Greece Books

Alexander III of Macedonia - brilliant, intuitive, decisive, driven was chief, amongst many things, an outstanding commander in chief of arguably the premier military force of the ancient world. It is little wonder that Brassey included Alexander in their series (Dennis Showalter, series editor) of Military Profiles.

Admittedly a biography of Alexander as a military man, Tsouras opens by showing us the forces and experiences that instructed, equipped and empowered Alexander to become a successful leader of military forces. As he does, Tsouras includes most of the standard stories told about Alexander and puts them into their historical perspective.

The bulk of the book follows Alexander's exploits leading the Macedonian army as they secured their home base, conquered Persia and marched on into India and Afghanistan. Tsouras details battles and spends time detailing the ways in which Alexander managed his troops on and off the battle field. He presents in detail and with illustrations the tactics Alexander used in two significant battles. These were illustrative of Alexander's skill in leadership on the battlefield.

This is a short book, easy to read and understandable. I found it well worth the time and effort spent. As a lay person to military tactics I was able to comprehend the material presented.

I did find however, that many questions about Alexander, his life and times, were raised. But the answers to these belong to other books.

This slim, 107-page book is superbly written and obviously based on a lifetime devoted to the study of Alexander. Yet, this in-depth understanding of the man and his accomplishments does not slow down the pace of the book. Peter is able to keep the fruits of his exaustive research in a supporting role, never letting it impeed or slow the velocity of Alexander's story, which is fitting. Peter provides just enough detail to explain the importance of each of Alexander's actions and how they were achieved. This is important because I really didn't believe so much insight could be packed into such a small book. Another point, Peter firmly roots Alexander in Macedonia, with its history, politics, traditions and expectations of leadership. Quickly, the reader comes to view the situation as a Macedonian, not a Greek. This distinction is important in understanding Alexander in context of his historical period and cultural background. Given Peter's preparation, the reader will understand that Alexander could become a god in the eyes of his contemporaries, given his unsurpassed military and political accomplishments. I will leave the superlatives to Peter. Within twenty pages you will know in detail that Alexander was superbly prepared for greatness. In another twenty, how Alexander turned his excellent preparation into an unmatched string of victories. Never once does the author loose sight of the man himself. If Alexander seems unapproachable and on a pedestal, it is because he deserves to be there. Peter's genious is to avoid the inclination to dislodge Alexander. Instead, Peter tries to bring us up to Alexander's level and into his world.
This could possibly be the only book on Alexander the historian or student of military art ever needs.

This concise, vivid retelling of Alexander's life is simply without equal. As both an accomplished historian and a military man (and, for that matter, a Greek-American), Tsouras is uniquely qualified to write on the subject; as a result, he's produced an analytical military biography to rank alongside the work of J.F.C. Fuller. Yet, for all the insight, there isn't a dry page in this book. In less than a hundred pages, the author catches the color and fire of a lost world, reminding us why Alexander remains a mythical presence in remote parts where American soldiers are fighting today. One of those sudden geniuses whose appearance changes the world, Alexander has long fascinated a wide range of intellects (beginning with his teacher, Aristotle), and it would seem that nothing new could be added to the library of works that exist on the subject. What Tsouras adds to the Alexandrine story is clarity. Writing for a series that might be called "brief military lives" forced authorial selectivity on the work. The result is not only the most lucid biography available of Alexander the Great, but one of the clearest, most readable biographies of any of the figures of antiquity. The writers of the classical age, from playwrights down to Plutarch, understood the art of capturing the total character in the gesture or the sculpted sentence. Tsouras has produced a highly readable biography that needs not one additional word, but couldn't spare one he included. It's a fine read, more relevant than one might at first think. And, if nothing else, with a big-budget Hollywood "sword-and-sandal" bio-pic of Alexander on the way, it's worth the while of any intelligent reader/viewer to learn about the man himself before settling down with the popcorn. Finally, I have to add that I've been a fan of Tsouras's broad body of work for years. I make no pretense of being anything less than a great admirer of his books--and only wish I could persuade still more readers to give him a try. His biography of Alexander is a great place to start.

