Sailing the Wine-Dark Sea

Why the Greeks Matter

By: Thomas Cahill

Narrated by: John Lee

Best selling history writer Thomas Cahill continues his series on the roots of Western civilization with this volume about the contributions of ancient Greece to the development of contemporary culture. Tracing the origin of Greek culture in the migrations of armed Indo-European horsemen into Attica and the Peloponnesian peninsula, he follows their progress into the creation of the Greek city-states, the refinement of their machinery of war, and the flowering of intellectual and artistic culture. Cahill credits the Greeks with creating Western militarism, shaping Christianity, and giving us the intellectual foundations on which we base everything from dictionaries to filing systems. Cahill ably demonstrates the fascinating uniqueness of ancient Greek culture, but also shows its startling reincarnations in contemporary contexts.©2003 Thomas Cahill (P)2003 Books on Tape, Inc.

Critic reviews

"He writes in an easy, relaxed vernacular. And he enjoys himself.' (The New York Times)
"In this elegant introduction to Greek life and thought, Cahill provides the same majestic historical survey he has already offered for the Irish, the Jews and the Christians...Cahill gracefully opens up a world that has provided so much of Western culture's characteristic way of thinking." (Publishers Weekly)
"Extraordinarily knowledgeable, informal in tone, amusing, wide-ranging, smartly paced....A rich, lively presentation." (New York Times Book Review)

vocals

love john lee and his voice, well organized for the argument why the greeks matter to are western minds

I liked it!

Since I gave such a cranky review of Don't Know Much About Mythology...I need to express my enjoyment of Cahills Sailing the Wine Dark Sea. You know the juicy parts of Greek history you were sure your teacher was not discussing? They were tucked away here in Cahills book. No, I did not find the book enjoyable for it's more salacious chapters. I found it enjoyable because it was written with the passion of someone who really enjoys history and sharing. I thought the reader was pleasant to listen to also.

If Homer and Olive Oil make you think of cartoons

....then this is probably not the book for you.

But for the serious student of any of the liberal arts( philosophy, politics, history, literature, sociology, fine arts, ect.) this is a must read. Another of his series of histories, Cahill has an encyclopedic grasp of the evolution of modern western society. Lively and at times risque, he gives a persuasive arguement for the study of the classics.

It's a good read.

Greek history without tears

I chose this one to atone for all the fun I had listening to Elmore Leonard's latest, but believe it or not, I had just as much fun with this saucy update on the ancient Greeks. How do you update the ancient Greeks? Well, by considering the extent to which they were homosexual. (Quite a bit.) By Showing how Lincoln and Kennedy borrowed their best ideas, and the Bush administration their worst. And yes, I got out my old copy of Jansen and it's true--Adonis does have a tiny penis. Cahill editorializes more than he analyses, and this is a very quick romp, but he knows his stuff and puts the big picture together in a very vivid way. My only complaint is that they chose a reader who rolls every R and declaims Cahill's colloquial and modern text like old-time Shakespeare.

From theater to politics, Ancient Greece establish

If you could sum up Sailing the Wine-Dark Sea in three words, what would they be?

wine. sex. art.

Any additional comments?

The book also answered those questions that keep us all up at night, like "what's up with all the naked statues?" lol. This was the first book I'd read by Thomas Cahill. I appreciated the manner in which he presented the history of he Greece and the impact of Ancient Greek culture in modern times.

Really enjoyed this Audiobook; a good model

I have read the other Cahill books (the Jews, the Irish) and I've been very pleased with this one as an audiobook. The audiobook alternates between recitations from Homer and other epic Greek poets (Sapho, Euripedes), and Cahill's explanatory and contexual material. For an audiobook, this is excellent, since the poetry of Homer really deserves to be heard. As an audiobook format, this is nearly perfect material. This is not a hard core academic treatment; Cahill is very eclectic and undiscplined, sort of the Stephen Ambrose of the ancient world. I'm looking forward to the film 'Troy' in a few months, and this book is good background for the film.

crossing the void of time

I've always wondered about the Greeks, the ancient world, the ways that humans have lived and interacted. I found this book a very credible interpretation of the distant past, well researched and thoughtfully presented.

Some parts of the book are easier listening than others but I found the listening to for the most part interesting and engaging. It seems to me to be a montage of views into the distant past, views that have enriched my understanding of the ancient world.

Great read

A completely enjoyable book. The author and reader give you the overall picture of Ancient Greece. I admired the Greeks before I read this, but now I have a integrated sense of their culture.

Sailing thewinedark sea

The audio book was very informative. I especially liked it when it focused on Plato and socrates.

Enjoy history

I've loved Cahill's books. History that's interesting and very readable.