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puntifexmaximus's review against another edition
I've read sections in English and Greek over the years. It's some of the hardest Greek out there.
muhly22's review against another edition
4.0
Thucydides says early in his book that he intended to write a "possession for all time." Two words: Mission Accomplished.
One of the real treats is to read Herodotus prior to reading this book. Thucydides represents a radical break with the Greek (and Western) historical tradition that preceded him, and that's clear from a comparison of the two writers.
One of the downsides to the book is the way it suddenly drops off with about 7 years left to go in the war. You don't get to see the conclusion and eventual Spartan victory. But what he does give you is ridiculously detailed, and even in translation reads like a modern writer wrote it.
One of the real treats is to read Herodotus prior to reading this book. Thucydides represents a radical break with the Greek (and Western) historical tradition that preceded him, and that's clear from a comparison of the two writers.
One of the downsides to the book is the way it suddenly drops off with about 7 years left to go in the war. You don't get to see the conclusion and eventual Spartan victory. But what he does give you is ridiculously detailed, and even in translation reads like a modern writer wrote it.
judyward's review against another edition
4.0
This history of the Peloponnesian War between the Greek city-states of Athens and Sparta is a grim reminder that not much has changed in political decision making from the ancient world to the news of today.
richardpapensympathiser's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
informative
slow-paced
4.0
toystory242's review against another edition
2.0
*Probably 1.5 lollllll*
So I read this for class and probably comprehended half of it. There are just 50000 things going on all at once and it's so DAMN boring and dear GOD I don't even know how I made it through this. This is 600 pages of my life I'm never getting back.........and now I get to write an essay about it.......
So I read this for class and probably comprehended half of it. There are just 50000 things going on all at once and it's so DAMN boring and dear GOD I don't even know how I made it through this. This is 600 pages of my life I'm never getting back.........and now I get to write an essay about it.......
nate_b's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.75
No spoilers! You'll have to read the book yourself to find out who wins. This book taught me an enormous amount about ancient Greek warfare techniques and the depth of pride and what seems almost like sibling rivalry which was felt among the various city-states. Absolutely fascinating. I recommend the audiobook very highly. I could never have sat through this entire book on paper! But I'm so glad to have read this. It's a classic for a reason!
I could not believe how prescient some passages were, such as early on when he describes the way men twisted words to mean different things than they used to so as to justify the leadup to war. Completely fascinating. The prose is phenomenally clear. There are only a few passages where I struggled (main shortcoming of the audio format) with understanding who was speaking or whose activities were being described when the author swapped back and forth between the various players in the story.
I could not believe how prescient some passages were, such as early on when he describes the way men twisted words to mean different things than they used to so as to justify the leadup to war. Completely fascinating. The prose is phenomenally clear. There are only a few passages where I struggled (main shortcoming of the audio format) with understanding who was speaking or whose activities were being described when the author swapped back and forth between the various players in the story.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, Genocide, Hate crime, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Xenophobia, Trafficking, Grief, Suicide attempt, Colonisation, War, Classism, and Deportation