Mesopotamia

Cultures of the Past

by Pamela F. Service

This appealing series presents historically important cultures from the past ranging from the well-known ancient Greeks to the lesser-known Kingdom of Kush. Each volume examines both the political and the cultural history of an ancient culture.

Genres: Nonfiction

80 pages, Library Binding

First published September 1, 1998

About the author

Born in Berkeley, California, Pamela F. Service grew up loving to hear, read, and tell stories - particularly about weird stuff. Pamela earned a BA in Political Science from UC Berkeley followed by an MA in history and archaeology from the University of London.

She spent many years living in Bloomington, Indiana, writing, serving on the city council, and being curator of a history museum. She has a grown daughter, Alex, who is also a museum curator. Pamela is now living in Eureka, California, where she writes, works as a museum curator, and acts in community theater.

Reviews

[Gary · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wouldn't say this was a great read, but right now it was perfect for me. "History begins in Mesopotamia", it is called by historians "the cradle of civilization", everything before it is "prehistory". As I am teaching the children world history from the Tower of Babel on I am struck by how obvious it ought to be to historians that the Biblical chronology explains it all.

Liked it.

[Catherine Meyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book about ancient Mesopotamia with lots of good information clearly explained for a younger reader. I think she did a great job explaining the culture and the religion of the people with good quotes from ancient texts (Gilgamesh, their flood story, etc.,) that made things clear. I think this is one of the best books out there for kids wanting to know more about Mesopotamia and the birth of civilization and writing. This book gives a very good outline of history from the earliest records all the way to when the Persians conquered, and yet does it concisely and a young reader could have a good grasp on those several thousands of years of life for Mesopotamians.

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an informative, but somewhat dry account of the history, culture, and influences of ancient Mesopotamia. The photos and drawings are very interesting and I learned a lot about the history of the area, but our girls lost interest quickly in this book and I ended up finishing it on my own.

I had originally borrowed the book because our oldest is studying Mesopotamia in school, but she really wasn't very interested in reading it. It would be a good reference book for a project or a report.