Fans pick 89 books like Aretes de Esparta (Histórica)

By Lluís Prats Martínez,

Here are 89 books that Aretes de Esparta (Histórica) fans have personally recommended if you like Aretes de Esparta (Histórica). Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Alexander: Child of a Dream

Christian Zamora Salamanca Author Of The legacy of Sparta

From my list on the great Spartan Nation.

Why am I passionate about this?

My passion for the Spartans and ancient history in general comes from the iconic idea that those men needed to have a lot of courage to face the battles they faced and survive that. These soldiers faced terrible deaths in every battle to defend their families, their lands, their cities. More specifically, the ability of the Spartans to understand that through suffering and lack they could become stronger even if that meant suffering it in their flesh or seeing their children suffer. The different ways of understanding the world by the Persians, the Romans, the Greeks, the Celts... is something incredible.

Christian's book list on the great Spartan Nation

Christian Zamora Salamanca Why did Christian love this book?

This series of three books are very exciting. From beginning to end the reader is immersed in Alejandro's life in an impressive way. A recommended reading both as entertainment and at the level of historical and cultural learning. The story is well documented and explained, helping you feel what the different characters feel.

By Valerio Massimo Manfredi,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Alexander as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The first title in an international blockbuster trilogy of brutal passion and grand adventure in ancient Greece.This is the story of a boy, born to a great king - Philip of Macedon - and his sensuous queen, Olympias. It tells of the stern discipline of Philip and the wild passions of Olympias, and how, together, they formed Alexander, a young man of immense, unfathomable potential, capable of subjugating the known world to his power, and thought of by his contemporaries as a god. Alexander's swift ascent to manhood, as a protege of Aristotle and close friend of Ptolemy and Hephiaston,…


Book cover of Okela: Espartanos en Cantabria

Christian Zamora Salamanca Author Of The legacy of Sparta

From my list on the great Spartan Nation.

Why am I passionate about this?

My passion for the Spartans and ancient history in general comes from the iconic idea that those men needed to have a lot of courage to face the battles they faced and survive that. These soldiers faced terrible deaths in every battle to defend their families, their lands, their cities. More specifically, the ability of the Spartans to understand that through suffering and lack they could become stronger even if that meant suffering it in their flesh or seeing their children suffer. The different ways of understanding the world by the Persians, the Romans, the Greeks, the Celts... is something incredible.

Christian's book list on the great Spartan Nation

Christian Zamora Salamanca Why did Christian love this book?

The ease of reading of this author is fascinating. He also manages to tell us a story that he connects in a wonderful way with some Roman remains found in the north of Spain. Definitely a great read if the reader can read Spanish. It is full of exciting and brilliant moments that the reader of ancient history will undoubtedly appreciate.

By Pedro Santamaría Fernández,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Okela as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Madrid. 23 cm. 426 p. Encuadernacin en tapa blanda de editorial ilustrada. Coleccin 'Histrica'. Santamara, Pedro 1975-. Histrica (Ediciones Pmies) .. Este libro es de segunda mano y tiene o puede tener marcas y seales de su anterior propietario. ISBN: 9788496952867


Book cover of Termópilas (Grandes Batallas)

Christian Zamora Salamanca Author Of The legacy of Sparta

From my list on the great Spartan Nation.

Why am I passionate about this?

My passion for the Spartans and ancient history in general comes from the iconic idea that those men needed to have a lot of courage to face the battles they faced and survive that. These soldiers faced terrible deaths in every battle to defend their families, their lands, their cities. More specifically, the ability of the Spartans to understand that through suffering and lack they could become stronger even if that meant suffering it in their flesh or seeing their children suffer. The different ways of understanding the world by the Persians, the Romans, the Greeks, the Celts... is something incredible.

Christian's book list on the great Spartan Nation

Christian Zamora Salamanca Why did Christian love this book?

The legendary feat of the 300 Spartans who sacrificed for their city and their ideals is narrated in an excellent way in this book that also accurately reflects the way of thinking and understanding the world. A highly recommended reading for those who wish to learn about the world of the Spartans. In this story are the most important events of that historic moment.

