Rise and Fall

Paul Strathern

Rise and Fall opens with the Akkadian Empire which ruled over a vast expanse of the region of ancient Mesopotamia then turns to the immense Roman Empire where we trace back our western and eastern roots. Next Strathern describes how a great deal of western classical culture was developed in the Abbasid and Umayyid Caliphates. Then while Europe was beginning to emerge from a period of cultural stagnation it almost fell to a whirlwind invasion from the East at which point we meet the Emperors of the Mongol Empire . . .

Combining breathtaking scope with masterful concision Paul Strathern traces connections across four millennia and sheds new light on these major civilizations - from the Mongol Empire and the Yuan Dynasty to the Aztec and Ottoman through to the most recent and biggest Empires: the British Russo-Soviet and American. Charting 5000 years of global history in ten succinct chapters Rise and Fall makes comprehensive and inspiring reading to anyone fascinated by the history of the world.

>