The author's edition titled "A Brief Guide to the Greek Myths" has received excellent reviews, recognizing the value and information it provides. In 2022, 2,500 years will have passed since the final defeat of the invasion of Greece by the Persian king Xerxes. This remarkable conflict between East and West has left deep imprints on modern history, with stories of heroic resistance in seemingly hopeless situations. Kershaw utilizes recent archaeological and geological discoveries in this immersive and timely retelling of the story, initially narrated to us by Herodotus, the Father of History.
The protagonists are the Greeks, led by the military and oligarchic Spartans on land and the democratic Athenians at sea, against the mighty Persian Empire. When the wealthy, cultured Greek communities of Ionia revolt, Athens sends a fleet to support them, but the Persians crush the Greeks. However, the Athenians overturn the Persians at the Battle of Marathon. When they discover abundant silver, they decide to construct a fleet of state-of-the-art warships.
Xerxes assembles a massive multinational force and attacks Greece. The Athenians, trusting in the "wooden walls," prepare for battle at Artemisium and defend the flanking strategic pass of the Spartans at Thermopylae. This is followed by the heroic resistance of Leonidas with the 300 Spartans. Although the Athenians were forced to abandon their city, they persuade their allies to continue the fight in the narrow seas of Salamis, where they defeat the Persian Fleet.
The book concludes with the outcomes of these decisive battles that laid the foundations of Western civilization, highlighting Greece as a fortress of the West and a representative of the values of peaceful coexistence, freedom, and democracy.
