10. The father of history

Tom Holland has created an adaptation of Homer, Virgil and Thucydides for the radio and has translated Herodotus, or so called “the Father of History”.  His favorite book is “Histories” written by Herodotus during 440BC around the most exiting century for ancient Greece. A century when Athens and Sparta were the most powerful and were war was a constant aspect of life. This book has “something valuable to say to enlightened people…who believe that it is both desirable and possible to learn from history.” Herodotus was not just a historian but an anthropologist, travel-writer, geographer, and sometime a fiction writer, he “observed, he listened and he remembered what he was told.” In the book there are some reoccurring themes and lessons, such as, “Man’s fortune is unstable, warnings are heeded too late, one evil deed leads to another, hubris is succeeded by nemesis.”

                The author starts off by exalting Tom Holland and implying the importance of historical classic books or works. After that he goes into deeper depth about the book “Histories” and its Author. In the concluding paragraph he states that the English government should include a deeper study of these works because of there importance to history. The style of writing used by this author is clear and full of information. His message is understood, though only in the concluding paragraph. Overall the Author clearly conveys his point and uses a decent language to do so.    


http://www.economist.com/news/books-and-arts/21586518-new-version-most-entertaining-historians-translating-herodotus