{"title":"Ancient History","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"story-of-the-world-vol-1","title":"Story of the World, Vol. 1","description":"What terrible secret was buried in Shi Huangdi's tomb? Did nomads like lizard stew? What happened to Anansi the Spider in the Village of the Plantains? And how did a six-year-old become the last emperor of Rome? Told in a straightforward, engaging style that has become Susan Wise Bauer's trademark, The Story of the World series covers the sweep of human history from ancient times until the present. Africa, China, Europe, the Americas--find out what happened all around the world in long-ago times.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e This first revised volume begins with the earliest nomads and ends with the last Roman emperor. The \u003ci\u003eStory of the World, Volume 1\u003c\/i\u003e includes maps, a timeline, more illustrations, and additional parental aids. Available in Hardcover, Paperback, and Audiobook. This read-aloud series is designed for parents to share with elementary-school children. Enjoy it together and introduce your child to the marvelous story of the world's civilizations. Each Story of the World volume provides a full year of history and geography study when combined with the Activity Book, available separately to accompany each volume of The Story of the World Text Book.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e For older students (grade 4 and above), add the \u003ci\u003eTest and Answer Key\u003c\/i\u003e to increase the rigor of the curriculum.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Volume 1 Grade Recommendation: Grades 1-4.","brand":"Well-Trained Mind Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45786462027823,"sku":"9781933339009","price":19.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0770\/2855\/6847\/files\/imageloader_a9aeb6a0-2ef7-4b04-9203-17f2127a6710.jpg?v=1786143253"},{"product_id":"byzantium-in-the-iconoclast-era-ca-680-850","title":"Byzantium in the Iconoclast Era (ca 680-850)","description":"Iconoclasm, the debate about the legitimacy of religious art that began in Byzantium around 730 and continued for nearly 120 years, has long held a firm grip on the historical imagination. Byzantium in the Iconoclast Era is the first book in English to survey the original sources crucial for a modern understanding of this most elusive and fascinating period in medieval history. It is also the first book in any language to cover both the written and the visual evidence from this period, a combination of particular importance to the iconoclasm debate. The authors, an art historian and a historian who both specialise in the period, have worked together to provide a comprehensive overview of the visual and the written materials that together help clarify the complex issues of iconoclasm in Byzantium.","brand":"Routledge","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45786498170927,"sku":"9780754604181","price":233.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0770\/2855\/6847\/files\/imageloader_e2562483-d933-4c3d-8c80-cf1221d6d471.jpg?v=1786143312"},{"product_id":"history-of-ancient-art","title":"History Of Ancient Art","description":"\"\"History of Ancient Art\"\" by Franz von Reber is a comprehensive guide to the art of ancient civilizations. The book covers the art of Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece, Rome, and other ancient cultures, providing a detailed analysis of their artistic styles, techniques, and materials. The author also explores the historical and cultural context of each civilization, examining how their art was influenced by religion, politics, and social norms. The book is lavishly illustrated with over 400 black-and-white and color images of ancient art, including sculptures, paintings, pottery, and architecture. It is an essential resource for art historians, archaeologists, and anyone interested in the art of the ancient world.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.","brand":"Kessinger Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45786514128943,"sku":"9781430443971","price":41.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0770\/2855\/6847\/files\/imageloader_34bd035f-cff3-4c72-b62a-48d0c2a27da3.jpg?v=1786143333"},{"product_id":"the-buried-city","title":"The Buried City","description":"\u003cb\u003eThe director of the Pompeii Archaeological Park offers a vivid view of daily life in the lost city, shares the latest discoveries, and reflects on preserving heritage.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e In\u003ci\u003e The Buried City\u003c\/i\u003e, Gabriel Zuchtriegel takes us on a behind-the-scenes tour of Pompeii and reveals new archaeological finds that are being unearthed at the site's biggest dig in a generation. As director of the Pompeii Archaeological Park, Zuchtriegel presents a uniquely intimate perspective on this city that was tragically destroyed and frozen in time by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE. Among the ruins, we find unmade beds, dishes left drying, and bodies of victims encased in ash, but Zuchtriegel shows that we've only begun to understand this fascinating place, as a third of the site remains unexcavated. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Zuchtriegel leads us into the heart of the city, reconstructing Pompeii as it would have been, showing us who lived there, what mattered to them, and what happened in their final hours.