Hollywoods most accurately made historical films page. Hollywoods most accurately made historical films page 18. Although there were 300 spartans present at the defense of thermopylae, there were at least 4,000 allies involved on the first two days and 1,500 men involved in the fatal last stand. Pomfrets the beautiful country and the middle kingdom was published in 2016. In his book, gibbon posits that the roman empire collapsed as a result of overextending itselfan interpretation that makes his confidence all the more puzzling, since the same interpretation could also be applied to britains military. Oct 03, 2003 i purchased and read this book because i wanted an accurate scholarly survey of sparta. If you know the answer to this question, please register to join our limited beta program and start the conversation right now. Online shopping from a great selection at books store. The spartan king leonidas lead 300 knights ans some 700 thespaian allies to the narrow pass at thermopylae, in order to hold the persians back as long as possible. This is a very informative book and brings together in a short paperback basically all extant information on ancient sparta. King leonidas and 300 spartans against million persian army. The spartans were part of greece, although they often differed in opinions with athens these two city. Battle of thermopylae is a symbol of courage and patriotism.
Nov 12, 2014 the spartans of long island by thomas verenna according to some local sources, long island was the thermopylae of the revolution and the pennsylvania germans were its spartans. The historical inaccuracies in 300 today i found out. But i dont think its too much of a stretch that the movie is accurate regarding a new delegation being sent by the new new jersey government. It would do more justice to the founding to recognize, as abigail adams famously did, that the principles of 1776 by their very nature applied to all humans, including women. The musical 1776 and historys most obnoxious revolution. The story in david mcculloughs book 1776, just out in paperback, makes it clear just. List of historical drama films and series set in near eastern. I havent written a word of it yet and am attempting to make it as historically accurate as humanely possible. The concept, music, and lyrics were by sherman edwards, and the book was written by peter stone. Still a tiny figure compared to the forces against themthere is evidence that the vast persian army has been vastly exaggeratedbut more than the legend, which forgets some contributors. Paul cartledge traces the evolution of spartan society and culture, from its legendary origins through its brief dominance over all of greece, to its eventual decline in the roman era, examining the citys. Check out our wide selection of spartan inspired designs and new styles from great brands like reebok, tomtom, spartan. According to some local sources, long island was the thermopylae of the revolution and the pennsylvania germans were its spartans. Feel free to submit interesting articles, tell us about this cool book you just read, or start a discussion about who everyones favorite figure of minor french nobility is.
Since others have already done columbus, ill stick with galileo, since its my favourite story to tell my students, and a good way to show that history ca. Always helpful and often included on the inside of the covers. It emerged as a political entity around the 10th century bc, when the invading dorians subjugated the local, nondorian population. Spartans the movie 300 inaccuracies and battle techniques. In reality, the average spartan warrior wore many kilograms of war equipment, usually made of iron.
Jul 17, 2012 furthermore, it ignores the historical themes highly accurate ones, i might add captured by peter stone and sherman edwards, the authors of 1776, that are there for all to see. Curiously, both ancient commentators attribute spartan height to the restricted diet of youth going through the spartan agoge. I did not want another hollywoodinspired story that glossed over the bad in favor of glorifying the 300. Zack snyder also presents spartans fighting almost naked, wearing only leather underwear and a red cape, most likely inspired by supermans outfit according to snyder, the movie was more based on frank miller and lynn varleys 1998 comic series of the same name, than actual history. Yet, as is often the case, many of the perceptions we have of ancient sparta are. Interestingly enough, it is the original movie which provided the inspiration for miller to write the series and its manifestation of the. Furthermore, it ignores the historical themes highly accurate ones, i might add captured by peter stone and sherman edwards, the authors of 1776, that are there for all to see.
