S. E. Finer (1915–1993)

A fabulously well-written account of government in ancient civilizations, ranging from mesopotamia and egypt to persia, greece, han china and rome. And incredibly this is only the first of three volumes. The author seems to be well-informed on all the civilizations he studies, so this book clearly has the aura of a life's work and a work for the ages. The analyses of the roman republic and empire have the most detail in this book due to the abundance of source material, but the author also show more makes many interesting observations on the autocratic governments of Egypt and Mesopotamia. If you have even the slightest interest in political history and ancient history I strongly recommend this book. show less

The second part of this history of government is a true work for the ages, just like the first. The author continues his broad panorama, this time from Byzantium and the islamic Caliphate, to China and finally to Europe until the 15th century or so. It must have taken a lifetime of study to prepare this work. I can unhesitatingly recommend it to all readers interested in government or comparative history. Having said that, I do think some sections on European government got bogged down in show more too much detail. I lost sight of the overall picture when the author started discussing how various kings of England and France chose to govern their realms. I also would have preferred bolder comparisons between different polities, but I suppose a good historian would rather avoid excessive generalization. show less

Classic study of the role of the military in politics. Dated in some respects, Finer's analysis is clear, careful, and focused. It is also superbly and brilliantly written.