Virtual Macedonia Bookstore - Thermopylae: The Battle That Changed the World (Vintage)

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Binding: Paperback Dewey Decimal Number: 938.03 EAN: 9781400079186 ISBN: 1400079187 Label: Vintage Manufacturer: Vintage Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 352 Publication Date: 2007-11-06 Publisher: Vintage Release Date: 2007-11-06 Studio: Vintage
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Spotlight customer reviews: Customer Rating: Summary: Winning by losing? possibly: Thermopylae and the 300 Comment: This is a very readable but professionally researched explanation of the incident at Thermopylae, the Lacedaemonians [the people themselves,Sparta, the place they are from] and its significance to Western Civilization [which Ghandi thought would be a good idea]. Mr Cartledge is very readable, the most striking thing about writing such a complex topic. A passing familiarity with ancient Greek history helps but he supplies reasonable maps [though of course, never quite enough] and branches into those aspects of history and culture which make this incident so significant to the Western mind. He does not answer my question of whether Thermopylae was a victory for "western" civ, I find myself doubting that. But read it, he may convince you. --A healthy balance to Victor Hanson's excellent efforts. pete saussy Customer Rating: Summary: ` .. was a turning point in the history of Classical Greece..' Comment: This is less a book about the battle of Thermopylae itself than it is about the context for and consequences of the battle as assessed by Professor Cartledge. The battle between the might of the Persian empire and Leonidas and his 300 Spartans is both heroic and legendary. But is it a battle that changed the world? Professor Cartledge makes a case that `The Battle of Thermopylae, in short, was a turning-point not only in the history of Classical Greece, but in all the world's history, eastern as well as western.' This can be quite a compelling argument, especially for those of us who see ancient Greece as the source of many of our current cultural and political values. But I think it misleading to see the battle itself as a simple battle between good (freedom) and evil (slavery). While such emotive comparisons are further enabled by making mention of the events of September 11 2001 and 7 July 2005, a more careful reading of Professor Cartledge's writing is required to understand the context for his reasoning. In the 5th century BC, the Persian empire was huge. It encompassed parts of India and what is now Pakistan in the east, included Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran, the Levant and Egypt and parts of Macedonia. The Greeks, by interfering in Persian affairs, draw attention to themselves and thus begins a series of what Herodotus styled as the `beginnings of the misfortunes for both Greeks and Persians'. The outline of the Battle of Thermopylae is relatively well known and can be simply summarised: for two days the 300 Spartans held off the might of Persia. On the third day, the Spartans were betrayed, outflanked and destroyed. To understand this battle, it is important to understand the structure of Spartan society and its seemingly paradoxical cultural values. The real value of Professor Cartledge's book, to me, was the history of events leading to Thermopylae and the discussion of Spartan society. I'll leave it to the scholars to debate the extent to which this battle changed the world: I enjoyed the discussion but am not yet convinced by the conclusions. Jennifer Cameron-Smith Customer Rating: Summary: Very Little Coverage of the Battle. Comment: The book spends more time covering the general atmosphere of the 490-480's than covering the battle itself. Very little attention is given to the actual fight. The book is mainly about the legend Thermopylae created for the Spartans. Customer Rating: Summary: SAVE YOUR MONEY Comment: I always look forward to any new perspective on ancient battles, Thermopylae in particular. Cartledge's book is a total waste of time. He spends an inordinate amount of time on the social aspects of Sparta and Persia but only a few pages on the battle itself. Not only does the battle seem to be an afterthought to Cartledge, but he seems little interested in the strategy or tactics involved. This is NOT a book of military history for sure and should not be advertised as such. Due to the subject nature of this book the author also feels obligated to take shots at George W. Bush's post 9/11 policies. This is totally out of place for book of this type. The intellectual approach to military history leaves something to be desired for sure. Read Bradford's book instead. Customer Rating: Summary: Full of details--like a textbook Comment: Reviewed by Steven King, MBA Daily, Americans are bombarded by reminders of the human life that is spent when two countries cannot tolerate one another. Unfortunately, the ravages of war are impassioned topics of many people - all across the lifespan. To understand the warrior mindset, one must dial the clock back to perhaps the greatest battle of all time: The Battle of Themopylae. This infamous turning point in history shows the resolve that a few hundred brave Greeks employed to make a valiant last stand against Persia. If nothing else, this battle paints an amazing portrait of true courage and valor in the face of tragic odds. Paul Cartledge, a professor of Greek History at the University of Cambridge, weaves an interesting story about this battle in this book. This compelling read paints in vivid detail the training that these brave Greeks underwent to become battle ready. One interesting fact is that ancient Greek males actually trained fully nude. I had no idea that the word gymnasium actually derives from the Greek word gumnos, which means "stark-naked." It is refreshing that this etymological derivation is not the common practice of gym attendees here in the West. Perhaps his professorial influence, and the 18 books he has published previously, overshadows the text too much. The readability is satisfactory - yet, it's easy to become bogged down in the details. Extreme history buffs will be well satiated by Cartledge's thorough examination of this battle. It seems his intent is to leave no stone unturned as he examines the minutiae of the battle with painstaking detail. This should not come as a surprise when one understands that Professor Cartledge completed his doctoral thesis in Spartan archeology. This work felt as if I were unabashedly leafing through a textbook. The ample bibliography, thorough appendices, and photographs would have been welcomed in any of my world history coursework. Perhaps this book will ultimately bless those with a penchant for such non-fiction. It would be discourteous to try and read this book in a few sittings - rather; one should absorb its tenets as if preparing to write an academic paper on the subject. Armchair Interview says: A scholarly look at an ancient battle.
Editorial Reviews: In 480 B.C., the mighty Persian king Xerxes led a massive force to the narrow mountain pass called Thermopylae, anticipating no significant resistance in his bid to conquer Greece. But the Greeks, led by Leonidas and a small army of Spartan warriors, took the battle to the Persians and nearly halted their advance.   Paul Cartledge's riveting, authoritative account of King Leonidas and the legendary 300 illuminates this valiant endeavor that changed the way future generations would think about combat, courage, and death.