- Paperback: 250 pages
- Publisher: Pan; 3 edition (6 Oct 2006)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0330426540
- ISBN-13: 978-0330426541
- Product Dimensions: 2.5 x 12.7 x 19.7 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 279,032 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
Tyrant
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More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
The thundering new historical epic from the bestselling master of the genre
Book Description
Sicily 412 BC: the infinite duel between a man and a superpower begins. The man is Dionysius, who has just made himself Tyrant of Syracuse. The superpower Carthage, mercantile megalopolis and mistress of the seas. Over the next eight years, Dionysius' brutal military conquests will strike down countless enemies and many friends to make Syracuse the most powerful Greek city west of mainland Greece. He builds the largest army of antiquity and invents horrific war machines to use against the Carthaginians, who he will fight in five wars. But who was Dionysius? Historians have condemned him as one of the most ruthless, egocentric despots. But he was also patron of the arts, a dramatist, poet and tender lover.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Being an infrequent reader of fiction, and NOT a student of history, I get great enjoyment from Valerio Massimo Manfredi's historic fiction books. When I sit down I want to be transported to another time, another world, "when men were men" and lived life on the sword edge. "Tyrant" does just that, sweeping you up in the little known story of Dionysius the Elder, who became the tyrant of Syracuse, an important "Greek" city on what is now the Island of Sicily.
Historic fiction gives you a flavour of what it might have been like 'back then'. You don't expect it to be perfectly accurate in everything but the the big landmarks, the big events and people. The gaps in our knowledge are filled in with the author's intuition and imagination. And for me, Manfredi does a great job. Let's not forget that he is Professor of Classical Archaelogy too -- so, despite being a popularizer, he is basing his works on a fairly solid grasp of the history.
Some people might find the translation (he's Italian and wrote the book in Italian) a little clumsy, the dialogue at times a bit cheesy and unlikely, or the scenes a little over dramatic -- and if you are fussy like that... try something drier, you are welcome to it.
For the general reader, this is a great yarn, a welcome distraction from the mundane existence of 21st century living and an opportunity to learn something of a time about which most of us know nothing. I enjoyed it, as I have his other books.
Manfredi fans will also enjoy books by Stephen Pressfield, such as "Gates of Fire" and "Last of the Amazons" -- Pressfield writes in English and his battle scenes are gut-wrenchingly gripping.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Again, this is a review of a book that I bought and read long ago (in 2005), hugely enjoyed, but didn't bother to review at the time. Contrary to other reviewers, I found Tyrant, the life story of Dionysios the Elder of Syracuse, to be Massimo's best book, probably because this is essentially a historical novel with little fiction in it and because Manfredi obviously knows his topic well.
The basic story is about the descent of a young (but rather ambitious) man from a good family of Syracuse (although not among the highest aristocratic families) "into a merciless despot", as another reviewer puts it. However, this is certainly not "the story of Dionysios written by Dionysios" for, despite all the facts explaining why he becomes such a despot, I certainly did not get to sympathize with him. Another interesting character, presented as a contrast to the Tyrant and who, unlike him, has not put aside his initial idealism, is that of his brother Leptines.
I won't go into too much details and spoil the story by summarizing it. The only thing I can see is that since Dionysios became tyrant on the basis of his abilito to win the war against Carthage, the book is full of battles and sieges, as one war follows another. Another element is that Valerio Massimo Manfredi paints a picture of Dionysios which I belikeve to be much more convincing that the one that you find in the historical sources which almost unanimously blacken his nale and put each and every of hos actions in the most unfavorable light they can come up with. I do agree that Manfredi's book does show some csympathy for his main character at times and does largely omit some facts - such as his efforts to appear as a great poet and philosopher - which mke him more ridicule than anything else since he seems to have been rather untalented in this respect. However, his paranoļa and cruelty, however justified, are rather well described. Some elements may be missing from the book, especially regarding the relations among and within Sicilian cities at the time - the so-called "stasis" or social conflicts between oligarchic and "democratic" factions that often lead to civil war.
Anyway, to learn more about this period, the most accessible book is Jeff Champion's first volume on the Tyrants in Sicily. It has some limitations, but it certainly is a useful addition to this book if you are looking for more historical context. So, four stars, but not five.
The basic story is about the descent of a young (but rather ambitious) man from a good family of Syracuse (although not among the highest aristocratic families) "into a merciless despot", as another reviewer puts it. However, this is certainly not "the story of Dionysios written by Dionysios" for, despite all the facts explaining why he becomes such a despot, I certainly did not get to sympathize with him. Another interesting character, presented as a contrast to the Tyrant and who, unlike him, has not put aside his initial idealism, is that of his brother Leptines.
