Today’s Free Book is The End of Sparta by Victor Davis Hanson
In this sweeping and deeply imagined historical novel, acclaimed classicist Victor Davis Hanson recreates the times and wars of one of the greatest generals of ancient Greece. — Though we hear little of him today, the Greeks and Romans acclaimed Epaminondas of Thebes as the greatest man their worlds produced. In the pivotal battle of Leuktra (371 BC), Epaminondas led an army of Boiotian Greeks that shattered a larger-and far more feared-force from Sparta, the mighty city-state that had dominated Greece and enslaved the people of Messenia for some two hundred years. The next year, the firebrand general led a coalition of Greeks that overran Sparta, brought the warrior state to its knees, and freed the serfs of Messenia. We follow these epic historical events through the eyes of Melon, a farmer who has left his fields to serve with Epaminondas-a reluctant hero who fights to uphold the honor of Thebes even as he yearns to return to his pastoral hillside.
With a novelist’s gift of imagination and a scholar’s intimate knowledge, Hanson recreates the distant ancient world down to its intimate details-from the weight of a spear in a soldier’s hand to the drinking songs of Theban soldiers, to the peculiar cameraderie of a slave and master who go into battle side by side. The End of Sparta is a stirring drama and a rich, absorbing reading experience.
Hardcover, ISBN 9781608191642
We will choose a winner at random from comments we receive here on the Blog from PBS members.
You have until Sunday, April 14, 2013 at 12 noon EDT, to leave a comment.
Good Luck to everyone!
Note: All the books given away on Free Book Friday are available in the PBS Market. We have thousands of new and new overstock titles available right now, with more added hourly. Some of the prices are amazing – and you can use a PBS credit to make the deal even better!
Remember, every new book purchase supports the club and helps keep membership free!
Tags: Book Recommendations, Book Suggestions, Contests, PBS Market
Me please!
Sounds like a great read…avid fan of historical fiction and I would love to read this one!
I’ve not read this book, but it looks like an interesting one. And how did I not know of Free Book Friday before? Hmmm. Bad PBSer!
My son and I love reading Greek Mythology and Greek fiction books. Sounds good to read and share!
Happy Free Book Friday!
I WANT THIS! 🙂 Sounds awesome.
Sounds like a great book!!
This would be good for my son who is in HS and loves history. Sounds interesting to read and share!
My oldest daughter would love this! Thanks
Sounds like an interesting read!
This sounds like a great read and I’m glad you took the time to write about it so others would be inspired to read it too. Thank you!
Oh I would love this book!!!
I love Classical Greece & Sparta especially!! <3
I must read this book!
looks like a great book
Sounds really interesting! We love historical fiction–such a fun way to spark interest in history. Thanks for the review & opportunity to receive a new book.
I love historical fiction and have not read a fictionalized account of this era. I would love to read this!
I always like a good story.
I would love this book!!!
I keep seeing this book on the shelves of bookstores. This would be a great way of to have it sit on my bookshelf!
Count me in, please!
looks good!
I am a fan of historical fiction and love this period of history. I would to win this book as I don’t know much about Epaminondas of Thebes.
My husband would love this book but he says he doesn’t know how to write a prize-winning comment. I’d like to have my comment entered as good enough to gain entry and hopefully win the book for my hubby.
Looks like a good one to me! Count me in!
Fantastic Free Book Friday!!
This sounds very interesting. I love this time period. The book Gates of Fire by Stephen Pressfield is one of my favorites.
Looks like a good one.
Sounds interesting!
I just joined SO i think I should win! Lordy – but I do enjoy historical novels. My friends get so tired of hearing about things like Spain’s 1930s Civil War, or the French Aristocrats bad day, etc. Obviously they are not readers; they thumb through magazines but care nothing about “old” books.
Sound very interesting–I’m in!
Oohh..this sounds so good! I minored in Ancient History in college, plus I went to Michigan State. SPARTANS!! 🙂
Pick me…..pick me!
I MUST win this book-I LIVE in Sparta! Sparta,Michigan that is
Hey, am I on time for this great book offering?
[…] Free Book Friday! Mystery Monday – Home is the Sailor […]