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by fennecfoxy 261 days ago
Based on the title it sounds like the intentions of the author were more politically motivated than anything else.
2 comments

Based on reading the Guardian review (that predictably praises it and seems to be written by someone who doesn't know much history) and a much better review on a website run, weirdly enough, by Christians (written by someone who does know history), I would agree.

The first half of the quality review praises the good parts of the book, the second half is where the meat is.

It is probably a useful book if you don't know much about the classical world but it doesn't seem like one should take one's politics from it.

Quality review:

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/reviews/how-world-made-we...

Low quality review:

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2024/feb/28/how-the-world-...

The author is a professor of ancient history at Oxford University. What makes you think it is political? A book can specialise in Western history without having a hidden agenda.
Lots of professors have political agendas, especially in the humanities.