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The History of the World #1
The History of the Ancient World: From the Earliest Accounts to the Fall of Rome
This is the first volume in a bold new series that tells the stories of all peoples, connecting historical events from Europe to the Middle East to the far coast of China, while still giving weight to the characteristics of each country.
Susan Wise Bauer provides both sweeping scope and vivid attention to the individual lives that give flesh to abstract assertions about human history.
Dozens of maps provide a clear geography of great events, while timelines give the reader an ongoing sense of the passage of years and cultural interconnection. This narrative history employs the methods of “history from beneath”—literature, epic traditions, private letters and accounts—to connect kings and leaders with the lives of those they ruled. The result is an engrossing tapestry of human behavior from which we may draw conclusions about the direction of world events and the causes behind them.
Susan Wise Bauer provides both sweeping scope and vivid attention to the individual lives that give flesh to abstract assertions about human history.
Dozens of maps provide a clear geography of great events, while timelines give the reader an ongoing sense of the passage of years and cultural interconnection. This narrative history employs the methods of “history from beneath”—literature, epic traditions, private letters and accounts—to connect kings and leaders with the lives of those they ruled. The result is an engrossing tapestry of human behavior from which we may draw conclusions about the direction of world events and the causes behind them.
896 pages, Hardcover
First published April 17, 2001
About the author
Susan Wise Bauer
213 books976 followersSusan Wise Bauer is an American author, English instructor of writing and American literature at The College of William and Mary, and founder of Well-Trained Mind Press (formerly Peace Hill Press).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,003 reviews
February 11, 2016
I feel like I was listening to this book for so long that NOT listening to it feels strange. The end just kind of came out of nowhere... One minute I'm listening to the fall of Rome, and the next Audible is hoping that I enjoyed the program.
Did I enjoy it? Mostly. I liked the subtle humor that made these historical figures personable and relatable (relatively speaking). It served to make this a bit less like a 26 hour stint in Professor Binns' class - though for much of it, it is simply a recapping of a lot of facts and names and dates and places. This gives us a bit of narrative, making it a little more storylike... but only a little.
The format of this book is not ideal. I'm not really sure what a better method would be, since the world is a big place and contained many civilizations getting their feet wet all at the same time. I think that there should have been, or could have been, a bit more referential material though. Don't rely on me to remember what happened in 3,000 BC in Egypt AND China AND wherever else... Link it together for me. "At the same time Pharaoh whoever was doing this thing, over in China, Emperor whoever was starting this war."
Or maybe year range sections would be good... That way I kind of have a frame of reference - all of the things I'm hearing about are happening at the same time. That would be better for me than subject breakdowns. Sure, they are interesting - The origins of Kingship, or the Persian Wars, etc... but I tend to think more linearly than that, so this format was a bit hard for me to follow and get the most out of. It likes to start with a topic, and then choose a location, discuss the topic's relevance there, jump to a new place, repeat. Usually it's around the same time period... but I couldn't tell you because as hard as I tried, listening with my full attention just wasn't happening.
Anyway... mostly enjoyable, but a bit tedious at times. I'd still recommend it though if you're into history.
Did I enjoy it? Mostly. I liked the subtle humor that made these historical figures personable and relatable (relatively speaking). It served to make this a bit less like a 26 hour stint in Professor Binns' class - though for much of it, it is simply a recapping of a lot of facts and names and dates and places. This gives us a bit of narrative, making it a little more storylike... but only a little.
The format of this book is not ideal. I'm not really sure what a better method would be, since the world is a big place and contained many civilizations getting their feet wet all at the same time. I think that there should have been, or could have been, a bit more referential material though. Don't rely on me to remember what happened in 3,000 BC in Egypt AND China AND wherever else... Link it together for me. "At the same time Pharaoh whoever was doing this thing, over in China, Emperor whoever was starting this war."
Or maybe year range sections would be good... That way I kind of have a frame of reference - all of the things I'm hearing about are happening at the same time. That would be better for me than subject breakdowns. Sure, they are interesting - The origins of Kingship, or the Persian Wars, etc... but I tend to think more linearly than that, so this format was a bit hard for me to follow and get the most out of. It likes to start with a topic, and then choose a location, discuss the topic's relevance there, jump to a new place, repeat. Usually it's around the same time period... but I couldn't tell you because as hard as I tried, listening with my full attention just wasn't happening.
Anyway... mostly enjoyable, but a bit tedious at times. I'd still recommend it though if you're into history.
November 28, 2012
Although an impressive scope, the approach I feel was flawed.
First, the author takes a "big person" historiographical approach. This seems terribly cartoonish...
Next, the history seems questionable. Take the exodus, for example. Now, there is no archaelogical evidence for the Hebrew exodus from Egypt, there is no empirical evidence supporting it...the only document mentioning the exodus is the Torah, written some 500+ years after the event. (Imagine how accurate a description one would have of someone guessing at Christopher Columbus discovering America!) But it's taken as "fact", despite sloppy mentions of how ambiguous the dating is.
Worse the history seems to correlate Biblical events with historical events. If I wanted cheezy Biblical explanations, I'll dig out genesis. Besides, this was attempted once before (well, many times) in the 19th century. Spoiler alert: they didn't work.
Well, this is a 21st century resurrection. I'd suggest skipping it...
First, the author takes a "big person" historiographical approach. This seems terribly cartoonish...
Next, the history seems questionable. Take the exodus, for example. Now, there is no archaelogical evidence for the Hebrew exodus from Egypt, there is no empirical evidence supporting it...the only document mentioning the exodus is the Torah, written some 500+ years after the event. (Imagine how accurate a description one would have of someone guessing at Christopher Columbus discovering America!) But it's taken as "fact", despite sloppy mentions of how ambiguous the dating is.
Worse the history seems to correlate Biblical events with historical events. If I wanted cheezy Biblical explanations, I'll dig out genesis. Besides, this was attempted once before (well, many times) in the 19th century. Spoiler alert: they didn't work.
Well, this is a 21st century resurrection. I'd suggest skipping it...
November 18, 2008
I'm about halfway through this book, and I'm enjoying it thoroughly. In a style similar to her history books for school-age children, the author presents short episodes of history, always formed as narratives based around human interactions and personalities, and jumping between centers of civilization in Egypt, Mesopotamia, India, China, and the Mediterranean. Personalities arise from the mists of history, even from the evidence of fragmentary clay records and broken and buried monuments. Patterns develop, and one can hear the song of history rhyming if not repeating through the ages. The book is incredibly well-researched, and Bauer does a great job of presenting the scholarship and controversies over different interpretations, even while she sensibly picks some over others in order to synthesize her own narratives.
My only complaint with this book would be the way that she treats biblical subjects. I'm guessing that for her this must be a complicated issue. Her sharp intellect comes through both in this book and in her other two books on home- and self-education. She is obviously brilliant, with a critical mind for reading evidence and stories and understanding not only the motivations of the readers but the writers. But she also has an audience to maintain/humor, as one of her biggest customer bases is homeschooling parents, a group largely consisting of fundamentalist Christians, especially on the east coast. Because of this (and perhaps also because of her own inner convictions) she presents two biblical figures as historical figures, Abraham and Moses, and treats their stories as largely based on actual events. She does note that there is not one shred of archeological evidence for the exodus, and of course nothing to affirm the existence of any of the patriarchs. Once she reaches more historical parts of the bible, with kings like Omri and Ahab whose existence has been confirmed, she is on firmer ground.
The stories of the old testament were written down sometime after the return of the exiles from Babylon, and for the people of the Levant, lying between and being conquered repeatedly by the huge kingdoms of Egypt and Assyria/Babylon (and the Hittites, too), claiming ancestry out of these two areas is not surprising. Abraham provides the Mesopotamian link, Moses the Egyptian. Here is one example of what I am talking about: the story of Moses, the baby set afloat in a basket on a river, echoes that of a Mesopotamian king, Sargon, from centuries earlier (just as the story of Noah and the great flood is originally a Mesopotamian myth). The most likely interpretation of that fact is that the exiles, having just lived in Babylon for decades, picked that story up and added it to their Moses myth. Bauer gives that as an interpretation, but presents as her explanation that Moses' mother knew the myth of Sargon and decided to copy it in setting her son afloat. That logic doesn't pass the smell test, or Occam's razor. In the same way, she treats Sarah's geriatric pregnancy (and Abraham's comical episodes where he has to disguise himself because his aging wife is so hot) largely at face value.
Apart from these off-key notes, this is an important and very edifying book, an incredible source of information, well-illustrated, clearly written, and beautifully organized.
I've finished the book and it was excellent - told at a very entertaining level of detail and well edited. What is interesting is that the subtitle is not at all right. The history goes up to about 311AD, when Constantine converts to Christianity and unites the Roman Empire, not to 476AD and "The Fall of Rome" as is claimed on the cover. The emphasis at the end is the comparison with what is happening in the Mediterranean and what is happening in China, with different dynastic and revolutionary claims to the thrones of those great empires. Well done all around.
My only complaint with this book would be the way that she treats biblical subjects. I'm guessing that for her this must be a complicated issue. Her sharp intellect comes through both in this book and in her other two books on home- and self-education. She is obviously brilliant, with a critical mind for reading evidence and stories and understanding not only the motivations of the readers but the writers. But she also has an audience to maintain/humor, as one of her biggest customer bases is homeschooling parents, a group largely consisting of fundamentalist Christians, especially on the east coast. Because of this (and perhaps also because of her own inner convictions) she presents two biblical figures as historical figures, Abraham and Moses, and treats their stories as largely based on actual events. She does note that there is not one shred of archeological evidence for the exodus, and of course nothing to affirm the existence of any of the patriarchs. Once she reaches more historical parts of the bible, with kings like Omri and Ahab whose existence has been confirmed, she is on firmer ground.
