Between Two Rivers

“Fascinating and magnificent, beautifully written and explained: Between Two Rivers is a masterpiece.” – George Monbiot, author of Feral and The Invisible Doctrine“A tender, moving, and vivid history of ancient Mesopotamia and how it still speaks to us… . Spectacular!” – Robert Macfarlane, author of Underland and Is a River Alive?“A must-read, millennia-spanning history… . [Moudhy Al-Rashid is] a gifted storyteller, able to spin a yarn of gold from very fragmentary sources.” – Emily Wilson, New Scientist“Absorbing, learned and witty… . An ingenious, passionate ‘history of histories’ [in which] we vividly witness how lives across the millennia are revealed and connected by archaeology and cuneiform.” – Rebecca Wragg Sykes, author of Kindred: Neanderthal Life, Love, Death and Art“I have never read a book on Mesopotamia that so beautifully brings to life the people themselves… . It melts away the sense of time. A wonderful read.” – Tom Holland, author of Pax and co-host of The Rest is History podcast“An extraordinary invitation to the magical land of Mesopotamia… . Stunning.” – Sarah Parcak, author of Archaeology from Space: How the Future Shapes Our Past“Moudhy al Rashid describes her job of reading ancient Mesopotamian texts as like shaking hands with strangers. She introduces them in this marvelous book, which not only brims with her humanity but offers fascinating and often funny insights into everyday life in this crucial era of world history. Fart jokes to exam stress, motherhood and tax evasion: you’ll find something here that reminds you that it is not as remote as you might think.” – James Barr, author of A Line in the Sand“Between Two Rivers provides remarkable insights into ancient lives… . Even at a distance of nearly four millennia, it is impossible not to be moved.” – Katherine Harvey, The Sunday Times“A highly readable introduction to an era of history that deserves to be better known.” – Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Moudhy Al-Rashid is an honorary fellow at the University of Oxford’s Wolfson College, where she specializes in the languages and history of ancient Mesopotamia. Originally from Saudi Arabia, where she grew up, she now lives in Oxfordshire with her family and their dogs.