In this latest addition to the vast secondary literature on Herodotus, H. has attempted something very novel and refreshing, a markedly Herodotean enterprise that aims to tell a good story as it is (with some occasional contemplation) rather than the more ‘Thucydidean’, ‘pseudo/quasi’ (?)-scientific speculation that is the substance of most modern scholarship on Herodotus. This is a book that is more suited for consumption by the general public than academics, for students of the Classics seeking to immerse themselves in the ‘crazy’, but ‘thrilling’ world of Herodotus, rather than those who seek to engage in pedantic academic disputation to dissect every minute detail of the Histories. It functions best as an ‘appetizer’ to entice the uninitiated, a balance of sorts to the excessive preoccupation in current Herodotean scholarship to outline the ‘serious’ side of Herodotus, as a respectable historian, a deep thinker, etc.

The book opens with a very helpful timeline of the major events in Herodotus' Histories and maps to introduce the geographical setting of the main key events. H. indicates at the beginning of her work (pp. 3–4) that what is intended is an introduction to Herodotus with the ‘boring’ bits left out, in other words a subjective reading of the ‘good’ bits, as they appear to H. The rather brief bibliography at the end of the book suggests that H. means what she says and seeks mainly to introduce Herodotus and more importantly to entertain rather than to engage in academic analysis aimed at deconstructing the ‘meta-narrative’ of the Histories. Each chapter opens with its own timeline and in essence the book follows faithfully the narrative sequence and ordering of material in Herodotus' text, leaving us with the inescapable impression that this is to some extent a paraphrased/condensed version of the original with some interesting comments.

However, such a general work, due to confines of space and selective consultation of secondary literature, inevitably leads to the over-simplification of some very complicated questions. For instance, H. without any reservation claims that Herodotus invented the genre of history (a highly debatable assertion) without considering sufficiently the secondary literature dealing with that claim. In order to avoid misleading the uninformed reader more could have been said in the introduction to highlight the contribution of Hecataeus and other so-called logographers (Xanthus, Hellanicus, etc.), and more importantly the critical contribution of Near Eastern history writing and literary production. The Archaic Period which forms the core of the content of Herodotus' Histories was without a doubt a period in which Greece was subjected to the greatest degree of Near Eastern cultural influence. The fact that even the most basic secondary literature on this period such as M. West's The East Face of Helicon (1997) and W. Burkert's The Orientalizing Revolution (1992) has been left out of the bibliography and discussion is regrettable. Even if a serious historical analysis is not intended, for the benefit of the reader who may wish to explore Herodotus further, a slightly more detailed and comprehensive bibliographical guide was necessary.

H. writes in a very lucid and engaging style and her condensed version of the Histories succeeds in capturing the mood and flair of the original. H. does offer explanatory details now and then to explain briefly the major historiographical questions that may interest the reader, for instance the questions of historicity (pp. 11ff.) and methodology (pp. 61–2). However, again a little more reading of scholarship on Near Eastern history would have enhanced the quality of these brief discussions on historicity, etc., especially those on the Persian kings Cyrus, Cambyses, Darius and Xerxes, whose careers constitute the essential framework around which H., like Herodotus, has constructed her account.

The bibliographical entries for Chapter 7 on the Scythians and other nomads are, in particular, quite insufficient. It is simply impossible to understand Book 4 of the Histories without consulting archaeological evidence and Central Asian history. Scholarship in both these fields is now abundant and some supplementary details should have been provided to prevent misunderstanding by the reader. A slightly more comprehensive selection of reading matter might have enhanced the quality of the presentation of this chapter. Surely at the very least A. Ivantchik's Kimmerier und Skythen (2001) and R. Rolle's The World of the Scythians (1989) should have been consulted? It is also a mystery as to why R. Thomas' Oral Tradition and Written Record in Classical Athens (1991) is not included in the list of books consulted for Chapter 10, especially since the chapter covers in great detail the Alcmaeonid excursus (pp. 200–3) and other Athenian oral traditions in Herodotus for which Thomas' work is the authoritative analysis.

The book is a pleasant introduction to Herodotus and manages to convey the bare essence of the Histories, in particular the inquisitive and entertaining aspects. The commentary and explanatory information does appear to be more abundant in the latter half of the book than in the first half. If the first half could have benefited from slightly more explanatory information, the second half might have benefited from a more flowing, unencumbered narrative. A more extensive and separate conclusion might have done greater justice to the merits of Herodotus' work and also to H.'s condensed, selective version of the Histories.

No general book aimed for the uninitiated reader can escape criticism for overlooking certain things when critically examined by those slightly more informed about the subject. However, H. succeeds in her overall aim of providing a good, entertaining introduction to Herodotus. As an initial referencing tool, it is quite useful and does not overwhelm the reader with mountains of notes and bibliography. The selection of some bibliographical items for inclusion and the omission of others are highly questionable, but to some extent this is understandable given the nature of the book, which places a limit on how far bibliographical items can be included without putting off the reader. For an academic readership this book offers little of interest and adds very little that is original to the current scholarship on Herodotus. However, the book is not aimed at such an audience, and so its value cannot be judged by those standards.