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Assyria: The Rise and Fall of the World’s First Empire
Book Review ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ by Richard Tuttle

Assyria: The Rise and Fall of the World’s First Empire

Eckart Frahm's Assyria: The Rise and Fall of the World's First Empire is a remarkable scholarly work and a masterful exploration of one of the most intriguing and influential civilizations of the ancient world. Through meticulous research...
The Fall of Carthage: The Punic Wars 265-146 BC
Book Review ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ by Brett F. Woods

The Fall of Carthage: The Punic Wars 265-146 BC

“No Roman or Carthaginian could have dreamed in 264 that their states were about to embark on a twenty-four-year struggle which would involve huge casualties, still less that it would be the first of three wars between the two peoples” (65...
American Vikings: How the Norse Sailed into the Lands and Imaginations of America
Book Review ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ by Jonah Trimnal

American Vikings: How the Norse Sailed into the Lands and Imaginations of America

In a globalized world, the convergence of different nationalities and cultures often transforms societal notions of a shared identity. This sometimes results in debates regarding history, heritage, and cultural belonging, which make their...
Destroying to Replace: Settler Genocides of Indigenous Peoples
Book Review ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ by Benjamin Harris

Destroying to Replace: Settler Genocides of Indigenous Peoples

Historical works on settler colonialism and genocide are voluminous, but there are relatively few, if any, works of synthesis geared to advanced high school and undergraduate students. Happily, the author Mohamed Adhikari, Professor of History...
Atalanta
Book Review ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ by Jan van der Crabben

Atalanta

There are several versions of Atalanta's story in Greek mythology, and Jennifer Saint, known for writing mythology-based novels, chose to build her story around the most compelling elements that make for a very engaging story to a modern...
Dangerous Gifts: Imperialism, Security, and Civil Wars in the Levant, 1798-1864
Book Review ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ by Michael Avanzato

Dangerous Gifts: Imperialism, Security, and Civil Wars in the Levant, 1798-1864

As Assistant Professor of History at Utrecht University, Ozan Ozavci focuses on the twilight of the Ottoman Empire, a period when its European rivals intervened, economically and militarily, in Ottoman affairs. As a professor of Transimperial...
Christ's Samurai: The True Story of the Shimabara Rebellion
Book Review ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ by Matthew Allison

Christ's Samurai: The True Story of the Shimabara Rebellion

The plight of 16-year-old Jerome Amakusa, the supposed leader of the rebellion, and the rebels who accompanied him are at once instantly recognisable to contemporary readers, and yet they were alien, by design, to the populace of Edo Period...
Arcadian Days: Gods, Women, and Men from Greek Myths
Book Review ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ by Kelly Macquire

Arcadian Days: Gods, Women, and Men from Greek Myths

John Spurling has crafted a lyrical retelling of some well-known Greek myths, weaving these seemingly disparate stories together with subtle themes. The most prominent common factor throughout this collection is that each retelling features...
Since Time Immemorial: Native Custom and Law in Colonial Mexico
Book Review ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ by Noah Zachary

Since Time Immemorial: Native Custom and Law in Colonial Mexico

In Since Time Immemorial, Emory University history professor Yanna Yannakakis explores the meaning of a specific word at a specific time – "custom" – and what it meant during Spain's rule over Mexico. As Spanish leaders sought to consolidate...
Elektra: A Novel
Book Review ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ by Kelly Macquire

Elektra: A Novel

Elektra by Jennifer Saint is a novel retelling numerous popular tales from Greek mythology, including Paris of Troy stealing away Helen of Sparta, the Trojan War in response to this disrespect to Menelaus, and the aftermath of Agamemnon's...
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