Robin Osborne's energetic and lively guidebook is the ideal introduction to the study of ancient Greece, from the end of the Bronze Age (c.1200BC) to the Roman conquest in the second century BC.

Covering all the most important topics in the study of the Greek past, it also explores the cultural, political, demographic and economic approaches to Greek history that students will encounter. Professor Osborne sheds light on the full possibilities - and problems - of working with the surviving evidence, by giving examples from archaeological and art historical sources as well as written texts.

The book includes a clear and helpful guide to further reading. It is an excellent starting point for those who want to take their studies further.