My first book reviews: Travels with Herodotus by Ryszard Kapuscinski

The most recent book I have finished was the Travels with Herodotus by Ryszard Kapuscinski. This book was written by a Polish foreign correspondent that was actively working during the Soviet occupation of Poland, following the end of WW II. By happenstance I had just finished reading the actual Histories written by Herodotus, so I had all the stories still fresh in my mind. Travels with Herodotus is well written and I do recommend taking a look at it prior to reading Herodotus; because, the Histories are a mammoth of a book and can be very intimidating. Kapuscinski has a tendency to pick out his favorite sections, and though he follows the chronological order, it is just passing examples of the Histories, yet he utilizes a witty approach to analyze these ancient stories at a level that can be more digestible. For example, he ponders how a certain Greek named Hegesistratus, who was a Persian sympathizer, could have cut off his own foot in order to escape from Sparta. He goes on in detail of how he must have crawled with this blood stump which collected dust and dirt along the way; not to mention the excruciating pain and loss of blood such a traumatic injury would cause. Additionally, he is able to tie these ancient stories into his modern day exploits, which, advantageously unfold in the same geographical locations that Herodotus, himself, once traveled. So, I recommend this book, not only because it is a decent read, but because the author is now deceased and this book is a testament to his arduous journeys.
Biglou's rating: 

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