History

This illustrated Chinese history book takes the reader on a visual journey of the most brilliant and significant segments of Chinese (read more)

This illustrated Chinese history book takes the reader on a visual journey of the most brilliant and significant segments of Chinese civilization over the course of five thousand years.
As a cradle of human civilization, China has maintained its cohesion and cultural identity for thousands of years. With China's historical evolution as a backdrop, Each section focuses on the outstanding achievements of the period it covers and clearly sets out the long-established and profound cultural development of the Chinese nation.
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01/01/2016 - Taking an ecological approach to our evolution, Clive Finlayson considers the origins of modern humans within the context (read more)

01/01/2016 - Taking an ecological approach to our evolution, Clive Finlayson considers the origins of modern humans within the context of a drying climate and changing landscapes. Finlayson argues that environmental change, particularly availability of water, played a critical role in shaping the direction of human evolution, contributing to our spread and success. He argues that our ancestors carved a niche for themselves by leaving the forest and forcing their way into a long-established community of carnivores in a tropical savannah as climate changes opened up the landscape.

They took their chance at high noon, when most other predators were asleep. Adapting to this new lifestyle by shedding their hair and developing an active sweating system to keep cool, being close to fresh water was vital. As the climate dried, our ancestors, already bipedal, became taller and slimmer, more adept at travelling farther in search of water. (hide)

Published on 03/12/2015 - The epic true-life story of one of the most notorious maritime disasters of the nineteenth century - and (read more)

Published on 03/12/2015 - The epic true-life story of one of the most notorious maritime disasters of the nineteenth century - and inspiration for 'Moby-Dick' - reissued to accompany a major motion picture due for release in December 2015, directed by Ron Howard and starring Chris Hemsworth, Benjamin Walker and Cillian Murphy. When the whaleship Essex set sail from Nantucket in 1819, the unthinkable happened. A mere speck in the vast Pacific ocean - and powerless against the forces of nature - Essex was rammed and sunk by an enraged sperm whale, and her twenty crewmen were forced to take to the open sea in three small boats.

Ninety days later only a handful of survivors were rescued - and a terrifying story of desperation, cannibalism and courage was revealed...One of the greatest sea yarns ever spun, 'In the Heart of the Sea' is the true story of the extraordinary events that inspired Herman Melville's masterpiece 'Moby-Dick'. (hide)

In the 6th century AD, the Near East was divided between two great empires: the Persian and the Roman. A hundred years on, and one (read more)

In the 6th century AD, the Near East was divided between two great empires: the Persian and the Roman. A hundred years on, and one had vanished for ever, while the other was a dismembered, bleeding trunk. In their place, a new superpower had arisen: the empire of the Arabs.

So profound was this upheaval that it spelled, in effect, the end of the ancient world. But the changes that marked the period were more than merely political or even cultural: there was also a transformation of human society with incalculable consequences for the future. Today, over half the world's population subscribes to one of the various religions that took on something like their final form during the last centuries of antiquity. (hide)

' ...a powerful portrait of a complex individual. It uses Napoleon's own words to show his genius, arrogance, insecurities, and frustrations. (read more)

' ...a powerful portrait of a complex individual. It uses Napoleon's own words to show his genius, arrogance, insecurities, and frustrations. The reader will be amazed by Napoleon's attention to detail, from those of pressing national interests to the mundane (such as the problem of heartbroken soldiers in his guard.) ...This makes it an invaluable reference book that should be on the bookshelf of anyone interested in the period.' Rob Burnham, Editor, Napoleon Series.

In the words of Napoleon is a startling insight into the life and deeds of Napoleon I. Derived from Napoleon's extensive correspondence and his other writings and recorded speech, this valuable compilation acts as a diary or journal, encompassing the whole of the emperor's life. Napoleon's words - as recorded on a particular day - are set down as 'entries', and these offer a unique glimpse into the major events of the Napoleonic period.