\u003ci\u003e The Buried City\u003c\/i\u003e reveals the latest discoveries unearthed at Pompeii--including a banquet hall with murals of Greek gods, a fresco of what appears to be a pizza, and the remains of individuals crushed by debris--all buried for almost two thousand years. Zuchtriegel offers a vivid portrait of this World Heritage site as a vibrant and diverse city, connecting us to a past that is much closer than we think and inviting us to reflect on our role as keepers of the site and its history. \u003cbr\u003e","brand":"University of Chicago Press","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":45786562101295,"sku":"9780226839608","price":25.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":45786562134063,"sku":"9780226849300","price":19.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0770\/2855\/6847\/files\/imageloader_c92b805d-dbef-42c8-b903-34bd3302c3a9.jpg?v=1786143411"},{"product_id":"the-golden-thread-a-history-of-the-western-tradition-volume-i","title":"The Golden Thread: A History of the Western Tradition, Volume I","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"...a monumental work of reclamation and revival...\u003ci\u003eThe Golden Thread\u003c\/i\u003e comes as a history, an argument, a treasure hoard.\" --\u003ci\u003eThe Wall Street Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA sweeping, resource-rich history of the ancient world and Christendom--designed for students and lifelong learners alike, and faithful to the enduring legacy of the Western tradition. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eThis is Volume I of a two-part series tracing the story of Western civilization from antiquity to the modern age.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Western Tradition from Antiquity to 1500\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhere do the threads that form the Western tradition originate, and how were they woven together over the two and a half millennia before 1500? What are the sources of our modern ideas about science, freedom, equality, law, good government, and virtue? These are the questions explored in \u003ci\u003eThe Golden Thread, Volume I: The Ancient World and Christendom\u003c\/i\u003e, written by James Hankins.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe story begins with the seminal culture of the classical Greeks and moves through the Hellenization of the east following the conquests of Alexander the Great. Hankins then narrates the rise and dominance of Rome and the fusion of Greco-Roman and Judea-Christian cultures in the Christian empire of the fourth century AD. The volume follows the history of Christendom from the fall of the Western Roman Empire, charts its centuries-long rivalry with the Islamic world, and culminates in the emergence of European civilization in the Middle Age and Renaissance. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eVolume I Examines how the foundations were laid for the West's political and economic dominance in the modern era, illuminating the deep roots of the ideas, arts, and institutions that continue to shape our world.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Golden Thread \u003ci\u003eis a two-volume history of the Western tradition. Volume I is authored by James Hankins; Volume II, covering the modern and contemporary West, is authored by Allen C. Guelzo.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Golden Thread\u003c\/i\u003e series features: \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Vision of Two Authors\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eWritten by two of the most distinguished historians of our time.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Golden Thread\u003c\/i\u003e speaks in coherent, singular voices. Each volume is authored by an eminent individual writing in narrative form and interpretive tone, and animated by the conviction that knowledge across disciplines is best pursued through stories that are rich in insight, humanity, and meaning.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA Cultural Inheritance\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eNearly 1000 curated images--sculptures, paintings, and artifacts--from the vaults of the West's finest cultural institutions.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003eReaders are not merely told what happened, but shown what was created--page after page alive with the rich architecture, sculpture, music, and painting that gave visible form to the West's most enduring aspirations.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eLiving Voices from the Distant Past\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eFeatures close to 200 foundational primary source texts drawn from every era.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWoven through the chapters are the voices that once commanded nations, composed poems and hymns, and drafted creeds. These are not summaries or paraphrases--they are the words themselves, as they were first spoken, sung, and inscribed.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eVisual Histories of the World\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eEnriched by over 150 bespoke maps, each a visual key to the unfolding story of the West.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Golden Thread\u003c\/i\u003e does more than locate events--it reconstructs the shifting boundaries of thought, faith, empire, and imagination that defined how men and women once pictured the world and their place within it.