Yes, it's good to be back, even at a slower rate than in the old days...
As far as Heckel goes, I think all historians are influenced by their own life and times, so their personal views creep in. But then again, pure history with no opinions can be a rather dry business.
If you do find the time, I've found the Osprey books make easy reading - it took me a long time to get into reading non-fiction in general (I remember taking at least a year to read an Antonia Fraser book!) but I've got better with practise! But compared to other histories, the Osprey ones are quick and readable.
I chose the first two because I really want to read Thucydides and Xenophon and I've been afraid I'd never understand what was going on! I tried reading Plutarch's lives (I've read Alexander, but none of the others) and found myself totally confused because I didn't know half the people he was writing about! So these books do make a very good introduction, and there are some nice anecdotes about "ordinary" people which make them fun.
Oh - and I totally agree with you about shades of grey. It's much easier to see things as black and white when you look back on them. Even now, with an inquiry being launched into Iraq over here (UK) much will come out, I'm sure, that too few people knew at the time. (The Greek and Persian Wars book was particularly good on this - it showed how far from just being straightforward enemies, the Greeks and Persians were highly entangled, with many Greeks running to Persia for sanctuary or finance, and, of course, some Persians - like Barsine and Memnon! - running to Macedonia.)
Yes, sadly, history DOES repeat itself so often... just look at Afghanistan. Even in this century, the Soviet Union, and now the West, are having about as much success there as Alexander did... and there's no princess to marry this time!
Yes, it's good to be back, even at a slower rate than in the old days...
As far as Heckel goes, I think all historians are influenced by their own life and times, so their personal views creep in. But then again, pure history with no opinions can be a rather dry business.
If you do find the time, I've found the Osprey books make easy reading - it took me a long time to get into reading non-fiction in general (I remember taking at least a year to read an Antonia Fraser book!) but I've got better with practise! But compared to other histories, the Osprey ones are quick and readable.
I chose the first two because I really want to read Thucydides and Xenophon and I've been afraid I'd never understand what was going on! I tried reading Plutarch's lives (I've read Alexander, but none of the others) and found myself totally confused because I didn't know half the people he was writing about! So these books do make a very good introduction, and there are some nice anecdotes about "ordinary" people which make them fun.
Oh - and I totally agree with you about shades of grey. It's much easier to see things as black and white when you look back on them. Even now, with an inquiry being launched into Iraq over here (UK) much will come out, I'm sure, that too few people knew at the time. (The Greek and Persian Wars book was particularly good on this - it showed how far from just being straightforward enemies, the Greeks and Persians were highly entangled, with many Greeks running to Persia for sanctuary or finance, and, of course, some Persians - like Barsine and Memnon! - running to Macedonia.)
Yes, sadly, history DOES repeat itself so often... just look at Afghanistan. Even in this century, the Soviet Union, and now the West, are having about as much success there as Alexander did... and there's no princess to marry this time!
Thanks for such an interesting response!
Reply
Leave a comment