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Book SynopsisThe definitive biography of Israel's founder by one of Israel's most celebrated historians. As the founder of Israel, David Ben-Gurion long ago secured his reputation as a leading figure of the twentieth century. Determined from an early age to create a Jewish state, he took control of the Zionist movement, declared Israel's independence, and navigated his country through wars, controversies and remarkable achievements. In this definitive biography, Tom Segev uses previously unreleased archival material to give an original, nuanced account that transcends the myths and legends that have built up around the man. He reveals Ben-Gurion's secret negotiations with the British on the eve of Israel's independence, his willingness to countenance the forced transfer of Arab neighbors, his relative indifference to Jerusalem, and his occasional eccentric moments – from UFO sightings to plans for Israel to acquire territory in South America. The result is a full and startling portrait of a man who sought a state 'at any cost' – at times through risk-taking, violence, and unpredictability, and at other times through compromise, moderation and reason. Segev's Ben-Gurion is neither a saint nor a villain but a twentieth-century leader whose iron will and complex temperament left a contentious legacy, and one of the world's most intractable national conflicts. Praise for A State at Any Cost: 'A must for anybody interested in both the glorious and the dark pages of the history of Zionism and Israel, as reflected throughout the life and times of the Jewish State's most important founding father' SAUL FRIEDLÄNDER 'The story of a hard-headed, pragmatic and ruthless politician, told without sentimentality or nostalgia. It also serves as a key to understanding today's Israel, which is still very much Ben-Gurion's creation' THE TIMES 'Fascinating... A masterly portrait of a titanic yet unfulfilled man... This is a gripping study of power, and the loneliness of power' THE ECONOMISTTrade ReviewTom Segev's meticulously researched and most elegantly written new biography of David Ben-Gurion is a must for anybody interested in both the glorious and the dark pages of the history of Zionism and Israel, as reflected throughout the life and times of the Jewish State's most important founding father -- Saul Friedländer, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Nazi Germany and the Jews and Where Memory LeadsIn the course of six years of research, Segev [...] discovered a leader fraught with dramatic contrasts... The author has come up with significant historical revelations' * Ofer Aderet, Haaretz *Fascinating... A masterly portrait of a titanic yet unfulfilled man... This is a gripping study of power, and the loneliness of power' * Economist *[A] carefully researched and nonjudgemental biography... Tom Segev's A State at Any Cost aptly summarizes the lodestar of Ben-Gurion's life' -- Avraham Avi-hai, Jerusalem PostDeserves to be the definitive biography of Ben-Gurion. It is the story of a hard-headed, pragmatic and ruthless politician, told without sentimentality or nostalgia. It also serves as a key to understanding today's Israel, which is still very much Ben-Gurion's creation * The Times *Tom Segev has completed a monumental task. The work includes the research of a true detective -- Avner Cohen, author of Israel and the Bomb[A] body of work that has no equal either for the brilliance of his storytelling or the ironies of his analysis * London Review of Books *Without doubt one of the best biographies to have been written about David Ben-Gurion... Segev manages to hold the reader's attention' * Literary Review *The book offers an appreciation of the life of an extraordinary man and an understanding of the values, political attitudes and the very concept of the Zionist State... For readers with an interest in the subject, the book is worthwhile, informative and rewarding' * Pennant Magazine. *Authoritative... [Segev] gives us a many-sided character, showing Ben-Gurion's strengths and weaknesses, great moments and cruelties, successes and failures. If you want a balanced account of what has long been a controversial state, this is a good place to start, and Segev is already well known for the excellence of his writing on Israel' * Sorted. *

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Book SynopsisFirst-generation Palestinian refugees recall life before and after the NakbaTrade Review'Through the pages of this book the reader can hear, feel, experience and understand more about the Nakba than by reading any other book on the subject' -- Raja Shehadeh, author of 'Going Home: A Walk Through Fifty Years of Occupation''Moving and thoughtful [...] With their silences, ellipses and jags of storytelling, the refugee voices invite us to imagine the lives torn asunder by the violence of the Nakba' -- Laleh Khalili, Queen Mary University of London and author of 'Heroes and Martyrs of Palestine: The Politics of National Commemoration' (CUP, 2019)‘Brings to life the experiences of ordinary Palestinians in pre-1948 Palestine and the traumatic experience of war and exile, written by leading scholars in the field. Of special value in this volume is the section on control and resistance during the Mandate dealing with policing, and narratives of rebellion’ -- Salim Tamari, Professor of Sociology (Emeritus), Birzeit University'A truly impressive collection [...] An opportunity to reconsider whether what the Palestinians faced was victimhood rather than an act of colonialism' -- Dawn Chatty, Emeritus Professor of Anthropology and Forced Migration, University of Oxford'Imaginatively curated and framed [...] A brilliant contribution to the current moment as the world finally understands the true nature of the Palestinian struggle' -- Ahdaf Soueif, author of 'The Map of Love''The stories gathered here are the fruit of perseverant gathering. Their careful, deliberate, loving translation bear the sense and sensualities of Palestinian existence. 'Voices of the Nakba' shows how and why those who will not forget will never be forgotten' -- Fred Moten, cultural theorist and author of 'The Feel Trio''The oral history of colonised people is a lifeline against the coloniser's official history with its violent erasure. This excellent book centres the marginalised voices of Palestinians, reflecting the rich and complex tapestry of their experiences' -- Ibtisam Azem, author of 'The Book of Disappearance''A comprehensive, illuminating, and moving work of scholarship, which is also, quite simply, a work of art' -- Liron Mor, Assistant Professor, Department of Comparative Literature, University of California, Irvine‘A monumental achievement [...] Enhancing the use of oral history as a research methodology, this book is a major addition to Nakba Studies and the living history of modern Palestine. A must read for those interested in the roots of the Palestinian refugee question and a just future for Palestine.’ -- Professor Nur Masalha, Palestinian historian and formerly Director of the Centre for Religion and History at St. Mary's University, TwickenhamTable of ContentsList of Figures Map of Palestine Acknowledgements Note on Translation and Transliteration Foreword by Mahmoud Zeidan Introduction: Past Continuous by Diana Allan PART I: Life in Pre-1948 Palestine 1. Village Life in Palestine - Rochelle Davis 2. Of Forests and Trees: City Life in 1930s Palestine - Sherene Seikaly 3. The Margin and the Centre in Narrating Pre-1948 Palestine - Amirah Silmi 4. Mandated Memory: The Schooling of Palestine in Nicola Ziadeh’s and Anis Sayigh’s Pre-1948 Recollections - Dyala Hamzah PART II: The British Mandate and Palestinian and Arab Resistance 5. Motivations and Tensions of Palestinian Police Service under British Rule - Alex Winder 6. Storying the Great Arab Revolt: Narratives of Resistance During 1936–39 - Jacob Norris 7. Songs of Resistance - Ted Swedenburg PART III: War and Ethnic Cleansing 8. The Roots of the Nakba - Salman Abu Sitta 9. Four Villages, Four Stories: Ethnic Cleansing Massacres in al-Jalil - Saleh Abdel Jawad 10. Remembering the Fight - Laila Parsons PART IV: Flight and Exile 11. The Dispossession of Lydda - Lena Jayyusi 12. Scars of the Mind: Trauma, Gender and Counter-Memories of the Nakba - Ruba Salih 13. The Politics of Listening - Cynthia Kreichati Afterword: Oral History in Palestinian Studies by Rosemary Sayigh Contributors and Translators Glossary Notes Index

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Book SynopsisHomeland security is rarely just a matter of the homeland; it involves the circulation and multiplication of policing practices across borders. Though the term homeland security is closely associated with the United States, Israel is credited with first developing this all-encompassing approach to domestic surveillance and territorial control. Today, it is a central node in the sprawling global homeland security industry worth hundreds of billions of dollars. And in the wake of the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks, India emerged as a major growth market. Known as India''s 9/11 or simply 26/11, the attacks sparked significant public pressure to adopt modern homeland security approaches. Since 2008, India has become not only the single largest buyer of Israeli conventional weapons, but also a range of other surveillance technology, police training, and security expertise.Pairing insights from science and technology studies with those from decolonial and postcolonial theory, Fab

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Book SynopsisCharles FitzRoy is the author of Italy: A Grand Tour for the Modern Traveller and Italy Revealed, as well as a contributor to The Great Cities in History. He leads tours for Fine Art Travel, a London-based company that organizes cultural tours throughout Europe, including Italy.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Ambitious and field-defining, Leila Ahmed’s Women and Gender in Islam laid the foundations for decades of scholarship on Muslim history and thought."—Kecia Ali, Boston University

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Book SynopsisA groundbreaking examination of female power in pre-Islamic Arabia‘A genuinely paradigm-shifting work by one of the most exciting and innovative scholars in the field... compelling and powerful...’ Reza Aslan Arab noblewomen of late antiquity were instrumental in shaping the history of the world. Between Rome’s intervention in the Arabian Peninsula and the Arab conquests, they ruled independently, conducting trade and making war. Their power was celebrated as queen, priestess and goddess. With time some even delegated authority to the most important holy men of their age, influencing Arabian paganism, Christianity and Islam. Empress Zenobia and Queen Mavia supported bishops Paul of Samosata and Moses of Sinai. Paul was declared a heretic by the Roman church, while Moses began the process of mass Arab conversion. The teachings of these men survived under their queens, setting in motion seismic debates that fractured the earlTrade Review‘A genuinely paradigm-shifting work by one of the most exciting and innovative scholars in the field. Queens and Prophets upends popular assumptions concerning Arab women in late antiquity. Drawing on an impressive range of extensive research, Emran El-Badawi sheds new light on the history of the Near East by studying three female rulers alongside the most significant holy men of the era. In doing so, he reveals the importance of these women to the history of the late antique Near East. It is a compelling and powerful narrative that is sure to provoke thought and discussion amongst scholars and curious readers alike.’ -- Reza Aslan, author of Zealot and An American Martyr in Persia‘In this remarkable book, Emran El-Badawi brings to light the stories of influential noblewomen and female deities, to show how female power shaped religion and politics in late antique and early Islamic Arabia. Despite their importance, these female figures have been marginalised in the historical record over time, from Roman and Arabic histories till modern writings about early Islam. El-Badawi sensitively engages the historical memories preserved in these sources, disentangling kernels of truth from topoi, legend, and embellishment. This clear and well-written account should change how we consider women’s impact upon these patriarchal societies.’ -- Karen Bauer, Senior Research Associate, The Institute of Ismaili Studies‘A breathtaking journey through the religions and cultures of the late antique Near East. El-Badawi brings to life accounts of warriors and queens who defy standard notions of the social and religious history of the Arabs. His masterful book offers new insights into the intimate relationships between paganism, Christianity, and early Islam in the Near East, and on the distinctive roles that women played in all of these traditions.’ -- Gabriel Said Reynolds, Crowley Professor of Islamic Studies and Theology, University of Notre Dame‘Emran El-Badawi provides a landmark contribution to scholarship, grasping the nuance and depth of women’s power, spirituality, and presence in late antique Near East, when pagans, Jews, and Christians allied militarily and worshiped at the Oak of Mamre. Queens and Prophets cogently narrates this complex historical and cultural context, demonstrating the patriarchal polemics of Abrahamic and Roman traditions that gloss this powerful force and ultimately empower the birth of Islam.’ -- Roberta Sabbath, Religious Studies Director, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and editor of Troubling Topics, Sacred Texts

