Amazon.com
After chronicling the Spartan stand at Thermopylae in his audacious Gates of Fire, Steven Pressfield once again proves that it's all Greek to him. In Tides of War, he tells the tale of Athenian soldier extraordinaire Alcibiades. Despite the vaunted claims for Periclean democracy, he is undoubtedly first among equals--a great warrior and an impressive physical specimen to boot: "The beauty of his person easily won over those previously disposed, and disarmed even those who abhorred his character and conduct." He is also a formidable orator, whose stump speeches are paradoxically heightened by what some might consider an impediment:
Even his lisp worked in Alcibiades' favor. It was a flaw; it made him human. It took the curse off his otherwise godlike self-presentation and made one, despite all misgivings, like the fellow.
This tale of arms and the man requires two narrators. One, Jason, is an aging noble who serves as a sort of recording angel of the Athenian golden age. The other, Polymides, was long Alcibiades' right-hand man, yet is now imprisoned for his murder.
As they were in his previous novel, Pressfield's battle scenes are extraordinarily vivid and visceral. This time, however, many of these elemental clashes take place on water. "As far as sight could carry, the sea stood curtained with smoke and paved with warcraft. Immediately left, a battleship had rammed one of the vessels in the wall; all three of her banks were backing water furiously, to extract and ram again, while across the breach screamed storms of stones, darts, and brands of such density that the air appeared solid with steel and flame."
In addition to his gift for rendering patriotic gore, the author excels at quieter but no less deadly forms of combat. As Alcibiades' star rises and falls and rises again, we are escorted directly into the snakepit of Athenian realpolitik. Bathing us in the details of a distant era, Pressfield is largely convincing. But it must be said that his diction exhibits a sometimes comical variegation, sliding from Homeric rhetoric to tough-guy speak to the sort of casual Anglicisms we might expect from Evelyn Waugh's far-from-bright young things. No matter. Tides of War conquers by sheer storytelling prowess, reminding us that war was--and is--a highly addictive version of hell. --Darya Silver
Book Description
Brilliant at war, a master of politics, and a charismatic lover, Alcibiades was Athens’ favorite son and the city’s greatest general.
A prodigal follower of Socrates, he embodied both the best and the worst of the Golden Age of Greece. A commander on both land and sea, he led his armies to victory after victory.
But like the heroes in a great Greek tragedy, he was a victim of his own pride, arrogance, excess, and ambition. Accused of crimes against the state, he was banished from his beloved Athens, only to take up arms in the service of his former enemies.
For nearly three decades, Greece burned with war and Alcibiades helped bring victories to both sides — and ended up trusted by neither.
Narrated from death row by Alcibiades’ bodyguard and assassin, a man whose own love and loathing for his former commander mirrors the mixed emotions felt by all Athens,
Tides of War tells an epic saga of an extraordinary century, a war that changed history, and a complex leader who seduced a nation.
Customer Reviews:
One of the most entertaining histroy lessons I've ever had.......2007-10-12
This novel is not for the faint of heart in terms of Grecian terminology and landmarks. You will constantly find yourself checking the glossary in the back and the map at the front of the book sometimes to wonder what on earth is going on. However, I think that adds to a novel when its so authentic you need to do your own research. The story is amazing, many twists and turns dealing with one of the planet's first superstars in Alcibiades. Polemides is a great character too. The battle of Syracuse is depicted perfectly and keeps you on edge. The only thing that kept me from giving this novel 5 stars is that it jumps around a little too much historically and doesnt really center on one event for any extended period of time. Time moves fast in this book, which takes away from the reader a little bit, making it more a history book in places. However, I highly recommend this book for any lover of that particular time period.
Excellent and readable history of Pelopennesian Wars.......2007-06-01
This is an excellent history of the Pelopennesian Wars told in the first person from his jail cell by one who, fought in them, is now on trial for allegedly asassinating a Greek commander (Alcibiades) who defected to the enemy, then returned to the Athenian side. Though I don't usually like histories told in the first person, this one doesn't take liberties with quotes and those it cites have an air of authenticity that makes the book very readable. I'm not yet finished with it but can't go to bed at night without finishing another chapter or two.
Pressfield "Tides of War".......2007-05-07
Pressfield does an excellent job in describing the political climate and the ebb and flow of war in this book. The irony between having a leader who is controlled by the electorate (but ineffective) and a leader who is effective but dangerous is interesting and I enjoyed his Socratic style of prose. A very good book that stays entertaining without having to resort to silliness and has some interesting things to say concerning honor and excellence.
Mastery.......2007-04-21
Steven Pressfiel is without equal! Tides of War is by far the greatest book that he has written and a complete feast for the senses it is. Far superior than Gates of Fire for my money.
Ancient Greece comes alive again.......2007-04-04
Steven Pressfeild's "Tides of War" is set against the Peloponnesian War, and about the most infamous character of the event Alcibiades; pirate, patriot, traitor, general, name any title, he's probably earned it at some point. He was also proud and vain, which eventually lead to his down fall. This book chronicles the plague in Athens, the early Spartan, Athenian conflicts, the doomed invasion of Syracuse, extraordinary navel battles as well as some intense land fights. Court intrigue and espionage are ever present, and it dose make the story a little thick at times if you don't already know the story. The story is actually told in a complicated flashback as Alcibiades's best friend Polyamides (who is in prison for Alcibiades's murder) is telling the story to his grandson Jason, who is in the prison to watch Socrates drink his hemlock. This is description only scratched the surface of what this book is, there is so much more to it. I really liked this book, it is as much an epic retelling of Greek history as "Gates of Fire" was. I highly recommend this very readable account of the war that was the beginning of the end for Greece as a dominant power.
Book Description
One of our most provocative military historians, Victor Davis Hanson has given us painstakingly researched and pathbreaking accounts of wars ranging from classical antiquity to the twenty-first century. Now he juxtaposes an ancient conflict with our most urgent modern concerns to create his most engrossing work to date, A War Like No Other.
