The New Penguin Atlas of Ancient History: Revised Edition

This revised edition is lengthier than the original (which I also own), with 30 more pages. The maps have been redrawn, and the printing is on higher quality paper. The accompanying text explains the transitions between each map. No historical atlas will satisfy everyone, but it is a useful resource.

The maps are not full color, which has some advantages for people like me who are colorblind and often cannot distinguish the colors used to indicate things on graphics, but may be annoying for others, and the print is too small, but this is a book that has inspired many people to study history more deeply. It gives a kind of overview of the whole history of the Mediterranean world that I have not seen anywhere else. I teach 9th grade ancient history and, instead of using a textbook, am writing my own slideshows and have given this atlas to my students for reference, enrichment, and inspiration.

I just love the way everyone criticises this book and still gives it 5 stars. Yes , the maps do not even show the major rivers which were often the tribal frontiers; and yes many important early sites are not shown on the map at all - so you can not use the atlas to plan your vacation!I note that knowledgeable historians nit-pick the accuracy from time to time but, for myself, the ordinary punter, the book is simply stunning. Firstly the scope covers a mere 40,000 years of mainly European and Middle Eastern history. From the stone age to Byzantium. Secondly you get a swift and understandable summary of all those peoples you should know about but don't; the Medes, the Cimmarians, the Ostrogoths and hundreds of others. Thirdly, as well as the military and political history which helped create the world of today, for just a few quid you get a history of population developement, a history of trade and the story of the development and spread of both language and literacy. Wow!On top of all this, the book is written in witty and self-depreciating style, explaining carefully where the evidence may be contradictory or simply absent. The book is even updated to include some DNA evidence and doubtless there will be a lot more in future editions.So 5 stars plus it is.

Good quick reference, and makes interesting browsing. Probably good for getting middle- or high-school students interested in ancient history (though it does not cover the whole world - the focus is on western Eurasia and North Africa).It has been updated since the 1967 original, but looks like it's mostly the same, so I wonder whether some of the information is dated. The author's timeframe for the early expansion of the Indo-European languages (9000BCE) is nonsense by the reckoning of most scholars, so I find myself taking the rest with a grain of salt. However, it's great for big-picture and context, and you can always zoom in through other sources if you need confirmation.I often find myself wishing for finer granularity of time between maps, but I don't think I've ever seen another atlas as fine-grained as this one for the period.I've read this (and the earlier edition) repeatedly, and used it as a reference countless times.

I come back to this atlas and its partner, The New Penguin Atlas of Medieval History, again and again to anchor my understanding of where language groups, cultures, cities, nations and empires were located through history. Many histories I read, fail at providing useful maps. This is particularly true of those marketed through Kindle. This provides a large scale perspective of where things happened.

If you like history, if you like maps, if you want to see what was going on all over the western world at the same time (i.e. who was contemporaneous with whom) you gotta get this book and its two companions, the mideval and modern volumes. They are just fascinating.These are thin books with lots of maps and limited text, so don't complain about lack of depth. These books give a bird's eye view of the world throughout the times covered. If you want depth buy a fat book. Also the author has a pretty wry sense of humor, if you like that.

Very small print right throughout the book, about 11 pt for the main text and perhaps 9 pt for the side bars so it's hard on the eyes. And i got caught again by the description, 'Atlas', not checking the books physical size before purchasing, it is only 7 x 9 inches. The maps are not in color. The sea's are blue but everything else illustrated on the maps, the varying ethnic groups for instance, is some arrangement of gray cross hatching. I suppose this wouldn't matter if you are using the book for academic purposes but as a general reader this is disappointing as on first impression the scholarship seems to be first class, the writing style engaging and the time period is covered in unusual detail. but unfortunately the format makes for an unlikely read and i would probably go blind if i attempted it. Why would anyone do this to such a potentially great book ???

The only thing I could cite as an issue is that the type has GOT to be 6 - 8 points. (Most court documents have to be in Times Roman 12!) Even with reading glasses it can be a challenge. Otherwise, maps and information are laid out well.

I was very disappointed by this book. I found the maps confusing and not very informative. Cross hatching does not make for clear imagery even if the known information is sketchy. This book cannot hold a candle to the very much older, and sadly long out of print, 'Everyman' Classical Atlas

This is a thoroughly disappointing book and though cheap nonetheless a waste of money. How it comes to have the word 'Atlas' in the title is a mystery to me. The stylised two-tone mapping is about as inadequate as one could imagine in presentation and the near-total absence of detail on the maps, such as the location of actual places, is disturbing. A reputable publisher would not have published this work.

As a first book on ancient civilisations i don't think this can be beaten, especially if, like me, you love maps. A very enjoyable, and pretty quick read.

This is the thrird copy I have bought as I keep giving mine away to friends, also interested in this. It is a great way to tie in the many aspects of individual local histories on my travels. For instance, how else do you work out what was happening in Filitosa, Corsica when they were carving their menhirs with, say where the 'Sea People' were coming from?. Or , if as we did, visit the early bronze age site near Cheng Du, wonder what was happening in Mesopotamia at the same time - who won the race? (Mesopotamia - the Chinese did not even have to go through the dangerous arsenical bronze period even!). This is the book that will tell you and make you chuckle at the same time.

This is a scholarly read rather than an easy access. It is informative and there are maps as you would expect in an atlas. But the print is small, making it uncomfortable for older eyes and the maps lack clarity being in blue and white only and overcrowded with data shown as various styles of black-line shading.