I'm a hardcore Alexandrophile (having read nearly 3 dozen books about this remarkable historic figure) and I can say that this work by Peter G. Tsouras is the best concise biography of the man I've read to date. Considering that it's part of a Military Profiles series, I expected the book to be a rather dry military academia that strictly focused on Alexander's military achievements. While it's true that the focus is on the military aspects of Alexander's extraordinary life and career, I was pleasantly surprised by the broad range of Alexander's life that Tsouras covered with such clear prose and lucid writing style.

Tsouras takes a very balanced view of Alexander in light of today's mudslinging between the extreme pro-Alexandrian and anti-Alexander schools of thought. Overall, Tsouras comes to a fairly positive outlook and conclusion when it comes to Alexander's achievements and legacy after having thoroughly examined both sides of the story. I also have a very positive view although I am very well aware of the mistakes Alexander had made during his life. I just do not think it's Alexander's fault that the latter day imitators who followed in his footsteps didn't realize that they didn't have his immense talents and noble intentions and only focused on his military successes of vanquishing his enemies and enjoying the spoils of the victories. Tsouras is very well aware of this as he points out that many have tried to equal or surpass Alexander but fell woefully short and simply committed atrocities on a huge scale.

This is an insightful book that is chock full of interesting information and is easy to read. If you have time for only one concise biography of the greatest conqueror the world has ever known, this is the one to get. It's real history but isn't dry or overbearing with esoteric academia as so many classical history books tend to be. Tsouras also lays out the military aspects of Alexander's career in a manner both military buff and the layman can easily digest and learn from. There has never been a leader and military commander quite like Alexander the Great. Tsouras shows you why in a clear and lucid manner. I ended up finishing this book over a weekend but I expect to come back to it over and over again in the future. It's highly recommended to both serious Alexandrophiles and novices alike.

Peter Green is correct in saying, "The Greeks have influenced Western society more, and more fundamentally, than any other nation in history." The Greeks introduced much of the vitality into our aesthetics, literature, ethics, and our language. Their wars with Persia saved the West. The Greeks insisted on making sense of things. The world must have an order, and the Greeks had the intelligence and fortitude to discover it. Likely, their elite were as close to gods as man has yet become. Athens, with about 50,000 citizens, produced more knowledge than today's cites of over a million. If you are a serious person on history this is the book for you.

I just had to laugh when I saw the previous reviewer's comment that Peter Green's area of expertise was not ancient Greece. It certainly is! He has written a critically acclaimed biography of Alexander the Great, Alexander of Macedon 356-323 BC: A Historical Biography, ..., as well as numerous histories of many of the pivotal events in Ancient Greece.

This book is an introductory survey of the civilizations on ancient
Crete, Greece, and the Greek cities of Asia Minor.

From the outset he acquaints the reader with the interpreting of
physical artefacts, texts and also the impact of geography and
climate.

He draws on insights from images on ceramic, emphasizes the larger
contributions of written records, and points out for the student where
speculation must stop. For example, despite passionate and clashing
assertions, nobody really knows what the "Archaic smile" signifies on
statues from Miletus, though Miletus' philosophical currents were of
huge importance.


What drew me in to the book was the early geographical theme. Mr.
Green links the Greek proclivity to open-air discourse and oratory to
the abundance of clear weather, and matches class differences to the
different uses of the land.

This approach pays off in the telling of Athens' political feuding and
Cleisthenes' redistribution of tribes in 508, after which he says
"Athenian democracy had at last come of age."

Professor Green's specialty is the 4th century BC.

This book delivers more concepts more rapidly than other survey
works such as the Pelican Greek Ancient History.

This is a edited version of my review because some people are taking for too much offense at this short review. I advise them to read it again. Green is a specialist in the Hellenistic period, a culture quite different from the Classical city of Athens or the archaic development of the polis for example.

If one reads the review below you'll note that I did not trash this book, I pointed out that it was lacking evidence and topics btut also how it might best be used in a classroom. I'm a college instructor so I think in terms of what I would use in a history class and how best to use it. I stand by what I said below because I'm comparing the book to others of its type, and this book is not the best (that would earn 5 stars).

You should also note the "?" in my title -- you are entitled to your own opinions but when people start sending me nasty private emails about my reviews, I can only feel sorry for their lack of professionalism.

For the specialist, Green's book is too concise, short on evidence to support all of his "facts". However, for the introductory history class, it might be a good book if supplemented by cultural and social history by the instructor. It is clear that Green's area of specialization is not ancient Greece but he is knowledgable nonetheless.

