Product Description
Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Chapters: Maps of the Ottoman Empire, Maps of the Ancient Near East, Territorial Changes of the Ottoman Empire, Babylonian Map of the World. Excerpt: The origins of the Ottomans can be traced back to the late 11th century when a few small Muslim emirates of Turkic origins and nomadic naturecalled Beyliksstarted to be founded in different parts of Anatolia. Their main role was to defend Seljuk border areas with the Byzantine Empire a role reinforced by the migration of many Turks to Asia Minor. However, in 1073 and following the victory of the Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm over the Byzantines at the Battle of Manzikert, Beyliks sought an opportunity to override the Seljuk authority and declare their own sovereignty openly. While the Byzantine Empire was to continue for nearly another four centuries, and the Crusades would contest the issue for some time, the victory at Manzikert signalled the beginning of Turkic ascendancy in Anatolia. The subsequent weakening of the Byzantine Empire and the political rivalry between the Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm and the Fatimids in Egypt and southern Syria were the main factors that helped the Beyliks take advantage of the situation and unite their principalities. Among those principalities was a tribe called Söüt, founded and led by Erturul, which settled in the river valley of Sakarya. When Erturul died in 1281, his son Osman became his successor. Shortly thereafter, Osman declared himself a Sultan and established the Ottoman Dynasty, becoming the first Sultan of the Ottoman Empire in 1299. Territorial changes of the Ottoman Empire 1359 Murad I (nick-named Hüdavendigâr - from Persian: Khodvandgr - "the God-like One") (Turkish: ) (March or June 29, 1326, Sogut or Bursa June 28, 1389, Battle of Kosovo) (Ottoman Turkish: ) w... More: http://booksllc.net/?id=22534419 ... Read more

Product Description
This book presents a clear, concise history of the extraordinary multicultural civilizations of the ancient Near East.

• Bestselling narrative of the complex history of the ancient Near East
• Addresses political, social, and cultural developments
• Contains in-depth discussion of key texts and sources, including the Bible and the Epic of Gilgamesh
• Includes numerous maps, illustrations, and a selection of Near Eastern texts in translation
• Integrates new research, and greatly expands the guides to further reading for this second edition

Customer Reviews (10)

Very good introduction to the subject
This was the first book that I have read on the subject of the ancient near east. I later read Georges Roux's "Ancient Iraq" and Foster & Foster's "Civilizations of Ancient Iraq." These books all cover the same subject, but in different style, depth, and breadth.

Van De Mieroop's work is more scholarly and impersonal in its tone than the other two books, like what one would expect from a textbook. While this book is perhaps less descriptive than Roux's, it is a more coherant work (while Roux's was based on a series of articles he had written). Also, it is vastly more complete in the time period covered than Foster & Foster's. (One should note that the back cover of Foster and Foster's book contains praise and recommendation from Marc Van De Mieroop.) However, Van De Mieroop's book ends with the Invasion of Alexander the Great, where the Fosters continue on through Rome's presence in Iraq. "History of the Ancient Near East" includes in-text maps and illustrations, as opposed to "Ancient Iraq," where maps are inserted at the back of the book, and illustrations are sparse, mostly limited to picture plates at the center of the book. For somebody not used to the textbook style of history, this work's fairly deep and well rounded discussion of the material may seem dry and uninteresting at first.

I would never suggest to a person to read only one book on any subject. I would recommend they read all the above mentioned books, as well. I would recommend (to a fellow layman) that the books be read in the following order; Foster & Foster, Van De Mieroop, Roux. But no matter what books you decide to read on the subject of the Ancient Near East, or in what order you chose to read them, Van De Mieroop's "History of the Ancient Near East" should be one of them.

a solid, if pedestrian, introduction
This is a freshman-college level survey of a seminal period of history:with Bronze Age technologies and refined agriculture, the first empires arose to establish patterns of urban civilization and king-centered governance that would last more or less to the industrial revolution.It is absolutely essential stuff and very fun to know.

In the beginning, there were innumerable competing city states in Mesopotamia, who jockeyed for advantage and tiny slices of territory.Each city state had an urban elite with the beginnings of written records (in syllabic cuneiform) to cover both administrative arrangements and early narrative literature and poetry.Much was recorded on Steles,in the form of propaganda regarding some leader's exploits. In time, the organization extended to larger regions that thrived on trade and a specialized work force, enabling elaborate religions with temples to arise as well as monumental architecture, particularly with ziggurats in Babylon.The king was often also the head priest, as in Egypt, but the functions were increasingly separated.Finally, empires (e.g. Assyrian and Persian) arose over huge territories that involved vast displacements of entire populations for purposes of slave labor and mercenary uses.This order ended only with the conquest by Alexander and his heirs, who divided his empire and were more or less absorbed into the local cultures.These peoples were predominantly semitic, at the time when Jews, Arabs, and others were forming into distinctive cultures.But there were also Indo-Europeans in the Hittites and then the Persians, both of whom established formidable empires.

