The Histories (Everyman's Library) (Hardcover)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Since the release of the film version of Michael Ondaatje's The English Patient, there has been renewed interest in the Histories of Herodotus--the book the dying patient treasures so much.

The writings of Herodotus are the ground zero of Western history. He lived during the fifth century B.C.E, and his Histories chronicle the events of the Persian Wars, which were within living memory when he wrote. He was the first writer to examine real, rather than mythical history, and although his work lacks the rigor of later histories, it has a breathtaking scope. Herodotus is a wonderful storyteller, and in recalling the wars with Persian invaders, he ranges across the ancient world, mixing politics with natural history and anthropology. These are traveler's tales, and a great deal of their appeal to a modern audience lies in the way Herodotus describes the cultures that influence his story. The societies of Scythians, Arabs, and Egyptians are depicted in detail, from their political structures to their dining habits. Herodotus created a sense of history for his people, and he gives us a picture of a distant past that reminds us of the vast continuum of civilization.

Product Description

(Book Jacket Status: Jacketed)

Herodotus is not only the father of the art and the science of historical writing but also one of the Western tradition's most compelling storytellers. In tales such as that of Gyges—who murders Candaules, the king of Lydia, and unsurps his throne and his marriage bed, thereby bringing on, generations later, war with the Persians—he laid bare the intricate human entanglements at the core of great historical events. In his love for the stranger, more marvelous facts of the world, he infused his magnificent history with a continuous awareness of the mythic and the wonderful. For more than a hundred generations, his supple, lucid prose has drawn readers into his panoramic vision of the war between the Greek city-states and the great empire to the east. And in the generosity of his spirit, in the instinctive empiricism that took him searching over much of the known world for information, in the care he took with sources and historical evidence, in his freedom from intolerance and prejudice, he virtually defined the rational, humane spirit that is the enduring legacy of Greek civilization.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 816 pages
• Publisher: Everyman's Library; reprint edition (March 25, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375400613
• ISBN-13: 978-0375400612
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #252,498 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Edition, June 11, 2001

By	Michael H. Siegel (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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I was surprised to find the Histories to be so readable and enjoyable. I'm not used to thinking of a history book as a page-turner but the last four chapters of the Histories, which describe the Persian wars, were compelling reading. That's not to slight the first five book, which describe the world of Herodotus' time and the rise of the Persian, Egyptian and Greek Empires in fascinating detail.

Despite the rather formal language of the translation, the Histories are very engaging. Herodotus not only illuminates critical details of historical events but enlivens them with anecdotes and legends, some of this likely apocryphal. Rawlinson's translation is very good and his footnotes, despite their age, are outstanding. The best thing is that they are footnotes, not endnotes, so you won't break your fingers constantly flipping to the back of the book.

One critical missing element, however, is a map. A map of the world in Herodotus's time (such as I found online) would really make a lot of the events clearer.

In the time since I have read Herodotus, I have begun to appreciate how his Histories are the cornerstone of a classical education. The Histories are constantly referenced in western literature in everything from the Divine Comedy to the English Patient to Lawrence of Arabia to Ball Four.

If you're trying to give yourself a good foundation in history and western culture, this is the best place to start.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Father of History, October 29, 2003

By	South Dakota Farmboy "sdfarmboy" (Avon, SD USA) - See all my reviews

Herodotus is called "the father of history" and this book is the reason why. It's the earliest attempt at unbiased history, and that attempt was the catalyst for those historians who followe: Thucydides, Xenophon, etc. Even the common usage of the word "histories"--meaning "inquiries"--is due to Herodotus.

This book is filled with stories of all of the people with whom Herodotus was familiar in the ancient Mediterranean world, and a remarkable number of his stories and his descriptions are still considered to be accurate. Of course, some are off a bit, and some are way off the mark, but understanding how well he did--given the information and the means of communication and transportation that were available to him--leave me in awe.
The stories are colorful and wonderful. I was often amazed at how I'd known of many of them before without realizing that they'd come from Herodotus. Still, there are some major drawbacks to reading Herodotus.

First of all, it helps to have an understanding of the ancient world that Herodotus describes. A good map would have been a helpful appendix, but Google searches and some good historical websites are great aids to understanding all of the peoples and places he describes.

Second, Herodotus' writing is not linear in the way that history is written today. His narrative is multi-leveled and sometimes circular as he describes an area or a group of people, then describes those who came before them or influenced them. If you can keep this in mind, it helps to understand why he describes what seem to be tangential topics.

If you're interested in ancient history or like colorful stories, I HIGHLY recommend reading Herodotus. I wish that I had read him earlier as he would have provided a better basis for understanding the thoughts and writings of others who followed him.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Must read for everyone interested in History or the Classics, September 18, 2000

By	Scott J. Stricker (Cincinnati, OH USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Herodotus is often called the "Father of History", but he did not write like modern historians, and he should not be read like modern historians. Herodotudus is telling a story - the story of the Persian War. His subject is large and his scope is huge: no detail is omitted. He tells not only the history of the Persian Empire, but the histories of the nation conquered by it, including Egypt and the Greek Colonies in Asia. He uses all the information at his disposal, and he sometimes voices his own opinions. One reviewer said he makes things up, but that is not exactly true. Herodotus sometimes gives multiple accounts of the same event rather than choosing one story over the other, and no doubt at other times he synthesizes multiple accounts. On some things, like the source of the Nile and the cause of its flooding, he offers his own theories. I think he is almost always truthful and honest about his sources and upfront about his histories. The book is a mix of history, tales, myth, and geography, but always good story-telling. There are times when the reading is dry, and this is not reading that everyone will enjoy. But if you are interested in ancient history or the classics in general, I think you will enjoy Herodotus.

I have this particular edition, the Everyman's Library hardback. I liked it very much. The translation is very good. The prose was relaxed and fluid, never overbearing or difficult to read. The footnotes were also excellent, explaining ancient versus modern naming for places, giving extra information from other sources, and in general explaining anything that the layman might not know.