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Babylon: Mesopotamia and the Birth of Civilization Paperback – Illustrated, March 27, 2012

by Paul Kriwaczek (Author)
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Civilization was born eight thousand years ago, between the floodplains of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, when migrants from the surrounding mountains and deserts began to create increasingly sophisticated urban societies. In the cities that they built, half of human history took place.

In Babylon, Paul Kriwaczek tells the story of Mesopotamia from the earliest settlements seven thousand years ago to the eclipse of Babylon in the sixth century BCE. Bringing the people of this land to life in vibrant detail, the author chronicles the rise and fall of power during this period and explores the political and social systems, as well as the technical and cultural innovations, which made this land extraordinary. At the heart of this book is the story of Babylon, which rose to prominence under the Amorite king Hammurabi from about 1800 BCE. Even as Babylon's fortunes waxed and waned, it never lost its allure as the ancient world's greatest city.

Engaging and compelling, Babylon reveals the splendor of the ancient world that laid the foundation for civilization itself.

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  1. Print length
    338 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    St. Martin's Griffin
  4. Publication date
    March 27, 2012
  5. Dimensions
    6 x 0.76 x 9 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1250054168
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1250054166
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“The lively mixture of topicality, politics, history, myth and culture in this anecdote is typical of Babylon at its best.” ―The Independent (UK)


“Historical detail gives authority to this tale of human misery and military magnificence.” ―The Times (UK)

“Eloquent and consistently thought-provoking account of ancient Mesopotamia.” ―Scotland on Sunday

“An outstanding survey of a civilization that endured against great odds but has now essentially vanished.” ―Booklist (starred) on Yiddish Civilisation


“A landmark book.” ―Library Journal on In Search of Zarathustra

“Lively and fast-paced.” ―Publishers Weekly on In Search of Zarathustra

About the Author

PAUL KRIWACZEK was born in Vienna. He travelled extensively in Asia and Africa before developing a career in broadcasting and journalist. In 1970, he joined the BBC full-time and wrote, produced, and directed for twenty-five years. He also served as head of Central Asian Affairs at the BBC World Service. He is the author of Yiddish Civilisation: The Rise and Fall of a Forgotten Nation, which was shortlisted for the Jewish Quarterly Wingate Literary Award, as well as In Search of Zarathustra: The First Prophet and the Ideas that Changed the World.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ St. Martin's Griffin; Illustrated edition (March 27, 2012)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 338 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1250054168
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1250054166
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.76 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:

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Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
890 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book excellent, well-researched, and a sweeping overview of its subject. They describe it as a good, interesting, and fun read. Readers praise the writing style as clear, concise, and easy to read. They appreciate the interesting insights and consider the topic engaging.

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Information qualityReadabilityWriting styleInsightPacingPhoto quality
48 customers mention "Information quality"45 positive3 negative

Customers find the book excellent for its subject. They say it does a nice job of interweaving old facts, dates, and names with contemporary corollaries. Readers also mention the book is interesting and easy to read. They say it's thought-provoking and deals with archeological discoveries.

"...Each page is informative and interesting, offering fresh perspectives relevant to anyone interested in global history, or even how basic aspects of..." Read more

"...There is very little of that.This book deals with archeological discoveries, some of them quite revealing and quite amazing, and with..." Read more

"...This is not just a history book. It is a thought-provoking work that makes one wonder where we are now and where we are going." Read more

"This is an excellent survey of ancient Mesopotamian civilisation, from its beginnings 5000 years ago until the occupation of Babylon by Cyrus of..." Read more

25 customers mention "Readability"25 positive0 negative

Customers find the book informative, interesting, and well-researched. They say it's a fun read and brilliant in its narration style. Readers also appreciate the long annotated reading list.

"This is a great book that does an excellent job creating analogies between ancient Mesopotamian civilization, history, and culture and our modern..." Read more

"...with archeological discoveries, some of them quite revealing and quite amazing, and with the philosophical and politically strategic patterns in..." Read more

"...book itself is a very satisfying read, but it also concludes with a long annotated reading list, for those want to explore specific topics in more..." Read more

"...It seems to be a perfectly fine book on the contributions of Mesopotamia to the general development of civilization, but it isn't a political and..." Read more

24 customers mention "Writing style"24 positive0 negative

Customers find the writing style very well-written, easy to read, and concise. They say it provides a readable summary of societies and cultures. Readers also appreciate the quality of presentation and the sprinkle of intellectual nuggets.

"You don't have to be a history buff to enjoy this book. The style of writing is excellent...." Read more

"...The quality of presentation is almost consistently good; the “sprinkling” of intellectual “nuggets” is unpredictable, but pleasing...." Read more

"...The writing keeps the reader well-engaged and the story flows smoothly...." Read more

"...This book is well written and easy to read. It reminds one of the old proverb "The more things change the more things remain unchanged"...." Read more

23 customers mention "Insight"18 positive5 negative

Customers find the book interesting, engaging, and thought-provoking. They describe it as a fun source of information about our earliest roots. Readers also mention the ideas are intriguing and inspiring. Overall, they say the book is relevant in helping one anticipate the magnitude of a new civilization.

