What books would you recommend that give a good overview of the entire history of the Mayan Empire?

In particular, a study of the major historical events (political / religious), but some info on society and mythology would be interesting as well.

Also, a fairly easy enjoyable read for non-academic, purely recreational, purpose would be best

I'm currently learning the history of the Eastern Roman Empire from the reign of Zeno onwards, and for the most part it's been a history of decline and of a shrinking map. How did the citizens and elites of the empire view this decline? Was this decline thought of as inevitable, or did the medieval Romans hope that their fortunes would change? What about the other nations of Europe? Did they view this decline with sadness, lust for the Empire's remaining resources, or apathy?

I'm looking for sources regarding settlement, communities, law, and culture throughout 17th century colonial America. I'm already reading The Barbarous Years but I'm looking for additional sources.

I might be stretching the temporal law of this forum but it appears that gangs and mafia was something from the 1910s to the 80's and past that gangs and especially mafia has gone into sharp decline and gained more of a Hollywood "westernized" fable stories and less of a reality.

What happened during the past allowed years that changed that.

I realise that there are some assumptions made in the question, and I don't mean to cause any offence to anyone. It seems like pre Russian invasion Afghanistan, pre revolution Iran and Egypt and pre war Syria in particular seem to have suffered a savage decline in civilisation since these events. How have the actions and policies of foreign forces influenced this?

How would an American bigot have responded to an encounter with the horrors humanity is capable of due to intolerance?

Statistically speaking, I'd consider it likely some members of what I guess you'd call the "hate movement" would have had something to say about how their beliefs were/were not affected by digging up mass graves or entering a death camp. As I can find nothing about such encounters, surely another student of history may have stumbled on relevant info when reading about World War II and the holocaust?

Could someone please recommend a good book(s) on the Neo-Babylonian Empire (circa 626-539 BC) or King Nebuchadnezzar II? Of particular interest would be something talking about the cultural practices or everyday life of the period, but general history would be helpful as well. Some light google searching has not produced many results.

The Greeks of Carthage and the eastern Mediterranean.

I was always under the impression that weapons like flanged maces, clubs, or spears were predominantly used in combat and were generally more effective at their jobs than say a sword would be. And yet, in media throughout time and culture, it seems to a layperson that the vast majority of "warrior" depictions showcase them using a bladed weapon rather than a mace. Were swords that much better? Were they just cooler, and if so why?

I am a history lecturer and I often get asked this question. I have my own ideas, but interested to hear what others think. If you did a history degree, why did you choose it?

"Early" here refers to the early post-war periods of both countries respectively.

I was thinking about Chinese manufacturing industry, which rose to prominence in the 2000s but has garnered a reputation for often being shoddy and second-rate. It could be argued that this is because the manufacturing industry in China is still in a nascent phase due to gaps in technology and development in general. What were similar industries and companies in Japan and Korea like when they were beginning to establish themselves globally in the mid to late 20th century?

EDIT: I hope that second paragraph doesn't break the 20-year rule - the part with China isn't a part of my question and was just looking at the situation from a point of view.

I want a better understanding and knowledge of history, but I've noticed I don't retain a lot of information that I read. Should I expect to remember even some portion of a book after a first readthrough? Should I rely on reading other books that have overlapping themes/dates/events? Is there a method that has helped you get better at reading history?

"There is far more evidence that it didn't happen on the scale that it has been said to, and also the fact that Auschwitz had to be revisited, it went down from 4 million to 1 million, so please tell me why they claim the same figure of 6 million”

Hello guys,

I am interested in Germany after 1945 and how germany used the money from the European Recovery Program but i can´t find something good about the that.It would be very nice of you guys when u could tell me that.

-if the primary weapons of war were spears, pikes and other polearms, how common were axes, specifically the two handed ones, like the dane axe or pollaxe

-were spears and other long handed weapons exclusively used with two hands or could they be used with a shield

-are polearms/spears only useful in an orderly army formation or could they be used in single combat, or like a small group?

-if swords were reserved for nobility, what was the common soldiers backup weapon, like a mace or a club?

-if full body armor was also only for the nobility, what kind of armor/protection would a regular solider have

if any of these are wrong feel free to correct me, also sorry this is so long, these are just a bunch of related questions I've been having.

Islamic sources mention Muhammad sending letters to various Heads of States and so I want to know if there is any evidence of this from Byzantium's records?