Olympic Wandering: Time Travel Through Greece Review

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(More customer reviews)Just as no one would try to understand the American character without learning about George Washington, it's impossible to understand the Greek character without knowing something of Ulysses.
Lundberg adds a third factor, a wife who was born in Greece where he served after graduating from the US Air Force Academy. The combination serves him well; his first sentence sums up the whole meaning of Greece and the USA, "The gods ordained this country for individualism".
Sometimes we best recognize ourselves in the portrait of another; in this book, the rampant individuality of the Greeks within a strong cultural framework presents an interesting parallel to the US. If it's read merely as a travelogue, the book is interesting for anyone planning a visit. But it is more; again and again, without tiresome comparisons being made, it is also a reflection of American attitudes.
Democracy in America was built on two foundations; first, that of centuries of English individualism, and second, a study and appreciation of the basics of Greek democracy from the age of Pericles. It is much more than the spirit of 'Zorba' and 'Never on Sunday', Lundberg delves into the Greek love of personal freedom from the Trojan War to independence from Turkey.
Even though he is a scholar, he writes with the calm skill and clarity of a friend rather than the precise obfuscation of a pedant. The usual travel books emphasize objects, from ancient monuments to modern taxi fares; this book offers a clear introduction to the spirit and attitude of the Greeks. It is a nice introduction to the 'Iliad' and 'Odyssey', as well as classics such as 'The Greek Way' by Edith Hamilton.
Most books emphasize the landscape and monuments and weather and other such abstractions, with the result the depth of insight for many tourists is limited to "saw the Acropolis, it was nice". Read this and you'll come home with the warm feeling "saw the Acropolis, the Greeks are wonderful people".
And, for those who don't travel, there will be an increased appreciation of America. Think of the fate of this country without 'Ulysses' -- as in Ulysses S. Grant. Lundberg doesn't offer such comparisons; but, this book is likely to unleash any reader's imagination and insight.

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Alexandria: City of the Western Mind Review

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(More customer reviews)One wants to like a book that one has spent some deal
of money to have bought. Perhaps one should also do a
bit more intensive reading in the book before one
purchases it. "Let the buyer beware."
This is a book for the general reader, not for the
scholar, nor for anyone who wants reliable information
reliably presented. The first perplexing thing is that
the publishers have put the map of the ancient city in
such a two-page layout that the mausoleum for Alexander's
body which forms such a central axis for the city and
for this book, is hidden in the folds between the two
pages. This is certainly provocative, but also a bit
irritation producing.
Then comes the author's recounting of Alexander's
career. The events are mixed up, in the wrong
chronological sequence. He has put the Egyptian
experience of Alexander at the beginning of Alexander's
invasion (as a prelude, seeking of wisdom from the Oracle
at Siwah), before the invasion even starts. One hopes
that this is just a slip of the Word Processing program.
It seems like parts have been inserted in wrong places...
so that the final draft should have been more closely
scrutinized by author, copy editor, and someone in the
know about Alexander's career. The author thanks many
people at the beginning of this book. After reading
the book, some of those people might not want to be
thanked.
A nice helpful addition might have been an Appendix
or two containing such things as a chronology of the
Ptolemy rulers of Egypt -- and a chronology of the
significant events of the ancient city itself.
The intended target for this book seems to be the
general reader who might know next to nothing about
Alexander the Great, the ancient city of Alexandria,
or its cultural history. If that is so, then the
book might be a "worthy" buy for such a person, as
a beginner's introduction; but then one should move
on. And certainly one should not take this book, nor
recommend this book as a definitive treatment of either
Alexander or Alexandria.
As an alternative, or addition (depending upon the
reader's tastes and decisions) I would recommend
a compact, well illustrated, well written paperback
book titled -Alexandria: Jewel of Egypt- by Jean-Yves
Empereur, published by Harry N. Abrams, Inc., (English
version, 2002).

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