Over the course of a generation, the Hellenic city-states of Athens and Sparta fought a bloody conflict that resulted in the collapse of Athens and the end of its golden age. Thucydides wrote the standard history of the Peloponnesian War, which has given readers throughout the ages a vivid and authoritative narrative. But Hanson offers readers something new: a complete chronological account that reflects the political background of the time, the strategic thinking of the combatants, the misery of battle in multifaceted theaters, and important insight into how these events echo in the present.
Hanson compellingly portrays the ways Athens and Sparta fought on land and sea, in city and countryside, and details their employment of the full scope of conventional and nonconventional tactics, from sieges to targeted assassinations, torture, and terrorism. He also assesses the crucial roles played by warriors such as Pericles and Lysander, artists, among them Aristophanes, and thinkers including Sophocles and Plato.
Hanson’s perceptive analysis of events and personalities raises many thought-provoking questions: Were Athens and Sparta like America and Russia, two superpowers battling to the death? Is the Peloponnesian War echoed in the endless, frustrating conflicts of Vietnam, Northern Ireland, and the current Middle East? Or was it more like America’s own Civil War, a brutal rift that rent the fabric of a glorious society, or even this century’s “red state—blue state” schism between liberals and conservatives, a cultural war that manifestly controls military policies? Hanson daringly brings the facts to life and unearths the often surprising ways in which the past informs the present.
Brilliantly researched, dynamically written, A War Like No Other is like no other history of this important war.
From the Hardcover edition.
Customer Reviews:
A history teacher's review.......2007-10-06
"A War Like No Other" is classical historian Victor Davis Hanson's offering on the Peloponnesian War - the 27 year struggle between the Delian League (Athens and its allies) and the Peloponnesian League (Sparta and its allies) that ran on and off again from 431 to 404 B.C.
Hanson's book is perhaps also a "book like no other" if I may borrow a phrase. Despite the prominently placed quote for the New York Times on the front cover proclaiming that it is a contemporary retelling of the war, this is not a narrative history of the war. Rather, it does exactly what the subtitle promises - it tells the reader HOW the war was fought. It analyzes the techniques, the weapons, the strategies and the tactics but it is not a history per se. The book vaguely follows the course of the war, but often shifts backwards and forwards through the decades of the war and even before and after the war.
Giving this one a rating is tricky. It is well-researched and well-written. Hanson does a tremendous job of linking the events of the past with more current events, such as World War II, the Cold War and terrorism. In a way, you could say that the quote (and title of the book) from the ancient historian Thucydides was really not true, this war was not a war like no other, instead at least parts of it are like every war that followed since.
While well-written, I think that Hanson's decision to break the book up into thematic units ("Fire", "Disease", "Terror", "Armor", etc.) made the book less strong than if it had been told in more of a narrative manner. Hanson provided tons of endnotes to document his work which is a strength and indicative of the quality of work that Hanson creates, it was also quite annoying. Not the notes themselves, but the fact that they were endnotes with commentary requiring the reader to constantly flip back and forth to the end of the book and to keep two sets of bookmarks- one for the text and one for the endnotes. If a writer plans to write additional commentary in his or her notes common decency would suggest that footnotes are better for the reader. The continuity and flow of the main text is not broken by constant flipping to the back of the book. Shelby Foote did this to great effect in his gigantic 3 volume Civil War series. Tom Holland uses both in his book "Rubicon" - notes at the end, additional commentary at the bottom of the text.
As a history teacher, I found immediate uses for portions of the book in my classroom. I read to my class from Hanson's description of life on the Greek naval vessels and was able to use his information to give a brief description of the war and the experience of the soldier. I do recommend this book for serious world history teachers and any afficionados of classical ancient history.
Best book of its kind.......2007-09-20
I am a big fan of those authors like Jared Diamond who try to look at the big picture, but I also occasionally read more "conventional" history which focuses on events during a particular time and place. "A War Like No Other" is the best book of that kind I have ever read. It tries to understand the "why's" of the Peloponnesian War. Why was their a stalemate for so long; why was the effectiveness of Hoplites limited, and why didn't the Greek world realize this earlier; why was cavalry important and why wasn't more use made of it; why were the Greeks so poor at conducting sieges; what determined success at sea; why did Athen invade Syracuse, a fellow democracy, and one very distant; why was the war marked by a greater frequency of atrocities than the Greek world had previously experienced; what was the nature of democracy and oligarchy and what form did social tensions take; why were a few critical battles won or lost. The book also implicitly explains why any one with a classical background might be distrustful of democracy. Finally, students of modern history know the importance of economic might; Hanson, in answering some of his questions, shows the importance of economics in this ancient conflict.
I have a few minor complaints. The maps provided don't always show the places referred to: in fact, the reader would be advised to refer to the map on p.182 when reading the earlier chapters. It would have been helpful if the chapters on armor and cavalry had been earlier. Hanson is a like a home team announcer in sports, the home team being Athens, so that the failure to conquer democratic Syracuse, not just the loss of life (p.212), was a "tragedy". However one may dislike the Spartan state, it was Athens, not Sparta which was expansionist. For a celebration of the Spartan way of life, I would recommend Steven Pressfield's "Gates of Hell", which while a novel, focuses on the Spartan ethos.
Excellent.......2007-05-29
Hanson has crafted a history of the Peloponnesian War which breaks form the traditional, chronological storyline. Instead, Hanson has broken down the conflict into the types of warfare and the whole book is essentially detailing the evolution of Greek warfare into the tactical juggernauts of Thebes and later, Macedon. Basically, Hanson contends that the Peloponnesian War exerted such stress on the Greek city-states, over twenty-seven years, that the old politics of pitched hoplite battles and open sea engagements, a la the Persian Wars, were too ineffective and inefficient. Sparta's armies were preeminent on the field of battle and Athens' fleets ruled the seas without equal, until the final stages of the war. Because of their absolute dominance in their respective fields, the real fighting took place elsewhere: in nightfighting, sieges, the novel use of auxiliaries who attacked with ranged weapons (javelins, bows, slings), a newfound appreciation for the cavalry wing and the impact of the plague on Athens. Hanson's book falls short of the elusive 5-stars because his style sometimes dragged. However, this is a clear, concise, well-researched and well-written analysis of a war that changed everything in the eastern mediterranean, opening the power vacuum for Thebes and Macedon.
