As 2022 came around, it had become more and more obvious the world as we know it is in utter informational chaos—an average person, though presented with all the knowledge one could ever desire, cannot tell his left cheek from his knee.

I wish to correct my own lack of understanding of the world, bit by bit. A book at a time. And my first target: history. An often neglected subject, is the basis of modern man's frame of reference when reasoning anything political.

For this reason, I am turning to this Reddit forum for help: what history books would you, the peoples of Reddit, recommend for a simple bumpkin such as myself, who has a tenuous knowledge of any academic subject and is not even legally qualified to vote. Specifically, I wish to read about the Bronze Age in ancient Mesopotamia, Canaan and North Africa, and later graduate to reading about Classical Greece and Rome. Though a taste of Persia would be welcome in open eyes and a firm grip.