Sparta's First Attic War: The Grand Strategy of Classical Sparta, 478-446 B.C. (Yale Library of Military History) Hardcover – August 6, 2019

Sparta's First Attic War: The Grand Strategy of Classical Sparta, 478–446 B.C. (Yale Library of Military History)In my humble opinion, Paul Rahe simply cannot be outdone when it comes to the history of Ancient Sparta. I've had the great pleasure of reading three of his books thus far, The Spartan Regime, The Grand Strategy of Classical Sparta and now this masterpiece.I now own all five from this series, and I will read them as if they are hidden treasures chests waiting to be opened. They are a source of great joy for me as they are laid out so well, you can't help but feel as if you are witnessing history in real time.Paul Rahe has a sixth book in the series coming out later in the year, which totally took me by surprise, it is a true honor to read history as he lays it out, 100% captivating.One thing that stands out about this book, as it did in his second in the series, is the generous amount of maps he provides the reader, laid out within the storylines, it is simply unbelievable how helpful that is.Paul Rahe is an American icon of Spartan knowledge, you simply cannot go wrong reading these books.Rahe opens with high effect, you are drawn in almost immediately, waiting with anticipation for the next page, the next chapter and so forth, simply outstanding.Thank you professor

This is the latest volume in Professor Rahe's incredibly interesting multi-volume treatment of Spartan strategy and thought, which I’ve enjoyed immensely. I can’t comment in an informed way about the details of his interpretations of the source materials, very little of which I’ve had occasion to read, and that only in translation.During my misguided youth, I read Thucydides, and a couple of Professor Kagan’s books on the history of ancient Greece. In reading this material, I regarded the Spartans as something of an enigma - it was never clear why they did what they did, or how they might have seen the world. On several occasions I distinctly recall stopping and wondering why the Spartans would have done what was being attributed to them. Their world-view was so alien, it was hard to imagine what they were thinking. I’m sure that this is a common experience among those who read this material.Unlike the Athenians, the Spartans left almost nothing behind; they left little or nothing in the way of literature, and they made a point of interacting relatively little with others - so I’m sure that they were something of an enigma even in their own day to both their allies and their adversaries.There have been a number of remarkable histories of ancient Greece in the past decades, perhaps most notably by Professor Kagan at Yale. Many - perhaps most - start from a fundamentally Athenian perspective. This is natural since the Athenians left behind far more material from which a historian can reconstruct events.What Professor Rahe has done seems to me to be a far more difficult project, in writing from a Spartan perspective, given the fragmentary nature of the records. And he’s done an incredible job of filling in the gaps, identifying how the Spartans saw the world, what their imperatives were, how they made decisions, what their fundamental strategic dilemmas were, and how these issues all evolved over time and through the actions of the Spartans themselves, their allies and their adversaries.I’ve really enjoyed these books, and I’m looking forward to reading the fourth volume. For anyone who wants to dive deeper into the history and strategy of the ancient Greeks, I can’t recommend these volumes enough.

Here are five themes and conclusions from the book:Sparta's Grand Strategy: Rahe argues that Sparta's grand strategy was to maintain its dominant position in the Peloponnese and to prevent the emergence of any power that might threaten its security. Sparta pursued this strategy by forming alliances with other states in the Peloponnese and by engaging in limited military campaigns to weaken potential rivals.Athens' Imperial Ambitions: Rahe argues that Athens was the primary antagonist in the first Peloponnesian War, and that its imperial ambitions threatened Sparta's security. Athens sought to expand its power and influence by establishing a maritime empire and by dominating the Aegean Sea.The Importance of Naval Power: Rahe emphasizes the importance of naval power in the first Peloponnesian War. Athens' dominance of the sea allowed it to control trade and to project its power throughout the Aegean. Sparta, on the other hand, had a land-based military and lacked a strong navy, which limited its ability to challenge Athens' maritime empire.The Role of Diplomacy: Rahe argues that diplomacy played a crucial role in the first Peloponnesian War. Sparta was able to form alliances with other states in the Peloponnese and to isolate Athens diplomatically. Athens, on the other hand, was less successful in building alliances and ultimately faced a coalition of states led by Sparta.The Limits of Military Power: Rahe suggests that the first Peloponnesian War demonstrated the limits of military power. Despite Sparta's military prowess on land, it was unable to decisively defeat Athens without naval support. Likewise, Athens' naval dominance did not translate into success on land, and it ultimately suffered a devastating defeat at the hands of Sparta.

The casual student of history (such as myself prior to studying under Dr. Rahe) may well be ignorant of the fact that the Great Peloponnesian War of Thucydidean fame was preceded by a similarly ruinous conflict. A must-read for understanding the deep causes of the war that set the stage for the decisive shift in fortunes amongst the Greek city states.

I have read the authors previous two books on classical Sparta, The spartan Regime and the grand strategy of classical the Persian challenge. Like those previous books this is a excellent book this time looking at the breakdown in the relantionship of the once allied Sparta and Athens city states and the first war between them. Everyone tends to focus on the main Peloponnesian war and forget this equally fascinating contest between them.Paul Rahe has written a excellent account of this conflict, he strikes that perfect balance between giving you the scholarly detail but in a easy to read format.A thoroughly enjoy read highly recommended