Kitto’s Classic Introduction Ancient Greece Daily Life War Cities Myth Religion

Description

The Greeks by H.D.F. Kitto.
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DESCRIPTION:
Softcover: 256 pages. Publisher: Penguin Books; (1991).
The Greeks were extraordinary not least because they evolved 'a totally new conception of what human life was for'. Justifying and elaborating on that claim, H.D.F. Kitto explores the life, culture and history of classical Greece, bringing to his subject the passion, wit and insight that have made this brief introduction a world-famous classic.
CONDITION: New oversized softcover. Unblemished except VERY slight edge and corner shelf wear to the covers. Pages are pristine; clean, crisp, unmarked, unmutilated, tightly bound, unambiguously unread. Condition is entirely consistent with new stock from a bookstore environment wherein new books might show minor signs of shelfwear, consequence of simply being shelved and re-shelved. Satisfaction unconditionally guaranteed. In stock, ready to ship. No disappointments, no excuses. PROMPT SHIPPING! HEAVILY PADDED, DAMAGE-FREE PACKAGING!
PLEASE SEE IMAGES BELOW FOR SAMPLE PAGES FROM INSIDE OF BOOK.
PLEASE SEE PUBLISHER, PROFESSIONAL, AND READER REVIEWS BELOW.
PUBLISHER REVIEW
:
REVIEW: Contents: 1) Introduction. 2) The Formation of the Greek People. 3) The Country. 4) Homer. 5) The Polis. 6) Classical Greece: The Early Period. 7) Classical Greece: The Fifth Century. 8) The Greeks at War. 9) The Decline of the Polis. 10) The Greek Mind. 11) Myth and Religion. 12) Life and Character.
PROFESSIONAL REVIEWS
:
REVIEW: All of Professor Kitto’s books were informed by an intellectual integrity, wit and a vigorous prose style. But he will be particularly remembered for “The Greeks”. His remarkable introduction to Classical Greece, a volume which has had and continues to have a persuasive influence on students approaching Classical Greek studies for the first time.
REVIEW: This is a study of the character and the history of an ancient civilization, and the people who created it. Since its first Pelican publication, “The Greeks” has sold of 1.4 million copies. It is a triumph of balance and condensation.
REVIEW: The best introduction I have ever read to Ancient Greece. The author’s liveliness of mind and style has enabled him to make a mass of information appetizing and digestible.
REVIEW: Professor Kitto is a model historian; lively, accurate, and fully acquainted with the latest developments in the subject. He’s never vague, often witty, and always full of vigor.
READER REVIEWS
:
REVIEW: It's half a century old and written by someone my copy describes as a “late Victorian”. However H.D.F. Kitto's “The Greeks” is an engagingly thought-provoking and insightful history of classical Greek civilization. Kitto writes in a style that is much more enjoyable and entertaining than many of his contemporaries, presenting a host of theories on the Greek state of mind and world view that go a long way to explaining Greek society and actions. Particularly informative is the author's exploration of the “polis” concept, explaining comprehensively the city-state system and analyzing its part in the eventual downfall of Greek civilization (how far the essentially fragmentary nature of the polis system prevented the Greek culture from expanding or defending itself from more centrally organized, ruthless adversaries like the Roman empire). This is a thoroughly enjoyable and enlightening book.
REVIEW: The author of "The Greeks", a well-known professor who devoted a great part of his life to the study of Ancient Greece, wrote this book with an aim: to help others to better understand the subject that he taught. In my opinion, H. D. F. Kitto fulfilled his self-imposed task marvelously. Kitto doesn't pretend to write an exhaustive history of Ancient Greece, but rather an introductory book that touches upon many subjects without delving too much into any of them. As a result, after reading this book you will end up with a general idea of the culture, art, literature and historical facts regarding Ancient Greece, but you won't be able to say you know all about it. On the other hand, you will know much more about the Greeks, and the values that shaped them and motivated their actions. That is probably more than enough to recommend this book.
I want to point out that even though the author doesn't oversimplify the subject at hand to the point of distorting it, he highlights certain central ideas that even those who read the book without paying it due attention will understand them. For instance, Kitto emphasizes the great divide that existed for the Greeks between themselves and the others, the barbarians. According to the Greeks, that divide was undeniable because only they had mastered the way of being truly "free". That certitude, and their consequent feeling of exceptionalism, marked all their actions.
Kitto says, in the introduction, that he strove to allow the Greeks to speak for themselves, and the reader gets exactly that impression from time. I don't know much about Ancient Greece, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I guess that is a good indication that even those who just want to dabble in the subject are likely to enjoy it. I believe that "The Greeks" is a very well-written book, something that combined with the fact that it isn't overly long makes it the kind of reading material that almost everybody might be interested in. All in all, I highly recommend this book to you.
REVIEW: If only all History books were this good! If you are looking for an introduction to ancient Greek history then this is one of the best books to start with. Professor Kitto has an enormous breadth of knowledge which he communicates clearly and avoids the dry, stuffy prose that you may remember from history books at school. It covers the period of Greek history up to but not including the rise of Alexander, and explores most aspects of their society and culture. As well as being informative, it is also a highly entertaining read, which even had me laughing out loud at times. Kitto's enthusiasm is highly infectious and his excellent book has certainly inspired me to look into Greek history in greater depth.
REVIEW: I got in touch with this book as a mandatory reading when I was applying to study at Buenos Aires University. As usually happens with prescribed readings, I eyed "The Greeks" with little enthusiasm. But to my big surprise it was a great read! Professor Kitto has done an outstanding work here. Now, after all this years, I treasure this volume in my library and read it again and again. In very few pages he gives the reader a complete picture of Ancient Greece, from its origins till the advent of Alexander the Great.
Every main issue is described here: the Polis, their religion, the construction step-by-step of a unique civilization; art and war; literature and theater; philosophy and history; not a significant issue is left over. At the same time Professor Kitto succeed in writing a very straightforward account and an easy reading. We may understand thru this book our eternal debt to that Mediterranean people. Nothing will be as it is without the Greek heritage. A recommended read for students and any person interested in Western Culture. Enjoy this trip!
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