A review by berenikeasteria
The Ancient Near East: History, Society and Economy by Mario Liverani

5.0

Well known as a classic of its field, Mario Liverani’s book was first published in 1988 in Italian, but proved to be so popular that it has been translated into several other languages for the use of students of the ancient near east, and an updated edition issued in 2013. I read the latest version, in English. I’m not sure you could ever call any book concerned with one particular region in history ‘definitive’ or ‘comprehensive’, since the scope is too impossibly vast to fit into one book. What I would call Liverani’s book, however, is thorough. By ‘near east’ it takes the eastern reaches of Mesopotamia to the western coastline of Anatolia, and from Urartu in the north to the Levant in the south, covering a time period from the nascent Bronze Age to the rise of the Persian empire across the entire region. Liverani begins each chapter by clearly explaining the historical events and engaging the reader, before going on to more complex concepts of the administrative, economic, and religious functioning of the state. In this way his writing style holds the attention as well as illuminating its particular subject. It is well worth the read for new students, and a re-read from experienced ancient near east historians too.

9 out of 10