Ancient Worlds

A bold and imaginative page-turner that challenges ideas about the world of antiquity.

Peter Frankopan, (The Silk Roads)

As panoramic as it is learned, this is ancient history for our globalised world.

Tom Holland, (Dynasty, Rubicon)

This vivid and engaging book brings to life some of the most important moments in ancient history, moments that have shaped not only the politics and culture of bygone eras, but the institutions, thoughts and fantasies of our time.

Yuval Noah Harari, (Sapiens)

Impressive… Scott challenges a western-centric conception of antiquity.

Gerard DeGroot, The Times

An ambitious reordering of ancient worlds… [which] brings the study of Greece and Rome together with Central Asia, India and China… Thoroughly admirable… This is an impressive feat.

Harry Mount, Spectator

Scott has identified three game-changing moments in antiquity… We meet new, colourful, historical players… and re-calibrate our perception of old ones… Offering the Mediterranean and the Far East as a giant chessboard – with individual moves impacting the whole – astute analysis is matched with acute prose: this book reminds us that our own futures have long been written in the narratives of our global neighbours.

Bettany Hughes

Impeccably researched and authoritative... Scott's scholarly but accessible style manages to make this sweeping saga enthralling throughout, as he traces the stories of everyone from Hannibal to Confucius

Alexander Larman, Observer

A path-breaking contribution to the going interest in seeing the ancient world as a whole, embracing China and India as much as Greece and Rome. And what's more, it's a joy to read!

Ian Morris, author of Why the West Rules for Now

Globalization is nothing new: early civilizations already shared formative experiences and interacted in many different ways. By re-connecting multiple ancient worlds from Europe to India and China that have long been viewed in isolation, Michael Scott deftly steers the study of ancient history into the twenty-first century. A landmark achievement.

Prof Walter Scheidel, Stanford University

Deftly sweeps us along on an illuminating voyage through history, revealing how an array of political systems and religious beliefs came to be, and the growing connections between them.... Provides a thoroughly enjoyable and much wider view of the ancient world and a better understanding of how it shaped our own.

David Bentley, Minerva

This kind of bold, transgressional ancient history is still vanishingly rare…Michael Scott’s Ancient Worlds is a welcome addition to the genre

Times Literary Supplement

Ground-breaking

Mail on Sunday

Many valuable insights into the "ancient worlds".

Irish Times

This kind of bold, transgressional ancient history is still vanishingly rare…Michael Scott’s Ancient Worlds is a welcome addition to the genre.

Times Literary Supplement