“Restoring Thucydides is an outstanding book that makes Thucydides accessible and resoundingly refutes the popularized notion of a ‘Thucydides trap.’ Novo and Parker’s rich rendition gives context for The History, rescuing it from pinched readings and giving us access to even more valuable lessons about great power competition that entails ‘fluid alliances, diplomatic realignments, and conflict proceeding in fits and starts as rival domestic parties grappled for power.’” —Kori Schake, Director of Foreign and Defense Policy Studies, American Enterprise Institute
“In this book, two scholars coming from different academic disciplines have clearly leveraged their relative expertise to produce an incredibly learned treatise on the ways in which Thucydides’ text is typically (mis)treated by scholars and non-scholars alike. The originality of the arguments advanced provides even scholars who have studied Thucydides for years much fresh insight on virtually every page.” —Scott A. Silverstone, Professor of International Relations and Deputy Head, Department of Social Sciences, United States Military Academy
“This well-written book will add to the knowledge and understanding of Thucydides whom many consider to be the ‘founding father’ of the discipline of international relations. The authors’ deep understanding of Thucydides, along with their use of different translations as well as primary and secondary sources, make this an excellent scholarly book. It is a succinct, readable reinterpretation of a classic international relations text. In addition to being a useful summary of the value of Thucydides for contemporary readers, it is also a much-needed corrective to a simplistic interpretation of Thucydides.” —Dan Caldwell, Distinguished Professor of Political Science, Pepperdine University
“An insightful remedy ... The authors adeptly address the use and abuse of The History ... a noteworthy addition to the field studying Thucydides’s work. ... this outstanding book offers those involved in national security revelations about individual agency, domestic politics, the international security environment, and strategy. It also arms readers with the evidence and background to accept or challenge how others employ the oft-quoted maxims of Thucydides. ” —Joint Force Quarterly
"The book does a good job in showing how Thucydides’ text has been reduced to a few sound bites, such as “the strong do what they want, and the weak suffer what they must,” and that these ideas are not necessarily reflective of Thucydides’ thought or the events of Greek history in the fifth and fourth centuries BCE. ... Additionally, Novo and Parker subvert long held beliefs about Thucydides’ text by underscoring the importance of domestic politics and management of allies. ... this book responds to the recent upswing in interest in Thucydides in international relations and public circles, and seeks to get international relations scholars more engaged in the nuances of Thucydides. It presents common assumptions made from Thucydides’ text, demonstrates how the reality of the situation in Thucydides’ text and in Greece at the time was more complicated, and gives readers some take-aways to consider when contemplating how to apply the lessons of Thucydides. Speaking directly to international relations scholarship and theory in a way that few classical scholars would, the work is good for those who want a book that addresses the specific ways in which international relations scholars and the media interpret Thucydides." —The Strategy Bridge
"An accessible treatment of Thucydides that provides invaluable perspective for students and professors alike, either before or after reading the ancient historian’s work on the Peloponnesian War. Ultimately, the kind of issues the authors raise throughout help introduce students to complexity and the eschewal of simple answers to complex questions. This book will benefit students beginning a war theory course in professional military education or those more broadly enrolled in IR or history courses." —Strategic Studies Quarterly
