_Ancient Iraq_ by Georges Roux is a book covering the entire history and culture of Mesopotamian civilization, all three thousand years of it from its prehistory to the final demise of Mesopotamian civilization in the first century A.D.

The term "Mesopotamia" originated with the Greeks and it means "the land between the rivers" and does not include all of Iraq and all of what we have come to think of as Mesopotamia. Surprisingly the ancient inhabitants had no name covering the totality of the country in which they lived.

Though in many ways the inventors of civilization often little remains for the visitor to see of this once great civilization; "[t]he dissolving rain, the sand-bearing winds, the earth-splitting sun conspired to obliterate all remains" and these desolate ruins "offer perhaps the best lesson in modesty that we shall ever receive from history." Part of the reason for the lack of remains is the nature of the Iraqi environment, as the meandering Tigris and Euphrates rivers occasionally change course, isolating once riverside sites as "forlorn ruin-mounds in a desert of silt, several miles from modern waterways." Also these ancient towns were built of nothing but mud as stone was rare. At first made of piled-up mud (pisé) or adobe, as early as the ninth millennium B.C. clay was mixed with straw, gravel, or potsherds and made into sun-dried or kiln-baked bricks.

The very nature of the rivers had a lot to do with the origins of Mesopotamian civilization. As the combined flood periods of the two rivers do not occur when it is best for agriculture, fields must be irrigated. To create these canals and maintain them against silting-up require colossal, unending labor of many people, something that sowed both the seeds of local strife and political unity. The effort to maintain canals and to insure an equitable distribution of water reinforced the authority of the original town chiefs, the high priests, and along with the scarcity of fertile land lead to the concentration of power and wealth in a few hands in a few places, to the creation of cities where further technical and artistic achievements could be made, and the invention of writing to record transactions.

In many ways the book can be read as the rise, spread, and then the decline and fall of Mesopotamian civilization. It was amazing just how small Sumeria really was; it was a mere 30,000 square kilometers, a bit smaller than Belgium, a narrow strip of land around the Euphrates from about the latitude of Baghdad stretching to the Gulf, with the average city-state less than 3000 square kilometers and at most 35,000 people. Sargon and his Akkadian successors subdued the fractious Sumerian city-states and also conquered the entire Tigris-Euphrates basin and built the first great Mesopotamian kingdom. Though the Akkadian empire only lasted 200 years, collapsing from the pressure of mountain tribes and internal rebellion, it set an important example, as to reconstruct Mesopotamian unity, to reach what we could call its natural limits "became the dream of all subsequent monarchs, and from the middle of the third millennium until the fall of Babylon in 539 B.C. the history of ancient Iraq consists of their attempts, their successes and their failures to achieve this aim." The Akkadians greatly enlarged the geographical horizon of Sumer and Sumero-Akkadian culture, supported by cuneiform writing, was adopted by the people outside of Sumeria. In addition the Akkadians forever blended the two historical populations of Iraq (the non-Semitic Sumerians and the Semites), ringed the death knell for city-states, heralded the advent of large, centralized kingdoms, and eroded the power of the temples.

Later as a result of the migration of a very large ethno-linguist group, the "Indo-Europeans," young energetic nations emerged in and around Mesopotamia. That, plus the involvement of Egypt in Near Eastern politics from 1600 BC onwards meant that history in ancient Iraq was raised to a truly international scale, with Mesopotamian political fortunes as well as its culture and science influencing (and influenced by) foreign powers from then on.

The Assyrians played a huge role, though they don't come off well, as Roux wrote of the greed and ambition of Assyrian kings, of "their typical oriental desire to cover themselves with glory, to pose as invincible demigods in front of their subjects," that a combination of religious views and greed lead to "brigandry and occasional massacres" in their attempts to create an empire, which was an "act of gangsterism but also a crusade." Though they did preserve Sumero-Akkadian-Babylonian culture, they left the Near East as a whole impoverished as they took much, gave little, cared little for the advancement of their subjects, and as a result of their wars the rich land of Egypt was forever lost and the Phoenicians lost their rich maritime and colonial empire to the Greeks.