"...Each page is informative and interesting, offering fresh perspectives relevant to anyone interested in global history, or even how basic aspects of..." Read more

"...This book deals with archeological discoveries, some of them quite revealing and quite amazing, and with the philosophical and politically strategic..." Read more

"...It is sadly relevant in helping one to anticipate the magnitude of a new wave of chaotic disaster in the Iraq of 2014." Read more

"...The book is packed with fascinating facts and you learn a lot about why the Middle East is the way it is...." Read more

4 customers mention "Pacing"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the book remarkably well-paced. They say it flows seamlessly from topic to topic, making it easy to remember.

"...The result is a remarkably well paced overview of human civilisation as an arc, passing through different societies over thousands of years...." Read more

"...The writing keeps the reader well-engaged and the story flows smoothly...." Read more

"The man flows seamlessly from topic to topic so as to make it easy to remember and impossible to put down...." Read more

"This is a well written and fast-paced but also unoriginal and uncritical history...." Read more

4 customers mention "Photo quality"0 positive4 negative

Customers are dissatisfied with the quality of the photos. They also mention that the book doesn't include any photos.

"...edition has all of the maps (there are 8 of them) but none of the photo illustrations, which is really a pity...." Read more

"...One huge annoyance was that the Kindle version did not provide the photos (20) that the author was describing in his explanation...." Read more

"i like the book, but it is disappointing that the photos are not included. Strangely, the maps are included." Read more

"this applies to the kindle version. the photographs were NOT included...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

A B
5.0 out of 5 stars engaging, informative, and enlightening
Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2023
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This is a great book that does an excellent job creating analogies between ancient Mesopotamian civilization, history, and culture and our modern times that make that ancient world feel alive and recognizable to our own. Each page is informative and interesting, offering fresh perspectives relevant to anyone interested in global history, or even how basic aspects of human nature are reflected in societies over thousands of years.
5 people found this helpful
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Anĉjo Bruligas
4.0 out of 5 stars The Driest Four Stars I have Issued
Reviewed in the United States on March 22, 2015
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Much of the book was dry and hard to digest. It was excellent. I don't think this was the author's fault, though. It is subject matter. The author had a writing style I really liked. He had both philosophical and psychological insight. Additionally, the book filled so many gaps in my knowledge of ancient history that I lost count.

He did rush through the latter part, the part on Assyria, and I thank God that he did. The character of Assyria does not fit with the over-all character of millennia of Mesopotamian history.

Overall, the story of Sumer, really over half the text of the book, was fascinating, as was the story of Babylon.

If you are looking for a book with lots of tales of titillating battles and military strategy, then this is definitely not the book for you. There is very little of that.

This book deals with archeological discoveries, some of them quite revealing and quite amazing, and with the philosophical and politically strategic patterns in history prior the "Story of the Greeks and Persians."

It discusses ancient Mesopotamian Law and sense of Justice, sociology and religious philosophy. It discussing what we know about these and more importantly, how we know.

It correlates the study to modern times, to Biblical Times and to relevant similar times throughout history.

