Digging Up Armageddon

“Absolutely fascinating.”—Paul Zimansky, Times Literary Supplement
“Like the best tales from the golden age of archaeology, Digging Up Armageddon combines the grandeur of ancient history, the currency of modern fame and the cast of a malarial soap opera.”—Dominic Green, The Spectator
“An original and lively study that skilfully mixes archaeology with personalities, and politics with culture, science and technology.”—Andrew Robinson, Nature
”[Cline] writes with the deft surety of someone familiar with both the site and its archive … . What makes [Digging Up Armageddon] such a smart historical treatment of Megiddo is Cline’s nuanced examination of how labor, privilege, politics, and capitalism underscored much of the archaeology done in the United States and Europe in the early to mid-20th century.”—Lydia Pyne, Los Angeles Review of Books
“Enjoyable reading … riveting.”—Amanda Borschel-Dan, Times of Israel
“Engaging.” * Moment Magazine *
“It’s really quite amazing how he pulls it off—Cline has written a book deeply-imbued with scholarship, an in-depth look at the history and archaeology not just of the expedition at Megiddo, but of the whole Near Eastern region and ancient Israel… . So vivid is Cline’s telling of the story that readers might be forgiven for finding the personal dimension just as interesting as the archaeology. Anyone who thought that archaeologists were just boring people digging up ancient relics which were of no interest to anyone outside their own field, will be quickly disabused of such a notion.”—John Butler, Asian Review of Books
“A fascinating read… . So detailed is [Cline’s] account of those involved that the book reads better than many a modern novel.”—Peter Costello, Irish Catholic
“If it is thrills, spills and devious political machinations of past excavations that take your fancy, why not check out Eric Cline’s new book… . This is the story about Megiddo that they didn’t want you to know.” * Anglo-Israel Archaeological Society *
”[A] diligent, clear, and engaging guide through the individuals, relationships, and (more or less) serendipitous events that shaped one of the most influential excavations… . Part biography and part history, Cline’s Digging Up Armageddon is an exemplary work of scholarship and story-telling that will entertain and inform scholars and interested nonexperts alike.”—C. A. Strine, Palestine Exploration Quarterly
“If you love to read about crossroads of history, are fascinated by the years between wards and well beyond, and really just like a good story, this is the book to begin that journey.”—Elaine Holden, Monadnock Ledger-Transcript
“At the time this massive dig was undertaken, it was criticised for high costs and never-ending delays. Cline celebrates the high points, but he also exposes the mission’s failures.”—Sam Waters, Current World Archaeology
“Cline writes with wry insight into human nature and a saving sense of humour.”—Patrick Madigan, Heythrop Journal
”[Cline] has placed the project in the context of its times.”—Neil Faulkner, Minerva

Eric H. Cline is professor of classics and anthropology and director of the Capitol Archaeological Institute at George Washington University. His many books include Three Stones Make a Wall: The Story of Archaeology and 1177 B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed (both Princeton). He lives in Rockville, Maryland. Twitter @digkabri

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