Anonymous
Posted March 17, 2009
I Also Recommend:
Based on the BBC TV series. Michael Wood's combination of scholarly seriousness and contageous enthusiasm makes archaeology come alive, and it's exciting to put Homer's Iliad in its ancient setting.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted June 25, 2000
Wood also delivered this in a miniseries that was quite interesting in describing a possible cause of the war as the capture of women(symbolized by Helen) for slave labor and the economic impetus of the war.Wood describes the details of life in those times and even methods and accesories and military attire for the times.
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Posted May 20, 2010
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More About This Textbook
Overview
This gripping story shows why the legend of Troy forms the bedrock of Western culture and why its past is a paradigm of human history. Wood's meticulous scholarly sleuthing yields fascinating evidence about the continuity and development of human civilization in the Aegean and Asia Minor. With its 50 feet of debris resulting from constant rebuilding, human destruction, earthquake, and abandonment, the mound of Troy contains the beginnings and ends of new races and civilizations.
This edition includes a new preface, a new final chapter, and an addendum to the bibliography that take account of dramatic new developments in the search for Troy with the rediscovery, in Moscow, of the so-called Jewels of Helen and the re-excavation of the site of Troy, which began in 1988 and is yielding new evidence about the historical city.
Editorial Reviews
Washington Post
A dazzling and exhaustive analysis.Library Journal
Written to complement a BBC-TV series scheduled to begin on PBS this month, Wood's book is essentially an investigation of the historical reality, if any, behind the legend of Troy and the Trojan War. Though not a professional archaeologist, Wood shows a fine grasp of the various problems presented by the Homeric epics, and writes well about sometimes complicated archaeological, linguistic, and historical matters. At times his presentation is a bit repetitious, but those interested in the attempts of individuals such as Schliemann, Dorpfeld, Blegen, and Evans to explore sites thought to be those connected by Homer with the Trojan War will find a lively and sometimes speculative account based on current scholarship. A useful introduction for nonspecialists to areas of continuing scholarly debate. Jackson P. Hershbell, Classical Studies Dept., Univ. of Minnestoa, MinneapolisThe New York Times
This beautifully illustrated book...examines the legend of Troy and vividly evokes themes that are central to our civilization's quest for its past. -- New York Times Book ReviewProduct Details
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