The stories of the old testament were written down sometime after the return of the exiles from Babylon, and for the people of the Levant, lying between and being conquered repeatedly by the huge kingdoms of Egypt and Assyria/Babylon (and the Hittites, too), claiming ancestry out of these two areas is not surprising. Abraham provides the Mesopotamian link, Moses the Egyptian. Here is one example of what I am talking about: the story of Moses, the baby set afloat in a basket on a river, echoes that of a Mesopotamian king, Sargon, from centuries earlier (just as the story of Noah and the great flood is originally a Mesopotamian myth). The most likely interpretation of that fact is that the exiles, having just lived in Babylon for decades, picked that story up and added it to their Moses myth. Bauer gives that as an interpretation, but presents as her explanation that Moses' mother knew the myth of Sargon and decided to copy it in setting her son afloat. That logic doesn't pass the smell test, or Occam's razor. In the same way, she treats Sarah's geriatric pregnancy (and Abraham's comical episodes where he has to disguise himself because his aging wife is so hot) largely at face value.
Apart from these off-key notes, this is an important and very edifying book, an incredible source of information, well-illustrated, clearly written, and beautifully organized.
I've finished the book and it was excellent - told at a very entertaining level of detail and well edited. What is interesting is that the subtitle is not at all right. The history goes up to about 311AD, when Constantine converts to Christianity and unites the Roman Empire, not to 476AD and "The Fall of Rome" as is claimed on the cover. The emphasis at the end is the comparison with what is happening in the Mediterranean and what is happening in China, with different dynastic and revolutionary claims to the thrones of those great empires. Well done all around.
May 9, 2023
Update
Текстът клони по-скоро към библейско религиозен поглед към описаните епохи. Научният подход е изхвърлен на заден план или се конкурира с религиозните предпочитания на авторката. Опасно клони към исторически креационизъм.
Ревю
Едно от нещата, които обожавам в обзорните заглавия, са цветните картинки. Тук няма такива.
Сега сериозно, авторката е подготвила за масовия читател едно ясно структурирано, прегледно изложение, обхващащо периода между 4000 г.пр.н.е и 312 г. Определено амбициозна цел само за един том. Мда, и Бауер настоява да използва преди Хр., а не преди н. е.…
Чудесен е фактът, че Бауер не се ограничава само до древен Египет, Гърция и Рим, а разгръща доста мащабен обзор за Двуречието (земите между Тигър и Ефрат), древна Персия, китайските и индийските царства, културите в Мала Азия и Леванта. Фригийци и финикийци присъстват звено с шумери, египтяни, еламити, арийци, дорийци, йонийци. Античната история в тази по-облагородена и богата трактовка не се ограничава само до храмовете в Карнак и Акропола, което е само от полза за читателя.
Бауер обаче също не успява да избегне част от капаните по темата, като - слава Богу - надутата европоцентричност не е сред тях. Тъй като древният свят е наистина древен, оцелелите свидетелства не са ��ол��ова много, а когато са налични, често си противоречат или дори са определено ненадеждни. Древният свят е истинско предизвикателство за рационалния подход от днешния ден, не на последно място и защото тази форма на светоусещане в онези епохи далеч не се е радвала на всеобща популярност.
Така че Бауер логично се обръща към достигналите до нас, и оформили културата ни, митове като Махабхарата, Старият Завет, Илиадата, древногръцкия пантеон, сагата за Гилгамеш. Макар и ненадеждни откъм фактология, или ако все пак предоставят зрънце история, то тълкуванието и е безнадеждно размито от изискванията на тогавашната власт или бореща се за налагане религиозна/ социална доктрина - все пак те са едни от малкото съвременници на онези далечни места и отглас на отминали събития и сътресения. Бауер обаче ги разказва, сякаш са реални събития и реален заместител на историята!
Това, което също силно ме раздразни и унищожи ефекта от прочетеното, беше избирателното и “доверчиво” (т.е. представено като чиста монета) вмъкване на библейските истории, включително съвършено недоказания Изход. Старият Завет, за разлика от Корана, съдържа известни исторически отгласи. Бауер обаче доста очеизвадно ги преекспонира като достоверни исторически събития с дословни цитати (които са с ужасния старовремски език, който да ме извини Светият Синод, но в българския си вариант никак не допринася за вникване в посланията на Стария Завет, а пасажите, четени на английски, са ми в пъти по-ясни). Например в главата за предполагаемия Изход присъства съвсем явна спекулация какво били мислили египтяните по въпроса, и понеже би ги представило в неблагоприятна светлина, не го били документирали никъде!
На този фон не мога да не се възхитя на Съма Циен, който е цитираният основен източник за Китай, който при всичките си украси и митологични референции, е бил явно доста фактологичен за времето си. На други места Бауер вмъква митологичен преразказ като заместител на липсата на достоверни исторически данни, с много неясни, бегли и уклончиви предположения какво би могло да значи това в исторически аспект - типичен пример е Махабхарата.
От друга страна Бауер може да бъде и елегантно скептична - но твърде избирателно, и когато не е свързано със Стария Завет. Например не забравя - удачно - да напомни колко ненадеждни са римските историци, възхваляващи несъществували стари добродетели, тъй като се опитват да обслужат далеч по-късни политически римски доктрини и да “възпитават” младото поколение. Така ведро пропуска факта, че книгите от Стария и Новия Завет са с абсолютно същото предназначение. Библеистите са датирали с прилична точност стария Завет, като част от “събитията” са описани стотици години по-късно при политически обстоятелства, изискващо съответното “тълкуване”. Това тук не се споменава.
Източниците, ползвани от Бауер, са изцяло англоезични. Разбираемо това е отдавна наложилото се ново есперантно, но все пак за толкова мащабно заглавие лично аз биха очаквала малко пове��е.
Липсата на по-силно акцентиране и откроява е на личности и събития, макар и за сметка на други, също е отличителна черта на стила на Бауер, което води до пресищане и скука. ��а моменти тя толкова добросъвестно изкълвава в стенографско резюме (поради ограничението в обема на книгата) безброй имена и случки в рамките на две изречения, че докарват световъртеж, без по никакъв начин да са запомнящи се или отличаващи се от всички останали в същата секция. Пропускането им за сметка на по-силно акцентиране върху по-ключови елементи единствено би внесло значително подобрение и би засилило интереса.
Да стигна и до картинките. Да, липсата им дразни. Старото клише, че една картинка често казва повече от много думи, всъщност е вярно. Бауер не използва добро онагледяване със запомнящи се образи. Скучните и с нищо незабележителни черно-бели снимки не допринасят с нищо за по-доброто разбиране. Положението с картите е по-добро, макар на моменти да се повтарят. Табличките пък са супер.
Цялостно - нелош учебник или справочник, далеч не от най-интересните, не е и от най-скучните, дава представа, макар и не безпристрастна. Но е на светлинни години от въздействието на много по-непретенциозни, много по-стари, по-малко библейско и религиозно центрирани, далеч не така изчерпателни и нелинейно структурирани заглавия като “Когато слънцето беше бог” на Зенон Кошидовски. При Кошидовски всичко е запомнящо се! И плаче за преиздаване. А за Бауер се съмнявам, че след 5-10 години някой изобщо ще я помни в масовката от подобни заглавия за общо ползване.
Текстът клони по-скоро към библейско религиозен поглед към описаните епохи. Научният подход е изхвърлен на заден план или се конкурира с религиозните предпочитания на авторката. Опасно клони към исторически креационизъм.
Ревю
Едно от нещата, които обожавам в обзорните заглавия, са цветните картинки. Тук няма такива.
Сега сериозно, авторката е подготвила за масовия читател едно ясно структурирано, прегледно изложение, обхващащо периода между 4000 г.пр.н.е и 312 г. Определено амбициозна цел само за един том. Мда, и Бауер настоява да използва преди Хр., а не преди н. е.…
Чудесен е фактът, че Бауер не се ограничава само до древен Египет, Гърция и Рим, а разгръща доста мащабен обзор за Двуречието (земите между Тигър и Ефрат), древна Персия, китайските и индийските царства, културите в Мала Азия и Леванта. Фригийци и финикийци присъстват звено с шумери, египтяни, еламити, арийци, дорийци, йонийци. Античната история в тази по-облагородена и богата трактовка не се ограничава само до храмовете в Карнак и Акропола, което е само от полза за читателя.
Бауер обаче също не успява да избегне част от капаните по темата, като - слава Богу - надутата европоцентричност не е сред тях. Тъй като древният свят е наистина древен, оцелелите свидетелства не са ��ол��ова много, а когато са налични, често си противоречат или дори са определено ненадеждни. Древният свят е истинско предизвикателство за рационалния подход от днешния ден, не на последно място и защото тази форма на светоусещане в онези епохи далеч не се е радвала на всеобща популярност.
Така че Бауер логично се обръща към достигналите до нас, и оформили културата ни, митове като Махабхарата, Старият Завет, Илиадата, древногръцкия пантеон, сагата за Гилгамеш. Макар и ненадеждни откъм фактология, или ако все пак предоставят зрънце история, то тълкуванието и е безнадеждно размито от изискванията на тогавашната власт или бореща се за налагане религиозна/ социална доктрина - все пак те са едни от малкото съвременници на онези далечни места и отглас на отминали събития и сътресения. Бауер обаче ги разказва, сякаш са реални събития и реален заместител на историята!
