For centuries, folk tales about fierce, fire-breathing dragons have fascinated children and adults alike. Sometimes scary, sometimes surprisingly friendly, dragons are major characters in legends from all around the world. Dragons collects 20 of these mythical beasts from Chinese, Japanese, Babylonian, Mediterranean and Nordic mythology as well as examples from more recent fantasy literature, such as J.R.R. Tolkien's dragon Smaug in The Hobbit. From the rage of Beowulf's dragon to the victory of St. George over the dragon, Dragons brings together the most exciting of these mythical monsters. Illustrated throughout with outstanding, full-colour artworks for each dragon, each entry includes easy-to-follow accounts of the myth, maps of the geographical origins, and factfile boxes describing the different strengths and weaknesses and characteristics of the dragon. This engaging and accessible volume reveals the spectacular world of some of mankind's most sensational creations.