{"title":"Books by Mary Renault","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9781844089611","title":"The Last of the Wine","description":"Athens and Sparta, the mighty city states of ancient Greece, locked together in a quarter century of conflict: the Peloponnesian War.  Alexias the Athenian was born, passed through childhood and grew to manhood in those troubled years, that desperate and dangerous epoch when the golden age of Pericles was declining into uncertainty and fear for the future.  Of good family, he and his friends are brought up and educated in the things of the intellect and in athletic and martial pursuits. They learn to hunt and to love, to wrestle and to question. And all the time his star of destiny is leading him towards the moment when he must stand alongside his greatest friend Lysis in the last great clash of arms between the cities.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43205696356530,"sku":"9781844089611","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781844089611_372c7a82-9fc3-4eb9-9233-9e01d02efce6.jpg?v=1786028648"},{"product_id":"9781844089574","title":"Fire from Heaven","description":"\u003cp\u003e'The Alexander Trilogy contains some of Renault's finest writing. Lyrical, wise, compelling: the novels are a wonderful imaginative feat' SARAH WATERS\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'The Alexandriad is one of the twentieth century's most unexpectedly original works of art' GORE VIDAL\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn the first novel of her stunning trilogy, Mary Renault vividly imagines the life of Alexander the Great, the charismatic leader whose drive and ambition created a legend.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAlexander's beauty, strength and defiance were apparent from birth, but his boyhood honed those gifts into the makings of a king. His mother, Olympias, and his father, King Philip of Macedon, fought each other for their son's loyalty, teaching Alexander politics and vengeance from the cradle. His love for the youth Hephaistion taught him trust, while Aristotle's tutoring provoked his mind and Homer's \u003ci\u003eIliad\u003c\/i\u003e fuelled his aspirations. Killing his first man in battle at the age of twelve, he became regent at sixteen and commander of Macedon's cavalry at eighteen, so that by the time his father was murdered, Alexander's skills had grown to match his fiery ambition.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eShortlisted for the 1970 Lost Booker Prize\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'This is not just a novel: it's also the best imagining we are ever likely to have of a man who tore up history. The language may seem a bit florid at first - a little too \"historical novel\" - but set all snobbery aside: this is wonderful, scholarly, top-flight stuff' - Emily Wilson, \u003ci\u003eGuardian\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'The Alexander Trilogy stands as one of the most important works of fiction in the 20th century . . . it represents the pinnacle of [Renault's] career . . . Renault's skill is in immersing us in their world, drawing us into its strangeness, its violence and beauty. It's a literary conjuring trick like all historical fiction - it can only ever be an approximation of the truth. But in Renault's hands, the trick is so convincing and passionately conjured' - Antonia Senior, \u003ci\u003eThe Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43205770281138,"sku":"9781844089574","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781844089574.jpg?v=1786028647"},{"product_id":"9781844089505","title":"The Charioteer","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e'The Charioteer\u003c\/i\u003e remains compelling both as a snapshot of a particular - and particularly fascinating - cultural moment, and as a deeply romantic story of love fulfilled against the odds. It has all those qualities that make Mary Renault so memorable as a novelist: craft, subtlety, intelligence, and a terrific natural sympathy with the intricacies of honour and desire' SARAH WATERS\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'An explosive and courageous book' SIMON RUSSELL BEALE\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFirst published in 1953, \u003ci\u003eThe Charioteer\u003c\/i\u003e is a tender, intelligent coming-of-age novel and a bold, unapologetic portrayal of homosexuality that stands with Gore Vidal's \u003ci\u003eThe City and the Pillar\u003c\/i\u003e and James Baldwin's \u003ci\u003eGiovanni's Room\u003c\/i\u003e as a landmark work in gay literature.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eInjured at Dunkirk, Laurie Odell, a young corporal, is recovering at a rural veterans' hospital. There he meets Andrew, a conscientious objector serving as an orderly, and the men find solace in their covert friendship. Then Ralph Lanyon appears, a mentor from Laurie's schooldays. Through him, Laurie is drawn into a tight-knit circle of gay men for whom liaisons are fleeting and he is forced to choose between the ideals of a perfect friendship and the pleasures of experience.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Emotionally intelligent, beautifully written and deeply moving, it transcends categorisations' \u003ci\u003eTelegraph\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":43403456839858,"sku":"9781844089505","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Hardback","offer_id":57682793628021,"sku":"9780349020747","price":20.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781844089505_a9aa4a59-12d9-4011-aace-8b7a005d5f05.jpg?v=1792511639"},{"product_id":"9780349018553","title":"The Persian Boy","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'One of the greatest historical novels ever written' \u003c\/b\u003eSARAH WATERS\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'I love to find queer representation in historical fiction \u003c\/b\u003e. . . \u003cb\u003eRenault's eye for intimacy is amazing\u003c\/b\u003e' DOUGLAS STUART\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Fierce, complex and eloquent' \u003c\/b\u003eMADELINE MILLER\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Mary Renault is a shining light' \u003c\/b\u003eHILARY MANTEL\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA groundbreaking queer classic and powerful reimagining of the last years of Alexander the Great, told through the eyes of his lover. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eI thought, There goes my lord, whom I was born to follow. I have found a king.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eAnd, I said to myself, looking after him as he walked away, I will have him, if I die for it.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBagoas, abducted as a boy and sold as a eunuch, has been transported to the heart of the Persian court as courtesan to King Darius. But when the Macedon army conquers his homeland, Bagoas finds freedom at the hands of their golden young commander, whose name is already becoming a legend: Alexander. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTheir encounter sparks a passionate devotion that shapes the Persian boy's future - and deepens into a relationship that will sustain them both through assassination plots, political intrigue and the threat of Alexander's own restless ambition. This is a spellbinding tale of power, loyalty and loss - a vision of history transfigured by love.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cb\u003e'Nowhere else in fiction have Alexander's beauty and charisma blazed with such potency' \u003c\/b\u003eTOM HOLLAND\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cb\u003e'Passionate and captivating'\u003c\/b\u003e SEÁN HEWITT\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'All my sense of the ancient world - its value, its style, the scent of its wars and passions - comes from Mary Renault'\u003c\/b\u003e EMMA DONOGHUE\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'\u003ci\u003eThe Alexander Trilogy \u003c\/i\u003estands as one of the most important works of fiction in the twentieth century' \u003c\/b\u003eANTONIA SENIOR, \u003ci\u003eTHE TIMES\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":57685780922741,"sku":"9780349018614","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Hardback","offer_id":44581417681074,"sku":"9780349018553","price":16.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780349018614.jpg?v=1792598965"},{"product_id":"9780349019802","title":"The King Must Die","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Mary Renault's portraits of the ancient world are fierce, complex and eloquent, infused at every turn with her life-long passion for the Classics' Madeline Miller, bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eCirce\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe true parentage of Theseus, grandson of the King of Troizon, has always been shrouded in mystery. Rumours swirl that his father is Poseidon himself. But when he learns the truth - that he is the son and heir of Aegeus, King of Athens - Theseus sets out on a quest to claim his birthright.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut his journey is a perilous one, from encounters with bandits to marriage to the Queen of Eleusis, whose consort is sacrificed each year - and, finally, to the labyrinthine palace of King Minos on Crete. There Thesues must enlist the help of high priestess Ariadne in a darling plan to slay the Minatour - and free his people.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThrilling, immersive and gorgeously told, Mary Renault's classic novel is a unforgettable reimagining of the timeless Greek myth.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Mary Renault is a shining light to both historical novelists and their readers' Hilary Mantel, bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eWolf Hall\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'This brilliant retelling of the story of Theseus, the king of Athens, brings Greek mythology vividly to life and remains \"one of the truly fine historical novels of modern times\"' \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":57685710963061,"sku":"9780349018577","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Hardback","offer_id":55206345277813,"sku":"9780349019802","price":20.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780349018577.jpg?v=1792598870"},{"product_id":"9780349018607","title":"Fire from Heaven","description":"SHORTLISTED FOR THE 1970 LOST BOOKER PRIZE, INTRODUCED BY TOM HOLLANDTHE ANCIENT GREEK STAGE BROUGHT THRILLINGLY TO LIFE BY THE QUEEN OF HISTORICAL FICTION, PERFECT FOR FANS OF THE WOMEN OF TROY AND THE ODYSSEY'The Alexander Trilogy contains some of Renault's finest writing. Lyrical, wise, compelling: the novels are a wonderful imaginative feat' SARAH WATERS'The Alexandriad is one of the twentieth century's most unexpectedly original works of art' GORE VIDALIn the first novel of her stunning trilogy, Mary Renault vividly imagines the life of Alexander the Great, the charismatic leader whose drive and ambition created a legendAlexander's beauty, strength and defiance were apparent from birth, but his boyhood honed those gifts into the makings of a king. His mother and father, Olympias and King Philip of Macedon, fought each other for their son's loyalty, teaching Alexander politics and vengeance from the cradle. Hephaistion's love taught him trust, while Aristotle's tutoring provoked his mind and Homer's Iliad fuelled his aspirations. At age twelve, he killed his first man in battle; at sixteen, he became regent; at eighteen, commander of Macedon's cavalry; and by the time his father was murdered, Alexander's skills had grown to match his fiery ambition.   