Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by pam_d
1177 B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed by Eric H. Cline
4.0
I came to this book with the idea that this would be a bit of an epic about the end of the Bronze age. I viewed it as a good introduction to the time period since I'm know very little about it. And to be fair the description of the book seems to reinforce that impression. The reality is similar to taking a grad level course while still trying to muddle through the first chapter in the intro course. Really, I don't recommend this to anyone who is unfamiliar with the place and time because you will struggle. Many times I nearly put it down, sometimes just getting through a few pages before leaving it for a while and coming back. I know I simply didn't get a lot of it.
So what IS this book? It is a very dense (wondering if he had a page limit because the editing is tight!) informative and well written narrative of the current state of scholarship concerning the final years of the Bronze age in the Mediterranean. If this is your interest area this book would be a must read. I wish it had been 3 times longer - although that is probably my need for a more introductory text talking. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because it was a tough slog for me. But recognize the deficiency is on the part of the reader and not the book.
So what IS this book? It is a very dense (wondering if he had a page limit because the editing is tight!) informative and well written narrative of the current state of scholarship concerning the final years of the Bronze age in the Mediterranean. If this is your interest area this book would be a must read. I wish it had been 3 times longer - although that is probably my need for a more introductory text talking. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because it was a tough slog for me. But recognize the deficiency is on the part of the reader and not the book.