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Book SynopsisThe cuneiform script, the writing system of ancient Mesopotamia, was witness to one of the world''s oldest literate cultures. For over three millennia, it was the vehicle of communication from (at its greatest extent) Iran to the Mediterranean, Anatolia to Egypt. The Oxford Handbook of Cuneiform Culture examines the Ancient Middle East through the lens of cuneiform writing. The contributors, a mix of scholars from across the disciplines, explore, define, and to some extent look beyond the boundaries of the written word, using Mesopotamia''s clay tablets and stone inscriptions not just as ''texts'' but also as material artefacts that offer much additional information about their creators, readers, users and owners.Trade ReviewReview from previous edition Thanks are due to the K. Radner and E. Robson for the care with which they edited this voluminous book. * Bibliotheca Orientalis *Table of ContentsI. Materiality and literacies 1: Jonathan Taylor: Tablets as artefacts, scribes as artisans 2: Robert K. Englund: Accounting in proto-cuneiform 3: Grégory Chambon: Numeracy and metrology 4: Niek Veldhuis: Levels of literacy 5: Brigitte Lion: Literacy and gender II. Individuals and communities 6: Benjamin R. Foster: The person in Mesopotamian thought 7: Frans van Koppen: The scribe of the Flood Story and his circle 8: Hagan Brunke: Feasts for the living, the dead, and the gods 9: Michael Jursa: Cuneiform writing in Neo-Babylonian temple communities 10: Eva von Dassow: Freedom in ancient Near Eastern societies III. Experts and novices 11: Yoram Cohen & Sivan Kedar: Teacher-student relationships: two case studies 12: Dominique Charpin: Patron and client: Zimri-Lim and Asqudum the diviner 13: Michel Tanret: Learned, rich, famous and unhappy: Ur-Utu of Sippar 14: Nele Ziegler: Music, the work of professionals 15: Silvie Zamazalová: The education of Neo-Assyrian princes IV. Decisions 16: Sophie Démare-Lafont: Judicial decision-making: judges and arbitrators 17: Karen Radner: Royal decision-making: kings, magnates and scholars 18: Andreas Fuchs: Assyria at war: strategy and conduct 19: Anne Löhnert: Manipulating the gods: lamenting in context 20: Daniel Schwemer: Magic rituals: conceptualisation and performance V. Interpretations 21: Ulla Susanne Koch: Sheep and sky: systems of divinatory interpretation 22: John M. Steele: Making sense of time: observational and theoretical calendars 23: Fabienne Huber Vulliet: Letters as correspondence, letters as literature 24: Eckart Frahm: Keeping company with men of learning: the king as scholar 25: Heather D. Baker: From street altar to palace: reading the built environment of urban Babylonia VI. Making knowledge 26: Eleanor Robson: The production and dissemination of scholarly knowledge 27: Steve Tinney: Tablets of schools and scholars: a portrait of the Old Babylonian corpus 28: Mark Weeden: Adapting to new contexts: cuneiform in Anatolia 29: Francesca Rochberg: Observing and describing the world through divination and astronomy 30: Geert De Breucker: Berossos between tradition and innovation VII. Shaping tradition 31: Frans Wiggermann: Agriculture as civilization: sages, farmers, and barbarians 32: Barbara Böck: Sourcing, organising, and administering medicinal ingredients 33: Nicole Brisch: Changing images of kingship in Sumerian literature 34: Caroline Waerzeggers: The pious king: royal patronage of temples 35: Philippe Clancier: Cuneiform culture's last guardians: the old urban notability of Hellenistic Uruk

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“Hosler has produced a thorough military description of this major, dramatic confrontation, and it is unlikely to be bettered.”—Christopher Tyerman, Literary Review“A gripping account” — Tony Barber, Financial Times (Books of the Year 2018)“Hosler [has a] pleasing eye for detail and commendable mastery of original sources.”—Dan Jones, The Times“The crusaders’ successful siege of Acre, the war’s main military engagement, has never received fuller treatment than in this absorbing account by John Hosler.”—Tony Barber, FT“Exhaustively researched, acutely analysed, beautifully written” —Theodore K.Rabb, The Times Literary Supplement (Books of the Year 2018)“John Hosler has provided a careful account of this crucial and neglected episode of the Third Crusade, demonstrating a careful and detailed grasp of events and their significance. This very readable account is of great value to historians of the crusades and of military history.” —John France, The Journal of Military History“John Hosler has written an exceptional work of nuanced scholarship. His research and conclusions will provide the fodder for many other scholars following in his footsteps.” —Laurence W. Marvin, Michigan War Studies Review“This is an important contribution to the historiography of the Third Crusade”—James Sewry, Times Literary Supplement"Hosler’s book opens a new chapter of research on the Third Crusade and demonstrates the need to re-examine this surprisingly neglected expedition."—Stephen J. Spencer, The English Historical Review“Writing on the Third Crusade is almost as daunting as fighting in it. It takes bravery, confidence and tenacity. John Hosler possesses all three. The result is an impressive analysis of the siege of Acre, the largest, longest and most decisive conflict of the Crusade.”—Kelly DeVries, author of Joan of Arc“Confident and highly engaging, Hosler offers us a perceptive and thorough analysis of the characters, the challenges and the mechanics of one of the great sieges of the medieval period; an important contribution to the history of the crusades and medieval warfare.” —Jonathan Phillips, author of The Fourth Crusade and the Sack of Constantinople“One of the most important books to be published on the crusades in recent years … Essential reading for anyone seeking to understand not only the details of the siege of Acre, but the broader outcome of the Third Crusade. Hosler has long been a respected medieval military historian, but with this book he has now become an important voice in debates over the crusades.”—Andrew Holt, Co-Editor of Seven Myths of the Crusades"An impressive piece of work - a scrupulously researched account of one of the most complicated military events in crusader history."—Roger Crowley, author of 1453"John Hosler has done what no other historian has yet achieved: he has created a lucid, thoroughly researched, insightful account of the most complex military campaign in the medieval crusades ... This study is unlikely to be replaced for a long time. It is essential reading."—Daniel P. Franke, co-editor of Prowess, Piety, and Public Order in Medieval Society

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Ibn Taymiyya (1263–1328) of Damascus was one of the most prominent and controversial religious scholars of medieval Islam. He called for jihad against the Mongol invaders of Syria, appealed to the foundational sources of Islam for reform, and battled against religious innovation. Today, he inspires such diverse movements as Global Salafism, Islamic revivalism and modernism, and violent jihadism. This volume synthesizes the latest research, discusses many little-known aspects of Ibn Taymiyya’s thought, and highlights the religious utilitarianism that pervades his activism, ethics, and theology.

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Book Synopsis''Wonderful'' JOHN BARTON''A stupendous intellectual achievement'' ANDREW PETTEGREE''A stunning love song to the Bible . . . this will be a classic'' CHINE MCDONALDThe remarkable story of the most influential book in human history. The Bible is the world''s best-known text. Yet, it is a book that never was - its original form does not exist and probably never did. What we have is the inheritance of generation after generation of Christians who have sought to hear God speak. Available in over three thousand languages and taking innumerable forms, each version is a revelation, evolving as a reflection of its own culture and moment. Bruce Gordon traces the Bible''s astounding journey from its emergence as a codex in the second century, to the Reformation, to the spectacular growth of Christianity in the Global South today. For centuries a source of inspiration, it has also been a tool for violence and oppression, weaponised in the name of colonialism, and it has expressed hopes for freedom in the struggle for liberation. Found in desert monasteries and Chinese house churches, in Byzantine cathedrals and Guatemalan villages, it has been a book in motion from its very beginnings, a product of more than two thousand years of wandering, restlessness and change. Breathtakingly global in scope, The Bible is a sweeping history of this sacred book told through the stories of its diverse human encounters in search of the divine - revealing not a static text but a living, dynamic cultural force.

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Book Synopsis'An exceptional account.' Prospect'Enlightening.' SpectatorFor the first time in millennia we live without formal empires. But that doesn't mean we don't feel their presence rumbling through history. The Great Imperial Hangover examines how the world's imperial legacies are still shaping the thorniest issues we face today. From Russia's incursions in the Ukraine to Brexit; from Trump's 'America-first' policy to China's forays into Africa; from Modi's India to the hotbed of the Middle East, Puri provides a bold new framework for understanding the world's complex rivalries and politics. Organised by region, and covering vital topics such as security, foreign policy, national politics and commerce, The Great Imperial Hangover combines gripping history and astute analysis to explain why the history of empire affects us all in profound ways.Trade ReviewEnlightening... [Puri] makes a credible case for how, in the US and China, imperial legacies have left those powers withdifferent values that would be hard to reconcile. * Spectator *Puri has many penetrating insights into the way the legacies of empire still affect the behaviour of states and the international climate. * Financial Times *An exceptional account, both personal and scholarly. * Prospect *Masterly. I found new insights on almost every page. It achieves the remarkable feat of deepening our self-knowledge while at the same time broadening our understanding of the world around us. * Paul Strathern, author of Rise and Fall: A History of the World in Ten Empires *An excellent read. Samir Puri has written a calm, distilled and bracing book. * Robert D. Kaplan, author of The Return of Marco Polo's World *Well written, comprehensive and judicious... a stimulating book. * New York Times *This is a masterly, engaging, thought-provoking and wide-ranging study of how the vestiges of past empires shape the ways in which the world works today. * James Daybell, author of Histories of the Unexpected *A timely and important re-thinking of imperial dominion. * Sam Willis, author of The Struggle for Sea Power *Table of Contents1: America's Imperial Inheritance 2: Britain's Grandeur and Guilt of Empire 3: The European Union's Post-Imperial Project 4: Russia's Embrace of its Imperial Legacy 5: China's Janus Faces of Empire 6: India's Overcoming of the 'Intimate Enemy' 7: The Middle East's Post-Imperial Instability 8: Africa's Scramble Beyond Colonialism 9: The World's Intersecting Imperial Legacies

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Book SynopsisThe Oxford Illustrated History of the Holy Land covers the 3,000 years which saw the rise of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam - and relates the familiar stories of the sacred texts with the fruits of modern scholarship. Beginning with the origins of the people who became the Israel of the Bible, it follows the course of the ensuing millennia down to the time when the Ottoman Empire succumbed to British and French rule at the end of the First World War.Parts of the story, especially as known from the Bible, will be widely familiar. Less familiar are the ways in which modern research, both from archaeology and from other ancient sources, sometimes modify this story historically. Better understanding, however, enables us to appreciate crucial chapters in the story of the Holy Land, such as how and why Judaism developed in the way that it did from the earlier sovereign states of Israel and Judah and the historical circumstances in which Christianity emerged from its Jewish cradle. Later paTrade ReviewFor those interested in the Bible, history or spiritual pilgrimage, this is a captivating guide and will be a great asset to anyone who has travelled, or will travel, to the Holy Land. * Mark W. Scarlata, Journal for the Study of the Old Testament *The Oxford Illustrated History of the Holy Land is full of ... remarkable details. Thirteen fact-packed chapters, each by an expert in his or her field, take us on a tour from the earliest recorded history onwards. It is a remarkable, readable, and useful achievement, one that will illuminate a thousand sermons and provide much to think about for anyone interested in the subject. * William Whyte, Church Times *Three great world faiths have invested so many hopes and passions in one relatively small part of the eastern Mediterranean seaboard and its hinterland, that there are risks even in calling it by a single name. This collective study of the "God-trodden land" is a richly informative, reliable, and sane guide to its troubled history: one valuable contribution to crafting it a more peaceful present and future. * Diarmaid MacCulloch, Professor of the History of the Church, University of Oxford *A fascinating read overall. * Medieval Archaeology Journal vol 67.2 *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1: Avraham Faust: The Birth of Israel 2: Lester L. Grabbe: Iron Age: Tribes to Monarchy 3: André Lemaire: Israel and Judah: c. 931-587 BCE 4: H. G. M. Williamson: Babylonian Exile and Restoration: 587-325 BCE 5: John J. Collins: The Hellenistic and Roman Era 6: Konstantin Klein: A Christian Holy Land: 284-638 CE 7: Milka Levy-Rubin: The Coming of Islam 8: Carole Hillenbrand: The Holy Land in the Crusader and Ayyubid periods: 1099 - 1250 9: Nimrod Luz: The Holy Land from the Mamluk Sultanate to the Ottoman Empire: 1260-1799 10: Robert Fisk: From Napoleon to Allenby: the Holy Land and the wider Middle East 11: Robert G. Hoyland and Peter Walker: Pilgrimage 12: Richard S. Hess and Denys Pringle: Sacred Spaces and Holy Places 13: Adam Silverstein: Scripture and the Holy Land Further Reading Index

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Book SynopsisToday, Dubai is a city of shimmering skyscrapers attracting thousands of tourists every year. Yet just sixty years ago Dubai's population scraped a living by picking dates, diving for pearls, or sailing in wooden dhows to trade with Iran and India. Dubai is everything the rest of the Arab world is not. Until recently it was the fastest-growing city in the world, with an economy whose growth outpaced China's while luring more tourists than all of India. The city has become a metaphor for the lush life, where the wealthy mingle in gilded splendour and luxury cars fill the streets, yet it is also beset by a backwash of bad design, environmental degradation and controversial labour practices. Dubai tells its unique story.Trade ReviewDubai examines this small emirate with admirable even-handedness and good humour... Krane also writes movingly of the conditions of the Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi workers who have built Dubai. -- James Drummond * Financial Times *Jim Krane traces the fascinating and long overlooked history of this city... in prose as spare and enchanting as a desert fairy tale. * The Times *A well researched and gripping tale of how... the city was transformed from a pre-modern hideout for smugglers and pirates * Sunday Telegraph *Engagingly written and sympathetic to its subject... Dubai will be a welcome addition to the cabin baggage of the many western visitors to the Emirates * Guardian *Jim Krane's breathless style complements his subject: Dubai is a city that has arisen impetuously and incoherently, its shape shifting as incessantly as the desert sands on which it is built. * Times Literary Supplement *Full of engaging anecdotes * Daily Telegraph *Packed with detail and colour, Dubai explores the city's remarkable history, bringing it to life and confronting its controversies. -- Dr Christopher Davidson, author of 'Dubai: The Vulnerability of Success'

