Synopses & Reviews
One of Western historyand#8217;s greatest books springs to life in Tom Hollandand#8217;s vibrant new translation and#160;
Herodotus of Halicarnassusand#151;who was hailed by Cicero as and#147;the father of historyand#8221;and#151;wrote his histories around 440 BC. It is the earliest surviving work of nonfiction and a thrilling narrative account of (among other things) the war between the Persian Empire and the Greek city-states in the fifth century BC.
and#160;
With a wealth of information about ancient geography, ethnography, zoology, comparative anthropology, and much else, The Histories is also filled with bizarre and fanciful stories, which award-winning historian Tom Holland vividly captures in this major new translationand#151;highlighting Herodotusand#8217;s superb storytelling gifts and displaying his delightful curiosity alongside his flair for riveting epic drama. Featuring an introduction and notes by Professor Paul Cartledge, a translatorand#8217;s preface, an index of significant persons and places, maps, and a supplementary index, this translation makes Herodotus irresistible reading once more.
Review
Praise for The Histories:
and#8220;Unquestionably the best English translation of Herodotus to have appeared in the past half-centuryand#8230;I am in awe of Tom Hollandand#8217;s achievement, and have no doubt it will bear rich fruit in bringing Herodotus to public attentionand#8221;
and#8211; Edith Hall, Times Literary Supplement
and#8220;Lively, engaging version of the Historiesand#8230;[an] admirable translationand#8221;
and#8211;The Economist
Praise for In the Shadow of the Sword:
"Written with flamboyant elegance and energetic intensity, Holland delivers a brilliant tour de force of revisionist scholarship and thrilling storytelling with a bloodspattered cast of swashbuckling tyrants, nymphomaniacal empresses and visionary prophets. The book is unputdownable."
and#8212;The Times of London
Praise for Rubicon:
"Tom Holland has produced in one volume the crispest and most compelling account of this momentous period I have ever read."
and#8212;The Seattle Times
Praise for Persian Fire:
"Excellent... Holland is a cool-headed historian who writes no less authoritatively and engagingly on classical Greece than he did on ancient Rome in his last book, Rubicon"
and#8212;Mary Beard, The Sunday Timesand#160;
Review
“De Sélincourts pacy, natural-sounding, rendering, as superbly revised and annotated by John Marincola…was a game-changer…still reads freshly and is a bestseller six decades after its first publication.”
--Edith Hall, Times Literary Supplement
Synopsis
One of Western history s greatest books springs to life in Tom Holland s vibrant new translation
Herodotus of Halicarnassus who was hailed by Cicero as the father of history wrote his histories around 440 BC. It is the earliest surviving work of nonfiction and a thrilling narrative account of (among other things) the war between the Persian Empire and the Greek city-states in the fifth century BC.
With a wealth of information about ancient geography, ethnography, zoology, comparative anthropology, and much else, The Histories is also filled with bizarre and fanciful stories, which award-winning historian Tom Holland vividly captures in this major new translation highlighting Herodotus s superb storytelling gifts and displaying his delightful curiosity alongside his flair for riveting epic drama. Featuring an introduction and notes by Professor Paul Cartledge, a translator s preface, an index of significant persons and places, maps, and a supplementary index, this translation makes Herodotus irresistible reading once more."
Synopsis
Unquestionably the best English translation of Herodotus . . . in the past half-century.” The Times Literary Supplement In Tom Hollands vibrant new translation, one of the great masterpieces of Western history springs to life. Herodotus of Halicarnassushailed by Cicero as the Father of History”composed his histories around 440 bc. The earliest surviving work of nonfiction, The Histories works its way from the Trojan War through an epic account of the war between the Persian empire and the Greek citystates in the fifth century bc, recording landmark events that ensured the development of Western culture and still capture our modern imagination. Beautifully packaged with a comprehensive array of tools to guide first-time readers and experts alike, this accessible translation makes Herodotus fresh and irresistible once more.
Synopsis
Translated by Aubrey de Sélincourt with an introduction and Notes by John M. Marincola.
About the Author
HERODOTUS was born around 480 bc in Halicarnassus, on the southwest coast of Asia Minor. Few facts are known about his life but he remains known through his lifes work,
The Histories.
TOM HOLLAND is the award-winning author of Rubicon, Persian Fire, and most recently In the Shadow of the Sword. He lives in London.
PAUL CARTLEDGE is the author of Sparta and Lakonia and The Greeks. He is A. G. Leventis Professor of Greek Culture at the University of Cambridge.
Table of Contents
The Histories Preface
Introduction
1. Herodotus' Life and Work
2. The Subject-Matter of The Histories
3. Herodotus' sources and Metho Histories
4. Structure and Themes in The Histories
5. Herodotus' Later Reputation
Further Reading
A Note on the Text
Maps
Herodotus The Histories
Book One
Book Two
Book Three
Book Four
Book Five
Book Six
Book Seven
Book Eight
Book Nine
Glossary
Structural Outline
Chronology
Abbreviations
Notes
Index