An awesome book. While in Greece, the tour guide used one very similar to this as a reference. They are for sale everywhere (22-25 Euros) but with the dollar so weak it will save you money, (not to mention having to carry it home) buying it here. The overlays and information are wonderful. The pictures bring to life the sites that you visit while there. Highly recommended.

An awesome book. Let's just say that our tour guide in Greece use this book as a reference. As an educator I found this book to be extrememly useful. How many of us actually knew that all these marble ruins were fully painted in their prime? The overlays and information are wonderful. Highly recommended.

This beautiful book has full page color photos of the ruins of ancient Greek temples and theaters, with transparent overlays filling in how these magnificent buildings would have looked when first built. It includes photos of statues and architectural details, with a general overview of ancient Greek history and explanations of the buildings' purposes and histories. Most of the buildings shown are on mainland Greece, but the Palace at Knossos and the sanctuary of Apollo on Delos are also included. These buildings are spectacular!

I first saw this book while on vacation in Greece...Naturally, I looked up the places my husband and I had visited and the book portrays them beautifully! There's great historical detail in the text as well as outstandingly accurate illustrations of prominent Greek sites and monuments. The 'see-through' pages give an incredible glimpse of what ancient Greece looked like over 2000 years ago. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who has been to Greece, wants to go to Greece or is studying Greece. It is written for all ages! For any educator teaching Greek history this would be a highly useful 'textbook'.Enjoy!

Readers will no doubt wonder why they would want to read this book rather than a myriad of other coffee table books on the subject of the Roman Empire. I can not claim that I have read
"almost all" of them. I have not. I have read only some of them. What makes Liberati's book different... and better... than these others is that she organizes her work topically and not just geographically.

The pictures are scrumptious, simply scrumptious. The picture on the cover is bettered by a plethora of other pictures in the book. A *two-page* picture of the Coliseum appears on pages 18 and 19. Then come pictures and text portraying the history of Rome. These are followed pictures which show the promulgation of Roman civilization throughout Italy and throughout the ancient world. There are pictures of the Las Farreras aquaduct, the Temple of Diana in Nimes, and the port of Caesarea.

She is not just presenting a bunch of pictures. One could find out something new. This is a fascinating book for anyone interested in Roman history.

The strength of this exquisite book is in the pages of beautiful reproductions of artifacts and artworks from throughout the history of the Empire. On 292 pages, the book encompasses 358 color photos, 30 color drawings (mostly architectural) and 45 maps.

The book is organized in five sections - an overview of the 11 centuries of history; social aspects from shelter to spectacles; the splendors of the capital; Roman civilization in Italy; a tour of the Roman provinces.

The text is accessible and the captions are packed with information but the illustrations are not only breathtaking but representative of every aspect of Roman civilization. An excellent introduction to Roman history or a valuable addition to a collection.

In Ancient Rome: History Of A Civilization That Ruled The World, Anna Maria Liberati (Museum of Roman Civilization, Rome, Italy) has effectively collaborated with freelance journalist and art history expert Fabio Bourbon to lay out a beautifully illustrated and thoroughly "reader friendly" coffeetable artbook showcasing the architecture, politics, culture, art, and artifacts tracing the rise and fall of the Roman Empire. An ideal addition to school and community library collections, the hundreds of full-color images (many of them never previously published and available to the general public) wonderfully enhance an informed and informative text making Ancient Rome especially accessible and recommended to the non-specialist general reader.

This book is not much on narration -- but it isn't really supposed to be. The book is filled with outstanding photographs, prints, drawings, maps, and architectural plans that will be useful to anyone in the business of teaching social studies. This is one of those wonderfully inexpensive oversized hardcover books that makes you feel good just by owning it.

First of all, its so beautifully written, delicious descriptions of people and places. The writing is very visual. You are there, in ancient Greece, at the Temple of Demeter. There's a pretty incredible visit to Aphrodite's temple too, when Aila seeks help from a priestess for her dilemma. When the story ended I just wanted to go back into that world. This is a story of two lovers who through perseverance and determination, find there way through the restrictive traditions of Greek life, to solve an amazing puzzle. The riddle itself (yes there is one) is very enticing and mysterious. Like two detectives on the hunt, Aila and her lover Bereus seek to find the clues to unravel the riddle. Full of magic, Goddess sightings, and real temple life as seen by the eyes of a priestess. If you enjoyed "Mists of Avalon," then you will love this book. This is a book I will cherish and reread many times. You won't be able to put this one down! A classic!

