In Search of the First Civilizations

New
Paperback
2005
$16.45

Five thousand years ago there began the most momentous revolution in human history. Starting in Mesopotamia, city civilization emerged for the first time on earth, to be followed in Egypt, India, China and the Americas. The ideals of these ancient civilizations still shape the lives of the majority of mankind. In Search of the First Civilizations (previously published as Legacy) asks the intriguing question: what is civilization? Did it mean the same to the Chinese, the Indians and the Greeks? What can the values of the ancient cultures teach us today? And do the ideals of the West - a latecomer to civilization - really have universal validity? In this fascinating historical search, Michael Wood explores these ancient cultures, looking for their essential character and their continuing legacy. A brilliant exploration. - Sunday Times . Well-written, gorgeous and guaranteed to induce thought...Wood takes great care to put everything in a large historical perspective, which is actually more disturbing than comforting. - New York Post .

Synopsis

Five thousand years ago there began the most momentous revolution in human history. Starting in Mesopotamia, city civilization emerged for the first time on earth, to be followed in Egypt, India, China and the Americas. The ideals of these ancient civilizations still shape the lives of the majority of mankind. "In Search of the First Civilizations" (previously published as Legacy) asks the intriguing question: what is civilization? Did it mean the same to the Chinese, the Indians and the Greeks? What can the values of the ancient cultures teach us today? And do the ideals of the West - a latecomer to civilization - really have universal validity? In this fascinating historical search, Michael Wood explores these ancient cultures, looking for their essential character and their continuing legacy. "A brilliant exploration." - "Sunday Times". "Well-written, gorgeous and guaranteed to induce thought...Wood takes great care to put everything in a large historical perspective, which is actually more disturbing than comforting." - "New York Post".

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More Information

Format: Paperback
Pages: 224
Edition: First Thus
Publisher: BBC Books
Published: 07 Apr 2005
ISBN 10: 0563522666
ISBN 13: 9780563522669
Book Overview: Michael Wood explores ancient cultures to answer the intriguing question of what is civilization?

Author Bio

Michael Wood is a highly acclaimed, best-selling author and TV presenter, as well as a regular contributor to BBC History magazine. The BBC have published Michael's previous TV tie-in titles: In Search of the Dark Ages, In Search of the Trojan War, Domesday, In the Footsteps of Alexander the Great, Conquistadors and In Search of Shakespeare. Michael Wood was born in Manchester and was educated at Manchester Grammar School and Oriel College, Oxford, where he went on to do post-graduate research in Anglo-Saxon history. He has worked as a journalist, broadcaster and film-maker with over fifty documentary films to his name, the most recent of which is the acclaimed BBC television series Conquistadors and In Search of Shakespeare. Other recent films by Michael include Legacy and Saddam's Killing Fields, an account of the destruction of the Marsh Arabs of southern Iraq.