The Grand Strategy of Classical Spart..., Paul A. Rahe
The Grand Strategy of Classical Spart..., Paul A. Rahe
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The Grand Strategy of Classical Sparta
The Persian Challenge

Author: Paul A. Rahe

Narrator: Bronson Pinchot

Unabridged: 14 hr 27 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 11/24/2015

Synopsis

More than 2,500 years ago, a confederation of small Greek city-states defeated the invading armies of Persia, the most powerful empire in the world. In this meticulously researched study, historian Paul Rahe argues that Sparta was responsible for the initial establishment of the Hellenic defensive coalition and was, in fact, the most essential player in its ultimate victory.Drawing from an impressive range of ancient sources, including Herodotus and Plutarch, the author veers from the traditional Athenocentric view of the Greco-Persian Wars to examine from a Spartan perspective the grand strategy that halted the Persian juggernaut. Rahe provides a fascinating, detailed picture of life in Sparta circa 480 BC, revealing how the Spartans’ form of government and the regimen to which they subjected themselves instilled within them the pride, confidence, discipline, and discernment necessary to forge an alliance that would stand firm against a great empire, driven by religious fervor, that held sway over two-fifths of the human race.

About Paul A. Rahe

Paul A. Rahe is the Charles O. Lee and Louise K. Lee Chair in Western Heritage and professor of history at Hillsdale College. His previous books include the seminal three-volume work Republics Ancient and Modern.

About Bronson Pinchot

Bronson Pinchot is an experienced narrator and actor who has appeared in multiple films and television shows. His film and television credits include Risky Business, Beverly Hills Cop, True Romance, and Perfect Strangers. A lover of Greek Revival architecture and soft shell crab, he currently resides in Manhattan.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Peter on January 23, 2022

The Grand Strategy of Classical Sparta by Paul Rahe Please give my Amazon review a helpful vote - [URL not allowed]-re... Because of the title, I came to this book expecting to learn more about Sparta. I thought this book would focus on Spartan strategy, concerns, background, etc. In......more

Goodreads review by Philjones62 on April 22, 2018

The first part of the book actually seemed to be concerned with Sparta. the second part was just a nice narrative on the Persian wars. Most of the times I thought the author mentioned Sparta just so it could vaguely tie in to the title of the book. And by the end, his use of "son of ..." to describe......more

Goodreads review by Zac on March 06, 2022

This was a fine retelling of the Persian invasions, but for more than half the book the Spartans were forgotten. They were little more than side characters in the larger struggle for independence against the Achaemenid empire. It is completely understandable to explain the contributions, causes, and......more

Goodreads review by Ivan on January 13, 2025

Interesting and well written. However, it only partly concentrates on Spartan strategy, mostly in the first chapters. Readers with knowledge of the Persian wars will find little value in other chapters, especially if discussions of Spartan strategy were expected.......more

Goodreads review by Christopher on September 06, 2021

Battles matter. An impressive deep dive into the Greco-Persian wars focused on the Spartan centrality to the Greek defensive effort. While Rahe notes that more modern historians like to focus on the non-military areas as being the source of major epochal changes, Rahe's basic premise remains that bat......more

Quotes

“[Rahe] has an excellent eye for military logistics: His account of the practicalities of Xerxes’ vast invasion of Greece is crisp and persuasive.” Wall Street Journal

“Rahe sets the story in a complicated geopolitical context, with a large cast of characters connected through a series of shifting alliances. But his relaxed, even jaunty style and his thorough analysis sustain the narrative and hold the reader’s attention. And his appreciation of the practicalities of ancient warfare…adds credibility to his accounts of the key battles.” Foreign Affairs

“Intensely well-researched and well-balanced…The Grand Strategy of Classical Sparta tells the old stories in a new light, from the Spartan point of view.” National (Scotland)

“Rahe…in this brilliant revisionist study, reminds us how Sparta, not just Athens, saved Western freedom from the Persian aggression—and did so because of its innate courage, political stability, and underappreciated genius.” Victor Davis Hanson, author of The Other Greeks

“The degree of originality in this book is remarkable. Its careful, detailed description and analysis of the Spartan constitution is full of keen understandings that help explain Spartan policy, diplomacy, and strategy.” Donald Kagan, author of The Peloponnesian War

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