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Mesopotamia and the Birth of Civilization
by Paul Kriwaczek
The ancient world comes alive in this sweeping history of the city that laid the foundation for modern civilization.
Babylon tells the story of Mesopotamia from the earliest settlements seven thousand years ago to the eclipse of Babylon in the sixth century BCE. Bringing to vibrant life the people of this land, the author chronicles the rise and fall of Mesopotamian civilization, from its political and social systems to its technical and cultural innovations. At the heart of this book is the story of Babylon, which rose to prominence under the Amorite king Hammurabi from about 1800 BCE. Although Babylon's fortunes waxed and waned, it has never lost its allure as the ancient world's greatest city. Compelling and detailed, this book will fascinate history lovers and those interested in ancient civilizations.
"Starred Review. Kriwaczek's marvelous introduction offers a first-rate guide to a fascinating ancient civilization that continues to influence us today." - Publishers Weekly
"Starred Review. A pertinent, accessible study, more lively than scholarly." - Kirkus Reviews
"Eloquent and consistently thought-provoking account of ancient Mesopotamia."
- Scotland on Sunday (UK)
"Historical detail gives authority to this tale of human misery and military magnificence."
- The Times (UK)
This information about Babylon was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Paul Kriwaczek was the head of Central Asian Affairs at the BBC's World Service. He is the author of Yiddish Civilisation, which was shortlisted for the Jewish Quarterly Wingate Literary Award, as well as In Search of Zarathustra.
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