The Rise of Athens: The Story of the World's Greatest Civilization

Written by Anthony Everitt

Narrated by Michael Page

Filled with tales of adventure and astounding reversals of fortune, The Rise of Athens celebrates the city-state that transformed the world—from the democratic revolution that marked its beginning, through the city's political and cultural golden age, to its decline into the ancient equivalent of a modern-day university town.



Anthony Everitt constructs his history with unforgettable portraits of the talented, tricky, ambitious, and unscrupulous Athenians who fueled the city's rise. An unparalleled storyteller, Everitt combines erudite, thoughtful historical analysis with stirring narrative set pieces that capture the colorful, dramatic, and exciting world of ancient Greece.



Although the history of Athens is less well known than that of other world empires, the city-state's allure would inspire Alexander the Great, the Romans, and even America's own Founding Fathers. It’s fair to say that the Athenians made possible the world in which we live today. In this peerless new work, Anthony Everitt breathes vivid life into this most ancient story.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Highbridge Company
• Release date: Dec 6, 2016
• ISBN: 9781681684161

Anthony Everitt

Anthony Everitt is a former visiting professor in the visual and performing arts at Nottingham Trent University and previously served as secretary general of the Arts Council of Great Britain. He has written extensively on European culture and history, and is the author of Cicero, Augustus, Hadrian and the Triumph of Rome, The Rise of Rome, and The Rise of Athens. Everitt lives near Colchester, England's first recorded town, founded by the Romans.

Reviews for The Rise of Athens

[tnilsson_24 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

As others have noted, this is a very accessible book about the history of ancient Athens. In fact, it's one of the most accessible book popular history books I've ever read. Out of necessity (because of how their histories are intertwined) the book covers not only the history of ancient Athens but that of Sparta, Persia, and of the Greek city-states in general. All of that means that the book doesn't cover every known detail but what it omits it makes up for in readability and sheer enjoyment. Highly recommended.

[arkrayder · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I recieved this from Netgalley and Random House in exchange for an honest and fair review. Thank you!

This was an excellent book. The author is obviously knowledgeable about his topic and it shows. The book is setup as a narrative and it really works well. The auther when applicable gives info on wether modern archaeologists have found evidence of the legends which have been passed down from ancient Greece. And in a way this makes the narrative more real. This book was a joy to read and I highly recommend it to any history buffs out there. In fact I think everyone should read this!