John Hale's new book gets great NYT review

The New York Times Book Review just ran an extremely positive review of Lords of the Sea, the new book by alumnus John Hale '69. The books sounds terrific and has a fascinating thesis, but the Times reviewer is also impressed by the author's ability to paint a vivid picture of life in classical Athens:

Mr. Hale’s sea-level view of Athens during its Golden Age is, as Mr. Kagan had guessed, a novel and gripping way to approach a story that has been told many times before. What Mr. Kagan might not have guessed is that his student would become a far better than average writer. In “Lords of the Sea” Mr. Hale’s simple but vigorous sentences prick up your ears from the first page.