Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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32 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic..........., July 5, 2001
The Greco-Persian Wars reads like a novel, but presents its' thesis in a most thorough, analytical manner. Green is, perhaps, the most easily read scholar on ancient Greece which is evident in this effort as well as his "Alexander of Macedon". The Greco-Persian Wars masterfully recounts Xerxes' march through Greece, the heroic battle of Thermopylae, the miraculous Greek naval victory at Salamis, and the subsequent withdrawal of Persian forces. Interwoven among this narrative is excellent insight into the political machinations present among the vying city-states of Greece. Green resurrects Themistocles, in all his martial splendor, from the elitist dismissals of Herodotus, to show that Themistocles' naval genius and personal courage saved the day despite the intense and ongoing city-state rivalries and a monied and powerful Athenian majority which preferred a Marathon-like ground engagement. The Greco-Persian Wars, despite its' generic title, is an outstanding tale of heroism, bravery, and perserverence that deserves the attention of any history connoisseur. Read this book. It is outstanding!
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23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Superb Analysis of the Greco-Persian Wars, May 23, 2004
It was mid-August in 490 BC in a place called Marathon. The Athenians had just registered a stunning victory over the invading Persian troops. Athens did it largely by themselves without Spartan help. As they celebrated their victory an Athenian general, Themistocles, may have been the only Athenian to realize the Persians would be back and the next time Athens would need help.Peter Green does a superb job in assimilating the well-documented wars between Greece and Persia early in the Fifth Century BC. Relying on the ancient writings of Herodotus, Xenophon, Plutarch and others, Green analyzes every situation during this period. We know not just names, places and dates but how strategy unfolded and a careful analysis that the leaders had to evaluate. War became like a chess game of position, analysis of the strengths and weakness of all positions, and a bit of guile. The stakes were high. Persia had the mightiest empire ever created. Greece wasn't even a nation, but a collection of city-states, often at war with each other. The Persian threat would force Greeks to come together as a nation. Could they do it? Green takes us through the trials and travails of this effort. Many Greek city-states collaborated with the Persians. In fact, the whole of northern and central Greece did. In many cases ousted leaders sought Persian help to get back to power; they may have been at war with other city-states; or they may simply have chosen earth and water to death and destruction. The Athenians and Spartans would have to overcome their differences to get rid of the Persian menace from Greece. At times they would work together but generally as soon as the immediate threat was over they would go their separate ways again. When the city-states could come together they became a formidable force for the Persians to deal with. They were better armed and superior in close-in battles. The Persians had the superior cavalry and had numerical superiority. Whichever side could exploit its strengths the best would win. The book isn't without its faults, however. I thought there was a little too much second guessing of Herodotus and there was way too much use of foreign expressions, which became quite annoying. But these criticisms are minor. The book is a superb re-enactment of these classic wars that helped shape Western civilization.
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17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent "popular" history with solid historical research., September 16, 1998
By A Customer
When reading some historians of ancient Greece and Rome, you get the sense that they are impatient with those fool ancient writers. Peter Green, in this eminently entertaining and solidly-researched history of the campaigns of Marathon, Salamis, and Plataea, treats Herodotus, Plutarch, Thucydides and the rest as equals, giving them respect where merited and skepticism where necessary. Green, for some years a resident of Greece, is not afraid to use more current history (political and military) to cast light upon events and motivations of the past. Where he has a good theory, he says so; where he just doesn't know, he also says so. One aspect of academic writing endemic to ancient history is the criticism of other authors. Green, thankfully, puts most of his in the notes. In doing so, he keeps the story of the wars moving along, allowing the reader to appreciate the effect of local politics on the course of both Greek and Persian strategy. Unhesitantingly recommended to anyone with an interest in ancient Greek or military history, and to students of national strategy.
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