Hellenika: Heritage and History

by T. Peter Limber

A condensed history of Greece from prehistoric times to the civil war that followed World War II. 37 full color maps. Hellenika narrates a unique story of a small physical geographical location that spawned a people with unusual intelligence, energy and daring. Although it relates the history of a country called Greece, it is more the story of the Greek people and where they settled, what they did, and the centuries-long influence they had on other peoples.

235 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1989

Reviews

[Linda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another review that disappeared and I am reposting!

DNF
What a disappointment! T Peter Limber is a Greek- American who grew up with a sporadic knowledge of the history of his ancestral homeland, a situation he felt was common among Greek- Americans. To remedy this, he wrote a text geared toward the Greek diaspora. It is a short text and spans Greek history from the prehistoric period to statehood in 1945 in a mere 234 pages.

I have a solid foundational knowledge of Greek history up through the Hellenistic Age and hoped this text would provide a framework for a would-be traveler looking to expand her knowledge base.
Unfortunately, the book resembles a poorly constructed high school text. There is little analysis and much cheerleading. Limber's primary focus is geography and military history, and various chapter segments read like encyclopedia entries. However, on the positive side, Limber fills the text with excellent colorful period maps that are helpful visualizations.
While I applaud the author's intentions, the book didn't work fo

[niko · Rating 5 out of 5]

i absolutely adore this book. i could read it over and over and still learn new information about the greek culture. the title itself “hellenika” is so catchy. T. Peter Limber’s writing though is very clunky. all in all, amazing stuff.