Pub Date:
30/11/2016 (hide)

New York Times bestselling author of The Attacking Ocean Brian Fagan shows how the powerful bond between Homo sapiens and other species (read more)

New York Times bestselling author of The Attacking Ocean Brian Fagan shows how the powerful bond between Homo sapiens and other species has shaped our civilization and our character. From the first wolf to find companionship in our prehistoric ancestors' camp, to the beasts who bore the weight of our early empires, to the whole spectrum of brutally exploited or absurdly pampered pets of our industrial age, animals--and our ever-changing relationship with them--have left an indelible mark on the history of our species and continue to shape its future. Through an in-depth analysis of six truly transformative human-animal relationships, Fagan shows how our habits and our very way of life were considerably and irreversibly altered by our intimate bond with animals.

Among other stories, Fagan explores how herding changed human behavior; how the humble donkey helped launch the process of globalization; and how the horse carried a hearty band of nomads across the world and toppled the emperor of China. With characteristic care and penetrating insight, Fagan reveals the profound influence that animals have exercised on human history and how, in fact, they often drove it. (hide)

A masterfully researched and compelling history of Iran from 1501 to 2009 This history of modern Iran is not a survey in the conventional (read more)

A masterfully researched and compelling history of Iran from 1501 to 2009 This history of modern Iran is not a survey in the conventional sense but an ambitious exploration of the story of a nation. It offers a revealing look at how events, people, and institutions are shaped by currents that sometimes reach back hundreds of years. The book covers the complex history of the diverse societies and economies of Iran against the background of dynastic changes, revolutions, civil wars, foreign occupation, and the rise of the Islamic Republic.

Published:9 Jan 2018 (hide)

01/01/2016 - This fascinating study of Renaissance courtly art and culture in fifteenth and early sixteenth-century Italy encompasses (read more)

01/01/2016 - This fascinating study of Renaissance courtly art and culture in fifteenth and early sixteenth-century Italy encompasses the most recent scholarship on the courts, court art and noble values. Alison Cole not only considers the role of artists, but explores the distinctive uses to which art was put at the courts, from the smaller duchies and princely courts of Ferrara, Mantua and Urbino to the larger courts of Naples and Milan. The social, intellectual and artistic milieu of each court is brought vividly to life, along with the complex personalities of the rulers, their relationships with the civic and ecclesiastical authorities, and the role of court women as patrons of the arts.

Drawing on a wide range of contemporary texts and visual material, Cole paints a rich picture of the these extraordinary courts in the moment of their greatest brilliance. (hide)

January, 1649. After seven years of fighting in the bloodiest war in Britain's history, Parliament had overpowered King Charles I (read more)

January, 1649. After seven years of fighting in the bloodiest war in Britain's history, Parliament had overpowered King Charles I and now faced a problem: what to do with a defeated king, a king who refused to surrender? Parliamentarians resolved to do the unthinkable, to disregard the Divine Right of Kings and hold Charles I to account for the appalling suffering and slaughter endured by his people. A tribunal of 135 men was hastily gathered in London, and although Charles refused to acknowledge the power of his subjects to try him, the death sentence was unanimously passed.

On an icy winter's day on a scaffold outside Whitehall, in an event unique in English history, the King of England was executed. When the dead king's son, Charles II, was restored to the throne, he set about enacting a deadly wave of retribution against all those - the lawyers, the judges, the officers on the scaffold - responsible for his father's death. Some of the 'regicides' - the killers of the king - pleaded for mercy, while others stoically awaited their sentence.

Many went into hiding in England, or fled to Europe or America. Those who were caught and condemned suffered agonising and degrading ends, while others saw out their days in hellish captivity. Bestselling historian Charles Spencer explores this violent clash of ideals through the individuals whose fates were determined by that one, momentous decision.
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To refer to the private life of Charles II is to abuse the adjective. His personal life was anything but private. His amorous liaisons (read more)

To refer to the private life of Charles II is to abuse the adjective. His personal life was anything but private. His amorous liaisons were largely conducted in royal palaces surrounded by friends, courtiers and literally hundreds of servants and soldiers.

Gossip radiated throughout the kingdom. Charles spent most of his wealth and his intellect on gaining and keeping the company of women, from the lowest sections of society such as the actress Nell Gwyn to the aristocratic Louise de Kerouaille. Some of Charles' women played their part in the affairs of state, colouring the way the nation was run.

Pub Date:05/05/2016 (hide)