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Book SynopsisNew York Times Notable Books of 2018 Financial Times Book of the Year Award-winning journalist Rania Abouzeid presents reportage of unprecedented scope in this engaging, character-driven investigation that exposes the secret dealings that armed and betrayed an uprising. Taking readers deep into Assad’s prisons, to clandestine meetings and to the highest levels of Islamic militancy, Abouzeid dissects the tangle of ideologies and allegiances that make up the Syrian conflict, and lays bare the tragedy of the Syrian War through the stories of those seeking safety and freedom in a shattered country. Based on more than five years of frontline reporting, No Turning Back is an utterly engrossing human drama that shows how hope can flourish even amid one of the twenty-first century’s greatest humanitarian disasters.Trade Review‘An extraordinary piece of reportage that explains the Syrian war through the stories of individuals caught up in the fighting. Abouzeid’s book has the gripping and tragic qualities of a first-rate novel.’ * Financial Times Book of the Year *'Excellent... Probably the most perceptive journalistic account of the war so far... Abouzeid’s understated bravery and ability to merge into the background speak to the power of immersive eyewitness reporting, foregrounding the experience of the people she meets and writing with modesty.' * New York Review of Books *'An unparalleled account of the Syrian uprising, drawing on six years of immersive reporting.' * New Yorker *'A stunning take on Syria’s tragedy by the veteran Middle East reporter Rania Abouzeid... Abouzeid’s writing is clear, her analysis sharp, her sympathy deep as she answers this key question of our age.' * The Spectator *‘There is no better way to refocus on Syria than to read Rania Abouzeid’s book… What could simply be a standard journalistic device succeeds triumphantly because of the skill and sensitivity of Abouzeid’s writing, the depth of her reporting and the extraordinary nature of the stories she tells. As a result, her book has the compelling qualities of a novel, rather than simply a work of reportage…an extraordinary book that deserves to be read widely.’ * Financial Times *'This is journalism at its very best: brave; personal; written with aching beauty.' * Lyse Doucet, BBC's Chief International Correspondent *‘Painfully gripping.’ * Prospect *'This narrative of the Syrian war from 2011 through 2016 offers page after page of extraordinary reporting and exquisite prose, rendering its individual subjects with tremendous intimacy.' * New York Times Notable Books of 2018 *‘Offers page after page of extraordinary reporting and many flashes of exquisitely descriptive prose… Abouzeid’s remarkable journalistic and literary work has given us, at last, a book worthy of the enormous tragedy that is Syria.’ * New York Times Book Review *‘For those confused by the country's descent into chaos and the myriad factions now battling it out for supremacy, it is indispensable... A masterpiece: a forensic, yet accessible anatomy of how a peaceful uprising was hijacked by external forces who cared less about ridding Syria of dictator Bashar al-Assad than furthering their own agendas… Abouzeid writes compellingly throughout.’ * Big Issue *'[No Turning Back] offers page after page of extraordinary reporting and exquisite prose, rendering its individual subjects with tremendous intimacy.' * New York Times, '8 Books We Recommend this Week' *'Eloquent and devastating … Abouzeid relates the drama of this chaos in gripping prose.' * Christian Science Monitor *'Searing and sparingly beautiful… War, she reminds us, alters the architecture of the city as much as it scrambles the human psyche.' * Los Angeles Review of Books *'Rania Abouzeid has produced a masterpiece.' * Robert F. Worth, author of A Rage For Order *'This is an essential read not only for those interested in Syria and the Middle East, but for anyone who strives to understand the mechanics of a society torn by civil war.' * Ghaith Abdul-Ahad, Guardian Middle East Correspondent *‘An astonishing work, in its ambition, its scope and its humanity…these stories are woven with consummate skill by Abouzeid who does not moralize and does not judge. Through their lived experiences she has shown the human faces, the human suffering behind the headlines.’ * New Internationalist *'After No Turning Back, you won’t be able to hear anything more about Syria without feeling that you too know the people who are living (and dying) through it.' * Barbara Demick, author of Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea and Logavina Street: Life and Death in a Sarajevo Neighborhood *'No Turning Back is a monumental achievement. I can think of few other journalists, past or present, who have reported on any war as courageously, analyzed it as trenchantly, or rendered the lives of its participants and victims as movingly, as Abouzeid has done here for the war in Syria. The book will no doubt endure as a work of literature.' * Luke Mogelson, author of These Heroic, Happy Dead *'No Turning Back works both on the level of deeply reported personal narratives of a tragedy that continues to unspool and also as a major work of history.' * Peter Bergen, author of United States of Jihad and Manhunt: The Ten Year Search for Bin Laden *'Rania Abouzeid brings the century's deadliest conflict to life...' * Irish Times, Books to look out for in 2018 *'An intimate portrait of a chaotic war. A must read.' * Deb Amos, author of Eclipse of the Sunnis: Power, Exile, and Upheaval in the Middle East *'Rania Abouzeid has produced a work of stunning reportage from the very heart of the conflict, daring to go to the most dangerous places in order to get the story.' * Dexter Filkins, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Forever War *‘A fabulous and illuminating account of the Syrian conflict told by a world-class journalist at the height of her powers. This is about real people, their real stories and how they web together to tell the wider story of a nation in crisis. A rich and rewarding book that informs, excites and inspires. A truly first-class piece of high-end reportage.’ * Tim Butcher, author of Blood River *

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Book SynopsisA bold call for the American Left to extend their politics to the issues of Israel-Palestine In this major work of daring criticism and analysis, scholar and political commentator Marc Lamont Hill and Israel-Palestine expert Mitchell Plitnick spotlight how one-sided pro-Israel policies reflect the truth-bending grip of authoritarianism on both Israel and the United States. Except for Palestine argues that progressives and liberals who oppose regressive policies on immigration, racial justice, gender equality, LGBTQ rights, and other issues must extend these core principles to the oppression of Palestinians. In doing so, the authors take seriously the political concerns and well-being of both Israelis and Palestinians, demonstrating the extent to which U.S. policy has made peace harder to attain. They also unravel the conflation of advocacy for Palestinian rights with anti-Semitism and hatred of Israel. Hill and Plitnick provide a timely and essential intervention by examining multiple dimensions of the Israeli-Palestinian conversation, including Israel’s growing disdain for democracy, the effects of occupation on Palestine, the siege of Gaza, diminishing American funding for Palestinian relief, and the campaign to stigmatize any critique of Israeli occupation. Except for Palestine is a searing polemic and a cri de coeur for elected officials, activists, and everyday citizens alike to align their beliefs and politics with their values.Trade ReviewPraise for Except for Palestine:Winner of the Palestine Book Awards” Counter Current Award“A remarkable little book. . . . Except for Palestine should be read by anyone interested in events in Israel/Palestine—and obviously in particular, anyone claiming to be progressive and liberal.”—Palestine Chronicle “[A] principled cri de coeur to progressives everywhere. . . . Except for Palestine is a crucial and ultimately hopeful tool that better equips progressives to combat injustices within their own political circles.”—Mondoweiss“For too long, many have championed the rights and liberties of oppressed peoples here and abroad, but remained silent on Palestinian freedom, or even worse, supported U.S. policies that render Palestinian humanity and suffering invisible. This clear and courageous book is a clarion call for moral integrity and political consistency.”—Cornel West, Union Theological Seminary“Hill and Plitnick deliver a thoughtful and incisive analysis of how progressive commitments to racial and social justice are undermined by the ‘Palestinian exception.’ Building the civil rights movement for the twenty-first century in America requires an international intersectionality that necessarily includes advocating for the rights and dignity of Palestinians and Israelis alike. Except for Palestine is timely and vital.”—Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, Michigan’s 13th Congressional District“Except for Palestine calls on progressives to apply the same principles to Israel-Palestine that they apply to the U.S. It’s a simple, radical, and deeply important argument, which anyone who cherishes justice should not ignore.”—Peter Beinart, author of The Crisis of Zionism “Hill and Plitnick have produced a timely and powerful indictment of decades of U.S. policy exceptionalizing Israel at the expense of progressive values. Their thorough examination of American progressives’ intellectual and moral hypocrisy when it comes to defending Palestinians’ human rights, civil rights, and right to challenge Israeli occupation is a valuable resource.”—Lara Friedman, president of the Foundation for Middle East Peace“This book explores some of the most fundamental contradictions confronting liberal spaces in the U.S. and makes a powerful case for the progressive core values of humanity, justice, and dignity to finally include the Palestinian people.”—Ahmad Abuznaid, executive director of the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights“Except for Palestine cogently explores the reasons for the silence of so many progressives and liberals when it comes to the unceasing violations of the rights of the Palestinian people. Hill and Plitnick dismantle one by one the arguments used to justify this shameful silence, and in doing so provide an eloquent, balanced, and hard-hitting analysis of why ending an egregious exception to accepted norms of justice and equality is so imperative.”—Rashid Khalidi, author of Brokers of Deceit: How the U.S. Has Undermined Peace in the Middle East“A timely and compelling treatise on the moral failings of U.S. policy and American politics in relation to Israel/Palestine.”—Khaled Elgindy, Responsible Statecraft “An accessible, in-depth analysis that takes U.S. politics to task for normalising both Israel’s colonial violence and, as a result, the oppression of the Palestinian people.”—Middle East Monitor

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Book SynopsisThe history of Ancient Babylonia in ancient Mesopatamia is epic. After playing host to three great empires, the Hammurabic and Kassite empires, and the Neo-Babylonian Empire ruled by Nebuchadnezzar, it was conquered by the Persians. Entered triumphantly by Alexander the Great, it later provided the setting for the Conquerer''s deathbed. Squabbled over by his heirs, Babylonia was subsequently dominated by the Parthian and Roman empires.In this Very Short Introduction, Trevor Bryce takes us on a journey of more than 2,000 years across the history and civilization of ancient Babylonia, from the emergence of its chief city, Babylon, as a modest village on the Euphrates in the 3rd millennium BC through successive phases of triumph, decline, and resurgence until its royal capital faded into obscurity in the Roman imperial era. Exploring key historical events as well as the day-to-day life of an ancient Babylonian, Bryce provides a comprehensive guide to one of history''s most profound civilizations. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Trade ReviewIntroductory, readable, no footnotes. Excellent for the general reader seeking a starting point. * Ancient East & West *Fast-paced and gripping, written by a master scholar, this is a sweeping yet concentrated history of Babylon and Babylonia in the full context of the ancient Near East, from Sumerians to Romans. Jam-packed with details, maps, and interesting information, from Hammurabi's Law Code to Nebuchadnezzar's Ishtar Gate and beyond, this brief volume is well worth reading and rereading! * Eric H. Cline, George Washington University *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1: The Old Babylonian Period 2: Babylonian Society through the perspective of Hammurabi's Laws 3: Old Babylonian Cities 4: The Kassites 5: Writing, Scribes and Literature 6: The Long Interlude 7: The Neo-Babylonian Empire 8: Nebuchadnezzar's Babylon 9: In the Aftermath Appendix: Astrology and astronomy Chronology of major events, periods, and rulers Further Reading References Index

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Book SynopsisThe untold history of Czechoslovakia's complex relations with Middle Eastern terrorists and revolutionaries during the closing decades of the Cold WarIn the 1970s and 1980s, Prague became a favorite destination for the world's most prominent terrorists and revolutionaries. They arrived here to seek refuge, enjoy recreation, or hold secret meetings aimed at securing training, arms, and other forms of support. While some were welcome with open arms, others were closely watched and were eventually ousted. Watching the Jackals is the untold history of Czechoslovakia's complex relations with Middle Eastern terrorists and revolutionaries during the closing decades of the Cold War. Based on recently declassified intelligence files, Richterova unveils the story of Prague's engagement with various factions of the Palestine Liberation Organization, along with some of the era's most infamous terrorists, including Carlos the Jackal, the Munich Olympics massacre commander Abu Daoud, and the Abu Nidal Organization. In this gripping account, Richterova explains why Cold War Jackals gravitated toward Prague and how the country's leaders reacted to their visits, and she uncovers the role Czechoslovakia's security and intelligence apparatus the StB (Státní bezpecnost) played in these, at times, dangerous liaisons. Drawing on interviews and remarkably detailed records from the former Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic), Richterova offers readers interested in the intelligence world a fascinating account of how states use their spies to pursue covert policies with violent nonstate actors. The book also introduces new evidence and nuances into old debates about whether the Communist Bloc supported terrorism.