Това, което също силно ме раздразни и унищожи ефекта от прочетеното, беше избирателното и “доверчиво” (т.е. представено като чиста монета) вмъкване на библейските истории, включително съвършено недоказания Изход. Старият Завет, за разлика от Корана, съдържа известни исторически отгласи. Бауер обаче доста очеизвадно ги преекспонира като достоверни исторически събития с дословни цитати (които са с ужасния старовремски език, който да ме извини Светият Синод, но в българския си вариант никак не допринася за вникване в посланията на Стария Завет, а пасажите, четени на английски, са ми в пъти по-ясни). Например в главата за предполагаемия Изход присъства съвсем явна спекулация какво били мислили египтяните по въпроса, и понеже би ги представило в неблагоприятна светлина, не го били документирали никъде!
На този фон не мога да не се възхитя на Съма Циен, който е цитираният основен източник за Китай, който при всичките си украси и митологични референции, е бил явно доста фактологичен за времето си. На други места Бауер вмъква митологичен преразказ като заместител на липсата на достоверни исторически данни, с много неясни, бегли и уклончиви предположения какво би могло да значи това в исторически аспект - типичен пример е Махабхарата.
От друга страна Бауер може да бъде и елегантно скептична - но твърде избирателно, и когато не е свързано със Стария Завет. Например не забравя - удачно - да напомни колко ненадеждни са римските историци, възхваляващи несъществували стари добродетели, тъй като се опитват да обслужат далеч по-късни политически римски доктрини и да “възпитават” младото поколение. Така ведро пропуска факта, че книгите от Стария и Новия Завет са с абсолютно същото предназначение. Библеистите са датирали с прилична точност стария Завет, като част от “събитията” са описани стотици години по-късно при политически обстоятелства, изискващо съответното “тълкуване”. Това тук не се споменава.
Източниците, ползвани от Бауер, са изцяло англоезични. Разбираемо това е отдавна наложилото се ново есперантно, но все пак за толкова мащабно заглавие лично аз биха очаквала малко пове��е.
Липсата на по-силно акцентиране и откроява е на личности и събития, макар и за сметка на други, също е отличителна черта на стила на Бауер, което води до пресищане и скука. ��а моменти тя толкова добросъвестно изкълвава в стенографско резюме (поради ограничението в обема на книгата) безброй имена и случки в рамките на две изречения, че докарват световъртеж, без по никакъв начин да са запомнящи се или отличаващи се от всички останали в същата секция. Пропускането им за сметка на по-силно акцентиране върху по-ключови елементи единствено би внесло значително подобрение и би засилило интереса.
Да стигна и до картинките. Да, липсата им дразни. Старото клише, че една картинка често казва повече от много думи, всъщност е вярно. Бауер не използва добро онагледяване със запомнящи се образи. Скучните и с нищо незабележителни черно-бели снимки не допринасят с нищо за по-доброто разбиране. Положението с картите е по-добро, макар на моменти да се повтарят. Табличките пък са супер.
Цялостно - нелош учебник или справочник, далеч не от най-интересните, не е и от най-скучните, дава представа, макар и не безпристрастна. Но е на светлинни години от въздействието на много по-непретенциозни, много по-стари, по-малко библейско и религиозно центрирани, далеч не така изчерпателни и нелинейно структурирани заглавия като “Когато слънцето беше бог” на Зенон Кошидовски. При Кошидовски всичко е запомнящо се! И плаче за преиздаване. А за Бауер се съмнявам, че след 5-10 години някой изобщо ще я помни в масовката от подобни заглавия за общо ползване.
October 8, 2015
Unfortunately, I've survived to adulthood with an embarrassing lack of historical knowledge. Not even my liberal arts general education university classes taught me history. Now that I'm homeschooling, I needed at least a basic understanding. THIS BOOK HAS BEEN FANTASTIC FOR THAT PURPOSE. I obviously can't assess its accuracy, but my husband and I have thoroughly enjoyed the overview of all of world history and the way Bauer offers perspective and some repetition. We talk about the books frequently, and I'm thrilled that basic pieces of history, tiny little references from daily life, are finally substantive for me.
I really needed an historical framework or overview, and this simple, engaging book has been ideal for that purpose. Now, when I read other specific books, I have a context to fit them into and a way to mentally file the information. I'm excited to share this series with my son when he's ready. Actually, with all the discussion between my husband and me, he's learning and hearing a lot of it already.
I really needed an historical framework or overview, and this simple, engaging book has been ideal for that purpose. Now, when I read other specific books, I have a context to fit them into and a way to mentally file the information. I'm excited to share this series with my son when he's ready. Actually, with all the discussion between my husband and me, he's learning and hearing a lot of it already.
August 11, 2020
The first 3,000 years of known history in Mesopotamia, Greece, Rome, China, etc
"History is just one damn thing after another" is a famous quote misattributed to the venerable historian Arthur Toynbee. What he actually said was:
"Life is just one damned thing after another, whether it is private or public life. And looking back upon history (which in reality, of course, has never stopped happening, even during our brief halcyon days), one can see that in almost every age in almost every part of the world, human beings have had to live their normal lives and do their normal business under conditions of uncertainty, danger and distress. . ."
Well, I don't know who co-opted his expression, but it's an amusingly cynical view of history. Is there no rhyme or reason, no ebb and flow, no discernible pattern to the rise and fall of empires, kingdoms, royal families, noble houses, great leaders and generals, shrewd politicians, religious figures, powerful merchants, meticulous scholars, and petty bureaucrats, not to mention priests, commoners, farmers, criminals, slaves, and thieves? Surely history is an infinitely complex and grand tapestry throughout which the joys and despair of men, women, and children are woven, in often mysterious and conflicting patterns, but making up a gloriously gripping narrative of human existence?
Well, I'm no historian but I certainly find myself increasingly drawn to history precisely because enough time has passed to gain some distance and perspective away from current events. Given the state of the world today, with its myriad thorny and seemingly unsolvable problems such as economic and political disparity, environmental destruction, overpopulation, social class and religious conflicts, relentless invasion of technology into our daily lives, and growing moral relativism as traditional belief systems are undermined, there is something very attractive about casting our gaze back into previous millennia, not because they were simpler or better times, necessarily, but because we can see some of the same delusions of certainty, righteousness, justice, and equality then that persist now in stark contrast to the messy reality of the world we live in today.
This series of books by Susan Wise Bauer seeks to capture huge swaths of history not simply with sweeping generalizations and explanations, but rather covering a seemingly endless series of empires and leaders rising and falling in different parts of the ancient world, sometimes achieving greatness, oftentimes megalomaniac and despotic, but quickly seeing their demise in favor of the next to seize power. So in many ways, this book could be described as "History is just one damn crazy leader after another", and Bauer makes a great effort to make these colorful individuals into real characters with good and bad traits, outlandish ambitions, sadistic tendencies, and often incredible duplicitousness.
There are no angels out there who rose to power - hardly - but there weren't pure devils either. They were just as conflicted and confused as we are, just in a less complex and smaller-scale world than the global societies of today. But the same dynamics of religious, military, political, and economic power and the struggle for control operate. In this book we get a never-ending parade of individual dramas from different eras and regions of the world, a thousand variations of the same efforts to establish and maintain order in increasingly large empires with the inevitable collapses due to external battles with rival empires or, just as frequently, the internal struggles for power and sudden betrayals of family and allies.
It is a bloody affair, and Bauer describes the many treacherous and cruel actions of rulers to keep power with unflinching enthusiasm, in fact a certain maniacal glee at their brutality. With absolute power in the ancient world, anything was possible, and tens of thousands of people could be slaughtered as cities were sacked by armies, or tortured and executed as traitors, or enslaved for generations, a story repeated again and again, and yet also there were moments of impressively enlightened ideas of collective and individual political rights to protect citizens from tyranny, to protect property rights, and so forth, which are the underpinnings of our modern democracies and capitalist/market economies. We may have plenty of inequalities and injustices still persisting today, but we are less likely to be persecuted and executed by a capricious leader on a whim. So there is such a thing as progress, though it is far from universal and far from guaranteed.
To sum up, I enjoyed this 26-hour pageant of history. If you asked me to repeat most of the leaders and kingdoms and battles and when/where they took place, I would be very honest in saying it's all a blur, a flood of information that flowed over my ears and mind over many a dog walk in the neighborhood during lockdown, but I was enriched by it and left thirsty for more, which is perfect since there are two more hefty installments, one on the Medieval World and the next on the Renaissance World, coming up next.
"History is just one damn thing after another" is a famous quote misattributed to the venerable historian Arthur Toynbee. What he actually said was:
"Life is just one damned thing after another, whether it is private or public life. And looking back upon history (which in reality, of course, has never stopped happening, even during our brief halcyon days), one can see that in almost every age in almost every part of the world, human beings have had to live their normal lives and do their normal business under conditions of uncertainty, danger and distress. . ."
Well, I don't know who co-opted his expression, but it's an amusingly cynical view of history. Is there no rhyme or reason, no ebb and flow, no discernible pattern to the rise and fall of empires, kingdoms, royal families, noble houses, great leaders and generals, shrewd politicians, religious figures, powerful merchants, meticulous scholars, and petty bureaucrats, not to mention priests, commoners, farmers, criminals, slaves, and thieves? Surely history is an infinitely complex and grand tapestry throughout which the joys and despair of men, women, and children are woven, in often mysterious and conflicting patterns, but making up a gloriously gripping narrative of human existence?
Well, I'm no historian but I certainly find myself increasingly drawn to history precisely because enough time has passed to gain some distance and perspective away from current events. Given the state of the world today, with its myriad thorny and seemingly unsolvable problems such as economic and political disparity, environmental destruction, overpopulation, social class and religious conflicts, relentless invasion of technology into our daily lives, and growing moral relativism as traditional belief systems are undermined, there is something very attractive about casting our gaze back into previous millennia, not because they were simpler or better times, necessarily, but because we can see some of the same delusions of certainty, righteousness, justice, and equality then that persist now in stark contrast to the messy reality of the world we live in today.
