Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
21st out of 60 books
—
45 voters
The Rise and Fall of Alexandria: Birthplace of the Modern Mind
by
Justin Pollard (Goodreads Author),
Howard Reid
The astonishing story of the ancient city that invented the modern world
Founded by Alexander the Great and built by Greek pharaohs, the city of Alexandria at its height dwarfed both Athens and Rome. It was the marvel of its age, legendary for its vast palaces, safe harbors, and magnificent lighthouse. But it was most famous for the astonishing intellectual fluorescence i...more
Founded by Alexander the Great and built by Greek pharaohs, the city of Alexandria at its height dwarfed both Athens and Rome. It was the marvel of its age, legendary for its vast palaces, safe harbors, and magnificent lighthouse. But it was most famous for the astonishing intellectual fluorescence i...more
Hardcover, 352 pages
Published
October 19th 2006
by Viking Adult
(first published 2006)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
862)
Oct 13, 2007
Kenny
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone who thinks modern man knows anything!
Shelves:
history
... Because it was all discovered thousands of years ago! The ancient Alexandrians, a mix of Egyptian, Greek, Jewish, and Roman cultures, created in their city the world's first "empire of the mind." The Great Library contained 400,000 scrolls (many stolen from ships visiting the port). The Musuem boasted visits by the greatest minds of the age (including Eratosthenes, Archimedes, and Geminus), and the Pharos Lighthouse, almost 400 feet tall (the Statue of Liberty is only 150 feet tall) had a fi...more
This is based upon the audio download from [www.Audible.com].
Narrated by: Simon Vance
This was the history of knowledge in Alexandria. Listening to the book was like watching a History Channel documentary—very well done. Century by century all the famous citizens of Alexandria are portrayed.
There was a great quote at the end of the book that summarizes the demise of Alexandria’s famous library and its importance in world affairs. The author states that, “Knowledge is the enemy of extremism.” and...more
Narrated by: Simon Vance
This was the history of knowledge in Alexandria. Listening to the book was like watching a History Channel documentary—very well done. Century by century all the famous citizens of Alexandria are portrayed.
There was a great quote at the end of the book that summarizes the demise of Alexandria’s famous library and its importance in world affairs. The author states that, “Knowledge is the enemy of extremism.” and...more
The Rise and Fall of Alexandria provides a very readable journey through almost 900 years of history, from the foundations of Alexandria by Alexander the Great to its fall to the hands of the Muslims. The "jacket" description of the book implied it focused primarily on the great Library of Alexandria, but sadly the Library remained a secondary element throughout the text. The narrative did focus quite well on the intellectual life of Alexandria, a fascinating journey that included side trips int...more
Great message, uneven messenger
The story of Alexandria is a glory. The authors make an excellent case for Alexandria to be viewed, in its contribution to culture of the classical Mediterranean world, as the under-appreciated equal of Athens and Rome.
However, it's no easy feat to write a lively but also informative history spanning an entire millennium, especially one for which even major historical events are often ill-documented. In my opinion the authors don't quite pull it off. There's a lurc...more
The story of Alexandria is a glory. The authors make an excellent case for Alexandria to be viewed, in its contribution to culture of the classical Mediterranean world, as the under-appreciated equal of Athens and Rome.
However, it's no easy feat to write a lively but also informative history spanning an entire millennium, especially one for which even major historical events are often ill-documented. In my opinion the authors don't quite pull it off. There's a lurc...more
One of the most fascinating topics in world history given a rather under-edited and intellectually limp treatment. Did you know that the Alexandrians invented the steam engine? That due to the plenitude of slave labor and the absence of coal, it was used only for entertainments and temple tricks? That the approximately 450-foot light house at Pharos, constructed of enormous stone blocks and mortar of molten lead, stood for nearly 1,600 years, despite being on a small island in a stormy sea on a...more
This one earns a whole star just for readability, which is a trait all too rare in books of history. The story-telling is better than I've seen in a lot of popular fiction.
Ah, Alexandria! Home of one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world, the vast Pharos lighthouse. It was home to the greatest museum, library and school of he ancient world. Founded by Alexander the Great, ruled by a dynasty founded by one of Alexander's generals, who himself was a student of Aristotle (literally), Alexandria...more
Ah, Alexandria! Home of one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world, the vast Pharos lighthouse. It was home to the greatest museum, library and school of he ancient world. Founded by Alexander the Great, ruled by a dynasty founded by one of Alexander's generals, who himself was a student of Aristotle (literally), Alexandria...more
I enjoyed—I really enjoyed—*The Rise and Fall of Alexandria*… but I never quite believed it. The book's a fun, quick-paced read, & I've had a blast reading it while visiting family here in Alexandria. (It's not quite keyed to the visitor or tourist, but if you take a little time, you can figure out what ought to've been where.) That said, the authors come off as being more interested in telling a good story than in straight history. There's too much poetic justice, too much historical irony....more
This is a brief overview of a city that is often overlooked as being one of the greatest of the ancient world. It starts by detailing how Alexandria was founded by her namesake, Alexander the Great himself, and how later generals and kings strategically built it up to be a center for thought and enlightenment, with the famed lost library at its heart. We are also introduced to various scholars and philosophers that made the city their home...some well-known, some not so much...and we are shown h...more
Dec 25, 2011
Lauren Albert
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Shelves:
history-middle-east,
cities-and-urban-studies
The book was strong in the first section where the authors cover the founding of Alexandria with Alexander and then the building and flourishing of it under the Ptolemies. But then they lose me when the book turns almost entirely to intellectual history. Not because of its being intellectual history (although I think they should have not drifted so far away from the narrative) but because they seem intent on connecting as many things as possible to the city. They refer to it as being a thinker's...more
An engaging history of Alexandria, focusing particularly on the library and the scholars who studied and taught there. I knew absolutely nothing about this subject before reading the book, and learned a great deal!
