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Title: The Greek Achievement: The Foundation of the Western World by Charles Freeman ISBN: 0-14-029323-X Publisher: Penguin USA (Paper) Pub. Date: 05 September, 2000 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $20.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4 (8 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Readable, Intelligent Stroll Through Greek History
Comment: Charles Freeman in the Greek Achievement (The Foundations of the Western World) will take the reader through 1,500 years of history that is fascinating, entertaining, and enlightening. The information will prove familiar for those who have studied this period but the author throws in opinions at many points to keep his version fresh. This book, though, is perfect for the beginner. It is more than a survey yet not at all bogged down with scholarly detritus. One of the most pleasant discoveries is that this book is not a form of idol worship posing as history (as the subtitle threatens) but a balanced account with examinations of how past historians have looked into the material and how new research changes the interpretations. An easy and satisfying read.
Rating: 4
Summary: A good book for the beginner
Comment: Freemen's The Greek Achievement is a nice survey of the history of the Greek world from the Mycenaean to the Hellenistic periods. Although it concentrates heavily on the Athenian contribution to history, it does not stop with the end of the classical period as if nothing of importance had happened after the end of the Peloponnesian War. From notes by professional reviewers I had understood that Charles Freeman was a British professor, so I found most unusual his use of translations of Greek and Latin texts by other authors, even of quotes of translations quoted by other secondary sources (p. 189). This left me with a feeling that the author's credentials might be a little weak. He definitely offers little that is new with respect to the interpretation of historic events, art, architecture, etc, but he does offer insight into the history of the West's concept of Greek achievement. I had already learned of the painted surfaces and crowded display of statuary that we now see as pristine white marble displayed with great care, individually in our museums world wide. What I hadn't quite understood was the degree to which the character of ancient Greek culture, even of the notion of "Greece" and "Greek," had been filtered through the prism of the 19th Century psyche, particularly those of scholar Robert Wood, art historian Johann Winkelmann, and financier and adventurer Heinrich Schliemann. For anyone wanting to find out about the overall events of the period this is a good place to start. There is an excellent date list with summary of events and artistic examples on pages 445 to 462, which might help the survey student study for exams, and a list of books on various topics (with publication dates from the mid 80's to the mid 90's) with which to follow up on selected subjects. The material is clearly presented and would be fully comprehended by senior high students and even interested junior high students, and would thus make a good addition to a school library.
Rating: 5
Summary: my first insight into greek culture and history
Comment: I'm 16 and before i read this book i had no knowledge of greek civilization other than the History channel. I really enjoyed this book, despite my ignorance of that time period. It was very educational while providiing interesting facts that made it seem less like a text book. It took me quite a while to finish it, but it was definitly worth it.
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Title: Egypt, Greece and Rome: Civilizations of the Ancient Mediterranean by Charles Freeman ISBN: 0198721943 Publisher: Oxford University Press Pub. Date: November, 1999 List Price(USD): $26.50 |
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Title: The World of the Ancient Greeks by John McK Camp, Elizabeth Fisher ISBN: 0500051127 Publisher: Thames & Hudson Pub. Date: December, 2002 List Price(USD): $34.95 |
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Title: The Closing of the Western Mind : The Rise of Faith and the Fall of Reason by Charles Freeman ISBN: 140004085X Publisher: Knopf Pub. Date: 07 October, 2003 List Price(USD): $30.00 |
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Title: Aristotle's Children: How Christians, Muslims, and Jews Rediscovered Ancient Wisdom and Illuminated the Dark Ages by Richard E. Rubenstein ISBN: 0151007209 Publisher: Harcourt Pub. Date: 15 October, 2003 List Price(USD): $27.00 |
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Title: Sailing the Wine-Dark Sea: Why the Greeks Matter by Thomas Cahill ISBN: 0385495536 Publisher: Doubleday Pub. Date: 28 October, 2003 List Price(USD): $27.50 |
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