This series of books by Susan Wise Bauer seeks to capture huge swaths of history not simply with sweeping generalizations and explanations, but rather covering a seemingly endless series of empires and leaders rising and falling in different parts of the ancient world, sometimes achieving greatness, oftentimes megalomaniac and despotic, but quickly seeing their demise in favor of the next to seize power. So in many ways, this book could be described as "History is just one damn crazy leader after another", and Bauer makes a great effort to make these colorful individuals into real characters with good and bad traits, outlandish ambitions, sadistic tendencies, and often incredible duplicitousness.
There are no angels out there who rose to power - hardly - but there weren't pure devils either. They were just as conflicted and confused as we are, just in a less complex and smaller-scale world than the global societies of today. But the same dynamics of religious, military, political, and economic power and the struggle for control operate. In this book we get a never-ending parade of individual dramas from different eras and regions of the world, a thousand variations of the same efforts to establish and maintain order in increasingly large empires with the inevitable collapses due to external battles with rival empires or, just as frequently, the internal struggles for power and sudden betrayals of family and allies.
It is a bloody affair, and Bauer describes the many treacherous and cruel actions of rulers to keep power with unflinching enthusiasm, in fact a certain maniacal glee at their brutality. With absolute power in the ancient world, anything was possible, and tens of thousands of people could be slaughtered as cities were sacked by armies, or tortured and executed as traitors, or enslaved for generations, a story repeated again and again, and yet also there were moments of impressively enlightened ideas of collective and individual political rights to protect citizens from tyranny, to protect property rights, and so forth, which are the underpinnings of our modern democracies and capitalist/market economies. We may have plenty of inequalities and injustices still persisting today, but we are less likely to be persecuted and executed by a capricious leader on a whim. So there is such a thing as progress, though it is far from universal and far from guaranteed.
To sum up, I enjoyed this 26-hour pageant of history. If you asked me to repeat most of the leaders and kingdoms and battles and when/where they took place, I would be very honest in saying it's all a blur, a flood of information that flowed over my ears and mind over many a dog walk in the neighborhood during lockdown, but I was enriched by it and left thirsty for more, which is perfect since there are two more hefty installments, one on the Medieval World and the next on the Renaissance World, coming up next.
April 16, 2016
I listened to this audiobook years ago with my eldest child; now it is my youngest's turn. This book does a decent job of sketching out history of the ancient world as it is usually covered in school. I found it to be a great refresher for me, and helped me to get a better picture of what happened when in the distant past.
I was disappointed somewhat, however, by the strong Judeo-Christian slant of the book. Wise does discuss the ancient histories of the Americas, of Africa, and of Asia. However, there is a distinct focus on Western Civilization, and the whole story of Jesus is taught as historical fact. Even if there was such a person who taught a wonderful doctrine of love, compassion, and forgiveness, I think that treating miracles as history hard to swallow. I found myself having to translate for my youngster- that the stories of the Bible are very similar to the stories of Osiris or Raven or Zeus. These stories tell us a lot about what a culture finds important, and how they understood the world to work. These stories are true in a mythic sense, but they are a different kind of story than the story of Julius Caeser, or Sargon, or Emperor Qin. This is a tricky distinction for a young person, and I was disappointed that the Biblical stories were treated as true whereas those from other cultures where described as myth.
This book is a good introduction to the general outline of ancient history. It is written for 1st graders, although my 5.5yo enjoyed it a lot. I think it is good to know of the bias in this book before delving in, however, so that a parent can help their children to think critically about history and the stories we tell ourselves about it.
I was disappointed somewhat, however, by the strong Judeo-Christian slant of the book. Wise does discuss the ancient histories of the Americas, of Africa, and of Asia. However, there is a distinct focus on Western Civilization, and the whole story of Jesus is taught as historical fact. Even if there was such a person who taught a wonderful doctrine of love, compassion, and forgiveness, I think that treating miracles as history hard to swallow. I found myself having to translate for my youngster- that the stories of the Bible are very similar to the stories of Osiris or Raven or Zeus. These stories tell us a lot about what a culture finds important, and how they understood the world to work. These stories are true in a mythic sense, but they are a different kind of story than the story of Julius Caeser, or Sargon, or Emperor Qin. This is a tricky distinction for a young person, and I was disappointed that the Biblical stories were treated as true whereas those from other cultures where described as myth.
This book is a good introduction to the general outline of ancient history. It is written for 1st graders, although my 5.5yo enjoyed it a lot. I think it is good to know of the bias in this book before delving in, however, so that a parent can help their children to think critically about history and the stories we tell ourselves about it.
February 2, 2016
Fast paced history of the ancient world. Wile reading, I could not help but visualize the earlier humans marking their territory as they competed for power and resources, spread out from every corner of Earth to build the cities and civilizations we see today. It's always a good idea to remember from where and from whom we came. This book, though long, will take you on an extremely compact tour from the first kings of whom we are aware through the fall of Rome. It covers how power and land were gained, how laws were written and followed (or not followed), and how ideals were born or killed in different regions of our globe.
Since this book provides a history for such a long stretch of time, at no time does it go into great detail of any particular period or king. The book is already longer than most books. If Wise Bauer were to go into more detail, the book would simply be another book. Rather, this book gives the reader a mere glimpse into each time period as it races along. I made of note of the time periods and leaders I would like to read more about later.
At times the author, like all authors before her, had to construct the story from sources that are difficult to verify or are included in religious texts that might be unreliable in providing an accurate history. In those cases, she did a great job and informing the reader about the speculative nature of the narrative. Excellent writing. Excellent timeline. Excellent history.
Since this book provides a history for such a long stretch of time, at no time does it go into great detail of any particular period or king. The book is already longer than most books. If Wise Bauer were to go into more detail, the book would simply be another book. Rather, this book gives the reader a mere glimpse into each time period as it races along. I made of note of the time periods and leaders I would like to read more about later.
At times the author, like all authors before her, had to construct the story from sources that are difficult to verify or are included in religious texts that might be unreliable in providing an accurate history. In those cases, she did a great job and informing the reader about the speculative nature of the narrative. Excellent writing. Excellent timeline. Excellent history.
November 20, 2018
Well written history of ancient times for young students. I love Hillyer's writing style but this stands up well to rereading too.
February 13, 2010
This book changed my perspective on humanity. Who we are. What we've done. And the fact that there's nothing new under the sun. It was especially interesting for me, as a Christian, to see how secular history overlaps and influences the Biblical stories that shape my faith. A must read....can't wait for volume 2.
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February 2010: Picking up to read this again since I enjoyed it so much the first time....
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February 2010: Picking up to read this again since I enjoyed it so much the first time....
March 30, 2015
If you already know all about Tiglath Pilesar the third and the problems of Assyrian imperialism then this may not be the book for you. It is a very quick (and therefore necessarily superficial) overview of the history of all major Eurasian civilizations from 3000 BC to 300 AD. It helps you to put all of them in place parallel to each other and to get a nodding acquaintance with all of the actors. It is strictly narrative history, focused on rulers and popular stories about them...it is also a bit too eager to take various ancient texts at face value (I have seen other reviewers particularly offended by her treatment of the bible as a source of historical information). And if you want to know what deeper economic, cultural and ecological trends underlay the rise and fall of ideas and empires, then this is not your book. But if you want a quick introduction to the whole era and especially if you just want to have a clearer picture of who was contemporary with whom, then this will do.
In short, if you are mostly ignorant (as I was about most of Babylonian history for example), you will learn something. But when she covers ground you are more familiar with, you may find yourself disagreeing with some of what she chose to pick up and how she summarized it (I had that feeling at times when she talked of the late Roman Republic and the Roman empire).
Worth a read. And easy to read.
In short, if you are mostly ignorant (as I was about most of Babylonian history for example), you will learn something. But when she covers ground you are more familiar with, you may find yourself disagreeing with some of what she chose to pick up and how she summarized it (I had that feeling at times when she talked of the late Roman Republic and the Roman empire).
Worth a read. And easy to read.
August 15, 2011
Without a unifying theory or an overarching narrative, history is just one damn thing after another. The results are at once cursory and grim: battle, tyrant, slaughter, battle, tyrant, rise, fall, lather, rinse, repeat. Moreover, by attempting to cover 2,000 years of human history in 800 pages, the author maintains a very high altitude, largely rehashing things that I learned in junior high and high school.
Overall, it was a readable but disappointing history of the ancient world.
Overall, it was a readable but disappointing history of the ancient world.
June 14, 2020
Uzun bir okumanın ardından, bu kapsamlı kitabı bitirdim.
Şimdi nereden nasıl başlanır bilemiyorum. Çünkü konular çok geniş. Kısaca değinmek gerekirse iyi hazırlanmış bir tarih kitabı. Ele aldığı coğrafyaya göre, bunca yılı çok iyi sığdırmış yazar. Evet kitap hacimli ve oldukça büyük ebatlı ama bu akıcılığını çok etkilemiyor.
Okumayı düşünenler için bahsettiği coğrafya ile başlayabilirim. Batıda Britanya adasından, doğuda Çin’e kadar, güneyde Mısır, kuzeyde ise Germen diyarına kadar diyebilirim. Avrupa, Mısır, Mezapotamya, Çin ve Hindistan başlıkları altında toplayabiliriz. Tabi avrupa derken detaylı bir Catalan, Germen ya da daha kuzeyi düşünmeyin. Tarih yazımının olduğu bölümlerden, bu bahsettiğim coğrafyaya odaklanılmış. Aslında bu benim için biraz kısıtlayıcı oldu ama bu hali ile bile tatmin edici diyebilirim.