Hard to Follow.......2007-04-17
This book breaks the Peloponnesian War into its component parts and discusses how each influenced the strategy of the two sides. The author seems to presuppose a working knowledge of the conflict on the part of the reader. Because this was my first effort at educating myself about the war I found Hanson's explanations hard to follow. "A War Like no Other" is not for beginners. Prior to tackling this book I would suggest first reading Thucydides and some other more basic text about the complicated conflict between Athens and Sparta.
A Landmark History.......2007-02-04
I was encouraged to read Hanson's history, "A War Like No Other", because John Keegan heaped praise upon it in his "History of Warfare". As a devoted reader of Keegan's, I took his advice, picked up a copy, and was not disappointed. It is easy to think that Classics scholarship has little room for innovation, but Hanson manages to break new ground with a history that is also compelling and readable. Indeed, Hanson's work shares much in common with Keegan's seminal masterpiece, "The Face of Battle". Hanson's goal is to explore and, as accurately as possible, reconstruct the raw, local experience of the Peloponnesion War from the eyes of participants.
Hanson's chief innovation is a common-sense, experiential approach to the conflict which yields surprising results. Hanson asks the question, for example, "Was it really possible for the Spartans to ravage the countryside of Attica?" To answer this question, Hanson actually assembled primitive implements that the Spartans would have had, and attempted to "ravage" sections of his farm over a period of time. The conclusion is impressive: estimating generously, it would have been extraordinarily difficult for the Spartans to have inflicted meaningful damage to Athenian surroundings.
In a similar fashion, Hanson explores the physicality of phalanx combat, and shows its relatively modest significance in the war. One gets a sense of the carnage, the noise, terror and psychological intimidation that a Spartan hoplite unit could produce. Even more impressive is Hanson's narration of naval conflict -- specifically, the difficulties in maneuvering, the environment on-board, and the participants.
Hanson's experiential approach does not preclude analysis of the strategic considerations and cultural motivations behind decisions. His analysis of the Athenian assembly -- its demagoguery and passions, or the Spartan oligarchy -- constantly in fear of Helot revolt, is excellent.
Hanson not only covers phalanx and naval combat, but examines siege warfare, terror, strategy, disease, and the overall influence the conflict had on Greek civilization. Indeed, it is this last item that is the most depressing. If there is any difficulty in reading the history, it is the foreknowledge of the tragedy -- the reduction of Athens and other cities, the senseless, pyrrhic victories, the massacres, the waste. It is a tragedy worth witnessing however, for the lessons are meaningful and lasting. One sees the tyranny of the majority, the passions of the mob, and sees also the wisdom of the American Founding Fathers' crafting of an indirect democracy. One sees as well the influence of demagogues, men who felt little compunction ruining their society for personal gain -- demagogues who are still with us, unfortunately, even if the faces, names, times and places have changed.
Amazon.com
Thucydides' History of the Peloponnesian War is one of the great books in the Western tradition, as well as its first true historical narrative. Editor Robert Strassler has annotated this classic text to make it more accessible to modern readers and added dozens of maps for easy reference. A helpful introduction places Thucydides in proper historical context and a series of short appendices focus on particular aspects of life and war during the period. But the bulk of the book itself, where Thucydides chronicles the long struggle between Athens and Sparta, enjoys an unexpected freshness on these pages--partly due to Strassler's magnificent editorial labors, but mostly because it's a great story resonant with heroes, villains, bravery, desperation, and tragedy. Every library should have a copy of Thucydides in it, especially libraries on military history, and The Landmark Thucydides is without question the best version available.
Book Description
Thucydides called his account of two decades of war between Athens and Sparta "a possession for all time," and indeed it is the first and still most famous work in the Western historical tradition. Considered essential reading for generals, statesmen, and liberally educated citizens for more than 2,000 years, The Peloponnesian War is a mine of military, moral, political, and philosophical wisdom.
However, this classic book has long presented obstacles to the uninitiated reader. Robert Strassler's new edition removes these obstacles by providing a new coherence to the narrative overall, and by effectively reconstructing the lost cultural context that Thucydides shared with his original audience. Based on the venerable Richard Crawley translation, updated and revised for modern readers. The Landmark Thucydides includes a vast array of superbly designed and presented maps, brief informative appendices by outstanding classical scholars on subjects of special relevance to the text, explanatory marginal notes on each page, an index of unprecedented subtlety, and numerous other useful features.
In any list of the Great Books of Western Civilization, The Peloponnesian War stands near the top. This authoritative new edition will ensure that its greatness is appreciated by future generations.
Customer Reviews:
The Ultimate Source.......2007-07-12
Looking at the rating this book gets, there really is no reason to add my 5 stars to it, but I find that writing a review increasingly means countering some other reviewer's (perceived) unfairness, rather than adding yet another redundant cheer to the meriad praises presented here.
Case-in-point: one reviewer thought that the various place names became confusing. Perhaps, but what can be done? That's the way it happened. Personally, I found this edition's many maps very helpful in increasing my overall understanding of the geography of the many greek poleis that before were just names in various confusing texts. I also highly recommend that while reading this book, one keeps on hand a copy of "A Guide to the Ancient World" by Michael Grant (available here also) to look up the various cities and islands as they are mentioned to add dimension and a sense of immediacy to the narrative.