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Encounter Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45786570129455,"sku":"9781641773997","price":120.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0770\/2855\/6847\/files\/imageloader_ce191b0d-a96a-4b6c-8d22-446bc5fb31ee.jpg?v=1786143425"},{"product_id":"forgotten-ally","title":"Forgotten Ally","description":"\u003cstrong\u003eAn \u003cem\u003eEconomist \u003c\/em\u003eBook of the Year\u003cbr\u003eA \u003cem\u003eFinancial Times\u003c\/em\u003e Book of the Year\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"A book that has long cried out to be written.\" -- \u003cem\u003eObserver \u003c\/em\u003e(UK), Books of the Year \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn 1937, two years before Hitler invaded Poland, Chinese troops clashed with Japanese occupiers in the first battle of World War II. Joining with the United States, the Soviet Union, and Great Britain, China became the fourth great ally in a devastating struggle for its very survival. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003ePrizewinning historian Rana Mitter unfurls China's drama of invasion, resistance, slaughter, and political intrigue as never before. Based on groundbreaking research, this gripping narrative focuses on a handful of unforgettable characters, including Chiang Kai-shek, Mao Zedong, and Chiang's American chief of staff, \"Vinegar Joe\" Stilwell. Mitter also recounts the sacrifice and resilience of everyday Chinese people through the horrors of bombings, famines, and the infamous Rape of Nanking. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eMore than any other twentieth-century event, World War II was crucial in shaping China's worldview, making \u003cem\u003eForgotten Ally\u003c\/em\u003e both a definitive work of history and an indispensable guide to today's China and its relationship with the West. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"In the manner of David McCullough, [Mitter] creates a complex history that is urgently alive.\" -- \u003cem\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/em\u003e","brand":"Mariner Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45786571898927,"sku":"9780544334502","price":17.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0770\/2855\/6847\/files\/imageloader_a057d58c-515a-485c-b0f0-f9cf02729bd7.jpg?v=1786143428"},{"product_id":"waterhole-economies","title":"Waterhole Economies","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"FASCINATING LESSONS FROM EARLY HUMANITY.\" - Kirkus Reviews\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2026 NEXT GENERATION INDIE BOOK AWARDS - FINALIST (HISTORY - NON FICTION)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2026 20TH ANNUAL NATIONAL INDIE EXCELLENCE AWARDS - FINALIST (NATURE; HISTORY-GENERAL)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePre-agriculture hunter-gatherer economies were waterhole economies, and were the only human economies that never collapsed.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNinety-seven percent of the time Homo sapiens lived on Earth, or until about 12,000 years ago, all peoples were foragers of wild food, living a type of subsistence lifestyle in economies that relied on hunting and fishing animals, foraging for wild vegetation and other nutrients, and converging around waterholes to slake their thirst. Their economies required a daily pursuit and collection of wild foods to make a living, collecting numerous species over whose reproduction and sustenance they had no control.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAnd yet, they were the only human economies that persisted without collapse for 97 percent of our species' existence, and somehow managed to do so for those 290,000 years mostly without ravaging the planet's habitats and ecosystems and destroying its biodiversity, nor threatening the pre-agriculture hunter-gatherer societies that relied upon them to make a living, with risks of a potential extinction the way twenty-first century economies are threatening humans today.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt bears asking (don't you think?): Is there something our pre-agriculture hunter-gatherer forebears knew about how to make a living and survive on this Earth, without destroying its ecosystems and biodiversity, that Neolithic Revolution through twenty-first century humans, notwithstanding all our accumulated knowledge, science, technologies, innovations, and supposed superiority - still don't get? Clearly, the answer must be yes. But what?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eJoin me in exploring what modern humans may have forgotten.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Maijai Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45786585563183,"sku":"9781733755542","price":25.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0770\/2855\/6847\/files\/imageloader_9c3cad7e-033b-4f9f-a336-1fc006a8be36.jpg?v=1786143451"},{"product_id":"waterhole-economies-1","title":"Waterhole Economies","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"FASCINATING LESSONS FROM EARLY HUMANITY.\" - Kirkus Reviews\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2026 NEXT GENERATION INDIE BOOK AWARDS - FINALIST (HISTORY - NON FICTION)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2026 20TH ANNUAL NATIONAL INDIE EXCELLENCE AWARDS - FINALIST (NATURE; HISTORY-GENERAL)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePre-agriculture hunter-gatherer economies were waterhole economies, and were the only human economies that never collapsed.