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Zenobia - Birth of a Legend
Book Review by Julie Wallace

Zenobia - Birth of a Legend

In the 3rd century a girl of uncommon abilities was born in the desert wilderness of Syria. Rescued from death by her courageous mother, Zenobia masqueraded as a boy to stay alive. She grew up to become one of the toughest, deadliest women...
Incidents of Travel in Yucatan, Vols. I and II (Cosimo Classics)
Book Review by Joshua J. Mark

Incidents of Travel in Yucatan, Vols. I and II (Cosimo Classics)

The names of John Lloyd Stephens and Frederick Catherwood are forever linked to the Maya and Mayan studies as the two great explorers who documented the ruins from Copan in the south to Chichen Itza in the north. The stories told by Stephens...
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Book Review by Joshua J. Mark

Lost Kingdoms of the Maya

The Maya of Mexico and Central America have continuously inhabited the lands comprising modern-day Yucatan, Quintana Roo, Campeche, Tabasco, and Chiapas in Mexico and southward through Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador and Honduras. The `Mysterious...
Popol Vuh: The Definitive Edition of The Mayan Book of The Dawn of Life and The Glories of Gods and Kings
Book Review by Joshua J. Mark

Popol Vuh: The Definitive Edition of The Mayan Book of The Dawn of Life and The Glories of Gods and Kings

The Popol Vuh is a religious text of the Maya people. Written down between 1701 and 1703 by the Spanish priest Francisco Ximenez, from much older source material, the book tells the story of the creation of the world, of human beings, and...
The Hidden Life of the Ancient Maya
Book Review by Joshua J. Mark

The Hidden Life of the Ancient Maya

The Hidden Life of the Ancient Maya by Clare Gibson is a very comprehensive and easy to read volume which covers key aspects of the Maya Civilization. Beautiful photographs of Mayan art and architecture accompany the text which provides accurate...
Ancilla to Pre-Socratic Philosophers
Book Review by Joshua J. Mark

Ancilla to Pre-Socratic Philosophers

Kathleen Freeman was a writer who paid close attention to detail and was able to bring the past alive through her prose (as in her The Greek City States which is a personal favorite and highly recommended). In her Ancilla to Pre-Socratic...
Ancient Rome
Book Review ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ by Joshua J. Mark

Ancient Rome

Originally a small town on the banks of the Tiber River, Rome grew in size and strength through trade. The location of the city provided merchants with an easily navigable waterway on which to traffic their goods. Greek culture and civilization...
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Book Review by Joshua J. Mark

Athens: From Ancient Ideal to Modern City

Mr. Robin Waterfield's Athens: From Ancient Ideal to Modern City is an excellent work. Whether one is a scholar of the ancient world or simply has an interest in Greek history, this book rewards one's time and effort. The history reads like...
First Writers-The Sumerians: They Wrote On Clay
Book Review by James Bowden

First Writers-The Sumerians: They Wrote On Clay

I am a professor of History and Humanities and a specialist in Sumer and Akkad. I purchased this book in preparation of a lecture that I was going to deliver to a group of people. I was immediately disappointed in fact returned the book two...
The Oxford Handbook of the Bronze Age Aegean (Oxford Handbooks)
Book Review ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ by Mark Cartwright

The Oxford Handbook of the Bronze Age Aegean (Oxford Handbooks)

At nearly a thousand pages this is a titan of a book covering 3000 to 1000BC. This period includes two of the Mediterranean's most influential civilizations - the Minoan and Mycenaean. This volume is a compilation of more than sixty specially...
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