Egypt, Greece, and Rome: Civilizations of the Ancient Mediterranean
With this volume, Freeman (The Ancient Greeks, Oxford Univ., 1996) has written a useful introduction to three significant ancient civilizations of the Mediterranean littoral. While some may question the inclusion of Egyptian civilization in a volume largely surveying classical civilization, the author persuasively presents Egypt and the ancient Near East as strong influences, if not precursors, of classical civilization. Although most recent volumes of the ancient world have been anthologies (e.g., The Oxford History of the Classical World, Oxford Univ., 1986), with different specialists responsible for contributing chapters, Freeman elected to consult various specialists in ancient history when composing his work but assumes sole responsibility for the final presentation. Acknowledging that ancient studies are not free of controversies, the author unfortunately does not feel that a survey volume of this type is the right forum in which to air them. Still, this work is a useful introduction to the ancient Mediterranean civilizations. Highly recommended for public and academic libraries.?Robert J. Andrews, Duluth P.L., Minn.Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.