Chronicles of the Ancient World

by John Haywood

Sumeria, c.3500 BC, witnessed the birth of the world's very first city by the rich and fertile banks of the Uruk. Over the next four millennia, the social and cultural landscape would change beyond recognition as many of history's most important kingdoms and cities took root. Interweaving Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Persian, Greek and Roman history, this book follows these burgeoning empires over 4,000 years, examining the delicate balance of power as they vied for territory, conquest and glory. From Alexander the Great's 22,000-mile march on Persia to Attila the Hun's plunder of the Roman empire, John Haywood brings the most crucial battles and decisive campaigns to vivid life, and examines the extraordinary cultural achievements of these civilizations - the first written words, the spectacular works of architecture, the growth of democracy and the spread of religions - that changed our world for ever.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Ancient History

256 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2012

Reviews

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book presents an overview of Western Civilization from the beginning of recorded history to the fall of the western Roman Empire in AD 476. Its descriptions are concise and easy to read and I was especially appreciative of the way that it outlined concurrent events in various empires and kingdoms on the rise and in decline.

I probably would have liked this even more had Mr. Haywood included similar outlines of civilizations in other parts of the world within the same context and framework. It would have been interesting to see where the civilizations of the Chinese, Japanese, Mayans, Incas, and sub-Saharan African cities stood during the exploits of Darius or David or Alexander. But this is a quibbling concern.

The bottom line: If you're looking for minute details, you're in the wrong place. But if you're looking for a broad overview with a great sense of context, then this is the book for you.

[Zeng Hao · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book covers an enormous period in history, ranging from the rise of Mesopotamian civilizations to the fall of the Roman Empire. While the breadth of its coverage is amazing, the work is shallow and contains only a cursory glance of the events in each time period. Nevertheless, the book is a fairly good introduction for anyone new to the topic of ancient history and civilization timelines without diving into too much detail (I picked up this book out of interest since I am a fan of the Civilization video game series).

I do not fault the book for its lack of depth (given the defined scope, the book would otherwise be an encyclopedia if it were to cover all the topics at great depth). However, it is, for lack of a better word, boring, with no overarching narratives or themes that tie the information together. I think that the book does a disservice to itself by presenting the topics in chronological order - each chapter is prefaced with a summary of the events, and then goes into a re-telling of the major succession or wars in that period. Not only was it hard to follow, I felt no connection with the major historical figures, which felt like disposable characters and empty names.

2/5 stars: There are probably better books written on the subject with a similar scope.

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Competent, concise, informative, and useful. As a history teacher, I forsee that I can & will use this often as a resource. But it's not exactly a compelling read that had me racing to the conclusion.

[Cooper Renner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short breezy overview of history of the Mediterranean area and the ancient near east up to 476 CE, the fall of Rome. Marred by occasional typos and oversimplification, but overall competent at its aim.

[Maya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Please see my review at Celtic Scholar's Reviews and Opinions