Jennifer Reif has crafted a novel that combines fascinating details about life and faith in Ancient Greece with a page-turning mystery and a touching romance between star-crossed lovers. The book kept me reading through a plane-ride and made the time in the waiting area zip by. I couldn't wait to see how it would all work out, and find out the answer to the riddle.

Enchanting storytelling, couldn't put it down. Wonderful historical novel and a great trip into ancient Greece. This book is mesmerizing, with very discriptive writing so that you really feel as though you are in ancient times (I didn't want to come back) ! Enlightening and beautiful Earth Mother teachings appear and are woven into the story through the character of the High Priestess Dione (although she's not the main character). I can't say enough good about this book...I just wish there was another one that I could read. Hope we hear more from Jennifer.

Aphrodite's Riddle ponders a question that has long puzzled scholars of ancient Greece,and is based on convincing and solid research. At the same time, it imparts the fun and suspense that can accompany the search for ancient secrets and questions involving the very human life of the protagonists.

Aila Daphne Phillida has fallen in love with Bereus Kahnan, but her family disapproves of him. They send her away for training to become a Melissa, or priestess of Demeter at Eleusis. She blames Aphrodite for her plight, but the goddess hears her complaint, and what transpires makes a very engaging mystery. We are carried back to the times when the gods and goddesses were a living force in the hearts and minds of these people. Caught within the dilemmas of her age, the heroine must find her way out with the aid of a riddle that Aphrodite gives her.

Not wanting to be separated from Aila, Bereus obtains a job at Eleusis working for the Priest of Records to inventory the temple gifts. In the meantime, one of the precious sacred objects of the Temple, or Hiera, disappears and someone accuses Aila of stealing it. With the aid of Aphrodite's curious riddle Aila and Bereus search together for the original sacred Hiera, which had been lost for many years. These Hiera have been a subject of conjecture by many scholars,and the story offers an intriguing solution as we pursue the fate of the heroine. For anyone interested in ancient Greece and mythology, it's a must read.

[let this man speak for himself...]
A thoughtful observer of these events, like
Aeschylus, could not but have felt uneasiness.
Were the Greek cities and the factions within
them being drawn, through their quest for power
even at the expenses of principle, into the
cycle of *hybris*, *ate*, and *nemesis* which
they themselves had seen in the undoing of the
Persians? In a world where Zeus punished
*hybris*, where men reaped the fruits of their
own actions, were they sowing the seeds of
their own downfall?
"...be mindful, men of Greece and Athens,
lest one among you, disdaining in his
mind the fortune of the present, and
lusting after more, waste the great
blessings he has..."
the ghost of Darius had said in the *Persians.*
These fears, and with them the vivid memory
of what destruction actually means (particularly
in Athens,which had been sacked and ruined by
the Persians) must have been strong motivating
forces in the creation of the serious and
meditative character of so much Early Classical
art. The "Aspasia," the Charioteer of Delphi,
and even the very early "Blond Boy" from the
Athenian acropolis all seem to be attempts to
embody the ideals of thoughtful restraint and
responsibility which the Greeks were so frequently
prone to forget. (pp. 26-27)
* * *
The fallen warrior [sculpture] from the east
pediment [of the Temple of Aphaia at Aegina] is
another matter. As life ebbs away and he sinks
toward the earth, he tries futilely, sword (now
missing) in hand, to raise himself. His eyes
narrow as his consciousness fades; his mouth is
slightly open as his breathing grows difficult;
he stares at the earth. His enfeebled movements
contrast poignantly with his massive physical
frame in which, for practically the first time,
the individual details of the musculature are
fused and unified by a softening of the lines
of division between them, and by increasingly
subtle modulation of the surface from which one
senses the presence of a unified physical force
emanating from within the body. The sculptor
who conceived the figure had obviously thought
carefully about exactly what it meant. He must
have asked himself what it must really be like
when a powerful warrior is wounded and falls.
What does he feel? How should we feel? And
what meaning is there in our feeling? (pp.19-20)
* * * * * * * * *
There are irritations in this work...amidst the
riches. Pollitt seems to find no inspiration in
the *Diskobolos* statue by Myron at all...devotes
little space to it except to mention its "rhythmos,"
but, incredibly, nothing about its beauty and the
idealization of the harmonic development of the
musculature of the male body by an athlete.
And Pollitt has the bias of "reason" and
"rationality" as the supposed prime virtues of
Greek thought and art...over the mystical.
Yet, if divine inspiration of poets and
artists is not a mystical experience, then
what is? And the Greeks certainly seem to
have subscribed to that belief early on.
* * * * * * * * *