After a last flowering under Nebuchadrezzar II and a brilliant but short-lived "Neo-Babylonian" period Babylon fell without resistance to the Persian conqueror Cyrus. The Persians however did not destroy Babylon or other cities, and there are monuments and inscriptions dating from the Achaemenian, Hellenistic, and Parthian periods testifying to a partial survival of Mesopotamian civilization down to the 1st century AD. Why the slow decline and ultimately vanishing of this civilization? The three main reasons were the absence of any real national Mesopotamian government, the foundation by Alexander and his successors of new cities competing with and eventually superseding the older cities, and more than anything the massive linguistic, ethnic, religious, and cultural changes introduced by waves of Persian, Greek, Aramaean, and pre-Islamic Arab invaders, peoples who could neither be kept at bay nor assimilated. While previous invading peoples such as the Amorites and the Kassites found a young, vigorous culture superior to the own, one which they eventually adopted, later invaders felt that Mesopotamia offered relatively little, that it was a fossilized culture largely perpetuated by a few priests in a few temples; basically, it had died of old age.

Dr. Roux is an authoriry in the field. He lived for several years in the Middle East (Syria, Lebanon and Iraq). Although he is a medical doctor, his interest in ancient history, and the many years he spent in the Middle East provided the learned author with a pragmatic experience and first hand access to documents and valuable raw material. He used them in this book. His original research in Southern Mesopotamia and more precisely his SUMER series of articles that appeared in la Revue D'Assyriologie won him admission to restricted circles of privileged archeologists and Assyriologists. ANCIENT IRAQ is one of the best and most authoritative books ever written about the ancient civilization and culture of Iraq.

The ultimate reference and final word on the vanished civilization of Iraq. It encompass all the aspects from economy and culture to history and religion. It s a universal mini-encylopedia in all its splendors!

This extensive study gives an overview of Mesopotamia from pre-historic times till Christian era. The main focus is on political history sidestepping into architecture, culture and socio-economics. So be prepared for an endless succession of Sumerian, Akkadian, Kassite, Assyrian, Chaldaean alpha-males waging war to expand empires, defending their turf, erecting buildings and statues to celebrate their grandeur and fragile little egos. To me at times it was a bit too much and too tedious. No problem, I just skipped a few centuries or so!
Georges Roux deserves a 5-star rating for his work but I only give the book 4 stars because the publisher and editor should have done a better job balancing out the material. Cutting some of the political material, and expanding on art, literature, science etc. (It would have been a good idea to include more translations of original texts). They also could have provided better graphic and photographic material and organized it in a better way. If they would have done that this would have been a breathtaking classic.
Having said that the book gives a thorough account of some 8000 years of history in Iraq. I especially was impressed by the scope of vision and depth Mr. Roux possesses. He is able to provide ample insight in the developments from pre-historic hunter-gatherers to the first empires and their inner workings. Showing an extensive knowledge and control over the material. So read this book, but you are going to want to have books like Art of the First Cities: The Third Millennium B.C. from the Mediterranean to the Indus (Metropolitan Museum of Art Series) and S.N. Kramer History begins at Sumer and others lying next to it.

Georges Roux has published a very easy and accessible history if Iraq, a country of endless fascination. The book is about the inhabitants of Iraq from the Stone Age, some conclusions about the unwritten period when the region was coming into it's own, the Sumerians, Mesopotamians, Assyrians, and the Babylonians; just to name a few of the cultures. You may think that knowing the Iraqis past may not be of importance, but it goes a long way to explaining why they are so fiercely proud of their history and culture, even before the Muslim faith swept the area. Roux combines archeology with accepted history, their myths and religions, and makes the past truly come alive. You have a pretty good sense of the wars, the faith, and the attitude of the man on the street (sometimes) from this book. Sure, maybe it's a little out dated, but it is not about Iraq's recent history. Now, while the general public may not like it, those with an interest in Middle Eastern history probably will.

