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Ancient Assyria: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) Illustrated Edition

by Karen Radner (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 75 ratings
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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.
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  1. ISBN-10
    0198715900
  2. ISBN-13
    978-0198715900
  3. Edition
    Illustrated
  4. Publisher
    Oxford University Press
  5. Publication date
    May 1, 2015
  6. Language
    English
  7. Dimensions
    1.1 x 8.4 x 10.9 inches
  8. Print length
    160 pages
  9. See all details
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From the Publisher

very short introducations, introductions, comprehensive
very short introductions, VSI, key features, concise, exper authors, analysis, grow your knowledge
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Introductory, readable, no footnotes. Excellent for the general reader seeking a starting point." -- Ancient East & West

"An incredibly succinct and valuable introduction to ancient Assyria. . . I highly recommend this book." - Ancient History Encyclopedia

Book Description

Delve into rich Assyrian culture, one of the most socially diverse and influential kingdoms of its time.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oxford University Press; Illustrated edition (May 1, 2015)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 160 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0198715900
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0198715900
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 1.1 x 8.4 x 10.9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 75 ratings

About the author

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Karen Radner

Karen Radner

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Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
75 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Assyria Comes to Life
Reviewed in the United States on November 22, 2015
Verified Purchase
This book brought this lost culture to life in a way that was fascinating and even contemporaneous in an odd way. I thin anyone interested in the Fertile Crescent cultures would greatly enjoy this.
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David I. Williams
4.0 out of 5 stars Brief, yet informative
Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2016
Verified Purchase
This short book is very well written and is an excellent introduction to the world of Ancient Assyria. It is written for a general audience. Having a little background is always helpful, but not necessary.
One person found this helpful
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Perry L. Marrs
5.0 out of 5 stars Welcome to Assyria!
Reviewed in the United States on October 10, 2017
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Very well written and concise.
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DAVID E WILLARD
5.0 out of 5 stars Very pleased.
Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2016
Verified Purchase
Received promptly. Very pleased.
One person found this helpful
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howboy
3.0 out of 5 stars Informative, but...
Reviewed in the United States on October 29, 2018
Verified Purchase
...not a fun read. Tons of well researched information, but this isn't a book you will curl up with. At no time did I feel like ancient Assyrian life was coming alive for me. Scholarly & dry.
3 people found this helpful
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David Kaplan
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2017
Verified Purchase
Great overview
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Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Good book. Occasionally it was a bit hard to ...
Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2015
Verified Purchase
Good book. Occasionally it was a bit hard to follow as it jumps around a rather large chunk of history. I'd recommend reading "The Ancient Near East, A VSI" first.
3 people found this helpful
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Robert Rice
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in the United States on July 22, 2015
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Very informative
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Top reviews from other countries

Dr. R. H. Webber
5.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive despite being a short introduction
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 28, 2022
Verified Purchase
The author, an acknowledged expert on the subject has taken an interesting approach of choosing the main city sites of the Assyrians that we know about and covering these in detail including stories from seals that have been translated. You learn a lot in a very few pages.
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Sbo
4.0 out of 5 stars Informative, accessible, pleasant to read
Reviewed in France on January 1, 2017
Verified Purchase
This is an excellent overview of Ancient Assyria's history and its key cultural and structural characteristics. The book is altogether informative, concise, and very accessible, while being written in a pleasant style, with occasional touches of gentle humour.

We learn about the Assyrian heartland and its growing territory, the tumultuous relationships with some important neighbours such as Babylon, Elam or Egypt. Religion is covered too: cult and temple to god Assur, importance of divination practices, the location of the family tomb and archive underneath the family home.
Are also covered--- among other subjects!--- the use of cuneiform script on tablets and of additional languages and scripts over time, the army's evolution and structure, or the state's organisation with innovations such as a royal communication network with road stations.
A section deals with the carefully planned, ongoing "relocalisation" of the empire's population in a circular scheme, as well as how it was considered (by the rulers at least!). Several Assyrians are portrayed in their homes or doing business, sometimes in far away trading colonies. I found particularly interesting and lively the presentation of a wine import company. Scholars, slaves and eunuchs are mentioned too.

In short, a quite large range of subjects are cleverly introduced in just 112 pages interspersed with a few well chosen black-and-white illustrations.
Unfortunately, the place names on the only map of Assyria (in the 7th century BC) are so small that I couldn't decipher them. More maps would be welcome, esp. if placed adequately where territorial conquests or trading colonies are mentioned rather than at the end, but those choices might depend on the publisher rather than on Pr Radner, and maps can be found on the internet.

Quite interestingly, the author mentions some sources (archaeological, visual and textual), with occasional stories on how and where they were found or what helped preserve them. She also refers to some 19-20th century archaeologists who excavated Assyrian sites.
A timeline can be found at the end of the book. References ordered by chapters and themes inside the chapters, plus an index make the book usable as a reference. There is also a further reading section (books, websites).
2 people found this helpful
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David Deviney
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in Canada on May 25, 2015
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very brief ...
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Angharad Gask
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 17, 2015
Verified Purchase
Very entertaining introduction, esp to the width of topics covered by the cuneiform.texts
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