|
| Sailing the Wine-Dark Sea: Why the Greeks Matter (Hinges of History) | 
 enlarge | Author: Thomas Cahill
Publisher: Anchor
Category: Book
List Price: $14.95
Buy New: $4.22
You Save: $10.73 (72%)
New (47) Used (55) from $1.99
Avg. Customer Rating:  68 reviews
Sales Rank: 19402
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 352
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 8 x 5.1 x 0.8
ISBN: 0385495544
Dewey Decimal Number: 909.09
EAN: 9780385495547
ASIN: 0385495544
Publication Date: July 27, 2004
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: In stock - Sent fast from British booksellers.
|
| Customer Reviews:
 VERY ENJOYABLE May 21, 2006
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This is one book I received recently as a gift that was not asked for. It pleasantly surprised me. I was drawn in and enjoyed the discourse on the Greek contributions to Western Society.
It is divided into sections such as militarism, philosophy, ruling, art, and other aspects of Greek Society that have made an indellible mark on our present--and perhaps our future.
My favorite chapter was how the Greek Philosophers shaped our model of thinking. Cahill laid out how most schools created the original ideass that led to modern ideas of realism and existentialism.
The way Cahill also dissected the contributions of Solon as a precursor for protecting the Middle Class for a stable society was brilliant. Another insightful moment came from the chapter on how Greek culture emphasized the male in their art out of the sheer need of power. It also emphasized the ideal of youth, which made me wonder if Ancient Greeks also suffered from eating disorders.
However, not all aspects were not explored completely. I was disappoited in the chapter on Greek Militarism, because it only focused on the Trojan Wars and ignored the Spartan Miliatry Society, the Greek-Persian Wars, and the Peloponnesian Wars.
Even more troubling was the chapter on how the Greeks supposedly instructed us on how to party. At this point, it seemed the author was trying to reach for another aspect of life.
Still, overall, I enjoyed reading this and will be looking for future insights by Thomas Cahill.
 Very disappointing April 24, 2006
10 out of 20 found this review helpful
The author does a reasonable job of presenting some minor insights into the Ancient Greek experience however his political bias mars an otherwise credible albeit abbreviated analysis of Ancient Greeks as the progenitors of Western Civilization. His occasional use of obscenities throughout the book also detracts from its scholarship. Several of his insights and comparisons are tenuous to say the least and are not completely thought out. To one familiar with Greek many of his insights are obvious.
The author begins by contrasting the Iliad with the Odyssey arguing that one is an example of man's destructive militarism and the other an example of man's natural tendency to return to his home and the bosom of his faithful wife. He likens Odysseus at the end of his journey to Andromache the faithful wife of Hector. Homer must be turning over in his grave. The author fails to see that the epics are about the larger themes of man as an individual as he competes and struggles with himself and the external world both natural and supernatural. The author compares Greek militarism with President Bush's war on terror and likens it to the neo Conservative approach to foreign affairs. However instead of praising it he incredibly denounces it and goes so far as to predict its failure. While it is true that neo Conservative thought is based on Greek militarism it is the only means of maintaining world dominance which should be, and is, the only course for Western Civilization. To think otherwise is na?ve, absurd and laughable.
The author moves from war to a chapter titled "The Poet - How to Party" here the modern obligatory homage to homosexuality is made. Turning his attention to `How to Rule" he goes so far as to compare Franklyn Roosevelt with Solon. A more unlikely comparison I cannot conceive. The founding fathers are much more akin to Solon than is FDR who tried to undermine the Republic by introducing a statist ideology. This same chapter is also titled "The Politician and The Playwright". He justifies the transitions from Solon to Aeschylus by the weakest of arguments saying that both political discourse and the theater consist of a gathering of people into a single place.
In the chapter on "How to Think" the author spends an inordinate amount of pages on anecdotes from Plato's Republic and of course includes the symposium where once again homosexuality is discussed among the characters in the Republic and the concepts of love and beauty are examined, an odd choice for such a chapter on how to think, yet Aristotle's logic, ethics and science is given scant attention. While there is no denying that the Ancient Greeks thought about homosexuality, as they thought of almost everything else, at no time in history has so much attention been paid to this subject as in recent years and unfortunately this is an example of this current fad.
