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timinbc's review against another edition
4.0
I knew some history from this era, but this makes it real. It reads like fiction, and indeed the footnotes indicate is isn't always accurate, but this HAPPENED, and a LONG time ago. These folks were sophisticated in some areas, not least of which is logistics. Ten thousand soldiers, on the move and needing to eat.
The sacrifices were interesting, in that they seemed to have been quite effective in helping the X-Man steer through challenges.
Also X's emphasis that a good reputation is worth more than immediate power and money. And his ability to reason and make a speech (OK, he learned from Socrates) as well as the willingness of his colleagues to debate a strategy and hammer out a solution.
Finally, I was impressed by X's improvised solutions to large challenges.
If we brought this guy ahead in time, he'd be on Twitter in a week and doing a Wall Street IPO in a month.
The sacrifices were interesting, in that they seemed to have been quite effective in helping the X-Man steer through challenges.
Also X's emphasis that a good reputation is worth more than immediate power and money. And his ability to reason and make a speech (OK, he learned from Socrates) as well as the willingness of his colleagues to debate a strategy and hammer out a solution.
Finally, I was impressed by X's improvised solutions to large challenges.
If we brought this guy ahead in time, he'd be on Twitter in a week and doing a Wall Street IPO in a month.
tywhiplashing's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
4.25
kiscica123's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
4.0
chrisdech's review against another edition
3.0
Honestly, I'm not really sure what to say about this one.
Xenophon occupies this strange place in the historians of Ancient Greece wherein he is not a storyteller like Herodotus nor is he a historian like that of Thucydides. What he does is entirely unique, I think, but it's just not interesting enough. In a sense, it's like the child of the Histories and the History of the Peloponnesian War, and thereby a weaker form of both.
And it just kinda feels same-y throughout, honestly. But the translation by Warner is on point, and I think captures Xenophon's style in Greek quite nicely.
Xenophon occupies this strange place in the historians of Ancient Greece wherein he is not a storyteller like Herodotus nor is he a historian like that of Thucydides. What he does is entirely unique, I think, but it's just not interesting enough. In a sense, it's like the child of the Histories and the History of the Peloponnesian War, and thereby a weaker form of both.
And it just kinda feels same-y throughout, honestly. But the translation by Warner is on point, and I think captures Xenophon's style in Greek quite nicely.
caelfind's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, War, and Injury/Injury detail
sh00's review against another edition
4.0
Два момента.
Усмешка, когда сначала речь про царя, потом про командира, потом от третьего лица появляется автор, как второстепенный персонаж, потом камера приближается, приближается, и автор занимает всё больше места, пока в конце не раздаётся, нечто подобное знаменитому "я заведующий всем, и всё из-за меня". Издать под чужим именем, но никого не обмануть. Гляньте, чего Ксенофонт отмочил, хахаха. Фемистоген, да иди ты, хахахаха.
Греки прошли через огонь и воду, медных труб не ожидается. Леса, степи и ночёвка под снегом. И вот море - ещё даже не само море, а тёмная полоска на горизонте, видная с холма, Понт. И вот они прыгают на месте, дубасят друг друга по плечам и по чему попало, орут и радуются - потому что море означает, что они почти дома. Море и есть дом. Внутри каждого из нас есть море. На короткий миг мне кажется, что я там уже был и мне это крайне знакомо...
Мартовские иды, они такие.
Усмешка, когда сначала речь про царя, потом про командира, потом от третьего лица появляется автор, как второстепенный персонаж, потом камера приближается, приближается, и автор занимает всё больше места, пока в конце не раздаётся, нечто подобное знаменитому "я заведующий всем, и всё из-за меня". Издать под чужим именем, но никого не обмануть. Гляньте, чего Ксенофонт отмочил, хахаха. Фемистоген, да иди ты, хахахаха.
Греки прошли через огонь и воду, медных труб не ожидается. Леса, степи и ночёвка под снегом. И вот море - ещё даже не само море, а тёмная полоска на горизонте, видная с холма, Понт. И вот они прыгают на месте, дубасят друг друга по плечам и по чему попало, орут и радуются - потому что море означает, что они почти дома. Море и есть дом. Внутри каждого из нас есть море. На короткий миг мне кажется, что я там уже был и мне это крайне знакомо...
Мартовские иды, они такие.
joestewart's review against another edition
3.0
I found this a tough read, in part because of the many names (they don’t mean anything to me) but as well the unusual use of words (many of which I think had a different meaning when it was translated). The narrative has a “first he did this then he did that” quality to it which bored me.
johnbyers1500's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25