The Liberation of Jerusalem

InTheLiberationofJerusalem(1581),TorquatoTassosetouttowriteanepictorivaltheIliadandtheAeneid.Unlikehispredecessors,hetookhissubjectnotfrommythbutfromhistory:theChristiancaptureofJerusalemduringtheFirstCrusade.Thesiegeofthecityisplayedoutalongsideamagicalromanceofloveandsacrifice,inwhichtheChristianknightRinaldosuccumbstothecharmsofthepagansorceressArmida,andthewarriormaidenClorindainspiresafatalpassionintheChristianTancred.Tasso\'smasterpieceleftitsmarkonwritersfromSpenserandMiltontoGoetheandByron,andinspiredcountlesspaintersandcomposers.ThisisthefirstEnglishtranslationinmoderntimesthatfaithfullyreflectsboththesenseandtheverseformoftheoriginal.MaxWickert\'sfinerenderingisintroducedbyMarkDavie,whoplacesTasso\'spoeminittroubledhistoricalcontextandshedslightonitsnarrativeframeworkandhistoricalaccuracyaswellasitsreceptionandinfluence.AbouttheSeries:Forover100yearsOxfordWorld\'sClassicshasmadeavailablethebroadestspectrumofliteraturefromaroundtheglobe.EachaffordablevolumereflectsOxford\'scommitmenttoscholarship,providingthemostaccuratetextplusawealthofothervaluablefeatures,includingexpertintroductionsbyleadingauthorities,voluminousnotestoclarifythetext,up-to-datebibliographiesforfurtherstudy,andmuchmore.,