Product Description
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process.We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Greatest of All Greek Historians
The greatest of all Greek historians was the Athenian general Thucydides (455-400 B.C.E.).Thucydides' classic work, "History Of The Peloponnesian War", provides us with the historical framework for 5th century Greece, a golden age of intellectual achievement and creativity rarely equaled in human history.This history is by far the best account of the bitter war between Athens and Sparta as well as the only surviving contemporary record of the rise of the Athenian empire.Thucydides as a master storyteller does not just cover the battle scenes; he records the great political speeches of Pericles, leader of Athens, and Lysander leader of Sparta with great acumen.He is recognized as the first historian to actually go and get eyewitness accounts, visit battlefieilds and research documents and records.This work took him over 20 years and it shows!

The lessons he teaches about imperial over reaching and unreasonable peace settlements are prescient today as they were during his times.President Woodrow Wilson, read this book on his voyage across the Atlantic to the Versailles Peace Conference and vociferously fought the other Allies in making unreasonable demands of the Germans.Wilson learned the dangers that the world would be placed in by backing the Germans into a corner politically and economically from Thucydides book.

As a graduate student in philosophy and history, I heartily recommend this timeless classic to anyone who is interested in political philosophy, and history.I also recommend you read it with David Cartwright's "A Historical Commentary On Thucydides."

... Read more

Product Description
Designed for students with little or no background in ancient Greek language and culture, this collection of extracts for The History of the Peloponnesian War includes those passages that shed most light on Thucydides' political theory -- famous as well as important but lesser known pieces frequently overlooked by nonspecialists. Newly translated into spare, vigorous English, and situated within a connective narrative framework, Woodruff's selections will be of special interest to instructors in political theory and Greek civilisation. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Excellent Reading for an Undergraduate Ancient Civilization Class
Although, like one of the other reviewers on this page, I too am not fond of abridgments, Paul Woodruff's "Thucydides: On Justice, Power, and Human Nature" is an excellent choice for any class on ancient civilization, political theory, or rhetoric [e.g.], in which a number of other readings must be assigned [e.g., from tragedy, comedy, philosophy, depending on the nature of the course].

In clear concise prose, Mr. Woodruff, whose translation aims to clarify any obscurities in the Greek original, focuses on the Athenian historian's "abstract concepts . . . justice, power, human nature, and fear" [viii]--motifs that proliferate the text. Striving to engage the contemporary student, Mr. Woodruff has captured the essence of Thucydides: the historian's analysis of the situation leading to the war; Thucydides' recreations of Pericles' war- and funeral orations as well as those of other politicians including Cleon; the historian's searing accounts of the plague and the Corcyrean revolt; the Plataean and Mytilenian debates; the fruitless "dialogue" between the Athenians and the Melians; the disastrous Sicilian expedition and its aftermath. Mr. Woodruff also writes a splendid introduction, explicating the major issues; he provides footnotes;a bibliography; a welcome glossary of Greek and historically significant terms; maps; and an index.

Highly recommended!

Greatest of All Greek Historians
The greatest of all Greek historians was the Athenian general Thucydides (455-400 B.C.E.).Thucydides' classic work, "History Of The Peloponnesian War", provides us with the historical framework for 5th century Greece, a golden age of intellectual achievement and creativity rarely equaled in human history.This history is by far the best account of the bitter war between Athens and Sparta as well as the only surviving contemporary record of the rise of the Athenian empire.Thucydides as a master storyteller does not just cover the battle scenes; he records the great political speeches of Pericles, leader of Athens, and Lysander leader of Sparta with great acumen.He is recognized as the first historian to actually go and get eyewitness accounts, visit battlefieilds and research documents and records.This work took him over 20 years and it shows!

The lessons he teaches about imperial over reaching and unreasonable peace settlements are prescient today as they were during his times.President Woodrow Wilson, read this book on his voyage across the Atlantic to the Versailles Peace Conference and vociferously fought the other Allies in making unreasonable demands of the Germans.Wilson learned the dangers that the world would be placed in by backing the Germans into a corner politically and economically from Thucydides book.

I never before recommended reading an abridged work of history; however, Paul Woodruff does the best job of abridging Thucydides that I have ever come across in historical texts.He gives you the basic narrative and makes sure to include all of the important orations and debates from the original work.

As a graduate student in philosophy and history, I heartily recommend this timeless classic to anyone who is interested in political philosophy, and history.I also recommend you read it with David Cartwright's "A Historical Commentary On Thucydides."

