Book reviews cover Greek tactics, Homer's Odyssey, and North Korean history

By PulseAugur Editorial · [1 sources] · 2026-08-31 10:57

This article reviews several books, starting with "Classical Greek Tactics: A Cultural History" by Roel Konijnendijk, which explores ancient Greek military strategies and the debate surrounding Epaminondas' victory at the Battle of Leuctra. The author highlights the limited tactical creativity due to the general neglect of hoplite training among most Greek soldiers, except for the Spartans. The review also praises Moses I. Finley's "The World of Odysseus" for its engaging style and discusses the merits of listening to different audiobook versions of Homer's "Odyssey," comparing renditions by Clare Danes and Ian McKellen. Additionally, the article touches upon books about North Korea, including "Korean Messiah: Kim Il Sung and the Christian Roots of North Korea’s Personality Cult" and "Kim Il Sung in the Khrushchev Era." AI

RANK_REASON The item is a personal blog post reviewing books and other media, not a primary source for a significant industry event.

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Newsworthiness bucket: Commentary; The item is a personal blog post reviewing books and other media, not a primary source for a significant industry event.
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ChinaTalk TIER_1 English(EN) · Jordan Schneider · 2026-08-31 10:57

good books so far this year

Homer, Shakespeare, and Kim Il Sung. Plus: nyc’s best fish head