The Phoenicians

Rating:
Summary: An Incredible Book of an Incredible Civilization!
Review: This book is perhaps the most comprehensive guide to the world of the Phoenicians. Considering there are few books on this subject to begin with, there is not a great deal i can say in terms of how this is vastly different. If you've managed to find your way to this book, i highly recommend it.

This book has many advantages over others. Not least the fact that it's actually a compilation of the works and studies of a number of scholars. Among them are Sabatino Moscati, Maria Eugenia Aubet and others who have written extensively on this subject both directly and indirectly. The composition is such that it is often possible to identify regions of conflicting viewpoints. Though contradictory at times, this aspect is actually helpful in illustrating the present ambiguity with regards to many areas of the subject. A lost civilization in many respects, a great deal of cross-referencing is needed and this is where the book has a dinstict advantage. Particularly interesting is that the book draws from a variety of backgrounds so that the works of modern Cypriots, Italians, Arabs and Spanish are included. This aspect alone is enough to suggest that the book is without bias of any kind. This is not to say that it is manual of distinct essays, but rather a book with different scholars contributing to the many chapters.

The content is equally excellent. Here the Phoenicians are described from their Canaanite origins to the ventures of Hannibal. A true civilization with character and identity, they are far more than the great navigators of antiquity. The book clearly outlines everything from art and religion to trade and political institutions. Their ventures enabled them to contact and influence every known civilization one could name, and the book even goes as far as to summarising their relationships with Greeks, Etruscans and Egyptians.

The book is overwhelming with detail, and has a good selection of coloured illustrations. I have read a number of books on this subject and this is definitely my favourite. For those who know nothing of this subject, i truely believe that the ancient world cannot be fully understood without some knowledge of this great civilization.