Description:
In this first book-length treatment of the subject, Benjamin Foster draws together over 40 years of research to offer an exhaustive survey of the Akkadian period, which saw the rise of the world's first known empire. The book covers all aspects of the empire: its history, land and cities, arts, religion, economy and production, military and much more. A final chapter examines how the empire has been presented in modern historiography from the decipherment of cuneiform to the present, including the extensive research of Soviet historians which are summarized here in English for the first time. This is a crucial resource for anyone studying the Ancient Near East.
Review Quotes:
"Foster offers rich references and well-documented endnotes for graduate students and specialists who desire to dive into Assyriology, provides a comprehensive and updated bibliography, and draws ample evidence from Mesopotamian sources (inscriptions, tablets of administrative records, artifacts, literature) and modern scholarship. Summing Up: Highly recommended"
- H. Chang, Elon University, USA, in CHOICE
"Needless to say, Benjamin R. Foster's comprehensive overview of the Akkadian Empire, The Age of Agade, is indispensable. Beyond important summaries of Soviet historians in the book, Foster's wealth of knowledge as a leading scholar in Assyriology marks The Age of Agade as a must-read, especially for beginning scholars or those beginning to research the period ... I highly recommend this work to scholars working in the field of Assyriology or Mesopotamian history and to non-specialists looking for an comprehensive understanding of the Akkadian era."
- William Brown on The Biblical Review (thebiblicalreview.wordpress.com), 2016