The Persian Expedition (Anabasis) by Xenophon - 1957

London: Penguin, 1957. Original Vintage Penguin editin [L17 ]One of history's most remarkable military achievements - the march of the Ten Thousand Greeks - is detailed in this highly readable first-hand account by a dynamic leader. Cool, calculating and brilliant, Xenophon emerges as a fascinating military figure. In (this book) he reveals the character, training and strategy that made the Greek soldier so efficient. In the fourth century B.C. Cyrus the Younger, pretender to the Persian thron e, launched a fierce campaign against his brother the king. With the help of Greek troops, whom he recognized as the best infantrymen in the world, Cyrus believed he could surprise and defeat his brother's vastly superior force and seize the throne . Unfortunately Cyrus' own troops were not as effective as his Greek recruits, and the force as a whole was weak in cavalry. The campaign collapsed, Cyrus himself was killed and the Greeks were stranded in Persia. Surrounded by a hostile and bitt er foe, Xenophon and his fellow leaders faced the incredible task of leading ten thousand men back from Babylon to the Black Sea. The success of the five-month march - one of the most famous in history - was a triumph of discipline and improvisatio n in the face of overwhelming odds. For Xenophon not only managed to lead his men out of Persia but succeeded in keeping the army intact as a fighting force. (This) is both an absorbing tale of adventure and military skill and an unusual story of human character. It also presents a revealing account of the day-to-day life of the common soldier unique in classical writing.". Reprint. Softcver. Very Good. Illus. by (Trans.Rex Warner).