Best Ancient History Books of 2025

Culture: The Story of Us, From Cave Art to K-Pop by Martin Puchner is a fascinating and engaging volume that takes readers on a global tour of the arts and humanities throughout history. Puchner explores the crucial passing down of knowledge and the integration of insights from the past and other cultures. From lost cities to ancient theaters, Puchner tells the gripping story of human achievement through our collective losses and rediscoveries, power plays and heroic journeys, innovations, imitations, and appropriations. This book is an archive of humanity's most monumental junctures and a guidebook for the future of us humans as a creative species. Highly recommended for those interested in the humanities and the history of human civilization.

Weavers, Scribes, and Kings: A New History of the Ancient Near East is a captivating journey through the life stories of ancient men and women, from kings and priestesses to merchants and bricklayers. Rather than focusing on rulers and states, Amanda Podany creates a tapestry of life stories that allows readers to understand the places of specific individuals in the broad history of events and institutions in the ancient Near East. This book is a masterpiece, written in a warm, conversational tone and using ancient texts and letters. It is a truly fascinating read that makes the ancient culture accessible and understandable.

Egyptian Mythology by Geraldine Pinch is a comprehensive guide to the gods, goddesses, and traditions of ancient Egypt. The author offers a detailed introduction to the belief system of this hidden world, covering the history of Egypt and the nature of myths. The book includes an A to Z section that covers the principal themes and concepts of Egyptian mythology as well as the most important deities, demons, and other characters. The author, an Egyptologist at the Oriental Institute of Oxford University, has done a great job of untangling the mystery of Egyptian mythology. Highly recommended for anyone interested in ancient Egyptian culture.

The Histories is a translation of Polybius' Histories, which is the major source for our knowledge of Rome's early rise to power. The book covers the years of the Second Punic War, the defeat of Hannibal, and Rome's pivotal victories in the Mediterranean. This new translation by Robin Waterfield includes the first five books in their entirety, and all of the fragmentary Books 6 and 12. The book also includes a lucid introduction by Brian McGing, notes, maps, a glossary, and an index of proper names. This new translation of Polybius will be a valuable resource for teachers and students of Polybius and Roman history.

The book "The Archaeology of Lucanian Cult Places: Fourth Century BC to the Early Imperial Age" by Ilaria Battiloro is an in-depth study of the historical and archaeological narrative of Lucanian cult places from their creation to the Late Republican Age. The author provides a detailed analysis of the archaeological record and places the sanctuaries within their territorial, political, social, and cultural context. The book offers insight into the development of sacred architecture and ritual customs in ancient Lucania and highlights the role of material evidence. The new evidence from recent archaeological investigations provides a better understanding of the dynamics of contact and interaction between Lucanians and Romans on the eve of the Roman conquest. Overall, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in ancient Roman history and archaeology.

The Collapse of Complex Societies, written by an archaeologist, is a thought-provoking book that explores the phenomenon of societal collapse throughout history. The author presents a new and comprehensive theory that accounts for the disintegration of diverse societies, using case studies of the Roman, Mayan, and Chacoan collapses. The book's strength lies in its ability to provide a framework for organizing and evaluating the evidence of collapse, accommodating all levels of complexity and all kinds of evidence. It deserves to be widely read as it modifies some of our views about early states and their collapse, mainly by using data.

Beginning Biblical Hebrew by Mark Futato is a concise and well-organized grammar book that provides a clear presentation of the language. Futato has done an excellent job of balancing the amount of information presented in each chapter to make it easily digestible for first-year learners. The exercises, which are taken from the Hebrew Bible, are also helpful in reinforcing the lessons learned. This book is a valuable resource for anyone interested in learning Biblical Hebrew. Overall, it is a well-written and thoughtfully designed book that is sure to please students and instructors alike.

Palatine: An Alternative History of the Caesars is a fascinating and entertaining read about the first imperial dynasty of ancient Rome, the Julio-Claudians. The author, David Stothard, introduces a cast of characters that are often overlooked in traditional Roman history books, from audacious slaves and lawyers-for-hire to chancer arrivistes and unhinged party animals. Through their stories, the book uncovers neglected truths about Rome's lasting legacy. The short, dynamic chapters and vivid prose make this well-researched book an absorbing saga of battles and banquets. Overall, Palatine is a unique and brilliant picture of the vibrant realities of life in the ancient world.

The New Roman Empire: A History of Byzantium is a comprehensive and groundbreaking exploration of the Eastern Roman Empire, from its founding in 324 AD to its fall to the Ottoman Turks in the 15th century. Written by Anthony Kaldellis, a renowned Professor of Classics at the University of Chicago, the book incorporates new findings and presents well-known historical characters and events in a new light. It covers political and military history, as well as major changes in religion, society, demography, and economy. The work is an essential read for anyone interested in ancient Roman history and the globalized world of the time.

This book, "Hermetica II: The Excerpts of Stobaeus, Papyrus Fragments, and Ancient Testimonies in an English Translation with Notes and Introduction" is a collection of translated fragments and testimonies regarding Hermes Thrice Great. It includes fragments from various authors and testimonies from thirty-eight authors. The translations are accompanied by introductions and notes that provide sources for further reading. This book is an excellent resource for scholars interested in western esotericism and ancient civilizations. M. David Litwa, the author, has done an excellent job compiling and translating these texts. Overall, this book is a valuable addition to any library of ancient civilization books.