By Paul Cartledge,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Termópilas (Grandes Batallas) as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

“Viajero, ve a Esparta y cuenta que aquí hemos muerto en obediencia a sus leyes” dicen las célebres palabras del poeta Simónides que glorifican el heroísmo de los 300 guerreros espartanos que, liderados por Leónidas, dieron sus vidas en el paso de las Termópilas, conteniendo al enorme ejército del rey persa Jejes. Esta batalla fue un auténtico choque entre civilizaciones y la leyenda del heroísmo y sacrificio de la élite de guerreros espartanos en defensa de la libertad de su patria fue esencial para definir la identidad de la Grecia clásica y sus ecos llegan hasta nuestros días. La de…


Book cover of Hunting the Eagles

Christian Zamora Salamanca Author Of The legacy of Sparta

From my list on the great Spartan Nation.

Why am I passionate about this?

My passion for the Spartans and ancient history in general comes from the iconic idea that those men needed to have a lot of courage to face the battles they faced and survive that. These soldiers faced terrible deaths in every battle to defend their families, their lands, their cities. More specifically, the ability of the Spartans to understand that through suffering and lack they could become stronger even if that meant suffering it in their flesh or seeing their children suffer. The different ways of understanding the world by the Persians, the Romans, the Greeks, the Celts... is something incredible.

Christian's book list on the great Spartan Nation

Christian Zamora Salamanca Why did Christian love this book?

A wonderful book that will show us the story of a Roman soldier, his experiences, his way of thinking, and his ability to rebuild himself. We can also learn a lot about Roman culture and their way of seeing the world. A great book that leaves no one indifferent. I really recommend this book because it shows the importance of not giving up in the face of different circumstances and changes that occur in life. I recommend this book to all types of readers.

By Ben Kane,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Hunting the Eagles as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From 'the rising star of historical fiction' (Wilbur Smith) a new Eagles of Rome novel, by the Sunday Times bestselling author of Eagles at War.

JUSTICE , HONOUR, REVENGE

AD 14: Five long years have passed since the annihilation of three legions in the wilds of Germania.

Demoted, battle-scarred and hell-bent on revenge, Centurion Tullus and his legionaries begin their fightback. Ranged against them is the charismatic chieftan Arminius, determined to crush the Romans for a second time.

Convinced that the eagle belonging to his old legion is close at hand, Tullus drives ever deeper into enemy lands.

But with…


Book cover of The Cambridge Illustrated History of Ancient Greece

Paul Cartledge Author Of Thebes: The Forgotten City of Ancient Greece

From my list on ancient Greece and their world.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have studied Classics and Ancient Greek history since my teens, I read ‘Greats’ (Ancient History and Philosophy) at Oxford, completed an archaeological doctorate on early Sparta also at Oxford (1975), while spending my teaching career (1972-2014) in Northern and Southern Ireland, and in England at Warwick and Cambridge Universities. I retired as the inaugural, endowed A.G. Leventis Professor of Greek Culture before taking up my current position as A.G. Leventis Senior Research Fellow of Clare College, Cambridge. I have been the author, co-author, editor, or co-editor of some 30 books on ancient Greek history, most recently Thebes: the Forgotten City of Ancient Greece.

Paul's book list on ancient Greece and their world

Paul Cartledge Why did Paul love this book?

Not – repeat not – because I am its editor and wrote more than half of it but mainly because this is I believe the one-volume, one-stop-shop book to have on your shelves or digitally on your computer if you want to gain something like a complete understanding and appreciation of the world or rather worlds of Ancient Greece. I can do no better than quote from the ‘blurb’ provided online by the C.U.P. itself.

It is sumptuously illustrated throughout, almost entirely in colour. It offers fresh interpretations of the whole range of ‘Classical’ Greek culture, different aspects of which are expertly handled by members of an international cast of top-notch scholars both male and female. These aspects include: the influences of the environment and economy; the effects of interstate tensions; the implications of (bi-, homo-, hetero-normative) sexuality; the experiences of workers, soldiers, slaves, peasants and women; and the roles…

By Paul Cartledge,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Cambridge Illustrated History of Ancient Greece as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Sumptuously illustrated in colour and packed with fascinating information, The Cambridge Illustrated History of Ancient Greece is now available for the first time in a revised paperback edition. Offering fresh interpretations of classical Greek culture, the book devotes as much attention to social, economic, sexual and intellectual aspects as to politics and war. Paul Cartledge and his team ask what it was like for an ordinary person to partake in 'the glory that was Greece'. They examine the influences of the environment and economy; the effect of interstate tensions; the implications of sexuality; the experience of workers, soldiers, slaves, peasants…