Pollitt's book is one of those rare pieces of writing that rewards you with fresh insight each and every time you pick it up. It is beautifully and sensitively written, and manages to breathe remarkable life into the civilization of ancient Greece. This is a wonderful way to prepare for a trip to Greece--it will only make your travels even more rewarding. This is history at its best.

Knowing little of Greek art, I happened upon this book in my shelves (an old college textbook belonging to my husband). I was pleased and impressed with this overview of Classical Greek art. Pollitt covers the main strands of development in architecture, sculpture, and painting and places the works firmly in the context of the historical events and cultural atmosphere of their times. As a result, I came away with an increased appreciation and understanding of the quality and value of Classical Greek art and of the interconnection between art and larger society in ancient Greece.

J.J. Pollitt is one of the most respected scholars of ancient Greek art, and with good reason. His analyses are clear, well-written, cautious, and highly logical. Art and Experience is a classic (!) work of Pollitt's early career. It is an authoritative and engaging introduction to the history of art in ancient Greece, focusing on the Classical period (fifth and fourth centuries BC). The book assumes a general familiarity with some ancient history, philosophy, and literature, so it might be most useful for students or enthusiasts of classical culture who feel that their understanding of classical art is lacking. Nonetheless, the text is introductory enough that even a reader with no background in classics could find the book interesting and informative.
What makes this book a particularly valuable introduction to Greek art is that it aims to explain the motives and ideas behind the art rather than to provide the reader with a list of works and names of styles. Pollitt answers the question of why Classical Greek art looks like it does, and he thus gives his reader a framework for understanding individual works.
I can level only two criticisms at the book, and they are both relatively picky. The first is that, because of the brevity of the book and its intended non-specialist audience, some of Pollitt's conclusions seem to me like logical leaps, and some of his arguments seem too summary to be fully convincing. I would have preferred a more comprehensive treatment with fuller explanations--something along the lines of Paul Zanker's Power of Images in the Age of Augustus. As an introduction, however, the extent of the arguments in Art and Experience is sufficient. My second criticism is that Pollitt at times reveals more personal value judgements regarding the art of ancient Greece than I thought were necessary or appropriate. This is no doubt in part the product of the period in which the book was written, when value judgement still played some role in the teaching of art history (it has since largely been abandoned). It also may relate to the intended audience: I am sure that some readers will be interested to hear what traditional considerations have made art historians consider certain works to be "great." At the same time, readers should be wary of Pollitt's negative statements about some of the art (e.g., Hellenistic sculptures of children). The value of such art has recently been reevaluated by many art historians, including Pollitt himself, and the works do not deserve the dismissive tone apparent in Art and Experience.
On a final note, readers should keep in mind that this book is intended to cover only a brief (though significant) period in the history of ancient Greek art. Because of its scope, this book does not provide a "grand tour" of all famous Greek art--works like the Nike (or Winged Victory) of Samothrace are not covered. While Art and Experience is a great way to begin an exploration of the art and culture of ancient Greece, for a full picture one must consult additional sources. I highly recommend following Art and Experience with Pollitt's masterful (and more scholarly, though still quite accessible) Art in the Hellenistic Age.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I ordered this book from Amazon...this isn't really a book that is meant to be read straight through as an independent work...rather, it seems to me upon finishing it, that the greatest benefit is as a reference. If on were stumped for the source of a particular detail of Artemis, this would be the book to go to. As such, there is a great deal of repeated information that was annoying to me since I did read it straight through, but the repetition did serve a purpose in helping cement some details of Artemis in my memory...as with Athene, Artemis is a goddess largely unknown to me, so it was not totally pointless to have read the book from cover to cover. At nearly 25.00 for this book, I don't know how many would really want to shell out the bucks for a book that is just over 100 pages. I'm glad to have it and would recommend it to others it has solid information and would be a fine addition to any pagan library.

Artemis is many things and yet she is often portrayed as simply the huntress of the New Moon. This book explores and brings together her many myths and stories, her many powers and guiles...