Once again paul cartledge is let down by his possible lack of editor. This website is dedicated to king leonidas, the 300 spartans, 700 thespians and other greek warriors who fought to the death during the battle of thermopylae hot gates in august, 480 b. It is widely known that the spartans produced some of the most brutally efficient warriors of all time, but how did they gain that reputation. The book focuses on the military aspects of the revolution during that year, the battles at dorchester heights, long island, and trenton, as well as the military chain of command for both the continental and british army. The spartans is a threepart historical documentary series presented by bettany hughes and first broadcast on uks channel 4 on 17 november 2002. Start studying 1776 book vocabulary, dates, people. In 480 bc, king xerxes lead a persian army of between one and two million into greece. Minimalism in the ancient spartan lifestyle and philosophy. Accurate accounts of history show that the spartans did not limit themselves to physical training, but were devoted to refining their intellect to an equal extent. In this captivating book, mccullough reminds readers of american history, that important as they were, the founding fathers were politicians first, leaders, second. May 28, 20 sparta was located in the fertile eurotas valley of laconia in the southeast peloponnese. Did the untrained, impromptu existence of the colonial army give it any advantages over the. The telegraph selects the best war and history books ever written. His research is full of insights about why china matters in todays world of economic and cultural challenges.
As enjoyable as the book is, 1776 recounts an ofttold tale, one that has attracted the attention of many historians over the years. However, there are at least 3 layers of historical inaccuracy piled on top of that, which makes the result ever so slightly less reliable. Paul cartledge argues that the spartans are our ancestors, every bit as much as the athenians. Renowned for their ferocity in battle, rigid selfdiscipline, and their legendary wit and terseness. Sparta was a warrior society in ancient greece that reached the height of its power after defeating rival citystate athens in the peloponnesian war 431404 b. Although some aspects of the story were exaggerated, the film was for the most part historically accurate. The spartans are enhanced to rival the amazons in strength, agility, durability, etc. Nov 08, 2002 the spartans were a society of warriorheroes who were the living exemplars of such core values as duty, discipline, selfsacrifice, and extreme toughness. An epic history by paul cartledge, accompanied the series.
The musical opened on march 16, 1969 and closed on february, 1972. Gates of fire from amazon, the national bestseller. Great history makes an effort of giving an accurate representation of what was and not. Sparta is one of the most extreme civilizations in earths history. About the author paul cartledge, professor of greek history at the university of cambridge, is the author of alexander the great, the spartans, and the greeks. Gives you an idea of what fighting the spartans would have looked like. In the united states, like other countries, we honor deceased veterans with unique headstones and even burial rights in national cemeteries. Sparta, argos and paros hold the first documented musical competitions in greece. The greatest success of the spartans 72 words bartleby. Jul 25, 2003 elie wiesel spent his early years in a small transylvanian town as one of four children. My two favourite are the trial of galileo galilei and the genius of christopher columbus. Aug 29, 20 the book covers centuries but the maps offer no help with time lines.
Spartans had to prove their fitness even as infants. Apr 15, 2014 in the process, miss tyson unapologetically lost her journalistic objectivity. What are some good books to read to learn about the. Best books to read on ancient sparta i just recently finished gates of fire by steven pressfield, and im burning to read more on the spartans. The book includes multiple pages of full color illustrations, including portraits and historical battlefield maps made by british engineers at the time. The series subsequently premiered on abc in australia on 1 june 2003 and on pbs in the united states on 6 august 2003 a book, the spartans. Archaeological evidence, however, suggests that sparta itself was a new settlement created from the 10th century bce. Im fascinated by the idea that some of these ancient works might survive, somewhere. However, it is the 1962 movie the 300 spartans where a more accurate depiction by david farrar is seen of xerxes i. Carleton in 1776 and gen burgoyne in 1777 events crucial to understanding the rebel american victory in the war for independence. Both plutarch and more importantly xenophon claim that spartans were on average taller than other men. He has the merit, with the spartan band, in connection with captain towsons artillery.
