- Hardcover: 272 pages
- Publisher: Orion (22 May 2008)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0752891405
- ISBN-13: 978-0752891408
- Product Dimensions: 19.8 x 13.2 x 2.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 2.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 495,682 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Review
'As a comprehensive, robust and intelligent guide to the practices of the Greeks and Romans, this is second to none' (LITERARY REVIEW )
'Its a wonderful book' (R4 TODAY PROGRAMME )
'Crisply, cleverly conjoined, Jones's subjects range from Byzantine intrigue and Cicero to tyrants who poured molten lead down the throats of the treasonous. This book follows a worthy tradition; the Alexandrian libraries, the House of Wisdom in Baghdad and the Sicilian Court all commissioned collections of 'ancient world' highlights: lessons and feats of the past that we forget at our peril. Vote for Caesar is just such a compendium. (Bettany Hughes SUNDAY TELEGRAPH )
'A great advocate of the classical cause, he writes with verve and could not be dull if he tried. This is a rich plum pudding of a book' (THE ANGLO-HELLENIC REVIEW )
'Jones' ability to parallet ancient problems with those of our own day will entice readers to thnk outside the square about the issues we share' (BRYN MAWR CLASSICAL REVIEW )
'Its a wonderful book' (R4 TODAY PROGRAMME )
'Crisply, cleverly conjoined, Jones's subjects range from Byzantine intrigue and Cicero to tyrants who poured molten lead down the throats of the treasonous. This book follows a worthy tradition; the Alexandrian libraries, the House of Wisdom in Baghdad and the Sicilian Court all commissioned collections of 'ancient world' highlights: lessons and feats of the past that we forget at our peril. Vote for Caesar is just such a compendium. (Bettany Hughes SUNDAY TELEGRAPH )
'A great advocate of the classical cause, he writes with verve and could not be dull if he tried. This is a rich plum pudding of a book' (THE ANGLO-HELLENIC REVIEW )
'Jones' ability to parallet ancient problems with those of our own day will entice readers to thnk outside the square about the issues we share' (BRYN MAWR CLASSICAL REVIEW )
Product Description
The expansion of the congestion charge zone, prices going up on the Underground, bendy buses - all ideas brought about to try to make the traffic situation in our capital city run more smoothly. Surely there must be a better way? In fact there is. In Roman times, when the streets were even more crowded, Caesar decreed that all vehicles (except those involved in building work) were banned from the City, while Nero took advantage of a major fire to broaden the streets to improve access. Whatever the problem, from the leader whose deputy wants to replace him to the question of how to make democracy really work, you can guarantee that our Classical forebears faced the same situation and came up with some far more effective solutions than our current politicians. In this enthralling, informative and hugely entertaining book, Peter Jones, one of the UK's leading Classicists, highlights just how much we have to learn from the past and how things really were once so much better.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
16 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This is a quirky book. It is composed of largely self-contained textual vignettes. This makes it easy to dip into for short and entertaining reads. Previous reviews have correctly inferred that a few of these short pieces appear to have a tenuous link to ancient practices. You probably have to be as contemptuous of bumbling, overbearing, intrusive, and taxing Big Government as I am to enjoy the bits where the author mounts his soap box. Because of the vignette layout these bits are easily skipped by those who object.
For the rest, Peter Jones provides many fascinating insights into how the Ancients dealt with--or failed over--issues that we still experience today. It would be difficult to compare ancient and modern governance without injecting a viewpoint. He openly colours his with a fairly libertarian view. This is surely better than adopting the all too common pseudo-objectivity affected by many lesser Academics. It provides a clear anchor point against which can be measured the selectivity and validity of the arguments or facts marshalled by any author. Allowances can be made for the colour. Mr. Jones is sometimes biting, but supports his 'prejudices' rationally and with a generally easy style. Those who believe in government coercion and collectivism as the solution for our problems might gag--on the other hand they might learn something too!
For the rest, Peter Jones provides many fascinating insights into how the Ancients dealt with--or failed over--issues that we still experience today. It would be difficult to compare ancient and modern governance without injecting a viewpoint. He openly colours his with a fairly libertarian view. This is surely better than adopting the all too common pseudo-objectivity affected by many lesser Academics. It provides a clear anchor point against which can be measured the selectivity and validity of the arguments or facts marshalled by any author. Allowances can be made for the colour. Mr. Jones is sometimes biting, but supports his 'prejudices' rationally and with a generally easy style. Those who believe in government coercion and collectivism as the solution for our problems might gag--on the other hand they might learn something too!
