The Anvil of Civilization written by Leonard Cottrell is a very well-written book about ancient civilizations. This is an archaeological history of the earliest Egyptains, Hittites, Sumerians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Greeks and Jews.

What we call the cradle of culture today involved Egypt, Sumeria, Babylon, Assyria, Crete... the Hebrews, Phoenicians, Persians, and the Greeks... these are the countries and peoples whose amazing accomplishments in developing advanced forms of art and architecture, ingenious methods of warfare, and lofty religious concepts are what is found in the book.

The Western world was profoundly influenced by the developments in this part of the world. Here log buried secrets of antiquity are found, as we begin to see how daily life and culture were part of this world. The author takes through the archaeology and we begin to appreciate the ancients, their religion , rulers and conquests.

This book is an excellent summation and has photo illustrations that helps bring details to the narrative. This is a nice little book about early civilization that is lucid and cogent and to the point.

And indeed this entire book is filled with wonderful, fascinating things. We are with pioneer archaeologists as they dig through fifty centuries of time. We travel to
ancient Thebes, the Royal Valley, City of the Sun King. We learn how, after 4,600 years, the royal tomb of the Giza Pyramids was discovered, excavated, and
reconstructed-and what happened to those who dared to penetrate its secrets. We are witness to the incredible vision that greeted members of the Carter-Lord
Carnarvon expedition as they entered the perfectly preserved tomb of King Tut. Did his mummy really hold a curse? We read about the modern-day professor, who
upon entering a rich and ornate royal tomb found in the dust ou the floor footprints of the last person to leave-3,250 years ago!

Here is the world's most exciting detective story, told by a master reporter and Egyptologist, and filled with the adventures of those who were the first to unravel the
mysteries of this ancient
land. No one will ever know the real secret of the Sphinx, but modern archaeologists can tell us about the strange and fascinating people who built it.

THE LOST PHARAOHS takes you on an unforgettable journey along the Nile. Here is a civilization which has vanished and been recaptured, in our own time and on
these pages.

In search for material for his books on Ancient Egypt Leonard Cottrell has traveled nearly half a million miles. It is this on-the-spot reporting that makes his books
"come alive," even though he may be writing about a civilization 5,000 years old!

Born in Wolverhampton, England, in 1914, Mr. Cottrell is a senior writer and producer with the feature department of tine B.B.C. During the war he was a foreign
correspondent attached to the R.A.F. in the Mediterranean area.
Mr. Cottrell's devotion to the study of archaeology and history culminated in a highly praised B.B.C. series on Ancient Egypt. His several books on the ancient world
have received high critical acclaim both in England and the United States.

This book is perfect for those who want detail, but not to the extreme. In an attempt to get a better understanding of Hannibal the author goes for his own trek across the alps (albiet he is driving and has no elephants). It is not a long read and is very well written. Ideal for those who need an introduction to Hannibal.

Very good first hand account of Hannibal's journey. Well written, detailed, and packed with info. Great Read.

I read this book a few years ago and what I liked about it most was the authors ability to catch the reader in the momentum of the events that are taking place. Only the heartless are not hoping even in the face of this tragedy that Hannibal will win through and not be defeated. Also because the author is not writing what is to be a scholarly work he speculates in a manner which is very enjoyable making the book more readable. If you have never read anything about Hannibal but have always been interested I highly recommend this book.