If you're into ancient history I think you will find that The Classical World: The Epic History Of Greece And Rome by Robin Lane Fox is an excellent read. What I liked the most about it is that it neatly ties together Greek and Roman history. It's also not a book for academia - it's written in more prosaic form, which I found refreshing. I only wished it had contained a little more about the Archaic period for Greece and Rome's ties to the Etruscan civilization. But I guess you can't have everything in one book. You can also find a nice review here.