Customer Reviews

The March of the Ten Thousand (The March Upcountry, The Anabasis, The Persian Expedition)

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This is a gripping tale of an army of men trapped deep in enemy territory 1,500 miles from home - alone, leaderless and outnumbered - and their ability to regroup and safely retreat against all odds. Google around the web for a few good maps to help you follow the march.

I especially enjoyed the several magnificent speeches Xenophon gives to rally the troops or to defend himself against accusers. One of his best quotes: "a prince's finest possessions are justice and generosity."

This very human study shows human behavior does not change. It's easier (or clearer) to deal with enemies than friends, as friends come in many guises. Interesting for insight into political machinations of the ancient world. But one could substitute more familiar terms such as "senate" or "mayor" and recognize the same types of people and patterns of behavior.

Good reader, good pacing.

This is a story of a large group of Greek mercenaries that went to Persia to fight with Cyrus, a dynamic and popular son of the king of Persia, who was fighting to take over his father's kingdom. After some initial success, Cyrus was killed and the Greeks found themselves in the middle of Persia surrounded by hostile forces. To make it even more interesting, the leaders of the Greeks were betrayed and murdered and left the band without any leadership. Xenophon, the author, ends up taking command and taking this large force home. They had to fight their way through the Persian army, and then through several barbarian tribes along the way. They had to deal with starvation, winter weather, and all kinds of problems.

I found the account to be very interesting throughout. I wondered how they would get out of each situation. The different groups they met along the way were fascinating. I found the ancient Armenian customs intriguing. It was interesting to see the morality of the times. They were good men, but did things that would not be considered acceptable today.

The reader was very good and made listening to the book enjoyable. I highly recommend the audio book to anyone interested in ancient history or in different cultures.