Books › The Peloponnesian War
The Peloponnesian War
First published 2003 · 544 pages
A magisterial and lively journey through a dark, destructive ancient conflict whose echoes still resonate today.
What it feels like
Reading this history feels like stepping into a richly detailed, vanished world that is simultaneously distant and strikingly relevant. The narrative moves at a steady, lively pace, guiding the reader through a dark and divisive era of ancient conflict. It carries an authoritative, magisterial tone, yet remains deeply accessible, painting a dramatic portrait of the rise and fall of a great empire. The mood is inherently serious and shadowed by the destructive nature of a vicious war between kin, but the prose remains engaging and readable throughout. It is an experience tailored for general readers who appreciate epic historical chronicles that draw timeless lessons from the ashes of a pivotal, world-altering struggle.
- Mood
- dark
- epic
- shadowed
- dramatic
- Tone
- magisterial
- authoritative
- lively
- serious
- Pace
- steady
- Themes
- rise and fall of empires · timeless lessons of conflict · destructive nature of war · pivotal historical moments
- The writing
- A lively and readable narrative that paints a richly detailed portrait of a vanished world while maintaining a magisterial authority.
- The arc
- Moves from the dramatic onset of a divisive conflict through a dark period of destructive war, culminating in sobering reflections on the fall of a great empire.
- Who it's for
- General readers seeking an authoritative, accessible, and dramatic account of ancient history and military conflict.
Content notes
- military conflict
- warfare
About the book
For three decades in the fifth century b.c. the ancient world was torn apart bya conflict that was as dramatic, divisive, and destructive as the world wars of the twentieth century: The Peloponnesian War. Donald Kagan, one of the worldrsquo;s most respected classical, political, and military historians, here presents a new account of this vicious war of Greek against Greek, Athenian against Spartan. The Peloponnesian War is a magisterial work of history written for general readers, offering a fresh examination of a pivotal moment in Western civilization. With a lively, readable narrative that conveys a richly detailed portrait of a vanished world while honoring its timeless relevance. The Peloponnesian War is a chronicle of the rise and fall of a great empire and of a dark time whose lessons still resonate today. One of the world's foremost historians presents a fresh look at the greatest war of ancient Greece and a pivotal moment in Western civilization that still resonates today.
Description from Open Library.
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