There were several crucial turning points that are covered in outline.These include the emergence of exploitive international elites who had more in common with eachother than with their subjugated peoples, corresponding in highly developed rhetorical forms that required extremely refined classes of scribes to write in the somewhat awkward cuneiform syllabic script (it was only with the Phoenicians that alphabetic script developed, which was far easier to master). This order faced an unexplained catastrophic breakdown around 1200 BCE, at the time when bronze was replaced by iron.This wiped out the extensive trade networks and cultural exchanges that are portrayed as a kind of golden age.The author's treament of this mystery demonstrates the limits of this kind of survey:he mentions various interpretations but refrains for getting into more engaging detail and there is very little narrative flair to any of it.

The powers that arose from the ashes of the 1200 BCE catastrophe included 1) the Assyrians, who built a kind of totalitarian state that forced entire populations into slavery by forcible removal; 2) the Persians, who pioneered an empire based on cooperation between extraordinarily varied ethic and language groups, all while respecting and indeed fitting into the local cultures and religions, which leaders regarded as useful tools to manipulate rather than as threats to stamp out or crush into submission.This was a fundamental development that required administrative genius.

I am very glad I read this and learned an immense amount. Unfortunately, the style is textbook spare and rather dry, in essence not very fun to read.Moreover, the most serious deficiency in the book is that it does not attempt to cover archaeological evidence beyond an occasional mention; I think that 100 pages of info could have been added to fill this gap.Nonetheless, the author has many wonderful text boxes of literary translations that add flavor, there are excellent maps, and a sprinkling of images that whet the appetite for more.Recommended as the most basic of introductions.It is clearly written, broadly comprehensible, if somewhat unexciting.

Review of Van De Mieroop's History of the Near East
This is a very solid history of the ancient Near East. The author works from 3000 to Alexander, covering all of the various powers and dynasties that arise in an around the region. More than Mesopotamia is considered; indeed, everyone from the Hittites to the Persians has a place in this work. Lesser known kingdoms like the Elamites and the Ammorites are considered alongside the big players (Assyrians, Babylonians, etc.). The text is supplemented with primary sources, maps and images, many credit to other scholars, which I found very humble on the author's part. The writing itself is easily to follow, and the author carefully discusses historical sources. Overall, a well-paced, well-written work of history. One criticism: organization is not always clear; the chapters overlaps chronologically, and the author only sometimes explains his reasoning for the order of each narrative. Further, this ought to be supplemented with a text on Near Eastern culture; this is mostly a study of government, trade and empire (with occasional cultural information).

Very good history of a very long time frame
This is a very solid presentation of almost 3,000 years of history in 360 pages. Don't expect anything authoritative-- the author says that early on. So much of the information historians have to work with is archaeological, which means our field of knowledge and understanding of this period is subject to change. Furthermore, the incredible length of time covered means somethings have to be left out in order to make a coherent and readable book. Very nice maps and graphics. Clearly written for the most part. The sheer number of names, of people or groups, can be hard to keep straight at times, but again that's more a reflection of the history the author deals with than the writing itself. You can tell the author's frustration with some of the archaeological work that's been done-- too much focus on palaces and forts and not enough on the vast majority of the people. It would be nice to have a history that showcased these varied societies and their economic structures and social organization. For all we know, our history of the period over-emphasizes the role of militarism and kings and under-emphasizes the role of peasants in maintaining the cultural patterns that changed only very gradually over the 3,000 year time frame.
I definitely recommend this book. It seems to be the latest scholarship, well written, and thoughtfully educates the reader on the issues facing the study of the period. It is important, afterall, to know how we know things. A great companion back good would be Wolfram Von Soden's The Ancient Orient: An Introduction to the Study of the Ancient Near East, which has a thematic rather than chronological lay-out.

enjoyable and informative
This clear, concise, informative and interesting book was a true pleasure to read.I highly recommend it to anyone that wants a fairly detailed overview of the history of this fascinatig cradle of civilization. I'm reading it again! ... Read more

Product Description
This textbook is a reliable resource with an outstanding reputation for research and scholarship. The authors are well known and the new edition features a substantial updating of the material. Ideal for undergraduate studies in ancient history and history of the near east, the book is also appropriate as a supplement for instructors teaching corresponding sections or chapters in World History or Western Civilization. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Another great undergraduate book
Hallo and Simpson provide another choice to instructors of ancient Near Eastern history.Well researched, supported, and clearly written, it can easily serve as the only text for an introductory class. Non-specialistsand laypeople may wish to consult it for basic facts. ... Read more

