pickLots of good stuff in here but it can be repetitive and it does beat you over the head a bit with statistics and lists of names of people and places. And, oh dear, the misprints. When the maps at the beginning of the book are paired with the wrong captions you know you're in trouble. But I'm still glad I read it because when it decides to be interesting and informative it really is.
pickI expected to enjoy this, and I wasn't disappointed ?
I do, however, have to disagree with the Times reviewer's adjective "jolly". Haynes does inject her subject with humour, but as that subject covers infanticide, rape, murder, torture, slavery, execution and war, even at a great historical distance, jolly it isn't!
She also cautions against judging the ancients by modern ethical and moral standards, while drawing out lessons to be learnt. 4⭐
pickAfter 1177 BC, by Eric Cline (2024)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Premise: An exploration of the latest evidence on the recovery of the Aegean, Eastern Mediterranean, and Mespotamian worlds in the aftermath of the Late Bronze Age Collapse.
Review: I am a big fan of Cline‘s book 1177 BC, which documented the disappearance within a single generation of a centuries-old network of civilizations. ⬇️
pickThis graphic novel adaptation to Eric Cline‘s book on the collapse of eastern Mediterranean civilizations in the late Bronze Age was quite well done. Traditionally, blame is cast on the Sea Peoples referenced in Egyptian monuments, but archaeological and textual evidence points to a complex picture as to the who, when, why and the scope of the impacts on a local and international scale. The art and storytelling bring history alive in a fun way.
so-soThis was my book club‘s May pick (though we did discuss it 6/1!). Over the years, not too many #nonfiction books have won the vote, but this delve into Mithradates‘ life was certainly an interesting one! After seeing the physical copy, I wish I had read it instead— while an interesting listen, the audio version doesn‘t include the images or the extensive endnotes. Also, the author‘s obvious admiration for her subject was a bit eye-roll inducing!
pickDefinitely enjoyed this book. The author did a good job with examining the history, politics, and culture of ancient Athens. The book also examines Sparta to a lesser degree, as well as the relation between Athens and other city-states. Overall, it can serve as a good starting point for anyone interested in learning about Athens.
pickApparently reading for four hours in total on Thursday wasn't enough for me, despite being 4x as much as I usually manage, so I read for another hour before bed to finish this. I liked it a lot, though as ever I'd have liked it more with numbered citations and I wish the nature of evidence for his assertions had been discussed, e.g. *why* does he assert that "Chickpea" and Cleopatra IV were a love match? On what evidence?!
"Another innovation of Cleisthenes was ostracism. The ecclesia voted once a year, if there was demand, on the exile for ten years of a leading politician. Citizens could propose anyone they wished. There was no question of punishment for criminality, rather a desire, in Plutarch's phrase, to 'humble and cut back oppressive prestige and power.'"
-Anthony Everitt, "The Rise of Athens"
