A volume in the classic style of the author, this one gives a rapid survey of the major centres of ancient civilizations as unearthed by archaeologists: Mesopotamia, ancient India, China, Egypt, and Central America, and then turns to contrast these with what he calls the 'barbarian' West. As many others have remarked, the West has been fashioned by two contrasting forces: the imperialistic and slave-owning Roman system, and its nemesis, the free-living, free-wheeling Teutonic tribes that destroyed the old order based on the divine nature of kings, and fostered a new type of organization, based on freedom and individual rights. With his deep knowledge of the forces that have shaped each civilization, and his personal experiencing of the links with the past, Wood is especially well placed to understand and interpret for us the differences and similarities of these ancient regimes, and their continuing influence on our modern life. ( )