Best German Poetry

"The poems of the Poetic Edda have waited a long time for a Modern English translation that would do them justice. Jackson Crawford earned his Ph.D. in Scandinavian Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and an M.A.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"There's a difference... actually, there's an abyss between a translation and a true, high quality social localization."
"One of the best translations I've seen."
"This is a beautiful translation and interpretation of the Poetic Edda."
"Great translation, I'd recommend to anyone interested in the subject matter."
"Clear, easily readable texts; good background and notes; works well as an introductory text for Norse mythology to undergraduates."
"Excellent work by an excellent Professor."
"Great book."
"Can't wait to dig in."

From the translator of the bestselling Poetic Edda (Hackett, 2015) comes a gripping new rendering of two of the greatest sagas of Old Norse literature. Crawford's version is vivid, clear, and exciting, tracing the intrigues, killings, battles, and magic that shape the lives of Sigurd's kindred.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Awesome traduction, love it."
"Dr. Crawford’s use of contemporary language in his translations overcomes that barrier to entry, and does a beautiful job of opening the world of Viking Age Scandinavian myth and legend to everyone. As with his earlier translation of the Poetic Edda, the introduction clearly provides the requisite information we’ll need going forward, including an extremely useful family tree."
"In addition to Sigurð's killing of Fáfnir, the only talking dragon in medieval literature and a forebear of Smaug, there are betrayals and murders by the score, and several moments that are surprisingly moving for such a blood-steeped legend—perhaps my favorite is when Signy, having avenged her father's death by arranging the murder of her husband, therefore keeping one bond while breaking another, announces what she's done before returning to her husband's burning hall and dying with him. It should be obvious why Wagner saw opera potential in all of this."
"Once again, Dr. Crawford transports us to Viking Age Scandinavia with an excellent translation of these two important sagas, accompanied by a clear, detailed introduction."
"If you love stepping out of our world/culture and trying to understand one that we are far removed from, this book and the Poetic Edda by the same author are a must."
"While studying Norse myth and legend has become something of a passion for me personally over the last few years, I admit that finding the time to sit down and do so is often a challenge."

Rilke's timeless letters about poetry, sensitive observation, and the complicated workings of the human heart. At the end of this millennium, his slender book holds everything a student of the century could want: the unedited thoughts of (arguably) the most important European poet of the modern age. Yet he spends most of the time encouraging the student in his own work, delivering a sublime, one-on-one equivalent of the modern writing workshop: And even his retrograde comment on the "beauty of the virgin" (which the poet derives from the fact that she "has not yet achieved anything") is counterbalanced by his perception that "the sexes are more related than we think."
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"It took a bit to find my way through the long sentences and paragraphs, but once I had found the rhythm I was amazed."
"This book is exactly what it says it is, "letters to a young poet.""
"This is wonderful, thoughtful and provocative book that I gave to my grandson, who took it on spring break and now he tells me he can't wait to discuss it with me."
"Beautiful, inspiring, poetic."
"The German language is so perfectly succinct that finding a translation that flows as lovely as Rilke is difficult."
"Great gift for aspiring poets."
"This is one of Rilke's most popular and accessible works, able to be appreciated by poets and the general reader equally well."
Best Italian Poetry

The authoritative translations of The Inferno , The Purgatorio , and The Paradiso —together in one volume. “I think [Ciardi’s] version of Dante will be in many respects the best we have seen.”—John Crowe Ransom.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I have the Kindle and paperback versions and both are excellent."
"I'm happy to report that Clive James has made even this abstract exploration of light and doctrine (and, I might add, occasionally smug self-righteousness on Dante's part) a fascinating journey. James has chosen an unusual verse form - quatrains, with an abab rhyme scheme - to translate this, but it works well: it moves quickly and smoothly, each line pulling you forward to the next. For example, the "one who made the great refusal" is identified in the verse as Pope Celestine: if you have to pick one among many, that IS the closest to a scholarly consensus; but purists would argue against closing off other possibilities."
"One of the best; I always enjoyed reading it; over and over."
"I wish the verses were numbered as well, but with the Kindle you can search by word and the results give you ample clues as to which canto the word on which the search was performed is located."
"His style is both poetic and dramatic, and while he strives to make the text accessible to a modern reader, he does not make the mistake of cheapening the genius of Dante by making a "modern" translation. And, of course, all the various characters and personalities that Dante encounters in his journey toward and into Heaven are explained (if the reader does not have an extremely solid grasp of Medieval European politics (and how many of us do?"
"But while the architecture of the work was amazing, line by line it was often a hard slog."
"I bought these 3 volumes for a course, which was then postponed indefinitely."
"I buy these books for the cover--the goal is to have all of them--exquisite cloth bound covers by Coralie Bickford Smith--she was featured years ago in Fine Books and her books are worth collecting."
Best French Poetry

10 years ago, Welcome Books published the star of its Art & Poetry Series, Dance Me to the End of Love , a deliriously romantic song by Leonard Cohen that was brilliantly visualized through the sensual paintings of Henri Matisse. He has published two novels, The Favourite Gam e and Beautiful Losers , and ten books of poetry, most recently Stranger Music: Selected Poems and Songs and Book of Longing .
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Beautiful book that artfully depicts one of my favorite songs from Leonard Cohen."
"LOVELY BOOK MELDING OF TWO FAVORITES."
"Lovely pairing of song lyrics with paintings."
"I was hoping there will be many more songs!"
"great together as book!"
"My daughters favorite story time book."
"Beautiful book for the whole family ."
Best Spanish Poetry

An impressive group of translators that includes Alastair Reid, Stephen Mitchell, Robert Hass, Stephen Kessler and Jack Hirschman, have come together to revisit or completely retranslate the poems; and a handful of previously untranslated works are included as well. Winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1971, his breadth of vision and wide range of themes are extraordinary, and his work continues to inspire new generations of readers and writers.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"EXCELLENT poems."
"Adds to my romantic side; spouse appreciates."
"Me encanta!"
"HE writes about my lover."
"was i supposed to receive 4 copies?"
Best Norse & Icelandic Sagas

"The poems of the Poetic Edda have waited a long time for a Modern English translation that would do them justice. Jackson Crawford earned his Ph.D. in Scandinavian Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and an M.A.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"There's a difference... actually, there's an abyss between a translation and a true, high quality social localization."
"One of the best translations I've seen."
"This is a beautiful translation and interpretation of the Poetic Edda."
"Great translation, I'd recommend to anyone interested in the subject matter."
"Clear, easily readable texts; good background and notes; works well as an introductory text for Norse mythology to undergraduates."
"Excellent work by an excellent Professor."
"Great book."
"Can't wait to dig in."