A historical opera of sweeping proportions, The Cradle and the Sword hurtles the reader from the classical ages of Greece and Persia back into the mists of prehistory, chronicling the wars, intrigues, discoveries and triumphs of the world's first great civilizations. A web of tales brings together an unforgettable cast of characters, united across thousands of years by common struggles, ambitions, and dreams. Thomas unveils an odyssey in reverse, tracing a myriad of intertwined paths, from the palace conspiracies of mighty Assyria to the lush gardens of Babylon, to the primeval city of Ur-- revealing an action-packed saga whose deepest roots reach back to legendary Eden itself.