Another reviewer thought Thucydides' prose to be dry. I disagree. His historian's straight-to-the-point narrative style actually adds power to the events he describes, I feel, precisely because he isn't trying to play things up. Reality needs no embellishments. Book 7 describing the Athenian's failed invasion of Sicily actually becomes almost harrowing at one point because of this. Take Alkibiades, for instance. He comes across as a real A-hole, but not because of any colorizing on the part of Thucydides' narrative. Thucydides just relates what the man did, rarely delving into his motivations, and the actions speak for themselves.
My only complaint is a small one: the latinized transliterations (Laurium instead of Laureion, Mycalyssus instead of Mykalyssos, etc.). I also wonder about the accuracy of the various speeches recited here. I get the impression that they all have Thukydides' style, but that is my personal feeling (about a subject which various historians far more knowledgeable than I are still arguing about) and has nothing to do with the edition which I bought after comparing it to the others on the shelf. This is truly the finest one.
I figure that if one is interested in the subject matter, then it is a fascinating read. A general reader probably wouldn't purchase a book such as this. As for someone wanting to delve deeply into ancient history, the modern historians' works are essential, but eventually he will have to delve into the primary sources and make up his own mind.
Along with this book I also highly recommend Donald Kagan's "the Peloponnesian War" and Victor Davis Hansen's "a War Like No Other". Read these three and there is nothing else of significance on the subject of the Peloponnesian war, really.
WONDERFUL EDITION.......2007-06-21
Superb edition. You cannot get confused with this edition for every single place is mapped out and essays on e.g. Athenian politics and the Persian empire are provided in appendices. A must-have. A fine translation, too, both accurate and stately.
Still have not recieved the item.......2007-03-08
Horrible delievery, why do they even offer the super saver if it takes FOREVER to recieve the order. Terrible delievery service.
Consider a less annotated edition if this is your first pass at Thucydides.......2006-12-17
If you are seeking an in-depth understanding of the Peloponnesian War and are a serious student of ancient history, this may be a great edition of the Richard Crowley translation of Thucydides. If, however, you are just beginning to delve into the Greeks and this is your first reading of the History of the Peloponnesian War, I would suggest a less annotated edition. I place myself in the second category, and while I found it helpful at first to have all of the maps and footnotes, I soon found them distracting. I am the type of reader who feels like every time I hit a note I have to read it, and there were so many on some pages that it could take ten minutes just to read one page.
I was reading for scope, more than depth, and I wanted to get a sense of Thucydides' voice. About halfway through I ended up downloading the Crowley translation from Project Gutenberg and reading it on my handheld - which worked out great since I could refer back to the book when I needed a map or had a question in the text. I found I could follow what was happening without all of the notes with very little difficulty.
The Crowley translation, which is used in the Landmark Thucydides, is very readable and shines in the various orations throughout the work.
I wouldn't want to talk anyone out of buying this edition, it truly is we'll done, but at least consider a less annotated edition if this is your first time reading Thucydides, and then consider buying both.
Robert B. Strassler's Thucydides.......2006-11-14
The definitive version of Thucydides' classic. In English, that is. This is a must have reference book, and it makes a wonderful read all on it's lonesome. This work seems to have been written specifically for fans of Donald Kagan's four volume work on the Peloponnesian War (Outbreak of P. War, Archidamian War, Peace of Nicias, and Fall of Athenian Empire.)
Thucydides' work is a classic historical analysis dedicated to how and why Sparta and Athens came to blows. It doesn't really require a review, as its modern presence, having survived the corrosion of history, seems to attest to its value. Strassler's contribution, which is largely commentary and presentation, does, however, beg for review. Fortunately, this contribution is splendid.
Strassler has set the bar for reference texts to come, as his unique blend of maps, timelines, text, and synopses serve as a wonderful set of helpers for student and historian alike.
Altogether well done.
Book Description
Written four hundred years before the birth of Christ, this detailed contemporary account of the struggle between Athens and Sparta stands an excellent chance of fulfilling the author's ambitious claim that the work "was done to last forever." The conflicts between the two empires over shipping, trade, and colonial expansion came to a head in 431 b.c. in Northern Greece, and the entire Greek world was plunged into 27 years of war. Thucydides applied a passion for accuracy and a contempt for myth and romance in compiling this exhaustively factual record of the disastrous conflict that eventually ended the Athenian empire.
Customer Reviews:
Translations of Thucydides.......2007-05-20
There are three main translations of Thucydides available for the English reader:
Thomas Hobbes' 1628 version. Although made over 300 years ago this translation is still considered a classic by many in the English-speaking world. His vigorous and lively Jacobean English prose will enchant those more literary minded souls, but Hobbes version has been noted for some inaccuracies due to the lack of proper understanding of the original Greek language text.
William Smith's 1754 translation. Most know of Crawley and Hobbes works but Smith's excellent 18th century version has been almost forgotten. Smith's prose is as majestic and virile as Hobbes while avoiding the sometimes vapid modernity of Crawley and Warner. While a bit hard to read for most modern readers Smith's prose is worth the effort if you stick with him. Some things were not meant to be "dumbed down".
Rex Warner's Penguin edition. This is the version offered here. Warner is excellent for those who want to avoid the archaic and more challenging prose of Hobbes, Smith, or Crawley. He is very clear and lucid in his rendition of the text. For those of you who are first embarking on your exploration of Thucydides I would recommend this edition.
A Masterpiece.......2007-05-08
A true masterpiece of historical literature. As modern today as it was when written. Any understanding of human and national behavior is incomplete without a thorough understanding of Thucydides' magnificient work. One of those works you could read every year of your life and never quite come to terms with the totality of the lessons it contains.
Great Book.......2007-03-20
I am a total history buff and this book has really expanded my knowledge. Great to use in class to gain that upper hand in the philosophical arguments. I highly suggest you pick it up.
Good version of Thucydides.......2007-03-05
This is one of the early classic "histories" written. Of course, Herodotus had written his "History" before. But his acceptance of the role of gods in history renders Thucydides' hard-headed accounts of the Greek internecine warfare a further advance in historiography. Thus, we begin to experience something like a real history in this volume (and that does not denigrate the real contributions of Herodotus).