'This is not just a novel: it's also the best imagining we are ever likely to have of a man who tore up history' EMILY WILSON, GUARDIAN'The Alexander Trilogy stands as one of the most important works of fiction in the twentieth century' ANTONIA SENIOR, THE TIMES","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55897275236725,"sku":"9780349018607","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780349018607_653570a3-11df-4f5c-8a99-8d05ac7dce00.jpg?v=1786013594"},{"product_id":"9780349018584","title":"The Bull from the Sea","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Mary Renault is a shining light' HILARY MANTEL\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Mary Renault's portraits of the ancient world are fierce, complex and eloquent'  MADELINE MILLER\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe sequel to \u003ci\u003eThe King Must Die. 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'Brilliant and brutal . . . she has retained her unnerving genius for making the remote past live without diminishing its remoteness and alien glitter' SUNDAY TIMES'Discerning, sure-footed, challenging our values, piquing our curiosity, she leads us through an alien landscape that moves and delights us' HILARY MANTEL'The Alexander Trilogy stands as one of the most important works of fiction in the twentieth century' ANTONIA SENIOR","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55897710559605,"sku":"9780349018638","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780349018638_78ee9af2-704c-41c8-be00-ffb82006b820.jpg?v=1786015984"},{"product_id":"9781841594095","title":"The King Must Die \/ The Bull from the Sea","description":"In two remarkable historical novels, Mary Renault fashions from the myth of Theseus a convincingly flawed hero and weaves a thrillingly plausible account of the Labyrinth and the infamous Minotaur. \u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe King Must Die\u003c\/i\u003e follows the young Theseus as he discovers that his true father is the King of Athens, and volunteers to join the annual tribute of Athenian girls and youths sacrificed to a bull-worshipping cult on the island of Crete. Trapped in the labyrinthine palace of King Minos, Theseus enlists the help of high priestess Ariadne in a daring plan to free his people. \u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Bull From the Sea \u003c\/i\u003ebegins after Theseus's triumphal return to Athens. He is now king, but his confidence will be shaken by a life-changing encounter with the queen of the Amazons, the birth of a son who will insist on choosing his own path, and the tragic results of his wife's treachery. \u003cbr\u003eRenault's deep knowledge of the Greek world, her sure grasp of psychology and genius for inspired speculation bring the distant world of the legendary past enthrallingly to life.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56308053442933,"sku":"9781841594095","price":16.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781841594095_b6a7187a-6f50-4edb-839f-26bbba608eeb.jpg?v=1786027851"},{"product_id":"9781844089567","title":"The Mask of Apollo","description":"\u003cp\u003e'Mary Renault is a shining light to both historical novelists and their readers. She does not pretend the past is like the present, or that the people of ancient Greece were just like us. She shows us their strangeness; discerning, sure-footed, challenging our values, piquing our curiosity, she leads us through an alien landscape that moves and delights us' HILARY MANTEL\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Mary Renault's portraits of the ancient world are fierce, complex and eloquent, infused at every turn with her life-long passion for the Classics. Her characters live vividly both in their own time, and in ours' MADELINE MILLER\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCombining the scholarship of a historian with the imagination of a novelist, Mary Renault brings the ancient Greek stage thrillingly to life.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSet in fourth-century B.C. Greece, \u003ci\u003eThe Mask of Apollo\u003c\/i\u003e is narrated by Nikeratos, a tragic actor who takes with him on all his travels a gold mask of Apollo, a relic of the theatre's golden age, which is now past. At first his mascot, the mask gradually becomes his conscience, and he refers to it his gravest decisions, when he finds himself at the centre of a political crisis in which the philosopher Plato is also involved. Much of the action is set in Syracuse, where Plato's friend Dion is trying to persuade the young tyrant Dionysios the Younger to accept the rule of law. Through Nikeratos' eyes, the reader watches as the clash between the two unleashes all the pent-up violence in the city.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'All my sense of the ancient world - its values, its style, the scent of its wars and passions - comes from Mary Renault. I turned to writing historical fiction because of something I learned from Renault: that it lets you shake off the mental shackles of your own era, all the categories and labels, and write freely about what really matters to you' EMMA DONOGHUE \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'There's much to wonder at in the way she fills in the large dark spaces where we know next to nothing about the times she describes . . . an important and wonderful writer . . . she set a course into serious-minded, psychologically intense historical fiction that today seems more important than ever' - Sam Jordison, \u003ci\u003eGuardian\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56308184482165,"sku":"9781844089567","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781844089567_873261ca-710a-474f-8ab6-e9a78fd91f3d.jpg?v=1786028646"},{"product_id":"9780349018591","title":"The Mask of Apollo","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eTHE ANCIENT GREEK STAGE BROUGHT THRILLINGLY TO LIFE BY THE QUEEN OF HISTORICAL FICTION\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Mary Renault has made the classical era alive'\u003c\/b\u003e GORE VIDAL\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Her books have stood the test of time'\u003c\/b\u003e \u003ci\u003eINDEPENDENT\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe artist flows into the mask the poet offers him; only so will the god possess him.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eGreece, fourth century BC. 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