Product Description
This up-to-date revision of a classic work draws on the latest archaeological and linguistic research to fill in the historical realities behind the great stories of the Bible. This account of the historical context for the Hebrew Bible explores the diverse origins of such stories as the creation and the flood in the cultures of the ancient Near East. The authors show the striking parallels in the foundational stories told in the Egyptian, Persian, Greek, and Hebrew cultures of the time. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

a cleverly written, middle-ot-the-road approach
This is a cleverly written, middle-of-the-road approach to the matter of (1) the similarities between the Bible and other ANE religious traditions, and (2) the historicity of the Bible.True Believers will find the lack of endorsement of the literal historicity of events in the Bible . . . to be upsetting, and students of history will find the lack of willingness to acknowledge the fact that biblical renditions of purported true events (and persons) lack genuine proof . . . to be upsetting. So ... there ya go.You can tell when the authors come up against a purported event as portrayed in the Bible that clearly didn't happen ... they refer to it as an "epic" or "epic tradition" !As I said, it's cleverly written.

Still, it is an informative book at a good price.The authors are genuine scholars.

Review of Gordon's 'Bible and the Ancient Near East'
Gordon presents a powerful comparative history of Ancient Israel, placing the content of the Old Testament in the context of Near Eastern archaeology. His prose is thoughtful and interesting. His book help to explain some of the stranger places in the Bible, and, more generally, makes it easier to respect Jewish historiography. By laying out the true and unlikely aspects of the Old Testament chronicles, Gordon succeeds in giving the biblical reader a skeptical approach that allows them to fully appreciate the Old Testament.

not up-to-date, narrow-minded
It is not up-to-date. It shows a very narrow perspective, a narrow-minded book. It could be used for nationalist propaganda against all archaeological and traditional evidence.

Must Read Book for Both Christians and Bible critics
This book is a classic, first published in 1953, but fortunately it continues to be updated, up to 1997 (4th ed).
The authors succinctly cover a huge expanse of time and geography while putting it all in perspective and context so that you learn not only about the Bible but about world history in general. The authors respect not only the Biblical text, but all the ancient texts (see footnote on p. 117), unlike "higher critics" who seem to assume all the ancient writers (especially Bible authors) were either pathological liars or bumbling fools. Some reviewers (see below) have criticized the book for taking the Bible too seriously, while some Christians may feel it doesn't take the Bible (e.g., Bible chronologies) seriously enough. Overall, though, it seems pretty well balanced - an excellent, scholarly look at Old Testament times from all angles!
My only complaint is that, given the enormous amount of time, ancient texts, people, places, and archaeology covered by the book, it can't be longer. That, nonetheless, is what makes it an excellent book for readers who don't want too much detail. Hopefully, the publishers will continue to revise and expand this book in the future.

Enlightening, incredible, breath-taking
I had the privilege of taking two courses with Dr. Rendsburg, and my biggest regret about college is not taking more. This book complements the courses I took (although it wasn't our textbook) and it's been a joy reading about everything discussed in class.

Dr. Rendsburg and Dr. Gordon's approach will not satisfy those who want a literal approach to the Biblical text. For anyone who wants the Biblical stories placed in a historical context, however, this work will do exactly that. By matching elements of the Biblical text to ancient near eastern documents and history, the Biblical stories are placed into the greater context of their times, which I find extremely enlightening. Find out why dream interpretation occurs in Daniel and Joseph and nowhere else; learn how the patriarchs' family structure fits exactly into the legal construction of the family and land inheritance as described in texts from Ugarit; follow the understanding of the God of Israel from the chief god among many to the only God.

The authors treat the Bible with great respect, searching out the historical facts, illuminating where epic tradition colors the text, and relating the growth of Judaism to the political, social, and literary climate of the times in which it was written. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a greater appreciation of either the Bible or the ancient world. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (4)

History between Atlantis and Egypt.
I expected a little more of this book than what I got.Much of the archeological material leans on pot sherd findings and interpretations, something I am not too familiar with.I would think a people who possibly came from a more enlightened source would leave material that was further advanced in information than pottery shreds.It was very scientific with a few personal observations scattered through the rather brief book that was presented.It does help, even if in a small way, in defining this time line of life of late Atlantans and early Egyptians.I would like to know more about this time era from other sources.Can anyone point me in the proper direction wherein further material will pull my hair out??

Birth of Civilization made dull, often incomprehensible as only an academic can do
This book, on one of the most seminal eras in human history, is an unforgivably poor read.Not only does it harp on obscure archeological controversies to the detriment of the big picture, but it is so badly written/translated that it is often impossible to understand or even remember what the author is referring to - I had to read innumerable paragraphs over and over to catch the gist.

I did get a good idea of the outlines of what was going on, after much struggle and needless effort with the awful text.The story begins with the neolithic era, when agriculture and animal husbandry are re-creating human possibility. For the first time, humans are becoming sedentary, developing ceramics for cooking and trade, and beginning to specialize in terms of occupation and political hierarchy. Once communities were established, they begin to spread into larger less inhabitable areas, with denser populations and entirely new ambitions of power.This is the time of city states and eventually proto-nation states, where administrative structures and systems had to be created to cope with water management issues, defense, and food stock management.The first writing systems were born, war became a science as did farming, and large-scale architecture was invented.This is extraordinary.

