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slumberbee's review
5.0
A fascinating exploration of Athens throughout Socrates’ lifetime, during which I learned quite a few interesting tidbits. It did help to see the progression of events laid out from Socrates’ birth to death and how attitudes to him and his philosophy changed as the fortunes of Athens changed though it’s important to remember that we still don’t know exactly what Socrates thought and philosophised as he never wrote anything down. What we do know comes from the words others put into his mouth (looking at you Plato). So go into this with the view to see Athens as Socrates would have during his lifetime, not as a perfectly accurate biography of Socrates, and you will have a lovely time!
caitlin_89's review against another edition
4.0
Read this for school. Pretty interesting stuff, actually! It's all about getting a better look at Socrates by looking in-depth at his surroundings. Well chosen for my intro. to Philosophy class. Reads well; the journalistic narrative is lively. Hughes uses a LOT of big words. I thought my vocabulary was pretty good, but she had me pulling out the dictionary every chapter or so.
crystalvaughan0603's review against another edition
4.0
I began this rather hefty tome thinking there wasn't much we could know about Socrates, because all we have of him are second-hand accounts. Imagine my pleasure when reading this when I realized Bettany Hughes was able to paint a picture of the "tantalizingly illusive" Socrates. He became a real person. Ms. Hughes' ability to create a such a compelling biography of Socrates is amazing. This novel is informative and entertaining. It is also, not only a biography of Socrates, but a biography of Athens, which becomes just as much a character as the humans Ms. Hughes writes about. Simply astounding! I recommend this book to anyone who wants to study history and philosophy.
octavii42's review
challenging
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
4.0
A thorough telling of the life and death of the great Greek philosopher, Socrates. I really like the way in which the author told his story. The pacing was good. However, sometimes the language used could be over the top. I think it could have been written a little simpler and still have been just as enjoyable.
sheilabookworm3369's review against another edition
3.0
3 1/2 stars. An interesting history, and Bettany Hughes did her homework. This particular work doesn't flow, so I found it best to pick it up in 20 minute intervals. It took longer than normal to get through, but I was less distracted by the side trips, and enjoyed it a lot more in the smaller doses.
heregrim's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed looking at the life of Socrates through the lens of Athens!
cerandor's review against another edition
5.0
One of the best history books I've read in a long time: Bettany Hughes illustrates the life and death of Socrates by evoking the world in which he lived, from day-to-day details to the larger political forces that eventually destroyed this philosophical gadfly. Despite the wealth of detail, it's a fascinating journey from beginning to end.
kitschbitsch's review against another edition
5.0
Socrates' life and times are brilliantly brought to life by Bettany Hughes.