A personal journey through Greek history, juxtaposed with remarkable images that vividly depict, trace, and reinforce the art and life of the times.
Do "the classics" still have relevance at the start of the twenty-first century? Or are they just an outdated repository of class vanity, racial prejudice, and pedantic obscurantism, rooted in abstruse texts and concerned almost entirely with the activities of dead white males in strange costumes? In this wise and witty work, Frederic Raphael springs to the defense of a much-maligned but bracingly elitist world.
An erudite, wide-ranging, fluent, and original piece of writing, Some Talk of Alexander leads us from the personal experiences of the author in modern Greece into the rich store of Greek civilization: its art, politics, philosophy, mores, warfare, ethics, personal relationships, government, and literature. 106 illustrations.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
Frederic Raphael has written screenplays, novels, short-story collections, essays, and memoirs. He won an Oscar in 1965 for his sparkling screenplay Darling, and he has had great success with the films Far from the Madding Crowd and Two for the Road as well as the television series The Glittering Prizes and After the War.
Screenwriter, novelist and translator Raphael, who won an Oscar in 1965 for his screenplay for Darling, conducts a bewildering journey through ancient Greece. He jumps from topic to topic in order to demonstrate his admiration for the ancient Greek way of life. He regales us with well-known tales of Greek military leaders (Alexander, Pericles), playwrights (Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides) and philosophers (Thales, Heraclitus, Plato, Aristotle). Using Aristophanes' comedy about Socrates, Clouds, Raphael observes that philosophy was more a subject of derision than praise until Athens fell apart politically. The author attempts to demonstrate how deeply Greece influenced modern drama—Sartre's The Flies as a version of Euripides'Orestes, for example—and argues that Menander's New Comedy provides the model for contemporary soap opera, with its "intricate joinery and stock characters." Drawing on his own journeys to Greece, Raphael observes how little that country has changed over the centuries; for example, he compares the short-lived reign of the fifth-century B.C. Athenian aristocrat Aristeides with the short-lived coup in 1967 of the aristocrats known as the Colonels. Although there are some worthwhile moments, Raphael offers little that's new and exciting. B&w illus. (June)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Shipping:
US$ 6.39
From United Kingdom to U.S.A.
Shipping:
US$ 3.00
Within U.S.A.
Seller: WorldofBooks, Goring-By-Sea, WS, United Kingdom
Hardback. Condition: Very Good. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged. Seller Inventory # GOR002106251
Quantity: 3 available
Seller: Open Books, Chicago, IL, U.S.A.
hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Open Books is a nonprofit social venture that provides literacy experiences for thousands of readers each year through inspiring programs and creative capitalization of books. Seller Inventory # mon0000742468
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: AwesomeBooks, Wallingford, United Kingdom
Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Some Talk of Alexander: A Journey Through Space and Time in the Greek World This book is in very good condition and will be shipped within 24 hours of ordering. The cover may have some limited signs of wear but the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains undamaged. This book has clearly been well maintained and looked after thus far. Money back guarantee if you are not satisfied. See all our books here, order more than 1 book and get discounted shipping. Seller Inventory # 7719-9780500512883
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Dunaway Books, St. Louis, MO, U.S.A.
Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good. Dust jacket has some minor rubbing along top edge. Seller Inventory # 294720
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Bahamut Media, Reading, United Kingdom
Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. This book is in very good condition and will be shipped within 24 hours of ordering. The cover may have some limited signs of wear but the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains undamaged. This book has clearly been well maintained and looked after thus far. Money back guarantee if you are not satisfied. See all our books here, order more than 1 book and get discounted shipping. Seller Inventory # 6545-9780500512883
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Better World Books Ltd, Dunfermline, United Kingdom
Condition: Good. 1st Edition. Ships from the UK. Former library book; may include library markings. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages. Seller Inventory # GRP17540853
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Better World Books Ltd, Dunfermline, United Kingdom
Condition: Very Good. 1st Edition. Ships from the UK. Former library book; may include library markings. Used book that is in excellent condition. May show signs of wear or have minor defects. Seller Inventory # 11467663-6
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Nilbog Books, Portland, ME, U.S.A.
Hardcover. Condition: As New. Dust Jacket Condition: As New. First Edition (1st printing), This is a New and Unead copy of the first edition (1st priting). Seller Inventory # 001050
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Powell's Bookstores Chicago, ABAA, Chicago, IL, U.S.A.
Condition: Used - Like New. 2006. Hardcover. Small publisher's mark may be present on bottom of text block. Otherwise, Fine. Dust Jacket is Fine. Seller Inventory # A17952
Quantity: 2 available
Seller: Powell's Bookstores Chicago, ABAA, Chicago, IL, U.S.A.
Condition: Used - Very Good. 2006. Hardcover. Very Good. Seller Inventory # D12486
Quantity: 1 available