His Majesty being powerful, his heart stout, none could stand before him.. All his territory was ablaze with fire, and he burned every foriegn country with his hot breath. Egyptian Pharaoh Ramesses II.
The bowmen of His Majesty spent six hours of destruction among them. They were delivered to the sword. Egyptian Pharaoh Merneptah.
May my father know the enemy ships came. My cities were burned and evil things were done in my country. King of the city of Ugarit to the king of Cyprus.
Since there is famine in your house we will starve to death...The living soul of your country you will see no longer. To a Hittite offical stationed in Ugarit.
Israel is laid waste, his seed is not. Pharaoh Merneptah.
Pharaoh's chariots and his army He cast into the Sea...Book of Exodus.
Egypt was adrift and every man was thrown out of his right. There was no leader for years..Pharaoh Ramesses IV.
As they (the Sea Peoples) were coming forward toward Egypt, their hearts relying upon their hands, a net was prepared for them....My strong arm has overthrown those who came to exalt themselves. Pharaoh Ramesses III.
[of the Greeks These were destroyed by their own hands and passed to the dank house of chill Hades. Greek writer Hesiod.
Returning to Luxor, Egypt, by Nile ship. The author has visited many of the significant archaeological sites mentioned in this book.
Front cover, top, Troy VI by Lloyd K. Townsend, bottom, Pharaoh Thotmose IV.
Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: - Whose Who in the Bronze Age
This book is only tangentially concerned with the Near East Bronze Age as it waxed and waned in the Fertile Crescent (Iraq, Jordan, Israel, and Egypt) as well as its cultural extensions into the Anatolian highlands and the Aegean Region (including Greece). And it is not focused on the "Collapse of the Bronze Age." As Robbins makes clear the Bronze Age of the Near East transitioned into the Iron Age imperceptibly and, to the people involved seamlessly. Rather the book has a number of interesting stories ... Read More
Rating: - Could have been better
This could have been written better. Too much redundancy to make for an enjoyable read and it draws conclusions rather weakly. Its section on Israel relies far too much on biblical historic inaccuracies to prove some points - very biased, even although he lists more modern archaeological writings in the bibliography. This book is probably not worth the price which is a shame, as such a broad review would have had value.
Rating: - Bronze Age
Fairly well written book that attempts to cover a wide array of events, places, and peoples. It is not quite as detailed as I would like, but it is a good book for the reader who desires a fairly detailed general description of the Bronze Age collapse. The author gives different theories and their strengths and weaknesses, and he admitts that there is still too little evidence to fully support any one theory.
Rating: - Great companion piece to "Islands in the Sea of Time" series
I used this book as a reference-companion while reading S. M. Stirling's "Islands in the Sea of Time" alternate history trilogy. After I started reading the series, I found I did not know as much about the late bronze age as I thought I did. I don't suppose that should have been a big surprise, but it was. A friend loaned me his copy of "Collapse of the Bronze Age"; it made all the difference. Granted, Stirling's fictional account (of modern-day Natucket, plus some Coast Guard ships, being snatched ... Read More
Rating: - Readable, enlightening, and a great story.
When I first got this I thought it looked like an overgrown class handout. Production values look like a good quality xerox copy self-published. The content is wonderful, however. This book is a great introduction. It's a very readable, accessible, narration of attempts to piece together the mystery of a fascinating period. Coverage spans the Mediterranean with focus on Hittite, Mycenaen, Minoan, Cannanite, Assyrian, and Egyptian cultures. The end of the Bronze Age covers a period where the the whole ... Read More
- Whose Who in the Bronze Age
- Readable, enlightening, and a great story.