This is a nice volume. The Introduction by M. I. Finley sets the stage; the translation by Rex Warner is (as far as I can tell) serviceable. The work of Thucydides comes through in this collaboration.
Thucydides' focus is on the origins of this bloody inter-Greek war. The forces of Athens (and her allies) against Sparta (and her allies) is the center of this work. He notes the cause (page 49): "What made war inevitable was the growth of Athenian power and the fear which this caused in Sparta." This is, as noted earlier, a fairly hard-headed view of history. To use contemporary terms, the author was something like a "realist."
Some major parts of the work. . . . One of these is the funeral oration by Pericles, the Athenian leader. He spoke of what made Athens special. His death, according to Thucydides, was harmful to the Athenian cause. He says (page 163): "For Pericles had said that Athens would be victorious if she bided her time and took care of the navy, if she avoided trying to add to the empire during the course of the war, and if she did nothing to risk the safety of the city itself. But his successors did the exact opposite. . . ."
This work has much of interest in it. Just one example. The Melian dialogue featured a debate between the Melians and Athenians. The Melians argued that morality was on their side. The Athenians acknowledged the argument, but also noted that they had the numbers and the weapons. This is an early debate between two schools of thought in international relations--idealists versus realists. The hard-nosed attitude of the Athenians won out in this case. . . .
In some ways, Thucydides is best understood by reading Herodotus and then comparing the two, so that one can get a sense of one of the first historians and then someone who adopts a different posture as historian. This is a very good version of Thucydides (from someone who cannot read Greek, by the way). Well worth looking at if a person is interested in the devastating Peloponnesian War.
Some strategy and a lot of history.......2007-01-03
First of all, I find it close to impossible to rate such a book as this, as it is truly great as an insight into events that happened thousands of years ago, while the writing and accessibility of the work clearly could have been better. Nevertheless, in my opinion this is a 5-star book, as the detail and insight into a war that took place ~400bc is such a great read.
Thucydides shows a himself as a great analyst of the conficts he relates, and instead of just relating the facts, he guides us through the actors motivations and the reasons for what takes place. THAT is the value of this book as far as I'm concerned, the strategic approach to conflict, and the massive amount of strategy in regards to alliances and battles that we get to share through this book.
Being a student of political philosophy I read this book because of my fascination with Thomas Hobbes (Allthough not the Hobbes-translation). It will be hard for anyone to understand Hobbes through this though, and I must question the usefulness for most of such a linkage on the whole. There is also a lot of history in this book that will interest a lot of you (Those that are like me), rather little, but one gets through it, and when one is done with the book I truly feel I have gotten a great lecture in strategy and conflict!
Book Description
It is a tale of two cities--the legendary duel between haughty, democratic Athens and brutal, unbeaten Sparta. After seven years of bloody conflict, a barren island in a remote corner of Greece becomes the stage for what promises to become a second Thermopylae. Four hundred Spartan soldiers are cut off by enemy ships on a narrow strip of land, starving, without supplies, yet sworn to uphold their indomitable heritage. Meanwhile, all around them, the powerful Athenian Navy masses for the inevitable assault.
As the war of nerves wears on, Spartan nobles and Athenian demagogues maneuver in the background--and two estranged Spartan brothers serve together for the first time. The eldest, Antalcidas, is a legendary warrior hobbled by a damaging secret. His brother Epitadas is envied, popular, and cruel. Together they must overcome a lifetime of hostility to survive the battle of their lives.
Customer Reviews:
A good effort but..........2007-10-02
Unfortunately I don't think Nicastro really presents us with anything new. If he does, it is in the interactions between Spartans and helots, which are largely undocumented and, where examples exist, bias casts a strong shadow. The affection bewteen Antalcidas and Doulos was nice, as well as the moral issues presented when the Messenians tried to liberate some of their fellow countrymen on the island, mistakenly killing them in the process. My real gripe with Nicastro is that he didn't show us anything we didn't already know. I suppose, for someone not as well-versed in Greek history, this would be an exciting story with a suspenseful ending. However, I suppose I expected a bit more: more insight into the character of Epitadas and Antalcidas; more politics perhaps, or maybe just a more focused story that didn't seem to jump forward and back in time. It is confusing when, in Book II, we jump forward 30 years, to introduce the setting of Sphacteria, before coming back to the Rearing. The confusing sense of time and the lack of depth made this book stand out as an example of lackluster historical fiction. Also, the details of the earthquake's immediate aftermath, as well as some discussion of the future would have been welcome. Nicastro takes a great story and retells it, just not well enough for my taste. Gates of Fire is a far superior book about the Spartan Rearing and their view on war.
Not Duke Wayne at Thermopylae.......2007-09-22
I love good fiction the more believable it is. I love authors who respect my intelligence, but don't write like they're trying to overpower me with theirs. I love ANY book, or any other form of entertainment for that matter, that entertains me while taking me out of all the usual ruts.
This book does all that, and much, much more. After exhausting Mary Renault's books, I've been been waiting for an author to take her place.
Nicastro has my vote.
A Novel of Ancient Sparta.......2007-09-17
This is the first book that I have read by the author and I enjoyed it very much. I love books on ancient history, both fact and fiction so I suppose I am a little biased in that respect. The book is a story of two cities on the Greek mainland. The city of Athens, home to some of the finest minds and the finest writers of the period and the fierce and unbeaten Sparta.
The book tells the story of four hundred Spartan soldiers who are cut off by Athenian ships on a narrow strip of land. Although they are almost starving and have no hope of receiving any supplies, they vow to uphold their tradition as warriors and never give in. Meanwhile the Athenian navy make ready for the inevitable assault . . .
Yawn.......2007-07-07
It's very very very rare that I don't finish a book. I did not finish this book. The story drags on and on and on. This is truly a bore and one to pass up. There's other books out there that deal with ancient Sparta that are much better reads.
