author
Alfred John Church
1829–1912
A Victorian-era storyteller of Greece and Rome, he turned classical history and myth into lively adventures for younger readers. His books opened the ancient world to generations of English-language readers.
17 Audiobooks
A Young Macedonian in the Army of Alexander the Great
by Alfred John Church
The Hammer: A Story of the Maccabean Times
by Alfred John Church, Richmond Seeley
Stories from Livy
by Alfred John Church
The Count of the Saxon Shore; or The Villa in Vectis. A Tale of the Departure of the Romans from Britain
by Alfred John Church, Ruth Putnam
With the King at Oxford: A Tale of the Great Rebellion
by Alfred John Church
The Faery Queen and Her Knights: Stories Retold from Edmund Spenser
by Alfred John Church, Edmund Spenser
Stories from Virgil
by Alfred John Church
Henry the Fifth
by Alfred John Church
Roman life in the days of Cicero
by Alfred John Church
Lords of the World: A story of the fall of Carthage and Corinth
by Alfred John Church
Stories of the Old World
by Alfred John Church
The Story of the Odyssey
by Alfred John Church, Homer
Callias: A Tale of the Fall of Athens
by Alfred John Church
Stories from the Greek Tragedians
by Alfred John Church
Helmet and spear : stories from the wars of the Greeks and Romans
by Alfred John Church
The story of the Iliad
by Alfred John Church, Homer
Stories of Charlemagne and the twelve Peers of France : from the old romances
by Alfred John Church
About the author
Born in London in 1829, Alfred John Church was an English classical scholar, clergyman, and schoolmaster who studied at King's College London and Lincoln College, Oxford. He spent much of his career in education, including posts at Merchant Taylors' School, Henley-on-Thames Royal Grammar School, and King Edward VI School in Retford.
Church is best remembered for making the ancient world feel approachable. Alongside scholarly work and translations, he wrote popular retellings of Greek and Roman history, myth, and literature for younger audiences, often blending learning with a strong sense of story.
He died in 1912, but his books remained widely read long afterward. For many readers, he served as a welcoming guide to Homer, Virgil, and the wider world of classical antiquity.