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
“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
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;
Synopsis
The World Literature series reproduces the greatest books the world over with only the highest production standards. History, philosophy, psychology, political theory, fiction, and ancient texts are now accessible to everyone at an extremely affordable price.
Synopsis
Translated by Aubrey de Selincourt with an introduction and Notes by John M. Marincola.
For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators."
Synopsis
Translated by Aubrey de Sélincourt with an introduction and Notes by John M. Marincola.
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.
About the Author
Few facts are known about the life of Herodotus. He was born around 490 BC in Halicarnassus, on the south-west coast of Asia Minor. He seems to have travelled widely throughout the Mediterranean world, including Egypt, Africa, the area around the Black Sea and throughout many Greek city-states, of both the mainland and the islands. A sojourn in Athens is part of the traditional biography, and there he is said to have given public readings of his work and been friends with the playwright Sophocles. He is said also to have taken part in the founding of the colony of Thurii in Italy in 443 BC. He probably died at some time between 415 and 410 BC. His reputation has varied greatly, but for the ancients and many moderns he well deserves the title (first given to him by Cicero) of 'the Father of History'.
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