137 pp.; illus., many in color. A publication of Glover's performance text in the form of a designer book, with a foreword by Glover (9-16), an introduction by Magnusson (17-36), and many lavish illustrations by Mackie. The text is stated on the title page to be Glover's own adaptation from the translations of Michael Alexander and Edwin Morgan; it includes snippets of the Old English text, some of which are also used within Mackie's artwork. Glover's foreword explains that he remembered the story of Beowulf and Grendel as one told to him by his mother when he was a child, and in searching for suitable material for a one-man dramatic performance, realized almost immediately, upon reading the opening of the poem in the first translation that came to hand, that Beowulf would be perfect (12-13).

Glover's version is considerably shorter than the original, as he limits it for the most part to the monster-fighting storyline. After choosing the parts to include, Glover's general procedure is to lightly adapt Alexander's 1973 translation, usually changing Alexander's wording only slightly (such as to smooth a transition where some lines are omitted), but also working in occasional lines and phrases from Morgan where Glover found these particularly striking. For example, at Beowulf ll. 96-97a, Glover uses Morgan's "Loaded the acres of the world in the jewelwork / Of branch and leaf" instead of Alexander's "furnished forth the face of Earth / with limbs and leaves"; at Beowulf ll. 112-14a, he selects Morgan's "Kobolds and gogmagogs, lemures and zombies / And the brood of titans that battled with God ages long" in lieu of Alexander's "ogres and elves and evil shades— / as also the Giants, who joined in long / wars with God"; and at Beowulf ll. 162b-63, Glover gives Morgan's "what man's knowledge / can map the gliding ground of demon and damned?" in place of Alexander's "Men know not / where hell's familiars fleet on their errands!" In all, Glover's prologue section—which extends to l. 193 of the poem—follows Alexander closely with 5 or 6 interjections of Morgan's wording, and this proportion seems consistent throughout.

The book was reprinted in paperback form in 1995, and again, with new cover art (but unaltered interior artwork) and superficial changes to front matter, in 2005.

The first segment of the text, titled "hear—listen," begins:

We have heard of the thriving of the throne of Denmark,
How the folk-kings flourished in former days,
How those royal athelings earned that glory.

Was it not Scyld Sheving that shook the halls,
Took mead-benches, taught encroaching foes to fear him—
Who, found in childhood, lacked clothing?
Yet, he lived and prospered, grew in strength and stature under the heavens.
Ðæt wæs gōd cyning! He was a good king! (43; use of italic and roman typeface as in original)

And the text concludes:

Then they rode around the barrow, twelve in all, atheling's sons,
Reciting their dirge to declare their grief:
They praised their king's manhood and the prowess of his hands;
They raised his name; it is right a man
Be lavish in honouring his lord and his friend,
Should love him in his heart, when the leading-forth
From the house of flesh befalls him at last.
This was the manner of the mourning of the Geats,
Sharers in the feast, at the fall of their lord;
They said he had proved of all kings in the world
The gentlest of men, the most gracious,
The kindest to his people, the keenest for fame.

Cwǣdon þæt hē wǣre wyruldcyninga
Manna mildust ond monðwǣrust,
Lēodum līðost ond lofgeornost. (132-33; use of italic and roman typeface as in original)

BAM (1st ed. and 2005 reprint; 1995 reprint in digital facsimile available via Internet Archive).