Bitty, caught in the act of checking his calendar…

Cat in a box

Doing Archaic Greece today, including the first Olympics…

Happy New Year! An unexpected box full of Love War and Diplomacy was waiting on the doorstep when I got home today.

New podcast on the Trojan War with Dan Snow on History Hit has just dropped. It's fun; take a listen: podfollow.com/dan-snows-hi...

So, most of you know by now what it means if I am wearing this tie…

And…1177 BC will be translated into Indonesian, as its 21st translation.

After days of traveling, it is good to have a few moments of calm in the morning, with a cup of coffee while relaxing in your favorite chair...

Great day-long symposium at OU, discussing Walter Scheidel’s new book “What is Ancient History?” Great to see old friends and to meet new ones. Too bad I’m leaving before tomorrow’s game against Auburn…

Oklahoma and Vermont added to list of states where I have given lectures; now up to 35. South Carolina to be added in a few weeks; delayed because of last year’s hurricane (Alabama also canceled then). Seems to be a big swathe of the Northwest where I haven’t lectured…must rectify that.

The second review of my forthcoming Amarna Letters book is out, from Publishers Weekly: "...a remarkable glimpse into deep history and a savvy examination of an academic discipline's evolution." And just heard that 1177 BC will be translated into Indonesian -- that makes 21 foreign languages...

@digkabri.bsky.social’s new book Love, War, and Diplomacy is “a remarkable glimpse into deep history and a savvy examination of an academic discipline’s evolution” Read the @publisherswkly.bsky.social review:

Teaching the Iron Age in Greek history today, so I thought I would wear my “writing” tie. Ironically, however, unless I am missing something, it does not appear to have the Greek alphabet on it!

There are very few things quite like gazing upon your new book for the very first time. Years and years of studying and writing, of intensive toil, labor, and love, now brought to fruition with the help of a whole village. I am so pleased that this will be available exactly two months from today.

Fighting the Trojan War today, in both classes as it happens.

Just received the welcome news that the paperwork has just been signed for the twentieth translation of 1177 BC, this time into Ukrainian. Not sure when it will be out, but looking forward to it!

Actually lecturing in detail about the Woolley/Mallowan excavations at Ur today, so I’m wearing another one of my “Standard” ties (I have three: one in polychrome, one in red, and one in black.)

Love, War, and Diplomacy, the forthcoming book from @digkabri.bsky.social, showcases “impressive scholarship [that] illuminates the Bronze Age.” Read the full Kirkus review here:

One sign that the new semester has begun: when you answer one email and three more pop up as you are doing so.

Today’s Intro class is on the Egyptians, so I had to choose between numerous possible ties and settled on this one. Spoiler alert; there may be a tie change in between classes, since we’re doing the Minoans in Greek history today. I have brought the dolphin tie with me just in case.

I have learned to my horror that neither of my children have seen the original Blues Brothers movie. Ironically, they both know by heart the iconic lines “It’s 106 miles to Chicago, we got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it’s dark…and we’re wearing sunglasses. Hit it.”

First review of my next book (due out in November) has just appeared, in Kirkus Reviews. Pretty happy, as the defining sentence reads “Impressive scholarship illuminates the Bronze Age”… Go here for the full review (it’s short): www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews...

Great birthday spent sailing on the Chesapeake with family and friends Linda Meiberg and Andrew Seligman; charter their boat via Shardana Sailing Charters – highly recommended! Thank you to all who sent birthday messages! www.shardanasailing.com

Very fun podcast episode has just dropped, with Tristan Hughes interviewing me about the Sea Peoples (and yes, I know that I mix up east and west in a few instances — Libya is to the west of Egypt, not the east — but mea culpa). :-) Give it a listen! open.spotify.com/episode/5EDF...

Touching on Ur, Max Mallowan, and Agatha Christie today in the Intro class so I broke out the Standard of Ur tie for today.

First day of school, for the 26th time at GW, and the 60th straight year overall. Groundhog Day, anyone? Thanks for all the crowdsourcing; I went with the AIA owl tie and the Scream lapel pin. The other ties will be worn on the appropriate lecture days, so stay tuned.

Major dilemma! Which tie should I wear for the first day of classes (tomorrow, 25 August)? Teaching Intro to Archaeology and History of Ancient Greece this semester….

Great new Sea Peoples World Tour t-shirt! Thanks Dutch and Brenda!!

Great new Sea Peoples World Tour t-shirt! Thanks Dutch and Brenda!!

Had a great interview the other day with Dan Snow (@thehistoryguy.bsky.social), for a future episode about the Trojan War on the History Hit (@history-hit.bsky.social) podcast. Not sure when it will air, but stay tuned!

This is awesome, but now we need a Late Bronze Age Collapse Scented Candle, right?? :-)

I have it on good authority (from the anesthesiologists) that when they were trying to wake me up after I was put under for 90 minutes during this morning’s biopsy, the exchange went as follows: Anesthesiologists: “Eric, Eric. Wake up. Can you hear us?” Me: “Stop bothering me. I’m reading!” :-)

Lecturing today at the BAS weekend seminar, along with Christopher Rollston , Jennie Ebeling , and Elizabeth Schrader.

We're #1 !!! 👍😎

The new German translation of “After 1177 BC” has a nice review in “Damals” (the German scientific history magazine). Not sure if the first sentence is a reference to this book or to the original “1177 BC”, but the final sentence is clearly a reference to this new book: “absolutely worth reading”…

Happy National Ice Cream Day!

It has been brought to my attention that a phishing scam is apparently using my name and career details. If you have received an email that looks like the following, rest assured that it is not from me and do not click on the link provided.

Bitty, flaunting his new summer haircut…

An iconic 4th of July pic, taken by Josh Cline at the fireworks show in Rockville, MD. Stars&Stripes; can of Coke; two great bands (on the shirt); and everything slightly out of focus… 😎👍

At dinner I was wishing for a rainbow…We got a double one plus one of the strangest views I’ve ever seen…

What a joy it is to reread this masterpiece, close to fifty years after I read it for the first time. In the intervening five decades, we came to know her husband Charles, who taught in the History Dept at Portland State University (Diane’s first job), /1

It had been so long, I was beginning to forget what my office at GW looked like!

Dark chocolate and cheese cake swirl. Mmmm…

Retail therapy. Replacing the things that I left behind in Jerusalem. Got three shirts at Old Navy for the price of one at REI, but not unexpected. Also new comfy Teva’s.

Things that I did not know before today: an anagram for “Eric Cline” is “Nice Relic”… somehow that seems appropriate.

Fun to see three new foreign translations. On the left is the Chinese translation of Three Stones Make a Wall; in the middle is the German translation of the graphic version of 1177 BC by Glynnis Fawkes and myself; and on the right is the Turkish translation of After 1177 BC.

Now that I’m home two weeks early, after being suddenly exfiltrated courtesy of the US Embassy and the Fulbright program, I’ll return to posting pictures of our cats to help brighten everyone’s day a little bit. One of ours doesn’t want me to leave again; the other one thinks he’s a meatloaf.

Felix, the cat, and I are having a quiet lunch in the Albright courtyard.

I may currently be on the last of the Fulbright grants as we’ve known them: www.reuters.com/business/med...

Keeping an eye on things...