The cover and title suggest that this is a more in-depth study of Greek mythology. This is actually more of an introduction to Greek myths. I was a bit disappointed it was such a light read. Great starter book, not so great if you're looking for something new.

A very enjoyable read and a good take on the Greek Myths. One I would recommend to friends who want a change to Robert Graves and Edith Hamilton's versions.

There's nothing really new here to anyone familiar with the Classics but it's a nice introduction to some of the key myths and stories of the Classical world.

I particularly liked the imagery interspersed through the book and also the chapter on Classical Reception. Some deeper analysis on some of the stories would have been nice and perhaps some historical context. This did appear at some points but it left me with a sense of things being a little unbalanced. Calling Zeus' contexts "lovers" and describing his actions as "mating" was a little eyebrow raising considering the modern views on what is quite frankly rape and I felt like perhaps a trick was missed here in terms of introducing these arguments to a contemporary audience.

All in all, a good introduction and starting point to anyone interested in the Classical world.

From Savagery to Civilization: The Power of Greek Mythology from Vincent Hannity is an adequate introduction to Greek mythology for high school students or those with no background who simply want to learn about it but don't plan to do much more.

Part of my disappointment is that I expected something that perhaps wasn't even intended by the author. I expected something to be unique or at least special about this book. Maybe some of his own translations, some of his own interpretations, maybe some new way of understanding how these myths relate to the world we currently inhabit. But these were not present. The translations weren't his own, any interpretation was the typical first year sort, and any attempts at relating it to our current society offered nothing new or original. These don't make this a bad book, on the contrary, the very mundane approach makes it almost ideal for people new and inexperienced in the topic. It just wasn't what I expected.

I would recommend this to novices or people who just want a bare understanding of the very basics of Greek mythology. It might even pique some people's curiosity and they will want to learn more and learn something beyond a surface analysis. If you have any background at all this might not be for you unless you just want something to remind you of the topic after a long time away from it.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.

For a reader who is relatively new to mythology, this sirt-of-textbook will be helpful. High school readers will be a good audience.

From Savagery to Civilization: The Power of Greek Mythology is a somewhat juvenile exploration of the mythology of the Greek and Roman cultures.

Perfectly suited to high school students or those seeking to take their first steps into this body of literature. Readers are guided through in a succinct manner and then provided a bullet-pointed conclusion which serves to reiterate what has been covered in that particular chapter.

I found that the Greek myths in particular were devoid of character due to the tone used and style that Vincent Hannity adopts. I was also disappointed that none of the translations were his own; his opening line states that he is a ‘classical languages enthusiast’. His love of the Classics should have provided unique insight into the myths. Instead, the textual analysis was simplistic and reminiscent of readings that are already widely available.

There were also some questionable lines, such as ‘Thus Gaia was Mother Earth, in whose dust you could wiggle your toes’ which distracted me from the narrative. Other lines indicate that Hannity is desperately attempting to resonate with young people. He suggests that ‘A better epithet for Aphrodite might be goddess of the one-night stand’, and asks the reader to determine which story is ‘fake news’ when discussing the myth of Romulus and Remus.

Given Hannity’s half century investment in the Classics, his bibliography was small containing only twenty texts, and there was no further reading suggested. The glossary, however, would prove useful to those beginning to delve into the myths.

The wealth of illustrations, by Erin Ann Jensen serve to enhance the text. For me personally, it was the illustrations that saved the book. I would only recommend From Savagery to Civilization to beginners as those who well acquainted with the myths and literature will likely find it tedious.

In short, it’s a Spark Notes that you can reference.

The author's intent is to show how Greek mythology describes the changes in Greek culture and thought as the civilization developed. For someone familiar with the classics this will be too basic, but it would be very useful for those preparing to read Homer, Hesiod, the Greek playwrights and the Romans for the first time or as a text for a high school or a basic college course on Greek and Roman mythology and history. It would also be a good addition in libraries serving those populations.