<p><strong>Historian and author M. B. Synge tells the reader the greatest and most compelling stories of antiquity; those of ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome and Israel.</strong></p><p>Designed for those seeking a simple, short summary of the greatest figures and events of antiquity, this book is a lively and breezy treatment of a vast span of history. M. B. Synge was a travel writer by profession, with a style fluent and informative &ndash; his treatment of the famous generals and leaders of ancient times, of the gradual flourishing of civilization around the Mediterranean Sea, carries the attractive aspects of a civic tour. The essential events that shaped the ancient world are told in sequence, feeding into the narration of a world growing in sophistication and culture.</p><p>Beginning with the life of Abraham, we hear several tales from the Old Testament, including Moses&rsquo; Exodus from Egypt and the emergence of the Phoenicians as an early maritime power. The glories of the Greek civilization, and later the Greco-Roman culture, are described gradually &ndash; we hear of the great military battles and conquests of both Greece and Rome. For Greece there is Alexander the Great, a general whose campaign led all the way to the uncharted lands of India, while for Rome we hear of Julius Caesar and Pompey the Great. Synge concludes on a high note: the Pax Romana, the Roman Peace, wherein the height of ancient culture and achievement was secured.</p>