Democracy

Thanks to Cartledge, Athenian democracy feels more vital than it has done for decades. It is a belter of a book. Peter Thonemann, Books of the Year 2016, Times Literary Supplement Paul Cartledge subtitles his new study Democracy (Oxford) A Life, and was right to do so ... The clarity and zest with which he pursues his Snark-like quarry, the breadth and variety of his reading, and his cheerful persistence against odds (matching that of his subject) combine to make this an unexpectedly enjoyable page-turner. Peter Green, Books of the Year 2016, Times Literary Supplement If you only ever buy one book on the history of democracy, make it this one. In this study, Paul Cartledge offers a thrilling account, based on his near legendarycourse of lectures at Cambridge, of why it matters more than ever to us today. Edith Hall, History Today No library should be without this wonderful book, in which Cartledge has abundantly shared his love and knowledge of ancient Greece with us. Kirkus Reviews A stimulating biography of democracy, both in theory and in all its practical manifestations ... also a thoughtful response to those scholars, such as Amartya Sen, who argue that democracy is not 'a quintessentially Western idea'. Cartledge's analysis suggests that it is just that. Classics for All a nuanced account of the meanings and meanderings of democracy. An expert in ancient history, Cartledge spends most of his time looking at the emergence of democratic ideas in Greece, but his studies of democracy's demise under the Roman and Byzantine empires and its eclipse in medieval Europe are equally well-wrought. Catholic Herald Indian secularists need to read Democracy: A Life, a delightful whistle-stop tour of ancient Greece, and ponder their position and arguments on the seperation of state and religion. Parsa Venkateshwar Rao Jr, DNA India Democracy: A Life is a magisterial and moving account of the fate of democracy, understood as the rule of the masses and political empowerment of the poor, on the basis of some workable definition of freedom and equality. In an easy, graceful style with flashes of revelatory personal expression, Paul Cartledge deploys his stunning mastery of several millennia of human history and deep knowledge of decades of scholarship to bring ancient democracy and its critics, modern as well as ancient, vividly to life. Danielle Allen, author of Our Declaration: A Reading of the Declaration of Independence in Defense of Equality Democracy: A Life is a splendid match of author and subject. Paul Cartledge has been thinking deeply about the history and meaning of democracy for most of his own life. The impressive result is a passionate and erudite biography of a revolutionary idea that became a way of life, tracing the story from democracys radical origins, to its early flourishing, multiple crises, many betrayals, and modern rebirth. Buoyed by Cartledges engaging style and complete mastery of his subject, the reader returns to our own troubled present with new appreciation for democracys deep history, and armed with fresh resources for building a more democratic future. Josiah Ober, author of The Rise and Fall of Classical Greece The fruit of a lifetimes learning, this passionately argued book reveals what made ancient Greek democracy so remarkable and so different from the tamer version we have today. By showing how far we have come from the ancient Greeks, Paul Cartledge reminds us how much we still have to learn from them. David Runciman, author of The Confidence Trap: A History of Democracy in Crisis from World War I to the Present Just what was ancient Greek democracy and why does it still matter? Scholarly giant Paul Cartledge answers those questions in this learned and readable book that glides gracefully from Aristotle and the stones of Athens to Rome, the Renaissance, the Age of Revolution, and todays era of globalization. Barry Strauss, author of The Death of Caesar: The Story of Historys Most Famous Assassination