The Ancient World By Giovanni Garbini
The Ancient World (Collectible Hardcover Edition)
A Visual and Analytical Survey of the Art, Architecture, and Civilizations of Antiquity
A Visual and Analytical Survey of the Art, Architecture, and Civilizations of Antiquity
Bibliographic Specifications
- Title: The Ancient World
- Author: Giovanni Garbini
- Publisher: Paul Hamlyn Ltd., London
- Publication Date: 1966
- ISBN-10: None (Pre-ISBN Era)
- Edition Details: Presumed First Edition / First Impression of the Landmark Landmarks of the World's Art Series. Collectible volume featuring a publisher's remainder marker on the lower edge.
- Binding: Original publisher's premium full-cloth boards with elegant gilt-stamped lettering across the spine.
- Physical Format: Quarto (4to), 176 pages. Richly enhanced with 102 vivid full-colour plates, 128 high-fidelity monochrome illustrations, maps, and comparative chronological tables.
- Language: English
Official Condition Report
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The Book: Very Good (VG)
- Exterior Boards: The original full-cloth boards are exceptionally straight, square, and well-preserved. The spine remains completely undamaged, uncrushed, and firm. The lower text block edge features a small, neat publisher's remainder mark, entirely typical for surplus stock handling of this highly sought-after edition. The volume is protected inside a premium cellophane cover sleeve.
- Interior: The text block is robustly bound, clean, and tight. Internal pages, historical maps, and high-gloss photo plates are remarkably bright, crisp, and intact. Free of standard user highlighting, dealer pencil markings, or dog-ears.
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The Dust Jacket: Very Good (VG)
- Condition & Integrity: The original illustrated vintage dust jacket is present, showing limited signs of light edge wear and minor surface friction consistent with careful shelf storage. It remains completely intact, retaining its vibrant colors without sun-fading or deep tears, and is fully stabilized within the archival cellophane wrap.
Synopsis & Historical Value
First published in 1966 as a flagship volume in Paul Hamlyn’s celebrated Landmarks of the World's Art series, Giovanni Garbini's The Ancient World is a masterful historical and visual chronicle of the foundational civilizations of the West and the Near East. The work systematically traces the artistic, architectural, and cultural evolutions of ancient Egypt, Sumer, Babylonia, Assyria, the Hittites, Phoenicia, and pre-Islamic Persia.
Breaking away from dry text-only methodologies, Garbini utilizes an immersive visual narrative framework—supported by extensive, high-quality color plates and structured educational inquiry prompts—to reveal the religious, political, and daily contexts behind monumental historical artifacts. From the imposing ziggurats of Mesopotamia to the delicate reliefs of Egyptian tombs, this classic volume offers an enduring, highly accessible window into the ancient world for collectors and historians alike.
Author Profile: Giovanni Garbini
Giovanni Garbini (1931–2017) was a world-renowned Italian Orientalist, linguist, and highly distinguished professor of Semitic Philology at the University of Rome La Sapienza. A leading global authority on ancient Near Eastern civilizations, Phoenician epigraphy, and Semitic languages, Garbini was celebrated for his radical archival insights that often challenged conventional historical narratives. His prolific academic output includes foundational texts such as The History and Ideology of Israel and The Phoenicians. His rare ability to distill complex archaeological data into engaging, visually driven prose made his works indispensable to global academic institutions and private collectors.
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