Artemis is a complex Goddess and one (now that I have read the book) I would certainly not class as a fluffy Goddess which I was lead to believe before. The information is carefully documented, footnoted (rather than those awful endnotes of a lot of academic books) and is written in a lucid manner. The author certainly knows her subject.

Friends of mine have been fortunate enough to attend a workshop with Sorita on the Greek Goddess Hekate and said that it was the or at the very least one of the, most enlightening workshops they have ever attended. She is a priestess of the Wicca who draws on ancient religions blending it with her own work in the tradition. She is also a scholar of ancient religion and does not allow her own religious and magical interests cloud her judgement, which is very clear from this volume. There is none of the usual pagan biased to be found here!

Highly recommended to people who work with Artemis in their own ceremonies and equally recommended to people who have an interest in ancient Greek mythology. Pagans who work with Greek deities will benefit in particular as the information is laid out in a way that makes it easy to use as a reference book when writing and preparing for ceremonies. There are lists of titles (with both the greek and english translations), there are chapters on the various ancient sanctuaries and temples to Artemis with descriptions of the rites which took place there.

What struck me in particular was the many references to young girls participating in the rituals, as well as the emphasis on twins as being sacred at Artemis' sanctuaries (Artemis and her brother Apollo were twins, so it makes sense really). So this book may provide some ideas for mothers wishing to prepare their daughters for adulthood through the use of ancient ceremonies.

Like I said, recommended and highly so. Thus *****

Having a great love for all things Greek and being a practioner of Wicca, I saw this book at a festival recently and decided to give it a go. I always thought of Artemis as one of the gentler goddesses, but this book quickly showed me that there was quite a bit more to Artemis than looking after animals and aiding in childbirth.

This multifaceted goddess' mysteries, myths, festivals and ancient titles are all explored in this book. Nice illustrations too and a very helpful index and bibliography at the end.

A Lovely Book.

I have had many dreams that someone would dedicate the time and energy that it takes to write a book on Artemis. Sorita D'Este has done just this and she has excelled at this challenging job.

This book provides all the information a modern pagan priestess or priest working with this diverse goddess could hope for. Historical information on festivals, practices and sacred temples, as well as sanctuaries, sacred animals and titles are provided.

The information is presented in an easy to understand and use format, but it is still rigorous by academic standards (providing sources throughout) and would be of interest to modern pagans and students of greek history and culture alike.

There is not an ounce of doubt in my mind that this book will be a book that you will use time and time again (as I am already doing) for drawing inspiration and information when working with this warrior goddess.

The arguments for Artemis being a Goddess associated with both the Sun and the Moon is clearly presented and adds an additional dimension towards understanding this ancient woodland goddess who was known to roam the mountains in search of prey with her thirteen hunting dogs. Her myths, associations with other gods, goddesses and mortals are all clearly and precisely explored, together with accounts (cross referenced showing the different accounts by ancient writers) of the various myths in which she took a prominent role.

Love Artemis? Hooked on the Greek Myths? This book is a must have!

For a general view on traveling in Greece, this is a fine guide. The necessary current information, the eateries and lodging advice, the important historical guide are here. The book is as big as you would want for carrying around. Read up about small details before you leave.

This is a great book to find information about archaeological sites around Greece. It gives very thorough information and descriptions. Great book to use with other guides. I didn't give it a 5 star because it has not been updated (e.g. it still has the location of the old Athens airport).

This book, which is part of a larger series, covers Greece. And it is the best book of its kind. When I went to Greece this book gave me all the pertinent information about all the sites, musuems, and other general information. This is the book Archaeologists use in Greece, so should anyone who goes. Not a tourist book, but the most comprehensive site book with maps and addresses and phone numbers, along with information. If you go to Greece, you must get this one.

For more than 30 years, this book has been an indispensable companion for anyone traveling to Greece who wants to get the maximum out of the experience. The comprehensiveness and depth of research this guide reflects is simply astonishing. That is partly a function of sheer individual effort -- how many other guidebooks incorporate the results of the authors' reading of more than a hundred archaeological reports? -- and partly a function of the fact that this guide has been polished, updated, improved and fine-tuned over three-and-a-half decades by a very able succession of individual authors.

But why, more specifically, should you buy and rely on the Blue Guide? I would suggest the following reasons.