When discussing Ancient Greece's unparalleled contribution to art the author once again lapses into the homoerotic and more perverse aspects of the subject choosing to focus on the trivial while once again giving scant attention to the truly profound.
In the final chapter he likens JFK to Pericles and sets JFK as the pinnacle of American dominance. He is clearly confused at this point. The recent president most like Pericles is Ronald Reagan.
The author does finally acknowledge that Greek thought appeals to man because it ultimately elevates the individual above the group and that the true heritage of Ancient Greece is the elevation of the individual man as hero not the state as heroic.
Ancient Greece set the stage for the American experience. America is the Athens of old and its Pericles was Ronald Reagan who, unlike Pericles, survived to vanquish the Soviet Union, the Sparta of today. America thereby becomes the standard bearer for Western Civilization which remains and will continue to be the dominant world view. This is one insight that evaded the Author and his work is the poorer for it.
 Entertaining at times.... January 21, 2006
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
In comparison to "How the Irish Saved Civilization," this book leaves much to be desired. Cahill tends to get caught up in mythology and interpretation of philosophy and prose; with little indication of how Greek though and arts influenced the modern era. The appendices, however, are helpful.
Rather Tepid Broad Based Overview January 3, 2006
7 out of 8 found this review helpful
I am a fan of Cahill's books in this series, but this is perhaps the most lightweight entry: each chapter discussing a certain trait or characteristic, with an introductory myth to set the tone of the chapter. It's a bit constricting for a writer of Cahill's gifts, and it shows. This is a pleasant, mildly diverting entry in this series, though I suspect it will leave many (as it did me) longing for a bit more meat on these bones.
Missed the Mark October 23, 2005
6 out of 9 found this review helpful
Thomas Cahill has an interesting ability to write history about certain people that distinguishes him from other writers. Rather than going into specific information about dates, events, and famous people, he discusses fundamental factors that bring to the surface the importance of a particular group.
He was extremely successful with this style of writing when he wrote about the contributions of the Irish to Western Civilization after their conversion to Christianity. He followed up on this theme of writing by researching the tremendous effect that the Jewish people had on the development of a civil and moral society. Cahill displayed an exceptional skill in highlighting how significant the Jewish people were in positively changing the outlook of life in the Middle East and in the West without simply quoting stories from The Bible.
One expected this unique style of research and writing to continue as he wrote about the contributions of Greek society. The subtitle of this book is descriptive, because the Greeks truly do matter-they have mattered for nearly three thousand years. Unfortunately, Cahill missed the mark on explaining why they mattered so long ago, and how their contributions to Western life are still pertinent today.
When talking about the Greeks, one cannot leave out the mythology. However, Cahill tended to dwell too much on this aspect of Greek history.
For bad or for worse, many people associate the ancient Greeks with a licentious society. During Cahill's overview of this aspect of the Greeks, he became too vulgar in his descriptions of the open sexuality of old Greek society.
When Cahill compares parts of ancient Greece to the modern era, he tends to stray into areas that do not provide adequate comparisons. When describing a speech by Pericles, he somehow finds a reason to mention sport utility vehicles (SUVs). He further brings up references to John Kennedy and the struggles of black people without a clear relation to Greeks. As he attempts to criticize the current war in the Middle East, he mentions the lack of allies similar to the situation of Athens. The comparison is definitely subjective, since many will argue that there are indeed allies in the current struggle, so the comparison is not relevant to the study of Athens.
Some positive areas that he covered include the discussion of Rome and art in the Renaissance period. He also closed with a good conclusion by illuminating the Greek contributions and how they mixed with Judeo-Christian values, ultimately leading to the development of Western Civilization.
Although this work does not rank as high as "How the Irish Saved Civilization" or "The Gifts of the Jews", I would still recommend reading it. I look forward to the next book in his Hinges of History series.
|
|
|
| |
