This popular history traces developments in fourth century Greece, from the fall of Athens in the Peloponnesian war to the triumph of Philip of Macedon and the campaigns of Alexander. This is not a period that is particularly well served by books for the general reader, possibly because there is no one overarching narrative, but Michael Scott does the job admirably, making the complex political landscape both clear and accessible. He also makes a convincing case for the importance of this neglected period, primarily because of the enormous political changes to which the title refers.