Robin Waterfield facts for kids

Robin Anthony Herschel Waterfield, born on August 6, 1952, is a British expert in ancient history and languages. He is known for translating old texts, editing books, and writing fun stories for kids.

Robin Waterfield's Career

Robin Waterfield was born in 1952. He went to Manchester University to study Classics. This means he learned about the ancient Greek and Roman worlds, including their languages, history, and culture. He did very well, earning a top degree in 1974.

After that, he studied ancient Greek philosophy at King's College, Cambridge. Philosophy is about big ideas and questions, like how we know things or what makes a good life.

Later, he taught at Newcastle University and St Andrews University. He also worked for Penguin Books, a famous publisher. He started as a copy-editor, checking books for mistakes. Then he became a commissioning editor, which means he helped decide which new books Penguin would publish. Today, he works for himself as a writer.

What Robin Waterfield Has Written

Translating Ancient Texts

A big part of Robin Waterfield's work is translating ancient texts. This means he takes old writings, often from ancient Greek, and turns them into modern English. This helps more people read and understand important works from history.

He has translated many famous books by ancient Greek thinkers, including:

• Plato: He has translated many of Plato's works, like Republic, Symposium, and Phaedrus. Plato was a very important philosopher.
• Xenophon: He translated Conversations of Socrates and The Expedition of Cyrus. Xenophon was a historian and soldier.
• Herodotus: He translated The Histories, which is one of the earliest and most famous history books.
• Plutarch: He translated Greek Lives and Roman Lives, which are biographies of famous people from ancient Greece and Rome.
• Marcus Aurelius: He translated Meditations, a book of personal thoughts by a Roman emperor.
• Epictetus: He translated The Complete Works of Epictetus, who was a Stoic philosopher.

Non-Fiction Books

Robin Waterfield has also written many non-fiction books about history and philosophy. These books help readers learn about different times and ideas. Some of his books include:

• Before Eureka: The Presocratics and Their Science: This book is about early Greek philosophers before Socrates.
• Prophet: The Life and Times of Kahlil Gibran: This is a biography of the famous writer Kahlil Gibran.
• Hidden Depths: The Story of Hypnosis: This book explores the history of hypnosis.
• Athens: From Ancient Ideal to Modern City: This book tells the story of the city of Athens through time.
• Xenophon's Retreat: Greece, Persia, and the End of the Golden Age: This book is about a famous journey by a group of Greek soldiers.
• Why Socrates Died: Dispelling the Myths: This book looks at the reasons behind the death of the philosopher Socrates.
• Dividing the Spoils: The War for Alexander the Great's Empire: This book is about what happened after Alexander the Great died.
• The Greek Myths (with Kathryn Waterfield): A book about the famous stories and legends from ancient Greece.
• Taken at the Flood: The Roman Conquest of Greece: This book describes how the Romans took over Greece.
• Creators, Conquerors, and Citizens: A History of Ancient Greece: A broad history of ancient Greece.
• Plato of Athens: A Life in Philosophy: A book about the life and ideas of Plato.

Adventure Gamebooks for Kids

Robin Waterfield has also written exciting adventure gamebooks, especially for the Fighting Fantasy series. In these books, you, the reader, make choices that change the story. This makes each read-through different!

• Rebel Planet (1985)
• Masks of Mayhem (1986)
• Phantoms of Fear (1987)
• The Money Spider (1988, with Wilfred Davies)
• The Water Spider (1988, with Wilfred Davies)
• Deathmoor (1994)

Other Works

He also abridged, or shortened, the classic novel The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas for Penguin Classics in 1996.