Amanda H. Podany is Professor and Chair of History at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. She is the author of the award-winning book Brotherhood of Kings: How International Relations Shaped the Ancient Near East as well as a number of other books and articles on topics in ancient Near Eastern history.

The book is a short, comprehensive and accessible way to first get in touch with a new subject...[It] can be useful for readers who do not know anything about the aforementioned region and its history, such as first term students.

• List of illustrations ; Note on translations ; Acknowledgments ; 1 Archaeology and environment ; 2 The beginning of cities, 3600-2900 BCE ; 3 The Early Dynastic period, 2900-2340 BCE ; 4 The Akkadian empire, 2334-2112 BCE ; 5 The Third Dynasty of Ur, 2112-2026 BCE ; 6 The old Assyrian colonies, 1950-1740 BCE ; 7. The Old Babylonian period, 2017-1595 BCE ; 8. The Late Bronze Age, 1595-1155 BCE ; 9. The Neo-Assyrian empire, 972-612 BCE ; 10. The Neo-Babylonian empire, 612-539 BCE ; Chronology ; References ; Further reading ; Index

Amanda H. Podany is Professor and Chair of History at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. She is the author of the award-winning book Brotherhood of Kings: How International Relations Shaped the Ancient Near East as well as a number of other books and articles on topics in ancient Near Eastern history.

The book is a short, comprehensive and accessible way to first get in touch with a new subject...[It] can be useful for readers who do not know anything about the aforementioned region and its history, such as first term students.

• List of illustrations ; Note on translations ; Acknowledgments ; 1 Archaeology and environment ; 2 The beginning of cities, 3600-2900 BCE ; 3 The Early Dynastic period, 2900-2340 BCE ; 4 The Akkadian empire, 2334-2112 BCE ; 5 The Third Dynasty of Ur, 2112-2026 BCE ; 6 The old Assyrian colonies, 1950-1740 BCE ; 7. The Old Babylonian period, 2017-1595 BCE ; 8. The Late Bronze Age, 1595-1155 BCE ; 9. The Neo-Assyrian empire, 972-612 BCE ; 10. The Neo-Babylonian empire, 612-539 BCE ; Chronology ; References ; Further reading ; Index

Amanda H. Podany is Professor and Chair of History at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. She is the author of the award-winning book Brotherhood of Kings: How International Relations Shaped the Ancient Near East as well as a number of other books and articles on topics in ancient Near Eastern history.

The book is a short, comprehensive and accessible way to first get in touch with a new subject...[It] can be useful for readers who do not know anything about the aforementioned region and its history, such as first term students.

• List of illustrations ; Note on translations ; Acknowledgments ; 1 Archaeology and environment ; 2 The beginning of cities, 3600-2900 BCE ; 3 The Early Dynastic period, 2900-2340 BCE ; 4 The Akkadian empire, 2334-2112 BCE ; 5 The Third Dynasty of Ur, 2112-2026 BCE ; 6 The old Assyrian colonies, 1950-1740 BCE ; 7. The Old Babylonian period, 2017-1595 BCE ; 8. The Late Bronze Age, 1595-1155 BCE ; 9. The Neo-Assyrian empire, 972-612 BCE ; 10. The Neo-Babylonian empire, 612-539 BCE ; Chronology ; References ; Further reading ; Index