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Book SynopsisIn 1921, a small group of self-appointed patriots set out to avenge the deaths of almost one million victims of the Armenian Genocide. They named their operation Nemesis after the Greek goddess of retribution. Over several years, the men tracked down and assassinated former Turkish leaders. The story of this secret operation has never been fully told until now.Eric Bogosian goes beyond simply telling the story of this cadre of Armenian assassins to set the killings in context by providing a summation of the Ottoman and Armenian history as well as the history of the genocide itself. Casting fresh light on one of the great crimes of the twentieth century and one of history''s most remarkable acts of political retribution, and drawing upon years of new research across multiple continents, OPERATION NEMESIS is both a riveting read and a profound examination of evil, revenge and the costs of violence.

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Book SynopsisKnown as one of the most complex and unusual texts in Arabic literature (Banipal Magazine), The Epistle of Forgiveness is the lengthy reply by the prolific Syrian poet and prose writer, Abu l-''Ala'' al-Ma''arri (d. 449/1057), to a letter by an obscure grammarian, Ibn al-Qari. With biting irony, The Epistle of Forgiveness mocks Ibn al-Qari's hypocrisy and sycophancy by imagining he has died and arrived with some difficulty in Heaven, where he meets famous poets and philologists from the past. In al-Ma''arri's imaginative telling, Ibn al-Qari also glimpses Hell and converses with the Devil and various heretics.Al-Ma''arria maverick, a vegan, and often branded a heretic himselfseems to mock popular ideas about the Hereafter. Among other things, he introduces us to hypocrites, poets, princes, rebels, mystics, and apostates, with asides on piety, superstition, wine-drinking, old age, and other topics. This remarkable book is the first complete translation of this masTrade ReviewApart from its fine quality, an enormous advantage of this new edition and translation lies in its completeness. * Journal of Islamic Studies *Van Gelder and Schoeler present one of the most complex and unusual texts in Arabic literature, by al-Ma'arri (d. 1057 AD), maverick, poet and vegetarian * Banipal Magazine *

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Book SynopsisA vivid portrait of one of the most powerful leaders in Israel's first decades of statehoodTrade Review"This well-written and absorbing book offers an authoritative account of the life of Moshe Dayan and places him in the context of larger events. Doing justice to the complex and intriguing persona of Dayan, Bar-On writes for a wide audience, both general readers and students of Israel and the Middle East. I read it with great interest and profit."—Itamar Rabinovich, former Israeli ambassador to the United States and author of Waging Peace: Israel and the Arabs, 1948–2003 -- Itamar Rabinovich"[A] revealing and engrossing account of the life of an often admirable but frustratingly enigmatic man."—Jay Freeman, Booklist -- Jay Freeman * Booklist *"Mordechai Bar-On, Dayan’s bureau chief during the mid-1950s as the latter was Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff, brings a welcome addition to the canon of Dayan, weaving first-person observations as he amends the historical record."—Neil Rubin, Baltimore Jewish Times -- Neil Rubin * Baltimore Jewish Times *"This brief, incisive, elegantly written book is full of up-close and personal glimpses of and insights into the many pivotal roles Dayan played in his nation’s military and political affairs."—Martin Rubin, Washington Times * Washington Times *"Refreshing. . . Bridging the gaps of a complex personality is the great achievement of this brief but highly thoughtful book."—Jason Warshof, Jerusalem Report * Jerusalem Report *"Briefly and elegantly conveys the life of a man who played an important role in Israeli history."—The Historian * The Historian *

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Book SynopsisSexual desire has long played a key role in Western judgments about the value of Arab civilization. This title reveals the history of how Arabs represented their own sexual desires. It assembles a compendium of Arabic writing to chart the changes in Arab sexual attitudes and their links to Arab notions of cultural heritage and civilization.Trade Review"A pioneering work on a very timely yet frustratingly neglected topic.... I know of no other study that can even begin to compare with the detail and scope of [this] work." - Khaled El-Rouayheb, Middle East Report "In Desiring Arabs, Edward Said's disciple Joseph A. Massad corroborates his mentor's thesis that orientalist writing was racist and dehumanizing.... Massad brilliantly goes on to trace the legacy of this racist, internalized, orientalist discourse up to the present." - Financial Times"

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Book SynopsisThis revised edition builds upon and updates its twin themes of Turkey's continuing incorporation into the capitalist world and the modernization of state and society. It begins with the forging of closer links with Europe after the French Revolution, and the changing face of the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century. Zurcher argues that Turkey's history between 1908 and 1950 should be seen as a unity, and offers a strongly revisionist interpretation of Turkey's founding father, Kemal Ataturk. In his account of the period since 1950, Zurcher focuses on the growth of mass politics; the three military coups; the thorny issue of Turkey's human right's record; the alliance with the West and relations with the European Community; Turkey's ambivalent relations with the Middle East; the increasingly explosive Kurdish question; and the continuing political instability and growth of Islam.

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Book SynopsisFrom the middle of the eighth century to the tenth century, almost all non-literary and non-historical secular Greek books, including such diverse topics as astrology, alchemy, physics, botany and medicine, that were not available throughout the eastern Byzantine Empire and the Near East, were translated into Arabic.Greek Thought, Arabic Culture explores the major social, political and ideological factors that occasioned the unprecedented translation movement from Greek into Arabic in Baghdad, the newly founded capital of the Arab dynasty of the ''Abbasids'', during the first two centuries of their rule. Dimitri Gutas draws upon the preceding historical and philological scholarship in Greco-Arabic studies and the study of medieval translations of secular Greek works into Arabic and analyses the social and historical reasons for this phenomenon.Dimitri Gutas provides a stimulating, erudite and well-documented survey of this key movement in the transmission of ancient GrTrade Review'important for any classicist interested in the legacy and transmission of Greek culture and provides excellent comparative material for those working on the interaction of all ancient cultures, including especially the development of greek thought at Rome.' - Simon Swain, The Classicla Review'A remarkable work. It has all the makings of a classic.' - Remke Kruk, Boekbesprekingen'Gutas' book is a most welcome tool for classicists and oreintalists...Gutas' informative book arouses the curiosity of specialists as well as of a broader public.' - Hans Daiber, Classical World, Winter 2001.Table of ContentsIntroduction; Part 1 Translation and Empire; Chapter 1 The Background of the Translation Movement; Chapter 2 Al-Man??r; Chapter 3 Al-Mahd? and his Sons; Chapter 4 Al-Ma’m?n; Part 2 Translation and Society; Chapter 5 Translation in the Service of Applied and Theoretical Knowledge; Chapter 6 Patrons, Translators, Translations; Chapter 7 Translation and History; Chapter 8 Epilogue;

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Winner of the Charles J. Goodwin Award of Merit, Society for Classical Studies"

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Book Synopsis"Seven Myths of the Crusades' rebuttal of the persistent and multifarious misconceptions associated with topics including the First Crusade, anti-Judaism and the Crusades, the crusader states, the Children's Crusade, the Templars and past and present Islamic-Christian relations proves, once and for all, that real history is far more fascinating than conspiracy theories, pseudo-history and myth-mongering. This book is a powerful witness to the dangers of the misappropriation and misinterpretation of the past and the false parallels so often drawn between the crusades and later historical events ranging from nineteenth-century colonialism to the protest movements of the 1960s to the events of 9/11. This volume's authors have venerable track records in teaching and researching the crusading movement, and anyone curious about the crusades would do well to start here." —Jessalynn Bird, Dominican University, co-Editor of Crusade and ChristendomTrade Review"I never imagined that my Seven Myths of the Spanish Conquest, first published in 2003, would prove to be so enduring a format for helping students of all kinds to rethink key moments in human history. It is therefore a great honor to see that the book has now inspired Hackett Publishing Company's "Myths of History" series, expertly and effectively edited by Alfred J. Andrea and Andrew Holt." —Matthew Restall, Pennsylvania State University"Andrea and Holt's timely, readable, and informative book will hopefully go a long way towards combating some of the myths of the crusades that still circulate in the twenty-first century. . . . [Their] introduction is a real gem and one might wish that more books on the crusades for popular audiences had introductions so useful for situating readers. . . . The contributions strike a balance between presenting the complexity and messiness of the historical material with giving readable and coherent accounts. . . . This is an excellent and useful volume." —Lucas McMahon, Princeton University, in Comitatus"Seven Myths of the Crusades' rebuttal of the persistent and multifarious misconceptions associated with topics including the First Crusade, anti-Judaism and the Crusades, the crusader states, the Children's Crusade, the Templars and past and present Islamic-Christian relations proves, once and for all, that real history is far more fascinating than conspiracy theories, pseudo-history and myth-mongering. This book is a powerful witness to the dangers of the misappropriation and misinterpretation of the past and the false parallels so often drawn between the crusades and later historical events ranging from nineteenth-century colonialism to the protest movements of the 1960s to the events of 9/11. This volume's authors have venerable track records in teaching and researching the crusading movement, and anyone curious about the crusades would do well to start here." —Jessalynn Bird, Dominican University, co-Editor of Crusade and Christendom"There has long been a great need for a book like this one, and it deserves a wide dissemination among the interested reading public and journalists as well as students and professional historians. It draws on much of the best and most recent scholarship on diverse aspects of crusading, but is still written in an accessible style. It should certainly be included in any reading list for an undergraduate course on the crusades, and anyone intending to make judgmental pronouncements on the aims and character of crusading would do well to read it and reflect carefully before rushing into print." —Alan V. Murray, University of Leeds"Andrea and Holt's Seven Myths of the Crusades provides a valuable introduction to Crusades mythology. The collection covers some of the most important and most widely debated issues in crusading studies and will prove highly useful, particularly to undergraduate students and to non-academics with an interest in crusading history." —Meriem Pages, Keene State College, in Speculum "Written in a clear and accessible style, this volume rests on an impressive scholarly base supported by peer-reviewed research and up-to-date sources cited in abundant footnotes on almost every page." —G. G. Guzman, Bradley University, in CHOICE"Few historical labels carry such an emotional charge as that of 'crusade'. It is a word used both thoughtlessly and polemically, often by public figures with little understanding of the events or by those with a vested interest in the misrepresentation of both motives and outcomes. Professional historians have a duty to redress the balance, and the essays collected in this important book tackle fundamental issues ranging from the place of the crusades in relations between Islam and the West to their long-term influence on the development of anti-Semitism." —Malcolm Barber, Emeritus Professor of History, University of Reading, UK."Crusade historians frequently lament the wide gulf that separates modern scholarship from popular beliefs regarding the holy wars of the Middle Ages. In this lively book a group of those scholars tackle seven of the most intractable myths that obscure our view of the crusades. With erudition, energy, and a dose of humility this book makes the case that solid historical research brings us ever closer to historical accuracy—and that matters. The myths of the crusades may be legion, but breaking down seven of them is an excellent place to start." —Thomas F. Madden, St. Louis UniversityTable of ContentsContents: Preface Introduction: Once More into the Breach: The Continuing War against Crusade Myths 1. The First Crusade: Unprovoked Offense or Overdue Defence? -Paul F. Crawford 2. Mad Men on Crusade: Religious Madness and the Origins of the First Crusade -James M. Muldoon 3. The Crusades and Medieval Anti-Judaism: Cause or Consequence? -Daniel P. Franke 4. The Quest for Gain: Were the First Crusaders Proto-Colonists? -Corliss Slack 5. Myths of Innocence: The Making of the Children's Crusade -David L. Sheffler 6. Templars and Masons: An Origin Myth -Jace Stuckey 7. Islam and the Crusades: A Nine Hundred-Year-Long Grievance? -Mona Hammad and Edward Peters Epilogue: Putting It All Together Suggested Reading Contributor Biographies Index

