The Trial of Socrates

by I. F. Stone

Overview

In unraveling the long-hidden issues of the most famous free speech case of all time, noted author I.F. Stone ranges far and wide over Roman as well as Greek history to present an engaging and rewarding introduction to classical antiquity and its relevance to society today. The New York Times called this national best-seller an "intellectual thriller."

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780385260329
Publisher:	Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Publication date:	02/01/1989
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	1,118,959
Product dimensions:	5.24(w) x 7.95(h) x 0.68(d)

About the Author

I. F. Stone was an investigative journalist and writer, best remembered for his newsletter I. F. Stone’s Weekly, which was ranked by New York University in 16th place among the top 100 works of journalism in the United States in the twentieth century. He won numerous awards, including the Eleanor Roosevelt Award, the American Library Association Intellectual Freedom Award, the Columbia University Journalism Award, and the American Civil Liberties Union Award. He died in 1989.

Editorial Reviews

``The philosopher we meet on these pages is an arrogant, bullying elitist who welcomed death and did his best to antagonize the jury that sentenced him,'' stated PW. ``In this iconoclastic portrait of a secular saint, Socrates emerges as a thoroughly dislikable, albeit superior, man who upheld unpopular truths.'' (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Since his retirement in 1971, former muckraker Stone has turned classicist. He is especially fascinated by Socrates's trial because it represents a ``black mark'' for the free and democratic Athens that he admires. Stone argues that while the Athenian verdict cannot be defended, it can be understood: Socrates was an anti-democratic reactionary whose philosophy posed a genuine threat to liberal ideals. Stone's portrait of Socrates sharply contrasts with the popular hagiographies and will stimulate a wide range of readers, although specialists will find much to argue with. Recommended for general collections.Richard Hogan, Southeastern Massachusetts Univ., North Dartmouth

Library Journal