, and writer. Particular attention is paid throughout the work to the contradictions and tensions that are central to any understanding of his work as a whole. Van Morrison has a global profile due to his enduring popularity and his dedication to live performance, which keeps him before audiences all over the world, and this is the first in-depth study of Van Morrison's musical genius, going back 40 years, investigating the oppositions and harmonies within his work.