These are some non-fiction books that I have found particularly useful and informative. I only recommend books that I myself have read. By the way, if you are interested enough to consider buying one of these books, you could help me out by shopping through the link provided with each book description. The link will take you to your regional Amazon site and Amazon will throw a buck or two my way if you decide to buy. In gratitude for your generosity, I will offer a sacrifice in your name to the Greek gods when I buy a cup of coffee .
The Landmark Ancient Histories
Don’t have these books yet? What are you waiting for, BY ZEUS! These are an absolute must for anyone with a serious interest in Classical Greece. Most books have one or two maps at the beginning that you have to keep flipping back to, but these have relevant maps every few pages so that you can follow along. Similarly, detailed footnotes explain unfamiliar terms, names, or concepts every time they are mentioned instead of just once. Every section has a summary in the margin about what is happening. There are dozens of useful appendices and essays. Don’t torture yourself by slogging your way through that Penguin translation. Do yourself a favour and get the Landmark Ancient Histories. Awesome. (SHOP: The Landmark Herodotus, The Landmark Thucydides, The Landmark Xenophon’s Hellenika, NEW!! The Landmark Anabasis!!)
The Peloponnesian War by Donald Kagan
If slogging through Thucydides seems a bit intimidating, you might consider this account of the Peloponnesian War by Donald Kagan. Published for the interested layman, this well-written account has the added bonus of a historian’s perspective and analysis as the story progresses. Professor Kagan is considered one of the foremost experts on the war. If you are more familiar with Greek history and want to delve deeper, consider reading Professor Kagan’s famous 4-volume work (The Outbreak of the Peloponnesian War, The Archidamian War, The Peace of Nicias and the Sicilian Expedition, and The Fall of the Athenian Empire.) Even though these are academic works, they are still very readable with clear, well-reasoned arguments and a minimum of jargon. (SHOP: The Peloponnesian War)
Plato at the Googleplex by Rebecca Goldstein
Plato at the Googleplex: Why Philosophy Won’t Go Away is a fascinating book. The book imagines Plato brought to the 20th century as a visitor to the Googleplex. The chapters alternate between examining the life and times of Plato and applying Plato’s arguments to modern problems and ideas through, of course, Socratic dialogues with various employees at Google. Goldstein’s Plato is a sympathetic character and the dialogues examine modern society through a critical lens. You might not agree with everything Plato says, but he’ll make you think, and isn’t that the point after all? (SHOP: Plato at the Googleplex)
Delphi by Michael Scott
If you go to Greece, you visit Delphi. That is the law of tourism. If you have been to Delphi and would like know more about the 1000-year history of the site, then Delphi (A History of the Centre of the Ancient World) is the book for you. Michael Scott is a classics professor in the UK and has hosted many documentaries on Ancient Greece and more. This books was a valuable source of information when I was writing God of Sparta. (SHOP: Delphi)
Thebes by Paul Cartledge
The history of Ancient Greece as we know it is largely history seen through the lens of Athens. Thebes, along with Sparta, vied with Athens in importance and influence but is largely a mystery. Renowned professor Paul Cartledge recently published the long overdue Thebes: The Forgotten City of Ancient Greece, collecting the sundry bits of information in one readable volume. This has been an invaluable reference while I have been writing Demon of Athens III, Shadow of Thebes. (SHOP: Thebes)
The Amazons by Adrienne Mayor
This is a very accessible book about, as the title suggests, the Amazons. The legends are covered in detail, but even more it is a book about the Scythians, Thracians, and other peoples that bordered the northern Greek world (the Greeks weren’t always sure who was who.) I picked it up for my own research not knowing what to expect (and looking for nuggets for my books, of which there were plenty!) but ended up reading just for the pleasure of it and forgetting my research altogether! (SHOP: The Amazons)
