Alcibiades is a layman accessible historical biography of the Athenian general by Dr. P.J. Rhodes. First published in 2011, this reformat and re-release from Pen & Sword is due out 30th Aug 2021. It's 160 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats.
This is an academically rigorous but (mostly) layman accessible study of the infamous Athenian general which concentrates on his life through anecdotes and histories contemporaneous and written after his lifetime. The book contains numerous illustrative maps and illustrations to help readers orient themselves with the various battles and travels in which Alcibiades and his compatriots took part. Quite apart from the text, I found the maps, illustrations, photos, and background explanations from the author concerning sources and methodology to be fascinating and enriching. I am not (nor have I ever been) an antiquities scholar, but I find the ancient world fascinating and this was an enlightening (if difficult) read for me.
The book is written with chapters in more or less chronological order: background, childhood, Sicily and first exile, Sparta Persia & Athens, Athenian navy, and his final years and death. The book is meticulously annotated throughout and the chapter notes and bibliography will provide readers with many (many!) hours of further reading. I personally found the text difficult to assimilate in places (mostly because all the battle locations and casts of thousands listed in detail overwhelmed me). It's academically rigorous and will undoubtedly prove a valuable resource to readers who are interested in ancient history and Athens or more specifically the Peloponnesian War.
Four stars for me personally. For fans of the specific era and/or Alcibiades himself, I cannot imagine a more in-depth biography, five stars. There are also numerous black & white photos with captions which I found engaging and instructive.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
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