1. Armed with this guide, you won't miss anything of significance at any place you visit. When you visit the Museum at Olympia, you'll know to look out for the helmet that the Athenian general Miltiades wore at the Battle of Marathon and later dedicated at the Temple of Zeus. You'll know to look out for the clay cup found in the ruins of the sculptor Pheidias's workshop, which is inscribed with his name on the bottom. If you want to find the site of the cobbler Simon's shop in the Athenian agora, where Socrates is said to have spent much of his time hanging out, this guide will get you there. It'll tell you the spot on the road between Delphi and Thebes where Oedipus is believed to have murdered his father. If you go to see the Menelaion near Sparta, the Blue Guide will alert you that at the back of the hill on which it stands are the rooms and corridors of a little-known Mycenaean palace that may once have been the home of Helen of Troy (assuming she was actually a historical person). And when you visit the fortress at Methone, it'll tell you the tragic story that lies behind the little islet with the lighthouse at the very end of the cape.

One side benefit of having this book is that you can save on hiring local guides when you visit places like the Agora in Athens. If you've got this guide, you'll know more than they will.

2. Another good reason to buy this guide is that it'll save you from getting lost. There are no fewer than 70-plus (count 'em) city plans and archaeological site plans in this volume. Inner Athens is covered in a very comprehensive series of maps -- you should even be able to get through the maze-like warren of the Plaka with the Blue Guide. And the route system used in the guide comprehensively explains how to get to every point of interest, even when a detour off the main route is called for. In particular, if you've got any interest in visiting fascinating but somewhat obscure sites like the Menelaion near Sparta, this book is a must.

By the way, this guide is also quite good on scenic wonders and tracks into the wilderness. It's not just for marble ruin nuts.

3. Don't know much about Greek history? Or art? Or architecture? This is the volume for you -- as long as you really want to learn. The section of introductory essays on these topics are wonderfully comprehensive.

4. Personally, I love the way the Blue Guide is written with this marvelously restrained British narrative voice. It makes it all the more fun when the authors actually break out of character, take you by the shoulders, and say 'don't miss this' -- as when they advise that "The view at sunrise [from the summit of Mount Parnassus], before the mists gather, exceeds in grandeur and interest almost every other prospect in the world."

Is there any reason you might not want to buy the Blue Guide? Well, you should be aware of the following.

A. This guide isn't for people who only want to travel with a single guidebook. It doesn't cover hotels, restaurants, shopping, or nightclubs. So you'll need to pair this guide with another, more standard one that addresses those more functional concerns.

B. It doesn't include Crete. The Crete chapter ultimately grew so big that it was hived off into a separate Blue Guide all its own.

C. This guide isn't for the "once over lightly" tourist. If that's where you're coming from, you won't need this book. This book is for the traveler who likes to be challenged and have their horizons broadened, who is willing to come back from a trip fired up with ideas for further reading.

Leonidas Chrysanthopoulos, the author of Caucasus Chronicles: Nation-Building And Diplomacy In Armenia, 1993-1994, was appointed Greek ambassador to the newly independent Armenia in 1993, entering the country as an ambassador at a pivotal moment when world powers were just starting to struggle for a new world created by the collapse of the Cold War. Caucasus Chronicles provides a survey of nation-building and diplomatic process in the newly independent Armenia from 1993-94, providing excellent first-person insights.

This book made me to remember in detais what was life in Armenia during first half of 1990s. The overall picture is very 'real', colourful, dramatic and at the same time humorous. The author also presented lots of interesting information about political, economical situation, and their relation to external factors.
There are interesting notes about top political persons. Author gives lots of pictures from everyday life he observed while in Armenia. There are facts that I didn't know about - for example information that Turkey had plans on bombing Yerevan; attempts of Greece with helping Armenia to gain oil producing equipment, etc.
Overall the author gave informative review of events in interesting form, the book is written in friendly and humorous tones and is very interesting to read.
My thanks to the autor, Mr. Chrysanthopoulos.

Leonidas Chrysanthopoulos, the author of Caucasus Chronicles: Nation-Building And Diplomacy In Armenia, 1993-1994, was appointed Greek ambassador to the newly independent Armenia in 1993, entering the country as an ambassador at a pivotal moment when world powers were just starting to struggle for a new world created by the collapse of the Cold War. Caucasus Chronicles provides a survey of nation-building and diplomatic processes in the newly independent Armenia from 1993-94, providing excellent first-person insights.