Vivid images from history.......2007-06-12
The fact that the reviews of this book are all over the place says it all. "Isle of Stone" is the kind of novel that divides people. I think it is because Nicastro writes without compromising his vision, without trying give certain readers what he thinks they want. He doesn't give you a nice battle scene every twenty pages. He doesn't care if you like his characters, any more than real people particularly care if you like them. (For the record, I found the story of Damatria and Antalcidas very noble and very sad.) No argument here: if you're looking for propaganda about comic book Spartans, look elsewhere. If you want something like the truth, backed up by intense research, this should be your choice.
Book Description
For three decades in the fifth century b.c. the ancient world was torn apart by a conflict that was as dramatic, divisive, and destructive as the world wars of the twentieth century: the Peloponnesian War. Donald Kagan, one of the worldÂ's most respected classical, political, and military historians, here presents a new account of this vicious war of Greek against Greek, Athenian against Spartan. The Peloponnesian War is a magisterial work of history written for general readers, offering a fresh examination of a pivotal moment in Western civilization. With a lively, readable narrative that conveys a richly detailed portrait of a vanished world while honoring its timeless relevance, The Peloponnesian War is a chronicle of the rise and fall of a great empire and of a dark time whose lessons still resonate today.
Customer Reviews:
The Athenians Win The Paper War Again.......2007-03-16
Donald Kagan is an acknowledged master-historian of the Peloponnesian War, the great struggle between Athens on one side and Lacedaemon (led by Sparta) and Boeotia (led by Thebes) on the other. The war lasted 29 years (counting only the direct involvement of Athens) and in many ways has the same status for classical Greece that WW2 has for modern history - the world (meaning the Eastern Mediterranean, for the earlier conflict) was never the same afterwards. Kagan has written the currently definitive four-volume scholarly history; this is the lightweight version for general readers - the main text is a mere 490 pages. I bought it hoping to get a fresh slant on a subject I first touched about 45 years ago. That was perhaps optimistic; this is a field that has been ploughed over by historians for over 2,400 years, starting even before the dust had settled on the battlefields. In short, I was disappointed; there is little here that one could not have got from Grote a hundred and fifty years ago (he was a little before my time, but we had him in the school library). To be fair, the material is comprehensive (at that length it ought to be) and lucidly presented; anyone simply wanting a narrative in one volume and modern English could hardly do better.
What it does not do is challenge in any way the long-standing presupposition that, overall, the Athenians were the White Hats and the Lacedaemonians and Boeotians were the Baddies. This bias goes all the way back to the time of the War itself, and stems fundamentally from the fact that Athens had all the best writers - indeed, nearly all the writers, full stop. Above all, Athens had Thucydides, an only moderately successful general but a historian of genius and a participant in the events, on whom all subsequent generations (Kagan included) have drawn greedily. It is in some ways a satisfactory irony that, even once, history was written by the defeated, but that is not necessarily preferable to having it written by the victors, as the ongoing controversy over Japanese history of WW2 demonstrates. What is surprising, though, is that even at this late date western historians should buy wholesale into the Athenian version. We graduates of the 20th century should have learned a little scepticism by now, for the claim of Athens to be the fount of freedom really does look a little thin on dispassionate examination. There's the matter of democracy, for example. To be sure, Athens was one of the most democratic states in Greece, which means probably in the world - but the claim rests on an enfranchised percentage that was about the same as apartheid South Africa's, and with about as much benevolence towards the under-classes. That probably looked excitingly radical to many 18th- and even 19th-century westerners (the ones who really fell in love with the Athens thing), but I believe we can set the bar a little higher these days. That was Athens at home; Athens abroad looks a lot worse. The USA has been much vilified since 1945, often with justice, but it never tried to convert NATO into a tribute-paying empire, nor did it nuke, say, Finland for refusing to sign up. The Athenians did the exact parallel of both these things when they turned the Delian League into a hegemony (using their former allies' taxes to aggrandise and beautify their own city) and massacred and enslaved the Melians when they declined to contribute. Alongside that, the Athenians' catastrophic adventurism in Sicily and their judicial murder of their own (victorious) generals after Arginusae are almost peccadillos.
Kagan does not pull any punches when describing Athenian actions, but he still resolutely refuses to draw any new conclusions (in this book, at least) about the nature of the Athenian state or the Athenians' view of, and actions towards, their fellow Greeks. I guess it's too late (by a couple of millennia) to hope for the discovery of writings from Sparta or Thebes that would tell the story from the other side, far less from any of the smaller states that were trampled as the elephants fought. I believe, though, that the time is over-ripe to critically review the notion that the Athenians were the Greeks par excellence, and that their downfall merits a furtive (or any) tear. They had it coming.
A wonderful history, plus lessons for our own time.......2006-11-16
Donald Kagan has taken 2500-year-old accounts written by Thucydides and others and produced a book that succeeds on two levels. First, it provides an excellent if slightly dry history of the war that led to the collapse of the Athenian empire. We learned a lot about Athens in school, and in Western world we view it as the birthplace of democracy. Kagan explains why Athens and Sparta went to war and stayed at war long past the point of exhaustion. He also explains how the various Greek cities grasped for power when the two Greek superpowers locked horns. He even manages to explain the budget issues facing Athens -- as in how many talents of silver it took to keep a war galley at sea for a year.
We also learn a great deal about how Sparta and other Greek cities worked, and how they managed to stumble into a 10-year conflict that emptied Athens' treasury. The history is written in a very matter-of-fact style that some make think is a too dry, but adding emotion to a 2500-year-old story would seem artificial to me.
The book succeeds in a second valuable way. It explains diplomacy as few historians do, largely by example. Kagan provides explanations for each of the major decisions made by the cities of Greece during (and before) the war. Countries don't always behave logically, and the logic that does exist in often hidden from an outsider's view. In the process of explaining what Athens and Sparta did, Kagan illustrates the mechanism by which decisions were arrived at. In the process and without mentioning it himself, he tells us a great deal about how foreign policy is arrived at today.
