Clouds, Birds, Frogs and Me (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781837942114)

Here is my autobiography. If you want to know why I think it is important to release it now, the reasons are compelling. People no longer have any idea what it was like to live in Athens in my time. To the extent people think about it all, they think of the literature, the philosophy, the architecture and the trappings of the democracy. They don't think about how we actually spent our time. This may explain why we have lost the capacity for reasoned debate, we can no longer tell truth from falsehood, we have trouble getting the rich to pay for public goods, and we discuss basic human urges with a strange combination of prurience and shame. Today's world has a lot to learn from mine. And besides, I am a comic and my life was funny. We seem to have forgotten how much fun life should be. Aristophanes.

This is a joyous revelation. The world of 5th century Athens is brought into vibrant life through the eyes and work of the one and only Aristophanes, the comic genius of his age. Satire and mockery reveal the truth about a society (including ours) more than tragedy, which is better at revealing truths about individuals. High time we heard from a great comic spirit and reminded ourselves that the Greek world was not all orators, philosophers, mathematicians and tragedians. There was the juicy riot of humanity in there and all brought together by the hilarious, wise and companionable voice of Aristophanes* himself. A fabulous read. - Sir Stephen Fry.

Aristophanes in his own, non-dramatic words - who knew they could be so amusing? - Paul Cartledge, Emeritus Professor of Greek Culture, University of Cambridge, author of Aristophanes and his Theatre of the Absurd.

The comic poet Aristophanes is your guide to fifth century Athens in his hilarious and informative Clouds, Birds, Frogs and Me - William Fitzgerald, Emeritus Professor of Classics, Kings College, London.

Phenomenal! - EE Cohen, Professor of Classics and Ancient History, University of Pennsylvania

* As told to Peter Acton