I started reading this in November 2024 and it took me two months to complete it. That's a little longer than usual for me with a book but this was an unusual reading experience. This book covered a vast amount of history of a very interesting part of the world. I needed to put it down periodically to contemplate and absorb what I read. I was also reading several other books during that same period.
This book was a history of the Middle East spanning thousands of years where civilization was born and where the East met the West and clashed. It was a story of religions and their impact on humanity. It's about Iraq but also way beyond it. It was a very well written book but really made me think about those times and places. From Turkey to Iran and beyond. Covering 5 thousand years on 500 pages was quite the challenge.
I had read some books over the years on Islam but I think I learned more about the actual culture of that religion here than anywhere else. It was a fascinating history of the Muslim conquest of the region.
Overall a very readable and interesting history. I should add that I've several other histories of the region over the years so I was familiar with most of what was covered here.
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