Thread: Some good books about ancient civilizations?

I've been reading about the ancient world online, & it fascinates me. However, there's only so much the Internet can do, & I'm wondering if anybody knows of an amazing nonfiction book on an ancient civilization. What society the book is about doesn't concern me, but it must be captivating & readable. The more recent the publication date, the better. Thank you!

You could try the first three volumes of Will Durant's History of Civilization. It's actually 11 volumes, but I never read more than 6 or 7 of them. But the first three are amazing.

These were written in the 30's and 40's though, so not very recent but still incredible. Just do some googling, you'll find it.

The Durant recommendation is a good one. There's probably nothing more comprehensive. But it's a commitment.

Here are a few things in my library that I just loved. Every one captivating and readable. Every one I read as a young person (late teens to early 20's). These are the books that sparked a life-long love for the topic of history.

Michael Wood, 'In Search of the Trojan War'. This was a fantastic book. Heinrich Schliemann's quest to find the ruins of the ancient city is one of the great stories of archaeology. Someday, you might even want to read Homer's account yourself.

Kurt Mendelssohn, 'The Riddle of the Pyramids'. He goes into these wonders in great detail, from the first failed attempts to the grand monuments at Giza. It was really interesting.

J.V. Luce, 'Lost Atlantis'. Another fantastic book. Luce proposes that the ancient city of legend was on the slopes of the volcano Thera and vanished in its cataclysmic explosion. This was an astounding book. There is a lot of mass market crap out there about Atlantis, including one written by the eminent Dr. Pellegrino. Don't bother. You want Luce's book. This has been sitting in my library since I was 17 years old. I've read it three times. After you read it, go back and read the Book of Exodus. Draw your own conclusions.

Barry Cunliffe, 'Rome and her Empire'. I've had this book for 40 years, and I still go back and look at it. It's just beautiful. This is a good history of Rome, but not an in-depth history. It is a large format book with lots of photos of ancient ruins, and maps and timelines. It really does a good job describing how Rome evolved both politically and socially, and includes brief biographies of all the emperors. When I have a question about Rome, this is still the first place I look.

I just checked on Amazon.com and all of these are still available.

I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.