1177 B.C.

A bold reassessment of what caused the Late Bronze Age collapseIn 1177 B.C. marauding groups known only as the Sea Peoples invaded Egypt. The pharaohs army and navy managed to defeat them but the victory so weakened Egypt that it soon slid into decline as did most of the surrounding civilizations. After centuries of brilliance the civilized world of the Bronze Age came to an abrupt and cataclysmic end. Kingdoms fell like dominoes over the course of just a few decades. No more Minoans or Mycenaeans. No more Trojans Hittites or Babylonians. The thriving economy and cultures of the late second millennium B.C. which had stretched from Greece to Egypt and Mesopotamia suddenly ceased to exist along with writing systems technology and monumental architecture. But the Sea Peoples alone could not have caused such widespread breakdown. How did it happen?In this major new account of the causes of this First Dark Ages 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 and the cutting of international trade routes. Bringing to life the vibrant multicultural world of these great civilizations he draws a sweeping panorama of the empires and globalized peoples of the Late Bronze Age and shows that it was their very interdependence that hastened their dramatic collapse and ushered in a dark age that lasted centuries.A compelling combination of narrative and the latest scholarship 1177 B.C. sheds new light on the complex ties that gave rise to and ultimately destroyed the flourishing civilizations of the Late Bronze Age―and that set the stage for the emergence of classical Greece. Review Cline has written one of this years most interesting books.---Jona Lendering NRC HandelsbladA wonderful example of scholarship written for the non-expert. Cline clearly pulls together the engaging story of the interactions among the major empires of the Late Bronze Age and puts forth a reasonable theory explaining why they seem to have evaporated as quickly as moisture on a hot afternoon.---Fred Reiss San Diego Jewish World1177 B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed is a thoughtful analysis of one of the great mysteries of human history. . . . Highly recommended.---James A. Cox Midwest Book ReviewA 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 PostA gripping mystery story with clues to follow and evidence to analyze.---SG Ancient Egypt MagazineWinner of the 2014 Award for the Best Popular Book American Schools of Oriental ResearchHonorable Mention for the 2015 PROSE Award in Archeology & Anthropology Association of American PublishersWritten in a lively engaging style.---Michael McGaha Middle East Media and Book ReviewsImpressively marshaling the most recent archaeological and historical evidence Eric Cline sets the record straight: there was a perfect storm of migrations rebellions and climate change that resulted in the collapse of states that were already unstable in the Late Bronze Age. There followed an age of opportunity for new kinds of political systems and ideologies that remade the world of the eastern Mediterranean in the first millennium B.C. Onward and upward with collapse!---Norman Yoffee University of Michigan Cline admirably acknowledges areas of existing scholarly controversy while understandably emphasizing the consensus view in order to maintain the flow of his narrative. . . . He has a firm command of the textual archaeological and environmental evidence and brings together a wealth of recent scholarship in an accessible form a treatment which has been sorely lacking for this pivotal period. . . . [A] fine boo