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Lion Gate: Journey in Search of the Mycenaeans
The Lion A journey in search of the Mycenaeans (Cadet Edition)
- GenresHistory
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1963
1 person is currently reading
19 people want to read
About the author
Leonard Cottrell
181 books24 followersLeonard Eric Cottrell was a prolific and popular British author and journalist. Many of his books were popularizations of the archaeology of ancient Egypt.
Leonard Cottrell was born in 1913 in Tettenhall, Wolverhampton, to William and Beatrice Cottrell (née Tootell). His father inspired his interest in history from a very young age. At King Edward's Grammar School, Birmingham, Leonard was notably only interested in English and history, in which he read widely.
In the 1930s, Cottrell toured the English countryside on his motorcycle, visiting prehistoric stone circles, burial mounds of the Bronze Age, medieval and Renaissance monuments. On those journeys, he was often accompanied by Doris Swain, whom he later married. After gaining experience writing articles on historical subjects for motoring magazines, he wrote his first documentary for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in 1937.
Cottrell was rejected by the RAF during World War II for medical reasons, but he joined the BBC in 1942 and was stationed in the Mediterranean with the RAF in 1944, as a war correspondent. His wartime experiences formed the basis of his book All Men are Neighbours (1947). He worked at the BBC until 1960, when he resigned and moved to a house overlooking the estuary of the River Kent in Westmoreland, Cumbria, where he stayed for the rest of his life, writing.
Among other achievements, Cottrell was the editor of the Concise Encyclopaedia of Archaeology (1965).
He was married and divorced twice, first to Doris Swain (divorced 1962) and Diana Bonakis (married 1965; divorced 1968). He had no children by either marriage.
Leonard Cottrell died on 6 October 1974.
Leonard Cottrell was born in 1913 in Tettenhall, Wolverhampton, to William and Beatrice Cottrell (née Tootell). His father inspired his interest in history from a very young age. At King Edward's Grammar School, Birmingham, Leonard was notably only interested in English and history, in which he read widely.
In the 1930s, Cottrell toured the English countryside on his motorcycle, visiting prehistoric stone circles, burial mounds of the Bronze Age, medieval and Renaissance monuments. On those journeys, he was often accompanied by Doris Swain, whom he later married. After gaining experience writing articles on historical subjects for motoring magazines, he wrote his first documentary for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in 1937.
Cottrell was rejected by the RAF during World War II for medical reasons, but he joined the BBC in 1942 and was stationed in the Mediterranean with the RAF in 1944, as a war correspondent. His wartime experiences formed the basis of his book All Men are Neighbours (1947). He worked at the BBC until 1960, when he resigned and moved to a house overlooking the estuary of the River Kent in Westmoreland, Cumbria, where he stayed for the rest of his life, writing.
Among other achievements, Cottrell was the editor of the Concise Encyclopaedia of Archaeology (1965).
He was married and divorced twice, first to Doris Swain (divorced 1962) and Diana Bonakis (married 1965; divorced 1968). He had no children by either marriage.
Leonard Cottrell died on 6 October 1974.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 10, 2019
Leonard Cottrell's books are dated, but still wonderful reading, and this one especially brings archaeological discovery to life, because the author is open to so many different interpretations of the data. It also depicts Greece as it was more than half a century ago, before the full impact of modern tourism. My wife and I have been visiting Mycenean sites in Crete and mainland Greece, so naturally I added this to our library, among several books on the subject. My only complaint is that where Greek appears in the book it has been hopelessly disfigured by misprints. The dedication to Michael Ventris, the decipherer of Linear B, should read: ὃν οἱ θεοὶ φιλοῦσιν, ἀποθνῄσκει νέος ("Those whom the gods love die young").
February 5, 2021
Read old books. Sure the info is probably not current but the writing is imbued with a sense of adventure and forthright investigation that you don't get these days. Cottrell's work is part travelogue and part introductory history of the Mycenaean people. Compelling and completely fascinating. I repeat: read old books.
November 8, 2014
Nobody has done archaeology as well as Cottrell since his sad and early death. Sir Mortimer Wheeler was a giant, but I prefer Cottrell for his more evocative prose. I suppose "Time Team" did a decent job of populist archaeology on TV, but Cottrell brought that added edge of academic rigour to his zippy journalistic writing.
This book is typical of him and is a great read. Inevitably it is rather out of date and the more recent findings about the Mycenaeans are not here. After all it was written 50 years ago now. But it is still a good introduction to a complex subject. As ever Cottrell engages the emotions and manages to conjure up a time and a place that was wiped out 3,000 years ago.
Anyway, this is a great book about early Greece. Dated and missing recent research, but still much more welcoming to someone wanting to find out about this period than most books written since. I would have given this 5 stars, but it is dated.
This book is typical of him and is a great read. Inevitably it is rather out of date and the more recent findings about the Mycenaeans are not here. After all it was written 50 years ago now. But it is still a good introduction to a complex subject. As ever Cottrell engages the emotions and manages to conjure up a time and a place that was wiped out 3,000 years ago.
Anyway, this is a great book about early Greece. Dated and missing recent research, but still much more welcoming to someone wanting to find out about this period than most books written since. I would have given this 5 stars, but it is dated.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews