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Talking Classics - by  Mary Beard (Hardcover) - 1 of 1

Talking Classics - by Mary Beard (Hardcover)

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About this item

Highlights

  • The incomparable Mary Beard is back, and she's talking all things classics.
  • About the Author: Mary Beard is a distinguished classicist, international bestselling author, and popular television personality.
  • 208 Pages
  • History, Ancient

Description



Book Synopsis



The incomparable Mary Beard is back, and she's talking all things classics.

Why the ongoing fascination with the ancient world? This witty, approachable book asks why--for better or (sometimes) worse--antiquity continues to exert such a powerful hold on the contemporary imagination. Recalling a formative childhood encounter with a four-thousand-year-old piece of bread in a museum, Beard introduces the idea of thauma, or wonder, that kick-started a lifetime engaging with classics. It was not the canonical "greats" of ancient literature and art that initially drew her in, she confesses, but rather the more intimate, messy, and humdrum evidence of daily life in the remote past.

Confronting the uses and abuses of symbols of the ancient world, Beard reminds us that the traditions and "masterpieces" of Greece and Rome have certainly been politicized, but they belong to neither the left nor the right. Happily, no one owns the past. She warns us not to let a sense of reverence or overfamiliarity dampen the "shock of the old," arguing that one of the most important things that classics teach us is how to grapple with complicated and controversial things. "The Greeks and Romans are long dead, they cannot answer back, and you can say what you like about them," she reminds readers. "The simple fact that classics belong to none of us can offer a safe space to argue about the most difficult debates we face now."

Beard welcomes everyone into classics. "It is not compulsory to be excited by the ancient world," she writes. "But it can be a shame not to be." This charming, sharp, and readable book from one of the world's most entertaining classicists offers something for both new and established fans of classics, bringing new wonder and curiosity to even the most ancient of ideas.



Review Quotes




"Few scholars make ancient Greece and Rome come alive as vividly--or seem as relatable--as Beard, the popular British classicist. Her latest book is a kaleidoscopic survey of some of the ancient people and objects, both awe-inducing and ordinary, that have delighted and intrigued her over her life and career--starting with a formative encounter at age 5 with a 4,000-year-old bread roll at the British Museum."

-- "New York Times Book Review"

"The rock star scholar of Ancient Rome."

-- "Financial Times"

"The book feels as if Beard, with her excitement and good humor, is regaling an audience. . . . [S]tudents (current, former, and future) of classical education will savor Beard's rooted rumination on classics as both a discipline and a means of finding thauma."

-- "Booklist"

: "Beard informs and entertains."

-- "Independent"

"Beard's enthusiastic sense of wonder remains undimmed."

-- "The Times"

"Britain's most beloved intellectual."

-- "Guardian"

"Britain's most famous classicist is at the peak of her powers.'

-- "The Times"

"Her irreverence has turned her into a national treasure. . . [She] illuminates the present through the past."

-- "Observer"

"Mary Beard may be the most popular classicist in the world."

-- "ARTnews"

"The reigning Queen of Classics."

-- "Spectator"

"A passionate defense particularly notable for its bracing lack of old fogeyism."

-- "Kirkus"



About the Author



Mary Beard is a distinguished classicist, international bestselling author, and popular television personality. She is professor emerita of classics at the University of Cambridge, a fellow of Newnham College, and professor of Ancient Literature at the Royal Academy, as well as being the classics editor of the Times Literary Supplement, a fellow of the British Academy, and an international member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Her books include SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome, Women and Power: A Manifesto, Twelve Caesars: Images of Power from the Ancient World to the Modern, and Emperor of Rome: Ruling the Ancient Roman World.

Dimensions (Overall): 8.6 Inches (H) x 5.6 Inches (W) x .8 Inches (D)
Weight: .8 Pounds
Suggested Age: 22 Years and Up
Number of Pages: 208
Genre: History
Sub-Genre: Ancient
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Theme: General
Format: Hardcover
Author: Mary Beard
Language: English
Street Date: May 21, 2026
TCIN: 1008301166
UPC: 9780226834245
Item Number (DPCI): 247-53-8203
Origin: Made in the USA or Imported
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Shipping details

Estimated ship dimensions: 0.8 inches length x 5.6 inches width x 8.6 inches height
Estimated ship weight: 0.8 pounds
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Q: What is the target audience for this book?

submitted by AI Shopping Assistant - 11 days ago
  • A: The book is aimed at readers aged 22 and up, appealing to both new and established fans of classics.

    submitted byAI Shopping Assistant - 11 days ago
    Ai generated

Q: What is the significance of 'thauma' in Beard's writing?

submitted by AI Shopping Assistant - 11 days ago
  • A: Thauma, or wonder, represents the initial spark that drew Beard to classics, highlighting the importance of curiosity in understanding the past.

    submitted byAI Shopping Assistant - 11 days ago
    Ai generated

Q: What unique perspective does Beard offer on ancient history?

submitted by AI Shopping Assistant - 11 days ago
  • A: Beard emphasizes the everyday aspects of ancient life, challenging traditional views focused solely on canonical literature and art.

    submitted byAI Shopping Assistant - 11 days ago
    Ai generated

Q: What themes does Mary Beard explore in this book?

submitted by AI Shopping Assistant - 11 days ago
  • A: Mary Beard explores themes of wonder, the relevance of classics, and the complexities of ancient symbols in contemporary debates.

    submitted byAI Shopping Assistant - 11 days ago
    Ai generated

Q: How does Beard view the ownership of classical knowledge?

submitted by AI Shopping Assistant - 11 days ago
  • A: Beard argues that classics belong to no one, providing a safe space for discussions on complex and controversial topics.

    submitted byAI Shopping Assistant - 11 days ago
    Ai generated

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