Troy C. 1700-1250 BC

This is a decent overview of the state-of-affairs of the archaeological reality of Troy as opposed to the City of Myth. It introduces the local variant of the Bronze Age, provides a sober account of Schliemann's exploits and discusses the architecture and the culture of the nine successive archaeological stages (albeit briefly) before going into detail about the construction and the continuous restoration of the fortifications of Troy VI. Many sections are supported by clear illustrations and reconstructive drawings, which make up one of the main assets of this booklet (practically all of the photographs were taken by Fields himself). I also liked the chapter on what the "historical reality" of the Trojan Horse might have been.

Fields show more does have a tendency to insert references to Homer whenever the Iliad can be cited to back up a point -- windy area! fast-flowing waters! -- and once the main points have been made there follow a couple of sections where he connects features from geographic reality with events from the Iliad (e.g. the Trojans attacking the Achaean rampart) without justification outside the poem. But these criticisms are aesthetic only; overall I liked this book. It's clear, concise, and it's well-written by somebody who clearly knows what they're talking about. show less