2005-02-10 Excellent

Every once in a while I come across a book that surprises me with it excellence; this is one of those books. Professor Saggs (Professor of Semitic Languages, University College, Cardiff) begins this book with an in-depth history of Assyria, from pre-history through the rise of empire, and the final fall. Part 2 of the book is an encyclopedic look at the Assyrians themselves, covering everything from customs and daily life, through religion, medicine, art, warfare and literature. The final chapter is a look at the "rediscovery" of Assyria by Western archaeologists.

Now, what I hoped to express in the description above is that this book attempts to cover everything that was known about the Assyrians in 1984 (when the book was published), and this is does admirably. That is to say, though its reach is broad its grasp is surprisingly deep. Plus, in spite of the age of the book, it has held up very well, giving the reader a good understanding of the Assyrians. Also, though written as a textbook, this book is highly readable and very useful for the non-academic as well.

So, if you are interested in the ancient Assyrians, then I can recommend no resource more than this veritable work of art. I found this book extremely informative, and give it my highest recommendation.