This general introduction to the history and culture of the Ancient Near East, including Egypt, offers the right amount of detail for the course without being encyclopedic.

Organized by the periods, kingdoms, and empires generally used in Near Eastern political history, the book interlaces social and cultural history with the political narrative. This combination allows readers to get a rounded introduction to the subject of Ancient Near Eastern history.

• The Ancient Near East: An Anthology of Texts and Pictures
• The Ancient Near East: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)
• Ancient Egypt: A Very Short Introduction
• The Ancient Near East, Volume 1: An Anthology of Texts and Pictures
• The Epic of Gilgamesh (Penguin Classics)