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It's 490 BCE and Athens is under threat.
The Persian empire is invading.
The fate of the Western world is on the line.
Three Epic Battles that Saved Democracy will transport you through the tales of Marathon, Thermopylae and Salamis - with recent archaeological and geological discoveries - and unearth the triumphs that saved the future of European democracy.
About the author
Dr Stephen P. Kershaw has been a Classics tutor for some thirty years, teaching at all levels from beginner to PhD, currently operating out of the Oxford University Department for Continuing Education, authoring and teaching undergraduate courses, and tutoring on the Masters in Literature and Art. Steve has also created Oxford University's online courses on Greek Mythology, The Fall of Rome and The Minoans and Mycenaeans. He lectures at the Victoria and Albert Museum and, as Professor of History of Art, runs the European Studies Classical Tour for Rhodes College and the University of the South. In addition to titles published by Robinson, A Brief Guide to the Greek Myths, A Brief History of the Roman Empire and A Brief History of Atlantis, he has edited The Penguin Dictionary of Classical Mythology. Steve was an expert contributor to the History Channel's Barbarians Rising series; former students include the Princess of Jordan; he translated the Greek inscription on Matthew Pinsent's fourth Olympic gold medal for him after his victory in Athens; and he is a guest speaker for the Royal Academy (through Cox & Kings). He lives in the Oxfordshire village of Deddington with his wife, the artist Lal Jones.
Summary
The year 2022 marks 2,500 years since Athens, the birthplace of democracy, fought off the mighty Persian empire. Kershaw tells the story of the three epic battles - Marathon, Thermopylae and Salamis - that saved democracy, without which the history of Europe and the West would have been radically different.
Foreword
The year 2022 marks 2,500 years since Athens, the birthplace of democracy, fought off the mighty Persian empire. Kershaw tells the story of the three epic battles - Marathon, Thermopylae and Salamis - that saved democracy, without which the history of Europe and the West would have been radically different.
Additional text
Praise for the author: The experts interviewed . . . [for the TV documentary series Barbarians Rising] are both entertaining and illuminating.