Nonetheless, though this is the time of the rise of Babylon and similar political entities,the reader gets very little flavor for what life was like and what issues people faced.Indeed, from the vaste amount of time covered, it seems astonishing to me:a social hierarchy arose with rigid caste roles that lasted 700 years in Susiana, for example.Unfortunately, we get little more than facts like that.While the author explains why we can't say much more from the archeological record even when written sources exist, it goes on and on and recounts which academic believes what, etc.While scientifically rigorous, it is a boring plod, demanding not because of any difficult reasoning, but merely because it is so poorly presented.

Furthermore, practically nothing is said about languages from the period, little regional overview is offered (i.e. what was given to and taken from ancient Egypt?), and the significance of what was invented in never put into context.These gaps - in a book already 20 years old, so surely out of date already - frustrated me on every page.

Not recommended.I am sure there are better books elsewhere.This is a book for undergraduate students, not the general reader.

Great read
You don't have to be in an Archeology class (like me) to appreciate this book. It is a quick-reader full of well flowing information. Its not too technical though, so its great for those with minor understandings of the period, or the field of study in general. So many people focus on Ancient Egypt or Babylon, but what about BEFORE then. Its an increadibley important time period, and what sorts of things happened may surprise you!!

Difficult to read, but well worth the effort
I bought this book along with two others because of a major gap in my knowledge in the period of Mesopotamia before the 1st Dynasty of Babylon, and because I wanted to have much better understanding of how the earliest civilizations developed from the simple humble settlements.This book provides and excellent and detailed review of the subject. The author, Hans J Nissen, describesthe development of the early settlements in ancient Mesopotamia,andthe reasons why it was here rather than elsewhere in the ancient Near East that these settlements first became City States, and then into the larger regionaland national states of Sargon of Akkad and the 1st Babylonian dynasty of which Hammurabi is the best known ruler.

The reason, according to Nissen, is the dramatic effect of climate change in Mesopotamia during the second half of the third millennium BC, and the need for inter-community cooperation.As the effects became more threatening and pervasive, (along with a change in the course of the Euphrates River) increased competition between cities changed this from a voluntary co-operationto one which was compulsory.Hence the development of organised labour to build canals and other infrastructures in order to maintain the basic amenities for survival, as well as for ensuring the continuation of tradewhich was particularly importantfor the acquisition of natural resources which are generally not locally available in Mesopotamia.

There is very little speculative opinion in this book and Nissen is very careful to identify what are the limits of our knowledge, and what we can interpret from the archaeological record.His approach is to identify what has been found, what can be deduced from the findings.He is very firm in explaining what should not be deduced and the reasons why..

The time frame, as the title indicates, is for the period 9000-2000BC, with a focus on the earliest Mesopotamian states,and most specifically Babylonia which was the area most affected by the climate change.This includes a thorough description and analysis of their relationships with their immediate neighbours to the west and north in Syria, Anatolia, and Kurdistan, as well as those with the regions ofElam, and the Zagros Mountains of Iran to the east.Nissen uses the generally accepted chronology, which isno great relevance in view of the general theme of his book.

The book is well structured in six chapters:

1:Sources and Problems
2:The Time of Settlement c 9000-6000BC (Neololithic, Hassuna, Halaf periods)
3:From Isolated Settlement to Town c 6000-3200BC (Ubaid and early Uruk periods)
4:Early High civilization c 3200-2800BC (Late Uruk, Jamdet Nasr, Early Dynastic I periods)
5:Rival City States c 2800-2350BC (Historical - Early Dynastic 2, 3 periods)
6:First Territorial States c 2350-2000BC (Akkad & immediate post-Akkad period)

There are some 70 charts, diagrams, illustrations, photographs, and maps which are of great help to the understanding, and a 7 page bibliography organized on a chapter by chapter basis.

I have to admit that at times I found the book extremely difficult to read .I am not sure whether it was due to the translation from the German, or because ofthe particular emphasis in the book on the need to be careful about what can be deduced from the evidence.There were numerous instances where I found it necessary to read a particularly long sentence several times to ensure that I had properly understood what was being said.Apart from that slight difficulty I found this book to be extremely informative and balanced in its treatment of the subject.

