Greek Fire, Poison Arrows, and Scorpion Bombs - by Adrienne Mayor

About the Book

Previous edition published by Overlook Press in 2003.

Book Synopsis

A gripping and groundbreaking history of how ancient cultures developed and used biological, chemical, and other unconventional weapons of war

Flamethrowers, poison gases, incendiary bombs, the large-scale spreading of disease: are these terrifying agents of warfare modern inventions? Not by a long shot. In this riveting history of the origins of unconventional war, Adrienne Mayor shows that cultures around the world have used biological and chemical weapons for thousands of years--and debated the morality of doing so. Drawing extraordinary connections between the mythical worlds of Hercules and the Trojan War, the accounts of Herodotus and Thucydides, and modern methods of war and terrorism, this richly illustrated history catapults readers into the dark and fascinating realm of ancient war and mythic treachery.

Review Quotes

"Thought-provoking .... it is the product of rigorous research and has much to say."---Ellie Mackin Roberts, Times Literary Supplement

"[A] fascinating account."---Lawrence D. Freedman, Foreign Affairs

"[An] eye-opener and page-turner."---Jane Manaster, Seattle Book Review

"[An] illuminating history of warfare. . . . Greek Fire also excavates ancient attitudes toward biological and chemical arms that are startlingly relevant today. . . . Mayor is comprehensive about the history, ethics, and science of early biological and chemical weapons. Skillfully combing ancient texts, she describes cultures as varied as the Scythians and the Chinese with their chemical fire lances and poison 'vapors.' Mayor shows most cultures devised exotic weaponry--and debated their use."---Jay Currie, Christian Science Monitor

"[A] fascinating and engaging book."---Hans van Wees, American Scientist

"Highly recommended."---Zygmunt Dembek, Naval War College Review

"Mayor marshals not just myth, but also the writing of ancient authors and evidence from archaeological digs to show that biological and chemical weapons saw action in battles long before the modern era."---John Wilford Noble, New York Times

"Mayor shows how the ancients' reactions to biological weapons prefigure contemporary attitudes. . . . [She] spices her astute commentary with diverse opinions about biological weapons."-- "Booklist"

"Recounts in lively, sometimes darkly comic detail the diabolical stratagems devised by devious warriors."---Joseph D'Agnese, Discover

"Rich and entertaining."---Mary Carmichael, Newsweek

"Superbly researched."---Stuart Fleming, Expedition

"The book's many strengths include discussion of how animals, flammables, and poisons were employed on the battlefield. . . . Mayor does an excellent job of illuminating some fascinating and often overlooked methods, strategies, and events of ancient combat."-- "Library Journal"

"The scope of the book is wide-ranging, taking in cultures from around the world, ancient and modern. . . . The depth of research . . . is impressive. The accounts of the use of poisons, plagues, insects, camels, elephants and naptha . . . make this an informative and gripping, if occasionally gruesome, read."---Mike Smith, Classics for All

"This is the kind of book that should confound those who question whether the study of the ancient world has any 'relevance' for the present day. At the same time it induces a certain awe in the conventional classicist, whose footsteps follow the trodden paths of scholarship, by reason of its impressive range of reference. . . . This book shows that ancient warfare was every bit as vicious and unscrupulous as warfare in the nuclear age. . . . A fascinating chapter of Mayor's book is devoted to poisons, and might become the standard basic treatment of poisons in antiquity. . . . Beautifully written."---Richard Stoneman, Classical Review

About the Author

Adrienne Mayor is the author of The Poison King: The Life and Legend of Mithradates, Rome's Deadliest Enemy, which was a finalist for the National Book Award, Gods and Robots: Myths, Machines, and Ancient Dreams of Technology, and The Amazons: Lives and Legends of Warrior Women across the Ancient World (all Princeton). She is a research scholar in classics and the history of science at Stanford University.