• Kingdom of the Hittites - Trevor Bryce -- a fascinating narrative of Hittite history and culture, using the latest research.
• The Peoples of the Hills - Ancient Ararat and Caucasus - Charles Burney, David Marshall Long - covers the history and civilization of eastern Turkey, Armenia, Georgia and the Caucasus, from ancient times to the Mongol invasions in the 13th century.
• The Middle East - A brief History of the Last 2,000 Years - Bernard Lewis - an excellent survey of history and analysis of its current implications.

War in the Holy Land: From Megiddo to the West Bank

Ancient Turkey : A Traveler’s History This was one of our best preparations for our tour of Turkey . It covers an enormous period from prehistoric times to the Christian era. yet manages to set everything in perspective.  Lloyd traces the exploits of the Hittite kings, the confrontation of Croesus and the Persian king Cyrus, the conquests of Alexander the Great, and Mithridates' epic resistance against Rome. Plus, it addresses the history as a traveler will see it. Archaeological landmarks discussed include the discovery of the Alaça Hüyük tombs, the attempts to establish the location of Troy, and the opening of the Tomb of Midas. Lloyd shows how each successive culture has left its mark on an astonishing variety of sites, from the shrines of Çatal Hüyük to the temples of Ephesus and the churches founded by St. Paul. In our first, month long trip we only managed to visit about half the sites that he discusses, although we saw many of them represented in museums. But that just means we'll still be using this book on our next trip. My only wish would be for  a sequel covering the last 2000 years of Turkish history

The Coming of the Greeks : Indo-European...  This is a fascinating look at the development of chariot warfare and an examination of early migrations across Anatolia.   These accomplishments are even more impressive when you explore Eastern Turkey and see the formidable geographic challenges these people faced.   Several recent proposals (for both the Greeks, and the Israelites) is that mythical ancestral migrations were actually later retellings of the making of nations from people who were already living in those areas.  This book takes a look at the latest evidence.

In Search of the Trojan War Exploring the site of Troy is a fascinating experience.  It's one of the better preserved sites, and is well displayed.  Wood's excellent book gives historical and archaeological background to the site.  It's based on the PBS TV series

The Birth of Christianity : Discovering...

Holy War - Karen Armstrong

Duncan - War in the Holy Land

Jack Finegan - Archaeological History of the Ancient Middle East