Antioch on the Orontes: An Illustrated History - Paperback

by Kevin M. McCarthy (Author)

This is an illustrated history of one of the greatest cities in antiquity: Antioch on the Orontes or, simply, Antioch. From the time of Alexander the Great in the 4th century BC through the time of the first Christians to the incursions of many conquering armies (Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Persians, Byzantines, Crusaders, Ottomans, and Turks) into the 21st century, the city has seen thousands and thousands of residents and visitors spend much time in this city at the eastern end of the Mediterranean. But it has also suffered tremendous damage in the loss of life and property from earthquakes and other natural phenomena. Today the modern Antioch, called Antakya, is a provincial capital next to a volatile country (Syria) that continues to attract hard-working people who want to live in harmony with their neighbors, no matter what their religion or political beliefs are.

Author Biography

Dr. Kevin McCarthy earned his B.A. in American Literature from LaSalle College in 1963, his M.A. in English from the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill in 1966 and his Ph.D. in Linguistics from the same school in 1970. He taught in the Peace Corps in Turkey for two years, in Lebanon as a Fulbright Professor for one year, in Saudi Arabia as a Fulbright Professor for two years, and as a professor of English and Linguistics at the University of Florida for 33 years. He has had 54 books published, mostly about Florida, plus 43 articles in scholarly and popular journals and has given over 300 talks to schools and academic groups. In 2003 the University of Florida named him its Distinguished Alumni Professor. Since retiring from the University of Florida in 2005, he has taught writing workshops in Hanoi, Vietnam two times, and has taught English-as-a-Foreign Language in Spain three times. He continues to research and write nonfiction books. For images of his book covers, see his web site: kevinmccarthy.us. His interest in Antioch stems from his two-year teaching stint in Turkey in the Peace Corps, plus his frequent visits and stays in that country.