1177 B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed (Revised and Updated)

by Eric H. Cline Narrated by Eric H. Cline

Overview

This audiobook narrated by acclaimed archaeologist and bestselling author Eric Cline offers a breathtaking account of how the collapse of an ancient civilized world ushered in the first Dark Ages

In 1177 B.C., marauding groups known only as the "Sea Peoples" invaded Egypt. The pharaoh's army and navy defeated them, but the victory so weakened Egypt that it soon slid into decline, as did most of the surrounding civilizations. Eric Cline tells the gripping story of how the end was brought about by multiple interconnected failures, ranging from invasion and revolt to earthquakes, drought, famine, and the cutting of international trade routes. Bringing to life a vibrant multicultural world, he draws a sweeping panorama of the empires of the age and shows that it may have been their very interdependence that hastened their dramatic collapse. Now revised and updated, 1177 B.C. sheds light on the complex ties that gave rise to, and eventually destroyed, the flourishing civilizations of the Late Bronze Age-and set the stage for the emergence of classical Greece and, ultimately, our world today.

Editorial Reviews

Choice

"The 12th century BCE is one of the watershed eras of world history. Empires and kingdoms that had dominated late Bronze Age western Asia and the eastern Mediterranean collapsed."

Ancient Origins

"There are few published titles which focus on the tumultuous events that took place in the Eastern Mediterranean at approximately 1200 BCE. . . . Cline's 1177 B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed stands out among the rest as one of the best and most thoroughly researched. . . . This book is presented as a mystery novel. . . . One thing is for certain, once started, you will not want to put it down."

Canadian Journal of History

"Remarkably prescient. . . . [A] convincing case for the relevance of ancient history to the modern world."

From the Publisher

"The memorable thing about Cline's book is the strangely recognizable picture he paints of this very faraway time. . . . It was as globalized and cosmopolitan a time as any on record, albeit within a much smaller cosmos. The degree of interpenetration and of cultural sharing is astonishing."—-Adam Gopnik, New Yorker

"A fascinating look at the Late Bronze Age, proving that whether for culture, war, economic fluctuations or grappling with technological advancement, the conundrums we face are never new, but merely renewed for a modern age."—-Larry Getlen, New York Post

"Cline has created an excellent, concise survey of the major players of the time, the latest archaeological developments, and the major arguments, including his own theories, regarding the nature of the collapse that fundamentally altered the area around the Mediterranean and the Near East."—-Evan M. Anderson, Library Journal

"A remarkable book that brings forth not just a piece of history, but also lessons from the past."—-Mihai Andrei, ZME Science

"Fresh and engaging."—-Andrew Robinson, Current World Archaeology

Product Details

BN ID:	2940177591025
Publisher:	Princeton University Press
Publication date:	02/02/2021
Edition description:	Unabridged
Sales rank:	942,582

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