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book is a bit of an oddity, but it's a fun oddity. Jones casts a highly (justified?) jaundiced eye over our modern society, and highlights its crassness and downright stupidity by comparing it to how the Greeks and Romans did things.
Anyone who *already* has a fair idea of how the Greeks and Romans did things won't learn much new here, though it will be highly informative for newcomers to the subject.
It's also written in a chatty, easy-to-read style.
When it comes to Mr Jones' rants about modern times, I generally found myself fiercely nodding in agreement and thinking, 'You tell 'em, Peter!!' - except for the times when I found myself shaking my head and thinking, 'The man's a damned idiot!'
I suspect most readers will have a similar experience, depending on which rants they happen to agree with.
All aspects of life, ancient and modern are covered - the 'just' war; the celebrity crowd; politicians' con tricks (the biggest, of course, being the lie that we live in a democracy); religion; superstition; et cetera.
I don't think this book will share bookshelf space with my more scholarly books on the subject, but it was a fun read, and I certainly don't regret my impulse purchase.
Anyone who *already* has a fair idea of how the Greeks and Romans did things won't learn much new here, though it will be highly informative for newcomers to the subject.
It's also written in a chatty, easy-to-read style.
When it comes to Mr Jones' rants about modern times, I generally found myself fiercely nodding in agreement and thinking, 'You tell 'em, Peter!!' - except for the times when I found myself shaking my head and thinking, 'The man's a damned idiot!'
I suspect most readers will have a similar experience, depending on which rants they happen to agree with.
All aspects of life, ancient and modern are covered - the 'just' war; the celebrity crowd; politicians' con tricks (the biggest, of course, being the lie that we live in a democracy); religion; superstition; et cetera.
I don't think this book will share bookshelf space with my more scholarly books on the subject, but it was a fun read, and I certainly don't regret my impulse purchase.
11 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I enjoyed reading this book, Peter Jones is refreshingly opinionated and politically incorrect. The author's main aim is to show how ancient ideas about a huge range of subjects could be relevant to modern problems. For instance he contrasts the level of citizen involvement in what he calls the world's only democracy, ancient Athens, with the general voter apathy in our present system. On the other hand he isn't dewy eyed and presents Roman and Greek society `warts and all`. He delivers his views in a humorous tongue in cheek fashion, just like his `Learn Latin' book. A long the way you learn a huge amount about the ancient world and you don't have to agree with everything he says to enjoy it. Particular targets are the excesses of the welfare state and the European union. No where does he advocate `flog `em string `em up' as the previous reviewer said but its fair to say most Guardian readers probably won't like this book!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Only one vote
This is a terrible little book - Mr Jones must be , if his writing is anything to go by, a very bitter and acid man. Read more
Published 9 months ago by tante
Whatever
Peter Jones doesn't like New Labour, liberals, the Guardian, Polly Toynbee and much more. There is a longer list of his dislikes in another review. Read more
Published on 30 Oct 2009 by GreyFod
Cue Visigoths!
If you are able to perceive the merest whiff of a scintilla of merit in parliament, the EU or the BBC then this man holds you in contempt. Don't give him your money. Read more
Published on 4 Sep 2009 by Mark Iliff
For Daily Mail readers only!
An excellent idea, to compare the problems of today with Greek and Roman society. Unfortunately the author uses the book largely to express his own decidedly right-wing ideology. Read more
Published on 18 Aug 2009 by Clive of Crete
If Voting Changed Anything ...
Vote for Caesar is an entertaining if rather odd little read. The basic thesis is that we could learn much from the Ancient Greeks and Romans in how to conduct our civic life... Read more
Published on 16 Aug 2009 by H. meiehofer
Pretty tedious stuff
This could have been so much better.
What promised to be a light-hearted look at how the Ancients went about solving the problems of today instead turns into one dull,... Read more
What promised to be a light-hearted look at how the Ancients went about solving the problems of today instead turns into one dull,... Read more
Published on 15 Jun 2008 by Jim Campbell
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