- Paperback: 272 pages
- Publisher: Harvard University Press (2 Dec 2008)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0674030737
- ISBN-13: 978-0674030732
- Product Dimensions: 22.4 x 14.5 x 1.8 cm
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 3,258,404 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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4 reviews
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Way more than just a translation...
6 Feb 2008
Format:Hardcover
Though, at its heart, "Xenophon's Retreat" is a summary of "The Expedition of Cyrus" (the first, and one of the most important, military campaign accounts of the ancient world), this book is surprisingly more than just a translation.
Written with a fantastically dry wit by an author who actually retraced the life, and travels, of "The Expedition's" Greek creator, it not only tells the story of Cyrus' ill-fated uprising, but also takes a very reasonable, and enlightening, approach to the ancient Greeks as a people...providing critical background on not only Xenophon (something that was desperately lacking until now), but also the social, economic, and political forces of the world he lived in.
As someone who's read more than my share of military history, I loved the balance it strikes between the technical, the philosophical, and the practical. In particular, I was impressed with the religious and cultural perspectives it provides on history that is so often left to relatively dry statistics. Turns out it's absolutely remarkable how much more sense the military aspects of the ancient world makes once you get a glimpse at the rest of the picture.
All in all, "Xenophon's Retreat" is unlike anything else I've ever read in the field, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Written with a fantastically dry wit by an author who actually retraced the life, and travels, of "The Expedition's" Greek creator, it not only tells the story of Cyrus' ill-fated uprising, but also takes a very reasonable, and enlightening, approach to the ancient Greeks as a people...providing critical background on not only Xenophon (something that was desperately lacking until now), but also the social, economic, and political forces of the world he lived in.
As someone who's read more than my share of military history, I loved the balance it strikes between the technical, the philosophical, and the practical. In particular, I was impressed with the religious and cultural perspectives it provides on history that is so often left to relatively dry statistics. Turns out it's absolutely remarkable how much more sense the military aspects of the ancient world makes once you get a glimpse at the rest of the picture.
All in all, "Xenophon's Retreat" is unlike anything else I've ever read in the field, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Interesting Overview of Xenophon's Life and Times
23 Jan 2007
Format:Hardcover
This book is more than a summary of Xenophon's `The Expedition of Cyrus'. It gives an outline of Xenophon's life in the backdrop of the places and times in which he lived. I found the account of the Cyreans' march to and from Cunaxa, as well as the battle itself, to be particularly gripping. The political shenanigans that are described both before and after the march, to me, seemed less interesting in comparison; however, these descriptions do allow the reader to form a more complete picture of what life was like and the way people reasoned things out in those turbulent times. The writing style is clear and engaging; several black and white photographs complement the text. This book should of particular interest to ancient history buffs.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Well done!
1 Jan 2010
Format:Paperback
Robin Waterfield did a great job in summarizing the historical circumstances that preceded and followed the troublesome return home of a contingent of Greek mercenaries in 400 BC. The journey back home took about a year; it cost the lives of thousands of Greeks, members of their families and slaves who accompanied the warriors. He also wrote a very insightful last chapter on the legacy of the battle of Cunaxa. I recoomend reading this text as well as an accompanying historical fiction (such as Michael Curtis Ford's "The Ten Thousand").
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