From the Publisher
Roots of Our Civilization
Dive into the fascinating history of Mesopotamia and discover the cradle of the human race in a whole new light. We will leave no stone unturned to give you a front-row seat to the past in vivid detail. You might be surprised to learn how many “firsts” originated in Mesopotamia!
The Oldest City in the World
A bustling metropolis for its time, Eridu was first built around 5400 BCE with a picturesque city center and an alluring temple inside the city walls. Learn what its residents did for work and the artifacts that have been discovered from the site.
The Great Flood, as Seen by the Mesopotamians
The flood, as told in the Bible, is often seen as a myth. Would it shock you to learn that there is historical proof of such an event taking place? Learn whether the flood was as bad as the Bible depicts it.
The Assyrian Empire
And other Mesopotamian societies are waiting to be uncovered!
The Assyrian Empire was a force to be reckoned with. This far-stretching kingdom has a rich, two-thousand-year-long history to explore, and we will take you on a captivating journey of it. The ride is full of twists, turns, and exciting stories!
Follow along as we shed light on Hammurabi, the famous king who took Babylon from an obscure city to a remarkable empire, invading neighboring lands and putting Babylon on the map.
Take a look at one of the most breathtaking stories ever told—the Epic of Gilgamesh. A king with a dark habit was stopped in the act by an unlikely foe, only to befriend him and go on an adventure against a horrible monster.
What are you waiting for? Join us on this enthralling journey into the roots of our civilization and discover where it all started!
In this book, Ancient Mesopotamia, you will discover:
- The first-ever beer and its goddess;
- The rise of the world’s first superpower, the Persian Empire;
- Xerxes and his vengeance against the Greeks;
- One of the oldest law codes in the world;
- And much more!
John From Comber –
This series of books makes learning so interesting & is a must have if you’ve kids in the family.
grey king 54 –
Speedy delivery, good seller. As described. Would have liked a few more pic in colour not in black and white.
Seriously Goodonthebike –
“Ancient Mesopotamia lives on through us all.”This, the concluding sentence of the book, is so true. In culture, knowledge and economy this region of the world laid the basis, the foundation, of the subsequent civilizations and nations. A fascinating account makes clear these roots; an account that is well structured and illustrated.The story grabs the reader’s attention from the start with the description of “The Eridu Genesis” from a Sumerian cuneiform tablet, circa 1600 BCE. From then on it is difficult to put the book down as you discover the origins of the first cities and organized irrigated agriculture plus the beginnings of writing, bureaucracy and mathematics. The maps make clear the importance of the rivers and the Persian Gulf that facilitated trade and the interaction of ideas and cultures. Mythologies are not neglected such as the Sumerian creation myth called The Marriage of Martu, The structure of these early societies is explained and the major political changes are outlined without sinking into superfluous details.Even the importance of climate changes for these civilizations are touched upon: “Core samples taken from the Sea of Galilee in 2014 revealed a megadrought that lasted from 1250 to 1100 BCE. It would have killed off populations and encouraged mass migrations, perhaps even the mysterious Sea People. »Basically the book tells you all you needed and wanted to know about Mesopotamia. It is excellent for the general reader but also an asset for the inquisitive and intelligent youngster.
Amazon Customer –
A must-read book full of useful information the Mesopotamian history, the invention of the wheel, and much more that laid down the foundations of civilization and shaped the world throughout the ages.Highly recommended
Denis Dennehy –
Plenty of detail – limited depth.Easy read
Jerry G –
A very nice overlook
A very nice and readable overlook of the origins of civilization. A history of the thousand of years before Rome!
Prof. Dr. Rolf G. Beutel –
überaus informativ und lesbar
Ein sehr informatives und gut geschriebenes Buch.Es bleibt bei dieser Serie unklar wer das geschrieben hat aber das mindert nicht die hohe Qualität.
jp –
Good reading
Good book and history learning.
EnsembleMan –
Good overview of Mesopotamia but some serious confusing flaws
Overall, I liked this book. It was a good overview. Most of the time it read quite well.A lot of the information got repeated a lot ensuring the book would be a longer read than required.I had trouble with the dates and the “author” used too many date formats ranging from the concept of centuries to millennia and switching back to years BCE. One standard date format would have worked. I found what appeared to be date conflicts that got confusing due to the use of the 3 date formats and the jumping around when making comparative illustrations.This was particularly bad in Chapter 10-Innovations and Inventions. The introduce the wheel, first used for pottery. The then state that the Sumerians invented the transportation wheel in the 4th century BCE. So like 400 to 301 BCE. A few pages late we learn the Sumerians succeeded in basic cart technology and quick developed chariots. The 4 wheeled versions dating to 2600 BCE.Confused? 400-301 BCE is thousands of years AFTER 2600 BCE. Confused? Well a page or so later horses were domesticated in Turkey around that same 4th Century BCE but the Mesopotamians didn’t start using them until about 2400 BCE. Again, the 4th Century is 400-301 BCE. Perhaps they mean 4th millennia?So, it gets confusing which could have been avoided by using consistent dates as years BCE.They also got compass directions wrong, in the Chapter on Alexander the Great. The talk about the Levant and WEST to Mesopotamia. Of course it is EAST.I found these stupid inconsistencies if not blatant errors annoying.
Adam Beeblebrock –
good book
good