Philosophy; Tragic History; and Greek Geopolitics
I agree with the first reviewer: this book is a great condensation of Thucydides' work. The book is editted to retain all of Thucydides' great insights into human nature, power, and politics, but summarized in a way where all of the essential details of the story are left in place.

With its sweeping description of events in various areas of the Greece, and its dramatic portrayal of historic figures: the book works as a great description of the nature of politics, democracy and war, and at the same time an engaging study of leadership, and the men who were perported to be great during these times.

Daniel Clausen
danielclausen.com

A Great Distillation of Thucydides' Genius
I can't think of another abridgment of a classic more after my own heart.I am a passionate believer in reading all of Thucydides, but this book is still the ideal way to get to know what is great about the historian.(And, as our democracy is at war & struggles with imperial entanglements, Thuc. is more relevant than ever.)

Basically, Woodruff has an unerring instinct for where Thucydides (not a mere fact-compiler, but one of antiquity's great thinkers) is at his sizzling & profound best.The introduction is a marvelous piece of criticism and analysis: in merely 24 pp. it acquaints the reader with Thucydides' important ideas.The idea of this book is to give you 185 pp. to read cover-to-cover (if not in a single sitting!--what are you waiting for?--do it, and blow your mind).Woodruff's connecting summaries & brief introductory comments to each excerpt make sure that readers will experience the whole coherently.

My one quibble is that I'd like to have the defeat of the Sicilian Expedition & its aftermath in all its gruesome detail, but this would have almost doubled the size of the book and defeated the purposes I've praised above.For a complete translation, try Lattimore (also pub. by Hackett)--or, if 17th c. English doesn't bother you, Hobbes' translation is a real treat to savor. ... Read more

Product Description
Translated by Benjamin Jowett, this book was written about four hundred years before the birth of Christ. This detailed contemporary account of the struggle between Athens and Sparta stands an excellent chance of fulfilling the author's ambitious claim that the work "was done to last forever." The conflicts between the two empires over shipping, trade, and colonial expansion came to a head in 431 b.c. in Northern Greece, and the entire Greek world was plunged into 27 years of war. Thucydides applied a passion for accuracy and a contempt for myth and romance in compiling this exhaustively factual record of the disastrous conflict that eventually ended the Athenian empire. ... Read more

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J.F. Lazenby raises the fundamental questions of the war - often neglected in the detailed historiography of the period - and discusses its place in the history of warfare. The Peloponnesian Warconcentrates on the fighting that took place on land and sea, and the way in which strategy and tactics developed as the conflict spread.
... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishings Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the worlds literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

Product Description
This is nonfiction commentary. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Chapters: History of the Peloponnesian War, Histories, Book of History, Spring and Autumn Annals, Zuo Zhuan, Guoyu. Source: Wikipedia. Free updates online. Not illustrated. Excerpt: The History of the Peloponnesian War is an account of the Peloponnesian War in Ancient Greece, fought between the Peloponnesian League (led by Sparta) and the Delian League (led by Athens). It was written by Thucydides, an Athenian general who served in the war. It is widely considered a classic and regarded as one of the earliest scholarly works of history. The History was divided into eight books by editors of later antiquity. Analyses of the History generally fall into one of two camps. On the one hand are those who view the work as an objective and scientific piece of history. The judgement of J. B. Bury reflects this traditional interpretation of the work: " severe in its detachment, written from a purely intellectual point of view, unencumbered with platitudes and moral judgements, cold and critical." A more recent interpretation, associated with reader-response criticism, argues that the History is better understood as a piece of literature than an objective record of the past. This view is embodied in the words of W. R. Connor, who describes Thucydides as "an artist who responds to, selects and skillfully arranges his material, and develops its symbolic and emotional potential." The former outlook views Thucydides as pathbreaking, modern, and philosophical, ahead of his time; the latter views the historian as closely connected with his historical and cultural context. Both interpretations are accepted by scholars, sometimes by the same scholar, and seem to capture the contradictory impulses and tensions within the History. Thucydides' History made a number of contributions...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=382350 ... Read more

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Thucydides was a Greek historian and author of the History of the Peloponnesian War, which recounts the 5th century BC war between Sparta and Athens to the year 411 BC. ... Read more

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Brand new! LEATHER BOUND book accented in 22kt gold! ... Read more

