Another excellent addition to the many history books on the Middle East. Easy to read, and well written, this book both teaches and conjures up images of the past

Bartle Bull has expertly taken several thousand years of history and has contained it within a remarkably accessible narrative. Not once did I feel overwhelmed or tired, as has been the case with other historical reads - all the while I was deeply immersed and happily absorbing all that he had to share on a region that has been so central to humanity in a sweeping myriad of ways since the dawn of civilization.

This is a fantastic both that goes into the history of a region that more people should learn more about. It's well written and I learnt a lot.