I must down to the seas again

I must thank John Masefield for the reference to “Sea Fever” above. I remember the first time I heard its most famous line was in “The Omega Glory” episode of Star Trek: TOS. Of course it appeared several times after that as well. I thought it appropriate as I look at the fourth book in the Hinges of History Series, Sailing the Wine Dark See: Why the Greeks Matter by Thomas Cahill. Ramble on with me for a minute or so.


This is a natural continuation of the series of books. Cahill starts at the earliest recorded history of the Greeks and begins to draw for the reader the arc of their civilization from dawn to dusk. At which point it becomes clear that pieces of Greek civilization were merely reborn again in the Roman Empire only to fade during the Dark Ages and reemerge in outstanding brilliance during the Renaissance. Therefore understanding the Greeks is one more essential step in understanding of the Western world.

It took me a while to get through this book. I think it was a combination of other things happening and denser material. Let me tell you, it is jam packed with stuff. It reminded me more of the first book in the series How the Irish Saved Civilization. I think that has as much to do with the age and availability of sources as anything. This book was stronger than the previous two in the series. Cahill takes up his familiar love of the subject and approaches it in a way most people will understand and spark their interest. It’s funny how many of the recent books I’ve read deal with Greeks and growth and change of civilization. It’s like looking through the facets of a gemstone. Each one is slightly different, but they all cover the same material. I can’t help but feel I missed a lot during the reading and would probably benefit from reading it again. Maybe later, right now I have lots of other things to read.