These two books of the "Odyssey" provide an ideal introduction to the poem, illustrating Odysseus' cunning intelligence at its best as he gains acceptance in the court of the Phaeacians, and, above all, the subtly drawn character of Nausicaa. This edition replaces the much used one by G.M. Edwards (1914). It contains text (now unexpurgated) and vocabulary, expanded commentary and new introduction. It is geared very much to the needs of those coming to Homer for the first time with a grasp of the basics of classical Greek, and assumes no previous knowledge of Homeric forms or grammar; an outline of these, and of the Homeric hexameter, is given in the introduction and grammar points are reiterated in the commentary. The introduction also provides an outline of questions surrounding Homer and the composition of the "Iliad" and "Odyssey", together with a discussion of the role of books 6 and 7 within the epic's overall structure.

Janet Watson received her PhD from the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne and has since taught Classics in the Universities of Wellington and Dunedin, New Zealand.