Bull of Minos [Hardcover]

Leonard Cottrell (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0884114694 | ISBN-13: 978-0884114697 | Publication Date: June 1976

This title explores the most remote beginnings of the Mediterranean civilizations that became classical Greece, and produces evidence to show that Homer's kings and heroes were almost certainly flesh and bone. It is the story of the great archaeological discoveries in Crete and Greece, made by Heinrich Schliemann and Sir Arthur Evans, who brought to light the burnt-out ruins of Troy, the Palace and treasure-filled tombs of the Mycenaean Kings, and the vast Palace of Sea Kings at Knossos. Chapters include The Treasure of Priam, Golden Mycenae, Island of Legend, and Palace of the Sea Kings.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Leonard Cottrell's passionate interest in archaeology began when he was a boy of twelve and took him on extensive travels. From 1942-1959 he was on the staff of the BBC as war correspondent, documentary writer and drama producer. The first of his famous archaeological books The Lord Pharaohs was published in 1949. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Amereon Ltd (June 1976)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0884114694
• ISBN-13: 978-0884114697
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,964,603 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Masterpiece, June 28, 2005

By 

G. Poirier (Orleans, ON, Canada) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Bull of Minos (Sutton History Classics) (Paperback)

This book is almost impossible to put down. The author discusses ancient Greek history and archaeology through the work of two famous pioneers in this field: Heinrich Schliemann and Sir Arthur Evans. The main sites focused upon are Troy, Mycenae and Knossos; however, many more sites are discussed, both in Crete and mainland Greece. This is obviously a work of love for the author; the passion with which he writes about this subject is spellbinding. Although written in 1953 (revised in, probably, the late 1950s - this isn't clear), the historical facts surrounding the principal personages remain valid; only the interpretations of the findings (and those unearthed since then) have evolved. I heartily recommend this book to anyone with an interest in truly ancient (pre-classical) Greece and in the pioneers who led its discovery and excavation.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great history and archeology, August 13, 2008

By 

A. Panda (Guadalajara, Mexico) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Bull of Minos (Sutton History Classics) (Paperback)

This is a great book by Leonard Cotrell, maybe even better than "Los Egipcios" , which I had to read in primary school and which I loved so much as a kid that I read it three times. The author's name stayed in my mind and when I saw this book I immediately bought it and I'm glad I did.

Leonard Cottrell was a commentator and producer at the BBC, so he travelled across the Mediterranean to get material for his program. This book is about his travel to Greece (Knossos) and Turkey on the footsteps of two archeologists, Heinrich Schliemann and Sir Arthur Evans, who found lost cities during their searches and excavations. The book merges three time periods, the ancient Greek world, the world of the 19th century archeologists and the early 20th century of Cottrell, while the story goes back and forth mainly between the first two.

It explains to some detail the rudimentary archeological methods at the disposal of the before mentioned archeologists and how their passion for finding their dream, as well as the deep faith of Schliemann in the accuracy of Homer's works helped him through his early disappointments in his quest for finding Troy. The findings of these archeologists are taken back in time to explain the history of the buried cities and their inhabitants, their myths and their social life, as well as their relations to other cultures of the Mediterranean like the Egyptians.

The book reads like a novel, but has a lot of historic details, as well as an explanation of how the findings relate to Homer's great works of literature, like for example Homer's description of round warrior shields, which were thought to be coming out of his lucid imagination, but which proved to exist according to some archeological findings. It's a pity that almost all of Cottrell's books are apparently out of print.