SOCIAL SCIENCES

The Plague of War: Athens, Sparta, and the Struggle for Ancient Greece

by Jennifer T. Roberts
Oxford Univ. (Ancient Warfare & Civilization). Jan. 2017. 432p. illus. maps. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780199996643. $34.95. HIST
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Focusing on "lessons for the future," with the hope that societies can avoid repeating the violent struggles and conflicts of the past, this contribution by Roberts (classics, history, City Coll. of New York; Athens on Trial) adds the seventh book in the series. The bulk of the work analyzes the military strategies employed by both Athens and Sparta, while also detailing the politics and personalities behind the course of events. A time line provides connections to the context and culture. References to primary source material ground the work with contemporary accounts while citations of recent scholarship direct readers to other arguments and further research. While the author's conclusion is open-ended, she does raise the question as to the value of war and its long-range costs to society as a whole.
VERDICT This academic introduction to the Peloponnesian War would make an excellent addition to any library looking for a single, easy-to-read work that covers Athens and Sparta in an scholarly manner.
Reviewed by Mark Hanson, Maranatha Baptist Univ. Lib., Watertown, WI , Nov 15, 2016
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