Babylon
Mesopotamia and the Birth of Civilization
by Paul Kriwaczek
Mem. Ed. $19.99
Pub. Ed. $27.99
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Babylon
Human civilization was born roughly eight thousand years ago, between the floodplains of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, when migrants from the surrounding mountains and deserts began to create increasingly sophisticated urban societies. In the cities that they built, half of human history took place.
In Babylon, Paul Kriwaczek tells the story of Mesopotamia from the earliest settlements to the eclipse of Babylon in the sixth century BCE. Bringing the people of this land to life in vibrant detail, Kriwaczek chronicles the rise and fall of power during this period and explores the political and social systems, as well as the technical and cultural innovations, which made this land extraordinary. At the heart of this book is the story of Babylon, which rose to prominence under the Amorite king Hammurabi around 1800 BCE, was destroyed by Assyrian forces around 689 BCE, and enjoyed its golden age when the Babylonian Empire was restored under Nabopolassar and his son, Nebuchadnezzar II. Even as the city’s fortunes waxed and waned, it never lost its allure as the ancient world’s greatest metropolis.
Babylon reveals the splendor of the ancient world that is the cornerstone of civilization.
Hardcover Book : 320 pages
Publisher: St. Martins Press, Llc ( April 01, 2012 )
Item #: 13-594420
ISBN: 9781250000071
Product Dimensions: 6.125 x 9.25 x 0.8inches
Product Weight: 18.0 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Mistitled 
November 09, 2012
This is a good book, it is well written, interesting, perfect length. The author drew defendable, logical conclusions and presented them well. However, this book is not about Babylon as the title suggests. In a book titled Babylon…Mesopotamia and the Birth of Civilization one would assume the book would revolve around the City of Babylon, it does not. This book has 10 chapters, Babylon shows up in chapter 8, is gone by chapter 9 and makes a brief appearance in chapter 10. If you are looking for a book on Mesopotamia and/or the rise of civilization this is a great book, if you are looking for a book on Sumerian civilization, this is a great book, if you are looking for a book on Babylon, look elsewhere as this book is sorely lacking information on the famed ancient city of modern imagination.
Reviewer: Raymonds
Fascinating story of civilization
June 21, 2012
This book is nicely written--especially for a work about ancient history. Kriwaczek is scholarly, but not afraid to take a stand to allow his readers to follow along without getting bogged down in academic disputes. I am enjoying it very much and will look for more of his works.
Reviewer: L. R
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