“The Complete Pyramids: Solving the Ancient Mysteries”, by Mark Lehner & Richard H. Wilkinson

256 pages, Thames & Hudson, ISBN-13: 978-0500050842

Like the authors, Mark Lehner & Richard H. Wilkinson, The Complete Pyramids: Solving the Ancient Mysteries is completely devoted to the Pyramids of Egypt. The major premise – that the archaeological record bears witness to an evolution of pyramid design, construction and function from the beginning to the end of the Pyramid Age – is demonstrated brilliantly and completely. It explains, without exhausting you, the religious significance of the conceptual Pyramid Complex, and then concentrates on the brick and mortar aspects of its subject.

An informative review of explorations at the pyramid sites throughout the ages is equally as interesting as the detailed descriptions of the pyramids themselves and follows in a section fittingly titled The Whole Pyramid Catalogue (which comprises fully half the volume) and is a description of each individual Egyptian Pyramid Complex presented (chronologically) with such clarity of detail that it dispels all ambiguity created by several lifetimes of sensationalist and speculative journalism surrounding its subject. In its latter pages the authors discuss the role of the Pyramid Complex as administrative center and landlord in later antiquity, and gracefully addresses the more controversial of topics, including the ubiquitous “how did they do it” question, along with his own speculations on some unanswered sociological questions: the size of the work force and logistics. Quite reasoned and well-informed estimates lead him to conclusions that will in their own right prove controversial.

One notable unintended consequence of this volume is that many artifacts, presented elsewhere as Art, assume their appropriate contextual venue and so now hold much more meaning for this reader. The Narmer Palate as declarative stellae in a walled courtyard at Nekhen is one example, while the gilded yet austere canopied boudoir of Hetepheres is another. The text is very well written and easily read. Heavily illustrated, the photographs are appropriate, of excellent quality and are well placed; line drawings are used throughout to clarify and supplement photographs. With this volume, Lehner and Wilkinson joins the ranks of Egypt's most celebrated archaeologists, and surpasses them all in understanding and presentation of the facts concerning the Pyramids.

“The Last Knight: The Twilight of the Middle Ages and the Birth of the Modern Era”, by Norman F. Cantor

272 pages, The Free Press, ISBN-13: 978-0743226882

In The Last Knight: The Twilight of the Middle Ages and the Birth of the Modern Era, Norman Cantor has written a very readable book about John Plantagenet, Duke of Lancaster and one of the most important and influential men of the 14th Century (if he sounds unfamiliar, just bear in mind that Lancaster was later called of John of Gaunt, reflecting his birth place of Ghent). Born the third son of Edward III and married to his distant heiress cousin Blanche, John became the wealthiest man in England and the 2nd Duke of Lancaster. The era spanned by his lifetime (1340-1399) was a pivotal period influenced by the Hundred Years' War and the reoccurring Black Plague which decimated the English population and influenced the futures of serfdom and Catholicism in England. The tall, handsome Lancaster would never be a king, but his descendants through his three wives would become the Lancasters, the Yorks and then the Tudors, as well as the ruling families of Portugal and Spain.

This is a VERY fast read, and Cantor leaves a lot out; this is just fine, I guess, as I don’t think his intent was to write the definitive text of John of Gaunt and the era he lived in (THAT would have required several volumes and only serious academics would have been interested in it). Cantor is more interested in writing stuff that sells as opposed to writing the absolute best history on the market. A lot of good writers (Barbara Tuchman, Lord Norwich) do this and I don't have a problem with it, and historical works will never reach a wider audience if books aren't written to engage the public (thats why its called it popular history). While this book struggles at times to engage its audience, it's meant to be a very broad overview, the purpose being to show that Gaunt lived in at the end of an era and the beginning of a new era – it wasn't to explain in detail the socioeconomic, military-political realities of Western Europe during John of Gaunt's lifetime. So enjoy it for what it is.

“The Peloponnesian War”, by Donald Kagan

511 pages, Viking, ISBN-13: 978-0670032112

Donald Kagan is the foremost authority on the Peloponnesian War, having authored a comprehensive four-volume history on the subject, which he has condensed down to a mere 500 pages or so in The Peloponnesian War. Perhaps more importantly, however, is that Kagan is also a wonderful storyteller. Do not be intimidated by the length of the book, or its topic; the subject matter is extremely rich and interesting (I mean, just because something happened 2,500 years ago doesn't mean it's boring, or irrelevant to our times); on the contrary: one of Kagan's strengths, both as a teacher and a writer, is his ability to make relevant the events of the past, not through strained parallels and comparisons, but through a deep understanding of human nature.