I echo the previous reviewers -- this is a great book. One volume contains a clear discussion of the rise of urban life and all the peoples who participated in it.

William McNeill in Plagues and Peoples reminds us that cities are population sinks. They require a hinterland to supply necessities including regular infusions of people. But the plains of Mesopotamia are a fairly hostile environment; the best land is located in the hills where timber, game and clean water are available. The logical conclusion is that the flatlanders were forced there, expelled from the hills, and that they grouped in cities for defensive purposes. This grouping behavior is universal among prey species. McNeill: "Man is to man as predator is to prey."

It was organization that allowed the ancient cities to prevail. Strong central governments arose, backed by a robust religious establishment, sustained and protected by their military.

Sounds familiar, doesn't it? America's military absorbs a lot of our treasure and our religious establishment is a central element in our strong central government -- our presidents swear their oath on a bible.

After 5000 years we can still relate to the peoples of ancient Iraq and appreciate their problems. We're living them today.

How this story came to light is itself another great story, the history of archeology in the area. All this is nicely summarized by the author. My The Cultural Atlas of Mesopotamia and the Ancient Near East (Cultural Atlas of) complemented my library text of the 1964 edition which had arcane marginalia and maps razored out.

I try not to think of tank battles out in the desert, using the ancient mounds as defilade against armor-piercing rounds. Who knows what has already been pulverized and lost forever?

I echo the previous reviewers -- this is a great book. One volume contains a clear discussion of the rise of urban life and all the peoples who participated in it.

William McNeill in "Plagues and Peoples" Plagues and Peoples reminds us that cities are population sinks. They require a hinterland to supply necessities including regular infusions of people. But the plains of Mesopotamia are a fairly hostile environment; the best land is located in the hills where timber, game, sufficient rainfall and clean water are available. The logical conclusion is that the flatlanders were forced there, expelled from the hills, and that they grouped in cities for defensive purposes. This behavior is universal among prey species. McNeill: "Man is to man as predator is to prey."

It was organization that allowed the ancient cities to prevail. It gave rise to strong central governments backed by a robust religious establishment, sustained and protected by their military.

Sounds familiar, doesn't it? America's military absorbs a lot of our treasure and our religious establishment is a central element in our strong central government -- our presidents swear their oath on a bible.

After 5000 years we can still relate to the peoples of ancient Iraq and appreciate their problems. We're living them today.

How this story came to light is itself another great story, the history of archeology in the area. All this is nicely summarized by the author. My Cultural Atlas of Mesopotamia The Cultural Atlas of Mesopotamia and the Ancient Near East (Cultural Atlas of) complemented the library's text of the 1964 edition which had arcane marginalia and maps razored out.

I try not to think of tank battles out in the desert, using the ancient mounds as defilade against armor-piercing rounds. Who knows what has already been pulverized and lost forever?

I echo the previous reviewers -- this is a great book. One volume contains a clear discussion of the rise of urban life and all the peoples who participated in it.



William McNeill in "Plagues and Peoples" Plagues and Peoples reminds us that cities are population sinks. They require a hinterland to supply necessities including regular infusions of people. But the plains of Mesopotamia are a fairly hostile environment; the best land is located in the hills where timber, game, sufficient rainfall and clean water are available. The logical conclusion is that the flatlanders were forced there, expelled from the hills, and that they grouped in cities for defensive purposes. This behavior is universal among prey species. McNeill: "Man is to man as predator is to prey."



It was organization that allowed the ancient cities to prevail. It gave rise to strong central governments backed by a robust religious establishment, sustained and protected by their military.



Sounds familiar, doesn't it? America's military absorbs a lot of our treasure and our religious establishment is a central element in our strong central government -- our presidents swear their oath on a bible.



After 5000 years we can still relate to the peoples of ancient Iraq and appreciate their problems. We're living them today.



