Glorious Exploits
by Ferdia Lennon
Why read it
This inventive historical tale balances laugh-out-loud buddy comedy with genuinely heartbreaking tragedy. Set in Sicily during the Peloponnesian War, it follows two underemployed local potters who decide to stage plays by Euripides using starving Athenian prisoners of war as the cast. Narrated in a vibrant, colloquial modern Irish voice, it delivers an unforgettable tribute to theater, camaraderie, and humanity enduring against grim circumstances.
Where to get it
For listening, the English audiobook is narrated by the author himself, Ferdia Lennon, and is widely available to stream or buy in the Netherlands via platforms like Storytel, Nextory, Kobo Plus/Bol.com, Audible, and Google Play Books or Apple Books. For digital and physical borrowing, check the Dutch public library system (de Bibliotheek / onlinebibliotheek.nl). Print editions in English can easily be ordered from Bol.com, Libris.nl, or picked up at international bookshops across the Netherlands such as the American Book Center, Waterstones Amsterdam, or Donner.
What to expect
A tragicomic, energetic, and fast-moving read. The prose is conversational, witty, and stylistically distinct thanks to modern Irish cadence and dialect, making it very approachable rather than stiffly academic. Content notes: expect frequent strong language, realistic depictions of ancient warfare's aftermath, prisoner abuse, starvation, grief, and violence.
Want to change something?