The author was in Armenia at a difficult but pivotal time. He was excited to be there, hardships notwithstanding, and maybe that's why the book was a good read: the author's excitement rubs off on the reader.

He recalls his adventures, his meetings (with top officials and starving farmers alike), and his impressions. We see a country coping with the collapse of its economy, two years after the breakup of the Soviet Union: for example, a cheese shop full of cheese that turns out to radioactive, dumped from Chernobyl; or waking up, lighting a kerosene heater, and waiting for water in the teapot to thaw before eventually boiling.

In the background there is war between neighboring Azerbaijan and the Armenian enclave of Karabagh. We get a look behind the scenes. In one chapter, we are told that according to U.S. and French intelligence reports, Turkey was planning an invasion of Armenia. The suggestion is alarming, and certainly worth looking into.

All-in-all, a worthwhile book.

When I first learned of 'The Class Struggle in the Ancient Greek World', a decade ago, I was an undergraduate studying the Greek world for the first time. The idea of such an enormous work of scholarship was intriguing, and, when I ran across the book several years later, I bought it without hesitation. Now, ten years on, I can say with some degree of certainty why this book is so highly regarded, even by those who find it philosophically untennable.

G. E. M. de Ste. Croix has synthesised a remarkable and different view of ancient history, applying Marxist principles of interpretation to everything that is known about the people and events of the ancient world. The result is a staggering volume, not only in terms of the size of the book (more than seven hundred pages), but its content. In the book he sets out to demonstrate that key events in the history of the Greek and Roman worlds were driven by factors which, although perhaps not centrally causal, were at least in part created as a result of a struggle of class against class in the ancient world. Certainly, the book is more richly documented than many works which one reads on similar subjects, and it needs to be, in order to support the ultimate contention that the Roman Empire fell, at least in part, due to the exploitation of the masses, just as the death of Greek (Athenian) democracy in the fourth century weakened the central powers of Greece to such an extent that they could no longer resist Rome. There is quite clearly a Marxist perspective given here, and it makes for fascinating argument.

Whether or not you support the ideological approach to history espoused by G.E.M. de Ste. Croix or not, to dismiss 'The Class Struggle in the Ancient Greek World' as outmoded or passé is to do a great disservice to both scholars and students. I cannot conclude better than Bernard Knox did in his original review of the book when he said, simply: 'The ancient historian who fails to consult this book does so at his peril.' If you read ancient history, or are absorbed by questions of the past, then this book should be a high priority for your library.

In the annals of Marxist historiograph, I believe this book could and should be ranked among the modern classics, that's to say on the same level as, e.g., Isaac Deutscher's Trotsky biography. Sainte-Croix uses and applies Marxist concepts in order to get rid of vulgar quasi-Marxist interpretations and notions about the Ancient world such as "merchant capital", "Roman and/or Greek middle class" and the like. In passing, he has submitted conservative historiography to a throughly critique. By so doing, he has sorted the wheat from the chaff and held the field almost solely for the last twenty-five years. Unfortunately, he has not come to grips which postmodern historiography proposing a non-class, anti-marxist interpretation to Ancient history, such as Paul Veyne's _Bread & Circuses_ (in its way, a work to rival Sainte-Croix's). But then, something had to be left for posterity to do, isn't it?

This is a superb analysis of the too-often ignored class aspect of the nations that dominated the Ancient World. G.E.M. De Ste Croix's compassion for the downtrodden and the oppressed make themselves evident to the reader almost immediately. You are missing out on an awful lot if you willfully ignore one of the great historical masterpieces of the ancient world; particularly of the ancient Greeks.

This book is highly-fascinating and revealing and is bound to even make the most serious students of ancient history pause for a second to consider some of the powerful arguments and findings that are made throughout this brilliant study. Who says history must be boring? Thanks to truly great, unconventional minds like Ste Croix, it does not have to be: This is not a story of rulers and Kings; emperors and armies, but of people and of humanity.

I give this book my highest recommendation.

de Ste Croix has always been controversial and this book is no exception. Using evidence that most scholars would agree on, de Ste Croix gives some new twists to previous, standard interpretations. A good start to anyone wanting to investigate social history either in the ancient world or common themes/trends in human history.