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Book SynopsisSyria has long been one of the most trouble-prone and politically volatile regions of the Near and Middle Eastern world. This book looks back beyond the troubles of the present to tell the 3000-year story of what happened many centuries before. Trevor Bryce reveals the peoples, cities, and kingdoms that arose, flourished, declined, and disappeared in the lands that now constitute Syria, from the time of it''s earliest written records in the third millennium BC until the reign of the Roman emperor Diocletian at the turn of the 3-4th century AD.Across the centuries, from the Bronze Age to the Rome Era, we encounter a vast array of characters and civilizations, enlivening, enriching, and besmirching the annals of Syrian history: Hittite and Assyrian Great Kings; Egyptian pharaohs; Amorite robber-barons; the biblically notorious Nebuchadnezzar; Persia''s Cyrus the Great and Macedon''s Alexander the Great; the rulers of the Seleucid empire; and an assortment of Rome''s most distinguished and most infamous emperors. All swept across the plains of Syria at some point in her long history. All contributed, in one way or another, to Syria''s special, distinctive character, as they imposed themselves upon it, fought one another within it, or pillaged their way through it. But this is not just a history of invasion and oppression. Syria had great rulers of her own, native-born Syrian luminaries, sometimes appearing as local champions who sought to liberate their lands from foreign despots, sometimes as cunning, self-seeking manipulators of squabbles between their overlords. They culminate with Zenobia, Queen of Palmyra, whose life provides a fitting grand finale to the first three millennia of Syria''s recorded history. The conclusion looks forward to the Muslim conquest in the 7th century AD: in many ways the opening chapter in the equally complex and often troubled history of modern Syria.Trade ReviewA must read for anyone interested in this wonderful country. * Timeless Travels *[An] absorbing book ... This is essential bed-time reading for anyone wanting to know more about the history of one of the ancient world's most significant civilizations. * Ancient Egypt Magazine *Ancient Syria should be read, studied or consulted by those who want to deepen their knowledge about an amazing country, cradles of cultures and civilizations. I really appreciated Bryces effort to convey in a single book such a vast material. It has not been done before in such a comprehensive way. One must be grateful that the multiple fascinating (hi)stories of ancient Syria are now accessible to a wider audience. * Matteo Vigo, Bryn Mawr Classical Review *This book can be thoroughly recommended for anyone wishing to gain a broad overview of the history of ancient Syria. * Adam John Fraser, Palestine Exploration Quaterly *Bryce has outdone himself; a marvellous achievement. Reads as smoothly as a novel, but packed as full of facts as an encyclopedia. Bryce weaves together the threads of disparate cultures and centuries of civilization, creating the very fabric of history itself... * Eric H. Cline, The George Washington University, and author of Biblical Archaeology: A Very Short Introduction *sketches the history of Syria in a lively and fluid style. * Bibliotheca Orientalis *The author is an engaging writer and one quickly gets the impression that he has enjoyed researching and writing this book ... Professor Trevor Bryce's publication provides a lucid account that assists our understanding of Syria's historical importance and continuing strategic location. * Andrew Jamieson, Ancient Near Eastern Studies *Table of ContentsThe Tale to be ToldPart I: The Bronze Ages1: The First Kingdoms2: The International Intruders3: The Amorite Warrior-Chiefs4: The Empires Collide5: The End of an EraPart II: From the Iron Age to the Macedonian Conquest6: The Age of Iron7: The Wolf upon the Fold: The Neo-Assyrian Invasions8: From Nebuchadnezzar to AlexanderPart III: Syria under Seleucid Rule9: The Rise of the Seleucid Empire10: The Seleucid Empire in its Prime11: The Maccabean Rebellion12: The Decline and Fall of the SeleucidsPart IV: Syria under Roman Rule13: The Coming of the Romans14: Nabataean Excursus15: The Syrian Emperors16: The Crisis YearsPart V: The Rise and Fall of Palmyra17: From Desert Oasis to Royal Capital: The Story of Palmyra18: Syria's 'King of Kings': The Life and Death of Odenathus19: Zenobia, Queen of the EastThe Last FarewellAppendix I: ChronologyAppendix II: King-ListsAppendix III: Literary SourcesNotesBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisThis book offers a provocative retelling of Palestinian political history through an examination of the international commissions that have investigated political violence and human rights violations. More than twenty commissions have been convened over the last century, yet no significant change has resulted from these inquiries. The findings of the very first, the 1919 King-Crane Commission, were suppressed. The Mitchell Committee, convened in the heat of the Second Intifada, urged Palestinians to listen more sympathetically to the feelings of their occupiers. And factfinders returning from a shell-shocked Gaza Strip in 2008 registered their horror at the scale of the destruction, but Gazans have continued to live under a crippling blockade. Drawing on debates in the press, previously unexamined UN reports, historical archives, and ethnographic research, Lori Allen explores six key investigative commissions over the last century. She highlights how Palestinians' persistent demands for independence have been routinely translated into the numb language of reports and resolutions. These commissions, Allen argues, operating as technologies of liberal global governance, yield no justice—only the oppressive status quo. A History of False Hope issues a biting critique of the captivating allure and cold impotence of international law.Trade Review"This brilliant study not only succeeds in recovering the lives, aspirations and agency of Palestinians written out of history, but helps correct the balance of long-term bias against them. All those who have wondered why successive investigative commissions in Palestine have created only impotent solidarity should read this book."—Raja Shehadeh, author of Going Home: A Walk Through Fifty Years of Occupation"Lori Allen provides a remarkable account of how investigative commissions shaped the form, content, and tenor of conversations about Palestine and between Palestinians and western powers. A History of False Hope is indispensable for understanding the nature of the failure of international law in Palestine."—Ilana Feldman, George Washington University"Lori Allen has produced a fascinating, engaging, and innovative scholarly assessment of how international commissions have failed to deliver political results to the Palestinian people. This disillusioning narrative of good intentions gone awry sheds light on the interplay of law and politics in international relations, and is further enriched by illuminating archival research and the arresting insights of a first-class anthropologist."—Richard Falk, Former UN Special Rapporteur for Palestine, author of Palestine's Horizon: Toward a Just Peace"Allen's book juxtaposes Palestinian investment in their political rights against the international community's determination to thwart a solution. A book that takes a subaltern view of history, the book presents the illusion of "hope" in an accessible and chronological manner, pinning culpability on the international culprits that exploited Palestine for the spoils of settler-colonialism."—Ramona Wadi, The New Arab"A History of False Hope constitutes a significant contribution to the scholarly understanding of the workings of international law and of investigative bodies, along with a fresh perspective on how and why they have failed the Palestinians."—Zachary Lockman, H-Diplo"If history serves as a signpost for the future, Allen's book expertly shows the limitations of engaging with international commissions and international law as a mechanism for Palestinians to attain their long-denied rights."—Josh Ruebner, The Electronic Intifada"Focusing on half a dozen of the most important missions with a sharp anthropologist's eye, Lori Allen highlights the reaction of Palestinian opinion to the ostensible opportunities offered by the commissions, and the hopes they raised and dashed."—Jim Muir, London School of Economics Review of Books"The project of [A History of False Hope] is to explain why Palestinians have generally provided consent to processes that have contributed to their subjugation and undermined their national desires at every turn. Allen does this successfully through careful explication of how the liberal paradigm came to dominate Palestinian politics."—Abraham Silberstein, Israel Studies ReviewTable of ContentsIntroduction: International Law as a Way of Being 1. Petitioning Liberals: The King-Crane Commission 2. Universalizing Liberal Internationalism: The Arab Revolt and the Boycott of the Peel Commission 3. The Humanitarian Politics of Jewish Suffering: The Anglo-American Committee of Inquiry 4. Third World Solidarity at the General Assembly: A UN Special Committee on Human Rights 5. The Silences of Democratic Listening: The Mitchell Committee 6. The Shift to Crime and Punishment: UN Missions Renewing Hope in International Law Conclusion: Toward an Anthropology of International Law, and Next Time and Again for Palestine

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Winner of the BAJS Book Prize, British Association for Jewish Studies"

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Book Synopsis''Superbly researched and enormously entertaining... One of the outstanding books of the year'' The TimesAn epic story of empire-building and bloody conflict, this ground-breaking biography of one of history's most venerated military and religious heroes opens a window on the Islamic and Christian worlds' complex relationship.WINNER OF THE SLIGHTLY FOXED BEST FIRST BIOGRAPHY PRIZEWhen Saladin recaptured Jerusalem from the Crusaders in 1187, returning the Holy City to Islamic rule, he sent shockwaves throughout Christian Europe and the Muslim Near East that reverberate today.It was the culmination of a supremely exciting life. Born into a significant Kurdish family in northern Iraq, this warrior and diplomat fought under the banner of jihad, but at the same time worked tirelessly to build an empire that stretched from North Africa to Western Iraq. Gathering together a turbulent coalition, he was able to capture Jerusalem, only to tTrade ReviewSuperb, highly readable and definitive ... One of the world’s leading crusades scholars ... Phillips's narrative of Saladin's career is vivid and judicious, punctuated by set pieces that charge along like battle scenes from Game of Thrones -- Dan Jones * Sunday Times *Superbly researched and enormously entertaining ... one of the outstanding books of the year -- Gerard DeGroot * The Times *An authoritative and brilliantly told account of the life of one of the world’s greatest – and most famous – military leaders. Jonathan Phillips leaves no stone unturned in this impressive and lively history of the genius who was Saladin -- PETER FRANKOPAN, author of The Silk RoadsOutstanding. Jonathan Phillips has written a compelling account of arguably the most inspirational of Islamic military heroes -- CHRISTOPHER DE BELLAIGUE, author of The Islamic EnlightenmentFascinating, authoritative and intelligent * Spectator *This illuminating and fascinating biography of Saladin could not be timely. Today political figures often inspire little admiration, but Saladin’s career at the height of the Crusades reminds us that moral charisma and integrity can be recognised and honoured by people on both sides of a vicious conflict. His concluding account of the intense emotion that the memory of Saladin still inspires in the Middle East today reveals the sensitivity and pain that underlies so many of the region’s unresolved problems -- KAREN ARMSTRONG, author of Fields of BloodBeautifully researched and authoritative, Jonathan Phillips's very fine biography of this fascinating historical character underlines how serious history made accessible to the general reader is invaluable if we hope to understand our world today -- JASON BURKE, author of The 9/11 WarsVivid and authoritative, with glistening details on every page. Phillips explains Saladin’s ability to mesmerise not just through the achievements of his lifetime but through his inspiration of Arab leaders, including Nasser, Assad and Saddam Hussein, ever since -- JAMES BARR, author of A Line in the SandJonathan Phillips explores new themes and makes use of various underused or wholly neglected Arabic sources ... vivid and convincing -- Robert Irwin * Literary Review *More than just a biography ... this book paints a rich, absorbing picture of the 12th-century Middle East ... gives expert accounts of the many hard-fought battles and sieges ... vividly describes the Crusader fightback ... One major lesson of this book is that the facts about the distant past are much, much more interesting than the opportunistic uses made of them by anyone in the present * Telegraph *Phillips produces an absorbing, readable narrative… an excellent introduction to the life of Saladin by a scholar who is respected around the world for his work on the sultan and the crusades… an invaluable guide -- Helen Nicholson * BBC History *Phillips’s careful scrutiny of the surprisingly numerous contemporary sources underlies an impressive piece of historical reconstruction -- Michael Prodger * New Statesman, *Books of the Year* *

