Cassandra's aunt said, "The world is changing, I tell you - but it is the fault of the women who did not keep their men in place." (1-193) the second story is a much more modern story set in a "post-nuclear- holocaust world" and is a rather discouraging tale of men 'servitors' playing the role of servant to the remaining women and children left in the world. There are still some men left that are warriors, but the real 'manly' characters are the ones who 'serve' the ladies. The children borne to these woman are raised as peace-loving individuals, while the woman try desperately to breed violence out of their men-children. The strength of this book is the exquisite detail to be found concerning the fall of Troy and the stories that still abound today about that fall. Thompson has done a terrific job of research and it shows.

The book is not a difficult read, but there are difficult parts contained therein. It is a well-written book, however, that most people interested in Troy, Sparta, Achilles or any of the colorful characters and events from...

If I had to rate the book on a scale of 1-10, I would definitely give the scale a 8/10. The book did have some weaknesses, however, including the fact that it was rather dry reading material. The book contained no "pizzazz." It was an interesting reader, but that could have been because I was interested in the subject long before I even signed up for the class. I found that some of the students were excited to be in the class, while others would have much rathered have spent the day at the beach, keeping sand out of their toes.
I had chosen to sit back and enjoy the book from cover to cover, and I'm glad I made that commitment; the book was well worth the time and energy I spend on the research on the book.

Works Cited

1. Diane P. Thompson, the Trojan War (Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, Inc. Publishers, 2004)