1177 B.C. - The Year Civilization Collapsed Revised edition

"In 1177 B. C., marauding groups known only as the 'Sea Peoples' invaded Egypt. The pharaoh's army and navy managed to defeat them, but the victory so weakened Egypt that it soon slid into decline, as did most of the surrounding civilizations. After centuries of brilliance, the civilized world of the Bronze Age came to an abrupt and cataclysmic end ... The Sea Peoples alone could not have caused such widespread breakdown. How did it happen? In this major new account of the causes of this 'First Dark Ages,' Eric Cline tells the ... story of how the end was brought about by multiple interconnected failures, ranging from invasion and revolt to earthquakes, drought, and the cutting of international trade routes"