Greece Books

This is a fascinating and provocative work that gets
at the dark side of the classical world. Rutledge takes
the reader on a journey into the seedy side of Imperial
Rome, one that few classicists are willing to tackle.
Written in a lucid style, Rutledge has placed himself
at the center of the current debate on authority and
imperium. Even at over 400 pages, I could not put
it down. Read it!

One of the most interesting books I have read, either on Plato or more generally. The author really shows how ancient and mdern issues can be brought together and made to illuminate each other. A really splendid read!

In the Blood of the Greeks is quite a good story. It's a love story set during World War 2 about two women who are totally opposite in temperament and on opposite sides. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the shy Eva and the more outgoing Zoe. It's a love story, a history lesson and a story about hope and courage. I believe there is a sequel to this story coming out soon and I plan on buying that one as well!

The story line is excellent, with interesting twists and turns. A real page turner. I highly recommend it, and I am pretty picky about what I recommend.

Actually I'm reviewing 2003, which was delivered to me in March this year.Amazon only lists 2002 and 2004. (The Greekislandhopping WEB site keeps you updated anyway). It's better than ever. As before, it's not a book you need if you're on a cruise that goes to Mykonos, Santorini and Rhodes, although even then you might enjoy reading it for its wit and delightful illustrations. It tells you all about the boats themselves, as well as where they go. I hate to sit inside without a view. I like to buy a first class ticket on one of the big slow car ferries, especially slightly off season, where I can stroll on the sun deck drinking a glass of wine and watching the islands glide past.
This even covers Istanbul, which is where I went this year, more cultural, less hedonistic. The only thing Poffley might have added is that Eminonu is a busy commuter area, crowded with people during peak hours. The regular ferries are also crowded with commuters at times. The Lonely Planet Istanbul explains the deals about Bosphorus cruises (shorter is more expensive but longer is is rather too long).

A marvelous introduction to the world of Occultism and Ancient civilizations and their secret societies. Manley Hall discusses different mysteries such as the Eleusinian and Dionysus, as well as occult leaders of Pythagoras, Paracelsus, Plato, Appolonius of Tyana, Virgil and some relationships in architecture and theater. Well written in Hall's usual wide range of references which add to the whole history of the subject.

This book was one of two used as texts for a Bronze Age art class. This was certainly the better of the two. It is an easy and interesting read!

Devettere does a great job in accurately describing some of the recurrent notions of the ancient Greek Philosophers, including happiness, virtue, and prudence. Each topic is carefully and clearly explained, making some of the more esoteric ethical thoughts simple to understand. This work is great for applying virtue ethics to everything from health care to business.

Niall McKeown (Lecturer in Ancient History, University of Birmingham) presents The Invention of Ancient Slavery?, a sampler of modern theories concerning ancient slavery as circulated among scholars and students today. In the quest to uncover the "reality" of ancient slave life, The Invention of Ancient Slavery? examines surviving evidence (particularly where Roman slavery is concerned) such as ancient drama, legal regulations, poetry, letters, philosophy, inscriptions, and the work of Greek and Roman historians. How should modern historians reconstruct the past from such materials, and what effect does the nature of the evidence have upon their job? To what extent do modern preconceptions affect our understanding of ancient sources? A scholarly, meticulous discussion especially recommended for college libraries and ancient history courses, written to stoke critical thinking of human history.

This is an exceptionally stimulating book. The level of erudition on display -- the sheer range and volume of material that Isaac has subjected to analysis -- is staggering. Though there is some repetition, Isaac's style is clear and his conclusions are forcefully argued. He helpfully prints most of the ancient sources in the original, so that those with even a smattering of Latin and Greek can see how he is reading his evidence.

Three features made the book a success. The first is isaac's effort to articulate a definition of racism to apply to the ancient world. While one may quibble with his definition, it is consistently thought-provoking; for me, this alone was worth the price of admission. The second is Isaac's tracing of "proto-racist" thought developed in antiquity as it was picked up by early modern and enlightenment thinkers. Indeed, one wonders if there is another book to be written spelling out the transmission of these ideas to the modern era. The third is Isaac's treatment of the interplay between proto-racism and ancient imperialism. He provides a fascinating new perspective on imperialism that can usefully be considered alongside such recent (and very different) contributions as Susan Mattern's "Rome and the Enemy" (Berkeley, 1999).

Highly recommended.