Daha detaylı bir yazıyı kitapveyorum.com sayfasında yazacağım. Kitabı okurken aldığım notlar var. Fakat bu notlar sadece benim anlayabileceğim şekilde yazılmış gibi. Onları biraz toplayarak düzenleyebilirsem, güzel bir özet en azından başlıkların incelenmesi için yararlı olabilir.
Tabi bu notlarda beni etkileyen bölümleri daha detaylı geçtim. Özellikle bazı portrelerin yaşadıklarına daha fokus bir biçimde yaklaştım.
Toparlarsam eğer, bahsettiğim coğrafya hakkında özet ve yazılı tarihe odaklanılmış net bir bilgi almak için iyi bir kaynak. Diğer cilt ile Susan Wise Bauer’e devam edeceğim. Ortaçağ Dünyası ile. Sonrasında Umberto Eco’nun editörlüğünü yaptığı seri ile devam edip, daha detay için araştırdığım bazı kitapları okumayı planlıyorum.
Şimdi nereden nasıl başlanır bilemiyorum. Çünkü konular çok geniş. Kısaca değinmek gerekirse iyi hazırlanmış bir tarih kitabı. Ele aldığı coğrafyaya göre, bunca yılı çok iyi sığdırmış yazar. Evet kitap hacimli ve oldukça büyük ebatlı ama bu akıcılığını çok etkilemiyor.
Okumayı düşünenler için bahsettiği coğrafya ile başlayabilirim. Batıda Britanya adasından, doğuda Çin’e kadar, güneyde Mısır, kuzeyde ise Germen diyarına kadar diyebilirim. Avrupa, Mısır, Mezapotamya, Çin ve Hindistan başlıkları altında toplayabiliriz. Tabi avrupa derken detaylı bir Catalan, Germen ya da daha kuzeyi düşünmeyin. Tarih yazımının olduğu bölümlerden, bu bahsettiğim coğrafyaya odaklanılmış. Aslında bu benim için biraz kısıtlayıcı oldu ama bu hali ile bile tatmin edici diyebilirim.
Daha detaylı bir yazıyı kitapveyorum.com sayfasında yazacağım. Kitabı okurken aldığım notlar var. Fakat bu notlar sadece benim anlayabileceğim şekilde yazılmış gibi. Onları biraz toplayarak düzenleyebilirsem, güzel bir özet en azından başlıkların incelenmesi için yararlı olabilir.
Tabi bu notlarda beni etkileyen bölümleri daha detaylı geçtim. Özellikle bazı portrelerin yaşadıklarına daha fokus bir biçimde yaklaştım.
Toparlarsam eğer, bahsettiğim coğrafya hakkında özet ve yazılı tarihe odaklanılmış net bir bilgi almak için iyi bir kaynak. Diğer cilt ile Susan Wise Bauer’e devam edeceğim. Ortaçağ Dünyası ile. Sonrasında Umberto Eco’nun editörlüğünü yaptığı seri ile devam edip, daha detay için araştırdığım bazı kitapları okumayı planlıyorum.
June 24, 2016
Without hesitation, one of the most enjoyable, often humorous (see Star Trek Borg reference), reads on ancient history. As with any sweeping text on the ancient world, people are left out, some events glossed over in favor of others; nonetheless, I enjoy just such histories as, in their comprehensive nature, they allow for a broader understanding of how civilizations evolved, how great societies rose and inevitably fell, and how such patterns continue, no matter how "modern" and "advanced" man presumes to be. After all, those great societies were modern and advanced to those living in them. I cannot wait to dive into Wise's, History of the Medieval World.
September 17, 2010
THE HISTORY OF THE ANCIENT WORLD: FROM THE EARLIEST ACCOUNTS TO THE FALL OF ROME BY SUSAN WISE BAUER: The History of the Ancient World is Susan Wise Bauer’s first book of a four-volume series, as she attempts to recount a complete history of the world. In this first tome, she covers humanity’s beginnings of civilization, as we changed our nomadic ways, on through the ancient world, up to Emperor Constantine and the fall of the great Roman Empire. Weighing in at 860 pages, including notes and bibliography, it’s the most detailed and complete history of the ancient world I have ever read.
Bauer’s insight in bringing this lengthy but important time in history to the reader is through her system of not having a section of the book dedicated to each civilization or ruler, but in recounting a chronological history of the ancient world, taking a chapter with each civilization as they rise, prosper, and then fall. In a time when history is not just about dates, conquerors, kings, and emperors, but pulling back and looking at the different regions on a wider scale, this book is indispensable It is in this way that historians discover why certain things happen, and why certain people do the thing they do: because they are related and dependent on all events and happenings in that part of the world, and not just their particular civilization. Bauer does exactly this by telling everyone’s story concurrently with everyone else’s. It is a magnificent feat, not just from the reader’s standpoint in learning the history, but on an editorial scale also. In this way, the reader’s sees that history isn’t just about one group conquering another for personal gain (though this is certainly a part of it), but humanity’s striving for an evolution of improvement.
Using obvious and clear chapter titles, along with a few sentences on what the chapter is about; navigating through this book is not a problem at all with these devices, as well as a lengthy and complete table of contents. The book is split up into five parts: The Edge of History, Firsts, Struggle, Empires, and Identity. In this way, Bauer is indicating the progression of humanity in the ancient world and making it clear what the reader should be taking from the book. Her only failing is in most of the book consisting of the history of the ancient western world. Leaving out the Americas – due to lack of historical evidence, I would presume – and leaving Africa for a later book; apart from the western world, Bauer also focuses on China and India, though not to the extent as with Western Europe and the Middle East. While I’m certain there was a lot more going on in India, China, and Asia for the most part, Bauer presents at best a survey of ancient times in this part of the world. Nevertheless, again she does an amazing job of covering each civilization in parallel, so that the reader knows what was happening in China, Asia, and Babylon during the rise of the Pharaohs in Ancient Egypt. Bauer even goes one step further with tables at the end of each chapter which cover the events in that chapter, as well as those in the previous chapter, listing them side by side with a timeline.
The History of the Ancient World is a necessary encyclopedia for any amateur historian with an affection for the period, and with the countless maps and pictures throughout the book, it is also an ideal albeit lengthy book for those wishing to learn more about the ancient civilizations across the globe. Now it is a case of impatiently waiting for the next volume in the series which will cover the Middle Ages throughout the world.
For more book reviews, and author interviews, go to BookBanter.
Bauer’s insight in bringing this lengthy but important time in history to the reader is through her system of not having a section of the book dedicated to each civilization or ruler, but in recounting a chronological history of the ancient world, taking a chapter with each civilization as they rise, prosper, and then fall. In a time when history is not just about dates, conquerors, kings, and emperors, but pulling back and looking at the different regions on a wider scale, this book is indispensable It is in this way that historians discover why certain things happen, and why certain people do the thing they do: because they are related and dependent on all events and happenings in that part of the world, and not just their particular civilization. Bauer does exactly this by telling everyone’s story concurrently with everyone else’s. It is a magnificent feat, not just from the reader’s standpoint in learning the history, but on an editorial scale also. In this way, the reader’s sees that history isn’t just about one group conquering another for personal gain (though this is certainly a part of it), but humanity’s striving for an evolution of improvement.
Using obvious and clear chapter titles, along with a few sentences on what the chapter is about; navigating through this book is not a problem at all with these devices, as well as a lengthy and complete table of contents. The book is split up into five parts: The Edge of History, Firsts, Struggle, Empires, and Identity. In this way, Bauer is indicating the progression of humanity in the ancient world and making it clear what the reader should be taking from the book. Her only failing is in most of the book consisting of the history of the ancient western world. Leaving out the Americas – due to lack of historical evidence, I would presume – and leaving Africa for a later book; apart from the western world, Bauer also focuses on China and India, though not to the extent as with Western Europe and the Middle East. While I’m certain there was a lot more going on in India, China, and Asia for the most part, Bauer presents at best a survey of ancient times in this part of the world. Nevertheless, again she does an amazing job of covering each civilization in parallel, so that the reader knows what was happening in China, Asia, and Babylon during the rise of the Pharaohs in Ancient Egypt. Bauer even goes one step further with tables at the end of each chapter which cover the events in that chapter, as well as those in the previous chapter, listing them side by side with a timeline.
The History of the Ancient World is a necessary encyclopedia for any amateur historian with an affection for the period, and with the countless maps and pictures throughout the book, it is also an ideal albeit lengthy book for those wishing to learn more about the ancient civilizations across the globe. Now it is a case of impatiently waiting for the next volume in the series which will cover the Middle Ages throughout the world.
For more book reviews, and author interviews, go to BookBanter.
August 25, 2016
This is an excellent historical text. It provides some much needed narrative detail to the often dry and obfuscated facts regarding some of the earliest civilizations of mankind. I especially liked her descriptions of the Egyptian and Sumerian civilizations, as they were done with a real human-touch, as opposed to the typically artifact-heavy archaeology-driven proto-histories I am used to.
The one complaint I have about this book is that the author, probably a Christian herself, does not shy away from apologetics. She devotes far too much time and attention relaying the story of Noah and his flood, erroneously linking supposedly "world wide" "flood myths" to the minor flooding that is known to have taken place regionally in Sumer. She denies that this is the reason for the flood myth, as she is far too attached to the mythological and unsupportable idea that the Bible is actually right, and that there was a giant Deluge that swept away the world.
