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Troy c. 1700-1250 BC (Fortress) by Nic Fields (2004-01-22) Paperback – January 1, 1771

by Nic Fields (Author)

4.5 49 ratings

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Hisarlik is a small place, a sandy stone strewn hillock cut up into gullies and hummocks. Yet its historical significance is immense, for this is the site of Troy - the legendary city whose story sprawls across cultures, time and geography. The tale of the siege of Troy is the greatest secular story ever told, and has captured the imagination of the Western World for some 3,000 years. Although there are many difficulties in using Greek myths, oral traditions and the Homeric epics to reconstruct the Trojan War, this title uses the latest archaeological evidence to reconstruct in detail the fortifications of Troy as well as making more general observations about the possible historical events behind the epics of Homer.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01K0SWR2U
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Osprey Publishing (January 1, 1771)
Language ‏ : ‎ English

Customer Reviews:
4.5 49 ratings

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David S

Excellent presentation of the city then and now

Reviewed in the United States on October 16, 2007

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I used this book to prepare me and then guide me on a walking tour of the ancient fortress city of Troy this spring and the book is terrific. It presents a concise and coherent discussion of the debate over which layer of the ruins was the subject of Homer's Iliad, presenting the evidence clearly and simply. The book has excellent photographs but by far the best feature is the abundant original art that shows how the city and the local geography looked during the Trojan War. I have read a dozen books on Troy and the Trojan War, and this one is the best on the city itself.

4 people found this helpful

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James the Second

"TROY C. 1700-1250 B.C." is a great informational resource

Reviewed in the United States on July 26, 2015

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I found this book to be thorough, concise, and comprehensive. It opened with an overview of the history of excavations at the Hisarlik site and the cumulative knowledge gained, as well as theories derived by the various archaeologists and scientists. The Bronze Age Mediterranean world was outlined for context, and the results of the most recent excavations not only at the site but the surrounding region were detailed with an informative text that managed to avoid being dry and pedantic. The accompanying maps, diagrams, photographs and illustrations were excellent, and contributed to a complete picture of the subject. Though a slim volume, it was well worth the price.

4 people found this helpful

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Tom Hill

Excellent detailing...

Reviewed in the United States on October 22, 2010

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As someone with great interest in Troy, this slender book is crammed with detail that I enjoy...

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Kerryah

Troy as it really was

Reviewed in the United States on June 14, 2008

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This is the best visual guide I have seen to what the fabled city of Troy actually looked like at its various stages of development.

The text is fascinating, including the archaeological history of the site as well as a detailed look at the successive layers of settlement on the mound known as Hisarlik.

The illustrations bring the text alive. "Troy C. 1700-1250 BC is highly enjoyable, but also scholarly enough to be useful as a study reference book.

3 people found this helpful

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Buenoslibros.es

Archeology and then some of the real thing we're interested in

Reviewed in the United States on January 28, 2011

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As usual Osprey -I think- misses the point. The audience for which this type of publications is meant cannot be ambivalent in their appreciation of the products offered them, and this one is just another example. Troy, the book, with its evocative illustrations -well done, indeed- should have been more considerate of the general reader. Pages, too many, on exact archaeological descriptions, to the point of aggravation; and then the passages dedicated to the years after Homer's Troy, up to Roman times... what for? Putting it all through the sieve, well, one does find the kind of information a general reader would expect, even considering the narrow perspective of Fortress, the series. It does take us to those times of Homer's Iliad, it does set the stage, illumines the props employed by the characters, and describes the kind of economy that we know existed in the area at the time.

It even has a page at the very end dedicated to advise the reader in the event of his or her trip to see the place. And that's swell, but why aggravate us with the only-for-archaeologists stuff? Please, Osprey, be more considerate of your readers.

3 people found this helpful

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hh

superb starter

Reviewed in the United States on August 26, 2004

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This slender volume of just 64 pages packs considerable wallop. The text is simple and to the point, providing a nice intro or overview. The color illustrations are exacting and do a terrific job of conveying scope and relative setting. The black and white photos are on the mark, too. They illustrate key points/architectural elements and are placed just where you want them. This is the only book of the series I have seen, but it won't be the last.