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Book SynopsisFrom Ramallah to New York, Tel Aviv to Porto Alegre, people around the world celebrate a formidable, transnational Palestinian LGBTQ social movement. Solidarity with Palestinians has become a salient domain of global queer politics. Yet LGBTQ Palestinians, even as they fight patriarchy and imperialism, are themselves subjected to an "empire of critique" from Israeli and Palestinian institutions, Western academics, journalists and filmmakers, and even fellow activists. Such global criticism has limited growth and led to an emphasis within the movement on anti-imperialism over the struggle against homophobia. With this book, Sa'ed Atshan asks how transnational progressive social movements can balance struggles for liberation along more than one axis. He explores critical junctures in the history of Palestinian LGBTQ activism, revealing the queer Palestinian spirit of agency, defiance, and creativity, in the face of daunting pressures and forces working to constrict it. Queer Palestine and the Empire of Critique explores the necessity of connecting the struggles for Palestinian freedom with the struggle against homophobia.Trade Review"This utterly brilliant book will be a classic. Sa'ed Atshan's comprehensive study of queer Palestinian activism provides a rich understanding of the complex intersections of selfhood, activism, and belonging. By demonstrating the limits of binarisms of East/West and self/other through detailed empirical analysis and powerful theoretical interventions, Atshan has given us a landmark work valuable to Middle East studies, queer studies, and anthropology in the broadest sense."—Tom Boellstorff, University of California, Irvine, author of The Gay Archipelago: Sexuality and Nation in Indonesia "Queer Palestine and the Empire of Critique is a breath of fresh air! In the academic climate in which 'radical' has become synonymous with crude schisms between West and East, authentic and inauthentic, pure and sellout, this book provides a much-needed nuanced account of Queer Palestine. Sa'ed Atshan carefully historicizes the local terrain and rightly problematizes how US-based scholarship has turned the critique of empire into an empire of critique. This is a brilliant call for academic self-reflection and a brave rejection of so-called radical myths of cultural authenticity."—Gil Z. Hochberg, Columbia University "Sa'ed Atshan brilliantly weaves together ethnography and personal experience in the most thoughtful, engaging, and emotionally captivating ways. His sophisticated work captures the nexus of a scholar-activist, offering an authoritative account of the challenges and trajectory of the Palestinian LGBTQ movement. A tour de force and a remarkable book for both its theoretical and empirical contributions."—Amaney A. Jamal, Princeton University "This powerful and prophetic book shows that the struggle for justice and freedom against empire and homophobia are indivisible. Sa'ed Atshan's text is a major intellectual force for good."—Cornel West, Harvard University "In Queer Palestine and the Empire of Critique, Sa'ed Atshan provides a brilliant theorization of an excessive mode of political critique that strives for the high ground yet contributes to the calcification of social justice movements. Through a nuanced ethnography that foregrounds the plurality of queer experience in Israel and Palestine and the enormous complexity of the global Palestinian solidarity movement, Atshan demonstrates how an intellectual stance that combines a conviction of the moral superiority of one's political judgments with deep suspicion concerning others' complicity in relations of domination and the likely oppressive consequences of prescriptions for social transformation engenders discursive disenfranchisement, loss of key intellectual distinctions, neglect of pragmatic constraints, demoralization of activists, and the truncation of transnational queer solidarity. This deeply insightful book makes vital contributions to Queer Studies, Middle East Studies, Social Movement Studies, and an understanding of the dynamics of social justice praxis."—Mary Hawkesworth, Rutgers University "Atshan's book, an autoethnography of queer Palestine, is methodologically impeccable, incorporating academic work and personal positioning. He advances a philosophy of critique centered on the everyday material lives of people, that is both complex and masterfully written. He makes a bold and thought-provoking argument—one that speaks to social justice activists as well as academics."—2020 Lee Ann Fujii Book Award Committee, International Studies Association "[A] timely and urgent account....Along with a succinct presentation of the immense challenges faced by the LGBTQ-identifying Palestinians, Atshan highlights Palestinian agency, ingenuity, and resilience."—Joshua Donova, New Books Network "[Atshan] immaculately illustrates the development of movements along with the challenges they face by both conservative Palestinians and Arabs at large and by the repressive occupation. This work is pioneering and fills a significant gap within Middle East Studies."—Lana Shehadeh, Arab Studies Quarterly "The goal of Atshan's sensitive 'critique of critique' is fostering a 'transforming activism with loving energy' that helps the Palestinian LGBTQ movement start to grow again and reach its full potential. His long-term hope is 'that Israelis and Palestinians, straight and queer, can all live together as equals.' My hope is that all Friends will seek to find ways to help achieve this healing vision."—Steve Chase, Friends Journal "Atshan's work, in describing the empire of critique surrounding the queer Palestinian experience, demonstrates the highly politicised nature of certain rights and their potential to be weaponised in order to subvert the gaze from other issues. Furthermore, through his analysis of the heterogeneity of narratives surrounding this liberation movement, he reminds us that the voices of those that exist at these intersections of oppressions should and must be the loudest."—Iona Cable, Human Rights Pulse "Queer Palestine and the Empire of Critique is a much-needed contribution to queer studies, Middle East studies, and scholarship on social movements and a must-read for those who are committed to the difficult politics of solidarity."—Evren Savci, Journal of Middle East Women's Studies "This is a most timely and admirably courageous book that challenges the seeming gap between queer activism and anthropology...Atshan shows that anthropology has the potential to support local activist struggles against homophobia and imperialism by rigorously engaging with, rather than dismissing, the experiences and views of these activists—their simultaneous engagement with multiple axes of oppression."—2021 Ruth Benedict Book Prize Committee, Association for Queer Anthropology "Atshan makes a major contribution to the study of social movements generally and the queer Palestinian movement specifically. Atshan conceptually explores resistance and identity in the context of Israeli and Palestinian conflict. He offers an empirically rich and compelling account, where readers are let into the everyday life of the global queer Palestinian solidarity movement."—Sara Salman, Contemporary Sociology "The nature of life under colonisation and occupation, in Atshan's view, means that no one, not even 'the most radical activists and academics', can lay claim to the moral high ground. Everyone is implicated in some way. It's better to edge forward in modest ways."—Tareq Baconi, London Review of Books "[Atshan's] work fills gaps and addresses the silences and deliberate erasures in Palestine studies, Middle East studies, Middle East anthropology, queer theories, and peace and conflict studies, showing how 'queer liberation cannot be realized while colonial subjugation persists,' because these struggles are 'inextricably linked' (p. 222). Scholars and students engaged in Israel/Palestine and settler colonial struggles will benefit from this auto/ethnographic text of subjectivities on the ground."—Bernardita M. Yunis (Varas), International Journal of Communication "Atshan's work is candid, self-critical, and unexpectedly inspiring."—Lisa Anderson, Foreign Affairs "[Atshan's] book is the culmination, at least for now, of his years-long effort to persuade his activist community to simultaneously oppose Israeli rule and Palestinian homophobia, and not privilege the one over the other... Atshan's book is a trenchant clarion call, harnessed to the words of the iconic African American poet Audre Lorde: 'there is no hierarchy of oppressions.'"—Abe Silberstein, The Tel Aviv Review of Books Table of ContentsContents and AbstractsIntroduction: "there is no hierarchy of oppressions" chapter abstractThis introductory chapter foregrounds Audre Lorde's words that "there is no hierarchy of oppressions." It extends this thesis to the central question at the heart of this book, which is how transnational progressive social movements are able (or not) to balance struggles for liberation along more than one axis at once. The focus here is on the global queer Palestinian solidarity movement, revealing its original aim to empower queer Palestinians to achieve national and sexual freedom. The chapter defines the critical concepts that help account for the rise of this movement in Palestine and globally. These concepts include the empire of critique, radical purists, discursive disenfranchisement, movement plateau, pinkwashing, pinkwatching, ethnocracy, homophobia, Zionism, ethnoheteronormativity, and the white gaze. This chapter also contextualizes this project within the intellectual genealogy of which it is a part. Chapter 1: LGBTQ Palestinians and the Politics of the Ordinary chapter abstractChapter 1 traces the rise of the LGBTQ Palestinian movement in Israel/Palestine, also known as Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories or as historic Palestine. The first section delineates an ethnographic approach to social movement theory as the conceptual framework through which to understand this movement. The next section outlines the heterogeneity of queer Palestinian subjects, and the following section provides an overview of Palestinian homophobia. I then account for the emergence of the LGBTQ movement in Palestine and follow that with a discussion of queer Palestinian epistemologies and a section on the rise of radical purists in the movement. I conclude with examples of queer Palestinian subjectivities. I argue that queer Palestinian life and resistance derives its power from ordinary acts in extraordinary contexts under ethnoheteronormativity. This chapter furthers the case for attention to affect and more pluralism and inclusivity within the movement. Chapter 2: Global Solidarity and the Politics of Pinkwashing chapter abstractChapter 2 applies conceptions of victims and saviors to the debates on pinkwashing and pinkwatching. It explicates four examples of pinkwashing. I then provide an overview of homophobia and LGBTQ rights in contemporary Israel, recognizing the elision of Israeli homophobia and elevation of Israeli queer empowerment in pinkwashing discourse. The final section of this chapter offers an analysis of hegemonic critiques of the use of the terms pinkwashing and pinkwatching in the contexts of (a) the charge of singling out Israel for criticism, (b) the invocation of the presence of queer Palestinians in Israel, and (c) debates surrounding the salience of the Israeli occupation. It is in the interplay between pinkwashing and pinkwatching that the queer Palestinian movement has catalyzed global solidarity. Chapter 3: Transnational Activism and the Politics of Boycotts chapter abstractThe first section of chapter 3 traces how the conflict over boycotts maps onto successive Tel Aviv Pride parades. It examines queer Palestinian calls to boycott Tel Aviv Pride, decisions to participate in the parade by queer antioccupation activists, and the emergence of resistance to the Israeli state by mainstream LGBTQ organizations in Israel. The chapter then focuses on two cities that emerged as early epicenters of the pinkwatching and boycott debates. The next section examines the politics of boundary policing as they played out on multiple fronts. The chapter then turns to a critical moment in the summer of 2017 when conflict between pinkwashers and pinkwatchers came to a head and surged into the national media spotlight. This chapter demonstrates that we are equipped, from social theory and peace and conflict studies, with conceptual tools to transcend the present impasse animating boycotts in the context of queer Palestinian transnational activism. Chapter 4: Media, Film, and the Politics of Representation chapter abstractChapter 4 examines the relationship between the global queer Palestinian solidarity movement, representations of queer Palestinians in film and journalism, and the significant mistrust of the global mainstream media that has arisen among movement leaders. The chapter opens with a description of how the mainstream Western press tends to prioritize the most sensational stories about queer Palestinians. The second half of the chapter outlines the movement's critique of pinkwashing films produced by Israelis and internationals and the movement's attendant calls to boycott those films. This chapter delineates examples of cinematic tropes that clearly reinforce pinkwashing as well as others that are more nuanced. It also analyzes films that feature queer love between Israelis and Palestinians. In addition, I discuss a number of queer Palestinian films, highlighting their importance and controversy. The chapter concludes with the story of an as-yet-unreleased documentary on the first US LGBTQ delegation to Palestine. Chapter 5: Critique of Empire and the Politics of Academia chapter abstractChapter 5 examines two theoretical frameworks elaborated by Western-based scholars—the Gay International by Joseph Massad and homonationalism by Jasbir Puar—as they have been applied to the global queer Palestinian solidarity movement. I reveal the debilitating effects that these academic critiques have had on the Queer Palestine movement and the possibility for academics and activists to formulate a new mode of scholarly engagement aimed at supporting queer social movements in Palestine and across the Middle East. As in previous chapters, I compare contributions that are corrosive, placing activists in the cross-fire between left- and right-wing criticisms of their efforts, to those that raise difficult intellectual, ethical, and practical questions while protecting from paralysis those who struggle for justice. Conclusion: "we were never meant to survive" chapter abstractJust as the introduction foregrounded words of Audre Lorde, this concluding chapter does so as well, with attention to Lorde's call for racialized queer subjects to speak in the face of attempts to undermine their survival. The conclusion conceptualizes how scholars and activists can distinguish between critique and criticism. Drawing on Jose Muñoz's notions of queer futurity and utopia, I outline my vision and road map for the global queer Palestinian solidarity movement. This is done with an eye to transcending the empire of critique and the movement's current plateau so it can become a more democratic and pluralistic movement that can resume growing.

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Book SynopsisA fascinating, personal and insightful account of the Iraq war from the bestselling author of THE BOOKSELLER OF KABULIn January 2003 Åsne Seierstad entered Baghdad on a ten-day visa. She was to stay for over three months, reporting on the war and its aftermath. A Hundred and One Days is her compelling account of a city under siege, and a fascinating insight into the life of a foreign correspondent. An award-winning writer, Seierstad brilliantly details the frustrations and dangers journalists faced trying to uncover the truth behind the all-pervasive propaganda. She also offers a unique portrait of Baghdad and its people, trying to go about their daily business under the constant threat of attack. Seierstad's passionate and erudite book conveys both the drama and the tragedy of her one hundred and one days in a city at war.'Åsne Seierstad is the supreme non-fiction writer of her generation' Luke HardingTrade ReviewA story you won't be able to put down. * BOOKSELLER *

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Absolutely fascinating."---Paul Zimansky, Times Literary Supplement"Like the best tales from the golden age of archaeology, Digging Up Armageddon combines the grandeur of ancient history, the currency of modern fame and the cast of a malarial soap opera."---Dominic Green, The Spectator"An original and lively study that skilfully mixes archaeology with personalities, and politics with culture, science and technology."---Andrew Robinson, Nature"[Cline] writes with the deft surety of someone familiar with both the site and its archive . . . . What makes [Digging Up Armageddon] such a smart historical treatment of Megiddo is Cline’s nuanced examination of how labor, privilege, politics, and capitalism underscored much of the archaeology done in the United States and Europe in the early to mid-20th century."---Lydia Pyne, Los Angeles Review of Books"Enjoyable reading . . . riveting."---Amanda Borschel-Dan, Times of Israel"Engaging." * Moment Magazine *"It’s really quite amazing how he pulls it off—Cline has written a book deeply-imbued with scholarship, an in-depth look at the history and archaeology not just of the expedition at Megiddo, but of the whole Near Eastern region and ancient Israel. . . . So vivid is Cline’s telling of the story that readers might be forgiven for finding the personal dimension just as interesting as the archaeology. Anyone who thought that archaeologists were just boring people digging up ancient relics which were of no interest to anyone outside their own field, will be quickly disabused of such a notion."---John Butler, Asian Review of Books"A fascinating read. . . . So detailed is [Cline’s] account of those involved that the book reads better than many a modern novel."---Peter Costello, Irish Catholic"If it is thrills, spills and devious political machinations of past excavations that take your fancy, why not check out Eric Cline’s new book. . . . This is the story about Megiddo that they didn’t want you to know." * Anglo-Israel Archaeological Society *"[A] diligent, clear, and engaging guide through the individuals, relationships, and (more or less) serendipitous events that shaped one of the most influential excavations. . . . Part biography and part history, Cline’s Digging Up Armageddon is an exemplary work of scholarship and story-telling that will entertain and inform scholars and interested nonexperts alike."---C. A. Strine, Palestine Exploration Quarterly"If you love to read about crossroads of history, are fascinated by the years between wards and well beyond, and really just like a good story, this is the book to begin that journey."---Elaine Holden, Monadnock Ledger-Transcript"At the time this massive dig was undertaken, it was criticised for high costs and never-ending delays. Cline celebrates the high points, but he also exposes the mission's failures."---Sam Waters, Current World Archaeology"Cline writes with wry insight into human nature and a saving sense of humour."---Patrick Madigan, Heythrop Journal"[Cline] has placed the project in the context of its times."---Neil Faulkner, Minerva