One review of a book I read about Ancient Macedonia criticized that author's lack of "insight," because the reviewer did not feel that the author delved deeply enough into the underlying thought patterns of the time. No one would ever make such a charge against the author of this work. One such example is his analysis of the origins of modern day monotheism and religious misogyny that was partially borne in Assyria, and how, with the changing view of what the role of God was and what his relationship to humans is, it was inevitable (that discussion, the best part of the book, begins on page 225 if you are truly interested).
14 people found this helpful
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Stephan C. Lange
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
Reviewed in the United States on November 15, 2020
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You don't have to be a history buff to enjoy this book. The style of writing is excellent. The author reveals that the ancient people were real live individuals. Without giving anything away, he shows the cuneiform tablets to almost be diaries of day-to-day living. He gives a great overview not only of these great civilizations, but what it was like to live in that ancient time. He also shows that our present day "greatness" represents our merely following ancient footsteps in the sand. This is not just a history book. It is a thought-provoking work that makes one wonder where we are now and where we are going.
One person found this helpful
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Uncle Buster
5.0 out of 5 stars This is an excellent survey of ancient Mesopotamian civilisation
Reviewed in the United States on June 20, 2018
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This is an excellent survey of ancient Mesopotamian civilisation, from its beginnings 5000 years ago until the occupation of Babylon by Cyrus of Persia. Kriwaczek writes in an erudite journalistic style that is a pleasure to read. The author uses major historical events to provide a kind of narrative tension, and between these he draws on many different sources to recreate detailed impresssions of ancient daily life, including excerpts from the actual stories, myths, epic poems and letters preserved on steles and clay tablets. The result is a remarkably well paced overview of human civilisation as an arc, passing through different societies over thousands of years. The book itself is a very satisfying read, but it also concludes with a long annotated reading list, for those want to explore specific topics in more detail.
* Note that the Kindle edition has all of the maps (there are 8 of them) but none of the photo illustrations, which is really a pity. And I can't imagine why it should have been so difficult to include them: even a low-res black & white photo would be enough to give first-timers like me an idea of what a ziggurat looks like, for example. But the text of the book still reads well enough without them.
2 people found this helpful
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RJW
3.0 out of 5 stars Mesopotamian Snooze
Reviewed in the United States on January 15, 2024
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I purchased the Kindle version of this book in 2017. I was looking for something about the beginnings of civilization. For me, the book turned out to be a real snoozer, mostly owing to the tidal wave of historical gobbledygook. Not what I was hoping for in learning about Mesopotamian beginnings and everyday life. So, I put the book aside. However, earlier this year, an audiobook version of the book was offered by Audible. Thought I would give it a try. I listened to the audio narration while reading the Kindle version. This time, I got through the book. While the underlying research was impressive, the presentation was still historical gobbledygook. One huge annoyance was that the Kindle version did not provide the photos (20) that the author was describing in his explanation. I had to search for the photo being described on another device – i.e., a true multimedia approach to reading a single book. I agree with the reviews that found the book too wide and too shallow. Hard to understand why a book entitled “Babylon” did not offer a single word about its famous Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world (I did a search of the book). This book was not for me. I do not recommend it.
One person found this helpful
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Northeast Ohio
4.0 out of 5 stars A decent and long secular explanation of Mesopotamia
Reviewed in the United States on October 3, 2024
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This is a decent book on the origins of civilization. A little long for me. Too secular for me. But it is a good read and is sometimes disturbing in that civilizations and kingdoms pass away unnecessarily, except they simply ran out of reason to exist. Much like the way the world is going today. Western civilization is weakening for no reason at all except lethargy and ingratitude fed and led by the American left with its arrogant soul searching emptiness.
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Paul G
5.0 out of 5 stars Excepcional
Reviewed in Mexico on July 24, 2019
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Este libro es una de las joyas de kindle, es sin duda la historia de babilonia con muchas relaciones a temas de la actualidad, momentos de descubirimientos o devastaciones arqueologicas importantes, es un libro que se disfrutará mucho y contiene alto contenido historico pero relatado con una narrativa interesante y no tediosa.
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David Young
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book.
Reviewed in Canada on March 25, 2019
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As with his book Zarathustra this one if full of rich detail and interesting facts and stories. I loved it. I'll read both of his books again and again over the years.
One person found this helpful
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Pronob Mukerji
5.0 out of 5 stars The Joy Ancient History Gives Us..
Reviewed in India on November 22, 2019
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For those of us who are genuinely fascinated with life in the ancient world, this book is a must read. Paul Kriwaczek gives a memorable account of how Mesopotamians as a people built a thriving civilization around themselves that flourished in trade and commerce, in the arts, in agriculture, sculpture, and pretty much every other aspect of life. Just like Rome was not built in a day, neither was Babylon. More so, Rome, Byzantium and Persia followed the footsteps of Babylon, the undisputedly most progressive city in the ancient world.

Each of the kings from Gilgamesh to Cyrus of Persia is a fascinating character in the book.

Read for the sheer joy of it.
2 people found this helpful
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Giovanni
3.0 out of 5 stars Sconsigliato al lettore medio, troppi riferimenti politico-ideologici.
Reviewed in Italy on February 13, 2018
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Il libro in sé è frutto di ricerca ed è esposto in chiave semplice, pertanto la lettura risulta scorrevole anche ai non madrelingua senza difficoltà. Tuttavia, mi vedo costretto a dare un voto medio poiché il testo contiene troppi accenni all ideologia e al pensiero politico Dell autore, certamente non richiesti in un saggio che dovrebbe essere puramente storico. Trovo insopportabile il modo in cui le idee sono poi esposte, subdolamente e facendo credere al lettore che il suo pensiero sia quello degli antichi popoli della Mesopotamia. Personalmente non sono nato ieri e si difendermi dalle scemenze con cui molti oggi infestano eventi storici... Lo stesso però non vale per il lettore medio.
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Giovanni
3.0 out of 5 stars Sconsigliato al lettore medio, troppi riferimenti politico-ideologici.
Reviewed in Italy on February 13, 2018
Il libro in sé è frutto di ricerca ed è esposto in chiave semplice, pertanto la lettura risulta scorrevole anche ai non madrelingua senza difficoltà. Tuttavia, mi vedo costretto a dare un voto medio poiché il testo contiene troppi accenni all ideologia e al pensiero politico Dell autore, certamente non richiesti in un saggio che dovrebbe essere puramente storico. Trovo insopportabile il modo in cui le idee sono poi esposte, subdolamente e facendo credere al lettore che il suo pensiero sia quello degli antichi popoli della Mesopotamia. Personalmente non sono nato ieri e si difendermi dalle scemenze con cui molti oggi infestano eventi storici... Lo stesso però non vale per il lettore medio.
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MR ROMAIN BERARD
5.0 out of 5 stars A very good book
Reviewed in France on June 10, 2015
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Very well written, the subject is fascinating. I did not know that much about Mesopotamia before reading this book, especially taht they had tried so many different systems or that they were so closely related to our present day ideas, techniques and myths.
One person found this helpful
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