Another symptom of this same religionist disease is her focus on the mythical figure of Abram. She tells his story with as much attention and sobriety as she uses to address figures like Sargon, though there is absolutely not one single shred of archaeological evidence to suggest that Abram/Abraham was a real person, or that his Biblical story was in any way based on fact. Again she uses the lame excuse that religious-apologist-historians always use, claiming that there is truth that can be distilled from ancient stories. While she deliberately examines the various myths about Gilgamesh and makes some assumptions about historicity versus later mythological convention in such a way that it seems plausible, when it comes to Abram and like figures from the Old Testament, even this psuedo-objectivity goes out the window. She breathlessly relates events from the Bible as if they are as provably factual as the macehead of the Scorpion King. Suffice it to say, they are not.
It gets /really/ absurd when she starts speaking as if Abraham and his sons could be archaeologically traced back as the progenitors of the Arab and Jewish races. There is no evidence for this at all, and yet she pretends that it is quite obviously true that a single man birthed two great nations, and history recorded it without error.
Overall it is a very wonderful book and I have greatly enjoyed it, but she should abandon the Christianist overtones. Without the nonsensical Biblical apologetics, this book would have earned 5 stars.
The one complaint I have about this book is that the author, probably a Christian herself, does not shy away from apologetics. She devotes far too much time and attention relaying the story of Noah and his flood, erroneously linking supposedly "world wide" "flood myths" to the minor flooding that is known to have taken place regionally in Sumer. She denies that this is the reason for the flood myth, as she is far too attached to the mythological and unsupportable idea that the Bible is actually right, and that there was a giant Deluge that swept away the world.
Another symptom of this same religionist disease is her focus on the mythical figure of Abram. She tells his story with as much attention and sobriety as she uses to address figures like Sargon, though there is absolutely not one single shred of archaeological evidence to suggest that Abram/Abraham was a real person, or that his Biblical story was in any way based on fact. Again she uses the lame excuse that religious-apologist-historians always use, claiming that there is truth that can be distilled from ancient stories. While she deliberately examines the various myths about Gilgamesh and makes some assumptions about historicity versus later mythological convention in such a way that it seems plausible, when it comes to Abram and like figures from the Old Testament, even this psuedo-objectivity goes out the window. She breathlessly relates events from the Bible as if they are as provably factual as the macehead of the Scorpion King. Suffice it to say, they are not.
It gets /really/ absurd when she starts speaking as if Abraham and his sons could be archaeologically traced back as the progenitors of the Arab and Jewish races. There is no evidence for this at all, and yet she pretends that it is quite obviously true that a single man birthed two great nations, and history recorded it without error.
Overall it is a very wonderful book and I have greatly enjoyed it, but she should abandon the Christianist overtones. Without the nonsensical Biblical apologetics, this book would have earned 5 stars.
December 23, 2014
I stopped reading this book when I realized it was going to take Genesis as accepted historical fact.
Sorry, that's a deal-breaker. The prime directive of a historical text is to strive to be unbiased. If you're not even going to *try*, then neither am I.
Go read Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies instead.
Sorry, that's a deal-breaker. The prime directive of a historical text is to strive to be unbiased. If you're not even going to *try*, then neither am I.
Go read Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies instead.
January 21, 2023
The History of the Ancient World overall is an interesting book. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience reading it. I think the best aspect of the book is that it's inclusive of many cultures, rather than being dominantly Roman or Greek. With Susan's broad-scope approach to history, we look at China, India and other nations. This book starts from Sumerians to the "Fall" of Rome. The complexity isn't the language or concepts it presents but the immense knowledge it throws at you. One of its praises is a part of its limitation due to covering such a broad time period, certain names rarely settle in your mind. There are so many names that it can be overwhelming.
Another issue primarily lies with me is taking a long break and binge-reading it near the end. That way of consuming this book doesn't work in its favour. It's almost best to read each chapter as a short story, read maybe 1-3 chapters a day. Or at least 1 chapter every couple of days. My lack of consistency hurt my enjoyment. Furthermore, I don't think doing audio would help for this book. Even if immersion reading became too much, it’s preferable to physically read it. This is a solid introduction to a lot of history; I do like how it's told linearly with dates that are rather precise and connect the various cultures in interesting ways. Another limitation is entirely my problem, it's trying to familiarise myself with Chinese names. In general, I have a tough time, as I don't watch too much Chinese media, so I'm not used to it compared to Roman, Greek, Indian or Japanese names. Even how the Sumerian's names are spelt it's just easier for me to familiarise myself. Additionally, a lot of names are thrown at you, and it's difficult to see a distinction between them because of this format.
So those were my two major limitations when reading this book. Which is why I feel guilty even rating it. One aspect I do have to criticise is how she inserts her faith (Christianity) into the book. Firstly, I do commend her interweaving many mythologies-religion into the book. There's a wonderful preface she has stating why she believes filling the prehistory with these epic tales is important and I agree with her. She is genuinely respectful of other beliefs. That said when she writes chapters like (mythical figure as we know it) like Abram as a real person and just stories told in the New Testament as a source it becomes shaky. It becomes hard to trust history at times because of that aspect. She does this to figures from the bible which is frustrating. Even her own conclusion when Rome fell, is probably the most absurd than Gibson's conclusion that Christianity is what destroyed the Western Roman Empire. Overall, I think it's ultimately fine as she points out pretty explicitly when she cites the Bible as her source.
Beyond that, I must commend Susan Wise Bauer's scholarship. She has cited various sources to make an interesting read. There are chapters that are like a slog, there are some chapters that are super dry, but there are others that are quite exciting. I actually enjoy Susan's cheeky remarks, which makes this more fun than just a textbook. I think learning about the Sumerians, Assyrians, Greek, and Indian history was the highlight for me. I especially like when she quotes the works she discusses. The Rome History was compelling until The Roman Empire section. This book had to be rushed by design but after Augustus's rise, the Rome history in this book became less interesting. Primarily due to me already reading History of Rome during this era, so I'm aware of how much has been glossed over.
In Conclusion, I think it's worth as long you take read consistently, don't read too much and physically read it. Because of my limitations, it’s difficult to give this an accurate score. Personally, I think it’s more of a 6 an enjoyable and interesting read. But if I didn’t take a large break, took more of my time and did physical primarily it would be higher so that would be a 7. I'm pretty excited about the other two books as I have a feeling I will like them more.
6-7
Another issue primarily lies with me is taking a long break and binge-reading it near the end. That way of consuming this book doesn't work in its favour. It's almost best to read each chapter as a short story, read maybe 1-3 chapters a day. Or at least 1 chapter every couple of days. My lack of consistency hurt my enjoyment. Furthermore, I don't think doing audio would help for this book. Even if immersion reading became too much, it’s preferable to physically read it. This is a solid introduction to a lot of history; I do like how it's told linearly with dates that are rather precise and connect the various cultures in interesting ways. Another limitation is entirely my problem, it's trying to familiarise myself with Chinese names. In general, I have a tough time, as I don't watch too much Chinese media, so I'm not used to it compared to Roman, Greek, Indian or Japanese names. Even how the Sumerian's names are spelt it's just easier for me to familiarise myself. Additionally, a lot of names are thrown at you, and it's difficult to see a distinction between them because of this format.
So those were my two major limitations when reading this book. Which is why I feel guilty even rating it. One aspect I do have to criticise is how she inserts her faith (Christianity) into the book. Firstly, I do commend her interweaving many mythologies-religion into the book. There's a wonderful preface she has stating why she believes filling the prehistory with these epic tales is important and I agree with her. She is genuinely respectful of other beliefs. That said when she writes chapters like (mythical figure as we know it) like Abram as a real person and just stories told in the New Testament as a source it becomes shaky. It becomes hard to trust history at times because of that aspect. She does this to figures from the bible which is frustrating. Even her own conclusion when Rome fell, is probably the most absurd than Gibson's conclusion that Christianity is what destroyed the Western Roman Empire. Overall, I think it's ultimately fine as she points out pretty explicitly when she cites the Bible as her source.
Beyond that, I must commend Susan Wise Bauer's scholarship. She has cited various sources to make an interesting read. There are chapters that are like a slog, there are some chapters that are super dry, but there are others that are quite exciting. I actually enjoy Susan's cheeky remarks, which makes this more fun than just a textbook. I think learning about the Sumerians, Assyrians, Greek, and Indian history was the highlight for me. I especially like when she quotes the works she discusses. The Rome History was compelling until The Roman Empire section. This book had to be rushed by design but after Augustus's rise, the Rome history in this book became less interesting. Primarily due to me already reading History of Rome during this era, so I'm aware of how much has been glossed over.
In Conclusion, I think it's worth as long you take read consistently, don't read too much and physically read it. Because of my limitations, it’s difficult to give this an accurate score. Personally, I think it’s more of a 6 an enjoyable and interesting read. But if I didn’t take a large break, took more of my time and did physical primarily it would be higher so that would be a 7. I'm pretty excited about the other two books as I have a feeling I will like them more.
6-7
January 9, 2016
4.5 Kudos to the author. This book is an amazing feat... I can only imagine what a difficult task this must have been to research and write. History can be such a tangled mess and Susan Bauer did such a fantastic job untangling and searching for the truth (or as close as we'll ever get to it). This book covers 3,800 BC to 312 AD following China, Persia, Babylon, Egypt, India, North Africa, Greece, Italy, Mesopotamia, Asia Minor and toward the end of the book Great Britain, Scotland, and some Scandinavia. Some of the issues with early history is: oral history passed down most likely has errors, historical documents were destroyed/lost/damaged, and accounts written sometimes passed on accuracy in light of "looking good." Bauer was excellent in pointing out these factors. For example, there would be a battle and each side documented a victory, but there could really be only one victor... So, Bauer would use archeology to list what was most likely the truth she was also careful to state what both sides said.
