In Search Of The First Civilizations

Oct 6, 2024 2:23 PM

Author:Michael Wood

Five thousand years ago there began the most momentous revolution in human history. Starting in Mesopotamia, city civilization emerged for the first time on earth, to be followed in Egypt, India, China and the Americas. The ideals of these ancient civilizations still shape the lives of the majority of mankind. In Search of the First Civilizations (previously published as Legacy) asks the intriguing question: what is civilization? Did it mean the same to the Chinese, the Indians and the Greeks? What can the values of the ancient cultures teach us today? And do the ideals of the West - a latecomer to civilization - really have universal validity? In this fascinating historical search, Michael Wood explores these ancient cultures, looking for their essential character and their continuing legacy. A brilliant exploration. Sunday Times Well-written, gorgeous and guaranteed to induce thought... Wood takes great care to put everything in a large historical perspective, which is actually more disturbing than comforting. New York Post

Reviews

As gripping as a fictional thriller…It is the human tales of evacuees, locomotive cleaners, crews, porters and ticket collectors that make this such an enthralling read…Michael Williams has written this book in an easy reading graphic style bringing to life the heroics and anecdotes of those he interviewed. His journalistic style makes this a compelling read 4 stars

—— Sunday Express

Thoroughly researched…a good summary of the character shown by railwaymen and women

—— Daily Mail

Stirring, awe-inspiring and quirky. 4 stars

—— The Scotsman

An elegant evocation of the wartime railways, a facet of Britain’s richly detailed ‘home front’ story that deserves the prominence that this book will help to attain.

—— BBC History Magazine

Michael Williams has written a highly readable book and one that is accessible to all.

—— Britain at War magazine

Books about railway history seem to appear in an endless stream, so it is a real pleasure to find one that not only has something new to say, but tells its story with style and enthusiasm.

—— Who Do You Think You Are? magazine

a compelling, easy read, and one that provides an excellent overview of a huge and complex subject

—— Steam Railway

Comprehensive and compelling

—— Christian Wolmar

Hugely enjoyable

—— David Edgerton, Prof of Modern History, Imperial College, author of Britain's War Machine

compelling and accessible

—— Railway Magazine

A change to my diary found me returning home from York this morning by train and bus, so I took the opportunity to start reading your manuscript. I enjoyed so much what I was reading that I kept going through the afternoon and finished it off. I think you're on to a winner!

—— Professor Colin Divall Institute for Transport Studies, York University

an interesting contribution to social as well as railway history

—— Railnews

hugely readable...Williams has written this book that is both informative and scholarly but also easy read and that brings to life the heroics and anecdotes of the many railways workers he interviewed in the writing of this book. His style makes this a compelling read... All in all it's a important book that fills a gap in the story not just of Britain's railways but also of the Second World War on the home front.

—— My Dad Rocks

highly readable 4 stars

—— Daily Express

Fresh and accessible – makes you feel you were there

—— Railway Magazine

Fresh, interesting… Vivid and often moving

—— Ekin Karasin , UK Press Syndication

White writes with the fluency of a novelist, and this book can be hugely recommended

—— Mark Le Fanu , Spears Wealth Management Survey

A first-rate social history

—— Ian Thomson , Guardian

As ever with Jerry White, the broader themes are peppered with wonderful, throwaway trivia, while the main thrust is both meticulously researched and highly readable

—— Londonist

White’s book is a true piece of art

—— Susannah Perkins , Nudge

A sparkling and fascinating account

—— David E. Hoffman

Well-paced narrative...of great relevance today, when such conflicts seem (but only seem) to have disappeared.

—— Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky

Immensely compelling

—— Fred Hiatt , The Pat Banker

Meticulously researched

—— Duncan White , Irish Independent

The true strength of this meticulously researched book is the placing of the revelations into the context of a compelling human drama

—— Weekly Telegraph

Engrossing

—— Andrew Lynch , Sunday Business Post

[An] outstanding treasure of literature

—— Market Oracle

Impeccably researched, and moving, this book breaks new ground

—— 5 stars , Sunday Telegraph

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