New Book on The "Real" Trojan War

[Narukami]

Well...

That's what the Jacket Blurb says.

In reality it looks to be a very good analysis of Homer's Iliad.


http://www.amazon.com/War-That-Killed-A ... 368&sr=8-1

[size=150:3r00ques]The War That Killed Achilles: The True Story of Homer's Iliad and the Trojan War [/size](Hardcover)
by Caroline Alexander (Author)
5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
List Price: $26.95
Price: $17.79

Product Description
A groundbreaking reading of the Iliad that restores Homer's vision of the tragedy of war, by the bestselling author of The Bounty

Few warriors, in life or literature, have challenged their commanding officer and the rationale of the war they fought as fiercely as did Homer's hero Achilles. Today, the Iliad is celebrated as one of the greatest works in literature, the epic of all epics; many have forgotten that the subject of this ancient poem was war-not merely the poetical romance of the war at Troy, but war, in all its enduring devastation.

Using the legend of the Trojan war, the Iliad addresses the central questions defining the war experience of every age: Is a warrior ever justified in standing up against his commander? Must he sacrifice his life for someone else's cause? Giving his life for his country, does a man betray his family? How is a catastrophic war ever allowed to start-and why, if all parties wish it over, can it not be ended?

As she did with The Endurance and The Bounty, Caroline Alexander lets us see why a familiar story has had such an impact on us for centuries, revealing what Homer really meant. Written with the authority of a scholar and the vigor of a bestselling narrative historian, The War That Killed Achilles is a superb and utterly timely presentation of one of the timeless stories of our civilization.

About the Author
Caroline Alexander is the author of the international bestsellers The Endurance and The Bounty. A Rhodes Scholar, she was a lecturer at the University of Malawi, where she established the department of classics. She received her doctorate in classics at Columbia University, where she was a Mellon Fellow in the humanities. Alexander is a contributing writer to National Geographic Magazine and has written for The New Yorker, Smithsonian, and Outside.

:wink:

Narukami

[Matthew Amt]

Using the legend of the Trojan war, the Iliad addresses the central questions defining the war experience of every age: Is a warrior ever justified in standing up against his commander? Must he sacrifice his life for someone else's cause? Giving his life for his country, does a man betray his family? How is a catastrophic war ever allowed to start-and why, if all parties wish it over, can it not be ended?

Good grief! I hope this is just a classic of "this blurb has nothing to do with the book", because none of that has anything to do with the Trojan War! If it is an actual more-or-less summation of the book, the author should stick to New Yorker articles. Gads...

Thanks for the warning! I should probably warn my relatives NOT to add this to my Christmas list.

Matthew

[Robert Vermaat]

Thanks for the warning! I should probably warn my relatives NOT to add this to my Christmas list.

Er... :?

Narukami actually said:

In reality it looks to be a very good analysis of Homer's Iliad.

[Narukami]

Lest I sail under false colors...

I have no real basis for that statement except for what is written there on the Amazon page. :roll:

Now my wife did read The Bounty as part of her research on Captain Cook and his fatal voyage to Hawai'i (Bligh was one of Cook's officers). She thought the book both useful and well written.

Will that also be the case with this new book?

Well written -- probably so.
Useful -- Ah, now there is the rub. :?

Based upon the Jacket Blurb it seems to me she is doing an analysis of the Iliad rather than writing about the Trojan War as history. I suspect this book will be more of a philosophical rumination on the nature of men and war.

Although my present finances do not allow for a purchase :oops: , I have added this book to my Amazon list and when means (and time) permit I will give it a read.

:wink:

Narukami

[Dan Howard]

This seems to be a decent summary and review:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/18/books ... tes-t.html

Looks like a literary analysis rather than an historical analysis. While at uni I avoided these subjects whenever I had a choice. :wink:

[Narukami]

Good review -- Thanks for the link.

:wink:

Narukami

[Matthew Amt]

Ah, yes, thanks--that gives a much better picture. Probably a much better book than that first blurb made it out to be! It still won't be on my "short list" of books to get, since I'm still a nuts-and-bolts guy at heart, but that's just me.

Khairete,

Matthew