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O. R. Gurney

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The Hittites Mass Market Paperback – Import, January 1, 1952

by O. R. Gurney (Author)

4.5 38 ratings

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Print length

126 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Penguin Books
Publication date

January 1, 1952
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J.M. Gardiner, Alan; Gurney; Saggs, H.W.F.; Cook
18
Hardcover
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Trevor Bryce
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ALan Gardiner & J.M. Cook O.R. Gurney, H.W.F. Saggs
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Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0000CID5C
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin Books; 2nd edition (January 1, 1952)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 126 pages
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.05 pounds

Customer Reviews:
4.5 38 ratings

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4.5 out of 5

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R. Sinclair

Excellent introduction for any adult reader

Reviewed in the United States on October 13, 2009

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I heartily recommend the book "The Hittites" to anyone with an interest in the subject. It covers the subject from a number of angles, and includes illustrations which, although old (black-and-white), are very clear and useful for an understanding of the history of this people.

I am not an expert on history, and so cannot say how up-to-date the book is, but I would still strongly recommend it because of its readability. It would make a perfect starting point for anyone who wants to explore further.

5 people found this helpful

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Davida (SF, CA)

An Excellent Summary.

Reviewed in the United States on May 9, 2014

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Requires some concentration but overall it is well worth reading. Although some of the material is of necessity now quite dated (2014).

One person found this helpful

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S. Pactor

Essential Summary of the Hittites (circa 1950)

Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2010

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There is not a whole lot of general interest action on the Hittites. Despite the fact that they appear in the Bible, the Hittites were basically unknown until the mid 19th century. Since then much of the interest in them revolves around the "are they or aren't they" question of their indo-european origins. Although that question has been resolved in the affirmative, Gurney points out that the link is limited to the grammar of their language, while much of the vocabulary owes a debt to the more civilized people's to the south.

Gurney's discussion of the chariot is pretty limited- would have liked more, but I think that debate (where did the chariot come from? who invented it?) dates from after this book was written.

5 people found this helpful

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Juan R. Gerena Ortiz

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States on June 1, 2016

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A classic work about the hittites!

One person found this helpful

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FrKurt Messick

Strangers in a strange land?

Reviewed in the United States on June 25, 2004

The Hittites are one of the better-known unknown peoples - they are well known from the Bible; mentioned as one of the peoples in the Syro-Palestinian area during the time of the Patriarchs, they continued to be mentioned through a long span of the history of the Hebrew Bible. At some point, they stop being mentioned - most likely, the Hittite Empire collapsed just as Israel was growing strong under the united kingdom monarchy (or perhaps just before) and was later absorbed by the various empires (Assyrian, Greek, etc.) that swept across Asia Minor.
There aren't many texts on the Hittites; what books are available are often written for archaeologists and other scholars. O. R. Gurney was a professor at Oxford specialising in Assyriology, that branch of archaeology and history that studies the empires of the Fertile Crescent. This book is accessible and interesting; originally written in the early 1950s, it has been updated to take account of later archaeological finds and interpretations. The history of publishing in this kind of field is such that often the 'latest' book will be something decades old, so the 'antiquity' of the book here should not be an issue, and generally isn't, for the student and for the general reader.
Gurney discusses in his introduction the earliest archaeological discovery of the Hittites, lost for millennia to the world under the sands of Asia Minor (Turkey) and other countries at the northern end of the Tigris and Euphrates. From here, he looks at Hittite history in broad strokes - the earliest cities, the Old Kingdom, the period of Empire, the decline of Empire and subsequent rise of neo-Hittite kingdoms, possible connections with the early Greeks and Trojans, and finally the Hittites found in Palestine.
Gurney's following chapters look at the different aspects of Hittite life and culture - society structure from royalty to commoners; government and foreign policy; economy and lifestyles; law and institutions (there are tablets of laws found in various locations); warfare (some things shared with other nations at the time, and some uniquely Hittite features); languages and literature; religion; and art. With regard to languages, this continues to be a rapidly developing area, but the connection of Hittite to the Indo-European language family (through the Anatolian line) has been known since 1915; this was rather surprising, given that the other languages in the area are of the Semitic line, a non-Indo-European language family that included Sumerian and Akkadian, languages in evidence in Hittite areas, showing regional connections for trade and foreign relations. This shows that the Hittites are most likely of a different stock of people from the rest of the peoples of the ancient Near East -- strangers in the land, in a way.
Gurney's text adds details for the student that are worthwhile. For example, while reading about the downfall of the Hittites, Gurney mentions the Peoples of the Sea who were sweeping across portions of the eastern Mediterranean at that time, and tells how Palestine came to get its name, not data directly relevant, but useful and interesting nonetheless. The text is full of such things.
The book also contains many pictures, plates, and line-art drawings of inscriptions, maps, buildings and building plans, and other pieces of interest. There is a chronological list of the kings of the Hittites, ranging from early kings of unknown timing, to the known dated kings from 1740 to 1190 BCE. The bibliography is excellent, divided topically into eighteen different topics, for scholars and students to pursue particular subjects in relations to the Hittites in earnest. The index is very good, useful for Hittite, English and other words and names.
A fascinating book!

27 people found this helpful

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OCProf

Two Stars

Reviewed in the United States on December 23, 2016

Very dated.

Good book on the Hittites.

Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2017

One has to admit that some books never get dated despite the fact that they were published many years ago. The book entitled ''The Hittites'' which was written by acclaimed British historian (assyriologist) Olivier Gurney (1911 - 2001) and published in 1952 can be surely regarded as one of such books that never get dated. Author offered his readers a very good introduction to the history and world of the oldest known group of people that was speaking the language belonging to the Anatolian branch of the Indo-European language family. The fact that Hittites were not native people of the Anatolian Plateau and were preceded by people know as Hattians who enriched the civilisation of newcomers and were later gradually absorbed by them is emphasized in the text. Taking into account the fact that these militant Indo-European newcomers were not solitary people in ancient Anatolia many infusions from other cultures can be observed in their unique civilisation. Thanks to their military expansion they have encountered already highly developed civilisations of Syria, Mesopotamia and Egypt. These contacts (not always hostile) between mentioned civilisations left many traces of the Hittites presence in the almost all lands of the Ancient Near East. ''The Hittites'' by Olivier Gurney can be regarded as a very good introduction into the sophisticated world of Ancient Anatolia that was a great mosaic of many nations.

4 people found this helpful

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J. Zink

Probably not the best book on the Hittites but good enough

Reviewed in the United States on June 22, 2015

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Probably not the best book on the Hittites but good enough.

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Top reviews from other countries

LeBrit

Hittites

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 27, 2014

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The Hittites and the Phoenicians seem to have been largely ignored by Western historians. I bought this book to fill me in about the former civilisation - Second hand - good condition - delivered promptly - excellent

One person found this helpful

ANGHARAD

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 18, 2014

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Good condition and book as described .