Democracy is supposed to work better than any other form of government, and it probably does. So it's not particularly reassuring to see that an ancient proto-democracy blundered so many times because of the influence of individual leaders with their own agendas. But it sure is educational.
So... read it for the history of ancient Greece, and come away with a better understanding of our own times.
THE Guide to the Peloponnesian War.......2006-10-31
Kagan has written a concise easy to read history of the Peloponnesian War. While I decided not to read Kagan's 4 volume History I don't in away way feel confused about any part of the war. The book reads like a good fiction novel where you just keep on reading to find out what happens next. Every character is this true to life drama is given in detail but not so much that is slows the book down, or so little to leave the reader wanting more. Anyone who wants a better understanding of this turbulent history of the Ancient Greeks needs to read this book. The major themes of this book and of this civil war still ring true today and will into the future.
Anyone considering reading Tides of War By Steven Pressfield take note, this is REQUIRED reading before you read Pressfield's book.
Nice, not exceptional.......2006-08-06
I had high hopes for Donald Kagan's history of the Peloponnesian War. My anticipation was fueled by my interest in the topic, the author's reputation and the reviews written by other readers. Unfortunately, the last two points failed me.
Professor Kagan does a nice job moving through the events leading to the war and the chronology of the war. What frustrated me was the uneven analysis, from excellent (the Peace of Nicias) to trite (the irrationality of Pericles' entering the war based honor instead of reason - Kagan treats these as if they are wholly separate; bad philosophy from the good professor) in topics that he is the expert.
Overall, I have found other books on similar topics (ie. J.F.C. Fuller's "Alexander the Great") more interesting and informative.
Hellenic version of World War...........2005-12-28
I have read Donald Kagan's previous four volume book set on the Peloponnesian War which set the standard of that war for many years to come. So when I read his one volume book on the subject, I did wondered what more can I get.
This one book treatment of the Peloponnesian War proves to be superbly well written for almost any reader. Unlike his four volume series which was academically rich and complex, this one book treatment scaled down the narrative into an easy to read, easy to understand and yet complete enough to make any reader understand what, how and why of the Peloponnesian War. Added by nice maps, almost anyone can tackle this book and come out wiser on the subject. The author's ability to reduced the complex nature of this conflict into an easier format is a clear example of his knowledge and total command of the subject matter.
This book come highly recommended for anyone who have an initial interest on the matter and even for experienced readers as well.
Book Description
The first volume is devoted to the period which begins with the era of Greek colonization and ends with the close of the Peloponnesian War in 404 B. C. Charles Fornara has gathered together material compiled from inscriptions, ancient encyclopedias, scholia, and similar sources. The material, much of it translated by him for the first time, covers not only events of national significance - wars and treaties, the founding of towns and colonies, the dedication of temples - but also presents such records of daily life as ration lists, wine trade regulations, inventories of treasure, drinking songs, and financial records. The documents are accompanied by a brief commentary, which is basically intended to clarify obscurities in the text. An extensive glossary and indexes explain obscure terms of Greek social and governmental structure and permit detailed prosopographical analysis. This book will be welcomed by students and teachers of ancient history.
Average customer rating:
- The End of the City...
- A great book for anyone interested in the Peloponnesian War
- Drought with dream
- Really Engaging!
- The real deal
|
The Last of the Wine
Mary Renault
Manufacturer: Vintage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 British
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
| 18th Century
| 19th Century
| 20th Century
| Classics
| Contemporary
| General
| Historical
| Humor
| Letters & Correspondence
| Middle
| Old
| Poetry
| Renaissance
| Shakespeare
| Short Stories
Contemporary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Historical
| Genre Fiction
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Renault, Mary
| ( R )
| Authors, A-Z
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Fire from Heaven
-
The Mask of Apollo: A Novel
-
The King Must Die: A Novel
-
The Bull from the Sea
-
The Persian Boy
ASIN: 0375726810
Release Date: 2001-07-10 |
Book Description
In
The Last of the Wine, two young Athenians, Alexias and Lysis, compete in the palaestra, journey to the Olympic games, fight in the wars against Sparta, and study under Socrates. As their relationship develops, Renault expertly conveys Greek culture, showing the impact of this supreme philosopher whose influence spans epochs.
Customer Reviews:
The End of the City..........2007-04-30
I've loved this book for half my life, and I've assigned it to students in Western Civ. classes in universities. Be very clear, now: this is not a novel about the battles of the great war between Athens and Sparta. It's not intended to be like Stephen Pressfield's account of the career of Alkibiades. It's about the decay of Athens' greatness, about the end of the Athenians' belief in their own glory and greatness. It's a tragic book-- about the end of a vision of democracy, about the ruin of a family, about the end of a love affair. But it's brilliantly written-- Renault crafted the language to feel Attic and distanced, and she tried to take up the attitudes and beliefs of her characters. I always read the opening lines to students-- the narrator Alexias blithely recalling that on the day of his birth, his father had ordered him put to death as too weak and sickly to bother raising. Renault's portrayal of Sokrates is sympathetic, human, and sad-- a fine depiction of tragic greatness. This is a novel that I'll assign to classes again, and certainly one that I'll put on my list of books for a desert island.
A great book for anyone interested in the Peloponnesian War.......2007-02-09
The Last of the Wine is arguably one of Mary Renault's best books. Its moving tale of the collapse of Athens into Sparta and its eventual resurrection are seen through the eyes of the growing figure of Alexias. He becomes interested in the phliosophy of Socrates and through Socrates meets various young philosophers and students of philosophy, including Xenophon, conservative but brave; Phaedo, a slave who comes to respect the people who destroyed his world; and Plato, extremely young, but also extremely wise; there is also Lysis, with whom Alexias becomes involved, at first just as friends, but later sexually. The most amazing moment came when the news of the battle of Goat's Creek was brought to Athens. For the time being, democracy is lost; any reader would feel the deep sadness of that moment. Democracy is restored, but rejoicings are tempered by the fact that the people will destroy Socrates, clearly foreshadowed at the end.