"The Rise and Fall of Alexandria" was an absolutely fascinating read of classical history. The authors but we appreciate that the history of Alexandria is as much about its intellectual community of philosophers, mathematicians, and astronomers as it is about its rulers, and armies. So the book tells the story not just of the political fortunes of rulers and outcomes of the clash of empires, but also the story of those philosophers and scientists. It relates the historical importance and consequ...more
Alexandria's library was undoubtedly one of the greatest the world has known. The city, which was created at the time of Alexander the great, should be mentioned in the same breath as Rome and Athens. Sadly that is not the case, its first decline was at linked to Julius Caesar who is believed to have burned the main library on taking the city. From there, this ancient jewel of learning was sadly torn apart by religious bigotry. Many of the discoveries that emanated form this city had to be redis...more
Jul 25, 2012
Amblingbooks.com
marked it as to-read
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
audiobooks,
history
Founded by Alexander the Great and built by self-styled Greek pharaohs, the city of Alexandria at its height dwarfed both Athens and Rome. It was the marvel of its age, legendary for its vast palaces, safe harbors, and magnificent lighthouse. But it was most famous for the astonishing intellectual efflorescence it fostered and the library it produced. If the European Renaissance was the 'rebirth' of Western culture, then Alexandria, Egypt, was its birthplace.
Listen to The Rise and Fall of Alexan...more
Listen to The Rise and Fall of Alexan...more
An excellent introduction to an amazing time and place. Knowing only a very little bit about Alexandria before reading this book: founded by Alexander the Great and the exotic scene of Cleopatra's dramatic life, I was overwhelmed by the discoveries and innovations achieved by the citizens of this city.
From the introduction, "Alexandria was the greatest mental crucible the world has ever known, the place where ideas originating in obscure antiquity were forged into intellectual constructs that fa...more
From the introduction, "Alexandria was the greatest mental crucible the world has ever known, the place where ideas originating in obscure antiquity were forged into intellectual constructs that fa...more
I've enjoyed this book far more than most I've listened to or read in the past year or so. Pollard and Reid guide the reader through the history of Alexandria--from Alexander the Great to its ultimate destruction--and the history of the learning, ideas, science and philosophy that it fostered. The tale interweaves the usual history of rulers, battles, and politics with in-depth portrayals of authors and works who have shaped Western European culture through the centuries: from Aristotle to Eucli...more
A fascinating study of a great dream - to gather all the knowledge of the world together in a great library and museum and to provide a place for the most creative thinkers of the world to interact. And how it was all eventually betrayed by the greed of personal politics and religious intolerance. There was true vision here and amazing creativity and yet humans have repeated destroyed those qualities in the name of faith and chosen ignorance. A marvelous look at the intellectual center of the an...more
The astonishing story of the ancient city that invented the modern world
Founded by Alexander the Great and built by Greek pharaohs, the city of Alexandria at its height dwarfed both Athens and Rome. It was the marvel of its age, legendary for its vast palaces, safe harbors, and magnificent lighthouse. But it was most famous for the astonishing intellectual fluorescence it fostered and the library it produced. If the European Renaissance was the 'rebirth' of Western culture, then Alexandria, Egyp...more
Founded by Alexander the Great and built by Greek pharaohs, the city of Alexandria at its height dwarfed both Athens and Rome. It was the marvel of its age, legendary for its vast palaces, safe harbors, and magnificent lighthouse. But it was most famous for the astonishing intellectual fluorescence it fostered and the library it produced. If the European Renaissance was the 'rebirth' of Western culture, then Alexandria, Egyp...more
This very well-written book filled in a major gap in my historical knowledge and introduced me in a systematic way to the city that in some ways was more important than Rome in the cultural attainments of the ancient Mediterranean.