How this story came to light is itself another great story, the history of archeology in the area. All this is nicely summarized by the author. My Cultural Atlas of Mesopotamia The Cultural Atlas of Mesopotamia and the Ancient Near East (Cultural Atlas of) complemented the library's text of the 1964 edition which had arcane marginalia and maps razored out.



I try not to think of tank battles out in the desert, using the ancient mounds as defilade against armor-piercing rounds. Who knows what has already been pulverized and lost forever?

I echo the previous reviewers -- this is a great book. One volume contains a clear discussion of the rise of urban life and all the peoples who participated in it.

William McNeill in "Plagues and Peoples" Plagues and Peoples reminds us that cities are population sinks. They require a hinterland to supply necessities including regular infusions of people. But the plains of Mesopotamia are a fairly hostile environment; the best land is located in the hills where timber, game, sufficient rainfall and clean water are available. The logical conclusion is that the flatlanders were forced there, expelled from the hills, and that they grouped in cities for defensive purposes. This behavior is universal among prey species. McNeill: "Man is to man as predator is to prey."

It was organization that allowed the ancient cities to prevail. It gave rise to strong central governments backed by a robust religious establishment, sustained and protected by their military.

Sounds familiar, doesn't it? America's military absorbs a lot of our treasure and our religious establishment is a central element in our strong central government -- our presidents swear their oath on a bible.

After 5000 years we can still relate to the peoples of ancient Iraq and appreciate their problems. We're living them today.

How this story came to light is itself another great story, the history of archeology in the area. All this is nicely summarized by the author. My Cultural Atlas of Mesopotamia The Cultural Atlas of Mesopotamia and the Ancient Near East (Cultural Atlas of) complemented the library's text of the 1964 edition which had arcane marginalia and maps razored out.

I try not to think of tank battles out in the desert, using the ancient mounds as defilade against armor-piercing rounds. Who knows what has already been pulverized and lost forever?

I echo the previous reviewers -- this is a great book. One volume contains a clear discussion of the rise of urban life and all the peoples who participated in it.

William McNeil in "Plagues and Peoples" (..) reminds us that cities are population sinks. They require a hinterland to supply necessities including regular infusions of people. But the plains of Mesopotamia are a fairly hostile environment; the best land is located in the hills where timber, game, sufficient rainfall and clean water are available. The logical conclusion is that the flatlanders were forced there, expelled from the hills, and that they grouped in cities for defensive purposes. This behavior is universal among prey species. McNeil: "Man is to man as predator is to prey."

It was organization that allowed the ancient cities to prevail. It gave rise to strong central governments backed by a robust religious establishment, sustained and protected by their military.

Sounds familiar, doesn't it? America's military absorbs a lot of our treasure and our religious establishment is a central element in our strong central government -- our presidents swear their oath on a bible.

After 5000 years we can still relate to the peoples of ancient Iraq and appreciate their problems. We're living them today.

How this story came to light is itself another great story, the history of archeology in the area. All this is nicely summarized by the author. My Cultural Atlas of Mesopotamia The Cultural Atlas of Mesopotamia and the Ancient Near East (Cultural Atlas of) complemented the library's text of the 1964 edition which had arcane marginalia and maps razored out.

A question I intend to pursue is matter of languages. We need to know more about the Indo-Europeans and Dark Age of 1200BC.

I try not to think of tank battles out in the desert, using the ancient mounds as defilade against armor-piercing rounds. Who knows what has already been pulverized and lost forever?

This book remains the best, 'one-stop shopping' non-illustrated (i.e. non-atlas) source of information about ancient Iraq. Written for a lay audience, there is also much in this text that nonspecialized academics will find of use for their own research projects, as did I for my recently published "Wetlands of Mass Destruction: Ancient Presage for Contemporary Ecocide in Southern Iraq."

This is a very readable history of ancient Mesopotamia, written in intimate, clear language by- of all things- a French physician. Well done and highly recommended for the general reader.

