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My research interests involve the ancient history of the Middle East, especially the areas of Iraq and Syria. I have approached the subject in various ways, including through political and socio-economic investigations. I have also analyzed historiographical practices in the discipline of Ancient Near Eastern studies. My current projects include a book on The Eastern Mediterranean in the Age of Ramesses II and a world historical approach to antiquity.

Recent Books
Cuneiform Texts and the Writing of History, 1999.
A History of the Ancient Near East, ca. 3000 - 323 B.C., 2004.
King Hammurabi of Babylon: A Biography, 2005.