Persuasive. -Thomas E. Ricks, New York Times Book Review A superb account. -Dominic Green, Minerva Paul Rahe continues his monumental history of ancient Sparta, by explaining why and how Sparta's early strategic role in the Greek world was inseparable from the uniqueness of its origins and values. An insightful and sympathetic view of Sparta, one that ... Read morecould only be written by a masterful historian and classicist with Rahe's singular knowledge of political philosophy, ancient and modern. -Victor Davis Hanson, The Hoover Institution, author of The Other Greeks Paul Rahe toils boldly at the intersection of political and diplomatic history, military history, and political theory. He has always been one of a kind, and this highly original book will cement his reputation as such. Who else has treated Spartan policy with the seriousness that he shows that it deserves? Nobody. -Clifford Orwin, Professor of Political Science, University of Toronto, and Senior Fellow, Berlin Thucydides Center Show Less