Why Phil loves this book
For me, the book showed me a connected, globalised world in a historic period I would have never expected it - at least, not to this degree. Everybody knows advanced civilisations like the egyptians and has heard of the ancient greeks, but many others are unknown or known only by name for many. Cline not only presents these cultures to the reader, but also shines light on the connections between them, be it through war and conquest, marriage between royal houses, or - arguably most importantly - trade throughout the whole mediterranean.
Trade was the most surprising thing for me: more than 3000 years ago, ships went from greece via egypt to syria and turkey and back to greece with tons - literally thousands of kilos - of goods, such as tin, spices, oil, and cloth, to name a few.
Of course, a central theme is the downfall of these…
2 authors picked 1177 BC The Year Civilization Collapsed as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.
A bold reassessment of what caused the Late Bronze Age collapse
In 1177 B.C., marauding groups known only as the "Sea Peoples" invaded Egypt. The pharaoh's army and navy managed to defeat them, but the victory so weakened Egypt that it soon slid into decline, as did most of the surrounding civilizations. After centuries of brilliance, the civilized world of the Bronze Age came to an abrupt and cataclysmic end. Kingdoms fell like dominoes over the course of just a few decades. No more Minoans or Mycenaeans. No more Trojans, Hittites, or Babylonians. The thriving economy and cultures of the…
