The Book of Dragons. Giant Serpents, Guardians of Treasures, and Fire-Breathing Lizards in Legends from Around the World

The first book in the new series "Enchanted World".
The most famous mythological monsters — dragons have always evoked fear and admiration. This book is a fundamental study covering millennia of human history and numerous countries and cultures. The origins of dragons from the deserts of Africa; their battles with elephants in the jungles of South Asia; their fear of lightning, the colossal sea monster Leviathan; the seven-headed red dragon from the "Apocalypse"; the Loch Ness Monster; the dragon in "Beowulf," which became the prototype for Smaug in Tolkien's "The Hobbit"; dragons in the prophecies of the wizard Merlin; the feathered serpent of ancient Mesoamerica. From the dark halls of the Lonely Mountain and the blue skies of Westeros to the underground vaults of the magical bank "Gringotts" — everywhere we anticipate the appearance of gigantic fire-breathing lizards with massive bat-like wings that guard treasures hidden deep underground and also sow chaos and bring destruction by spewing fire from their mouths. But true dragons are full of surprises, just like this book.