Cassell Atlas Ancient World (Atlases of World History)

Solid general overview - There is generally one single double page spread on each topic, e.g. Human Origins 4,000,000-100,000 years ago or Etruscans, Greeks and Carthaginians 800-480BC . The maps cover 30-50% of each spread, with a timeline graphic noting majore events and one or two small drawings taken from artifacts relevant to the period. This leaves 500-800 words to describe events of several centuries in most cases. There is no depth or analysis to this work, just plain facts, the bibliography is brief and most of the maps are regional in scope - the smallest I saw covers all Greece and Asia Minor. However, this book does have decent maps, they are clear and detailed with all the salient points picked out - as much as any 2 dimensional map can represent the rise and fall of empires over a 500 year period. The colours are quite muted and pleasant to look at - this is a significant point as many atlases are garish or covered with impenetrable layers of text and graphics. A huge amount of information is still packed into each image, and the text supports the maps very well. These works are meant as reference books, to give an overview of each topic, not to be the final word on any one period.The interpreteation is quite neutral, the facts are all there is space for and I see little of any controvertial nature in the majority of the text. It is worth noting that since 1998 in some areas, particularly human origins and the spread of early humans, our knowledge has moved on rapidly and the text is dated now.I give the book 4 starts because it is easy to use, nice to look at and is based on solid research without being dense or boring.