HERODOTUS The Father of History

Since most of its lecturers are men, Professor Vandiver's enthusiastic voice brings balance to the Great Courses series. She is introduced as winner of the "most prestigious teaching award available to American classical scholars," and listeners will not regret any of the 12 hours spent in her classroom. She starts with the surprising news that we don't know who Herodotus was, but through study of his historical narrative, we discover the first enlightening windows into the Mediterranean world six centuries BC. Her lectures climax in a denouement meant for all history lovers. The course arrives with outlines and bibliographies, but the audio stands on its own, thanks to the skilled presentation. J.A.H. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/ NOV 02]