For those who seek a broad view of the history of Mesopotamia, this book is a very good start. Mr. Roux has a deep knowledge of the region, having lived there for many years, and his descriptions of the past makes you desire to be there, walking among the "tells". The amount of literature he cites and the extensive notes are scholarly. I have read books on the subject by archeologists and assyriologists, and most have been disappointing. This is not the case with this book. I really learned a lot from it.

The book begins with an overview of the geography of the land and its climate. Then Mr. Roux describes pre-historical archeological sites, the ceramic styles that give name to the several periods, and successfully introduces the main hypothesis on the development of urban centers, the role of religion, commerce, and so on. The historical period is described with a balanced mix of archeology and text (this is no small feat: most scholars I've read either focus almost exclusively on archeology or on texts). There is a nice introduction to the myths, and Mr. Roux managed to make me want to read cuneiform translations and try to feel how the ancient Mesopotamians felt and lived.

For those who seek a broad view of the history of Mesopotamia, this book is a very good start. Mr. Roux has a deep knowledge of the region, having lived there for many years, and his descriptions of the past makes you desire to be there, walking among the "tells". The amount of literature he cites and the extensive notes are scholarly. I have read books on the subject by archeologists and assyriologists, and most have been disappointing. This is not the case with this book. I really learned a lot from it.

The book begins with an overview of the geography of the land and its climate. Then Mr. Roux describes pre-historical archeological sites, the ceramic styles that give name to the several periods, and successfully introduces the main hypothesis on the development of urban centers, the role of religion, commerce, and so on. The historical period is described with a balanced mix of archeology and text (this is no small feat: most scholars I've read either focus almost exclusively on archeology or on texts). There is a nice introduction to the myths, and Mr. Roux managed to make me want to read cuneiform translations and try to feel how the ancient Mesopotamians felt and lived.

The book covers the history of Iraq from prehistoric times up to the era just preceding the Arab conquest. The book is written at the intermediate level as it presupposes some knoweldge of this region. It bridges the gap between those texts written for the beginner and those written for the specialist. This book is a must-have for anyone who wants to obtain a detailed account of Iraq's glorious past.

Now in its 3rd edition, Ancient Iraq remains the most complete and readable overview of the history of this cradle of civilization. Interestingly, the word Iraq comes from the name of the Sumerian city state Uruk. There is now a village called Warka near the ruins of the ancient city.

The introductory chapters explore the geographical setting, archaeological research and the paleo-, meso- and neolithic periods. Following on, the author discusses the Hassuna, Samarra, Halat, Ubaid, Uruk and Jemdat timeframes, and the ancient trade routes.

Next up is the Sumerian civilization, with a study of its origin, religion, history and mythology. The story of Gilgamesh is covered here. There was a Semitic interlude and a final Sumerian renaissance before the torch of history passed to the Semites in the form of the Akkadians and later the Assyrians and Babylonians. The statesman and lawgiver Hammurabbi is thoroughly dealt with.

But other peoples played a part too, like the Hurrians, Mitannians and Kassites. Insofar as they impacted upon the history of the area, empires like the Hittite and the Egyptian are also considered. There are detailed narratives on the Assyrian empire, the Chaldean kings and the fall of Nineveh and later of Babylon. After this event, Mesopotamia ceased to be a seat of empire and passed from the Persians to the Greeks, the Parthians, the Sassanids and ultimately to the Arabs.

In the Epilogue, we learn of the heritage of this civilization, such as enduring religious symbols like the Maltese cross, the tree of life an the crescent. Some words have come down to us, like "alcohol" (guhlu in Akkadian), "myrrh" (murru) and "naphta" (naptu), "abyss" (abzu in Sumerian). Some Sumerian words still live in Hebrew, like Egal (great house) = Heikal = Temple and the personal name Eitan (Etana).

The book contains plates with photographs and illustrations, and concludes with bibliographic notes, comparative history tables, various interesting maps and indices of names and subjects. For those interested in the paleolithic origins of civilization, I recommend Lost Civilizations Of The Stone Age by Richard Rudgley. If you have a taste for alternative history, the book Ramses II And His Time by Immanuel Velikovsky has much to say about Babylon and the Chaldeans. And finally, Empires Of The Word: A Language History Of The World by Nicholas Ostler, deals extensively with ancient Mesopotamia, its languages, culture and empires.

