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The Jewish War (Classics)

Author: Flavius Josephus
Creators: E.mary Smallwood, G.a. Williamson
Publisher: Penguin Classics
Category: Book

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Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

2 reviews
Sales Rank: 159239

Media: Paperback
Edition: Rev Ed
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 512
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 8 x 7.7 x 0.8

ISBN: 0140444203
Dewey Decimal Number: 933.05
EAN: 9780140444209
ASIN: 0140444203

Publication Date: September 17, 1981
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Condition: New, unread. Very slight surface scratches, very slight shelf wear, pages very lightly tanned. Immediate despatch from UK.

Also Available In:

•	Paperback - The Jewish War (Classics)
•	Unknown Binding - The Jewish war, (Loeb classical library)
•	Hardcover - Works: Jewish War Vol 3 (Loeb Classical Library)
•	Hardcover - Works: The Jewish War, Bks.I-II v. 2 (Loeb Classical Library)
•	Hardcover - Works: The Jewish War, Bks.V-VII v. 4 (Loeb Classical Library)
•	Hardcover - Jewish War
•	Hardcover - Jewish War
•	Unknown Binding - The Jewish war (The Penguin classics)
•	Unknown Binding - The Jewish war
•	Unknown Binding - The Jewish war
•	Unknown Binding - The Jewish war
•	Unknown Binding - The Jewish war (The Penguin classics)
•	Unknown Binding - The Jewish war (The Penguin classics)
•	Unknown Binding - The Jewish war (Penguin classics)

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Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars

An accessible classic May 2, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

Having gone through the state education system, I came out of school completely uneducated about things like history and classic literature and I've been trying to rectify this omission for many years. This has resulted in me reading a lot of the classics line, and something I've realised is what hard work many of them are. As times change, so do writing styles and ideas of what makes a narrative work, and to the modern reader many books written hundreds of years past can be a challenging read.
This is why Josephus is such a pleasure. For all that we are separated from him by almost two thousand years, his humanity shines through. His history of the Jewish war against the Romans in the late 1st century AD is very much a history of his own activities therein, and what an unashamedly self-serving document it is. Originally a regional commander in the rebellious jewish army, Josephus wrote his history after his capture by the Romans and defection to their side (he became a Roman citizen and a courtier to more than one emperor). By turns witty, outrageously immodest and deceitful, Josephus wrote a hagiography of himself and his roman patrons and a tremendously enjoyable read it is too. By humanising his narrative, he also succeeds in making it accessible.

We have so few records of the ancient world it is impossible to be absolutely certain how accurate any given historical document is. However, as well as being enjoyable, the archaelogical and historical record suggests that when Josephus talks about the facts of the war (who won and fought who, where and when) he can be trusted in the broad sweep if not in the details.
It's a fascinating and human insight into the ancient world which shows that people, wherever and whenever they lived, are just as human - and as worried about their reputations - as are we.

4 out of 5 stars

Good translation, but referencing could be improved May 1, 2004
15 out of 19 found this review helpful

As a translation of classical literature, the Penguin edition serves as a useful companion to any student of Josephus, or of the period of Roman control over Israel in the first pre-Christian and post-Christian centuries. It is the cheaper alternative to the expensive Loeb translation.

However, since most scholarship tends to use the Loeb referencing system, it would be useful if the Penguin edition has better cross-refencing with this system. This would make it far easier for the student to find the approriate passage in the Penguin, given a Loeb citation.