--- product_id: 4226350 title: "Babylon: Mesopotamia and the Birth of Civilization" price: "VT6748" currency: VUV in_stock: true reviews_count: 10 url: https://www.desertcart.vu/products/4226350-babylon-mesopotamia-and-the-birth-of-civilization store_origin: VU region: Vanuatu --- # Babylon: Mesopotamia and the Birth of Civilization **Price:** VT6748 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Babylon: Mesopotamia and the Birth of Civilization - **How much does it cost?** VT6748 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.vu](https://www.desertcart.vu/products/4226350-babylon-mesopotamia-and-the-birth-of-civilization) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Babylon: Mesopotamia and the Birth of Civilization [Kriwaczek, Paul] on desertcart.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Babylon: Mesopotamia and the Birth of Civilization Review: This is an excellent survey of ancient Mesopotamian civilisation - This is an excellent survey of ancient Mesopotamian civilisation, from its beginnings 5000 years ago until the occupation of Babylon by Cyrus of Persia. Kriwaczek writes in an erudite journalistic style that is a pleasure to read. The author uses major historical events to provide a kind of narrative tension, and between these he draws on many different sources to recreate detailed impresssions of ancient daily life, including excerpts from the actual stories, myths, epic poems and letters preserved on steles and clay tablets. The result is a remarkably well paced overview of human civilisation as an arc, passing through different societies over thousands of years. The book itself is a very satisfying read, but it also concludes with a long annotated reading list, for those want to explore specific topics in more detail. * Note that the Kindle edition has all of the maps (there are 8 of them) but none of the photo illustrations, which is really a pity. And I can't imagine why it should have been so difficult to include them: even a low-res black & white photo would be enough to give first-timers like me an idea of what a ziggurat looks like, for example. But the text of the book still reads well enough without them. Review: The Driest Four Stars I have Issued - Much of the book was dry and hard to digest. It was excellent. I don't think this was the author's fault, though. It is subject matter. The author had a writing style I really liked. He had both philosophical and psychological insight. Additionally, the book filled so many gaps in my knowledge of ancient history that I lost count. He did rush through the latter part, the part on Assyria, and I thank God that he did. The character of Assyria does not fit with the over-all character of millennia of Mesopotamian history. Overall, the story of Sumer, really over half the text of the book, was fascinating, as was the story of Babylon. If you are looking for a book with lots of tales of titillating battles and military strategy, then this is definitely not the book for you. There is very little of that. This book deals with archeological discoveries, some of them quite revealing and quite amazing, and with the philosophical and politically strategic patterns in history prior the "Story of the Greeks and Persians." It discusses ancient Mesopotamian Law and sense of Justice, sociology and religious philosophy. It discussing what we know about these and more importantly, how we know. It correlates the study to modern times, to Biblical Times and to relevant similar times throughout history. One review of a book I read about Ancient Macedonia criticized that author's lack of "insight," because the reviewer did not feel that the author delved deeply enough into the underlying thought patterns of the time. No one would ever make such a charge against the author of this work. One such example is his analysis of the origins of modern day monotheism and religious misogyny that was partially borne in Assyria, and how, with the changing view of what the role of God was and what his relationship to humans is, it was inevitable (that discussion, the best part of the book, begins on page 225 if you are truly interested). ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #40,345 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #4 in Iraq History (Books) #5 in Assyria, Babylonia & Sumer History #37 in History of Civilization & Culture | | Customer Reviews | 4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars (1,032) | | Dimensions | 6 x 0.75 x 9 inches | | Edition | Illustrated | | ISBN-10 | 1250054168 | | ISBN-13 | 978-1250054166 | | Item Weight | 1 pounds | | Language | English | | Print length | 338 pages | | Publication date | March 27, 2012 | | Publisher | St. Martin's Griffin | ## Images ![Babylon: Mesopotamia and the Birth of Civilization - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71nETmd1mIL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This is an excellent survey of ancient Mesopotamian civilisation *by U***R on June 20, 2018* This is an excellent survey of ancient Mesopotamian civilisation, from its beginnings 5000 years ago until the occupation of Babylon by Cyrus of Persia. Kriwaczek writes in an erudite journalistic style that is a pleasure to read. The author uses major historical events to provide a kind of narrative tension, and between these he draws on many different sources to recreate detailed impresssions of ancient daily life, including excerpts from the actual stories, myths, epic poems and letters preserved on steles and clay tablets. The result is a remarkably well paced overview of human civilisation as an arc, passing through different societies over thousands of years. The book itself is a very satisfying read, but it also concludes with a long annotated reading list, for those want to explore specific topics in more detail. * Note that the Kindle edition has all of the maps (there are 8 of them) but none of the photo illustrations, which is really a pity. And I can't imagine why it should have been so difficult to include them: even a low-res black & white photo would be enough to give first-timers like me an idea of what a ziggurat looks like, for example. But the text of the book still reads well enough without them. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Driest Four Stars I have Issued *by A***S on March 22, 2015* Much of the book was dry and hard to digest. It was excellent. I don't think this was the author's fault, though. It is subject matter. The author had a writing style I really liked. He had both philosophical and psychological insight. Additionally, the book filled so many gaps in my knowledge of ancient history that I lost count. He did rush through the latter part, the part on Assyria, and I thank God that he did. The character of Assyria does not fit with the over-all character of millennia of Mesopotamian history. Overall, the story of Sumer, really over half the text of the book, was fascinating, as was the story of Babylon. If you are looking for a book with lots of tales of titillating battles and military strategy, then this is definitely not the book for you. There is very little of that. This book deals with archeological discoveries, some of them quite revealing and quite amazing, and with the philosophical and politically strategic patterns in history prior the "Story of the Greeks and Persians." It discusses ancient Mesopotamian Law and sense of Justice, sociology and religious philosophy. It discussing what we know about these and more importantly, how we know. It correlates the study to modern times, to Biblical Times and to relevant similar times throughout history. One review of a book I read about Ancient Macedonia criticized that author's lack of "insight," because the reviewer did not feel that the author delved deeply enough into the underlying thought patterns of the time. No one would ever make such a charge against the author of this work. One such example is his analysis of the origins of modern day monotheism and religious misogyny that was partially borne in Assyria, and how, with the changing view of what the role of God was and what his relationship to humans is, it was inevitable (that discussion, the best part of the book, begins on page 225 if you are truly interested). ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Substantial, worth reading. *by J***M on February 24, 2026* Quite well written. Worth owning. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.vu/products/4226350-babylon-mesopotamia-and-the-birth-of-civilization](https://www.desertcart.vu/products/4226350-babylon-mesopotamia-and-the-birth-of-civilization) --- *Product available on Desertcart Vanuatu* *Store origin: VU* *Last updated: 2026-05-05*