14 people found this helpful

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M K.

great value

Reviewed in the United States on July 28, 2022

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the book arrived fast and was nicer than expected.
would order again from here.

One person found this helpful

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giuliano buzzichelli

book interesting and wellillustrated

Reviewed in the United States on July 12, 2013

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The book is relly appreciable especially with its illustrations consisting in careful architectural reconstructions of the ancient troyan bronze age settlement

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Top reviews from other countries

JPS

The fortified and mythical city of Troy

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 25, 2012

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This Osprey volume in the Fortress collection was an excellent addition to the collection, even if some might find the author slightly "over-enthusiastic" when assuming that the Trojan War really did take place and that he is in fact describing the "Golden Troy" of Homer. Essentially, and however much we (and that includes me!) would want to believe that the legendary epic story is historical, there is little evidence to back it up.

Regardless of the author's assumptions, the book's structure and contents are fascinating and well-documented. The first section (The Story so far) summarizes the discovery and excavations of Troy, starting with Heinrich Schliemann in 1870 and up to nowadays. This is followed by a presentation of the nine cities that were built on Hisarlik and with an interesting - although a bit long - section on mud-brick construction since the higher part of the walls and most of the houses seem to have been built this way.

Perhaps the best part of the book, in my view of course, is the section on the fortifications of Troy VI which is the construction which is the most likely to correspond to the legendary Troy of King Priam. Here the illustrations and the diagram of the fortifications on page 14 provide invaluable help to the reader in understanding how the fortress and the city were build and to what extent the fortifications were sophisticated and carefully thought out, as were those of other cities at the time.

Then there is a "context section" whose purpose is to present what could have been the sources of the city's wealth, largely on the basis of Mycenean tablets found at Pylos and Knossos. Also included in this chapter is a short but interesting description of the Myceneans (sometimes also termed the Acheans). These warlike, brutal and piratical sea-raiders coveted above all the title of "sacker of cities", according to Homer. Hittite written sources and archeological destructions of cities over the period that historically corresponds to the Trojan War tend to confirm these activities. However, as the author does make clear, these were raids and surprise attacks, mostly conducted with a handful of ships, and not the major expedition described in the Illiad.

After that, the reader is treated with a number of theses trying to reconcile Homer with history with regards to the Trojan Horse. Some are more far-fetched than others, perhaps, although there is no hard evidence confirming without any doubt what this device could have been or meant or whether it really existed.

The final section of the book is focused on discussing the reasons for the attractiveness of Troy for potential sea-raiders and for showing that Troy VIH, destroyed around 1250 BC is the most plausible candidate for the Homeric Troy, assuming there is one.

I very much appreciated this volume. For a more balanced and sceptical account of historical Troy, this publication could be usefully supplemented with Trevor Bryce's "The Trojan's and their Neighbours." Both, in my view, are worth five stars as they both present rather superb overviews of the historical and of the legendary city, but in very different and complementary ways.

3 people found this helpful

Eric le rouge

Well written osprey

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 26, 2021

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One of the best book in the collection I have ever read. It is well written and highly informative. The colour plates are great and the author seems to know his subject.
Troy is a fascinating subject.
The only minus would be that the author is somehow quite often out of the subject (mud brick construction, several boxed paragraphs on other civilisation, etc.). It is great to read a bit about mud brick construction but maybe not 2/3 full pages.

E B.

Great series of book but won't pay full price for them as I'm a cheapskate.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 11, 2018

Verified Purchase

Great series of books. I buy when I can get them for under a fiver, which is getting harder and harder. I must be less of a cheapskate and am sure they would sell more if they were cheaper.

Kindle Customer

mud bricks?

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 10, 2014

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I was expecting a bit more of detail about the fortress of the time. Instead they explain how mud bricks, or adobe, were done by several civilizations. It's interesting, but not what I was expecting.

One person found this helpful

Ian

Four Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 28, 2018

Verified Purchase

excellent

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