The critical story of thirteen empires, showing their key role in the foundation of today’s global civilization. For over five hundred years, empires have been a feature of the political landscape, and today, many contemporary conflicts resonate with issues tied to colonial conquest and the uneasy situations they produced. Empires evoke potent images: Henry Morton Stanley, David Livingstone, and the gallery of colonial explorers; the Spanish conquistadors’ quest for gold and silver; and the Dutch heritage of trade in the East Indies. These legacies still pose major issues for historians who study their key role in the foundation of today’s global civilization. The Age of Empires frames the era of empires with maps of explorations, chronologies of voyages, records of settlers and administrators, the balance sheets of commerce, and other records that made up the Age of Empires. This account incorporates research from across the globe and vivid illustrations to tell a story full of conflict, cruelty, great journeys, and influence.

"Microsoft "RM" Age Of Empires "RM II: The Conquerors Expansion: Inside Moves" gives gamers the thorough insights and strategies they need to win at the latest version of this popular game. This guide offers an overview of civilization-specific strategies and backgrounds for the game, plus game analysis, tactical tips, walkthroughs, and game strategies. You will learn how to survive and thrive, defeat enemy states, accumulate wealth by trading and diplomacy, create and defend wonders of the world, and build your tribe into a great civilization. Plus, with two walkthroughs each mission included in the book, you can choose the one you want to help you win. This guide also includes exclusive "Battle Bits" -- advanced player training scenarios, downloadable from a Web site (mspress.microsoft.com), to help players sharpen their Age of Empire skills. Author Mark Walker has contributed to more than 28 computer gaming books as well as regularly contributing to well-known gaming sites.

Storage jars of many shapes and sizes were in widespread use in the ancient world, transporting and storing agricultural products such as wine and oil, crucial to agriculture, economy, trade and subsistence. From the late 8th to the 2nd century BCE, the oval storage jars typical of Judah were often stamped or otherwise marked: in the late 8th and early 7th century BCE with lmlk stamp impressions, later in the 7th century with concentric circle incisions or rosette stamp impressions, in the 6th century, after the fall of Jerusalem, with lion stamp impressions, and in the Persian, Ptolemaic and Seleucid periods (late 6th–late 2nd centuries BCE) with yhwd stamp impressions. At the same time, several ad hoc systems of stamp impressions appeared: “private” stamp impressions were used on the eve of Sennacherib’s campaign, mwṣh stamp impressions after the destruction of Jerusalem, and yršlm impressions after the establishment of the Hasmonean state. While administrative systems that stamped storage jars are known elsewhere in the ancient Near East, the phenomenon in Judah is unparalleled in its scale, variety and continuity, spanning a period of some 600 years without interruption. This is the first attempt to consider the phenomenon as a whole and to develop a unified theory that would explain the function of these stamp impressions and shed new light on the history of Judah during six centuries of subjugation to the empires that ruled the region—as a vassal kingdom in the age of the Assyrian, Egyptian, and Babylonian empires and as a province under successive Babylonian, Persian, Ptolemaic, and Seleucid rule.

Thorough analysis of all civilizations Detailed strategy for optimizing unit effectiveness Complete descriptions of all cheats and taunts Comprehensive unit sheets In-depth military formations tactics Trade route maps

This exclusive, official strategy guide, written with the full cooperation and support of Ensemble Studios and Microsoft Game Studios, features: Strategies and tips straight from the game's creators Expert analysis of each civilization's strengths and weaknesses Detailed military and economic strategies In-depth statistics for everything in the game Step-by-step walkthrough of the single-player campaign Hardcore multiplayer tactics for every game mode

In this sequel to one of the most celebrated strategy games of all time, your choices are simple: expand or be conquered. Spanning a thousand years, from the fall of Rome through the Middle Ages, Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings is an epic adventure that puts you in command of one of thirteen mighty civilizations. World domination is within your grasp as you build your empire, push back your borders, and crush all opposing forces. Book jacket.