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Book SynopsisA unique history of the ancient Near East that compellingly presents the life stories of kings, priestesses, merchants, bricklayers, and othersIn this sweeping history of the ancient Near East, Amanda Podany takes readers on a gripping journey from the creation of the world''s first cities to the conquests of Alexander the Great. The book is built around the life stories of many ancient men and women, from kings, priestesses, and merchants to brickmakers, musicians, and weavers. Their habits of daily life, beliefs, triumphs, and crises, and the changes that people faced over time are explored through their own written words and the buildings, cities, and empires in which they lived.Rather than chronicling three thousand years of rulers and states, Weavers, Scribes, and Kings instead creates a tapestry of life stories through which readers will come to know specific individuals from many walks of life, and to understand their places within the broad history of events and institutions inTrade ReviewAdopting a truly innovative approach, Podany has provided us with a wonderfully vivid and compelling account of the region. * The Past *[A] remarkably lively...chronicle. * Science *Podany makes her subject accessible, pointing out that, from what people ate (bread and beer) to how they amused themselves (playing board games), 'life hasn't changed dramatically from earliest times'. * The New Yorker *This is a masterpiece. Writing in a warm, conversational tone and using ancient texts and letters, Podany tells the story of ordinary people from the ancient Near East, bringing them to life through their own words. This is a joy to read, spanning four thousand years of history, with interesting facts and details on every page. Highly recommended! * Eric H. Cline, author of 1177 BC: The Year Civilization Collapsed *This vivid and engaging narrative offers a genuinely new and exciting approach to ancient Middle Eastern history. Combining the very latest research—there are new insights here, even for specialists—with empathy and imaginative flair, Professor Podany invites us to consider the people of the distant past as real human beings, with bodies and minds, senses and emotions. I loved every page of this book and can't wait to share it with my students. * Eleanor Robson, author of Mathematics in Ancient Iraq: A Social History *Amanda Podany has an amazing ability to make people of the ancient Near East—from weavers to queens, farmers to kings—come alive, taking us through the millennia-long history of the region with short stories based on original documents. This book is a fascinating read. * Marc Van De Mieroop, author of Hammurabi of Babylon: A Biography *This book is truly impressive. Podany has managed to breathe life into people who have been dead for thousands of years, whose remains are nothing more than a name on a clay tablet, and to reconstruct what life may have been like for them in the brief moments we see in the evidence. As Podany says, "each person's story becomes a window into their era", and the windows all show a colourful existence full of humanity. * Owain Williams, Ancient History *This rich and rewarding history connects us effortlessly to a vibrant and very human place. * Paul Collins, Times Literary Supplement *In this delightfully readable work P. describes the history and culture of ancient Mesopotamia from its urban origins (c. 4000 BCE) up to the fall of the Persian Empire by Alexander the Great (331 BCE)...The book is largely held together by the remarkable stories of everyday people and their experiences. These stories are artfully narrated and animated by Podany's lively writing, and she is to be praised for her extensive research of archaeological remains together with her scrutiny of countless clay cuneiform tablets documenting Mesopotamian life in all its richness and complexity. * Classical Review *Podany offers a great many highly entertaining historical vignettes, introducing Mesopotamian rulers, but also merchants, musicians, priests, poets, gardeners, brewers, barbers, artisans, charioteers, mercenaries, conspirators, slaves, and of course the eponymous 'weavers and scribes'. Many of them were women. They all come to life in this illuminating history, thanks to the author's impressive ability to synthesise arcane technical studies by other scholars (and herself) without dumbing them down, and to turn the data and statistics these studies provide into engaging stories... It offers an enormous amount of detailed information, in accessible prose, and stands out as a unique achievement of synthesis. Highly recommended! * Eckhart Frahm, World Archaeology *Recommended. General readers through faculty; professionals. * Choice *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. Uruk, the First City: Builders and Organizers, 3500-3300 BCE 2. The Uruk Period: Colonizers, Scribes, and the Gods, 3300-3000 BCE 3. The Early Dynastic Period: Kings and Subjects, 2900-2400 BCE 4. The Early Dynastic Period: Queens, Diplomats, and Weavers, 2400-2300 BCE 5. The Early Dynastic Period: Royal Couples, Divine Couples, and Envoys, 2400-2300 BCE 6. The Akkadian Period: A Conqueror and a Priestess, 2300-2200 BCE 7. The Ur III Period: Brickmakers, Litigants, and Slaves, 2200-2000 BCE 8. The Isin-Larsa Period: Kings and Military Commanders 2000-1800 BCE 9. Merchants and Families 10. Princesses and Musicians 11. The Old Babylonian Period: A Lawgiver, Land Overseers, and Soldiers, 1792-1750 BCE 12. The Old Babylonian Period: Naditums and Scribal Students, 1792-1712 BCE 13. The Late Old Babylonian Period: Barbers, Mercenaries, and Exiles, 1742-1550 BCE 14. The Late Bronze Age: Businessmen, Charioteers, and Translators, 1550-1350 BCE 15. The Late Bronze Age: Gift Recipients and Royal In-Laws, 1450-1333 BCE 16. The Late Bronze Age: Negotiators, Sea Traders, and Famine Sufferers, 1333-1000 BCE 17. Empire Builders, Sculptors, and Deportees 18. The Neo-Assyrian Period: Conspirators, Diviners, and Officials, 681-648 BCE 19. The Neo-Assyrian and Neo-Babylonian Periods: Gardeners, Artisans, and a Centenarian Priestess, 648-544 BCE 20. The Neo-Babylonian and Achaemenid Periods: Brewers, Rebels, and Exorcists 544-323 BCE Cast of Characters Acknowledgements Abbreviations Bibliography

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Book SynopsisDrawn from greater Syria, northern Mesopotamia, and Egypt, the sources in this anthology—many of which are translated into English for the first time here--provide eyewitness and contemporary historical accounts of what unfolded in the eastern Mediterranean and the Near East between the eleventh and fourteenth centuries. In providing representative examples of the many disparate types of Muslim sources, this volume opens a window onto life in the Islamic Near East during the Crusader period and the interactions between Franks and Muslims in the broader context of Islamic history. Ideally suited for use in undergraduate courses on the Crusades or the pre-modern Islamic Near East, this anthology will also appeal to any readers seeking a better understanding of the Islamic response to the Crusades and the general history of the Near East in this period.Trade Review"In the last century, many of the main Arabic chronicles of the crusading period have been made available in English translations and are now well-known. This volume, however, gives us a whole wide range of materials, only a few of which are accessible to non-Arabists. The collection includes not just little-known narrative historians, like the lively and original Ibn Wasil, but also letters, sermons, and inscriptions. Each section is followed by a few questions, ideal essay subjects for advanced students and thought provoking for general readers. Among the many strengths of this collection is that it gives due weight to thirteenth-century writings, often neglected but often interesting. Another strength is that the translations are, in all cases, the authors' own work, giving fresh and interesting versions of such well-known classics as the Rihla of Ibn Jubayr. This is a new and exciting collection which will open new horizons for students and teachers alike." —Hugh Kennedy, SOAS, University of London"Historians and instructors alike will enthusiastically greet this book, which presents in a student-friendly manner Islamic sources relating to the crusades that are not otherwise available to persons who lack a working knowledge of Arabic and its rich literary treasury." —Alfred J. Andrea, Emeritus Professor of History, The University of Vermont"This is a superb collection, covering nearly every aspect of the Crusader entanglement with the Islamic Near East as expressed in Arabic sources, in clear, readable English translations. The editors are to be thanked for including texts from multiple genres--not just chronicles, but travel literature, memoirs, biographies, poetry, epistles, treaties, and orations. Nor is this collection limited to literary texts, as it also includes evidence from inscriptions--a revealing source for understanding the public propaganda of the age. The informative appendices, maps, and thoughtful discussion questions will make this anthology a breeze to use in teaching, and I can't wait to get started using it." —Paul M. Cobb, University of Pennsylvania"This is an outstanding collection of translations of Levantine Muslim sources from the crusading period. Lindsay and Mourad have assembled a wide-ranging and informative set of texts, most of which have not been translated into English previously, from a broad range of genres including not only chronicles, but also a range of other works such as geographies, biographies, treaties and inscriptions. In the process they have effectively demonstrated the multifaceted nature of Christian-Muslim encounters in the Levant during this period. "The collection is enhanced by invaluable supporting materials including (but not limited to) a bibliographic overview of the major Muslim sources for the period, a glossary, and a list of honorific titles and names. These make the book highly accessible for non-experts interested in the content. "This book will appeal to students and scholars alike, and I highly recommend it for university and college courses on the crusades." —Dr. Niall Christie, Instructor in History and Department Chair, Department of History, Latin and Political Science, Langara College"[An] invaluable primary resource for scholars and general readers alike. . . . This anthology does reinforce the case that sources written by Muslims, and the existing inhabitants of the Middle East in general, are vital to a fuller understanding of the reality of the Crusades which continues to be distorted for political gain by both the Western far-right and Muslim extremists. The questions posed by the editors at the end of each source also highlight important points and challenge the unconscious biases of Western readers and students. . . . Lindsay and Mourad's translations are . . . clear and up-to-date. This then, largely, allows the sources to speak for themselves in terms of their interest and accessibility for the reader and their publication constitutes a valuable addition to the primary material available in English."—Charles Ough, in Oxford Middle East Review"This anthology shows that the crusades, however defined, did not constantly preoccupy the Islamic world. . . . The volume is innovative and immensely informative. It is also accessible, readable, and easy to use. . . . Muslim Sources of the Crusader Period: An Anthology merits recognition for outstanding content put together by James Lindsay and Suleiman Mourad and for its excellent presentation, layout, and formatting. . . . I learned a lot from this volume and can imagine how much it will benefit its readership, students and researchers in particular." —Bogdan Smarandache, in Al-ʿUṣūr al-Wusṭā: The Journal of Middle East Medievalists

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewThis engaging book appeals to the specialist and non-specialist alike. Kosmin has successfully brought together a number of disparate fields in a new and creative way that will cause a reevaluation of how the Seleucids have traditionally been studied. -- Jeffrey D. Lerner * American Historical Review *It is a useful and bright introduction to Seleucid ideology, history, and position in the ancient world. -- Jan P. Stronk * American Journal of Archaeology *This fresh and thoroughly enjoyable account of the Seleucid kingdom is dedicated to understanding how one of the great states of the Hellenistic world was formed and how it actually worked. Although often understood as little more than a placeholder existing in time between Alexander’s conquest of the east and the coming of Rome some three centuries later, Kosmin dispels such facile notions and breathes considerable new life into Seleucid history. Deeply researched and engagingly written, Kosmin’s book will be required reading for all those interested in understanding the history of this crucially important and still relevant part of the world that stretches from present-day Syria to Afghanistan. -- Joseph Manning, Yale UniversityThe Land of the Elephant Kings is unusual and original, and I have no doubt that it will find a large and appreciative audience. It is a lively addition to the literature on the Seleucids. -- Nicholas Purcell, University of Oxford

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Book SynopsisIlan Pappe is an Israeli historian and socialist activist. He is Professor of History and Director of the European Centre for Palestine Studies at the University of Exeter, UK. His publications include the bestselling The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine (2006) as well as A History of Modern Palestine (2006); The Israel/Palestine Question (2006); The Forgotten Palestinians (2011); The Idea of Israel (2014); The Modern Middle East (2014); Ten Myths About Israel (2017) and with Noam Chomsky, Gaza in Crisis: Reflections on Israel's War Against the Palestinians (2010). He writes for, among others, the Guardian and the London Review of Books.

