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Thermopylae: The Battle That Changed the World Audiobook
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(3.03) - 323 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
In 480 BC, a vast Persian army, led by the inimitable King Xerxes, entered the mountain pass of Thermopylae to march on Greece, intending to conquer the land with little difficulty. But the Greeks, led by King Leonidas and a small army of Spartans, took the battle to the Persians at Thermopylae and halted their advance—almost. It is one of history's most acclaimed battles, and one of civilization's greatest last stands.
Renowned classical historian Paul Cartledge looks anew at this history-altering moment and shows how its repercussions affect us even today. The invasion of Europe by Xerxes and his army redefined culture, kingdom, and class. The valiant efforts of the Greek warriors, the legendary 300 facing a huge onrushing Persian army at the narrow pass at Thermopylae, changed the way future generations would think about combat, courage, and death.
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"Cartledge provides a wonderful context for this pivotal battle in western civ. I have a better understanding of the emotional and intellectual life of the Spartans, the Athenians and the Persians. "
— Jill (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Impeccable...Enthralling...Vividly reconstructs [the Spartans’] finest hour.”
— Independent (London) -
“Briskly written...Offers a fresh look at the battle and the complex events leading up to it.”
— Forbes -
“As this beautifully written and stirring saga asserts, the history of Western civilization would almost certainly have been fundamentally different had the Persians prevailed…Cartledge’s account has a special urgency and poignancy. An outstanding retelling of one of the seminal events in world history.”
— Booklist -
“A masterful account of the causes, preparations for and consequences of the three-day battle in 480 BC...A class in Western civilization that both instructs and entertains.”
— Kirkus Reviews
Thermopylae Listener Reviews
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John, 4/24/2021
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" While the unabashedly eurocentric of introduction put me off, this book is turning out to be much more wide reaching and nuanced. Cartledge spends a good half of the book exploring the battle of Thermoplylae and the Spartans in literature, myth, and intellectual tradition. The style is 'informal academic' with occasional flights of outrageuousness, as in: "To him we owe a travelogue of 1447 that outdoes even the second-century Pausanias the Periegete's jeremiad over the lamentable present and his recherche of a much better temps that had been perdu." "
— Max, 2/6/2014 -
" Excellent book, very well written. "
— Theresa, 1/30/2014 -
" Have reada few of his books he can tend to be a bit dry, but this was probably his best book. "
— Squire, 1/29/2014 -
" Very interesting from the perspective of someone who knows little ancient history, but the author couldn't figure out if he was writing for an academic or a general audience. "
— Erica, 1/28/2014 -
" Engaging overview of one of history's best known battles, and a great companion and counterweight to Herodotus' Histories. "
— Mat, 1/17/2014 -
" Cartledge provides a wonderful context for this pivotal battle in western civ. I have a better understanding of the emotional and intellectual life of the Spartans, the Athenians and the Persians. "
— Jill, 1/15/2014 -
" Thorough historical perspective on the legendary battle...honor against all odds. "
— Ed, 1/6/2014 -
" Great book for fans of 300 or just a history buff. I liked it so much I felt compelled to order a Greek salad for lunch. "
— Lyn, 1/4/2014 -
" A little too boring for me. Could've been written better. "
— Michael, 12/29/2013 -
" A factual account of the legendary Spartan last stand against the Persians. A good read before you watch the movie "The 300". "
— Greg, 12/27/2013 -
" The first half of this book was amazing but the second half which was focused on the implications of Thermopylae were slow. "
— Aaron, 12/13/2013 -
" Great book. Complete history of both sides culturally, religiously and militarily. Essential for understanding the importance of this battle. "
— Cliff, 11/27/2013 -
" Ok book. I thought there would be more about the battle (but you only get to that 150 pages into a 200 page book). There's more about the author's thoughts about life and the battle. I think that I'm going to read another one of the battle of Thermopylae books to get a better grasp of the details. "
— Jessica, 8/12/2013 -
" The history is even more interesting than the legend. "
— Michael, 5/30/2012 -
" After you get all jacked up about seeing "300", read this. The real story is even better than the fictionalized one. "
— Margaret, 3/1/2011 -
" The one chapter on the actual BATTLE was pretty good, but you could have got that from Google. The rest is filler only an academic could love. Not exactly a thrilling ride, this. "
— David, 2/7/2011 -
" Analyzes the Battle of Thermopylae (The battle that the film "300" is based on.) and how it altered the rest of the civilized world. "
— Mark, 9/2/2010 -
" Decent book, but not exactly what I was looking for. A little too academic for a subject that I was idly exploring...not that I was looking for "300 for Dummies" either. "
— Sabur76, 5/6/2010 -
" If the story of Thermopylae doesn't inspire you, there's a chance you're already dead. For the non-historians, check out Pressfield's Gates of Fire. "
— Matt, 3/10/2010 -
" Analyzes the Battle of Thermopylae (The battle that the film "300" is based on.) and how it altered the rest of the civilized world. "
— Mark, 3/2/2010 -
" Great book. Complete history of both sides culturally, religiously and militarily. Essential for understanding the importance of this battle. "
— Cliff, 2/8/2010 -
" Excellent book, very well written. "
— Theresa, 1/13/2010 -
" Have reada few of his books he can tend to be a bit dry, but this was probably his best book. "
— Squire, 1/13/2010 -
" The first half of this book was amazing but the second half which was focused on the implications of Thermopylae were slow. "
— Aaron, 12/9/2009 -
" Very good, interesting reinterpretation of Herodotus "
— Nancy, 8/27/2008 -
" Very interesting from the perspective of someone who knows little ancient history, but the author couldn't figure out if he was writing for an academic or a general audience. "
— Erica, 7/30/2008 -
" Decent book, but not exactly what I was looking for. A little too academic for a subject that I was idly exploring...not that I was looking for "300 for Dummies" either. "
— Sabur76, 7/9/2008 -
" Thorough historical perspective on the legendary battle...honor against all odds. "
— Ed, 6/18/2008
About Paul Cartledge
Paul Cartledge has taught Greek history at Cambridge University since 1979 and is also a Fellow at Clare College. Widely acknowledged to be the world’s leading expert on the subject of Sparta and ancient Greece, he is the first A. G. Leventis Professor of Greek Culture (2008) which focuses on the study of more than 1,000 years of Greek cultural achievements and highlights the lasting influence they continue to have on society today. In addition to having written and edited scores of articles and books, including The Spartans: An Epic History; and Thermopylae: The Battle that Changed the World, he is also academic consultant to the BBC and PBS for the series The Greeks: Crucible of Civilization.
About John Lee
John Lee is the winner of numerous Earphones Awards and the prestigious Audie Award for Best Narration. He has twice won acclaim as AudioFile’s Best Voice in Fiction & Classics. He also narrates video games, does voice-over work, and writes plays. He is an accomplished stage actor and has written and coproduced the feature films Breathing Hard and Forfeit. He played Alydon in the 1963–64 Doctor Who serial The Daleks.