Amanda H. Podany

Amanda H. Podany, Professor Emeritus of History at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, specializes in the study of ancient Mesopotamia and Syria in the second millennium BCE. She is the author of the award-winning book 'Weavers, Scribes, and Kings: A New History of the Ancient Near East' (Oxford University Press, 2022) which explores the period from 3500 to 323 BCE through the lives of real people in all walks of life. An audiobook version is also available, read by the author. Podany's previous books for Oxford University Press include 'The Ancient Near East: A Very Short Introduction' (2014), the award-winning 'Brotherhood of Kings: How International Relations Shaped the Ancient Near East' (2010), and 'The Ancient Near Eastern World,' co-written with children's book author Marni McGee (2004). The latter is a general work designed for secondary school students. Podany is also the author and presenter of an audio and video lecture series for Wondrium called 'Ancient Mesopotamia: Life in the Cradle of Civilization,' which is also available on Audible.