The Greeks: History, Culture, and Society (2nd Edition)

Probably my favorite text book from my college experience so far. I enjoyed reading the required material and looking through it for references. If you like Greek culture/history and are a classics person... this is pretty good to be honest.

This is an absolutely excellent textbook on the Ancient Greeks. One would be hard pressed to find a better, more thorough or enjoyable accounting of the Greeks under one cover. What really sets this book apart to me though is that it is rarely dry - history does not need to be so! and Morris & Powell render their history of the Greeks beautifully - their narrative is both compelling written and clear (a beautiful marriage indeed). The narrative is not simply the authors' voices either - the text is judiciously interspersed with primary texts of all types. So, in sum - this is a superb book that deserves to be on your shelf (read with enjoyment).

Textbooks have, deservedly, a bad reputation. Morris and Powell have written a textbook that is also a pleasure to read. This truly fine book covers the full range of material, but with style and flair. It is also well illustrated and makes very effective use of original source material. And their use of what they call "the Greek problem" -- how to organize social life "withough God or gods to reveal" a pattern -- is extremely effective. There are a number of good overview introductory books out there on the Greeks, but none better. The only drawback is a fairly hefty pricetag.

The book is in good used condition with many highlighted and pen underlined sections, but not a problem as it gives the book character.

This seems a competent survey of The Ancient Greek period.The text had writing and some heavy highlighter marks in it when I received it for rental use. Quick delivery of a usable text.

Thorough and informative. Its a pretty easy read to follow and understand.

Bought this cheap and was able to utilize it through the semester...

A very well written textbook that doesn't quite bore the reader.

This is a most interesting and informative, as well as entertainingly readable book which offers a history of the Greek people, but also their culture and society from the very earliest times to the coming of Rome in 30 BC. This is an invaluable book for anyone wanting to learn more, or study Greek history. The layout of the book is as follows:Chapter 1: A Small, Far-off LandChapter 2: Country and PeopleChapter 3: The Greeks at homeChapter 4: The Greeks before history, 12,000-1200 BCChapter 5: The Dark Age, 1200-800 BCChapter 6: HomerChapter 7: Religion and MythChapter 8: Archaic Greece, 800-480 BC: Economy, Society, PoliticsChapter 9: The Archaic Cultural Revolution, 700-480 BCChapter 10: A Tale of two Archaic cities: Sparta and Athens, 700-480 BCChapter 11: Persia and the Greeks, 550-490 BCChapter 12: The Great War, 480-479 BCChapter 13: Democracy and Empire: Athens and Syracuse, 479-431 BCChapter 14: Art and Thought in the Fifth Century BCChapter 15: Fifth-Century DramaChapter 16: The Peloponnesian War and its aftermath, 431-399 BCChapter 17: The Greeks between Persia and Carthage, 399-360 BCChapter 18: Greek Culture in the Fourth Century BCChapter 19: The Warlords of Macedon I: Philip II and Alexander the KingChapter 20: The Warlords of Macedon II: Alexander the GodChapter 21: The Greek Kingdoms in the Hellenistic Century, 323-220 BCChapter 22: The Greek Poleis in the Hellenistic Century, 323-220 BCChapter 23: Hellenestic Culture, 323-30 BCChapter 24: The Coming of Rome, 220-30 BCChapter 25: ConclusionAt well over 500 pages, this book offers a really comprehensive first view, or additional insight into areas of Greek social, cultural, political and military history. There are lots of diagrams and drawings, photographs and maps to supplement the chapters, each of which is well divided into subsections to allow for easy digestion of the information provided. Definitely recommended.

good book

The book arrived in great condition. The book is mindlessly boring, so I ended up not using it.

I really like this book and I found the book easy to read. Tells me all that I need to know about the Mediterranean and Greece.