NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER“A compelling and provocative read . . . With a soldier’s eye; Jim Lacey re-creates the battle of Marathon in all its brutal simplicity.â€â€”Barry Strauss; author of Masters of Command Marathon—one of history’s most pivotal battles. Its name evokes images of almost superhuman courage; endurance; and fighting spirit. In this eye-opening book; military analyst James Lacey takes a fresh look at Marathon and reveals why the battle happened; how it was fought; and whether; in fact; it saved Western civilization. Lacey brilliantly reconstructs the world of the fifth century B.C. leading up to the astonishing military defeat of the Persian Empire by the vastly undermanned Greek defenders. With the kind of vivid detail that characterizes the best modern war reportage; he shows how the heavily armed Persian army was shocked and demoralized by the relentless assault of the Athenian phalanx. He reveals the fascinating aftermath of Marathon; how its fighters became the equivalent of our “Greatest Generation;†and challenges the legacy and lessons that have often been misunderstood—perhaps; now more than ever; at our own peril. Immediate; visceral; and full of new analyses that defy decades of conventional wisdom; The First Clash is a superb interpretation of a conflict that indeed made the world safe for Aristotle; Plato; and our own modern democracy. “With a fresh eye to tactics; strategy; and military organization; and with his text grounded in direct experience of the troops on the battlefield; James Lacey gives us not only new understanding of how the Athenians managed to win but also a greater appreciation of the beginning of a long tradition of Western military dynamism that we take for granted today.â€â€”Victor Davis Hanson; author of Carnage and Culture “Lacey’s swords-and-shields approach will absorb readers ever fascinated by the famous battles of antiquity.â€â€”Booklist “A lively and rewarding read.â€â€”Charleston Post and Courier “Exemplary . . . Lacey; a veteran of the 82nd and 101st Airborne divisions and a professor at the Marine War College; brings to the tale of Marathon the practical experiences of the combat soldier and an intellectual sensibility.â€â€”The New Criterion
#8259 in Books Mariner Books 2010-09-07 2010-09-07Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.00 x .85 x 5.31l; .74 #File Name: 0547394608352 pagesMariner Books
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Compelling Piece of American HistoryBy DeLike the subtitle says; this wonderful work of non-fiction both tells the story of the great fires and heroism of those men and women who fought the fires; as well as the story of the National Forest System. The latter story fascinated me and a lover of the wilderness; a fan of Teddy Roosevelt; and a minor-league American history buff. We have much to thank to the early rangers and forest sentinels for the wilderness we enjoy.As it happened; the woods were ablaze in Idaho; Washington; Montana and Oregon as I read Egan's piece. The areas of the great burn have recovered in part; new areas begin the cycle of destruction and recovery.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Another Great Book by Timothy EganBy A Southern ReaderAnother great book by Timothy Egan. If you liked The Worst Hard Time; you'll also like this account of a 1910 forest fire from Hell that destroyed a lot of trees and a few towns. Egan combines accounts of the horrors of the fire with moving accounts of the people who were part of the drama. I fear though there is a downside to reading the book; if you are; like me; inclined to have to go see the actual sites depicted in the book; you may have to take a long trip. Unqualified recommendation.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Timothy Egan Shines Again with Episode Almost Hidden From HistoryBy Michael J HelquistThe author; Timothy Egan; is an excellent reporter and columnist for The New York Times. Here with The Big Burn he reveals again how well he also writes history. In this case; the searing tale of the 1910 firestorm in the Northwest might have been lost to most Americans. Readers will find a wealth of information about not only the cataclysm itself but also what it represented for the management of the country’s forests; the development of fire prevention policies that held for decades; and the political will that a strong president exerted for wilderness preservation.I especially appreciate the extensive research Egan undertook for this volume; poring over Forestry Service records; many newspaper accounts; and testimony from the people swept up in the horrendous fire and its aftermath. Readers become familiar with these individuals and care about the outcome for each of them. Egan’s writing is crisp; clear; and not overdone with a story that might easily prompt excess. The Big Burn is a compelling account; history at its best with a strong narrative and accessible analysis.Michael Helquist; MARIE EQUI: Radical Politics and Outlaw Passions