In summary, the best part of the book for me are the first four chapters, primarilybecause it explained the development of the technical innovations in writing, pottery, buildings, and other artefacts which occurred during this early period.Although the book didn't explicitly say so, it seems that the earliest governments were originally created by the wealthy and powerful primarily to protect themselves against the loss of their wealth. Some things never seem to change. ... Read more

Product Description
Writing, the ability to make language visible and permanent, is one of humanity's greatest inventions. This book presents current perspectives on the origins and development of writing in Mesopotamia and Egypt, providing an overview of each writing system and its uses. Essays on writing in China and Mesoamerica complete coverage of the four "pristine" writing systems - inventions of writing in which there was no previous exposure to texts. The authors explore what writing is, and is not, and sections of the text are devoted to Anatolian hieroglyphs of Anatolia, and to the development of the alphabet in the Sinai Peninsula in the second millennium BC and its spread to Phoenicia where it spawned the Greek and Latin alphabets. This richly illustrated volume, issued in conjunction with an exhibit at the Oriental Institute, provides a current perspective on, and appreciation of, an invention that changed the course of history. ... Read more

Product Description
This book presents a clear, concise history of the extraordinarily multicultural civilizations of the Ancient Near East. Beginning with the emergence of writing around 3000 BC, the narrative ranges from the origins of the first cities in Mesopotamia, through the growth of the Babylonian and Hittite kingdoms, to the Assyrian and Persian empires. It ends with the transformation of the Ancient Near East by the conquests of Alexander the Great.

• A straightforward and concise narrative of the complex history of the ancient Near East.
  
• Addresses political, social, and cultural developments.
  
• Contains in-depth discussion of key texts and sources, including the Bible and the Epic of Gilgamesh.
  
• Includes a selection of Near Eastern texts in translation.
  
• Accompanied by plentiful maps and illustrations.

Customer Reviews (7)

essential and useful, if often rather dull
This is a freshman-college level survey of a seminal period of history: with Bronze Age technologies and refined agriculture, the first empires arose to establish patterns of urban civilization and king-centered governance that would last more or less to the industrial revolution. It is absolutely essential stuff and very fun to know.

In the beginning, there were innumerable competing city states in Mesopotamia, who jockeyed for advantage and tiny slices of territory. Each city state had an urban elite with the beginnings of written records (in syllabic cuneiform) to cover both administrative arrangements and early narrative literature and poetry. Much was recorded on Steles, in the form of propaganda regarding some leader's exploits. In time, the organization extended to larger regions that thrived on trade and a specialized work force, enabling elaborate religions with temples to arise as well as monumental architecture, particularly with ziggurats in Babylon. The king was often also the head priest, as in Egypt, but the functions were increasingly separated. Finally, empires (e.g. Assyrian and Persian) arose over huge territories that involved vast displacements of entire populations for purposes of slave labor and mercenary uses. This order ended only with the conquest by Alexander and his heirs, who divided his empire and were more or less absorbed into the local cultures. These peoples were predominantly semitic, at the time when Jews, Arabs, and others were forming into distinctive cultures. But there were also Indo-Europeans in the Hittites and then the Persians, both of whom established formidable empires.

There were several crucial turning points that are covered in outline. These include the emergence of exploitive international elites who had more in common with eachother than with their subjugated peoples, corresponding in highly developed rhetorical forms that required extremely refined classes of scribes to write in the somewhat awkward cuneiform syllabic script (it was only with the Phoenicians that alphabetic script developed, which was far easier to master). This order faced an unexplained catastrophic breakdown around 1200 BCE, at the time when bronze was replaced by iron. This wiped out the extensive trade networks and cultural exchanges that are portrayed as a kind of golden age. The author's treament of this mystery demonstrates the limits of this kind of survey: he mentions various interpretations but refrains for getting into more engaging detail and there is very little narrative flair to any of it.

The powers that arose from the ashes of the 1200 BCE catastrophe included 1) the Assyrians, who built a kind of totalitarian state that forced entire populations into slavery by forcible removal; 2) the Persians, who pioneered an empire based on cooperation between extraordinarily varied ethic and language groups, all while respecting and indeed fitting into the local cultures and religions, which leaders regarded as useful tools to manipulate rather than as threats to stamp out or crush into submission. This was a fundamental development that required administrative genius.

I am very glad I read this and learned an immense amount. Unfortunately, the style is textbook spare and rather dry, in essence not very fun to read. Moreover, the most serious deficiency in the book is that it does not attempt to cover archaeological evidence beyond an occasional mention; I think that 100 pages of info could have been added to fill this gap. Nonetheless, the author has many wonderful text boxes of literary translations that add flavor, there are excellent maps, and a sprinkling of images that whet the appetite for more. Recommended as the most basic of introductions. It is clearly written, broadly comprehensible, if somewhat unexciting.

Good Book...but...
This is a good book for everyone interested in Near East History.I enjoyed the author's well reserched account which is also very easy to follow.I also liked the maps that present where every city and region are located.However,the book has several things that didnt let me give it a 5 star rating.Number one, the author spends way too much time in discussingtopics that are not that interesting.For example,he uses way too many words and too much time explaining the economics of everyday life.I found myself reading faster because it was a little bit boring.Also,i belive that he doesnt treat the veracity of the Bible with respect.On several occasions he mentions that the Bible,either took its history from somebody else or its not very reliable.Some of the best historians in the world have confirmed that the Bible is a must for Near East History, so i believe the author dropped the ball on this one.The other problem that i had with this book is that it gets interesting around pages 180 and 181 where the author starts to study in detail the political situation of the area and goes into detail regarding battles and kings and their importance in history.Again its a good book with great knowledge but with some negative things too.

