Ancient Guide to Modern Life

It's time for us to re-examine the past. Our lives are infinitely richer if we take the time to look at what the Greeks and Romans have given us in politics and law, religion and philosophy and education, and to learn how people really lived in Athens, Rome, Sparta and Alexandria. This is a book with a serious point to make but the author isn't simply a classicist but a comedian and broadcaster who has made television and radio documentaries about humour, education and Dorothy Parker. This is a book for us all. Whether political, cultural or social, there are endless parallels between the ancient and modern worlds. Whether it's the murder of Caesar or the political assassination of Thatcher; the narrative arc of the hit HBO series The Wire or that of Oedipus; the popular enthusiasm for the Emperor Titus or President Obama - over and over again we can be seen to be living very much like people did 2,000 or more years ago.

Review: Reminds us (or tells us) about people, events and practices in the Greek and Roman world, and at the same time explores their contemporary echoes and parallels. A classic double-whammy, in fact - and delivered with wonderful energy, wit, zeal and expertise. Irresistible -- Andrew Motion
As wise as Socrates, as witty as Aristophanes, as modern as tomorrow - a classic for our times -- Gyles Brandreth
An entertaining romp through the politics and society of the ancient Romans and Greeks ... overflowing with lively, pertinent little nuggets -- Claire Allfree * Metro *
A passionate authority on the classics * The List *
Witty ... for a curious-minded someone who likes to get their teeth into some intelligent non-fiction and 'mmmm' appreciatively -- Bea Hodgkin * Easy Living *
A romp through some of the best-known, and some of the most obscure, writers, thoughts and stories of Greece and Rome. Haynes does a good job in debunking myths perpetuated by popular culture ... and also manages to give intelligent overviews of some of the knottier problems that academic scholarship has grappled with ... a passionate defence of Classics -- Jerry Toner * TLS *
Haynes debunks plenty of myths about the ancient world and delivers her history lessons in a light-hearted tone -- Christopher Silvester * Daily Express *
Brilliant -- Charlotte Higgins * Guardian *