The Penguin Historical Atlas of Ancient Greece

User Review: - Makes Something Complicated A Bit Easier
Sure, maybe Penguin waters things down a bit to much but when it comes to reading complicated primary texts or reviewing scholarly essays, sometimes you need something reliable, short, and to the point and this is it. Also, accompanying every section if a primary quote which I think is a nice touch, there are also good maps and some photographs. I am a fan.

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User Review: - Penguin can do better
With all the fine Classical scholars out there, why did Penguin pick an Egyptologist? The volume on Egypt isn't done by a scholar of Summerian history. His views are often dated, criticising or praising theories that are long since forgotten. A scholar like Peter Green could have made a fine book out of this.

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User Review: - Great help for History
The maps of countries change so much throughout history, making this book a must have for students of Greek history.

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User Review: - Great book
I agree with the reviewer who said that this book assumes you are already familiar with Greek history and even Greek geography. It is not an introductory book. Rather, it's a very good book to read after you have read a number of other books. It ties together scholarly opinion. There are still-existing controversies in Greek history, and it may be that this book takes a position in some instances that not everyone agrees with. But I don't see that as a major issue.
To be able to read comfortably just about any book on Greek history you should be familiar with the geography. This is hard for us Americans, but it is a gradual learning process, and finally when they mention Argos or Thebes or Delphi or Thrace you will know more or less where these places are located. Of course, the maps in this book can be used to make other books more readable.
An example of how this book is enjoyable in the context of other books previously-read, is the subject of Crete, Mycenae and Linear A and Linear B. The most interesting way to learn about this controversy is to read one or better yet both books about the interpretation of Linear B. The significance of the discovery that Linear B was a form of Greek is that it meant that at least by 1450 or 1400 BC Mycenae held sway over Crete instead of vice versa. What this Penguin book does is to emphasize that, according to the author, prior to 1450 BC, and for the previous say 600 years, there is no question that the Minoan civilization (Crete) held sway over Mycenae and much of the eastern mediterranean. I was not aware of that, and I'm not sure there is a consensus on that, but it is an example of how this book is much more meaningful if you have read a lot of Greek history prior to this book. This book is not an introductory course, it is a delicious dessert.

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User Review: - Balance this book with other viewpoints
This superficially attractive book should be approached carefully. The author makes several strong, yet unsupported statements in an attempt to minimize the effect of Classical Greece on western civilization. It is refreshing to see a different viewpoint. However, the book has no references; only further readings. Had I not been exposed to other viewpoints before reading this book, I would walk away thinking the Athenian contribution to Western philosophy, arts, architecture, letters, etc., was rather inconsequential and evolutionary in nature (rather than revolutionary as it is customarily accepted). There is nothing wrong with a new point of view. But, if it is radical, it should be supported (via references, etc.) -- otherwise, it is suspect.

An example of this is the statement (p. 93) that an exquisite ivory carving of Philip II "a little over three centimetres in height ... belies Demosthenes' claim that the Macedonians were 'barbarians'". In the same paragraph we hear that Philip employed many Greeks at his court, including Aristotle. Could it be possible that the barbarian conqueror, Phillip, surrounded himself with the beauty of the world he conquered? Readers exposed to the beauty of Classical Greek thought and art are left wondering about the motives (or background) of this author who chooses to focus on the political, military, and perhaps greedy aspects of Greek civilization, while completely ignoring its more noble contributions to Western thought. Perhaps the book balances the opposite tendency, i.e., to focus on the marvels of Greek Arts, and disregard the support environment that provided the safety and affluence for Greek Arts to flourish. The author only mentions Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle by name, but without any statement that might suggest he has studied their works (which I am sure he has, but ...).

A search on the web reveals the author is mainly an Egyptologist. This explains his belief that the Greeks were not initiators of Western thought, but rather mere continuators of the Egyptian arts and sciences, and "deeply influenced in all [their historical and cultural] phases by the other civilizations of the eastern Mediterranean and western Asia." While it is true that Greek culture was influenced by other cultures of the region, it is suspect to underplay the influence of Greek innovation on Democratic thought and other noble ideals of western society.

Again, balance this book with other viewpoints and do study some Plato (among others), while you are at it.

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