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Arthur's Reviews > The Rise and Fall of Alexandria: Birthplace of the Modern Mind
The Rise and Fall of Alexandria: Birthplace of the Modern Mind
by Justin Pollard (Goodreads Author), Howard Reid
by Justin Pollard (Goodreads Author), Howard Reid
Arthur's review
bookshelves: late-antiquity, history
Apr 08, 12
bookshelves: late-antiquity, history
Read from April 01 to 08, 2012 — I own a copy, read count: 1
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 lurching, episodic quality to the narrative ("If today is Tuesday then this must be Archimedes... ") that keeps the whole from hanging together in a satisfying way.
((view spoiler))
The book makes a fine beach read for history buffs. For a deeper dive into this history and its themes, I recommend highly The Closing of the Western Mind: The Rise of Faith & the Fall of Reason by Charles Freeman.
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 lurching, episodic quality to the narrative ("If today is Tuesday then this must be Archimedes... ") that keeps the whole from hanging together in a satisfying way.
((view spoiler))
The book makes a fine beach read for history buffs. For a deeper dive into this history and its themes, I recommend highly The Closing of the Western Mind: The Rise of Faith & the Fall of Reason by Charles Freeman.
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