What are Veeky Forums's thoughts on the Landmark history series?

What are Veeky Forums's thoughts on the Landmark history series?

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I only get my thucydides fix from Graham T. Allison, thank you very much!

They are good. Nice maps, excellent scholarship. Next best thing is the source material, which you should read anyway. If you only want an overview of these events the Landmarks are more than enough. I'm not really excited about the Caesar one coming out. Homeboy kept a diary himself, and it's public domain and in English.

>t. own and have read most of your pic related

>Next best thing is the source material
Aren't these (translations of) the source material? Are they not Herodotus, Thucydides, Xenophon and Appian?

Oh, huh. Yeah I guess they are. I read mine almost a decade ago and only remember the constant maps and annotations were in Stassler's voice. Might have been confusing it with Susan Wise Bauer's book. She liked to use the phrase 'beat them off'.

I hate you.

How's the Campaigns of Alexander compared with the other three?

Probably a better question for Veeky Forums. They seem useful though, maps & commentary coupled to the primary sources seems about as good as it gets.

The quality of the physical book went really downhill with the Alexander one but the contents were great.

Really enjoyed the Thucydides one and going to start reading the Alexander one soon.

Thanks for the responses. I'll try their edition of Herodotus and see how I like it.

From what I've read here their Herodotus translation isn't the best.

...

I don't like Penguin Classics.

Nice "histories". Wouldn't it be a shame if Rankes methodology discounted ten as anything other than sources.

I've only read the Peloponnesian version, but it was great. The maps make it a lot easier to understand what's going on.

As opposed to what

That seems like a foolish decision.

what?

Sources we consider as histories.

Try reading an honours or masters "historiography" course book.

Post an example.

I dont know about the landmark series, but i have the modern library version from the 60s in its folio case, and its one of my favorite books

English second language? Or are you one of those conspiracy theorists in facebook comments?

They're fucking phenomenal. If you're an autist who wants to understand exactly what's happening any time a place is mentioned, it's perfect.

I used to beat off to Susan Wise Bauer

goodreads.com/book/show/1123077.From_Reliable_Sources

Take a second year history course and do your fucking readings.

Classics PhD student here. I read Greek and Latin, have devoted my life to this shit. Gonna be teaching soon.

The Landmark series are dope. Beautiful maps, easy to find for very cheap, Herodotus translation is good; Xenophon translation is fine; all Thucydides translations are equally fucking retarded so don't worry about that. My biggest complaint is that the bindings will fall apart if you are using these constantly, so don't crack the spines and preferably buy hardcover.

You're a fucking moron. No one reads the ancient historians as accurate chroniclers of the past. We read them because they are dope story-tellers who invented the genre of history. Go suck your TA's dick some more and leave Veeky Forums until you aren't a brainlet anymore

Yeah except the genre preceded them. I'd say good luck with your quals but they pass everyone to dilute the labour pool.

Name 1 narrative historian before Herodotus
>mfw you try to name hecataeus of miletus

Thanks for wishing me luck tho. Already got that high-pass, but it's always nice to be supported

>name
Fucking yanks.

I read both Herodotus and Thucydides and they are amazing. I'd advice buying the hardcover though

>Classics PhD student here. I read Greek and Latin
What do you think of Pope and Dryden translations for Greek and Latin? Or rather what are your prefered English translations/interpretations if you have any

I still dont know what you are talking about. I have never seen one (1) professor who doesnt encourage reading of source material along with secondary works. This is not limited to American academics either. I think you sir need to re-examine your attitude towards source material.

Fuck, I love the Moreau paintings.

Not PhD user but Dryden's Plutarch is a classic unto itself

They are terrific. The maps, notes, and archaeological additions are first rate. The translations are mostly good - they aren't the *best*, but they range from serviceable to good, much as said. He's also right about getting hard-covers over paperbacks. The Landmark series supplemented with other classical works of history and biography will give you a pretty solid grounding in Hellenic history.

I am also really looking forward to the Landmark edition of Caesar's works that is coming next month (I've already pre-ordered it), and am hopeful we also see a landmark edition of Xenophon's Anabasis at some point, as it has been rumored to in the works as well.

Basically it depends what you're reading the classics for, and what genre / books you choose. Pope especially wrote stunning poetry, but it's as much an adaptation than translation and will get you closer to British poetic aesthetics than to ancient epic. Worth reading, but not necessarily as a basis of study or as an intro to the genre. I haven't read Dryden, but that's his reputation as well.

I'll always recommend Lattimore to intro students for epic, but if you don't have any Latin or Greek, making use of commentaries and secondary material in general is gonna be more important than what translation you choose. Fagles gets shittalked around here, but he's better for a beginner than any translation pre 1900.

If you've got specific books to read, I can advise on which editions to get

Some of you folks said their translationa might not be the best, but do you think they're a good intro to the Greeks regardless? Or should l go with the Penguins instead?

Unless you have a thorough knowledge of Ancient Greek geography, the Landmark books are the way to go.

>Book Depository doesn't have any hardbacks

Just kill me already.

Well, thanks anyway, friendo.

Oh, and also, would it be a sin to read Thucydides and Xenphon before Herodotus and Arrian? Cause those are the only ones I can get my hands on.

I'm I'd say not really. Again, it depends what you're looking for. I wouldn't suggest really reading all of those all the way through for a layman / general lit needs. As in, Xenophon is about as boring as Classics get, and even Thucy gets dull if you've got nothing to look for.

Herodotus is fun all the way thru tho; comparing Thucydides and Herodotus is a classic "intro to ancient history" trope because all following historians basically will have to pick between their two styles and methodologies. So as long you start with those two, you'll be getting more out of everyone else.

What do you want to read em for? I can help with which books to concentrate on and commentaries.

Your pic just got me a boner

No particular reason, to be honest. Just so I know I've read Herodotus and Thucydides.

Any books you'd recommend for a basic overview of Ancient Greek history? Be it something as old as History of the Peloponnesian War or something more contemporary. I've always been interested in Greek history, but I only have passing knowledge of it.

okay greek nerds, what's the verdict on Durant's Life of Greece? Outdated? Still useful?

>a better question for Veeky Forums
>trusting Veeky Forums for any thing