The Peloponnesian War reminds many of the major conflicts of the 20^th Century, and some of those comparisons are quite illuminating. For example, the showdown between the two “superpowers” of the era, Athens and Sparta, reminds many of the Cold War, and there are indeed many intriguing similarities (Kagan, who has written about such comparisons at length; see On the Origins of War and the Preservation of Peace). The author understands these parallels as clearly as anyone, but focusing on these parallels to make distant events appear relevant is, to him, unnecessary. His view (which I share; I knew you'd care) is that the Peloponnesian War does not need to be made relevant; it IS relevant, because of the unchanging character of human nature and human problems. If you expect this book to be filled with statements like “President Bush is just like Pericles because…” you will be disappointed; what you will get, however, is much more valuable.

Observing how people have dealt with the crises of the past makes us more intelligent observers of the present, not because all situations are exactly the same in their details, but because human hopes, fears and needs are fairly constant across history. It is this insight that Kagan brings to bear so effectively in his work. One of Kagan's favorite quotes from Thucydides states that nations (or city-states, as the case may be) are motivated by three things: “fear, honor and interest”; it is Kagan's view that this assertion is as true today as it was in 431 B.C. Nations have always sought to protect themselves from those they fear, maintain their national pride, and further their interests. In the process, of course, they must contend with internal and external forces – internal dissent, military rivalries, reluctant allies – forcing the leadership to make crucial choices about which path to pursue as they seek the optimal outcome for their nation. To any observer of recent events, this process would seem very familiar, and that is as it should be, for it is from this process that history unfolds.

Understanding how nations and their leaders pursue their goals, make their decisions and perceive the world around them is what makes reading history interesting. By choosing the Peloponnesian War as your case-study, and Donald Kagan as your guide, you will have one of the most interesting reading experiences you are ever likely to have.

“Mozart: A Cultural Biography”, by Robert W. Gutman

992 pages, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, ISBN-13: 978-0151004829

Mozart: A Cultural Biography is a wonderfully written account of the life of one of the greatest composers who ever lived, being rich and detailed and, obviously, very well researched. By tracing all the major influences on the life of Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart (better known as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart) – among them his father Leopold and sister Nannerl; his wife Constanze; Count Hieronymous Colloredo, the Archbishop of Salzburg (his infamous bête noir) and Austrian Emperor Joseph II – author Robert Gutman presents Mozart in a far different light than the loud, immature and vulgar individual depicted in earlier biographies and in the film Amadeus. Gutman's graceful and eloquent pen instead presents Mozart as always confident in his own limitless abilities. Although late to maturity due to his father's domineering ways, he was completely competent to manage his own affairs once he achieved independence from the court of the Archbishop of Salzburg (contrary to the popular belief that he died a pauper and buried in a mass grave, Mozart actually had achieved a limited measure of financial security at the time of his death). Imbued with a strong sense of high morality and a wonderfully self-deprecating sense of humor, he could be at times cheerful, witty, optimistic and wise beyond his years; at other times, petulant, immature, tactless and crude. In other words, an artist.

I read this work over a lengthy period of time as the material is very dense, and the book is more like a collection of essays than a single overarching volume. Yes, this is a biography of Mozart, and also biographies of those who were his family, his peers and the Monarchs who ruled during his short life, but it is a work of history, as well. Mozart the person is, throughout the book, always placed within the context of the events surrounding him. Politics would influence where he could play, as would religion, all forms of civil disobedience and war (in this sense the work has as an element Political Science, as well). The author includes detailed economic facts from the smallest of costs that were included for a concert tour, to the largesse that was (or was not handed) to Mozart by a variety of royal courts. These latter two issues were obsessions with his father: Leopold Mozart not only micro-managed the lives of his children, but also was constantly vying for the good graces of the wealthy and nobility, as well as with royalty, and dealing with all manner of court intrigue in hopes of his personal advancement.

Be warned, however, for all of you whose knowledge of this most sophisticated of composers comes only from popular culture: you will look in vain for uncanny overtones in the visit of the masked messenger who ordered the Requiem, and neither is there the tragic end of the neglected genius dumped in a pauper's grave. Mozart had a standard third class funeral, Gutman tells us, as did most Viennese citizens, and the proceedings surrounding it were quite in keeping with those customary at the time. Nor was the composer a death-ridden derelict in his final year; on the contrary, he was in high spirits, and on the brink of the artistic recognition and ensuing financial success that allowed his widow to spend the many years she survived him in the greatest comfort.

So is this a boring book then? By no means! Gutman replaces the sensational but stale caricature with a flesh-and-blood human being, and a very likeable one at that, who almost jumps off the pages. His treatment of Mozart's psychology is highly refined and subtle. He was no divine spirit incarnate, he was a man like you and me, this book tells you. But it tells you a lot more, delving deeply into the complicated politics of 18^th Century Europe with all its competing rulers, many of them afflicted with strange personalities; culture and customs are described in similar detail. The ample footnotes contain thumbnail-biographies, delightful anecdotes and musical details alike and almost form a book in themselves. The 800+ pages are densely packed with information, not making for a relaxed bed-time read; this book demands your time and concentration, and deserves both! You will reap rich rewards from your investment.