Sense of History > Recent Status Updates

After 3 months of intensive reading on ancient Israel (still have to publish my concluding review), I'm diving into Hellas. I guess it's going to take the rest of this year (and more) to tackle the vast area of publications on this theme. So, the challenge shall be to be selective. Recommendations are welcome!

Nearing the end of my 3-months reading program on the earliest history of Israel/Palestine and the historical value of the Hebrew Bible, this book seems like wrapping it all together. Very readable, concise and to-the-point.

This week I've started a (more or less) 3-months reading program on the history of Ancient Israel. I'm aware I'm venturing in a hornet's nest here, as there is an endless debate about the historiographical value of the biblical texts. I'm curious what the outcome of my inquest will be.

Some of my friends and followers could be getting an avalanche of my reviews in their daily feed, depending on their account settings. The Goodreads service desk has asked me to remove all my ratings (because I already rate books in my general account). In complying to this I have to open the reviews and clear the rating. And that could cause this avalanche. My apologies for the inconvenience, these coming days.

As some have noticed, I recently ended my temporary program on environmental and climate history. It was a mixed experience: most studies in this theme are heavily influenced by a very negative outlook - which of course is very understandable -, often resulting in over-dramatisation and cherry-picking. On top of that you can really notice climate studies still are in their initial phase, with too many loose ends.

Just started a 4-months reading program on Environmental History. Keep you posted.

Nothing short of 'mind-blowing' (pun intended)!

Just reading the first part of this bulky volume, until ca 1.000 bce. The attentive reader will already have remarked the typo in the subtitle, here on Goodreads: Solnon of course is Solon!

Having finished my reading program on Ancient Egypt, I'm temporarily heading back to Mesopotamia, just to have a more comparative view. I'll keep you posted!

Back to my old love: the formidable William H. McNeill, the real father of Global History.

In the coming week I'm going to post quite some reviews on Ancient Egyptian texts I read. Often strange texts, but most of them really fascinating!

Erik Hornung was amongst the great Egyptologists of the end of last century. Maybe his work isn't fully up-to-date anymore (this book was published in 1991), but the depth of his approach still is mind-blowing, going far beyond the classic chronological approaches of ancient Egyptian history. It is a pity this isn't available in English.

As some of you have noticed, I've started my reading program on Ancient Egypt. In this coming half year I have a dozen monographs and readers on my reading list, next to a bunch of (scientific) articles. I'll keep you posted!

Reading this, cover to cover (800 pages!), is quite an immersion in ancient Egyptian history. The focus of this book is political, and - though understandable - that is also it's weakness. In comparison with its twin on Mesopotamia, it's clearly the lesser one.

I'm almost finished with my temporary reading program on Mesopotamian history. Just have to write some reviews on the Gilgamesh epics of which I read several translations and studies (it really was the highlight of this year). In coming months I'm going to resume my reading on World and Global History, to return to Ancient Egyptian history next year.

Exhaustive, balanced, and awesomly illustrated, this is just great. As far as I know there isn't an equivalent English study that can match this one.

Just wrote my 300th review. That might seem limited, but looking back at the first ones I wrote, 8 years ago, I can see the impressive evolution my knowledge of, and my view on history has made. The basic features (an interest in the human condition, a fascination for the broader picture, and an obsession to know the possibilities and limitations of real knowledge of the past) only have been deepened! Thanks GR!

In about 10 days the author celebrates his hundredth birthday. Now, if that isn't a good reason for a re-read?!