Book description
In the second part of Margaret Armour's translation of possibly
Wagner's best-known work 'The Ring of the Nibelung', the last two
opera's in the cycle, 'Siegfried' and 'The Twilight of the Gods', are
reproduced with colour plates by Arthur Rackham. Rackham's hauntingly
dark illustrations, are perfectly suited to the drama - an epic story
that charts the struggles of gods, heroes and mythical creatures loosely
based on characters from the Norse sagas. Many of the earliest
children's books, particularly those dating back to the 1850s and
before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. Pook Press
are working to republish these classic works in affordable, high
quality, colour editions, using the original text and artwork so these
works can delight another generation of children. About the Illustrator:
Arthur Rackham (1867-1939) was one of the premier illustrators of the
early 20th Century. He illustrated many books, the first of which was
published in 1893. His humour, romance and soul made him the leading
illustrator of the early twentieth century and his work is to be found
in versions of almost every classic from Hansel and Gretel to The
Tempest, from The Pied Piper to Peer Gynt. Characteristic of his work
are gloomy forests of sinuous trees, nubile fairy maidens, and unsightly
ogres and trolls. Throughout his career he developed a very individual
style that was to influence a whole generation of children, artists and
other illustrators. His haunting humour and dreamlike romance adds to
the enchantment and fantasy of children's literature.