Nice Book!
It's a great book! It gives you a good amount of information and breaks everything down in a timeline fashion...the maps of the evolving ancient world really helped. If you are writing a paper or just really interested in the Near East, this book is a keeper. Two years after reading it and I still pick it back up for referrances.

Used it for history
I had to buy this book as the textbook for my History of the Ancient Near East class, and it ended up being fairly good.Textbook reading is never the most exciting, but it was decently well-written and easy to understand.The timelines at the beginning of each chapter definitely helped.It's not exactly and exciting topic, but for what it is I think that this was a helpful book.

Detailed and straightforward
The author here manages to write a chronological account from the dawn of civilization in Mesopotamia to the coming of Alexander the Great without getting boring.While it is pretty detailed, it could use a bit more fleshing out in my opinion.In terms of history and political developments, the author obviously knows what he's talking about, although I do think his statement about the spread of Indo-European languages from the Eurasian steppes being an "outdated nineteenth century concept" is a bit ignorant as to the state of that field.Other than that, the book is well-written and makes ample use of primary sources. ... Read more

Product Description
Volume III of The Cambridge Ancient History was first published in 1925 in one volume. The new edition has expanded to such an extent, owing to the immense amount of new information now available, that it has had to be divided into three parts. Volume III Part 1 opens with a survey of the Balkans north of Greece in the Prehistoric period. This is the first time such a survey has been published of this area which besides its intrinsic interest is important for its influence on the cultures of the Aegean and Anatolia. The rest of the book is devoted to the tenth to the eigth centuries B. C. In Greece and the Aegean the main theme is the gradual regeneration from the Dark Age and the emergence of a society in which can be seen the beginnings of the city-state. During the same period in Western Asia and the Middle East the Kingdoms of Assyria and Babylonia rise to power, the Urartians appear, and in Palestine the kingdoms of Israel and Judah flourish. In Egypt the country's fortunes revive briefly under Shoshenq I. The final chapter in this part deals with the languages of Greece and the Balkans and with the invention and spread of alphabetic writing. ... Read more

Product Description
Originally coined to signify a style of pottery in southern Iraq, and by extension an associated people and a chronological period, the term "Ubaid" is now often used loosely to denote a vast Near Eastern interaction zone, characterized by similarities in material culture, particularly ceramic styles, which existed during the sixth and fifth millennia B.C. This zone extended over 2,000 km from the shores of the Mediterranean to the Straits of Hormuz, including parts of Anatolia and perhaps even the Caucasus. The volume contains twenty-three papers that explore what the "Ubaid" is, how it is identified, and how the Ubaid in one location compares to another in a distant location. The papers are the result of "The Ubaid Expansion? Cultural Meaning, Identity and the Lead-up to Urbanism," an International Workshop held at Grey College, University of Durham, 20-22 April 2006. ... Read more

Product Description
Ancient Egypt and the Middle East follows the fluctuating fortunes of the great civilization of Egypt which flourished for 3,000 years in the Nile Valley. Its monumental buildings, along with beautiful tomb paintings, artifacts, documents and writings, provide a picture of a rich, complex, and sophisticated society. Alongside Egypt, other states and cultures developed, building important political and trading links, competing to preserve and extend their influence. Ancient Egypt and the Middle East charts the development of these societies and looks at the factors that shaped the different settlement patterns in this region. Beginning with the first appearance of towns and organized societies in around 3500 BC, the book covers the period of integration under the Old Kingdom, its collapse, and the subsequent reunification under the Middle Kingdom. In the 500 years of the New Kingdom -- the Age of Empire -- Egypt extended its borders and controlled the trading of gold, luxury goods, and natural resources between Asia and Africa. Ancient Egypt and the Middle East also describes Egypt's ultimate decline as successive powers emerged, culminating in its defeat by Rome and assimilation into the Roman Empire. ... Read more

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The only book available that covers this subject, Warfare in the Ancient Near East is a groundbreaking and fascinating study of ancient near Eastern military history from the Neolithic era to the middle Bronze Ages.

Drawing on an extensive range of textual, artistic and archaeological data, William J. Hamblin synthesizes current knowledge and offers a detailed analysis of the military technology, ideology and practices of Near Eastern warfare.

Paying particular attention to the earliest known examples of holy war ideaology in Mesopotamia and Egypt, Hamblin focuses on:

* recruitment and training of the infantry
* the logistics and weaponry of warfare
* the shift from stone to metal weapons
* the role played by magic
* narratives of combat and artistic representations of battle
* the origins and development of the chariot as military transportation
* fortifications and siegecraft
*developments in naval warfare.

