A review of the book 'The Missing Thread: A New History of the Ancient World Through the Women Who Shaped It' written by Daisy Dunn.
A dazzlingly ambitious history of the ancient world that places women at the center—from Cleopatra to Boudica, Sappho to Fulvia, and countless other artists, writers, leaders, and creators of history.
In The Missing Thread, Daisy Dunn shows us once again why we all should learn about ancient civilisations: because they provide great stories that are powerful and always fresh and relevant.
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Coming up: A review of the book 'The Missing Thread: A New History of the Ancient World Through the Women Who Shaped It' written by Daisy Dunn.
Namaste Friends. My name is 'Shinil Subramanian Payamal' and you are listening to the Historylogy podcast.
Before I proceed, a full disclosure: This book was bought with my own money and not been provided to me by the author or publisher.
Little bit about the author:
Daisy Dunn is an award-winning classicist and author of seven books. Her most recent, Not Far From Brideshead (2022), was selected for BBC Radio 4’s Open Book and longlisted for the Runciman Award. In The Shadow of Vesuvius (2019) was an Editor’s Choice in the New York Times and a Waterstones book of the year of 2019. Daisy read Classics at Oxford before receiving a master’s from the Courtauld Institute and PhD from UCL. She is also a cultural columnist and editor of ARGO: A Hellenic Review. Daisy lives in London, and her website is www.daisydunn.co.uk
Let me read a brief description of the book from the back cover of the book:
QUOTE
Spanning 3,000 years, from the birth of Minoan Crete to the death of the Julio-Claudian dynasty in Rome, a magisterial new history of the ancient world told, for the very first time, through women.
For centuries, men have been writing histories of antiquity filled with warlords, emperors and kings. But when it comes to incorporating women aside from Cleopatra and Boudica, writers have been more comfortable describing mythical heroines than real ones.
While Penelope and Helen of Troy live on in the imagination, their real-life counterparts have been relegated to the margins. In The Missing Thread, Daisy Dunn inverts this tradition and puts the women of history at the centre of the narrative.
These pages present Enheduanna, the earliest named author, Telesilla, who defended her city from attack, and the poet Sappho. Here is Artemisia, sole female commander in the Graeco-Persian Wars, and Locusta, Rome’s premier toxicologist. Cleopatra may be the more famous, but Fulvia, Mark Antony’s wife in Rome, fought a war on his behalf. Many other women remain nameless but integral.
Through new examination of the sources combined with vivid storytelling, Daisy Dunn shows us the ancient world through fresh eyes and introduces us to an incredible cast of ancient women, weavers of an entire world.
UNQUOTE
There are many things to like in this wonderful book. Some of the ones I really liked are:
1. The way Cyrus might have been killed has been explained very well. Apparently, Tomyris is supposedly have proclaimed:
“Though I conquered you in battle while you still lived, you have utterly destroyed me, taking my son by trickery. In keeping with my threat, may you have your glut of blood.” Writers of the Roman period would consider this one of the most memorable deeds ever performed by a woman in ancient history.
2. The story of 300 Spartans halting the Persians to keep them off Greek territory by guarding the pass of Tempe.
3. The rise of Hannibal has been explained in detail.
4. Cleopatra meeting Caesar in the palace at Alexandria without her brother’s knowledge is in itself worth the price of the book.
5. Another highlight of the book is Cleopatra meeting Mark Antony for the first time.
In The Missing Thread, Daisy Dunn shows us once again why we all should learn about ancient civilisations: because they provide great stories that are powerful and always fresh and relevant.
This wonderful book is spread over just 375 pages (i.e. excluding 38 pages of Notes) and 16 colour plates which are an absolute delight in themselves.
I give this book 4.75/5.
The printed price of the book is Rs. 999/- but is available for around Rs. 650/- on Amazon India and for around Rs. 1,650/- on Flipkart. And it is available for around $32.55 USD in hardcover format on Amazon USA. At the time of recording this review, the book is not available in Kindle or Audible format. I have given the respective buy links in the show notes. Please check them out for the latest prices.
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