The way of Herodotus : travels with the man who invented history

"During the classical age of Greece, Herodotus wrote the first great prose epic and became known through the ages as "the father of history." But he was much more than that. He was also the world's first travel writer, a pioneering geographer, anthropologist, explorer, moralist, investigative reporter, foreign correspondent, and enlightened multiculturalist. He was at once a learned professor and a tabloid journalist, a man of great wit and wisdom with an unfailing eye for fabulous material to inform and amuse, to titillate, horrify, and entertain"--Inside cover. Read more... Abstract: An intriguing travel history exploring and evoking the world of Herodotus, with abundant commentary on the legacy and spirit of the father of history and the literary art he created Read more... "During the classical age of Greece, Herodotus wrote the first great prose epic and became known through the ages as "the father of history." But he was much more than that. He was also the world's first travel writer, a pioneering geographer, anthropologist, explorer, moralist, investigative reporter, foreign correspondent, and enlightened multiculturalist. He was at once a learned professor and a tabloid journalist, a man of great wit and wisdom with an unfailing eye for fabulous material to inform and amuse, to titillate, horrify, and entertain." "In the Histories by Herodotus, tall tales of dog-headed men, gold-digging ants, flying snakes, and strange sexual customs practiced in foreign lands are scattered throughout his narrative of the Persian Wars, the tumultuous encounter from which Greece emerged triumphant in the early fifth century Be. This victory, which Herodotus recorded in breathtaking detail, was one of history's most important: it gave birth to Western civilization." In The Way of Herodotus, intrepid travel historian Justin Marozzi retraces the footsteps of Herodotus through Greece, Turkey, Egypt, and war-torn Iraq, exploring the cultures and places Herodotus described 2,500 years ago. It is a lively yet thought-provoking excursion into the world of Herodotus, a sensational blend of travel and history in the spirit of the man who invented it. The first year of a baby's life brings extraordinary changes. During this exciting time, he'll grow from a helpless infant to an inquisitive toddler. You'll see your baby begin to make her wants and needs understood, to move around on her own and even to feed herself, if messily! Now thoroughly updated and revised, this parenting classic offers all the information you need to know about those first twelve months with baby. Included are the latest pediatric guidelines on nutrition; sleeping; and baby's social, emotional, intellectual, and physical development. Chart baby's progress every week and prepare for what comes next. You'll also find the latest information on common medical issues, bonding with baby, introducing first foods, new equipment and infant gear, and why sleeping on her back continues to be so important for your little one. The book no parent should be without, Your Baby's First Year Week by Week, will help you enjoy all those first coos, laughs, rollovers, and stands! During the classical age of Greece, Herodotus wrote the first history text. But what he created was much more than this. Informed by his own travels, his historical work digresses more than it chronicles, with tales of the lands and peoples he visited. As Michael Ondaatje once famously suggested, “What you find in him are the cul-de-sacs within the sweep of history.” In __The Way of Herodotus__, intrepid travel historian Justin Marozzi retraces the footsteps of Herodotus through the Mediterranean and Middle East, examining his 2,500-year-old observations about the cultures and places he visited, and finding echoes of his legacy reverberating to this day. It is a lively yet thought-provoking excursion into the world of Herodotus, with the man who invented history ever present, guiding the narrative with his discursive spirit. Introduction: Dog-headed men, gold-digging ants and flying snakes, or, Why we should all read Herodotus Turkey. Priestesses with beards ; Underwater Herodotus Iraq. Fools and wars ; Baghdad, evangelicals and mocking madmen ; Babylon Egypt. Memphis and Thebes : tall stories and self-immolating cats, or, No sex in temples, please, we're Egyptian ; Herodotus in Hollywood (and the Sahara) ; Cairo, mother of the world Greece. Athens, city hall of wisdom ; Herodotus meets Aristotle ; Thessaloniki : history on the front line ; An exorcism ; Lunch (and a good deal of Retsina) with Patrick Leigh Fermor ; 'Fill high the bowl with Samian wine!' ; Wassailing gods, pious priests and tearful monks. Content: Introduction: Dog-headed men, gold-digging ants and flying snakes, or, Why we should all read Herodotus -- Turkey. Priestesses with beards Underwater Herodotus -- Iraq. Fools and wars Baghdad, evangelicals and mocking madmen Babylon -- Egypt. Memphis and Thebes : tall stories and self-immolating cats, or, No sex in temples, please, we're Egyptian Herodotus in Hollywood (and the Sahara) Cairo, mother of the world -- Greece. Athens, city hall of wisdom Herodotus meets Aristotle Thessaloniki : history on the front line An exorcism Lunch (and a good deal of Retsina) with Patrick Leigh Fermor 'Fill high the bowl with Samian wine!' Wassailing gods, pious priests and tearful monks.

An intriguing travel history exploring and evoking the world of Herodotus, with abundant commentary on the legacy and spirit of the “father of history” and the literary art he created.

The Washington Post - Michael Sims

[Marozzi's] excellent at evoking character and scene…His descriptions sparkle…His assessments of current political and religious battles read as spontaneous but well-informed. Marozzi seems worthy of his illustrious model, as he travels with the ghost of the father of history.

Intrepid travel historian Justin Marozzi retraces the footsteps of Herodotus through the Mediterranean and Middle East, examining Herodotus's 2,500-year-old observations about the cultures and places he visited and finding echoes of his legacy reverberating to this day. The Way of Herodotus is a lively yet thought-provoking excursion into the world of Herodotus, with the man who invented history ever present, guiding the narrative with his discursive spirit.