Babylon

A significant portion of our knowledge of the civilizations of ancient Mesopotamia comes from non-literary sources, such as art and architecture. As such, this volume provides a large selection of black-and-white illustrations, which are themselves almost worth the price of entry. The text is also very interesting, if a bit dry. It is essentially a history of Mesopotamia from the time of Sargon to the rise of the Achaemenid empire, focusing, obviously, on the city of Babylon. It is written in a scholarly but accessible manner, though some parts might be tough going for someone totally new to the subject.

The book by Joan Oates, Babylon (Ancient Peoples and Places), is very informative for any who wish to learn about Babylonia, whether student or expert. The book is very detailed with great photos, drawings and maps. There is also a "Mesopotamian Chronology" so you can look up rulers, dynasties and dates. The book covers the history behind monuments, cities and people is very good. I would highly suggest this book as a great resource for anyone trying to learn more about ancient Mesopotamia.