Book Reviews

Another excellent book from the Oxford Handbook series with sixty-eight chapters arranged by theme, each written by a leading scholar in that particular field. Topics covered include literature, theatre, politics, philosophy, warfare, trade...

Yoga: The Art of Transformation, edited by Dr. Debra Diamond, Associate Curator of South and Southeast Asia art at the Smithsonian's Freer Sackler Gallery, is exhibition catalogue of the eponymous exhibit at the Freer Slacker Gallery (in...

The Oxford Handbook of Warfare in the Classical World has a hefty price tag but as a compendium of stand alone chapters, each written by an expert in their respective field, the information packed within its 900-odd pages offers good value...

Ancient Rome: A New History, by Dr. David Potter — Professor of Greek, Latin, and Roman history at the University of Michigan and an internationally recognized authority on the Roman Empire — narrates the spectacular evolution of Roman power...

Jorge Guillermo's Sibyls examines the fascinating phenomenon of oracles and prophetesses in the ancient world. Beginning with an overview of prophecy from earlier times and mankind's fascination with predicting future events, the book moves...

Herodotus: The Histories, translated by Robin Waterfield, is an excellent version of the famous work. As with all of Waterfield's translations, the prose is lively, easy to read, and instantly engaging. Some readers may be put off by a translation...

Shahnameh: The Epic of the Persian Kings, illustrated by Mr. Hamid Rahmanian, a noted filmmaker and graphic designer, and translated by Dr. Ahmad Sadri, Gorter Professor of Islamic World Studies and Professor of Sociology at Lake Forest College...

Handbook to Life in Ancient Mesopotamia by Professor Stephen Bertman is an indispensable treasure for anyone interested in the history of the Near East. The book is formatted for easy reference of topics ranging from the Geography of Mesopotamia...

The Ancient Near East: A Very Short Introduction by Professor Amanda H. Podany is a concise, but very comprehensive, work on the history of Mesopotamia. Part of the Very Short Introduction series from Oxford University Press, the book is...