The Greek and Persian Wars 499-386 BC (Paperback)

by Philip Souza (Author) "The Persians were part of a group of ancient peoples who spoke languages similar to modern Iranian..." (more)
Key Phrases: Persian Empire, Great King, Hellenic League (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"I am most favorably impressed by the Essential Histories series on the American Civil War. Written by four of the best historians of the military course of the war, these volumes provide a lucid and concise narrative of the campaigns in both the Eastern and Western theaters as well as penetrating analyses of strategies and leadership. Ideal for classroom use or fireside reading."

Product Description
This book covers one of the defining periods of European history. The series of wars between the Classical Greeks and the Persian Empire produced the famous battles of Marathon, Thermopylae and Salamis, as well as an ill-fated attempt to overthrow the Persian king in 400 BC, which helped to inspire the conquests of Alexander the Great.To tell the story of these momentous events, of the lives of great men and women, of the societies and cultures that produced them, and to explain how and why they came into conflict was the aim of Herodotus, 'the Father of History', whose account of the wars is our principal source and the first book to be called a 'history'.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing; illustrated edition edition (January 25, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1841763586
• ISBN-13: 978-1841763583
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 7.1 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #685,558 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent read, April 29, 2007

By	M. Emery "michaeleme" (MO, United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Number 36 in the Osprey "Essential Histories" series, this account of about a hundred years of classical-era warfare is fascinating. I couldn't put the book down till I finished it. The (mostly color) illustrations, including several helpful maps, provide depth and context for the historical account. Some of the war scenes are so vivid, in fact, I felt I was watching them as they happened. The central chapter is "Xerxes' invasion of Greece," which covers the pivotal battle at Thermopylai, the fall of Athens, the sea battle at Salamis, and the decisive defeats of the Persians at Plataia and Mykale (I use the book's spellings). What struck me the most was the arbitrariness of who sided with who in the course of the hundred years recounted. At times Sparta sided with Athens, at times with Persia. De Souza makes clear the unreliability of some of Herodotus's account of these battles. This concise read comes in at less than 100 pages, and is suitable for getting up to speed on this material.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Bare bones, March 4, 2007

By	J. Eno (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Greek and Persian Wars 499-386 BC (Essential Histories) (Hardcover)

This is the first book I've read on the Persian Wars, and while the book does give a relatively continuous narrative of the conflict, it seems to be pretty much a bare bones retelling of Herodotus's history. The additional analysis seems weak, and is often little more than restatements of obvious points. Some of the history is glossed over, while some random and extraneous facts are given, without much reason that I could find. Maps are helpful but often don't have all the geographic landmarks that are mentioned in the text, which limits their usefulness. Numerous grammatical mistakes further eroded my confidence in the rigor of the book. There's got to be much better stuff out there than this.

0 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Iran, March 24, 2006

By	Peyman ADLDOUSTI "For Ever Persian Gulf" (Iran) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book sought to refelct light on Alexandra motivation to invade Persia. This is a good book to read, and as reading this book to listen to a Iranian classical music.