The sixth installment in Professor of History Paul Rahe’s series on Spartan grand strategy, “Sparta’s Third Attic War: The Grand Strategy of Classical Sparta, 413-404 B.C.,” will be available for purchase Nov. 19.
The book follows the Spartans’ final struggle with the Athenians for power in the Aegean.
“By grand strategy, I mean a comprehensive strategy — not only military matters but diplomacy, economic concerns, intelligence, and even religious concerns — for defending a way of life over time,” Rahe said.
Fifteen years ago, Yale University Press approached Rahe, asking him to write a book on Spartan warfare. What was supposed to be a single book turned into six, with a seventh in the works.
“This last volume is the longest volume, which I had not expected,” Rahe said. “There’s a sort of story to tell about Athenian perseverance and courage — which is just amazing — and the interrelations between Sparta and Persia. It was quite a bit of fun to write.”
Rahe said he plans to write a seventh book chronicling the aftermath of the Spartan defeat of the Athenians to round out the series.
Senior history major Keara Gentry recently finished the unit on Spartan grand strategy in her class with Rahe.
“He’s absolutely brilliant. He knows everything. It seems like he’s read every philosopher that’s ever been published,” Gentry said. “He’s also just super generous with his time. I’ll go to his office hours and not leave for an hour. He’ll just talk with me through questions, talk with me about life.”
Chairman and Associate Professor of History Korey Maas said he is confident in Rahe’s abilities as a historian and writer.
“Paul brings the complete package to this work on Sparta,” Maas said. “He is the unparalleled expert in the field.”
By studying Sparta’s approach to foreign affairs, Rahe said, modern leaders can see the importance of a more holistic approach to government.
“There’s a powerful tendency among political scientists and it has infected the defense intellectual establishment to think in terms of what is called realism,” Rahe said. “Realism supposes that all states want the same thing: power. It’s nonsense. They want different things.”
Rahe said he seeks to emphasize the importance of considering multiple factors when looking at foreign policy. One important factor that policy makers often overlook, according to Rahe, is religion.
“There’s nobody in the State Department — as was explained to me by someone formerly in the State Department — who takes religion seriously,” Rahe said.
Rahe said he hopes these books will serve as a guide for modern-day leaders on how to properly navigate foreign policy.
“The idea is to transform the study of foreign policy by providing an example,” Rahe said. “There are two ways to try and persuade someone: you can tell them and you can show them. In the appendix, I tell them. And in the books, I try to show them. So, it’s an elaborate act of show and tell.”