I won't go into too much details and spoil the story by summarizing it. The only thing I can see is that since Dionysios became tyrant on the basis of his abilito to win the war against Carthage, the book is full of battles and sieges, as one war follows another. Another element is that Valerio Massimo Manfredi paints a picture of Dionysios which I belikeve to be much more convincing that the one that you find in the historical sources which almost unanimously blacken his nale and put each and every of hos actions in the most unfavorable light they can come up with. I do agree that Manfredi's book does show some csympathy for his main character at times and does largely omit some facts - such as his efforts to appear as a great poet and philosopher - which mke him more ridicule than anything else since he seems to have been rather untalented in this respect. However, his paranoļa and cruelty, however justified, are rather well described. Some elements may be missing from the book, especially regarding the relations among and within Sicilian cities at the time - the so-called "stasis" or social conflicts between oligarchic and "democratic" factions that often lead to civil war.
Anyway, to learn more about this period, the most accessible book is Jeff Champion's first volume on the Tyrants in Sicily. It has some limitations, but it certainly is a useful addition to this book if you are looking for more historical context. So, four stars, but not five.
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Few authors can be better equipped to write about the history of ancient Greece and Rome than Valerio Massimo Manfredi. Professor of archaeology at the university of Milan, he has carried out many excavations and expeditions in the Mediterranean region. He has produced many factual books on historical matters, mainly military and has still found the time to write several novels and this is one of the best of them.
I think that this is one of the authors best books to date and he has written several excellent ones including the Alexander trilogy which received world wide acclaim and probably brought the authors name to the forefront of ancient historical writers.
The book takes place in 412 AD and charts the clash of one man and a superpower. The man is Dionysius of Syracuse. The superpower is Carthage, a city with thriving trade links and one of the most powerful navies in the Mediterranean. How can a 20-year-old even think of going against the might and resources of a place such as Carthage.
Thus begins the journey into manhood of a man who rose to gather one of the greatest armies in the Ancient World and also invented many of the trappings of war that lasted for centuries. Machines never seen before by mankind. Machines that could wreak havoc and destruction on a scale never before dreamed of. Dionysius also invented the quinquereme a five module battleship that had fifty oarsmen to propel through the water.
But who was the man Dionysius, was he the ruthless, murdering tyrant that his enemies depicted or was he an intelligent man born ahead of his time. History has lumped him with the so called tyrants, but the greatness of the man is impossible to deny.
I think that this is one of the authors best books to date and he has written several excellent ones including the Alexander trilogy which received world wide acclaim and probably brought the authors name to the forefront of ancient historical writers.
The book takes place in 412 AD and charts the clash of one man and a superpower. The man is Dionysius of Syracuse. The superpower is Carthage, a city with thriving trade links and one of the most powerful navies in the Mediterranean. How can a 20-year-old even think of going against the might and resources of a place such as Carthage.
Thus begins the journey into manhood of a man who rose to gather one of the greatest armies in the Ancient World and also invented many of the trappings of war that lasted for centuries. Machines never seen before by mankind. Machines that could wreak havoc and destruction on a scale never before dreamed of. Dionysius also invented the quinquereme a five module battleship that had fifty oarsmen to propel through the water.
But who was the man Dionysius, was he the ruthless, murdering tyrant that his enemies depicted or was he an intelligent man born ahead of his time. History has lumped him with the so called tyrants, but the greatness of the man is impossible to deny.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
too one-dimensional for fiction too one-sided for fact
With any novel centred on a historical figure it can be expected that a more human, sympathetic picture of that person should emerge. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Gilolc
Excellent
Manfredi is on safe ground here doing what he does best. This time for Dionysis, who for me was a new historical charachter (although I knew the name). Read more
Published on 22 Oct 2008 by chuckles
A Thin Slice of History
As usual Manfredi writes reasonably well and the story at least has the benefit of some sense of reality. Read more
Published on 16 April 2008 by Iphidaimos
Manfredi needs a new editor
I have read two other Manfredi books besides this one and they all share one characteristic, to one degree or another. Read more
Published on 10 Jun 2007 by FoggyTown
Enjoyable - but not a classic
When I started reading this one day on the bus I got so absorbed by the story that I missed my stop. Read more
Published on 23 Mar 2007 by B. K. Peddie
Couldn't finish it
Highly interested in ancient history, I approached this novel with enthusiasm and high hopes but ultimately I felt let down. Read more
Published on 29 May 2006 by A. D. MacFarlane
Excellent portrayal of agreat period of history
an excellent portrayal of politics both ancient and modern. Dictatoriships arn't necessarily evil and can often work better than democraces in doing the best thing for the nation... Read more
Published on 10 Feb 2006 by Andrew Rossiter
Thought Provoking with Interesting Characters
Great. This book kept me interested and had some concrete insights into why dreams die with the dreamer. Read more
Published on 29 Dec 2005
Good, but not great.
After reading the Alexander trilogy I was expecting the same high standards but it never quite lived up to my expectations. Read more
Published on 19 Aug 2005 by "westc3"
Good- but not his best
I have so far read the last legion and the Alexander trilogy, to which Tyrant does not compare, but is nonetheless a thoroughly entertaining novel. Read more
Published on 28 April 2005 by Daniel Churcher
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