The Sumerians

Seriously I'm still unsure how all this was hidden from me. I took a very good Ancient History course in high school back in 76 and though the Sumerians were covered I guess we must of been racing to get to Greece and Rome and thus we didn't take a deep enough dive into the Sumer/Akkad period.Anyway, found my way back after all these years when I was looking up Sappho and discovered Enheduanna, high priestess of Ninna-sin (moon god) and Innana (Ishtar, goddess of Venus) and learned her writings predated Sappho's writings by nearly 2000 years and only now I'm beginning to see all that I missed in 76 since Noah Kramer and Leonard Woolley were already intimately aware of her and much else even before then.Starting in on "Inanna Lady of the Largest Heart" by Betty De Shong Meador specific to Enheduanna and then reading "Inanna Queen of Heaven and Earth" by Diane Wokstien and Samuel Kramer, two books that managed not to overlap the same poems/hymns/myths and thus complimented each other I was still a bit troubled by the authoress's feminist prospective. Thus it was off to Samuel Kramer for two good reads that helped validate the previous two authors, then to an accidental, but enjoyable, detour with Stephanie Dalley ("Myths from Mesopotamia") who plugs you into the Assyrian/Babylonian time period where the Sumerian traditions still run strong, but that being a large leap forward and one that I'll eventually follow up on, I finally have gotten back to Sumer/Akkad with this book by Woolley and am not at all disappointed.Woolley's book says it was printed in 65 but Woolley himself died in 60 and an easy look through the internet offers no real date for when the book was actually written. Likely the 50's but I wouldn't let that deter you in reading this book. Like Kramer writing in the same time period and beyond he has a very strong grasp on his subject being one of the preeminent archaeologist of his time and starts you off in pre-Sumerian to the antediluvian all the way through the Sumer Akkad time periods giving you a very coherent picture of the social, political, military, economic, educational, religious aspects of the times and doesn't drop you off until the times of Hammurabi.The first two pages seemed a bit stiff and I was left with the impression that all the comedians from the early black and white movie times had good reason for their digs on how stiff this guy was but the book really started to settle and became most readable after that, though I may have had a problem if I hadn't done earlier readings as mentioned.The book does lack a glossary, but you'll get by with out one. Instead the ancient "The Kings List" provided will be your friend. The book does not go head to head with what I've read with Kramer ("The Sumerians Their History, Culture and Character" and "Sumerian Mythology"), instead they compliment each other rather well and as both authors have other books I will look forward to reading them. My original interest in Inanna and Sargon the Great's daughter, Enheduanna has also been fortified by these readings thus far.Next up will be "Religion in Ancient Mesopotamia by Jean Bottero" and then Gwendolyn Leicks, "Mesopotamia The Invention of the City" as I plan on criss crossing this huge swath of history that gets little to no credit or even coverage in today's society even though its the forerunner for much of what we know and have today. I also find given the Annuki stuff on the internet it's best to start with more original sources to see what's what before making any determinations on such. From a biblical prospective readings thus far are also quite complementary and I'm finding nothing to be faith shattering if that is a concern. Just the opposite in fact and I find there's plenty of room to absorb this all into your knowledge base.

If you have any interest in Ancient Astronaut theory, this is a book for you.

I would have liked more from the biblical artifacts discovered or rather the tablets that showed writing was the order of the day for early dynasties in Sumeria---however Dr.Wolley was one of the best and most thorough workers in this region

A good quality edition of this classic of the field. It is a no-brainer acquisition. Readers should be advised though that this book should be accompanied by a contemporary book, since some key elements have evolved since Woolley's time. But this is true of any classics.

Whats at the end of the Universe? What was the origin and fate of the first man? Is there a god or at least a higher intelligence somewhere out there? Is there life elsewhere in the Universe? Are the Creation Story, the Diluge, the Garden of Eden and Adam and Eve true events? How far back in time did the first man walk the Earth and what was it like then? Is the Old Testament of the Bible factual? Do we have a purpose and what is to become of us?If these are the kinds of questions and ideas that occupy your mind rather than lifes' mundane--if you are curious and inquisitive re the immensely profound questions of mankind thus far gone unanswered then you, no doubt, have already at least a sketchy knowledge of the Sumerian civilization and those that both preceded and followed it.The Sumerians provided us with our first written records of early man, and the creation and flood stories--3000 years before Christ and the Bible. They speak of Gods and Kings who ruled for hundreds, even thousands, of years and incredible events that bewilder and stagger the imagination.Was it all true? did it actually happen? That was the subject of a lifetime of research and study by the preeminent archaeologist Charles Wooley who authored this book. There are shortcomings in this book to be sure--somewhat disjointed, lacking in footnotes and documentation, not enough tie-ins to the Biblical Old Testament, slightly outdated, and a shortage of tables, graphs and timelines (It covers some 32,000 years of time, dozens of Dynasties and hundreds of Kings.It,therefore, needs to be supplemented with other texts but it is nevertheless jam-packed with pieces to the puzzle and consequently, is an indispensible part of your toolbox for deciphering the past.DH Koester--"And There I Was"  And There I Was Volume VIII: A Backpacking Adventure in Ethiopia

I love old books. This is nearly a century old.

Bought it for my adult son. He loves it and uses it for reference all the time. Excellent service. I recommend.

Excellent info.

This book was originally published in 1927, while the excavations at Ur were still ongoing. Woolley even mentions the title of this book in his foreword to "Ur of the Chaldees", published in 1929.

Der Inhalt auf dem Forschungsstand der 60er Jahre ist m.E. nicht zu bemängeln.Kritik muß ich aber an der Aufmachung äußern. Dies ist kein normales Buch, sondern ein Print on Demand by Amazon Fulfilment. Es sieht aus wie aus einem Laserdrucker, nur gebunden.Man kann es lesen, aber ein "richtiges" Buch mit sauberem Druck ist es nicht.Das hätte ich gerne vorher gewußt, bei fast 20 Euro für dieses Produkt.

A history of the earlier start of human civilisation than the Egyptians.Very well presented by Mr Woolley.I purchased this after reading Thor Heyerdahl's Book The Tigris Expedition,which looks at the idea of the Sumerians using Reed Boats for commercial business into the areas of Oman for copper mining and into the Indus valley for trade.So one good read led to another good read.

Looking forward to reading this book.

This a must for the student of Sumerian History. All of woolleys books need to be in your book case