Perseus or, of dragons

A witty and erudite tour through the mythic world of dragons, this work begins with a scholar’s confession of curiosity sparked by a stray paragraph in an old literary guide. Drawing on the extensive resources of the London Library, the author gathers legends from ancient Greece, early Christendom, medieval Europe, and even the sands of Egypt, tracing how the terrifying beast has been reshaped by each culture. The narrative balances scholarly detail with a playful tone, treating the dragon both as a creature of legend and as a mirror for human folly.

Beyond cataloguing myth, the book turns its gaze to the modern imagination, arguing that the dragon lives on in the attitudes and institutions of contemporary society. It humorously likens today’s “dragon” to the blend of respectability, bigotry, and cant that pervades everyday life, while urging readers to question the comforts of accepted wisdom. The result is a thought‑provoking blend of history, satire, and cultural critique that invites listeners to reconsider how ancient monsters still shape our world.