Kirjailijakuva
17+ teosta 515 jäsentä 7 arvostelua

Tietoja tekijästä

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Tekijän teokset

Montesquieu's Science of Politics (2001) — Toimittaja — 13 kappaletta

Associated Works

Securing Democracy: Why We Have An Electoral College (2008) — Avustaja — 29 kappaletta
The Oxford handbook of Thucydides (2017) — Avustaja — 16 kappaletta
Renaissance Civic Humanism : Reappraisals and Reflections (2000) — Avustaja — 16 kappaletta
Reinventing the American People: Unity and Diversity Today (1995) — Avustaja — 16 kappaletta
Thomas Jefferson, the Classical World, and Early America (2011) — Avustaja — 15 kappaletta
Natural Rights Liberalism from Locke to Nozick (2004) — Avustaja — 12 kappaletta
Churchill's "Iron Curtain" Speech Fifty Years Later (1999) — Avustaja — 9 kappaletta
Civilians in the path of war (2002) — Avustaja — 9 kappaletta
The Public Intellectual: Between Philosophy and Politics (2003) — Avustaja — 8 kappaletta
The American Experiment (1994) — Avustaja — 7 kappaletta
Roots of Realism (1996) — Avustaja — 4 kappaletta
Republicanism, Liberty, and Commercial Society, 1649-1776 (1994) — Avustaja — 4 kappaletta
Churchill as Peacemaker (1997) — Avustaja — 3 kappaletta

Merkitty avainsanalla

Yleistieto

Jäseniä

Kirja-arvosteluja

This was a very interesting and rather difficult read. Difficulty emerges from the fact that this is serious academic level work that assumes reader is familiar with the period and can grasp at least basics of Greek language (both written and spoken). I have some knowledge of former and almost nothing of the latter. But even with that handicap I managed to enjoy the book very much by using other books on the subject and translation tools whenever question marks started popping up.

That aside it is very informative and detailed book that gives us the picture of the Spartan society - their morals, way of life, education, virtues and political organization. For the outsiders Sparta was what North Korea (or any totalitarian/authoritarian society) is today - closed society, with very strict control of border and who may or may not enter or leave it, relatively small elite controlling vast area and enslaved population, every person raised to defend it and glorify his polis as a Heaven on Earth.

While I understand need for isolation from external influences for security reasons (Sparta was after all the only polis that could not be bribed by the outside forces) very idea of limiting ones movements and forcing the microcosm of the polis to become macrocosm of ones life is quite stifling. Also we have ominously sounding state control of the individual and breaking of the family, all in order to ensure state (polis) has primacy always and forever. What author does brilliantly is show how all these methods of oppression and control implode on personal level - while wealth was something that was looked down on in Sparta, Spartiates never allowed their family or house/clan in general to lose their wealth; while living in the communal/military spaces Spartiates still kept their families close and took care of them.

While their structure remained very rigid introduction of Ephors to control Kings and then Elders to control Ephors shows that Spartiates were very much aware of what happens when too much power is in hands of few, but they also knew that dilution of power can bring same level of risks and dangers. They tried (as rigid as they were) to modernize their political structures to ensure longevity of their polis.

We can see polis that tried to instill loyalty-to-the-death on its citizens, that tried to achieve the ideals of perfect citizen/commune and one that was more than aware that its survival solely depended on the readiness of its constituency to give their life for its survival (since they were literary surrounded by slaves and enemies that outnumbered them considerably). But for all means and purposes it was too specialized, too isolated society that could prevail when left to its own devices but the moment they started dominating the rest of Greece they were doomed to fail. I especially liked transformation from rather grim, militaristic society to anti-tyrannical force. I guess everyone needs a reason to live that will paint one in positive light.

Society needs to evolve and this was the main chink in Sparta's armor - they were stubborn to change and formed a very rigid social structure that just could not endure tests of time.

It remains as an eternal warning that ideals are something to strive for but living in ideal world as time goes by seems to be more of a hell than promised land because no-one's idea of the ideal world is the same and usually worst implementation comes to life (Michael Crichton's Sphere was an excellent book on the topic). It seems to me that Rome was a rare successful and workable amalgamation of the ancient Greece virtues and morals [reason why it survived so long] - just right measure of greed, imperialism, patriotism and loyalty to ones family and country.

Excellent book, lots of details from the contemporary Greek historians and writers. Highly recommended to all history and military buffs. First part might be little bit dry but then it becomes better with every new page. I am now looking for the other books by this author.

Highly recommended.
… (lisätietoja)
 
Merkitty asiattomaksi
Zare | 2 muuta kirja-arvostelua | Jan 23, 2024 |
The author places all of us citizens of a great Republic into his debt, with this volume of historical insight.
 
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keylawk | Jun 4, 2023 |
I had the pleasure of studying under Dr. Carrithers, the editor of this work, in the 1970s. He has become acknowledged as one of the most learned contemporary experts on Montesquieu, and hearing him lecture on Montesquieu's impact on the American founders was a delight. I only gave this book three stars because, frankly, it's a bit too technical for me, although it is undoubtedly essential for anyone interested in Montesquieu.
 
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WilliamMelden | May 12, 2021 |
On the whole I was a little more impressed with the author's "The Spartan Regime," as much of this book is really not concerned with Sparta. However, it was probably inevitable that any book dealing with the Persian War is going to be examining the role of Athens at length; particularly once Themistocles enters the narrative. That said, this book does work really well as a narrative of the Persian War, as the contemporary reader is going to receive a more comprehensive understanding of the Persian regime than one would have received twenty years ago, and how that regime related to the varied Greek city states.… (lisätietoja)
 
Merkitty asiattomaksi
Shrike58 | Sep 3, 2020 |

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