For thousands of years the tale of Troy has captivated the western imagination. Hector and Achilles, Odysseus and the beautiful Helen are among the most enduring figures in art and literature. But did Troy really exist, and did the Trojan war really take place? In this study Michael Wood takes the reader back to the Greek Age of Heroes. In the Aegean, Turkey and ancient Egypt, he follows the footsteps of the travellers and adventurers who tried to locate the lost cities of legend. The book takes a fresh look at some of the most famous and exciting discoveries in archaeology: particularly those of Heinrich Schliemann at Troy and Arthur Evans at Knossos in Crete. This new edition has been revised to take account of new developments in the search for Troy, including the rediscovery of the so-called Jewels of Helen, which vanished during the fall of Berlin in 1945. The book also gives an account of the re-excavation of the site of Troy which began in 1988, and which is already yielding new evidence about the historical city which lay behind the intriguing story.