Beautifully illustrated, including maps of the region, this book is essential for experts and non-specialists alike.

Customer Reviews (1)

"A Goldmine of Information"
Dr. Hamblin, a professor of history at Brigham Young University and a frequent FARMS contributor (for example, with Stephen D. Ricks, coeditor of the important 1990 FARMS volume Warfare in the Book of Mormon), has produced a hefty tome that ranges from its opening chapter on "The Neolithic Age and the Origin of Warfare (to c. 3000)" to an eighteenth chapter treating "Early Second Intermediate Period Egypt (1786-1667)."

In between, he discusses warfare and siegecraft in Mesopotamia under the Akkadians and Neo-Sumerians and through the Middle Bronze Age (which furnishes the volume's terminal date); covers Mari, Syria, Lebanon, Canaan, and Anatolia; and closes with several chapters on warfare in Egypt commencing from the Pre-Dynastic, Early Dynastic, and Old Kingdom periods. Among many other topics, the book treats questions of recruitment and training, logistics, weaponry, the role of "magic," naval conflict, fortifications, and combat narratives. Hamblin pays particular attention to the ideology of the "holy war" in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, arguing that subsequent Near Eastern concepts of "holy war" (including today's) should be understood against this older background.

In a jacket endorsement, Professor Robert Drews of Vanderbilt University pronounces the book "a goldmine of information--both textual and archaeological."
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Product Description
Delights from the Garden of Eden is the revised edition of the 2003 publication by the author. This new edition is luxuriously illustrated with color food photos, paintings, medieval miniatures, sketches, and much more.

It is a unique Iraqi cookbook, which displays the diversity of the region's traditional culinary practices, delicious and enduring. It contains more than 400 recipes, all tested and easy to follow, with practical weights and measures applicable everywhere. The recipes cover all food categories with ample choice for both vegetarians and meat lovers, and many that will satisfy a sweet tooth. Light healthy touches are suggested throughout, and ingredients and cooking techniques indigenous to the region are duly explained.

Preceding the recipes is a comprehensive thoroughly researched introductory chapter, which traces the genesis and development of the Iraqi cuisine over the centuries, starting with the ancient Mesopotamians, through medieval times and leading to the present, aided throughout by the author's intimate native knowledge of cookery. Research on the ancient Sumerian and Akkadian cuisine draws extensively on archaeological findings, such as the Babylonian recipe collection and literary sources. The medieval era focuses on the Abbasid cuisine as exemplified by the contemporaneous luxurious culinary culture that encouraged the trend of writing cookbooks.

Of particular interest are the book's numerous food-related folkloric stories, reminiscences, anecdotes, songs, poems, excerpts from narratives written by foreign visitors to the region, and cultural explications of customs, all interwoven with the recipes. The book is supplemented with detailed menus and an extended Glossary to familiarize the reader with the indigenous ingredients used in creating authentic Iraqi meals.

A reliable source on the culinary history of Iraq. It is the only Iraqi book which tends to the needs of the appetite and the intellect in an interesting fashion: Informative, practical, and entertaining.

A valuable addition to the shelves of specialized and general libraries, and a must-have for food lovers everywhere. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

Great book! Fun and very useful
I bought this as a gift for my wife and she really loves it. It is not just simply a recipe book but tells you some stories and history about the recipe as well...I find it interesting to read myself.

I use it almost everyday!
I bought my cookbook a couple months ago, and I must say I've never used a cookbook so much. That being said, my husband is Iraqi and really loves Iraqi cuisine. For me it's improved my "iraqi cooking" tremendously. Everyone has noticed that I am now making authentic Iraqi food. I am very happy with it. I bought the the other Iraqi cookbook called Iraqi Family Cookbook. While that one is good, it is small. If you are deciding which one to buy, I would definetly get this one. While it doesn't have the beautiful colorful presentations as the other one,it does have a whole lot more recipes.

AMAZING!!
I can't stop flipping through the pages of this book. Each page sparks a different memory from Iraq. The recipes are so easy to follow and turn out so well. The best cook book EVER.

Delights from the Garden of Eden a Cookbook and History of Iraqi Cusuine
My wife is a first class Chef and needed information abiout Iraqi Cooking
to prepare and serve at Master classes
On the WWW there was only 11 recipies
So doing a search on AMazon.com walla a book. The book has many recipies and information about Iraqi Culture it is easily to read and is very informative, it is pity that the Americans went in on a false premise and are surely destroying a vibrant culture.

