Dragons, Wyverns and Serpents

Designed to appeal to the book lover, the Macmillan Collector’s Library is a series of beautifully bound pocket-sized gift editions of much loved classic titles. Bound in real cloth, printed on high quality paper, and featuring ribbon markers and gilt edges, Macmillan Collector’s Library are books to love and treasure.

We’ve all grown up with stories of magical dragons and mythical winged creatures. This thoroughly entertaining collection of stories draws on such tales from all over the world; from ancient Greece and Egypt, to 14th century China to France, Estonia, Ireland, Wales and beyond.

Many tales relate stories of bravery and ingenuity against a seemingly indomitable and terrifying creature; there’s George and the Dragon from England and the famous Norse Myth of Fafnir. Some (but not many!) creatures are benevolent, for example the sea serpent in the Egyptian Tale of the Shipwrecked Soldier.

Each retelling contributes to a fascinating and lively overview of how mythical creatures are represented through time and across the globe.

Jean Menzies holds a PhD in ancient history and is the prize-winning author of two children’s books, Greek Myths and Egyptian Myths. She also publishes fantasy fiction under the name Jean Z. Menzies. A classics enthusiast through and through, Jean produces the podcast That’s Ancient History, which explores antiquity, from its history to its place in today’s world, and she hosts her long-running YouTube channel Bookish Thoughts.