Great book on the history of acient Iraq. Some of the most intriguing topics, are the striking similarities between pagan mythology and the stories from the Bible, semites are related according to their language (arabic-hebrew word for sun is from the babylonian sun god, BEER was invented by these people. Talk about contributing to civilization.

It would be useful however if the author included an appendix to keep track of all the different peoples involved and where they are located on modern day maps. But there is a very great timetable and index included.

Great book if you want to take a look beyond giving all the credit to ancient greece as most western historians are prone to doing.

I was looking for a book which would provide the history of ancient Mesopotamia and bought this book after reading the reviews of other customers. It is a well written book and easy to read, covering the history of Mesopotamia from the earliest times up the end of the ancient world. Its main focus is from the early dynasties up to the conquest of Babylonia by Cyrus the Great, with the last chapter (out of 25) and a short Epilogue summarizing the events of the area after that.

Chapters 1 to 4 chapters survey the geography, and the prehistory of Mesopotamia. Chapters 5 to 24 details the known political, military, economic, and societal events of each of the main periods of Mesopotamian history, with separate chapters on the Gods of Sumer, and the Age of Heroes which discuss the stories of the Flood, Gilgamesh, and other heroes of that age.

The book provides extensive notes and bibliography for further reading on a chapter by chapter basis which I found most useful in helping my understanding. It also has a detailed chronology on all of the known major dynasties of the period which is about the most complete I have seen. There are 20 of plates (black and white) many of which I have seen in other books, and some 21 detailed illustrations , as well as several maps which I found to be quite helpful, but certainly not the best I have seen.

Up to now, the books I have read on this area were on rather more specific periods or topics, such as �Babylon� by Joan Oates;. �Treasures of Darkness� by Thorkild Jacobsen on Mesopotamian religion, and a number of books on the Hittites and the eastern Mediterranean. I was therefore looking for other books which would fill the gaps in my knowledge. I had ordered this book along with Wolfram von Soden�s �The Ancient Orient�, which describes itself as an introduction to the study of the Ancient Near East, which it certainly is. I found �Ancient Iraq� to be an excellent follow up book.

The most informative sections for me were the chapters on the Sumerians, the �Time of Confusion� (c 1300BC to 900BC), and those on the Assyrian Empire. These are all periods which I want to know more about; � the Sumerians for how their civilization developed from small settlements along the �Land of the Two Rivers� to the development of the city and national states of the second half of the 3rd millennium; � The Time of Confusion, because to the general lack of archaeological information about the Dark Age which seems to have occurred in most of the ancient Near East; - the Assyrians because I really didn�t know very much about them except for some of their later kings from the references in the Bible.

I was happy to see that in general, the author does not attempt to take sides into the details of the various differences of scholarly opinion about what happened during this period, which suited me fine, since I was looking for a historical survey rather than a discussion of the competing theories. So as far as chronology is concerned, this book follows the generally accepted dating systems. I was also happy to see included a number of translations of the texts from the original sources as well as the inclusion of a large number of Sumerian and Akkadian words

In summary, the book is an excellent complement to my growing library of other books on the ancient Near East, and helpful in its descriptions of the relationships of the Mesopotamian states with the neighbouring states in Asia Minor, Syria, Palestine, Israel, Egypt to the west, and Iran to the east. It therefore met my expectations, and I would recommend it to any student who is interested in developing a detailed knowledge about the history of ancient Mesopotamia.

I was looking for a book which would provide the history of ancient Mesopotamia and bought this book after reading the reviews of other customers. It is a well written book and easy to read, covering the history of Mesopotamia from the earliest times up the end of the ancient world. Its main focus is from the early dynasties up to the conquest of Babylonia by Cyrus the Great, with the last chapter (out of 25) and a short Epilogue summarizing the events of the area after that.

