Plato: The Man and His Work (Dover Books on Western Philosophy)

In the review, the book "Plato: The Man and His Work" by A.E. Taylor is described as a classic and comprehensive work. The book is noted to be extensive, with 550 pages plus footnotes, making it a challenging and not light read. The reviewer emphasizes that the book focuses more on Plato's work rather than the man himself. It's highlighted that the book provides an overview of Plato's dialogues, including The Republic and The Laws, from different periods of his life. The reader shares that they struggled to understand the motivations behind Socrates' execution and expresses a particular interest in the mysterious and esoteric aspects of Plato's life and writings. They mention that the book did not give them a clear understanding of Plato's doctrine of forms and raise questions about Plato's supposed travels to Egypt and experiences with the Egyptian initiation process, as well as his connection to the Atlantis story. The reviewer also criticizes the book's interpretation of the Atlantis story and highlights that the book is relatively expensive for a public domain work, with small print and large margins, making it cumbersome to read physically. However, the scholarship in the book is praised as "utterly comprehensive and spellbinding." **