Assyria was one of the most influential kingdoms of the Ancient Near East. In this Very Short Introduction; Karen Radner sketches the history of Assyria from city state to empire; from the early 2nd millennium BC to the end of the 7th century BC. Since the archaeological rediscovery of Assyria in the mid-19th century; its cities have been excavated extensively in Iraq; Syria; Turkey and Israel; with further sites in Iran; Lebanon; and Jordan providing important information. The Assyrian Empire was one of the most geographically vast; socially diverse; multicultural; and multi-ethnic states of the early first millennium BC. Using archaeological records; Radner provides insights into the lives of the inhabitants of the kingdom; highlighting the diversity of human experiences in the Assyrian Empire.ABOUT THE SERIES:The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts; analysis; perspective; new ideas; and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
#3539029 in Books 2010-08-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 5.60 x .40 x 8.40l; .44 #File Name: 0198069316300 pages
Review
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Good with one faultBy Mahendra AnÄgÄrikaThis is a good informative book about Bodh Gaya. One of the biggest issue I cam across was that the author was acting as an apologist for the Muslin invasion; desecration and destruction of Bodh Gaya and other Buddhist; Hindu and Jain Temples; Viharas; and other religious establishments. For example; author raises the question whether Bakhtiar Khilji ever burnt Odantapuri (and/or Nalanda and/or Bodh Gaya). As an academician; I would simply refer the author to the A. K. Warder's classic book "Indian Buddhism"; which accurately portrays the impact of Muslim invasions on Buddhism in India and provides documented evidence from Tibetan tourist in 13th century about what was happening at Nalanda - attacks from Muslim army near by. One wonders what the Muslim army nearby was doing and if they didn't do anything to Nalanda; did it burn because of a lightning strike or some other accident? Other than that apologist attitude that is also portrayed at the end; all in all; this is a good book to read to get a wider perspective on Bodh Gaya.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Pictures are poor and are not linked to relevant textBy philbertkPoorly Organized. Pictures are poor and are not linked to relevant text. Minimal historical context.