Chapters 1 to 4 chapters survey the geography, and the prehistory of Mesopotamia. Chapters 5 to 24 details the known political, military, economic, and societal events of each of the main periods of Mesopotamian history, with separate chapters on the Gods of Sumer, and the Age of Heroes which discuss the stories of the Flood, Gilgamesh, and other heroes of that age.

The book provides extensive notes and bibliography for further reading on a chapter by chapter basis which I found most useful in helping my understanding. It also has a detailed chronology on all of the known major dynasties of the period which is about the most complete I have seen. There are 20 of plates (black and white) many of which I have seen in other books, and some 21 detailed illustrations , as well as several maps which I found to be quite helpful, but certainly not the best I have seen.

Up to now, the books I have read on this area were on rather more specific periods or topics, such as ýBabyloný by Joan Oates;. ýTreasures of Darknessý by Thorkild Jacobsen on Mesopotamian religion, and a number of books on the Hittites and the eastern Mediterranean. I was therefore looking for other books which would fill the gaps in my knowledge. I had ordered this book along with Wolfram von Sodenýs ýThe Ancient Orientý, which describes itself as an introduction to the study of the Ancient Near East, which it certainly is. I found ýAncient Iraqý to be an excellent follow up book.

The most informative sections for me were the chapters on the Sumerians, the ýTime of Confusioný (c 1300BC to 900BC), and those on the Assyrian Empire. These are all periods which I want to know more about; ý the Sumerians for how their civilization developed from small settlements along the ýLand of the Two Riversý to the development of the city and national states of the second half of the 3rd millennium; ý The Time of Confusion, because to the general lack of archaeological information about the Dark Age which seems to have occurred in most of the ancient Near East; - the Assyrians because I really didnýt know very much about them except for some of their later kings from the references in the Bible.

I was happy to see that in general, the author does not attempt to take sides into the details of the various differences of scholarly opinion about what happened during this period, which suited me fine, since I was looking for a historical survey rather than a discussion of the competing theories. So as far as chronology is concerned, this book follows the generally accepted dating systems. I was also happy to see included a number of translations of the texts from the original sources as well as the inclusion of a large number of Sumerian and Akkadian words

In summary, the book is an excellent complement to my growing library of other books on the ancient Near East, and helpful in its descriptions of the relationships of the Mesopotamian states with the neighbouring states in Asia Minor, Syria, Palestine, Israel, Egypt to the west, and Iran to the east. It therefore met my expectations, and I would recommend it to any student who is interested in developing a detailed knowledge about the history of ancient Mesopotamia.

Georges Roux stated that his goal in writing "Ancient Iraq" was to provide the layman reader with a cohesive introduction to the history of ancient Mesopotamia, incorporating archaeological and historical finds up to 1992. In this regard, I think Roux succeeded splendidly, and he did so by pointing out and explaining general patterns in Mesopotamian history. This book really breathes life into the ancients and allows the reader to see beyond the cold and lifeless sculptures and tablets.

Although the book is full of interesting topics, what really struck me was how long the Sumerian culture managed to exist in some form or another despite the successive waves of foreign invaders. To survive 3000 years in such unstable conditions really demonstrates how sophisticated and influential Sumero-Akkadian culture was at that time.

As the title suggests, "Ancient Iraq" deals primarily with ancient civilizations that resided within the confines of modern-day Iraq. As a result, the Sumerians, Babylonians, and Assyrians ae given center stage, while other cultures in the Near East, such as the Egyptians, Hittites, and Persians are only briefly reviewed, despite their interaction with the Mesopotamians.

Pictures, maps, and various timelines are also included in the book. Unfortunately, pictures of artifacts are either B&W photos or simple line drawings, and I felt this presentation really failed to bring forth the beauty inherent in such objects. Many of the same photos are presented in color in another book ("The Cultural Atlas of Mesopotamia"), and the difference is like night and day. Nevertheless, I should say that Roux's narrative does not suffer at all from this slight shortcoming, and most readers probably will not care about the visual aids.

