{"product_id":"2026100008853-secondhand-the-outbreak-of-the-peloponnesian-war","title":"The Outbreak Of The Peloponnesian War","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eCondition remarks:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBook: Good\u003cbr\u003eJacket: No dust jacket\u003cbr\u003ePages: Good\u003cbr\u003eCondition remarks: Condition as shown in image\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the annals of ancient conflict, few events have captivated historians as profoundly as the catastrophic war that tore apart the Greek world in 431 BC — and Donald Kagan's The Outbreak of the Peloponnesian War stands as the definitive account of how that catastrophe came to pass. The first volume in Kagan's monumental four-part series on the Peloponnesian War, this landmark work meticulously reconstructs the political tensions, diplomatic failures, and fateful decisions that drew Athens and Sparta into a devastating generation-long struggle. Drawing on Thucydides and other primary sources, Kagan argues convincingly that the war was not inevitable — a bold challenge to the classical tradition — and chronicles how individual ambition, imperial overreach, and the fragile calculus of power transformed a fragile peace into open warfare.\n\nKagan writes with the authority of a master scholar and the narrative drive of a seasoned storyteller, weaving together the complex web of alliances, rivalries, and city-state politics that defined the Greek world at its zenith. His analysis of Pericles' strategy, the role of Corinth and Corcyra, and the breakdown of the Thirty Years' Peace illuminates how great powers stumble into wars they do not fully anticipate. Published by Cornell University Press and widely regarded as essential reading in classical studies, this work raises questions about power, hubris, and the nature of conflict that resonate far beyond the ancient world — leaving the reader to wonder whether history's greatest tragedies are ever truly unavoidable.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Secondhand Stock","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49336810733787,"sku":"2026100008853-SECONDHAND","price":20.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0523\/7646\/9701\/files\/52451556-efbe-4838-bf1d-6c69c2386388.png?v=1789958366","url":"https:\/\/bookgrocer.com\/products\/2026100008853-secondhand-the-outbreak-of-the-peloponnesian-war","provider":"Book Grocer","version":"1.0","type":"link"}