For three decades in the fifth century b.c. the ancient world was torn apart bya conflict that was as dramatic; divisive; and destructive as the world wars of the twentieth century: the Peloponnesian War. Donald Kagan; one of the world’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 richlydetailed 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.
#721316 in Books Barry Cunliffe 2003-03-04 2003-03-04Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 7.76 x .57 x 5.09l; .36 #File Name: 0142002542208 pagesThe extraordinary voyage of Pytheas the Greek
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Pytheas ExplainedBy melvo7The writing style is quite compelling; I read it strait through.The writings of Pytheas are problematic because so little survives and much of that in second and third hand accounts from other sources. I was looking for a semi-fictionalized account with flights of fancy and florid prose; but instead the technically proper; pragmatic yet enthusiasic descriptions of the lands travelled might actually have been better. There was not a voice in the back of my brain saying "Aw; you just made that up."Most of the analysis involves taking single observations of Pytheas and correlating these to other sources; scientific and astronomical observations and contemporary archeological evidence in order to find the most reasonable interpretation. This book offers a rare glimpse into Celtic western Europe in the 4th century BC with wonderfully explanatory descriptions of the tin trade; the amber trade and luxury items from the Mediterranean working their way into the Celtic world. I appreciated the author's discussion of the full Hellenistic intellectual scene and the influence Pytheas had on Greek understanding of the world.(Spoiler Alert) The author places Pytheas in Iceland as the fabled "Ultima Thule" while some other historians say the land mentioned must have been Norway instead. I was disappointed that the author did not discuss more thoroughly maritime travel to Iceland in classical times. To my knowledge there is no archeological or written evidence that humans reached Iceland before the 6th Century AD Irish. Yet Pytheas' latitude measurements indicated he reached a north latitude just short of the arctic circle. The author also gives credit to Pytheas for circumnavigating Great Britain; disputed by others.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Fascinating and informativeBy A. KoenigIf you're curious about this era and topic; by all means buy the book.Using the journey of Pytheas the Greek in the 4th Century b.c. as his focus; Professor Cunliffe gathers a cornucopia of information and speculation into a fascinating narrative. I appreciated the way he wove a variety of information about the time and place; from Iceland to Egypt; from late b.c. to early c.e.; from Classic writings. My usual reading about this period usually focuses on something particular; like Caesar and the Gauls; or Rome and Carthage; but this little book gives me a context that I will be able to refer to in the future.I have read other books by Professor Cunliffe and while I appreciate his research; scholarship; and caution in drawing conclusions; I happily detected a looser speculation in this book. Something more entertaining; and if I may speculate myself; a bit of fun on his part. I even found the last chapter on why Polybius disliked Pytheas to be downright gossipy.5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. A lively account of Western European trade and travel in 300 b.c.By GrahamProf. Cunliffe uses the travels of Pytheas to Britain and beyond as a framework for a lively discussion of the general state of geographic knowledge and above all trade in Western Europe in the 3rd century b.c. He explains how there was a continual flow of manufactured goods from the South being exchanged for prized tin and amber from the North. Some of this was probably through long chains of intermediaries; but Pytheas reported that tin traders took their pack horses from the Channel to the Rhone in only thirty days; so it is not too surprising that occasional brave individuals were able to make the same journey. Pytheas himself seems to have traveled almost like a modern back-packer; tagging along with traveling merchants rather than leading an expedition of his own.Cunliffe is Professor of European Archaeology at Oxford; so he knows the archeological record well and he discusses various sites that are representative of the areas Pytheas visited. He also carefully evaluates and explains the potential biases and distortions in the surviving commentaries on Pytheas's travels. For example; some later scholars refused point-blank to accept that humans could survive in such cold climates.I was initially surprised by the claimed extent of Pytheas's travels; but by the end I was convinced that Pytheas did indeed reach the far North (almost certainly Iceland) and record its short summer nights and high latitude for future geographers.An amazing tale; well told. Despite being scholarly; Cunliffe's account is consistently well written; entertaining and enlightening.
