The Histories cover art

The Histories

Penguin Classics

 Preview

Get 30 days of Standard free

£5.99/mo after trial. Cancel monthly.
Try for £0.00
More purchase options

The Histories

By: Herodotus, Tom Holland
Narrated by: Frank Laverty
Try for £0.00

£5.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for £15.24

Buy Now for £15.24

Summary

Brought to you by Penguin. 

This Penguin Classic of Tom Holland's 'stirring new translation' (Telegraph) of Herodotus' Histories, one of the great books in Western history, is narrated by Frank Laverty.

The Histories of Herodotus, completed in the second half of the fifth century BC, is generally regarded as the first work of history and the first great masterpiece of non-fiction writing. Joined here are the sheer drama of Herodotus' narrative of the Persian invasions of Greece, and the endless curiosity - turning now to cannabis, now to the Pyramids - which make his book the source of so much of our knowledge of the ancient world. 

This absorbing new translation, by one of Britain's most admired young historians, allows all the drama and mysteriousness of this great book to be fully appreciated by modern listeners. 

©2013 Tom Holland (P)2021 Penguin Audio Ancient Civilization Europe Greece World Ancient Greece Ancient History Greek Mythology
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_c

Critic reviews

"Unquestionably the best English translation of Herodotus to have appeared in the last half-century, and there have been quite a few...fast, funny, opinionated, clear and erudite.... I am in awe of Tom Holland's achievement." (Edith Hall, TLS)

"A labour of love...full of rattling good yarns...the minister for education should present each of his cabinet colleagues with a copy of Holland's admirable translation." (Economist)

"Tom Holland has been captivated by Herodotus since he was a child. His pleasure shines through his relaxed, idiomatic, expansive and often dramatic translation.... He, like Herodotus, is a storyteller par excellence." (Peter Jones, New Statesman)
All stars
Most relevant
My first reading of this and I’ll certainly be reading it again. Not just a history but social commentary and geography combined with rumour and gossip. Occasionally accidentally hilarious. No problem with the Irish brogue delivery as it was much less stuffy than most ancient texts receive but I don’t think it’s too much to ask in the Information Age that we make at least a decent attempt to pronounce Greek works and names more accurately.

Non stuffy delivery spoilt by poor pronunciation

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
descriptive and clarification, I felt I was there.
what stood out is the dates, i really enjoyed listening to this

classic Persian Greek history

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
It’s possible at the moment to compare a very good reading of Herodotus in the ‘plus’ catalogue with the latest translation of the book by Tom Holland who, presumably, at least acquiesced in the choice of Frank Lacertilia to read it for Audible. I assume, also, that it’s the author directing, if not himself reading the epilogue?
Whilst the ‘English’ reading is excellent, you notice he’s far more informal and chatty in his delivery than a version I heard yearsago recorded forRNIB Talking books.
Herodotus is one is those books written, as Swamy’s Heaney put it, on ‘official note paper’ and both readings discussed here express determination to ditch the pompous nd quite inappropriate way Academia has traditionally placed the work like a statue on a ply that, and to this end Tom Holland’s translation and Liberty’s performance of it work in sync to make the point. Herodotus is spinning yarns ; a role entirely fit for a lively and engaging Irishman; well done indeed!

Irish reader a stroke of genius!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I am so happy that I ignored the negative reviews and took a chance on this version! Frank Laverty does a fantastic job narrating what is a jaunty, fun and yet wholly accurate translation of Herodotus that brings out its gossipy, speculative nature. It is as close as I could imagine to sitting alongside Herodotus himself. If you are a second-language speaker then the accent will be hard to follow. As a native speaker who is not from the United Kingdom I found Laverty's reading magnificent and never missed a word. What a wonderful all-round experience!

So glad I took a chance!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Not sure if everyone feels the same way, but I'm drawn to those sweeping descriptions of Libya (North Africa) and Asia (as far as India) - it feels like an ancient travel guide!

There's always a philosophical vibe running through the lives of the historical figures in the book. You see people living in a time when the line between cruelty and justice was remarkably blurry in a world where divine portents were real and consequential. People could still trace their family trees back to gods and heroes. It makes you wonder: does it really matter to draw the lines between the probable, the exaggeration, and the convenient fabrication? (I am looking at you, Darius!)

You can sense history—as we understand it today—slowly emerging from myth. But what makes it compelling for me is the opportunity to get a glimpse into how our ancestors saw themselves and made sense of their world.

As for the narration complaints? I don't get it. I'm not a native English speaker and had no trouble at all following the narrator. In fact, I felt it added to the experience.

A Time Machine to the Ancient World

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews