Who knew reading history could be so enjoyable?  Glynnis Fawkes has been hard at work for quite some time now adapting Eric H. Cline's widely lauded accounting of the collapse of Bronze Age civilization into this massive, beautiful  – and fun! – work of comics , a hefty, nicely printed, French-flapped softcover that runs for 256, full color, 7" x 10" pages.

See what we're talking about by checking out the nice publisher preview HERE (for greater appreciation of the artistry, click a few times on the  +  in the right margin to enlarge the image)

Here's what the publisher, Princeton University Press has to say:

"Eric Cline’s 1177 B.C. tells the story of one of history’s greatest mysteries: what caused the ancient civilizations of the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean to collapse more than three thousand years ago, bringing the Late Bronze Age to an abrupt end? In this vivid and captivating full-color graphic adaptation of the landmark book, author-illustrator Glynnis Fawkes invites us to follow two young friends living in the aftermath of the cataclysm as they unravel why it happened—and reveal important lessons for today’s interconnected and vulnerable world.

Pel, a member of the marauding Sea Peoples, and Shesha, an Egyptian scribe, visit the kingdoms of the Minoans, Mycenaeans, Hittites, Canaanites, Assyrians, and Egyptians to explore the calamities that brought them down. This graphic history depicts the people, events, art, architecture, and lands that Pel and Shesha encounter. We witness the Sea Peoples’ battles on land and sea, earthquakes on the Greek mainland, droughts and famine in Anatolia, invasions in north Syria, and possible rebellions in Canaan. Along the way, we also learn about the assassination of a Hittite prince traveling to marry an Egyptian queen, the sinking of a merchant ship laden with international goods, and the return of a pair of sandals to Crete by the Babylonian king Hammurabi.

An entertaining adventure story, this dazzling comic is also historically accurate and enlightening, inviting readers of all ages to think about the surprising factors and theories that explain why societies, whether ancient or modern, die or survive when struck by catastrophes."

Want to read some advance praise?  Here goes!

“The collapse of Bronze Age civilization is one of the most crucial and complex events in human history. By guiding us through the maze of theories with intellectual clout and charming, humorous graphic art, Cline and Fawkes have pioneered a dazzling new way of bringing archaeology and ancient history to readers of all ages.”—Edith Hall, author of Aristotle’s Way: How Ancient Wisdom Can Change Your Life

“This funny, beautiful book is a tour de force of visual storytelling. Glynnis Fawkes’s stunning graphic rendition of 1177 B.C. amplifies Eric Cline’s landmark work without simplifying the historical questions that remain. From the mysterious Sea Peoples to garrulous hippos, the Late Bronze Age comes alive on the page.”—Josephine Quinn, author of How the World Made the West: A 4,000-Year History

"1177 B.C.: A Graphic History of the Year Civilization Collapsed uses the graphic novel format in ingeniously inventive ways to present the complicated history of the end of the Bronze Age. . . . An astonishing amount of information is packed into these pages, drawing on a vast range of sources, from inscriptions to archeological evidence to literature, including the Iliad and the Bible. . . . Together, the words and pictures show how history is made."—Marissa Moss, New York Journal of Books

Reading Pictures offers a great history of... well, reading pictures.  It provides a heavily researched, richly documented, centuries long, and geographically wide historical view of the narrative elements – tales, stories, religious truths, legends, myths, sales pitches, etc. – embedded in images, as well as their mutually reinforcing combinatoins with text, that does the double-duty of (i. e., can easily be read as) providing a framework for an understanding of the devlopment of the language of comics – which are directly referenced in the concluding chapter.

This 400 page, 8 1/2" x 10" heavy duty hardcover is filled with explicated illustrations from the history of Eastern as well as Western visual culture, making it both a treat for the eyes and the mind.

Get more detail and check out a brief preview (by clicking on the cover image) HERE.

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