The Book of Dragons. Giant snakes, treasure guards and fire-breathing lizards in legends from around the world

This book is a compelling, illustrated exploration of the origins and role of dragons in world culture, from Antiquity to the books of Tolkien and George Martin. You will make a long journey through countries and millennia to see dragons in all their many-sided splendor. The most famous mythological monsters - dragons - have always caused fear and admiration. Here is a fundamental study covering millennia of human history and many countries and cultures. The origin of dragons from the deserts of Africa; their fight with elephants in the jungles of South Asia; their fear of lightning, the colossal sea monster Leviathan; the seven-headed red dragon from the "Apocalypse"; Loch Ness monster; the dragon in Beowulf, which became the prototype of Smaug in Tolkien's The Hobbit; dragons in the prophecies of the wizard Merlin; feathered serpent of ancient Mesoamerica.

From the authors

We live in the golden age of dragons. The 20th century witnessed a dramatic increase in the popularity of these reptiles in literature and cinema, and even today it remains unchanged. For decades, readers of Tolkien, Ursula Le Guin, George Martin, and J. K. Rowling have been following with bated breath the heroes' fights with dragons - both battles and ingenious disputes. The magical special effects of films like The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958) and The Dragon Slayer (1981) allowed viewers to touch the wonders, admire and enjoy the power and majesty of these legendary creatures.

Since the 1970s , board games like Dungeons & Dragons have trained novice adventurers into dangerous combat, and for at least two generations have been involved in breathtaking battles with fire-breathing red dragons and black dragons, spewing poison, and with blue dragons throwing lightning. Today's D&D-based PC games have gone one step further, with gamers themselves acting as fantasy characters in an imaginary world full of gorgeous digital detail.

After the release of World of Warcraft in 2004, millions of gamers united in the fight against dragons. They infiltrate the dark lair of Onyxia, fight the dragon mother of Azeroth's black dragonflight, or attack the immortal frost wyrm Sapphiron in the floating necropolis of Naxxramas. In the last ten years, dragons have dominated many popular video game franchises: Dark Souls (2011), The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011) and Minecraft (2011), the most popular and best-selling game in history. Most recently, the attention of viewers around the world was captured by the epic series based on the books by George Martin "A Song of Ice and Fire", and the name of Daenerys Targaryen, the mother of dragons, is known to everyone.

In fact, dragons are the most famous creation of human fantasy. Our awe of them is deeply rooted in the distant past. From the classics of the ancient world to the present day, legends of mysterious and malevolent dragons have been retold many times in the heroic and historical epics of Europe and Asia, from ancient Greece and India to medieval Europe and China or the wastelands of America. The anthology you hold in your hands includes numerous legends and lore about dragons, as well as exploring the role these creatures played in myths, religious parables and folklore.

Who is this book for?

For those who love mythology and fantasy in any form

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