audiobook The Spartans: The World of the Warrior-Heroes of Ancient Greece by Paul Cartledge in History

Review

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Better than I expectedBy WandererI am in no way a Greek nor a classical scholar so I can't rate this book on its qualities as a history. I can say that the book is engaging and helpful to me in understanding the Spartan role in classical Greek history.I was prepared for a dry; textbook approach and this is much better than that. I recommend it as an advanced book but I am anything but advanced in this area of history.Let me talk to the author:As a rank amateur historian I have three needs that go unmet in this book:1. MAPS! There are three maps but they are poor at best. They don't always relate to the text -- an area mentioned will not be mapped. The topography of Greece is obviously important but there is no topographical map. The book covers centuries but the maps offer no help with time lines. My 7th Grade teacher would give just a C- to these maps.2. TIMELINE. Always helpful and often included on the inside of the covers. Simply not here. I get confused about events; people; etc. and I've had to build my own (poor) timeline. I'd rather you built an accurate one.3. Organization: I am often confused about the book's organization. It lacks timeline order. It requires a basic knowledge of the Greek kings. There is an underlying assumption that I already know a lot about Greek history and this is refinement. I need better orientation because I am often at a loss as to when/where/why I am in this history. See 'Timeline' above.I have dipped into four books on Spartan history and this is by far the best of the lot.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Disappointingly vague; less info than WikipediaBy expatspThis book contains remarkably little information that is not available elsewhere in general histories on Greece. There was almost nothing about Spartan religious ceremonies; about their famous educational system; or about anything except broad historical outlines; vague descriptions of battles; and biographies mostly cribbed from Plutarch. To be honest; the Wikipedia entries on the Agoge and on the major Spartan festivals had more information than this book did.I gave it two stars rather than one because it's written accessibly; it has no factual errors that I can see; and you'll learn something if you haven't read any general Greek histories.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. unbiased and academically dryBy HercDriverI purchased and read this book because I wanted an accurate scholarly survey of Sparta. I did not want another hollywood-inspired story that glossed over the bad in favor of glorifying the 300. For that; The Spartans is quite good. Unfortunately; Mr. Cartledge offers the level of writing one would expect in a post-graduate course on ancient Greece. At times; page after page is painfully dry as he focuses on who is descended from who and how far one particular city is from another. Clearly; he is an expert on the subject. For someone looking for a casual read; this may be just a bit too much. I am happy to have read the book and feel I learned a great deal; but I also felt like I was back in grad school. Certainly educational; but not quite an entertaining read. I only point this out because it is marketed as such.