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNinety-seven percent of the time Homo sapiens lived on Earth, or until about 12,000 years ago, all peoples were foragers of wild food, living a type of subsistence lifestyle in economies that relied on hunting and fishing animals, foraging for wild vegetation and other nutrients, and converging around waterholes to slake their thirst. Their economies required a daily pursuit and collection of wild foods to make a living, collecting numerous species over whose reproduction and sustenance they had no control.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAnd yet, they were the only human economies that persisted without collapse for 97 percent of our species' existence, and somehow managed to do so for those 290,000 years mostly without ravaging the planet's habitats and ecosystems and destroying its biodiversity, nor threatening the pre-agriculture hunter-gatherer societies that relied upon them to make a living, with risks of a potential extinction the way twenty-first century economies are threatening humans today.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt bears asking (don't you think?): Is there something our pre-agriculture hunter-gatherer forebears knew about how to make a living and survive on this Earth, without destroying its ecosystems and biodiversity, that Neolithic Revolution through twenty-first century humans, notwithstanding all our accumulated knowledge, science, technologies, innovations, and supposed superiority - still don't get? Clearly, the answer must be yes. But what?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eJoin me in exploring what modern humans may have forgotten.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Maijai Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45786586578991,"sku":"9781733755559","price":35.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0770\/2855\/6847\/files\/imageloader_560b5a1e-9888-4c53-a3dd-5b40f5a2a0ae.jpg?v=1786143452"},{"product_id":"divine-egypt","title":"Divine Egypt","description":"\u003cb\u003eA rare and captivating look at ancient Egyptian deities that demystifies their complex iconography to illuminate three millennia of life and religious practice\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Ancient Egyptian religious practice flourished across millennia and encompassed a staggering array of gods, goddesses, and other divine beings. This publication outlines the rich iconography used to represent Egyptian deities--from the stately falcon-headed Horus, associated with power and kingship, to the fearsome lion-headed Sakhmet--and explores how these representations evolved alongside the roles of the gods themselves. Illustrated with more than 300 exceptional works of art, including statuary, figurines, jewelry, animal mummies, and coffins, \u003ci\u003eDivine Egypt\u003c\/i\u003e examines the expansive set of features used to symbolize more than 20 deities and their variations while also familiarizing readers with the meaning and cultural significance of each figure. World-renowned scholars explain how the ancient Egyptians recognized and understood divine images and the otherworldly nature of their gods. Essential reading for lovers of Egyptian art, this book enriches our understanding of not only the deities of ancient Egypt but also the lives of all strata of ancient Egyptian society. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Published by The Metropolitan Museum of Art\/Distributed by Yale University Press \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eExhibition Schedule: \u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cbr\u003e (October 12, 2025-January 19, 2026)","brand":"Metropolitan Museum of Art New York","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45786596114479,"sku":"9781588398048","price":65.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0770\/2855\/6847\/files\/imageloader_f0046835-850a-428c-8b3a-bf5029fac1cf.jpg?v=1786143462"},{"product_id":"the-fabric-of-civilization","title":"The Fabric of Civilization","description":"\u003cb\u003e\"A journey as epic, and varying, as the Silk Road itself...[\u003ci\u003eThe Fabric of Civilization\u003c\/i\u003e is] like a swatch of a Florentine Renaissance brocade: carefully woven, the technique precise, the colors a mix of shade and shine and an accurate representation of the whole cloth\" (\u003ci\u003eThe New York Times\u003c\/i\u003e)\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e The story of humanity is the story of textiles―as old as civilization itself. Since the first thread was spun, the need for textiles has driven technology, business, politics, and culture. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e In \u003ci\u003eThe Fabric of Civilization\u003c\/i\u003e, Virginia Postrel synthesizes groundbreaking research from archaeology, economics, and science to reveal a surprising history. From Minoans exporting wool colored with precious purple dye to Egypt, to Romans arrayed in costly Chinese silk, the cloth trade paved the crossroads of the ancient world. Textiles funded the Renaissance and the Mughal Empire; they gave us banks and bookkeeping, Michelangelo's David and the Taj Mahal. The cloth business spread the alphabet and arithmetic, propelled chemical research, and taught people to think in binary code. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Assiduously researched and deftly narrated, \u003ci\u003eThe Fabric of Civilization\u003c\/i\u003e tells the story of the world's most influential commodity.","brand":"Basic Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45786603618351,"sku":"9781541617629","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0770\/2855\/6847\/files\/imageloader_157a800c-618c-4d6a-aba8-44ac09f46128.jpg?v=1786143475"},{"product_id":"celtic-scotland","title":"Celtic Scotland","description":"\u003cp\u003eDelve into the rich tapestry of early Scottish history with \"Celtic Scotland: a history of ancient Alban, Volume 2 of 3: Church and Culture\" by William Forbes Skene. This meticulously researched volume explores the ecclesiastical landscape and cultural development of ancient Alban, offering a detailed account of Scotland's Celtic roots. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eSkene's work provides invaluable insights into the antiquities of Scotland and its fascinating Celtic heritage. Explore the historical narratives that shaped the region, examining the profound influence of the early church and its impact on Scottish culture. A vital resource for anyone interested in Celtic history, \"Celtic Scotland\" remains a cornerstone for understanding the foundations of Scotland's unique identity. This volume sheds light on a pivotal period, making it essential reading for those seeking to understand the complex history of ancient Britain.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eScholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Anson Street Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45786616725551,"sku":"9781023534093","price":36.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0770\/2855\/6847\/files\/imageloader_8c57209e-384f-4526-8312-bba38d8a6616.jpg?v=1786143496"},{"product_id":"osmans-dream","title":"Osman's Dream","description":"\u003cb\u003eThe definitive history of the Ottoman Empire\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"Lucid, judicious and enjoyable.\" (\u003ci\u003eTimes Literary Supplement\u003c\/i\u003e) \u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e The Ottoman Empire was one of the largest and most influential empires in world history. Its reach extended to three continents and it survived for more than six centuries, but its history is too often colored by the memory of its bloody final throes on the battlefields of World War I. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e In this magisterial work--the first definitive account written for the general reader--renowned scholar and journalist Caroline Finkel lucidly recounts the epic story of the Ottoman Empire from its origins in the thirteenth century through its destruction in the twentieth.","brand":"Basic Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45786619805743,"sku":"9780465023974","price":22.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0770\/2855\/6847\/files\/imageloader_4c61ca4b-31ab-4b0f-b371-fb392f0d2992.jpg?v=1786143502"},{"product_id":"twelve-caesars","title":"Twelve Caesars","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFrom the bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eSPQR: A History of Ancient Rome\u003c\/i\u003e, the fascinating story of how images of Roman autocrats have influenced art, culture, and the representation of power for more than 2,000 years\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWhat does the face of power \u003ci\u003elook\u003c\/i\u003e like? Who gets commemorated in art and why? And how do we react to statues of politicians we deplore? In this book--against a background of today's \"sculpture wars\"--Mary Beard tells the story of how for more than two millennia portraits of the rich, powerful, and famous in the western world have been shaped by the image of Roman emperors, especially the \"Twelve Caesars,\" from the ruthless Julius Caesar to the fly-torturing Domitian. \u003ci\u003eTwelve Caesars\u003c\/i\u003e asks why these murderous autocrats have loomed so large in art from antiquity and the Renaissance to today, when hapless leaders are still caricatured as Neros fiddling while Rome burns. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eBeginning with the importance of imperial portraits in Roman politics, this richly illustrated book offers a tour through 2,000 years of art and cultural history, presenting a fresh look at works by artists from Memling and Mantegna to the nineteenth-century American sculptor Edmonia Lewis, as well as by generations of weavers, cabinetmakers, silversmiths, printers, and ceramicists. Rather than a story of a simple repetition of stable, blandly conservative images of imperial men and women, \u003ci\u003eTwelve Caesars\u003c\/i\u003e is an unexpected tale of changing identities, clueless or deliberate misidentifications, fakes, and often ambivalent representations of authority. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eFrom Beard's reconstruction of Titian's extraordinary lost Room of the Emperors to her reinterpretation of Henry VIII's famous Caesarian tapestries, \u003ci\u003eTwelve Caesars\u003c\/i\u003e includes fascinating detective work and offers a gripping story of some of the most challenging and disturbing portraits of power ever created. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003ePublished in association with the Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC","brand":"Princeton University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45786624720943,"sku":"9780691225876","price":24.