The Great Archaeologists by Brian Fagan
Organized into six thematic sections, The Great Archaeologists gives short, vivid biographies and fresh assessments of the achievements of 70 of the world's greatest practitioners, written by a 40-strong team of contributors, themselves all eminent archaeologists and authors. All these archaeologists - very different individuals, and often in deep disagreement with one another - have established the subject as a scientific discipline and vastly broadened and deepened our knowledge of the human past. Authoritative and entertaining, this is a book for anyone fascinated by the human past and its discovery.