The Portable Greek Historians: The Essence of Herodotus, Thucydides, Xenophon, Polybius (Viking Portable Library) [Paperback]

M. I. Finley (Editor)

Book Description

Release date: September 29, 1977 | ISBN-10: 014015065X | ISBN-13: 978-0140150650

Essential passages from the works of four "fathers of history"—Herodotus's History, Thucydides' History of the Peloponnesian War, Xenophon's Anabasis, and Polybius's Histories.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

M. I. Finley was a professor of ancient history and master of Darwin College, Cambridge. He died in 1986.

Product Details

• Paperback: 512 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Books (September 29, 1977)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 014015065X
• ISBN-13: 978-0140150650
• Product Dimensions: 5 x 1 x 7.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #505,282 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Wished for More Commentary April 10, 2011

By Edward J. Barton TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

A collection of excerpts from Herodotus, Thucydides, Xenophon and Polybius. The selection takes us from the history of the Pelopenessian war, through the attempted Athenian conquest of Sicily, the Persian civil wars and up to the Roman conquest. The narration and commentary by M.I. Finley is probably a bit too brief for the reader not familiar with the Greeks, and yest is probably not necessary for the true scholar. The translations are easy to digest and written in very approachable English. All in all, the book is 500+ pages of Greek history by four great writers, but the set up and the commentary are too sparse to make it a great read for the non-scholar.

20 of 30 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Leaves you wanting for more March 17, 2001

By "ryanmarthaler"

Format:Paperback

Dont be confused by the relatively low ranking, this book is good. The only trouble is that it only contains fragments of the greatest historians ever. Though this is what the editor set out to do, you will feel cheated by not having the whole story to read. If all you want is a glimpse at what made the ancient historians so special, this is the book for you. However, chances are that you will want the complete story as well, something this collection cant offer.