Alexandria was developed by Ptolemy, one of Alexander the Great's generals, after Alexander's death. While other Alexandrian leaders hoped to take over his entire, sprawling kingdom, Ptolemy decided from early on to concentrate on controlling Egypt, and to solidify hi...more
An ambitious project and one that necessarily was going to have some gaps, but one well worth reading either way. What I appreciate about the authors is that they did not try to just make up what the documents don't tell us, although the gaps in the story are sort of maddening as well. We simply just don't know how or when the library and museum at Alexandria were destroyed. It seems most likely that is was a combination of political events starting in Roman times when Julius Caesar came to the...more
Pretty darn entertaining for an intellectual history of a city I have to say. The second half of the book kind of dropped off for me. The history of science and reason in Alexandria is replaced by squabbles over religion in the later years of the Roman Empire and a lot of the esoteric arguments made by philosophers of one school against another and the christian vs. pagan schism seemed less interesting too me. It's a fascinating history no doubt, but not told with the kind of enthusiasm by the a...more
well written, accessible, quickly paced, surprised me on many accounts and i consider myself a buff of classic history. the major thesis, that alexandria was the crucible of modern western thought can't be denied. the more i read, the stranger it seemed that this unique and fascinating city--with it's mixture of native egyptian, greek, jewish, and later christian cultures--is so neglected.
for those who care: i picked it up for research for my third novel. you might see some parallels in spellbr...more
for those who care: i picked it up for research for my third novel. you might see some parallels in spellbr...more
A welcome portrait of the place of Alexandria in the ancient world - in the Roman Empire and in the early Christian Church - weaving together such disparate strands as Greek and Egyptian cultures, intellectual developments in philosophy (science) and religion, history and legend, into a narrative that illuminates what Alexandria meant to people, what it stood for, in its day(s). A useful supplement to standard histories of philosophy, mathematics, science or the Church.
I listened to the audio version, narrated by Simon Vance, who was fantastic.
This was a really fascinating read. Pollard and Reid did a truly excellent job of connecting people and events through the life of the city of Alexandria, from the great classical philosophers, mathematicians and astronomers to Julius Caesar, Mark Antony and Cleopatra, to the earliest computer, the conflict between pagans and Christians, one of the ancient wonders of the world, and a library full of wisdom that did not s...more
This was a really fascinating read. Pollard and Reid did a truly excellent job of connecting people and events through the life of the city of Alexandria, from the great classical philosophers, mathematicians and astronomers to Julius Caesar, Mark Antony and Cleopatra, to the earliest computer, the conflict between pagans and Christians, one of the ancient wonders of the world, and a library full of wisdom that did not s...more
I thoroughly enjoyed this. Learned without any degree of stuffiness, there was an interesting anecdote or revelation on nearly every page and the narrative raced along. I loved the way this history of a great ancient city wove within it the lives of so many important philosophers, scientists, inventors, mathematicians rulers and conquerers. For the uninitiated like me this is an excellent, accessible primer into the classical world of learning and thought.
TOTALLY worth the time it takes to read; this book takes all those bits and pieces of history that i have floating around, bouncing off of other ideas and puts them together as a far more complete picture. thank you for taking the time and making the effort to write this book. i will promote it to those whom i know will appreciate it as much as i have. so many myths firmly debunked. balanced presentation.
My interest are the libraries/museons in Alexandria and to put the city's founding in historical perspective. From a quick skim and reading a bit, I am encouraged that this is a book to read all the way through. So far, I've found it to fit well with histories (and some historical fiction) about Alexander, Ptolemy, and intellectual leaders. The book includes references to sources without letting them be intrusive. Good reference list and index.
Excellent first reading of Alexandria which opens with the founding of the city on the Mediterranean shores and takes us through the rise of the city in becoming one of the foremost centers of scientific discovery, art, and a host of other areas; an oasis of culture in an otherwise savage world of conquest, war and barbaric rulers. Now if only we could find the Library scrolls hidden away somewhere..
Easy read. I am not a historian or specialist, but it does seem to make things a bit overly tidy. Nevertheless, it moves through a great deal of material in a delightful (and insightful) way. It could not do that if it got bogged down in messy details and uncertainties. I just loved it. Incredibly fun and well-written. I would give it to anyone even vaguely interested in classical history.
Aug 06, 2011
Anne
added it
This is not written by academics; however, it does make for an interesting read. I was under the impression there would be more about the city, for example the earthquake, etc. but it is mostly about the philosophers and their impact on the educated world. There is only one map, which is another disappointment.
I quite liked this book. It lays out the 700-year history of the city of Alexandria and its role in Western civilization. I teared up every time parts of the library or museum were burned, and whenever great scholars were killed. It's a dry book, though, don't be mistaken on that point. I found it to be more lively than perhaps it really deserved by dint of reading Schiff's Cleopatra bio and watching the tv show "Rome" at the same time.
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Justin Pollard was born in Hertfordshire and educated at St. Albans School and Downing College, Cambridge where he was president of the Poohsticks Society.
Since then he has written nine books, a few articles for magazines like History Today, BBC History Magazine and the Idler and he is currently one of the writers of the BBC panel show QI.
He is one of the founders of Unbound - http://www.unbound....more
More about Justin Pollard...
Since then he has written nine books, a few articles for magazines like History Today, BBC History Magazine and the Idler and he is currently one of the writers of the BBC panel show QI.
He is one of the founders of Unbound - http://www.unbound....more
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
Jan 12, 2012 11:56am