Lost and Found: The 9,000 Treasures of Troy : Heinrich Schliemann and the Gold That Got Away

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Summary: A thorough biography, but¿
Review: 'LOST AND FOUND' is a very thorough biography of Heinrich Schliemann but the insightful discussion concerning "Priam's Treasure", post Schliemann's lifetime, would have been better suited for an extended newspaper editorial. The intricacies of Schliemann's archaeological methodology are not explained adequately and that is a shame. Moorehead mentions Schliemann's innovative use of ceramic analysis (potsherds) but fails to adequately define how revolutionary and important it was at the time. Moorehead does a great job explaining how Schliemann's initial foray into archaeology resembled the work of grave robber. If you are interested in Heinrich Schliemann the man, then read this book... now. But, if you are interested in the evolution of 19th century archaeology or in-depth archaeological validation of the Trojan War, then there are much better books on the subject. A good example of a better book on the latter two subjects is: 'FINDING THE WALLS TROY: FRANK CALVERT AND HEINRICH SCHLIEMANN AT HISARLIK', by Susan Allen.

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Summary: Great book on a great topic
Review: Caroline Moorehead has written a wonderful book about a fascinating topic. She sifts through the legends about Schliemann and the gold of Troy and provides the reader with a clear and sometimes wryly humorous account of the events. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in Schliemann and his discoveries.

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Summary: Schliemann and His Gold
Review: Caroline Moorehead's Lost and Found (the 9,000 Treasures of Troy, Heinrich Schliemann and the Gold That Got Away) is basically a biography of Schliemann with a long epilogue tracing the travels of the gold from Troy in the twentienth century, taking in its journeys through Nazi Germany and, ultimately, Soviet Russia. This section of the book is fascinating but the real meat is the story of Schliemann himself. The author can be a bit of an apologist for Schliemann but considering the vitriol that has been heaped on him in his own time and the following decades, a little defense is not inappropriate. The story is well told and quite exciting. Schliemann may be a hard subject to like but he is always fascinating to read about and this book tells his story very well. A short, interesting read for those with any interest in the peculiarities of nineteenth century archeology.

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Summary: A Very Helpful Book
Review: I found this book to be very informative for a research paper I had to write about the Trojan War. Moorehead criticizes many comments about Heinrich Schliemann's efforts and findings of the ancient city Troy, but she also recognizes many of them too. Overall, I thought it was helpful.

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Summary: Staggering
Review: The amount of treasure looted durning World War II was staggering. Moorehead describes convoys of 150 trucks, trains and wagonloads of Europe's artworks carried to and from Germany by avaricious politicians and soldiers alike. The damage done is enormous, but at some point, the description of the cost in human life in Berlin alone eclipses the loss of artworks. As a treasure story, it needs more. As a bio of Schliemann it presents an interesting man, and possibly the greatest catalyst for archeological discovery.

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Summary: So So
Review: This is another book about the life of Heinrich Scheilmann. Scheilmann was a German who made a vast sum of money as a merchant selling indigo a sort of blue dye. He developed an interest in Greek culture and set out to prove that the events described in the works of Homer were true.

He traveled to Turkey and sought out the sight of Troy using Homers descriptions in the Illiad. He certainly found the remnants of an old city and in it gold. Scheilmann is a man for whom truth was very much a theoretical concept rather than something that would guide him in day to day life. He hid the gold from the Turkish authorities and smuggled it to Greece. Some have suggested that he may even have planted the gold himself to give greater credence to the city being Troy. One thing is certain and that at this point in his life he was a dreadful archeologist. The key to archeology is the careful removal of soil and the mapping in detail of the objects found. Scheilmann simply had his men dig looking for things such as treasure and throwing everything else away. For this reason he has been seen more as a vandal than anything else.

This book tries to rehabilitate his reputation and show that he was an important figure in the discovery of Greek history. The author basically argues that after his first dig he began to use people with skill on his digs and to do things more carefully. He returned to Troy on a number of occasions and in later digs was more careful and systematic. He also dug up at least three other sites of major importance.

The reality is that if all of the sights he dug at had been left untouched until now we would probably have had a better understanding of our past. Never the less Scheilmann's life is one of fascination so that the book is one that is easy to read. The last chapter is about the fate of the Gold that was found at Troy. During the war it was seized by the Russians and was kept hidden until recently. This section of the book although topical has a tacked on feel to it.

The book in the end reworks old material and does not really say much more than has been said in the past. If you have not read any other books about the topic it is a readable and light weight treatment of the topic.

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Summary: One Passion Two Loves Excavation of Troy
Review: This is not a review but a request in asking anyone reading this if you know of a book on the excavation of Troy; title is;
One passion Two Loves, a story of Dr Heinrich Schliemann and his excavation of Troy. Ilost this beloved book in a flood and I would like to purchase a used edition now. Can anyone help me? Thank-you. [e-mail]