Herodotus and other Greek authors recounted a lot of myths that built up around him and threw some of their own in for good measure. His story prompted many lines of inquiry that demanded further exploration outside of my reading time; it incites you to learn more. I would also question whether there is such a close relationship between a king and a slave (Croesus and Isocrates, Cyrus and Croesus), it is just too good to be true.

The Last King of Lydia is well worth reading, whether you know the historical period or not, and I think this is an author who may be worth following. Power is transient, fleeting when compared with the vast sea of history, yet rulers are prepared to condemn thousands to misery in the hope of gaining more and more of it. The written style is very simple, objective and unemotional, at times almost matter-of-fact, most unlike that of Hilary Mantel, another comparison made in the publicity.The second half of the book then covers how Croesus handles the humiliation of losing everything he held dear and the loss of status. A wonderfully rich story with narration that brings the characters out from the past and reminds you of their humanity. The ancient world is so distant from us that at times it feels like fantasy - kings, gods, sacrifices, oracles, mountains of gold, lost cities, myth. Croesus is master of his own destiny and it is only his thoughtless behavior that will bring about his downfall.

I came here from your GeekDad review of A Winter War, and am so glad I did — I just finished The Last King of Lydia, and it’s thoughtful and compelling and an intersection of philosophy and history that I had no idea existed, but drank up. Leach lets us examine a distinctive ancient period of grand gestures and empires, as well as the individual wisdom of characters we come to know and, despite all their failings, admire. Fortunately, the book does go in a slightly more inventive direction once we get past the traditional Croesus narrative.

When the Athenian philosopher Solon visits his court, Croesus has an opportunity to ask him anything he likes. The first half of the book deals with Croesus as king and how he deals with ultimate power and the relationships he builds with his family, subjects and slaves alike.