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"Good acquaintance with the terrain and an acute understanding of ancient tactics have enabled Green to make a number of clever suggestions as to how certain battle scenes in Herodotus ought to be interpreted, and in this respect he has made a contribution to the literature about the War."--Frank J. Frost, "Classical Philology
Product Description
This is a reissue, with a new introduction and an update to the bibliography, of the original edition, published in 1970 as The Year of Salamis in England and as Xerxes at Salamis in the U.S. The long and bitter struggle between the great Persian Empire and the fledgling Greek states reached its high point with the extraordinary Greek victory at Salamis in 480 B.C. The astonishing sea battle banished forever the specter of Persian invasion and occupation. Peter Green brilliantly retells this historic moment, evoking the whole dramatic sweep of events that the Persian offensive set in motion. The massive Greek victory, despite the Greeks' inferior numbers, opened the way for the historic evolution of the Greek states in a climate of creativity, independence, and democracy, one that provided a model and an inspiration for centuries to come. Green's accounts of both Persian and Greek strategies are clear and persuasive; equally convincing are his everyday details regarding the lives of soldiers, statesmen, and ordinary citizens. He has first-hand knowledge of the land and sea he describes, as well as full command of original sources and modern scholarship. With a new foreword, The Greco-Persian Wars is a book that lovers of fine historical writing will greet with pleasure.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
22 of 24 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
First published in 1970 under the title of "The Year of Salamis" (and read with great enjoyment then) this is a reprint with a new introduction. The style Green uses could best be classified as narrative, he reads rather like The Economist - a close argument based on the then political situation. Of course he has to guess occasionally as to what that real situation was but what he does not do is analyse the texts before analysing the motives as some historians (quite properly) have chosen to do.
At times one might be led to believe that the campaign came down to a couple of key clashes - two fleets and two land-warfare systems. Reading Green one sees everything as much less simple. The generals of both sides (Green does not have the racist contempt for the Persians that others have) feel their way forward carefully, exploring unknown territory (either literally or in a political and logistic landscape). Sometimes they make a mistake, sometimes they do not but neither side feels predestined to meet at Plataea and Salamis. Green's Greece is a much more complex place than the simplistic world of heroic democrats and medising rats.
Reading through his introduction one can see that the narrative style has had to glance over many keenly fought historical arguments and that Green's critics are not easily mollified. However, as a layman I greatly enjoyed his view of a world with recognisable modern traits. Interestingly for a period now under threat from American neocon analysis Green sees much to compare with Vichy France. We all read history from our own time.
20 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is a very well written and interesting account of the Greco-Persian wars, mainly concentrating on the second Persian invasion under Xerxes. What I liked most was his analysis of the motivations behind each sides actions. He summarises the research to give you all the possible interpretations of what may have happened, as well as what he thinks is most likely to have happened. As I non-historian what I found particularly interesting was his analysis of why and how Herodotus was wrong in certain specific instances. He is particularly good at exposing the self-interest that drove the actions of each of the greek city states. The book is pitched halfway between textbook and popular history, and in places this can be an uneasy mix. Too much detail for the lay reader, and perhaps too little for the professional. Overall though a very satisfying read. I shall be reading all his other books.
15 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Peter Green is that extremely unique combination: a brillant historian who writes beautifully and has a sense of humor. This book contains the most chilling account of the Battle of Marathon I've ever read. Grim and haunting. I buy everything he writes. I just purchased 3 copies of the paperback to give as Christmas gifts.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
one of the best
Peter Green is a talented historian. The research that he did for this book is so remarkable, a very hard working historian who never takes the writing of a book in a lighthearted... Read more
Published on 25 Nov 2009 by Katerina
Engaging
A comprehensive and insightful account of the period. There is some degree of hero worship for Themistocles but that doesn't spoil the book. Read more
Published on 1 Jan 2008 by Yorkshireryan
what do you want from a history book?
Deaths? Numbers? Dates? Or would you prefer to understand that X years ago, humans were much as they are now: same thoughts, same motivations, same fears - yet entirely different... Read more
Published on 23 April 2003
MEDIORCE RESEARCH WITH LITTLE NEW INSIGHT.
THE BOOK BREAKS NO NEW GROUND. HERODETUS HAS A MORE OBJECTIVE VIEW OF THE ACHAEMENIDS THAN PETER GREEN DOES. THIS BOOK IS EURO-PAROCHIAL IN OUTLOOK... VERY DISPOINTING.
Published on 2 May 1999
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