The Peloponnesian War

By: Donald Kagan

Narrated by: Bill Wallace

Length: 19 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's summary

For almost three decades at the end of the fifth century BC the ancient world was torn apart in a conflict that was, within its historical context, as dramatic, divisive, and destructive as the great world wars of the 20th century. The Peloponnesian War pitted Greek against Greek: the Athenians, with their glorious empire, rich legacy of democracy and political rights, and extraordinary cultural achievement, against the militaristic, oligarchic Spartan state. The result was a period of unprecedented brutality, one that violated even the rugged code that had previously governed Greek combat, and led to an enormous destruction of life and property, intensification of factional and class hostility, and a reversal of the trend toward democratic development. With these came a collapse in the habits, institutions, beliefs, and restraints that had long been the foundation of civilization.

Now Donald Kagan, one of the world’s most respected historians, has written a new account of the Peloponnesian War—a lively, readable narrative that offers a richly detailed portrait of a vanished world while honoring its timeless relevance. In chronicling the rise and fall of a great empire, The Peloponnesian War illuminates the interplay of intelligence and chance in human affairs, the role of great individuals and masses of people in determining the course of events, and the potential of leadership and the limits within which it must operate. Among the brilliant portraits of extraordinary statesmen are those of Pericles, the greatest among the Athenians and a man determined to pursue a policy of deterrence, and the charismatic, duplicitous Alcibiades. Kagan captures the dynamic of war in his thrilling re-creations of some of the most famous military campaigns of antiquity.

With its fresh examination of a pivotal moment of Western civilization, The Peloponnesian War is a magisterial work of historiography—a chronicle of a dark time whose lessons are especially resonant today.

©2003 Donald Kagan (P)2010 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“A fresh, clear and fast-moving account…for general readers.” ( New York Times Book Review)

“The best account [of the Peloponnesian War] now available.” ( Los Angeles Times Book Review)

“Kagan gives us neither heroes and villains nor victors and victims. What infuses his pages is above all a sense of agency: men making and implementing decisions that seemed right at the time however they ended. Such lessons will not be lost on contemporary readers.” ( Publishers Weekly)

Excellent!

One of the best books I’ve listened to here on audible. Absolutely wonderful. Kagan masters the history!

A great reading of an excellent book

Bill Wallace's voice perfectly complements Professor Kagan's lucid examination of the war between Athens and Sparta.

Fascinating story, and well told

Though it will help to come into this book with at least a basic understanding of the Greco-Persian War that preceded the events described as well as the geography of the Aegean and ancient Greece, this is as thorough and elegant a telling of a massive turbulent event that you'll find in popular history.

Superb single volume overview of the Peloponnesian War

Kagan is a master of his subject and this is a succinct and accessible overview of this civil war between the cities of ancient Greece. The narrator is excellent. Any listener not familiar with the geography of the region at this time should definitely listen with a text of some type with maps of the region covering this period.

Great read

I’ve watched Kagan’s free lectures on Greek history a few times. This is a very polished version of the main part of those lectures. Anyone interested in this war and Greek history will enjoy this book.

Historical Parallels Abound

What did you love best about The Peloponnesian War?

Obtaining a better grasp on what caused the war, what happened during the war, and what the outcome was.

What did you like best about this story?

How much it ties into events that still occur in international relationships to this day.

Which scene was your favorite?

The description of the battles on Cyprus and the Athenian fleet when they left for Cyprus were amazing.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I knew it would be too long to listen to in one sitting.

Any additional comments?

If you are a lover of history, international relations, or military action you should listen to this book.

The only frustrating part was the significance of the people involved in this conflict and how I had no clue how to spell their ancient Greek names since I read this as an audiobook instead of on paper.

Communicates the tragedy of ancient Greeks

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

No. While I think this is one of the best books of all time, I believe only a small percentage of the population would listen to the whole thing. And further, I've seen Kagan's lectures online and he animates this material better than one could expect of a narrator other than himself.

What other book might you compare The Peloponnesian War to and why?

Lords of the Sea, by John Hale.

John Hale seems to me to be at the level of Donald Kagan in terms of understanding the ancient Greeks and also in communicating great enthusiasm on this subject.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Even if the book were short enough to finish is a sitting, no. There are moments that are too tragic to not take a break.

Exceptionally informative but exceptionally dry.

Covers all major events of the war in clear, concise language. I understood everything, but the Audible version suffers heavily from the absence of maps to reference. I checked out the book in paperback and it makes a lot more sense when you have a map to follow.

This is not the fault of the author or of the narrator. This is just a drawback of the audiobook format: you're not going to have a map handy when you're running, lifting weights, or driving.

If you're not familiar with the geography of ancient Greece... and I mean FAMILIAR...do yourself a favor and buy the paperback. It's like 20 dollars. You spend more on Starbucks.

Good supplement to the real thing

Fills in a lot of gaps and holes that Thucydides does not explain to his 5th Century Greek audience. This book should be read only if you've labored through the real thing which is also available on audible.

Endless

I loved the story it just seemed to go on forever. I do like history but