Theology and Mythology were also listed as part of this history... stating that it can't be excluded completely because, "Where there's smoke, there's fire." She also points out documents that were written well after the fact stating that is was an oral history for xxx years and then written down.
This book was written in plain English with short chapters so that it didn't feel too heavy of a read. It is a long book and could be a bit dry at times, but well.... I'm not sure that could be avoided completely. Bauer also told a lot of personal stories which I loved! And, I must say that after reading, I'm happy to say that poison has lost it's flare as a tool for murder. I cannot believe how many people were poisoned in this book! It was a bit sad and depressing at times to see that history is full of corruption, deceit, murder, and unkindness. The grab for power... to take what your neighbor (family) had was all too common in every nation that I read about. I'm so happy I read this book and will read the next in the series as well.
Theology and Mythology were also listed as part of this history... stating that it can't be excluded completely because, "Where there's smoke, there's fire." She also points out documents that were written well after the fact stating that is was an oral history for xxx years and then written down.
This book was written in plain English with short chapters so that it didn't feel too heavy of a read. It is a long book and could be a bit dry at times, but well.... I'm not sure that could be avoided completely. Bauer also told a lot of personal stories which I loved! And, I must say that after reading, I'm happy to say that poison has lost it's flare as a tool for murder. I cannot believe how many people were poisoned in this book! It was a bit sad and depressing at times to see that history is full of corruption, deceit, murder, and unkindness. The grab for power... to take what your neighbor (family) had was all too common in every nation that I read about. I'm so happy I read this book and will read the next in the series as well.
July 28, 2020
“Anthropologists can speculate about human behavior; archaeologists, about patterns of settlement; philosophers and theologians, about the motivations of “humanity” as an undifferentiated mass. But the historian’s task is different: to look for particular human lives that give flesh and spirit to abstract assertions about human behavior.”
The History of the Ancient World is Susan Wise Bauer's first in a four-volume series, in which she tells the stories of mankind from Europe to North Africa, the Middle East, and the Far East—in other words, a comprehensive history of the ancient world, except the Americas and Oceania. Bauer is a writer, educator, and historian; a friend of mine says Bauer is a “rock star in the homeschool world.” In the first volume, Bauer gives readers an overview of the ancient worlds of Sumer, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Egypt, India (Indus valley), China, Greece, and Rome. In this first volume, she covers the beginnings of civilization in the ancient world, ending with Emperor Constantine and the fall of the Roman Empire. Bauer’s focus is on how the various states rise, then prosper, and finally fall. This wide-angle approach shows the inter-connectedness of events and not just the local context, making the book an important resource. Drawing on epics, ancient historians, and various legal texts and private letters, she introduces individuals who helped build the ancient world. While some might object to her referencing of biblical texts, I believe this added to the overall understanding rather than diminish it. In the end, Bauer's stylish prose and her command of the material makes this a wonderful initial foray into the study of the ancient world. While the book is more of a survey than a detailed and complete history of the ancient world, it offers the most informative history of the ancient world I have read.
The History of the Ancient World is Susan Wise Bauer's first in a four-volume series, in which she tells the stories of mankind from Europe to North Africa, the Middle East, and the Far East—in other words, a comprehensive history of the ancient world, except the Americas and Oceania. Bauer is a writer, educator, and historian; a friend of mine says Bauer is a “rock star in the homeschool world.” In the first volume, Bauer gives readers an overview of the ancient worlds of Sumer, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Egypt, India (Indus valley), China, Greece, and Rome. In this first volume, she covers the beginnings of civilization in the ancient world, ending with Emperor Constantine and the fall of the Roman Empire. Bauer’s focus is on how the various states rise, then prosper, and finally fall. This wide-angle approach shows the inter-connectedness of events and not just the local context, making the book an important resource. Drawing on epics, ancient historians, and various legal texts and private letters, she introduces individuals who helped build the ancient world. While some might object to her referencing of biblical texts, I believe this added to the overall understanding rather than diminish it. In the end, Bauer's stylish prose and her command of the material makes this a wonderful initial foray into the study of the ancient world. While the book is more of a survey than a detailed and complete history of the ancient world, it offers the most informative history of the ancient world I have read.
December 28, 2021
История на древния свят, история на войни, войни и пак войни: http://knigolandia.info/book-review/i...
Бауер се стреми да държи нещата под строг хронологически контрол и до голяма степен успява – постоянно скача от държава на държава, след всяка глава са дадени сравнителни таблици на владетелите от различни цивилизации, за да се следи какво всъщност се случва успоредно, а човек все пак трябва да се подготви да чете дълго тази книга, аз ѝ отделих над седмица, при това такава, в която вече нямаше работа и можех да чета спокойно. Все пак трябва ясно да се подчертае, че в тези почти 800 страници без бележките е само най-важното от това, което знаем за древната история (тоест това, за което някой е писал и това, което археолозите са изкопали), при това описано само в най-едри щрихи и с много предположения, дори и близки до нас събития са още неясни, какво остава за тези, отделени от хилядолетия и често предадени ни от историци, които не държат твърде много на обективността. Книгата ми напомни по опита на Норман Дейвис от “Под различни небеса” да се разказва историята на всяка територия като поредица от събития, които все пак подлежат на някакво обяснение.
SkyPrint BOOKS
http://knigolandia.info/book-review/i...
Бауер се стреми да държи нещата под строг хронологически контрол и до голяма степен успява – постоянно скача от държава на държава, след всяка глава са дадени сравнителни таблици на владетелите от различни цивилизации, за да се следи какво всъщност се случва успоредно, а човек все пак трябва да се подготви да чете дълго тази книга, аз ѝ отделих над седмица, при това такава, в която вече нямаше работа и можех да чета спокойно. Все пак трябва ясно да се подчертае, че в тези почти 800 страници без бележките е само най-важното от това, което знаем за древната история (тоест това, за което някой е писал и това, което археолозите са изкопали), при това описано само в най-едри щрихи и с много предположения, дори и близки до нас събития са още неясни, какво остава за тези, отделени от хилядолетия и често предадени ни от историци, които не държат твърде много на обективността. Книгата ми напомни по опита на Норман Дейвис от “Под различни небеса” да се разказва историята на всяка територия като поредица от събития, които все пак подлежат на някакво обяснение.
SkyPrint BOOKS
http://knigolandia.info/book-review/i...
July 4, 2023
Dengan membaca buku ini. Saya seperti dibawa ke dalam mesin waktu, menjelajahi dunia selama periode Mesopotamia hingga jatuhnya romawi.
July 9, 2010
(Reprinted from the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography [cclapcenter.com:]. I am the original author of this essay, as well as the owner of CCLaP; it is not being reprinted illegally.)
Earlier this year, Susan Wise Bauer's remarkable The History of the Medieval World became the first (and still so far only) book in 2010 to earn a perfect score here at CCLaP; and this was also when I mentioned that it is in fact volume two of an ambitious series Bauer is in the middle of right now, chronicling in a straightforward yet truly global way the entire history of the human race, from its emergence as city-building agrarians around 10,000 BC to literally now, and how later in the year I would also be tackling book one of the series, which covers essentially the Sumerians of the "Fertile Crescent" (humanity's very first "civilized" society) to the fall of the Roman Empire around 400 AD. Well, I'm finally done with that first volume, and I can confidently state that it's just as good as the other one, and in fact would've gotten a perfect score as well except that it's a little older of a title (2007, making it ineligible for CCLaP's best-of lists at the end of the year), plus by its nature is simply not as interesting as the volume concerning the Middle Ages. (Turns out that between the Sumerians and the ancient Greeks lie roughly two thousand years of interchangeable Mesopotamian warrior societies we have largely forgotten by now, of which we know barely anything, making for not exactly the most scintillating reading.) Highly recommended as a two-book set, which in a tidy 1,500 pages tells the armchair historian just about everything they need to know about the first 11,000 years of recorded history, from the development of the first writing system to the first formal Crusade between Christians and Muslims; and needless to say that I'm highly looking forward to the third book of this ongoing series, whenever that may happen to be coming out.
Out of 10: 9.7
Earlier this year, Susan Wise Bauer's remarkable The History of the Medieval World became the first (and still so far only) book in 2010 to earn a perfect score here at CCLaP; and this was also when I mentioned that it is in fact volume two of an ambitious series Bauer is in the middle of right now, chronicling in a straightforward yet truly global way the entire history of the human race, from its emergence as city-building agrarians around 10,000 BC to literally now, and how later in the year I would also be tackling book one of the series, which covers essentially the Sumerians of the "Fertile Crescent" (humanity's very first "civilized" society) to the fall of the Roman Empire around 400 AD. Well, I'm finally done with that first volume, and I can confidently state that it's just as good as the other one, and in fact would've gotten a perfect score as well except that it's a little older of a title (2007, making it ineligible for CCLaP's best-of lists at the end of the year), plus by its nature is simply not as interesting as the volume concerning the Middle Ages. (Turns out that between the Sumerians and the ancient Greeks lie roughly two thousand years of interchangeable Mesopotamian warrior societies we have largely forgotten by now, of which we know barely anything, making for not exactly the most scintillating reading.) Highly recommended as a two-book set, which in a tidy 1,500 pages tells the armchair historian just about everything they need to know about the first 11,000 years of recorded history, from the development of the first writing system to the first formal Crusade between Christians and Muslims; and needless to say that I'm highly looking forward to the third book of this ongoing series, whenever that may happen to be coming out.
Out of 10: 9.7
Read
September 1, 2010This is a 30,000 ft. view of ancient history. It reads quickly and the writing is clear and interesting. The main theme is the use of might to create empires.