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A detailed military history of one of the most momentous episodes in ancient history. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Joy of the rarefied kind for the military historian and serious reader
Lazenby's study of the Peloponnesian war is well worth the price.Tons of grist for the mill of any serious scholar; professional in the military sense as well as the academic sense; insightful.The book provides a fresh view of ground I had previously thought well-traveled.Analysis worthy of any published on current military battles.Buy it; put it in your arsenal.Use it when you're researching or just read it for fun. ... Read more

Product Description
Contents Include: Book I: The State of Greece from the Earliest Times to the Commencement of the Peloponnesian War - Causes of the War - Congress of the Peloponnesian Confederacy at Lacedaemon - From the End of the Persian to the beginning of the Peloponnesian War - Second Congress at Lacedaemon - Beginning of the Peloponnesian War - Second Year of War - Third Year of War - Fourth and Fifth Years of War - Fifth Year of the War - Sixth Year of the War - Seventh Year of the War - Seventh and Eighth Years of the War - Eighth and Ninth Years of the War - Invasion of Boeotia - Tenth Year of the War - Feeling Against Sparta in Peloponnese - Sixteenth Year of the War - Seventeenth and Eighteenth Years of the War - Inaction of the Athenian Army - Eighteenth and Nineteenth Years of the War - Battles in the Great Harbour - Twentieth and Twenty First Years of the War - Withdrawal of the Persian Subsidies - Battle of Cynossema ... Read more

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The book may have numerous typos or missing text. It is not illustrated or indexed. However, purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original rare book from the publisher's website. You can also preview the book there.Purchasers are also entitled to a trial membership in the publisher's book club where they can select from more than a million books for free.Original Publisher: Printed by John Watts Publication date: 1753Subjects: Greece ... Read more

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Thucydides's classic chronicle of the war between Athens and Sparta from 431 to 404 B.C. persists as one of the most brilliant histories of all time. This watershed event concerns not only military prowess, but also perennial conflicts between might and right, between imperial powers and subject peoples. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Impressive history - especially for its antiquity
I read Suetonius' "Twelve Caesars" before reading the "History of the Peloponnesian War" and was amazed at the contrast between the styles of the two writers.Thucydides lived more than 5 centuries earlier than Suetonius and his history is much more like a modern history.Suetonius would use rumors and discuss all of the omens that lead to certain events, which he really seemed to believe.Thucydides stuck to the facts and if soldiers believed something to be an omen, he would state it that way; he didn't seem to be superstitious like Suetonius was.

The Peloponnesian War was a very long war lasting more than 20 years.The author covers most of the arguments made by the various parties for or against war during public debate.The actions and intrigues were described very well.Treaties were described and it was clear that Thucydides used original documents in putting together his history.The fact that he was a participant (an Athenian general) in the war meant that he was probably personally acquainted with many of the main players in the war, but this did not seem to bias him one way or the other.

Many lessons can be learned from this book about war, diplomacy, government and leadership.It's easy to see why this book is considered a classic.

The translation was modern and easy to understand and the reader was effective.I do wish I had a map and list of characters with me while listening.This is probably a better book to read than to listen to since there were many times I lost track of who was on which side.It would have been nice to flip back a few pages to reorient myself.I recommend this audio book, but would suggest a hard copy as a companion also.

Greatest of All Greek Historians
The greatest of all Greek historians was the Athenian general Thucydides (455-400 B.C.E.).Thucydides' classic work, "History Of The Peloponnesian War", provides us with the historical framework for 5th century Greece, a golden age of intellectual achievement and creativity rarely equaled in human history.This history is by far the best account of the bitter war between Athens and Sparta as well as the only surviving contemporary record of the rise of the Athenian empire.Thucydides as a master storyteller does not just cover the battle scenes; he records the great political speeches of Pericles, leader of Athens, and Lysander leader of Sparta with great acumen.He is recognized as the first historian to actually go and get eyewitness accounts, visit battlefieilds and research documents and records.This work took him over 20 years and it shows!

The lessons he teaches about imperial over reaching and unreasonable peace settlements are prescient today as they were during his times.President Woodrow Wilson, read this book on his voyage across the Atlantic to the Versailles Peace Conference and vociferously fought the other Allies in making unreasonable demands of the Germans.Wilson learned the dangers that the world would be placed in by backing the Germans into a corner politically and economically from Thucydides book.

As a graduate student in philosophy and history, I heartily recommend this timeless classic to anyone who is interested in political philosophy, and history.I also recommend you read it with David Cartwright's "A Historical Commentary On Thucydides."

... Read more