Ancient history reads like a bestselling novel. Real people are colorful characters; true events surface like dramatic page-turners; and exotic settings remain just that, exotic settings. As for the plot, we already know what's written on that last page. The only unknown lies in the how and why.

Now you can solve two of the greatest mysteries of ancient times. In The History of Ancient Egypt and Between the Rivers, a History of Ancient Mesopotamia, you'll be transported back to a time of mystery and intrigue.

First, consider the Egyptian civilization that lasted 3,000 years, longer than any other on the planet. Professor Bob Brier is a man with complete knowledge of the fine points: "To a great extent, the fun of history is in the details. … Knowing what kind of wine Tutankhamen preferred makes him come alive … or that Ramses the Great was crippled by arthritis for the last decade of his long life makes us more sympathetic to the boastful monarch who fathered more than 100 children."

Then, travel east to ancient Mesopotamia. Most of these lands are now modern Iraq, but they were once home to a succession of peoples. In a land where the real history is even more astounding than the imagined one, such a journey is a true adventure. In leading you on this quest, Professor Alexis Castor explains important concepts about the ways Eastern cultures differ from Western.

This journey to two ancient cultures helps us understand not only how and what we know, but also what we cannot know about the ancient world. And it bears witness to the need to preserve history so that we can understand both the past and the present with greater depth.