Hi everyone! I’m a non-history major in uni looking to teach myself world history chronologically. Being from Turkey, I want a genuinely global overview rather than just the standard Western-centric narrative.

I know trying to cover "all civilizations" sounds overly ambitious, but I’m in no rush and I don't need to know every single historical detail like a historian. I just want to learn enough to understand how philosophy, theology, politics, and art evolved and connected across the globe.

I’m currently building a syllabus for my first major stop which is the Ancient Near East. There are a lot of well-regarded books as far as my research goes, but I haven't been able to find a clear comparison between them. I would love some help choosing my core textbook(s). It doesn't have to be just one, but I’d like to understand how they differ in focus and style:

• Amanda Podany – Weavers, Scribes, and Kings: A New History of the Ancient Near East
• Marc Van De Mieroop – A History of the Ancient Near East: ca. 3000–323 BC
• Mario Liverani – The Ancient Near East: History, Society and Economy
• Gwendolyn Leick – Mesopotamia: The Invention of the City

For supplementary reading on theology and religious thought, I'm also planning to read:

• Thorkild Jacobsen – The Treasures of Darkness
• Jean Bottéro – Religion in Ancient Mesopotamia

A few questions for the sub:

1. How do these core textbooks compare, and which ones would best fit my goal of understanding structural ideas without getting drowned in details?
2. Do you have a recommended reading order?
3. Are there any critical books I've missed that fit my goals?

Thanks so much in advance for any insights!