‘Lively’ THE TIMES
‘Engrossing’ THE SPECTATOR
‘Stunning’ WOMAN & HOME
‘Marvellous’ BBC HISTORY MAGAZINE
Through ancient art, evocative myth, intriguing archaeological discoveries and philosophical explorations, Bettany Hughes takes us on a voyage of discovery to reveal the truth behind Venus, and why this immortal goddess is so much more than nudity, romance and sex. It is both the remarkable story of one of antiquity’s most potent forces, and the story of human desire – how it transforms who we are and how we behave.
‘Engrossing’ THE SPECTATOR
‘Stunning’ WOMAN & HOME
‘Marvellous’ BBC HISTORY MAGAZINE
Through ancient art, evocative myth, intriguing archaeological discoveries and philosophical explorations, Bettany Hughes takes us on a voyage of discovery to reveal the truth behind Venus, and why this immortal goddess is so much more than nudity, romance and sex. It is both the remarkable story of one of antiquity’s most potent forces, and the story of human desire – how it transforms who we are and how we behave.
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Reviews
Gorgeously produced . . . The value of the book lies . . . in its pleasurable selection of interesting objects
on which to reflect, and fascinating nuggets of information
An intriguing tale that tracks the gorgeous and omnipresent Venus of western civilisation back 6,000 years ... engrossing
Whether we know her as the Roman Venus or the Greek Aphrodite, the goddess of love and lust is as powerful today as she has always been. In this beautifully illustrated book, TV historian Bettany Hughes traces Venus-Aphrodite back to her beginnings and follows her career over millennia, right up to the present day.
A marvellous biography of a goddess that delves beneath her passive modern image ... Hughes's account of Aphrodite's early evolution forms the most fascinating sections of this superb book
Erudition, with an erotic frisson ... In this lively, wide-ranging book, Hughes paints a portrait of a darker Venus, a violent, vengeful "shape-shifting" Venus, with salt in her hair and surf at her feet
Explore the mythological Goddess of Love with this stunning book by historian and broadcaster Bettany Hughes. She looks at the origins, archaeological revelations and philosophical implications of the woman known to the Romans as Venus, and to the Greeks as Aphrodite