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Babylon

The Mother of All Cities, from the critically acclaimed ancient historian and author of The Persians 'Remarkable' WILLIAM DALRYMPLE, author of THE GOLDEN ROAD

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Babylon

By: Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones
Narrated by: Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones
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'A book that's rich with meticulous scholarship, illuminated by sharp wit, and full of subtle judgment. Babylon is quite simply enthralling'
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ TELEGRAPH

'Intimate and immensely detailed. I've never encountered a work of ancient history so finely drawn'
THE TIMES

'Rollicking story of a city with a biblically bad reputation . . . highly readable'
LONDON STANDARD

'One of our greatest scholars of the ancient world . . . a remarkable feat of urban resurrection'
WILLIAM DALRYMPLE

'Compelling and authoritative . . . an exhilarating portrait of one of the world's greatest cities'
SIMON SEBAG MONTEFIORE

'A masterpiece'
TRISTAN HUGHES
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Babylon often appears more myth than history. Purportedly the site of the Hanging Gardens and the Tower of Babel, its infamous presence in the Bible has made it a byword for sinful decadence. But Babylon was a real place teeming with life, a bustling mega-city on the Euphrates where schoolteachers, artisans, priests, slaves, prostitutes and soldiers rubbed shoulders in maze-like streets and busy marketplaces.

The city was home to some extraordinary rulers, from Hammurabi the great lawgiver to Nebuchadnezzar II, the conqueror-king, under whose reign the city glistened in gold and lapis lazuli.

In Babylon, Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones brings the city vividly to life, tracing its foundation through to its world domination, and subsequent decline, fall and ruin into dust. From ribald drinking songs to acerbic letters between rival kings, the extraordinary ancient sources help inform what is both a stunning work of scholarship and a fascinating evocation of a long-lost world.

More praise for BABYLON:

'Engrossing and informative'
DR. ERIC H. CLINE

'Sweeps you up and carries you off like the River Tigris itself!'
IRVING FINKEL

'Babylon is brought brilliantly to life . . . highly engaging'
BUZZ MAGAZINE©2026 Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones (P)2026 Headline Publishing Group Limited Ancient Egypt Historical Middle East Royalty Ancient History Ancient Greece
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Critic reviews

Intimate and immensely detailed. I've never encountered a work of ancient history so finely drawn.
A book that's rich with meticulous scholarship, illuminated by sharp wit, and full of subtle judgment. Babylon is quite simply enthralling.
Compelling and authoritative, this history of Babylon combines narrative flair with the latest scholarship to deliver an exhilarating portrait of one of the world's greatest cities.
An important reassessment of Babylonian civilisation, literature and science by one of our greatest scholars of the ancient world. Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones achieves a remarkable feat of urban resurrection as he reanimates Babylon and shows us how far Mesopotamia's greatest metropolis rose above its caricature as the City of Sin, the home of the Great Whore, the Antichrist and the Tower of Babel.
A masterpiece worthy of the greatest city in the ancient world.
Engrossing and informative, this is a literal "tour de force" of Babylon's history, and of Babylonian society and culture, from its earliest beginnings to its final end. Highly recommended.
This book sweeps you up and carries you off like the River Tigris itself!
Rollicking story of a city with a biblically bad reputation . . . Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones, professor of Ancient History at Cardiff University, cuts through the pop culture nonsense to uncover a vastly more interesting and many-layered city . . . his book is a loving, highly readable act of restorative justice.
Babylon is brought brilliantly to life here . . . there are nuggets of fascinating detail dispersed through every chapter . . . A highly engaging life story of a city of astonishing importance to the development of civilization.
All stars
Most relevant
Long before Athens and Rome there was Babylon. This amazing book aims -and succeeds - in bringing the ancient city back to life. What the author gives us is a sweeping history of Babylon and so much more; there are investigations into daily life, ideas, science, the gods and mythology, diplomacy, warfare, and loads more. There is so much detail but it is never boring and author, who reads the book, does a fantastic job of bringing it to life. He reads it really well and his voice is warm but also exciting. You can feel his enthusiasm. This is one of the best audio books I’ve listened to and I know I’ll listen again. I really recommend Babylon the Mother of All Cities to anyone interested in the past and in human experience.

A breathtaking history of the Mother of All Cities

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