Dragonslayers by Me!

Next month, Osprey Publishing will be launching a new series of books called Myths and Legends.  The second book in the series is Dragonslayers: From Beowulf to Saint George, and it just so happens to be written by yours truly.

This will be the fifth book of mine to reach publication, and, I can honestly say it is the one of which I am most proud.  In preparing this book, I spent almost a year reading and researching through old histories and books of legends. Although I probably had a better than average knowledge of dragon and dragonslaying stories before I started the project, I was astounded to discover just how many stories of dragonslayers exist. 

While many names in the book such as Sigurd and Hercules, will likely be familiar to fans of fantasy and mythology, I think most people will discover something new. I certainly did when I first read about Dieudonne de Gozon (Draconis Extinctor), Lord Albrecht Trut, and Dobrynya Nikitich.

I guess what really makes me proud of this book is that it is a combination of great stories and scholarship. Not only was I able to retell these legends, but I was able to discuss their origins and their place in the greater history of the dragonslayer myth.

Oh, and the book has loads of cool artwork, including a bunch of new paintings by Peter Dennis.

I’ve just seen the first review of the book here, which is pretty gratifying.

J.R.R. Tolkien once said about writing Middle-Earth that he was making the old myths new again.  While I would never compare myself to the grand old professor, I think, in writing this book, I was able to find some of the same joy that he did, in hopefully helping to preserve some of these great stories that are starting to slip into obscurity.

You can pre-order the book on Amazon now! Or for those in the USA, here.