Customer Reviews

The Greek Treasure

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
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Approximately 15 years ago I bought this book aout Heinrich Schlieman, and his discovery of the ancient lost city of Troy. He studied Homer, and believed the city did exist. In his late 40's he met a very young Greek girl in Athens. He asked her father for her hand in marriage, and her father agreed.The museum in Athens holds not only the treasures he unearthed at Troy, but he found the mask of Agamemnon, and other treasures (the Lion's Gate) showering Sophia with these treasures. I loaned this book, and never received it back. I have looked for it for years. I cannot believe this wonderful book has not been reprinted and available. It is Irving Stone at his best.

A biographical novel of an improbable husband-wife team who unearth some of the major archaeological discoveries of recent times. The book held my interest throughout. I appreciated how thoroughly Irving Stone researched and described life and times in the 1800's. His portrayal of Henry and Sophia Schliemann was thoroughly entertaining. Anyone who likes a good human story and appreciates archeology would like this book

"and replied: 'Hector, you must be mad to talk to me about a pact. Lions do not come to terms with men, nor does the wolf see eye to eye with the lamb-they are ENEMIES TO THE END. It is the same with you and me. Friendship between us is impossible, and there will be no truce of any kind till one of us has fallen and glutted the stubborn god of battles with his blood. So summon any courage you may have.

THIS is the time to show your spearmanship and daring."-From Homer's Iliad

Henry Schliemann, like Alexander the Great, knew the Iliad by heart, the ancient story of the Trojan War immortalized by Homer. He was convinced he knew he could find the city thus proving its historicity. The Greek academics didn't believe him, he didn't believe them. To find Troy was his dream of a lifetime. He manages to marry a young Greek girl, 20 years or so younger than himself, and soon thereafter, their lifetime of digging begins.

I loved this book. In reading this historical novel of Irving Stone, you'll learn a little about modern (1900) and ancient Greek culture. I remember getting a little bored reading the last half of it, but digs are usually that way most times until you unearth something spectacular. The most interesting point to me was in a note of Stone's at the end, explaining that the treasure of Priam, kept in the Berlin Museum, disappeared somehow when the Russians marched toward Berlin late in WWII. Hmm.

Schliemann's story is fascinating and deserves to be read! Stone weaves this historical novel with great respect and honesty, recounting the brilliance and flaws of this heroic man. This is an excellent book with an in-depth look at Greek culture coinciding with the life of a self-made millionaire and self-educated archeologist & linguist. Schliemann literally changed the way we look at Greek history in the face of almost impossible opposition!

Reviewed by David Lundberg, author of Olympic Wandering: Time Travel Through Greece

Stone was able to put into this book the unusal and unconventional story of Schliemann and his young Greek bride in a way that you cheer them on and you feel their disappointments. It is entertaining as well as inspiring. It also brings up that age old question, "Was there a Troy?" and convinces you there was.

I read this book many, many years ago. It was actually the first Irving Stone book I ever read. I still remember how much I enjoyed reading it, and I can still remember the story. Brilliantly written. You seem to be living among the characters. Irving Stone has the gift to write, all based in real-life facts. Again, a must read for any history-novel lover.

I recommend The Greek Treasure because it illustrates all of Schliemann's flaws, while allowing us to sympathize with him as a human being. It is the only book I've read which tells his side of the story. People tend to forget that he expended enormous amounts of time and money to begin his excavations, only to face governments and armchair academics who schemed to steal the credit, as well as the means for him to recover his expenses. Yes, by today's standards, he was not the ideal archaeologist; but neither were the other archaeologists of his age. And you can bet their envy at the time still haunts us today. His modern critics simply perpetuate their cynicism. But I believe the truth is less harsh. The tools of his age were crude. Hundreds of locals were brought in for manual labor, and often stole what they found. No one had worked at the scale he did before. No one had proved it could be worthwhile. So in the final analysis, I think we must be grateful to him, for his vision, and his audacity. This book shows us both.

The other reviewers covered the subject matter pretty well.
This is an interesting story of one man's true story of an attempt
to unearth the people of the Illiad and the Odyssey. What I think
the author was quietly making clear through the story was the
greek treasure he found was his wife! She supported him in all of
his adventures and made his triumph possible.

Throughly enjoyed the book.Which not only told of the discoverires at Troy and Mycenae but also their lives together and how they meet. A true romantic and charming tale one I will have to read again.

I recommend The Greek Treasure because it illustrates all of Schliemann's flaws, while allowing us to sympathize with him as a human being. It is the only book I've read which tells his side of the story. People tend to forget that he expended enormous amounts of time and money to begin his excavations, only to face governments and armchair academics who schemed to steal the credit, as well as the means for him to recover his expenses. Yes, by today's standards, he was not the ideal archaeologist; but neither were the other archaeologists of his age. And you can bet their envy at the time still haunts us today. His modern critics simply perpetuate their cynicism. But I believe the truth is less harsh. The tools of his age were crude. Hundreds of locals were brought in for manual labor, and often stole what they found. No one had worked at the scale he did before. No one had proved it could be worthwhile. So in the final analysis, I think we must be grateful to him, for his vision, and his audacity. This book shows us both.