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Book SynopsisWith a novelist's pen, Forster brings to life the fabled, romantic city of Alexander the Great, capital of Graeco-Roman Egypt, beacon of light and culture symbolised by the Pharos, where the doomed love affair of Antony and Cleopatra was played out and the greatest library the world has ever known was built. In the autumn of 1915, in a 'slightly heroic mood', E.M. Forster arrived in Alexandria, full of lofty ideals as a volunteer for the Red Cross. Yet most of his time was spent exploring 'the magic, antiquity and complexity' of the place in order to cope with living in what he saw as a 'funk-hole'. Threading 3,000 years of history with vibrant strands of literature and punctuating the narrative with his own experiences, Forster immortalised Alexandria in this book, painting an incomparable portrait of the great city and, inadvertently, himself.Trade ReviewThis work is something more than just a work of literary piety devoted to that strange and evocative city called Alexandria... it succeeds in being a small work of art, for it contains some of Forster's best prose as well as felicities of touch only a novelist of major talent could command. Vintage Forster. -- Lawrence DurrellSurely the best guide-book ever written. -- Bonamy DobréeTable of ContentsList of Maps and Plans Introduction Preface Authorities Part I: History I Greco-Egyptian Period II Christian Period III The Spiritual City IV Arab Period V Modern Period Part II: Guide I From the Square to Rue Rosette II From the Square to Ras-el-Tin III From the Square to the Southern Quarters IV From the Square to Nouzha V From the Square to Ramleh VI From the Square to Mex VII Aboukir and Rosetta VIII The Libyan Desert Appendices I The Modern Religious Communities II The Death of Cleopatra III The Uncanonical Gospels of Egypt IV The Nicene Creed Notes

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Book SynopsisTo my knowledge...no one...has ever written a comprehensive book dealing with physicians through the ages and recounting their history in a coherent fashion.So wrote Syrian physician Ibn Abi Usaybi''ah, circa 1243, as he embarked on the first world history of medicine ever attempted. Many physicians served at the royal courts of their time and were firmly part of the intellectual and cultural scene, where the ability to write stylishly and entertain one''s peers in both prose and verse was the basis of social credibility. The work Ibn Abi Usaybi''ah created contains over 432 biographical accounts of physicians from those of ancient Greece, such as Galen, through Avicenna and Maimonides, to the author''s own colleagues of the 13th century. As such, his work includes important accounts of medical activity in medieval hospitals. Through this book, a window opens not only on to the origins of the medical profession, but also into the truly multi-cultural, multi-religious world of the medieval Middle East. Anecdotes and Antidotes is an abridged version of this world history of medicine. It comprises 103 biographies of physicians and philosophers, organized geographically and chronologically, from the 4th century BC to the 13th century, and includes seminal Muslim, Christian and Jewish figures. It contains vital medical and historical information, as well as revealing the cultural values, interests and concerns of the literary and intellectual elite of the time.Table of ContentsIntroduction Note on Transliteration and Pronunciation Editorial Note Select Bibliography Chronology Map Anecdotes and Antidotes. A Medieval Arabic History of Physicians. A New Translation. Explanatory Notes Appendix 1: Weights & Measures Appendix 2: Gazetteer of Place-Names Appendix 3: Concordance of biographies with those in the full text Appendix 4: List of Sources used by Ibn Abi Usaybi'ah List of Illustrations and Diagrams

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Book SynopsisOmar Khayyam (1048 - 1131) was a Persian astronomer and mathematician born in Nishapur in northeastern Iran who lived and worked at the courts of the Seljuk dynasty. Modern scholars agree that there is very little (if any) of the collected work of poetry know as the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam that can be certainly attributed to the historical figure. A tradition of attribution grew up in the centuries after Khayyam's death which culminated in Edward Fitzgerald's translation in the 19th Century.Juan Cole is a public intellectual, prominent blogger and essayist, and the Richard P. Mitchell Collegiate Professor of History at the University of Michigan, USA. He is the translator of Broken Wings and The Vision by Khalil Gibran.Trade ReviewWith this new translation of Khayyam and his insightful essays on the historical context, Cole offers a splendid piece of work which offers an alternative to FitzGerald’s epochmaking adaptation of the Rubáiyát, to be placed in the canon of nineteenth-century English poetry, finding imitations in a large number of languages. Perhaps even more important than the poetic nature and message of these quatrains is how Cole successfully brings to the fore the secular faction of Persian culture, of which quatrains attributed to Khayyam are living evidence. * Bibliotheca Orientalis *‘To read Juan Cole’s deft, plain-spoken translation of the Rubáiyát is to find companionship, to rejoin a thousand-year human conversation about how to endure, enjoy, and find a fleeting beauty in everlastingly dire times. The lucid, cogent and mind-opening Epilogue is a kind of grace, a gift freely given, from one of our most astonishing and generous intellects.’ * Michael Chabon, Pulitzer Prize winner and author of Moonglow (2017) *‘Omar Khayyam is a Persian treasure and Juan Cole’s new translation brings him anew to Western audiences who for centuries have been both delighted and educated by this medieval sage! Reading The Rubáiyát is a thrill – you feel the echoes of the 12th century seamlessly into our 21st, as this is a holy book of wisdom and magic. In another perilous era for Iranians, it’s wonderful to see this enchanting volume make its way through the world yet again!’ * Porochista Khakpour, novelist, essayist and author of Brown Album (2020) *Table of ContentsPreface Note on the Translation Introduction The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam Epilogue Notes

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Book SynopsisBy employing the same basic methodologies used to establish the currently accepted chronology, it has been possible for a group of young archaeologists, including David Rohl, to create a New Chronology which resolves many of the problems permeating ancient world studies. In particular, one model has been developed which has major implications for Old Testament research. Through the revision of the master chronology of ancient Egypt they have unlocked the key to biblical history - the epic events of the Bible really did happen as recorded in the Books of Genesis, Exodus, Judges, Samuel, Kings and Chronicles - the problem was that we had previously been looking for them in completely the wrong place in time.Many of the conundrums of the past are explained, and legendary figures such as Joseph, Moses, David and Solomon find their true political setting. Exodus and Conquest will be restored to history and the magic of legend will begin to make its great comebackTrade ReviewThe New Book of Revelations... A scholarly theory that has set the academic world on its ear * Sunday Times *The Bible, it seems, is back in business * Daily Mail *When it comes to exploring, David Rohl makes Indiana Jones look like an under-achiever... Rohl is Britain's highest profile Egyptologist * Daily Express *

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Book SynopsisIstanbul''s Galata Bridge has spanned the Golden Horn since the sixth century AD, connecting the old city with the more Western districts to the north. But the bridge is a city in itself, peopled by merchants and petty thieves, tourists and fishermen, and at the same time a microcosmic reflection of Turkey as the link between Asia and Europe. Geert Mak introduces us to the cigarette vendors and the best pickpockets in Europe, to the pride of the cobbler and the tea-seller''s homesickness, and interweaves their stories with vignettes illuminating the extraordinary history of Istanbul and Turkey. Charming and learned, The Bridge is a delightful book from the author of the acclaimed international bestseller In Europe.Trade ReviewThis gem of a history book is slim enough to squeeze into the smallest piece of carry-on luggage but contains a wealth of stories about Istanbul's famous Galata bridge...Weaving the long history of the bridge with those who populate it today, the sensitive Mak shines a light on contemporary Turkey and its changing relationship with the rest of Europe * Sunday Telegraph *Geert Mak introduces us to the city's denizen and history, stressing the symbolic importance of the bridge to a nation that sees itself as the meeting place between Europe and Asia * London Review of Books *Geert Mak's thoughtful travelogue sketches out Istanbul's past, and provides a touching portrait of its present inhabitants... his thoughtful, beautifully written book is suffused with respect for the richness of the individual life * Independent *Stories from the heart of a travelogue written with sympathy and acute observation * Financial Times *Part history lesson, part cultural essay, The Bridge's slender size does not diminish it's riches -- Viola Fort * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisChristopher de Bellaigue is the award-winning author of The Lion House: The Rise of Suleyman the Magnificent, which was chosen as a book of the year by The Times, Sunday Times, Spectator and New Yorker among others, as well as five previous books, including The Islamic Enlightenment, which was shortlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-fiction and the Orwell Prize for Political Writing in 2017. As a reporter he has covered war, politics, society and the environment in five continents for the Economist, the New York Review of Books, the Guardian and the BBC. He is the founder of the Lake District Book Festival in Cartmel, Cumbria, an Honorary Fellow of the University of St Andrews and in 2026 he will take up a Visiting Fellowship at All Souls College, Oxford. www.christopherdebellaigue.comTrade ReviewAn eye-opening, well-written and very timely book, which can help us understand better the complex relationship between the Muslim world and modernity. While both Islamic extremists and Western bigots find it convenient to stress the incompatibility of Islam and modernity, Christopher de Bellaigue shows that Islam is whatever Muslims make of it, and that at least some Muslims have made of it something very modern. -- YUVAL NOAH HARARI author of SAPIENS and HOMO DEUSThis book is an enlightenment in itself, and a salient one in this age when everyone seems to feel entitled to a firm opinion about Islam and Muslims. -- David Aaronovitch * The Times *A highly original and informative survey of the clashes between Islam and modernity in Istanbul, Cairo and Tehran in the last two hundred years. Brilliant. -- Orhan PamukChristopher de Bellaigue has long been one of our most resourceful and stimulating interpreters of realities veiled by fear and prejudice. In The Islamic Enlightenment, he cuts through the complacent opposition of Islam-versus-modernity to reveal a fascinating world: one in which complex human beings constantly change, improvise and adjust under the pressures of history. It is the best sort of book for our disordered days: timely, urgent and illuminating. -- Pankaj MishraThis is a nuanced and empathetic view of the Islamic world at one of its most challenging and enthralling moments: its history-changing encounter with western modernity… At a time of profound suspicion and mistrust between the West and the Muslim world, this is an important, beautifully written book that offers a powerful corrective to the notion that Islam contains an inbuilt prejudice against modernity. It strikes a blow, as the most readable writers do, for common humanity. -- Justin Marozzi * Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisFirst published in 1964, Ancient Iraq is the classic work on Mesopotamia and the great civilizations that sprung from the region bounded by the Euphrates and Tigris. It remains an invaluable primer for anyone fascinated by the extraordinary ruins and artworks which have emerged from generations of archaeological digs. The book gives a lively, comprehensive account, from the earliest city fragments through the Sumerians, Akkadians, Assyrians and Babylonians through to its decline under Hellenistic rule.Table of ContentsList of PlatesList of IllustrationsList of TablesList of MapsForeword to the Third EditionIntroduction to the First Edition1. The Geographical SettingThe Twin RiversRegional VariationsTrade Routes2. In Search of the PastThe Buried Cities of IraqDating the PastArchaeological Research in Iraq3. From Cave to FarmPalaeolithicMesolithicNeolithic4. From Village to CityThe Hassuna PeriodThe Samarra PeriodThe Halaf PeriodThe Ubaid Period5. Birth of a CivilizationThe Uruk PeriodThe Jemdat Nasr PeriodThe Sumerian Problem6. The Gods of SumerThe Sumerian PantheonTales of CreationLife, Death and Destiny7. An Age of HeroesFrom 'Adam' to the DelugeThe Great FloodDynasties of SupermenThe Story of Gilgamesh8. The Early Dynastic PeriodThe Archaeological ContextThe Sumerian City-statesEarly Sumerian RulersOutline of History9. The AkkadiansThe SemitesSargon of AkkadThe Akkadian Empire10. The Great Kingdom of UrUr-Nammu and GudeaShulgi, Amar-Sin and the Sumerian EmpireThe Fall of Ur11. The AmoritesIsin, Larsa and BabylonEshnunna and AssurMari and the Kingdom of Upper Mesopotamia12. HammurabiThe StatesmanThe Lawgiver13. In the Days of HammurabiThe God in his TempleThe King in his PalaceThe Citizen in his House14. New PeoplesThe Indo-EuropeansAsia Minor and the HittitesHurrians and MitanniansSyria and Egypt15. The KassitesHammurabi's SuccessorsIraq under Kassite Rule16. Kassites, Assyrians and the Oriental PowersEgypt versus MitanniThe Time of SuppiluliumasAssur and Susa versus Babylon17. The Time of ConfusionIsraelites and PhoeniciansThe Neo-HittitesThe AramaeansThe Dark Age of Mesopotamia18. The Rise of AssyriaGenesis of an EmpireAshurnasirpalShalmaneser III19. The Assyrian Empire/b>Assyrian EclipseTiglathpileser IIISargon II20. The House of SargonSennacheribEsarhaddonAshurbanipal21. The Glory of AssyriaThe Assyrian StateThe Assyrian ArmyAssyrian Arts22. The Scribes of NinevehMesopotamian ScienceMathematics and AstronomyMedicine23. The Chaldaean KingsThe Fall of NinevehNebuchadrezzarThe Fall of Babylon24. The Splendour of BabylonBabylon, the Great CityThe New Year FestivalEconomic Life25. Death of a CivilizationThe Achaemenian PeriodThe Hellenistic PeriodThe Parthian PeriodEpilogueList of AbbreviationsBibliography and NotesChronological TablesMapsIndex

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