Includes index.

"Two thousand five hundred years ago, Herodotus singlehandedly created the concept of Western Civilisation. Fortunately, because he found the world an inexhaustible source of fascination and delight, he is himself an inexhaustibly fascinating man. The father of history displayed all the modern techniques now associated with analytical journalism, television interviewing, film travelogues and historical research. Indeed, it is precisely his creation of these techniques which makes him our eternal contemporary. The distinguishing qualities of western civilised man--our constant wonder at the world, our insatiable thirst for understanding it, our passion for heritage and cultural origins and their preservation--all derive from Herodotus. We are direct heirs to his optimism and his fundamental belief that the marvellous multiplicity and diversity of all phenomena are subject to and worthy of human understanding. Herodotus travelled throughout the known world and beyond in his unceasing quest for primary sources to substantiate his history of Western Civilisation. Richard Lister has retraced Herodotus' footsteps through the ancient marvels of Persia and Babylon, Egypt and North Africa, Turkey, Russia, Greece and Italy, ad at each halting place proves how amazingly accurate, thorough and professional were Herodotus' observations and research. Wherever Herodotus travelled, he gathered information about local customs, religion, architecture, diet, medical practises, flora and fauna, politics. His observations were meticulous and his descriptions were made the more vivid by his friendly habit of interviewing everyone, from prostitutes to sailors, nomads and merchants, to scholars and priests, tyrants and princes. Richard lister has written a fascinating biography which stands as an account of how our Western Civilisation was formed by a single congenial genius." -- Book jacket

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