The Open Sea: The Economic Life of the Ancient Mediterranean World from the Iron Age to the Rise of Rome

A groundbreaking history of economic life in the Mediterranean world during the Iron Age. Manning asserts that the key to understanding the rapid changes during this period isn't a singular "ancient economy," but the diversity of political and societal experiences; patterns of cross-cultural exchange; and sharp environmental contrasts between Egypt, the Near East, Greece, and Rome. 448 pages, hardcover from Princeton University.