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Title: The Peloponnesian War by Donald Kagan ISBN: 0-670-03211-5 Publisher: Viking Press Pub. Date: 08 May, 2003 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $29.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.22 (23 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Excellent intro and overview; lacks drama
Comment: The Peloponnesian War is one of the most tragic events in the history of Western civilization. Classical Greece made contributions to science and art and thought that have been unsurpassed to this day. However, their inability to unify or cooperate politically put an end to any future achievements. "The Peloponnesian War" is the story of the war which was their downfall. While it was covered in-depth by contemporary historians, primarily Thucydides, Kagan pulls all the ancient sources together and adds the perspective of modern scholarship to tell the complete story. Thucydides can also be a difficult read and Kagan's book is an excellent primer.
My only complaint is that Kagan's writing style is somewhat bland and he fails to inject any sense of "drama" to the events as they unfold. He is often guilty of giving away the outcomes of battles before he describes them to us.
Overall, however, I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in this war, Classical Greece, or the history of warfare in general.
Rating: 3
Summary: Pro-Athenian View
Comment: Thank the gods! Finally, Thucydides is speaking english. For those who repeatedly hear about the wonders of Thucydides' prose yet can't make it through the entire work, this book is a welcome reprieve. The chronological history of the war and all its precious nuances are delivered to the reader with a true historian's understanding. As a reader who devours Herodotus like candy but can't connect with Thucydides at any point in his work, I found this book to be a valuable resource for the pusuit of information on the Peloponnesian War.
However, I have always been at odds with some of Kagan's points of view. For one, I tend to form my opinions of Alcibiades through my own research. It is apparent that Kagan tends to belittle many of Alcibiades' accomplishments and possibly considers him a bit of a "rogue". And anyone who is familiar with Kagan can attest to his narratives having somewhat of an anti-spartan slant. (Case in point: his palpable dislike for Sparta in his comments during the History Channel's "Rise and Fall of Sparta"). But, just as with any historian, one must read with discretion. Nevertheless, Kagan's effort is greatly appreciated!
Rating: 5
Summary: Remarkable.
Comment: A remarkable book in that it is set in ancient times, yet we know so much not only about what happened, but the political background. Kagan speculates on the actual thinking of the main actors, and his arguments are well reasoned. For the novice, such as myself, I would have appreciated more information on the political parties and military capabilities: Athen's supported the democrats on many islands, but what did that word really mean; a force of over 100,000 Thracians is mentioned - then how come an Alexander the Great didn't arise earlier; archers seemed very successful, what preserved the dominance of the hoplites? I read about half the book, not being sufficiently interested in the details of the war for themselves, but at no time was it dull, and I would recommend it (or part of it) even for readers who are not that interested in this kind of history.
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Title: The Spartans: The World of the Warrior-Heroes of Ancient Greece, from Utopia to Crisis and Collapse by Paul Cartledge ISBN: 1585674028 Publisher: Overlook Press Pub. Date: 15 May, 2003 List Price(USD): $27.95 |
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Title: Pericles Of Athens And The Birth Of Democracy by Donald Kagan ISBN: 0684863952 Publisher: Free Press Pub. Date: 01 October, 1998 List Price(USD): $18.75 |
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Title: Ripples of Battle : How Wars of the Past Still Determine How We Fight, How We Live, and How We Think by Victor Hanson ISBN: 0385504004 Publisher: Doubleday Pub. Date: 16 September, 2003 List Price(USD): $27.50 |
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Title: Castles of Steel: Britain, Germany, and the Winning of the Great War at Sea by Robert K. Massie ISBN: 0679456716 Publisher: Random House Pub. Date: 28 October, 2003 List Price(USD): $35.00 |
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Title: Intelligence in War: Knowledge of the Enemy from Napoleon to Al-Qaeda by John Keegan ISBN: 0375400532 Publisher: Knopf Pub. Date: 21 October, 2003 List Price(USD): $30.00 |
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