My first read of 2026 was James Romm's recent work: Plato and the Tyrant: The fall of Greece's Greatest Dynasty and the Making of a Philosophic Masterpiece . And what a way to start the reading year. Hopefully all the books I read in 2026 will be as unique and interesting as this one was. Buy it on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4vDjvka Plato and the Tyrant is basically three strands rolled into a single cohesive narrative. It's a history of the city state of Syracuse and its interactions with rival powers, a biography of many of the men and women of the era, including Plato, Dionysius (the Elder and Younger), and Dion, as well as an interesting analysis of the Republic and how Plato developed it in light of his experiences visiting Syracuse. Basically, the story of Plato and the Tyrant is the story of Plato's attempt to shape a couple of Syracusan tyrants into enlightened philosopher kings who could reshape governance in the Hellenic world and end the general declin...
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