But to that number you should add those under and over age,and women. The project gutenberg ebook of the medallic history of the united. Genise perhaps thinking of the obama administrations illadvised operation fast and furious. The world will know that free men stood against a tyrant, that few stood against many, and before this battle was over, even a godking can bleed. Yet, how do you honor veterans in a civilization that is composed entirely of those who serve in the military, like the spartans of ancient greece. The spartans is a compelling narrative that explores the culture and civilization of the most famous warrior people. Sparta was a warrior society in ancient greece that reached the height of its power after defeating rival citystate athens in the peloponnesian war. Sparta or lacedaemon, was a prominent citystate in ancient greece, situated on the banks of the eurotas river in laconia, in southeastern peloponnese. Ancient sparta is one of the most wellknown cities in classical greece. The dolichos footrace is added to the schedule of the olympic games and is won by akanthos of sparta.
The book of maccabees includes the letter that areius king of sparta sent 1 the first book of maccabees, 12. Marines, as military historian warren cold war, 1996, etc. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. The spartans were the elite soldiers of greece if youre american, think elite marines or rangers if youre britishaust think sas or commandos. Does this book relate in any way to the current state of the world and the united states. Mccullough is not trying to tell the story of the american revolution or even. In their height of power,around 500 bc,around 8000 citizen hoplites. The historical drama or period drama is a film genre in which stories are based upon historical events and famous people. Pomfrets references are extensive and very impressive. In this edition of presenting the facts, we explore the 1972 movie adaptation of the musical 1776. Skits based upon the film have appeared on saturday night live and robot chicken, the latter of which mimicked the visual style of 300 in a parody set during the american revolutionary war, titled 1776. What present day people are the descendants of the.
Nov 21, 2005 a laudatory history of the leathernecks, whose fortunes have taken them to every corner of the world. Seattle times the spartans presented in this book could change the popular image of ancient history, making it more compelling and accessible. According to edwards and stones historical note in the back of the 1776 script book, hopkins was. The 1776 1777 northern campaigns is the first, fullscale presentation in atlas form of the two abortive britishgerman invasions of new york gen. The battle takes place at the beach, and they both start roughly. How did they hold on to their culture built solely around war with almost all other work falling to slaves. My opinion on this book is that it is a great and interesting read that captures the attention of the reader and ties in ideally to our marine corps values. I would not call this a full up book, but it covers the period of the spartans in greece.
The musical 1776 and history s most obnoxious revolution. Unlike alexander the great in the same series the spartans almost follows a natural choronological timeline which makes it much easier to read. Im in the middle of trying to write a novel about ancient greece ie. Well, i had written several books of history prior to my biographical projects. Lo scudo di talos is a historical fiction novel written by the italian writer valerio massimo manfredi in 1988. The film was successful in the box office and was also nominated for. A captivating guide to the fierce warriors of ancient greece, including spartan military tactics, the battle of thermopylae, how sparta was ruled, and more. According to the infographic site, information is beautiful, the film was 74. These rugged, crimson clad soldiers knew a lifestyle that few of us today could imagine or endure. He was the only one of the family to survive what francois maurois, in his introduction, calls the human holocaust of the persecution of the jews, which began with the restrictions, the singularization of the yellow star, the enclosure within the ghetto, and went on to the mass deportations to the ovens. What are the best historically accurate books about the. I am interested in the anthropologic details, not your political or emotional slants about science. Some material from the 1776 tidbits page has been rearranged and moved over. Known for its highlyskilled warriors, elitist society, and its reverence for stoicism, people today still look to the spartans as model citizens in an idealist ancient society.
From the islands of the pacific, to korea, to the middle east, the marines strategies and tactics have evolved considerably during. But spartans were doric, so were they more olive complected or what. There were also 700 thespians, 400 thebans that made up the rear guard that defended the pass with the 300 spartans, so the rest of the greek army could retreat. However, the movie fails completely to mention that spartan society existed as it did because the spartans conquered and enslaved the entire surrounding greek population of their kingdom,making them do all the work and thus releasing the men to train and. The book presents a 240 year history of united states and china relations from 1776 to 2015. The historical reenactor accuracy wars atlas obscura.
I picked up thucydides, but i was wondering if anyone has any reccomendations. Mar 09, 2010 battle of thermopylae facts, myths, legends, map, pictures and statistics. Nov 22, 2009 the most glaring inaccuracy is that on the last day of battle the 300 spartans did not fight alone. The greek citystate of sparta is famous for being a city of soldiers. Im looking specifically for books related to spartan society at all levels especially the good old agoge.