All in all, I found this book to be quite engaging and believe that anybody interested in ancient Mesopotamia should have this book in their personal library. It was a another reviewer's opinion that this was the best book of its kind available on the market today. I wholeheartedly agree.

If you are looking to learn about ancient Mesopotamian civilization, this is a must read! I found this book to be an excellent read. Roux does a fine job with this book and I would recommend it to anyone with a interest in the different periods of Mesopotamian history.

I did find it a little dry, but what do you expect from a book about an ancient civilization?

I am a lay reader, with very little if any knowledge of ancient history. I stumbled upon this book quite by chance, and am proud to say that I am astounding my friends and acquaintances with all I know about it now.

After years of study, Roux is still clearly in love with his favorite subject, and it makes Ancient Iraq a fascinating and compelling read. I was absolutely stunned by what all the Sumerians, Assyrians, and Babylonians are responsible for when laying the foundations of our present civilization. The chapters on government and law are especially enlightening, when compared to present day domestic and foreign policy.

I learned so much from this book: it is an excellent summarization from what is years and years of study and research. Highly recommended.

I purchased this book because it contains information on The Flood taken from ancient accounts found in Iraq. They are similar in many respects to the account of Noah found in The Bible, but are different in some other respects, e.g., people and possessions that were placed aboard the ark. It is worthwhile reading for people studying comparitive religion (who do not have mindset on the issue). There is no doubt that a large flood occurred in the distant past (recent scientific evidence from the Black Sea indicates an event), but the information contained herein provides a different viewpoint.

Besides the information indicated above, there is a wealth of information on ancient Iraq. The book is very useful for those people studying that era.

Mesopotamia is an ancient civilization with a new history, uncovered almost from scratch in the huge excavations of the last century. Roux takes you through about four thousand years in four hundred pages with surprising breadth and verve. The author loves his subject and his enthusiasm is contagious. Even where I got lost in the long names of foreign kings and distant battles, the crisp writing kept me turning pages. A great resource on a fascinating subject.

Roux is the rarest of scholars and academes, he is one who can write. Ancient Iraq is extremely erudite and written clearly and lucidly. Reading it and getting involved in the text is not difficult. Ancient Iraq covers the full spectrum of Iraqi ancient history and prehistory, from the Paleolithic through the Neolithic, the Sumerian civilization, and on to the Assyrian and Persian empires. Despite the wide scope of this book, Roux manages to keep the narrative tightly contained and compact, avoiding digressions and wandering. Highly readable, this book deserves to be owned by anyone with an interest in the region. It is poorly illustrated, but this is a relatively minor flaw. This is a true classic of archaeological literature.

No one was more surprised than Georges Roux himself when people worldwide began demanding reprints from his articles in the now-defunct "Iraq Petroleum" magazine. But he shouldn't have been - the literature surrounding ancient Mesopotamia tends either to scholastic obscurity (and textbook expense) or to such a broad scope that oversimplification is necessary just to keep the story within two covers.

Not so Roux's wonderful overview. After his retirement from a leading British pharmaceutical company he found the necessary leisure, and access to Parisian university libraries, to compile this volume of history. The first edition was written in the 60's, the second in the 80's after some remarkable finds greatly expanded the continuity of the original, and the third, this volume, in the early 90's. In this, he states that the English version has actually leapfrogged the original version in his native French.

The book traces the civilizations of ancient Mesopotamia from the Paleolithic period through Sumer and Akkad, the Assyrian empire, Babylon, the glory of the Old Testament period, and to the final takeover by the Hellenistic Greeks. This sweep of history comprising some six-plus millennia cannot, of course, be dealt with comprehensively within the bounds of a single volume; nevertheless, Roux has managed to spotlight the extant periods without losing the story's overall continuity, a considerable achievement.

This is, in this reviewer's opinion, the best single-volume introduction to ancient Mesopotamian history on the market today.