http://amiralace.blogspot.com/2008/02... ( )

Only read through the Preface so far but I already love it based on that alone!

Enjoyable and informative book. Middle Eastern, Chinese, Egyptian, Indian, Greek and Roman civilizations presented and mapped in parallel ( )

An excellent work that makes ancient history accessable to the lay reader. I look forward to a continuation of what is supposedly a series of books on history. ( )

Bauer bites off a very large mouthful but manages to digest it in a way that is both readable and entertaining. With "The History of the Ancient World" she delivers on her promise to deal with history based on written sources, leaving the dusty archaeological details to others. This approach can be a little disconcerting if you are used to reading dry academic histories. Particularly in the study of the ancient middle east, the usual academic history of Egypt, Sumeria and the Assyrians tends to be heavy on pottery shards and light on plot. Having just read Trevor Bryce's Kingdom of the Hittites, in which an entire civilization is reconstructed from partial inscriptions, archaeological sites and guess work - a difficult task indeed - I was at first disturbed by Bauer's smooth flowing, light touch. She dwells almost exclusively on the story and avoided inconvenient archaeological facts and scholarly debates. At times the history seemed to be more an interpretation of mythology or a retelling of the grand story of human civilization, rather than an objective investigation of historical truth. But, of course, this seems to be what was intended here. In spite of the excellent use of maps (possibly the simplest and yet most comprehensive example I have ever seen - no place name mentioned in the text is left off of a map found nearby), and the extensive cited works section, this book is all about drama.

The play's the thing, and not the facts. And this is what makes this book so good. Once you realize you are being told a story, you stop worrying and let Bauer sweep you away. From the ancient glory of Sumeria, through the incestuous Dynasties of Egypt (did you know Ramses II had his mummy's nose packed with peppercorns), the brutal Assyrians, the mysteries of the Phoenicians, Alexander the Great, and the rise of a small town named Rome, it is all told with verve, biting wit and an eye for the picaresque detail.
While this is definitely not an academic work, its vast scope and the way it follows a narrative through time make it an exciting and interesting read - something you will enjoy as someone new to this time period, or as an scholar who wants something that ties together all that academic material you have tried to digest over the years. Of course, experts will quibble about this detail or that. There are probably large swathes of material here that would be contested by serious historians. But I would suggest relaxing, sitting back, putting up your feet and enjoying this book as the rich, old, flowing tale that it is. You can always ferret out the details later. ( )