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Author
Series
Summary
"Edward Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire compresses thirteen turbulent centuries into an epic narrative shot through with insight, irony and incisive character analysis." "Famously sceptical about Christianity, unexpectedly sympathetic to the barbarian invaders and the Byzantine Empire, constantly aware of how political leaders often achieve the exact opposite of what they intend, Gibbon was alert to both the broad pattern of events and...
Author
Series
Very short introductions volume 286
Summary
Uses the history of eleven major Greek cities to illuminate the most important and informative aspects of Greek culture. The role of such renowned cities as Athens (birthplace of democracy) and Sparta, but he also examines Argos, Thebes, Syracuse in Sicily, and Alexandria in Egypt, as well as lesser known locales such as Miletus (home of the West's first intellectual, Thales) and Massalia (Marseilles today), where the Greeks introduced the wine grape...
Summary
"Engineering an Empire circles the globe to re-examine history's most magnificent civilizations by surveying the architectural and engineering triumphs they left behind. Beginning more than five-thousand years ago with the mind-boggling construction feats of the ancient Egyptians, the documentaries and two feature-length specials in this collection revive the spectacular glory of the past, from the great temples of Greece to the majestic and mysterious...