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The Man Who Deciphered Linear B: The Story of Michael Ventris

By: Andrew Robinson
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Thames & Hudson Ltd
ISBN: 0500510776
ISBN-13: 9780500510773
Released: 08 Apr 2002
RRP: £12.95
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Customer Reviews

Ideal starting point - By: G. L. Haggett, 18 Aug 2008
This book provides an ideal starting point for the interested layman who is fascinated by the subject matter & intrigued by the people who set about the Herculean task of deciphering Linear B.

Robinson openly admits that this book is not an attempt at an exhaustive biography of Ventris nor of his work; instead, it acts as a taster of a fascinating man & of the conflict between his architectural training & the expectations, both internal & external, associated with that & his obsession with ancient scripts, leading up to his untimely & mysterious death. Excellent value.
Fascinating look at a complex man - By: , 10 Aug 2004
There were many sides to Michael Ventris. A modernist architect reluctantly obsessed with an ancient culture. A Communist who once made more in a lunch time on a shares deal than he was to make in the rest of the year in his day job. Respected by academics world-wide for his work on linear-B, yet he never completed a degree himself. This book provides a surprisingly clear look at the man, yet leaves enough gaps for the reader to be intrigued. You are likely to enjoy this book if you liked Simon Singh's The Code Book or Andrew Hodges The Enigma of Intelligence.