Customer Reviews

The Ancient Near East: Ancient History Series, Volume I

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

There are several good well-written introductions to the Ancient Near East currently available. Most focus on Mesopotamia and give little or no attention to other parts of the Ancient Near East. Dunstan however covers Mesopotamia, Egypt, Asia Minor, the Levant and the Ancient Hebrews. Thus this one introductory book does the work of four books. He also provides very good coverage of cultural and religious issues but political history is given less attention than typical. Despite the broad coverage, most of the key points are covered. Only four stars because there are no footnotes and inadequate bibliography. There is only a short list of suggestions for further reading.

Dunstan's textbook works well as an undergraduate textbook, and, indeed, as an introduction for the layperson or non-specialist as well. His style is clear, his use of evidence appropriate, and his images improve the text without pulling the reader from the words. A little expensive for undergraduates but could easily be the only book in an introductory class on the entire Near East.

This book is excellent and full of good information. If it has one small weakness, more could be put in about the the reasons for the decline of late Bronze age empires, but that's a minor point.

This book was purchased as a gift for our grandson for Christmas. He is a history buff who works at the Pentagon and was thrilled to receive it to add to his collection.

I found this book thoroughly delightful and informative. This superbly researched and written work focuses on the ancient cultural and social history of the vast sweep of territory from Egypt to Iraq. The author writes with soaring prose, covering complex material with absolute clarity. You won't be able to put this one down until you reach the final page.

This book is well-written, clear, and informative. It covers, naturally, the ancient near east, the Mesopotamians to the Persians inclusive. I do, however, have reservations about the book, namely because the author is quite antagonistic to religion. The text includes beautifully-phrased hostilities such as, "Atonism quickly took on the intolerance perculiar to religions focusing on one god" (143) and treats all religions as articifial, superfluous elements of human history.