From Amazon: From the editor of the widely praised The Landmark Thucydides, a new Landmark Edition of The Histories by Herodotus. Cicero called Herodotus “the father of history,” and his only work, The Histories, is considered the first true piece of historical writing in Western literature. With lucid prose, Herodotus’s account of the rise of the Persian Empire and its dramatic war with the Greek city sates set a standard for narrative nonfiction that continues to this day. Illustrated, annotated, and filled with maps—with an introduction by Rosalind Thomas, twenty-one appendices written by scholars at the top of their fields, and a new translation by Andrea L. Purvis—The Landmark Herodotus is a stunning edition of the greatest classical work of history ever written.
Now, here’s my opinion (Jack Le Moine):
Herodotus made his living by being interesting. In a world where most people did not read and could not afford to buy a book even if they could, they would pay to listen to Herodotus recite from his books. They would not pay to be bored. In that world, the names that populate his stories would have some general familiarity to his audience. Their obscurity to us is a barrier that this series seeks to break down.
Breaking down that barrier is the reason for our series every Tuesday on this blog.* But to get the full Herodotus experience, I recommend The Landmark Herodotus. While I get an affiliate commission, I have this book and consider it to be one of the best I’ve every purchased.
Clicking here will take you to Amazon’s Landmark Herodotus page.
Even with the latest translation and with the explanations and the maps, this guide may be overwhelming to the busy reader, continue to follow Herorodus right here in the easy bite-sized chunks of History Moments.*
*We ran excerpts for years. We’re now running Parkman, instead. The Herodotus series is still in the archives.