Assyria was one of the most influential kingdoms of the Ancient Near East. Ancient Assyria: A Very Short Introduction sketches the history of Assyria from city state to empire, from the early 2nd millennium bc to the end of the 7th century bc. Since the archaeological rediscovery of Assyria in the mid-19th century, its cities have been excavated extensively in present-day Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and Israel, with further sites in Iran, Lebanon, and Jordan providing important information. The Assyrian Empire was one of the most geographically vast, socially diverse, multicultural, and multi-ethnic states of the early first millennium bc. After a brief introduction the book explores the geography and the history of Ancient Assyria. It continues by examining the lives not only of some of its key rulers, but also the lives of some typical citizens, and slaves too, are selected. In this way the culture and diverse ways of life of those who lived in the empire are vividly brought to life.