- Hardcover: 352 pages
- Publisher: Macmillan; First Edition, First Impression edition (15 Sep 2006)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1405032898
- ISBN-13: 978-1405032896
- Product Dimensions: 23.6 x 15.4 x 3.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 2.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 652,729 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
Thermopylae
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Product Description
Times Higher Education Supplement
'we need historians as sound as Cartledge to explain the many
dimensions of its nearly 2,500-year cultural influence'
dimensions of its nearly 2,500-year cultural influence'
Review
"Impeccable...Enthralling...Vividly reconstructs [the Spartans'] finest hour."
-"The Independent"
"Briskly written...Offers a fresh look at the battle and the complex events leading up to it."
-"Forbes"
"In the annals of heroism, the Battle of Thermopylae is an archetype, a classic."
-Noel Malcolm, "The Telegraph "(UK)
"The real passion of "Thermopylae" lies in the author's sudden discovery that his subject is exciting to other people again."
-"The Wall Street Journal"
-"The Independent"
"Briskly written...Offers a fresh look at the battle and the complex events leading up to it."
-"Forbes"
"In the annals of heroism, the Battle of Thermopylae is an archetype, a classic."
-Noel Malcolm, "The Telegraph "(UK)
"The real passion of "Thermopylae" lies in the author's sudden discovery that his subject is exciting to other people again."
-"The Wall Street Journal"
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
The legend of Thermopylae is well-known (thanks to Herodotus). So you may wonder if there is any point in buying this book. I asked that question myself until I read the book. What this book does is that it goes deeper into the events and cultural factors that built up to Thermopylae and the role of that battle in the wider struggle between East and West at that point in history. The author also links it well with other historical events since especially the on-going wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. This is not to imply that it is a politically charged book. The author has done a great job IMO on focusing on the historical elements only and relating, where appropriate, to our present day events. I also liked the fact that the authors relies quite heavily on Herodotus, which is just a personal preference of mine (whatever historians may say Herodotus is the father of history).
Overall a thoroughly enjoyable read that will give you very good insights into Spartan culture and psyche and put the stand of Leonidas and others (not just Spartans) at Thermopylae and elsewhere into perspective.
Overall a thoroughly enjoyable read that will give you very good insights into Spartan culture and psyche and put the stand of Leonidas and others (not just Spartans) at Thermopylae and elsewhere into perspective.
Format:Paperback
I'm afraid that I, unfortunately, found this book a bit of a disapointment. I greatly enjoyed Cartledge's book on Alexander the Great, but this book on Thermopylae was not his best.
I'm not an expert in this field but I have no doubt as to the quality of the scholarship, the facts and sources used, but there is really little on the battle of Thermopylae itself. i think there about six pages at best. However, the focus of the book appears to be the ancient, and modern, perceptions of the battle, and its influence on the ancient, and modern world. To be fair this is done well, as is the analysis of the Achaemenid Empire, Greece, and the Spartan state before the Thermopylae campaign. As a 'military' history I would say this book fails, but for quick understanding of ancient Greece, its mores, culture, religion and views of death and duty, this is a recommended read. The exploration of the Persian Empire under Darius and Xerxes, both culturally and militarily, is also worthwhile.
Cautiously recommended.
I'm not an expert in this field but I have no doubt as to the quality of the scholarship, the facts and sources used, but there is really little on the battle of Thermopylae itself. i think there about six pages at best. However, the focus of the book appears to be the ancient, and modern, perceptions of the battle, and its influence on the ancient, and modern world. To be fair this is done well, as is the analysis of the Achaemenid Empire, Greece, and the Spartan state before the Thermopylae campaign. As a 'military' history I would say this book fails, but for quick understanding of ancient Greece, its mores, culture, religion and views of death and duty, this is a recommended read. The exploration of the Persian Empire under Darius and Xerxes, both culturally and militarily, is also worthwhile.
Cautiously recommended.
Format:Hardcover
It is very unfortunate that such an expert as Paul Cartledge would write a book which displays such a lack of focus. I know that there isn't that much to write about a battle where everyone died and we therefore have no witnesses, but to spend only one short chapter on it is ridiculous. I've read better summaries of the battle in books dealing with the entire war. The first half of the book is about the Spartans, which is pretty interesting except that Cartledge already wrote a book abou them: The Spartans: The World of the Warrior-Heroes of Ancient Greece. Why repeat what you already wrote? Then there's the chapter on the battle itself which is brief and undetailed. The final third of the book spent on how the battle was viewed throughout history, and interesting topic but not in a popular history please! I was really looking forwards to this book but I have to admit I was very disappointed.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Abysmal ignorance and contemptible agenda
Paul Cartledge is a lucky fellow. Despite his small Latin and less Greek, he is Professor of Greek History and A G Leventis Professor of Greek Culture at the University of... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Ruben
A painful read!
Paul Carledge book attempts to describe the epic clash of civilizations as East meets West at Thermopylae in a battle that changed the world. Read more
Published 15 months ago by David I. Howells
Greco-Persian head-to-head
The subtitle 'The Battle that Changed the World' is both naff and wrong but this is another fascinating book from Cartledge, this time on the Spartans and the Greco-Persian... Read more
Published on 13 Jan 2010 by Martin White
Not bad
A book about the famous battle. Or, more accurately, a book about the world and its politics that led to the battle, and what people thought afterwards. Read more
Published on 23 April 2009 by D. A. MCINTEE
Excellent piece of work.
I bought this because I was about to fulfill another of my long-standing ambitions by visiting the site of Thermopylae. The book delivered exactly what I wanted from it and more. Read more
Published on 14 July 2008 by Iphidaimos
A misleading title for the book.
I bought this book on the back of watching the recent film, 300, and as I needed something to read whilst on holiday I thought I would try and get a further insight into this... Read more
Published on 1 Oct 2007 by Jay Sweeney
Terrible, absolutely terrible
Never before have I been filled with so much annoyance at a book that I have been compelled to review it. Read more
Published on 16 Sep 2007 by Thomas Jackson
Ancient History & Contemporary Political Agendas
I wondered whether this book was necessary in light of Ernle Bradford's excellent book "Thermopylae: Battle for the West," and Peter Green's "The Greco-Persian Wars," but being an... Read more
Published on 7 Jun 2007 by George R Dekle
What happened to the battle?
If you are looking for a real insight into the battle of Thermopylae then buy Steven Pressfield's excellent 'Gates Of Fire' and leave this dreadful book on the shelf where it... Read more
Published on 3 Jun 2007 by D. Cassidy
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