This book encompasses all the great features of Athens and shows their rise and fall. It is also extremely moving.
Drought with dream.......2007-01-27
This is a beautiful, expertly painted story about two men and their love for each other, their city, and honor. The implications of this love are left ambiguous. One feels as if he has indeed drunk the last of the wine, and it brings about a wonderful, sad dream.
Really Engaging!.......2006-11-28
A book full of engaging characters. My second favorite Renault book. I did crave more sexual description, but I can't deny that even without it, this book is great. With that said, it is still a distant second to the Persian Boy in my eyes.
The real deal.......2006-07-16
Mary Renault's "Last of the Wine" represents the gold standard of historical fiction. Few of her rivals can match her intimate knowledge of her subject, yet her writing is never didactic or dry. Through her fiction we feel as if we are living in ancient Greece, not perusing some modern reconstruction. She is a master illusionist.
Set in Athens during the final years of the Peloponnesian War, the novel is the story of Alexias, a man who always seems to be near the center of key events. Through his eyes we meet a galaxy of the city's best and brightest, from the ever-entertaining Socrates, to the grim and brilliant Plato, to haughty Xenophon and haunted Phaedo. Contrary is some previous reviews, these characterizations seem fresh and real, like portraits of living people taken from life. (Beware anyone who seriously compares Renault to Stephen Pressfield, who seems the use the Greeks mostly as ancient action figures, and only seems inspired when writing battlefield porn.) Few can rival the skill of her writing on a sentence-by-sentence level--her dialog snaps and bites, and her descriptions are poetry.
One can quibble at a few things--there do seem to be a number of suspicious coincidences in the plot, contrived mostly to keep Alexias in the center of things. But such minor blemishes take nothing from Renault's achievement.
One final word: some object to the implicit homosexuality in the book (there is nothing overt in it). It is a very small mind indeed that demands that every period in the past conform to our modern prejudices about who should admire, love, or go to bed with whom. To put it bluntly--if you can't accept that ancient Greece was a different place, with its own standards, to be taken on its own terms, then Renault isn't for you. The loss would be yours.
Customer Reviews:
Kagan's End of the Peloponnesian War.......2006-11-14
The Peloponnesian War, along with the myriad feuds that latched on to the central conflict between Sparta and Athens in the latter half of the fifth century BCE, can be an exhausting subject. The civil and international politics involved in fostering and perpetuating the war rival even today's most complex conflicts.
In this, The fourth and final installment of Kagan's history of the Peloponnesian War. Kagan skillfully rounds out the set and the war itself. These books come in and out of circulation, so best to get ahold of them while they're available. Again, Kagan's work is superb
For the historian, or avid history buff (however you might self-identify), these works are a necessary addition to your library. The more casual reader might, however, consider purchasing Kagan's abridged work entitled simply "The Peloponnesian War." It includes the main thrust of the narrative, but with markedly less analysis of the political motivations included in these volumes.
Coup De Grace.......2002-08-04
Athens had already been bled white by the Archidamian war; it had lost its fleet and the flower of its youth in the Sicilian expedition. Here, Sparta rejoins the conflict as a full-blooded belligerent, and Persia weighs in as a sponsor. For all that, Athens still puts up a hell of a fight, scratching together a new fleet and defending its Aegean and Black Sea possessions with vitality and imagination. Yet, like Napoleon's armies after the Russian winter, a brilliant victory only defers the outcome, whereas it will only take one serious defeat for the whole war effort to collapse. At length, this defeat arrives when the Spartans get serious about naval tactics and recall Lysander to administer the decisive blow. Another great character in this saga, the Athenian exile Alcabiades, reappears, first as a Spartan advisor, then as a friend to the Persian King, then back to Athens as the prodigal son. Not until Talleyrand will one encounter such a serial turncoat.
Average customer rating:
|
Brill's Companion to Thucydides (Brill's Companions in Classical Studies)
Manufacturer: Brill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Ancient
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Europe
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Historiography
| Historical Study
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| World
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Greek
| Classics
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Political
| Philosophy
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
All Titles
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
ASIN: 9004136835 |
Book Description
This volume on Thucydides, the most important historian of the ancient world, comprises articles by thirty leading international scholars.
The contributions cover a wide range of issues, including Thucydides' life, intellectual milieu and predecessors, Thucydides and the act of writing, his rhetoric, historical method and narrative techniques, narrative unity in the History, the speeches, Thucydides' reliability as a historian, and his legacy through the centuries. Other topics dealt with include warfare, religion, individuals, democracy and oligarchy, the invention of political science, Thucydides and Athens, Sparta, Macedonia/Thrace, Sicily/South Italy, Persia, and the Argives.
The volume aims to provide a survey of current trends in Thucydidean studies which will be of interest to all students of ancient history.
Books:
- U.S. Army Ranger Handbook SH 21-76 (April 2000)
- U.S. Marine Corps Scout/Sniper Training Manual
- War Stories: Operation Iraqi Freedom (with DVD)
- Where There Is No Doctor: A Village Health Care Handbook
- 1634: The Baltic War
- 1634: The Baltic War
- A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier
- A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier
- A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier
- A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- The Dream Machines: An Illustrated History of the Spaceship in Art, Science and Literature
- History: Fiction or Science
- Understanding Color: An Introduction for Designers, 2nd Edition
- Agriculture and Intellectual Property Rights: Economic, Institutional and Implementation Issues in B
- Biology: Life on Earth
- Intermediate Accounting
- Deadman's Poker: A Novel
- The White House Pop-Up Book
- Adobe After Effects 5.0 Classroom in a Book
- Mobilization of Reserves in Germination
Gates of Fire: An Epic Novel of the Battle of Thermopylae
The Virtues of War: A Novel of Alexander the Great
The Afghan Campaign: A Novel
Last of the Amazons
The Isle of Stone: A Novel of Ancient Sparta
