Strange to say, despite Plato's great fame this is the first-ever book-length biography in English.

Runner-up for Nigel Warburton's best biography of a philosopher, 2023 The Best Philosophy Books of 2023 - Five Books Expert Recommendations

Reviews

‘This is a readable and wonderfully enlightening book. It is not a bare biography (for which there is scant information), nor is it a systematic, professional summary of Plato’s philosophy, but a remarkably successful attempt to paint a believable picture of the intellectual journey of someone who is unquestionably one of the great landmarks of European thinking and whose work is still provocatively relevant and accessible. In this ambitious enterprise the author has used his raw materials well, but he has had one tremendous advantage which he is too modest to mention. Any translator worth his salt has necessarily had the experience of becoming more and more attuned to the thoughts and habits of the writer whose text he is translating, and Robin Waterfield has a long and distinguished list of Plato translations to his credit. This sympathy and familiarity shows at every turn and often stimulates an uncanny instinct for understanding. He is disarmingly honest too—he admits that some of the dialogues, especially the later ones, are pretty hard reading—and he never presumes to be other than a well-read, cultivated, serious enquirer who is after the truth. Plato would have liked that, and that is the highest praise’ – John Muir, Classics for All

‘Nobody is better qualified to write this book than Robin Waterfield. He has published excellent translations of many of Plato’s dialogues: and as the author of some wonderfully accessible books on Greek history he also has the knack of setting the work inside the life inside the times. He does not talk down to the reader, but neither does he assume any prior knowledge (of Greek, Greek History or Philosophy). The voluminous bibliography at the end of this book suggests that the book could have been ten times the length; and it is to the author’s great credit that he wears his immense scholarship so lightly. Problems in reading and interpreting this (sometimes difficult) author are made part of the excitement of studying him. … timely and eloquent … Colleges could start by buying and using this excellent book’ – John Godwin, Journal of Classics Teaching  

‘A full, very readable biography … [ Plato of Athens ] give[s] a remarkably full picture of the man, his ideas and his influence … Waterfield is much to be commended for his discussion resulting in a comprehensive chronology of Plato’s life and dialogues’ – Andrew David Irvine, Times Literary Supplement  

‘Attractively fulfils its aim of introducing Platonic philosophy to a general readership by combining elements of historical reconstruction with key values extracted from the written work, the two things synthesised into an imagined portrait of a life. If it cuts some corners as regards the most contentious matters of Platonic scholarship and interpretation ... that is perhaps inevitable in a book of this kind. One can confidently expect that if indeed some of Waterfield’s readers may never have tackled any of the dialogues for themselves, they will be stimulated to do so (and in Waterfield’s own fine translations) by his eloquent passion for a ‘super-important’ thinker who is now ‘read and studied in, I dare say, every country in the world’ – Stephen Halliwell, Bryn Mawr Classical Review  

‘Waterfield’s account of Plato’s failure to reform [Dionysius II] and establish a new constitution for him is particularly well done. … His descriptions [of Plato’s personality] … help to nudge his narrative into the biographical genre and make this more than a work of intellectual history. … Waterfield evokes [the Academy’s] atmosphere superbly. Indeed, the passages on Plato’s teachings, his dialogues and his contribution to the field of philosophy are a particular strength of the book’ – Daisy Dunn, Literary Review

‘Engaging and accessible … one of the best books available for those who are new to Plato … always looks at the evidence with fresh eyes … a marvelous introductory overview of Plato’s philosophy, as it emerged from his intellectual and political milieu. Furthermore, there is no better way than the one provided by Waterfield for beginners to learn about the Academy’ – Richard Kraut, Society   

‘A thorough and well-structured account of the events of Plato’s life whilst placing his many dialogues into a clear chronology’ – Sebastian Milbank, The Critic 

‘Well researched and attractively written’ – Armand D’Angour, History Today

'An admirably solid overview of Plato's life and works' - David Stuttard, British Museum Magazine

'Plato of Athens is erudite and fascinating, and realises its aim of showing that his works were magnificent, and that "Plato invented philosophy" not as a body of doctrine but an open-ended and insatiable quest' - Jane O'Grady, Daily Telegraph online/Sunday Telegraph

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