{"product_id":"athens-and-sparta-the-rivalry-that-shaped-ancient-greece","title":"Athens and Sparta: The Rivalry That Shaped Ancient Greece","description":"\n\u003ctable align=\"center\" border=\"0\" cellpadding=\"2\" cellspacing=\"0\" width=\"100%\"\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"productDetailSmallElements\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"The reader is in the best of hands. Goldsworthy combines the expertise of the scholar that he is with the common touch of the author that he has become. He is one of the very best historians of the ancient world writing for a popular audience.\"\u003c\/p\u003e-- \n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eWashington Free Beacon\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBiographical Note\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eAdrian Goldsworthy\u003c\/b\u003e received his DPhil in ancient history from Oxford and has taught at Cardiff University, King's College, and the University of Notre Dame in London. The author of numerous books, including  \n\u003ci\u003eCaesar\u003c\/i\u003e; \n\u003ci\u003eAugustus\u003c\/i\u003e; \n\u003ci\u003eRome and Persia\u003c\/i\u003e;  \n\u003ci\u003ePhilip and Alexander\u003c\/i\u003e; and \n\u003ci\u003ePax Romana\u003c\/i\u003e, he lives in South Wales, UK.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Goldsworthy tells a timely tale of national pride, and he has much to be proud of: Respectful of the somber grandeur of its subject, this book sparkles with wisdom and fury.\"-- \n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eJ.E. Lendon, author of Soldiers \u0026amp; Ghosts\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Goldsworthy, writing in a style accessible to all, has tackled one of the biggest and gnarliest topics in antiquity. How did Athens and Sparta, two Greek powers that had united to fight the Persians, become mortal enemies? This is not just a retelling of the battles. Goldsworthy digs deep into the politics, diplomacy, and military history of the fifth century BCE to explain the mindset of the powers that faced off in one of the bloodiest conflicts in history while fighting for hegemony.\"-- \n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eRose Mary Sheldon, Virginia Military Institute\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"An epic story well told--lucid, thorough, enlightening, and a pleasure to read.\"-- \n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003ePaul A. Rahe, Hillsdale College\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"A propulsive, large-scale history of ancient Greece, written with an authority to rival Thucydides.\"-- \n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Packed with intrigue and the politics of empire, revolution, and war, this accessible history of a tangled relationship between nations might strike some readers, the author warns, as 'uncomfortably relevant.'\"-- \n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Excellent.\"\u003c\/p\u003e-- \n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eFederalist\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher Marketing\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eFrom an award-winning historian, the definitive history of classical Greece and the rivalry between its two greatest cities. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \"Packed with intrigue and the politics of empire, revolution, and war, this accessible history of a tangled relationship between nations might strike some readers, the author warns, as 'uncomfortably relevant.'\" --\u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e No period has more profoundly influenced the Western world than classical Greece, and at its center stood two cities: Athens and Sparta. Side by side, they beat the Persians, the only superpower of that age. Yet later, they spread conflict and destruction throughout the eastern Mediterranean, culminating in the horrors of the Peloponnesian War. \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ci\u003eAthens and Sparta \u003c\/i\u003etells the definitive history of the relationship between brutal, militaristic Sparta and brash, radically democratic Athens. Eminent historian Adrian Goldsworthy narrates their incredible rise to prominence and how they became allies, rivals, and enemies. Ultimately, Goldsworthy shows that Athens and Sparta were more than competitors vying for power. They were polar opposites in ideology and culture, both driven by the Greek longing to excel, who led radically different experiments in how to run a state. \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e A remarkable account of ancient Greece at its height, this is the tale of the two cities that helped build it--before almost tearing it apart.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Citations:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/span\u003e 04\/01\/2026 (EAN 9781541619982, Hardcover) - *Starred Review\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n","brand":"Basic Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51496124481814,"sku":"9781541619982","price":48.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0857\/9910\/8886\/files\/9781541619982.jpg?v=1783053558","url":"https:\/\/lusper.myshopify.com\/products\/athens-and-sparta-the-rivalry-that-shaped-ancient-greece","provider":"Lusperbooks","version":"1.0","type":"link"}