What are some good books to read to learn about the spartan society and history. While mccullough ably pulls together masses of information, 1776 does not offer much that is new, nor does it offer fresh insights into the lives and character of the primary actors. Some historical dramas are docudramas, which attempt an accurate portrayal of a historical event or biography, to the degree that the available historical research will allow. Spartan burial practices and honoring fallen soldiers. Two good books to read to learn about the spartan society and history include the following. Jul 01, 2009 the actual circumstances and outcome of the battle are true enough, and the major characters leonidas, ephialtes, xerxes all existed. The world of the warriorheroes of ancient greece, from utopia to crisis and collapse paul cartledge, author. The spartan and thespian last stand has been immortalized in the works of herodotus and glorified in the 1962 movie the 300 spartans starring richard egan. Brithos, the elder of the two, a strong and healthy boy and talos, a crippled and weak. The spartans contentsshow new spartan history origin the rebellion new sparta a. And they developed key concepts we still use today, like the importance of selfsacrifice for the common good or the. If you just want the facts, this is the book for you. Highly disciplined and trained to be warriors from a young age, spartans were one of the most feared military forces in the greek world. These parties included scholars, soldiers, and other roman citizens.
In this case, information is beautiful declared the film was 88. This book, written by one of the worlds leading experts on sparta, traces the rise and fall of spartan society and explores the tremendous influence the spartans had on their world and even. In its essence, 300 is a retelling of herodotos account of the battle of thermopylai 480 bc, meaning that its basic narrative is as historically accurate as we could hope for. Feb 19, 2017 do you mean historical fiction or actual history.
The area was first settled in the neolithic period and an important settlement developed in the bronze age. Other historical dramas are fictionalized tales that are based on an actual person and their deeds. The founders were not romans or spartans, living for the glory of the republic. American spartans is the first modern battle history of the marines in a generation, showing exactly how the few and the proud have performed in key conflicts from iwo jima to the present, and how they have prepared and reinvented themselves between the wars. Were the spartans truly the greatest warriors of all time.
In the admiration or in aristotles case, abhorrence of their discipline and courage, the modern approach is to hone in on a perception of the spartan obsession with war. But while athens promoted democracy, individualism, culture and society, their great rivals sparta embodied militarism, totalitarianism, segregation and brutal repression. The spartans were a society of warriorheroes who were the living exemplars of such core values as duty, discipline, selfsacrifice, and extreme toughness. Jeff shahara wrote the killer angels, the definitive historical fiction book about chamberlain and the battle of gettysburg, and he and his son have written numerous other good books about the ci. Both contemporary and ancient historians have marveled at how the spartans were so well trained. Thucydidess history covers the war between sparta and athens, and though its accuracy remains moot thucydides was. That was selfevident in the strict sense of the term.
Because of the rigorous spartan laws, talos must be sacrificed to the wolves of mount taygetus as his physical weakness would. Discover the fascinating way of life of historys most elite soldiers, the spartans. The spartan phalanxes were unstoppable on land and known for their professionalism and discipline. Mar 28, 2017 in this edition of presenting the facts, we explore the 1972 movie adaptation of the musical 1776. Relatively early in greek history, even before the classical world had begun, the spartans drove through a radical social and political revolution. The spartans of long island journal of the american revolution. List of historical drama films and series set in near. Sparta has often been described as the original utopiaa remarkably evolved society whose warrior heroes were forbidden any other trade, profession. My 7th grade teacher would give just a c to these maps. Sparta founds the colony of tarentum in magna graecia. Many characters in 1776 differ from their historical counterparts. Based firmly on original sources, the spartans is the definitive book about one of the most fascinating cultures of ancient greece. Battle in northern greece 480 bc in the persian wars.
153 1383 1012 875 642 282 1259 1158 887 1355 1078 161 1347 844 553 104 417 228 1394 1047 878 549 820 110 1338 487 35 363 44 124