Summaries and Customer Reviews are supplied by Amazon.com

• 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.

Average Customer Rating:

Comprehensive Look at the Entire Region

Customer Rating:

Unlike many other books, this volume covers the history of the entire Near East, from Iran to Anatolia, and not just Mesopotamia or the Hittites. This gives it an unusual breadth, as parts of the entire region influence each other. And in ranging from the dawn of historic cultures around the year 3000 BC up to Alexander the Great, it includes all of the independent ancient civilizations that subsequently disappeared. This book is very much like a textbook. It is more difficult than popular history, but certainly not an academic treatise. Importantly, there are many maps, and extensive lists of kings of the various states. Egypt only comes into the story when involved with the peoples of the Near East. Interestingly, the periods of Egyptian history known as the Intermediate periods, when the central power fell apart and conditions seemed more chaotic, correspond very closely to what are described as Dark Ages in the Near East. This book does not pursue those parallels, but they are interesting.

Excellent Introduction	Customer Rating:
This text is a brief summary of the history of the Mesopotamia from 3000 BCE to 300 BCE. It is clear and concise. Van De Mieroop offers a very engaging introduction to this topic. It is an excellent text for those who want to survey the period. He also includes bibliographies for those who would like to go deeper.

A History of the Ancient Near East	Customer Rating:
Very happy with transaction, book arrived early with an awesome condition! I recommend this seller!

An Excellent Survey of Ancient Mesopotamian History

Customer Rating:

This volume is a good introduction to the history of the Ancient Near East. The author surveys the history of Sumeria, Babylonia, Assyria, Persia and the Hittite Empire in a highly readable style. Quotes from numerous important texts are included in each chapter and the author does a good job of not only telling us what happened, but also why it happened. The book is well illustrated with black and white photos and numerous, highly useful, maps. At the end of the book is an excellent bibliography that will point the interested reader to other good articles and books on the topic. This book was published in 2004 and incorporates the latest scholarship in the field. The author has done a great job of making ancient history come alive!