Book cover of The Spartans: The World of the Warrior-Heroes of Ancient Greece

Tony Perrottet Author Of The Naked Olympics: The True Story of the Ancient Games

From my list on on the classical world to accompany the Olympics.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a historian, journalist, and travel writer, Tony Perrottet has made a career out of bringing the past to vivid life. Born in Australia, he started writing as a foreign correspondent in South America, where he covered guerrilla wars in Peru, drug running in Colombia, and military rebellions in Argentina. He continues to commute to Athens, Iceland, Tierra del Fuego, and Havana, while contributing to the Smithsonian Magazine, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal, amongst others. He has written six books on subjects ranging from classical tourism to the Pope's "pornographic bathroom" in the Vatican, and most recently, ¡Cuba Libre!, an anecdotal account of the Cuban Revolution. His travel stories have been selected seven times for the Best American Travel Writing series, and he is a regular guest on the History Channel, where he has spoken about everything from the Crusades to the birth of disco.

Tony's book list on on the classical world to accompany the Olympics

Tony Perrottet Why did Tony love this book?

Of the over 1,000 independent city-states that made up the Hellenic world -- and competed in the Olympic Games -- Sparta is today the most notorious and influential (after Athens). This book provides a wonderful insight into its extraordinary culture, where Spartan males were brought up in a strict, even ruthless regime of military training, discipline, and self-sacrifice for the communal good -- but where women were given unexpected freedom and power.

By Paul Cartledge,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Spartans as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The Spartan legend has inspired and captivated subsequent generations with evidence of its legacy found in both the Roman and British Empires. The Spartans are our ancestors, every bit as much as the Athenians. But while Athens promoted democracy, individualism, culture and society, their great rivals Sparta embodied militarism, totalitarianism, segregation and brutal repression. As ruthless as they were self-sacrificing, their devastatingly successful war rituals made the Spartans the ultimate fighting force, epitomized by Thermopylae. While slave masters to the Helots for over three centuries, Spartan women, such as Helen of Troy, were free to indulge in education, dance and…


Book cover of Sparta and Persia

John O. Hyland Author Of Persian Interventions: The Achaemenid Empire, Athens, and Sparta, 450−386 BCE

From my list on Achaemenid Persia and its Greek neighbors.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been fascinated with ancient history since childhood, but really fell in love with the Achaemenids in college while taking classes on Greek history and wondering about the other side’s perspective on familiar stories of the Persian Wars. I was fortunate to get the opportunity to study both Greek and Persian history in graduate school at the University of Chicago, a leading center of scholarship on the Achaemenid world since the Persepolis excavations in the 1930s. Since 2006, I’ve taught in the History department at Christopher Newport University, a liberal arts university in Newport News, Virginia. I’m currently working on my next book, a new history of Persia’s Greek campaigns. 

John's book list on Achaemenid Persia and its Greek neighbors

John O. Hyland Why did John love this book?

This short book inspired me to become a historian of Persian-Greek relations, and my own first book sought to build on its foundations. It contains a series of lectures by a great scholar of ancient history and languages, reflecting on the partnership between two ancient powers that were less foreign to one another in cultural and political terms than often supposed. Rather than focusing on Xerxes’ invasion and Thermopylae, it explores the worldviews, communication methods, and diplomatic practices of Spartan elites and Persian officials over the century that followed, brilliantly tracing how the Spartans and Persians crafted their Peloponnesian War alliance and overcame a number of disputes to complete the peace of 386, which provided autonomy for Greeks outside Asia while consolidating Persian rule over Greeks in Asia Minor.  

By David M. Lewis,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Sparta and Persia as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

put these thoughts in the mouth of someone whom he disapproved


Book cover of Halo: The Fall of Reach

Bryan Wilson Author Of The Forsaken Planet

From my list on sci-fi and fantasy books that inspired me to write my book.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have had a love of sci-fi and fantasy since I was twelve, and I have been an avid reader since then. I have always had an obsession with all things space and the mysteries that reside out there, and it was my dream to create a story that intermixed that with the fantasy worlds I grew up adoring. Since I released my debut book, I have broken into the indie social scene across multiple platforms. I am part of a sixteen-person author group where we share our passion and ideas for one another’s writing, and I have been on numerous BookTube channels and podcasts discussing the craft.

