An interesting tour around the eastern Mediterranean by an historian retracing the steps of Herodotus.
The author has a few annoying habits, including a rather old-fashioned attitude to women, who tend to be described and judged first and foremost in terms of their attractiveness regardless of their qualifications or what they have to say. He also indulges himself in both florid prose and pointless imaginings, trying to describe scenes of Herodotus' private life about which he can't possibly kno More...

Not a great travel book, which is too bad because I was excited to read this one. While it's ostensibly about the author retracing Herodotus' journeys and visiting the places that he did, there's actually very little travel writing. Way too much of the book is just a rehash of The Histories, and while interesting, it just feels like padding. The only really interesting section was when the author visited Patrick Leigh Fermor, but even that section involved recounting Leigh Fermor's own books. I More...

During the classical age of Greece, Herodotus wrote the first history text. But what he created was much more than this. Informed by his own travels, his historical work digresses more than it chronicles, with tales of the lands and peoples he visited. As Michael Ondaatje once famously suggested, �What you find in him are the cul-de-sacs within the sweep of history.” In The Way of Herodotus, intrepid travel historian Justin Marozzi retraces the footsteps of Herodotus through the Mediterranean an More...

Herodotus is a person I have heard of before (“The Father of History”), but have never actually read his work. After enjoying “The Way of Herodotus,” I feel as if I now know the man, Herodotus, and the highlights of his works. As author Justin Marozzi follows the path of Herodotus’ travels to Egypt, Greece, Turkey and other lands, the reader has a chance to come to know these places both as they were in Herodotus’ time and as they are now.

I generally don’t enjoy travel writing, but this was a m More...

I was expecting something different from this book - something more on the lines of Scott Huler's No Man's Lands, where he traced the locations in the Odyssey around the current-day Mediterranean. Marozzi uses Herodotus as a starting point for trips to places included in Herodotus' work, but there's less emphasis on Herodotus and more on the modern day. I learned too much about the author's view of Baghdad in 2004, in the middle of the Iraqi insurgency, than I did about what Herodotus wrote abou More...

This travelogue introduces the reader to both history and the recording of travels. Although there has been much discussion as to the veracity of Herodotus' writings, if you allow yourself to be drawn into the adventure, you will be inspired to continue to search history for other observations that will capture your fancy. Somehow I feel that Robert Byron must have read Herodotus before writing "The Road to Oxiana." Be aware, this is not a translation of Herodotus, but a journey attempting to "w More...

I enjoyed The Way of Herodotus, and thought it was a good introduction to Herodotus' Histories, since I have never read them in the entirety.
The same book was issued in Britain as The Man Who Invented History: Travels With Herodotus.
I liked [author Justin Marozzi]'s attempt to follow in Herodotus' philosophical footsteps, even when he did not follow exactly in his geographical footsteps. The only part I felt was a bit jarring was a chapter on Iraq that became an anti-American tirade. Given Herod More...

As a modern travelogue and observation of the various cultures Marozzi encounters on his journey, this is a light, entertaining read. Not so entertaining is Marozzi's handling of Herodotus himself. Admittedly working with a daunting dearth of information, Marozzi settles for making far too much of Herodotus' seamier side, cackling on for pages over every innuendo and double entendre, chuckling over every Herodotean editorial.
Useful mainly as an introduction to the actual text of Herodotus, and t More...

A rousing tale of travelling alongside the man who invented history. Full its fair share of digressions and debauchery, Marozzi manages to emulate Herodotus in every way possible. You feel the emotional highs and lows of his journey through the Mediterranean; the spirit of Herodotus watches over you as you read.

If you weren't on Team Herodotus, you will be after reading this book.

I have the feeling that both Herodotus and author Marozzi would make excellent traveling companions – knowledgeable, tolerant, and highly curious. I enjoyed retracing Herodotus’ journeys, learned quite a lot about past and present-day issues and cultures, and was sorry when this book came to an end!

I read this as a modern-day "historical footsteps" adventure, which didn't work out as well as I'd hoped; the book is loaded with references to and examples of Herodotus' writings, which didn't hold my interest. I'd certainly recommend the book for those interested in The Classical World.

I got bored. I thought it would be more about history and less about modern travel -- my fault more than the author's. What is his fault, though, is how much this guy LOVES Herodotus. I came into the book liking him, too, and having had a rewarding experience reading The Histories, but Marozzi almost inspired a Herodotus backlash in me by so relentlessly propagandizing the man.

Chatty but erudite guide to the world of the ancient Greek historian, who remains surprisingly topical. Marozzi is a charming companion, never bogs down in too much detail while sharing his enthusiasms.

The way I like my travel books: witty, bawdy, and informative. I learned everything I'll ever need to know about Herodotus, WHILE feeling like I was traveling through the Middle East. Lovely.

The premise behind this book seemed pretty good at the time: writer tracing the steps of Herodotus. I thought it could not fail. However, the text is extremely dry, full of a lot of digressions (and I don't mean that in a good way), and overall, the book failed to hold my interest after two chapters or so. If you want the Herodotus experience, just go back and read Herodotus.

This is a wonderful book... Justin Marozzi reads Herodotus so I don't have to... I long to visit all the places he describes. Great meld of travel/history

A brilliant way of reading of Herodotus. Justin Marozzi makes this history entirely readable and engaging.

Rambling hero-worship, many of the topics only connected with the subject matter by drawing the longest of bows. Needed more robots.

Uncle Bobby just read Herodotus, thought I might ease myself into it with this.

A great book! Chatty, informative, fun, and rewarding just like Herodotus. A friend in Grad School had the classic question for his Oral Comps for the PhD. Which do you prefer, Herodotus or Thucydides as a historian? He choose Herodotus, even though his adviser did not like it. Tim still got his Phud. (Tim was also famous for not being able to go into Canada because of his pro IRA bumper stickers)

Very interestin travel book and good tie in with Herodotus.

Just started this, I did a little Herodotus at school but he always struck me as being a bit, shall we say, fantastical, in his 'history', but to discover he was meticulous in his research and often right in his pronouncements on customs and origins of ancient cultures is very interesting. Whether this book will provide good context or skim a little over the surface remains to be seen, and Marozzi loves his purple prose a little too much for my liking, but its helping while away the time on my c More...

Favorite book so far this year. Can't report more at the moment due to there is a cat sitting on my left arm, making computing difficult.

Fascinating story of the "man who invented history" travelogue of the middle east in 450bc he participated in the Battle of Marathon. He wrote his "Histories"

To quote the friend who recommended that I read "The Man Who Invented History" - "Justin Marozzi is a class act." Agreed.

Trite statement: I liked this book. It's an offbeat approach to travel writing that also combines an educational bent with some terrific wordsmithing.

However, if you don't have much of a classical background, you might want to consider passing on it.

Herodotus is considered to be the father of history. The author uses his works and more modern books to trace and physically travel the historical path of Herodotus the Greece, and the Middle East.

The book had its interesting moments, but overall I found it disappointing.