21. Barry S. Strauss, History
Barry Strauss
The Trojan War: A New History (Simon and Schuster, 2006). Giving a step-by-step account of what actually happened in Troy from the beginning of the conflict to the end, Strauss weaves together archaeological data, historical information, and Homer’s masterpieces to form his narrative of the Trojan War. In spite of what we know from the legend of more than 3,000 years ago as presented in Homer’s The Iliad, he puts the Trojan War into the context of its time vividly reconstructing the conflict. He explains the strategies and tactics of both sides, the Trojans (vassals of the Hittite Empire to the east in modern-day Turkey) and the Greek warriors, and compares the war to contemporary battles elsewhere in the eastern Mediterranean. Strauss includes maps, photographs of the geography and artifacts of the era, 1180–1210 B.C.