Bryan's book list on sci-fi and fantasy books that inspired me to write my book

Bryan Wilson Why did Bryan love this book?

I recommend this book because it can help give a reader a good idea of what to expect with the military aspect of my story. I was always a massive fan of the games and was sure to jump into the books when they were released. And I enjoyed the books just as much.

I like to think the overall franchise influenced the ideas I came up with for my battle school setting in book one and other factors pertaining to the story.

Book cover of Mani: Travels in the Southern Peloponnese

Tony Spawforth Author Of What the Greeks Did for Us

From my list on travel in Greece, ancient and modern.

Why am I passionate about this?

I became passionate about ancient Greece as a teenager when I studied the ancient languages and history at school. I was also lapping up ancient Greece on film—back then the so-so Burton-Taylor Cleopatra really impressed. I got enthused by historical novels too, Mary Renault’s especially. My first visit to Greece as a university student hooked me on modern Greece as well. Since then, I’ve become a professional academic specialising in ancient Greece and have been lucky enough to develop a lifelong relationship with modern as well as ancient Greeks. I lived in Greece for six years in my twenties, and have gone back repeatedly ever since. I’ve published widely on Greece’s ancient history and archaeology.

Tony's book list on travel in Greece, ancient and modern

Tony Spawforth Why did Tony love this book?

This book is a gem for lovers of Greece and of superlative English prose.

For me the book is far and away the best evocation of a wild and remote part of Greece that I got to know and treasure when tramping through its olive fields in search of ancient inscriptions. Leigh Fermor was incapable of writing a dull sentence.

His imagination allied with what he observed himself in his wanderings combine to bring out all the strangeness of Mani’s history of brigands and vendettas, of villages bristling with defensive towers and of fishermen descended—perhaps—from Byzantine emperors.   

By Patrick Leigh Fermor,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Mani as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This is Patrick Leigh Fermor's spellbinding part-travelogue, part inspired evocation of a part of Greece's past. Joining him in the Mani, one of Europe's wildest and most isolated regions, cut off from the rest of Greece by the towering Taygettus mountain range and hemmed in by the Aegean and Ionian seas, we discover a rocky central prong of the Peleponnese at the southernmost point in Europe.

Bad communications only heightening the remoteness, this Greece - south of ancient Sparta - is one that maintains perhaps a stronger relationship with the ancient past than with the present. Myth becomes history, and…


Book cover of Home

LeRoy Clary Author Of Nine Years After

From my list on post apocalyptic without the usual violent stories.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve written over 30 novels, mostly fantasy, until meeting a prepper years ago in a tavern with a cold beer and a quiet table. He explained that EVERYTHING depends on farmers and trucks carrying food to us. My last six or eight novels dwell on that one theme, no matter if the cause is volcanoes erupting, social breakdown, or an upcoming war. When the food is scarce…well, that’s the background for books I enjoy.

LeRoy's book list on post apocalyptic without the usual violent stories

LeRoy Clary Why did LeRoy love this book?

The first of nine books in the series, I liked that the main character lived alone and protected his land, along with the graves of his wife and child as company. His survival preparations were far more than just shooting others and taking what they had. This book has compassion, which many others lack. It leads naturally to book 2 and beyond.

By Tom Abrahams,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Home as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

HE THOUGHT HE WAS PREPARED. HE THOUGHT HIS FAMILY WAS SAFE. HE WAS WRONG. Five years after a pneumonic plague killed two-thirds of the world’s population, army veteran Marcus Battle is isolated. He’s alone with his guns, his food, and the graves of his wife and child. Unaware of the chaos that’s befallen everything outside of his central Texas ranch land, Marcus lives a Spartan life. If anyone steps onto his property he shoots first and never ask questions. But when a woman in distress, chased by marauders, seeks asylum, Marcus has a decision to make. Does he throw her…


Book cover of Alexander: Child of a Dream
Book cover of Okela: Espartanos en Cantabria
Book cover of Termópilas (Grandes Batallas)

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Interested in Sparta, the United Kingdom, and Ancient Greece?

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