Description
Italian sword and sandal burst upon worldwide screens in 1957/8 with the release of Steve Reeves’ The Labors of Hercules/Hercules. Eight years and over 300 films later, peplum, as it was termed, died out as quickly as it had begun. Author Barry Atkinson brings this sadly neglected and misunderstood area of cinema to vivid life, exploring the genre’s origins, roots and major influences, and its myriad of offshoots encompassing swashbuckling, costume and historical dramas, among many.