World History by Era - Vol. 1 Ancient Civilizations (hardcover edition)

By Don Nardo

Book Overview

Archaeologists are engaged in an arduous but exciting ongoing effort to trace and reconstruct the origins of tool-making, language, farming, religious worship, literature, and all the other crucial bits and pieces of what we call human civilization. They have learned that its creation has been a cooperative effort, with input from many peoples in many places and ages. Through the words of numerous noted historians, this volume traces and details the efforts of the earliest of these peoples, including the Sumerians, Babylonians, Egyptians, Jews, Greeks, Celts, and others.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0737706465
• ISBN13: 9780737706468
• Release Date: November 2001
• Publisher: Greenhaven Press
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.3" x 0.8" x 6.3"
• Age Range: 12 to 15 years
• Grade Range: Grades 7 to 10

Customer Reviews

First Rate

Historian Don Nardo has produced another first rate historical survey for general readers. This one examines early civilizations across the world in the format of essays written by noted scholars. These include Chester G. Starr, Georges Roux, Seton Lloyd, Thomas R. Martin, Max Dimont, Paul Mackendrick, Michael Grant, and Nardo himself, among others. Each essay is concise, fact filled and easy to read. The bibliography is also excellent and will lead those interested to a wealth of relevant material. Also look for Nardo's other fine books about the ancient world, including "Life of a Roman Slave", "Roman Roads and Aqueducts", "Greek Drama", "Greek and Roman Sport", "The Rise of Chritianity," and "The Persian Empire".

Very Well Done and Useful

As in volume 2 in this series (The Classical World, which I have reviewed separately) this is a wonderful introduction to the early ancient world, with articles by noted historians about the stone age, the emergence of the first cities in Mesopotamia and the first nation-state in Egypt, as well as on societies in other areas during the third, second, and first millenia B.C., such as India, Palestine, Greece, Italy, and central Europe (the Celts!). A time line and excellent bibliography complete what will be useful not only for students writing reports, but also as a reference text in Western civ. classes in high schools and colleges.