Band on the Run: Xenophon and the First Great Mercenary Army's Epic Escape from Persia

A good story told poorly. O'Connell's theory regarding mercenary armies gets in the way of simply recounting the tale of the Anabasis for a modern audience. I also found his constant need to belittle the practice of ancient Greek religion to be annoying. Good works of history help you understand the mindset of the subject of the work, rather than allow you to port in all your previously conceived ideas. It doesn't matter if I find their religion credible, they did! Ultimately, he would have been better served to let the story breathe and spend his time painting a picture of that.

See my full review on my YouTube channel "I'll Read It...Eventually"

https://youtu.be/gYH-E-2GuWk

Almost a third of the book is taken up with the evolution of warfare from Neanderthals eventually up to the Greeks. The book picks up speed when he actually gets to Xenophon and the Ten Thousand. Well written, provides a lot of details and explanations, and good maps. Found only one typo in this preprint.