The Lifeboat that Saved the World

by Irving Finkel

The original account of a great flood― forgotten for thousands of years until it was recently rediscovered and deciphered―is now retold for children Four thousand years ago, long before the story of Noah’s Ark was written down in the Hebrew Bible, the Sumerians and Babylonians of Ancient Mesopotamia knew the story of the flood and the special boat that rescued all the animals. Its ancient Babylonian hero, Atra-hasis, was― just like Noah― ordered by his god to build a lifeboat to keep his family and all the animals safe until the flood was over. Unlike Noah, Atra-hasis was asked to build a round coracle boat the size of a soccer field―and given very precise instructions to follow. Told from the perspective both of the central hero, Atra-hasis, and of his youngest son, Very-quick, this remarkable story is supplemented with asides that give fascinating insights into daily life in Ancient Mesopotamia as well as the historical sources for the story. A tale of destruction on an unthinkable scale and survival against the odds, The Lifeboat that Saved the World is a story that has truly stood the test of time. The narrative is complemented by historically accurate detail and insights into how people lived all those years ago. 30+ two-color illustrations

Genres: Nonfiction

112 pages, Hardcover

Published November 14, 2017

About the author

Irving Leonard Finkel, Ph.D. (Assyriology, University of Birmingham, 1976; B.A., Ancient
New Eastern Studies, University of Birmingham, 1969), is a British philologist and Assyriologist. He has served as Assistant Keeper in the Department of Western Asiatic Antiquities at the British Museum since 1979. As such, he is the curator in charge of cuneiform inscriptions on tablets of clay from ancient Mesopotamia, of which the Middle East Department has the largest collection—some 130,000 pieces—of any modern museum. He also is an author of fiction for children, and in 2007 co-founded The Great Diary Project.

Reviews

[Michelle Damour · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very Interesting telling of a story I knew and I didn't know at the same time. I love all the mixture of fact and fiction. Worth the read.

[Ralph Dunphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great palette cleanser!

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting story with beautiful illustrations.

[kerrycat · Rating 2 out of 5]

My SLJ review featured on the publisher's website: https://www.thamesandhudsonusa.com/bo...