It was just few hours ago that via the European History weblog I learn and read about Roz Kaveney’s latest published review of the book Thermopylae by Paul Cartledge (November 2006)
Yes, I read it, and my honest opinion is that is not a suitable review for an academic work. I do not need to explain and / or discuss further of how an individual can review a scholarly work. The review as a supposedly valuable written piece in the pages of The Independent is not a review. Ms Kaveney may be familiar with her fictional and pop-culture’s material that is publishing, but unfortunately she is giving us nothing about the book, Cartledge’s educational work, she study.
A statement which considers that “the Spartans of Thermopylae are our own death cult, suicide bombers made respectable by antiquity,” cannot offer not even a proper logical opinion. She is comparing – contrasting the modern with the ancient without, as it seems, without knowledge of the ancient! Maybe the next time Macmillan publishing will consider more seriously their policy of where will dispatch review copies.
