Russell's review
The History of the Peloponnesian War: Revised Edition by Thucydides
The copy I have was translated by Rex Warner.
This is a long, dense and complex book. There is much to recommend about this history, but it is not light reading or for the easily distracted.
Wikipedia has a <a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H...“>decent summary</a>, I suggest you read that before reading the book because it helps give context to Thucydides' opus.
It's a sprawling book. Thucydides made it his life's work to chronicle the history of the Peloponnesian war. He traveled all over Greece, interviewing people from one end to the other. He was Athenian and since he fought in the war, he had a good point of view from Athens' side. I know that there has been criticism leveled against him for his pro-Athens bias, but I didn't see, notice or have it affect my reading. I thought he did a great job of being even handed overall.
It took me forever to read this b...more
This is a long, dense and complex book. There is much to recommend about this history, but it is not light reading or for the easily distracted.
Wikipedia has a <a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H...“>decent summary</a>, I suggest you read that before reading the book because it helps give context to Thucydides' opus.
It's a sprawling book. Thucydides made it his life's work to chronicle the history of the Peloponnesian war. He traveled all over Greece, interviewing people from one end to the other. He was Athenian and since he fought in the war, he had a good point of view from Athens' side. I know that there has been criticism leveled against him for his pro-Athens bias, but I didn't see, notice or have it affect my reading. I thought he did a great job of being even handed overall.
It took me forever to read this b...more