Incredible!
I received this cookbook as a birthday gift two years ago. When I opened it, I was excited to find a Middle Eastern cookbook, but was not expecting it to 'measure up' to the 10 or so Middle Eastern/North African cookbooks in my collection, as the author is not well known as are the authors of many of the other books. After all this time, I have made quite a few recipes from this book, and all were fantastic. That being said, I feel that I haven't even scratched the surface of this book. The number of good recipes in the book is astounding, and the history portion of the book is very interesting. I highly recommend the book for anyone interested in learning more about cooking Middle Eastern food, and learning about its roots. ... Read more

Product Description
Charles Ortloff provides a new perspective on archaeological studies of the urban and agricultural water supply and distribution systems of the major ancient civilizations of South America, the Middle East, and South-East Asia, by using modern computer analysis methods to extract the true hydraulic/hydrological knowledge base available to these peoples. His many new revelations about the capabilities and innovations of ancient water engineers force us to re-evaluate what was known and practised in the hydraulic sciences in ancient times. Given our current concerns about global warming and its effect on economic stability, it is fascinating to observe how some ancient civilizations successfully coped with major climate change events by devising defensive agricultural survival strategies, while others, which did not innovate, failed to survive. ... Read more

Product Description

The ancient Middle East was the theater of passionate interaction between Phoenicians, Aramaeans, Arabs, Jews, Greeks, and Romans. At the crossroads of the Mediterranean, Mesopotamia, and the Arabian peninsula, the area dominated by what the Romans called Syria was at times a scene of violent confrontation, but more often one of peaceful interaction, of prosperous cultivation, energetic production, and commerce--a crucible of cultural, religious, and artistic innovations that profoundly determined the course of world history.

Maurice Sartre has written a long overdue and comprehensive history of the Semitic Near East (modern Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Israel) from the eve of the Roman conquest to the end of the third century C.E. and the dramatic rise of Christianity. Sartre's broad yet finely detailed perspective takes in all aspects of this history, not just the political and military, but economic, social, cultural, and religious developments as well. He devotes particular attention to the history of the Jewish people, placing it within that of the whole Middle East.

Drawing upon the full range of ancient sources, including literary texts, Greek, Latin, and Semitic inscriptions, and the most recent archaeological discoveries, The Middle East under Rome will be an indispensable resource for students and scholars. This absorbing account of intense cultural interaction will also engage anyone interested in the history of the Middle East.

Customer Reviews (1)

Very detailed and rich
I was surprised by the colossal amount of well-documented, rich and detailed information on the many aspects of the Roman Middle East contained in this book. I highly recommend it for anyone interested in this subject. As I am only a curious, not a specialist in the field, I was forced to get a map of the region prior to reading the book, because the only map provided in it is far from satisfactory. It nevertheless deserves a five star rating. ... Read more

Product Description
Part 2 of volume I deals with the history of the Near East from about 3000 to 1750 B.C. In Egypt, a long period of political unification and stability enabled the kings of the Old Kingdom to develop and exploit natural resources, to mobilize both the manpower and the technical skill to build the pyramids, and to encourage sculptors in the production of works of superlative quality. After a period of anarchy and civil war at the end of the Sixth Dynasty the local rulers of Thebes established the so-called Middle Kingdom, restoring an age of political calm in which the arts could again flourish. In Western Asia, Babylonia was the main centre and source of civilisation, and her moral, though not always her military, hegemony was recognized and accepted by the surrounding countries of Anatolia, Syria, Palestine, Assyria and Elam. The history of the region is traced from the late Uruk and Jamdat Nasr periods up to the rise of Hammurabi, the most significant developments being the invention of writing in the Uruk period, the emergence of the Semites as a political factor under Sargon, and the success of the centralized bureaucracy under the Third Dynasty of Ur. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Outstanding, though somewhat outdated
The Cambridge Ancient History is a fantastic achievement. However, it began to be written 40 years ago, and it shows. The first few volumes (including this one) have been left far behind by new findings and modern scholarship, a situation that contrasts sharply with the volumes dealing with more "recent" times (particularly the Roman period), which were only just completed, contain state-of-the-art material and are far easier to read. The volumes dealing with the ancient Near East are badly in need of an update. Still, if you want an authoritative, broad (and dry) treatise that will point you in the right direction for further research, this is a good place to start.
It would be unfair to demand richer narrative from a book dealing with a time when writing was still in the process being invented. However, the work does become overly tedious at times, particularly when discussing "remains" (i.e. barely recognizable foundations of buildings of ambiguous purpose). Field archaeologists may find it more palatable than armchair historians.

Ancient Near East
I read this one awhile back and I enjoyed it very much although it was very technical.The book is profusely illustrated with maps, building plans, and tables.Great book (but very expensive) for history buffs. ... Read more

Product Description
Traces the development of Mesopotamian art from Sumerian times to the late Assyrian and Neo-Babylonian periods. Frankfort also covers the art and architecture of Asia Minor and the Hittites, the Levant in the second millennium BC, the Aramaeans and Phoenicians in Syria and Ancient Persia. ... Read more