"An outstanding achievement. Paul Collins incorporates a huge amount of work that has been done over the past several decades to produce a new and more holistic view of Assyria than has previously been possible. His approach will feel refreshing even for specialists and will provide a wonderful foundation for students, moving the field forward in a meaningful way. Collins offers a deeply researched and nuanced picture of both the Assyrian court and the workings of an ancient empire, discussing the roles of figures such as queens and high officials in depth and providing a rich narrative of the political history of Assyria, from its origins to the end of Assyria's empire and beyond. Although it appears in a series on "Lost Civilizations," this book also balances the significance of discoveries from the nineteenth century onward with a strong sense of long-term cultural connections, including the development of later traditions around ancient Assyria and Assyrian identity today. Collins delivers all of this with a rare clarity, laying out in simple prose the results of a great deal of careful scholarly judgement and consideration of difficult sources.".