Though Ms. Bauer is a Christian, this is not an explicitly religious text at all. She maintains her "historical" voice by quoting other texts. I'm sure that, as with all historical books, some people could disagree with her conclusions or quibble with her methods, but this is intended as an introduction, and it serves that purpose without getting bogged down in academic controversies.
Also, for those considering this as a high school history text (as I am), be aware that she does include quite a number of sordid details. Many of these details, naturally, have to do with the violence of war, problems of succession, or the debauchery of Roman emperors. But it's my opinion that, as written, they serve the purpose in illuminating the consequences of various worldviews, as least for a relatively mature teen, rather than merely titillating the reader.
Also, though much of such a fast-paced book will inevitably be historical narrative, she does have a few re-occurring themes (such as the pros and cons of hereditary monarchy), with occasional summary paragraphs that tie up the progress of these themes as they progress. These checkpoints are not so condescendingly spoon-fed as in typical high school textbooks, but they do provide a nice break in the sheer march of facts. Also, the emphasis is definitely political history, which from what I gather is pretty unusual in textbooks these days.
For an adult reader who is interested in history but needs to brush up on the progression of empires, this book will provide a quick review and handy jumping off point for further study.
Though Ms. Bauer is a Christian, this is not an explicitly religious text at all. She maintains her "historical" voice by quoting other texts. I'm sure that, as with all historical books, some people could disagree with her conclusions or quibble with her methods, but this is intended as an introduction, and it serves that purpose without getting bogged down in academic controversies.
Also, for those considering this as a high school history text (as I am), be aware that she does include quite a number of sordid details. Many of these details, naturally, have to do with the violence of war, problems of succession, or the debauchery of Roman emperors. But it's my opinion that, as written, they serve the purpose in illuminating the consequences of various worldviews, as least for a relatively mature teen, rather than merely titillating the reader.
Also, though much of such a fast-paced book will inevitably be historical narrative, she does have a few re-occurring themes (such as the pros and cons of hereditary monarchy), with occasional summary paragraphs that tie up the progress of these themes as they progress. These checkpoints are not so condescendingly spoon-fed as in typical high school textbooks, but they do provide a nice break in the sheer march of facts. Also, the emphasis is definitely political history, which from what I gather is pretty unusual in textbooks these days.
For an adult reader who is interested in history but needs to brush up on the progression of empires, this book will provide a quick review and handy jumping off point for further study.
July 10, 2020
The History of the Ancient World is encyclopaedic - and therein lies all its flaws and virtues.
In a way, this massive work appears like a long list of things that presumably, supposedly happened with almost all the discussions in the briefest possible ways. The purpose is to cover as many episodes as possible and as a result, the depth is sacrificed willingly at the outset. The are of a majority of the chapters is like "Person P was born with some XYZ connections and did ABC to become an influential person and then XYZ2 happened and he died". In fact, quite a few sessions had multiple such arcs compressed in one chapter. And all this sufficiently so briefly that the lecturer seemingly talks about at least 200 such stories across 3000 years and at least 50 different kingdoms or civilizations.
If there are underlying trends that are being discussed, for most parts they are buried too down under to get noticed. More importantly, the author makes little personal judgements on not just the lessons from the events but on the veracity of things too. Biblical events are placed on the timeline as if they were as real as Ceaser's murder. This is also true the way Mahabharata stories are shown. If there are occasional scepticisms like on the myths over the creation of Rome, they are too few. One wonders whether other anecdotal Chinese or Egyptian anecdotes are also not presented as history.
Overall, the book is a collection of countless names and details for anyone interested in a list of ancient "facts".
In a way, this massive work appears like a long list of things that presumably, supposedly happened with almost all the discussions in the briefest possible ways. The purpose is to cover as many episodes as possible and as a result, the depth is sacrificed willingly at the outset. The are of a majority of the chapters is like "Person P was born with some XYZ connections and did ABC to become an influential person and then XYZ2 happened and he died". In fact, quite a few sessions had multiple such arcs compressed in one chapter. And all this sufficiently so briefly that the lecturer seemingly talks about at least 200 such stories across 3000 years and at least 50 different kingdoms or civilizations.
If there are underlying trends that are being discussed, for most parts they are buried too down under to get noticed. More importantly, the author makes little personal judgements on not just the lessons from the events but on the veracity of things too. Biblical events are placed on the timeline as if they were as real as Ceaser's murder. This is also true the way Mahabharata stories are shown. If there are occasional scepticisms like on the myths over the creation of Rome, they are too few. One wonders whether other anecdotal Chinese or Egyptian anecdotes are also not presented as history.
Overall, the book is a collection of countless names and details for anyone interested in a list of ancient "facts".
January 8, 2011
The History of the Ancient World was a well-written survey covering everything from the earliest written accounts of the ancient Sumerians to the pinnacle of the power of Rome. Susan Wise Bauer did a wonderful job of summarizing each period and people group of Asia and Europe, spreading memorable and sometimes humorous remarks throughout to keep the reading a little bit lighter in the midst of some very tragic events.
The more I read, the more I was reminded of man's depravity. There are some inspirations along the way, but the numerous accounts of power struggles, wars, assasinations and so on become a little wearisome after a while. Conquerors have left their marks all throughout the world and the wakes they left behind can still be felt today in some places.
Despite the heaviness of our history, I'm excited now to dig into each historical period with a little more depth. I'm very interested in seeing how the stories of yesterday still impact our lives today. Thank you, Susan Wise Bauer, for cultivating the curiosity of an adult who never appreciated history as a younger student.
The more I read, the more I was reminded of man's depravity. There are some inspirations along the way, but the numerous accounts of power struggles, wars, assasinations and so on become a little wearisome after a while. Conquerors have left their marks all throughout the world and the wakes they left behind can still be felt today in some places.
Despite the heaviness of our history, I'm excited now to dig into each historical period with a little more depth. I'm very interested in seeing how the stories of yesterday still impact our lives today. Thank you, Susan Wise Bauer, for cultivating the curiosity of an adult who never appreciated history as a younger student.
February 21, 2015
The broad scope of this history by necessity makes this a difficult read at some points, not due to complexity of language or concept, but rather due to the challenge of following the changing mass of knowledge. It's a good introduction to a lot of history, is told very matter-of-factly, and connects the dots between cultures in some ways new to me.
One of the most fascinating episodes dealt with the three great empires - Roman, Parthian and Han Chinese, all being in operation at the same time and spanning Spain to the Yellow Sea. Another, odd section of history is that of the Greek Bactrian kingdoms that evolved their way down into the Indus river valley and rulled areas of modern Pakistan, Afghanistan and India under Greek kings who were holdovers from the empire of Alexander long before and one of whom became a Buddhist...
This is not the first history book to reach for, but if you need a broad refresher or want to expand the scope of your awareness in a survey-like fashion, it could be worth picking up.
One of the most fascinating episodes dealt with the three great empires - Roman, Parthian and Han Chinese, all being in operation at the same time and spanning Spain to the Yellow Sea. Another, odd section of history is that of the Greek Bactrian kingdoms that evolved their way down into the Indus river valley and rulled areas of modern Pakistan, Afghanistan and India under Greek kings who were holdovers from the empire of Alexander long before and one of whom became a Buddhist...
This is not the first history book to reach for, but if you need a broad refresher or want to expand the scope of your awareness in a survey-like fashion, it could be worth picking up.
September 23, 2020
Not bad for what it is, and useful for teaching 5th graders, but there are some inaccuracies and biases, and I dislike the arrangement of material. EDIT: Also used for homeschooling with my Kindergartener and 1st grader, and finished up when they were in 1st and 2nd grade. While a very useful book, there is some oversimplification (by necessity, but I would have made some different choices), and there are some flat-out errors in how things are presented, especially regarding Rome. I am a specialist in that area and so was easily able to detect and correct for errors, but the average person might be presenting these errors to their children as facts. And I wonder if there might be more errors I can't spot in the sections about cultures with which I am less familiar (e.g. ancient India or ancient China). That said, this really is a very useful series of books, and so far, its usefulness outweighs my concerns.
June 23, 2020
We found this book to be very readable and informative. Helpful in giving a context to the story of humankind, rather than merely a recitation of facts. Excellent reference book and an enjoyable read.
February 25, 2023
I really feel sorry for the writers of ancient history. What makes their lives so incredibly difficult is that all those ancient people had the temerity to skip written documentation of their lives. It’s a cake walk for purveyors of recent history. Libraries around the world overflow with chatty tombs that chronicle every thought and whim. But with ancient history, we must rely primarily on archaeology and the occasional stone or metal implement from those long ago times.
This means that the stories will be meager at best and tend to highlight the boring stuff of history: the names, places and institutions of these long-ago times. Bauer does an admirable job of trying to put some flesh on the bones of her stories, but no matter how hard she tries, the prose still digress to the standard: King A begot King B who begot King C.
I’m fascinated to learn more about ancient history, but my requirement that the stories also be an intriguing yarn has me wondering if I’m just asking too much of the ancient historians of the world. The detailed human stories that I crave rarely seem to survive from these long-ago times.
Bauer did a fine job of adding drama to what she uncovered, but it was still a long slog to get through this book.
This means that the stories will be meager at best and tend to highlight the boring stuff of history: the names, places and institutions of these long-ago times. Bauer does an admirable job of trying to put some flesh on the bones of her stories, but no matter how hard she tries, the prose still digress to the standard: King A begot King B who begot King C.
I’m fascinated to learn more about ancient history, but my requirement that the stories also be an intriguing yarn has me wondering if I’m just asking too much of the ancient historians of the world. The detailed human stories that I crave rarely seem to survive from these long-ago times.
Bauer did a fine job of adding drama to what she uncovered, but it was still a long slog to get through this book.
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