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0770\/2855\/6847\/files\/imageloader_f37f3ca8-9ade-4221-8a5c-90c682d5bcff.jpg?v=1786143506"},{"product_id":"the-medieval-art-of-fear","title":"The Medieval Art of Fear","description":"\u003cb\u003eA bold new approach to medieval art and architecture's shaping of psychosomatic experience. \u003cbr\u003e ​\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cbr\u003e In the medieval world, experiences of fear attained a mystical significance: monks, urban publics, and even emperors pursued horror and grief to explore the limits of fantasy, sensation, and catharsis. In this book, Ravinder S. Binning examines an expansive archive ranging from poetry and scientific treatises to artistic works in ivory and crystal to recover an aesthetic tradition centered on optical tension, spatial suspense, and tactile experience. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Moving between early monastic spaces in Egypt and major urban centers like Constantinople from the fourth through the thirteenth centuries, \u003ci\u003eThe Medieval Art of Fear\u003c\/i\u003e shows how the psychosomatic experience of fear became the deliberate object of mystical practices, meditation, and other embodied techniques across the medieval world. The result is a powerful exploration of the aesthetic effects behind some of the medieval world's most ambitious works, whose influence extends well beyond the Middle Ages.","brand":"University of Chicago Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45786626949167,"sku":"9780226846279","price":50.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0770\/2855\/6847\/files\/imageloader_744b21ac-1b33-4b14-9eef-f683136f4468.jpg?v=1786143510"},{"product_id":"ancient-nubian-art","title":"Ancient Nubian Art","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eLushly illustrated with stunning artifacts, this volume is the first comprehensive and accessible publication to explore the art, architecture, and material culture of ancient Nubia.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eKings and queens of Nubia reigned over one of the largest empires in the ancient world and had contacts extending north to Greece and Rome, south to sub-Saharan Africa, east to the Red Sea, and west across much of the Sahel. Even a quick look at Nubia's artifacts reveals the incredible creativity of its artists, architects, craftspeople, and thinkers. Despite their significance, the achievements of ancient Nubia are little known to the public and are often viewed as a subculture, a derivative offshoot of Egypt, Nubia's northern neighbor. Nothing could be further from the truth. During its over eight-thousand-year lifespan (beginning around 8000 BCE), Nubia indelibly shaped the art and architecture of the ancient world, an influence still felt today. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003eAncient Nubian Art\u003c\/i\u003e is the first comprehensive and accessible treatment of Nubian artistic culture and showcases its vast range--from ceramics, sculptures, and jewelry to tombs, temples, and palaces. Rita E. Freed, curator emerita at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, which has the largest collection of Nubian artifacts outside the Nile Valley, contextualizes the development of Nubian art against a vivid backdrop of kingship, power, worship, identity, gender, technology, and internationalism. Her text is accompanied by a foreword by Henry Louis Gates Jr. and sidebars by expert voices from the field.","brand":"Getty Publications","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45786635829295,"sku":"9781606069813","price":50.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0770\/2855\/6847\/files\/imageloader_93b06d57-af0f-404c-b546-f8bedddbe47c.jpg?v=1786143524"},{"product_id":"pompeii","title":"Pompeii","description":"The resonant ruins of Pompeii are perhaps the most direct route back to the living, breathing world of the ancient Romans. Two million visitors annually now walk the paved streets which re-emerged, miraculously preserved, from their layers of volcanic ash. Yet for all the fame and unique importance of the site, there is a surprising lack of a handy archaeological guide in English to reveal and explain its public spaces and private residences. This compact and user-friendly handbook, written by an expert in the field, helpfully fills that gap. Illustrated throughout with maps, plans, diagrams and other images, Pompeii: An Archaeological Guide offers a general introduction to the doomed city followed by an authoritative summary and survey of the buildings, artefacts and paintings themselves. The result is an unrivalled picture, derived from an intimate knowledge of Roman archaeology around the Bay of Naples, of the forum, temples, brothels, bath-houses, bakeries, gymnasia, amphitheatre, necropolis and other site buildings - including perennial favourites like the House of the Faun, named after its celebrated dancing satyr.","brand":"Bloomsbury Academic","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45786661027887,"sku":"9781350129399","price":25.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0770\/2855\/6847\/files\/imageloader_35ed6ab7-7cd2-492f-8b34-149376baa895.jpg?v=1786143564"},{"product_id":"the-seven-wonders-of-the-ancient-world","title":"The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World","description":"\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSUNDAY TIMES \u003c\/i\u003eBESTSELLER - From the award-winning historian and broadcaster comes an immersive, awe-inspiring tour of the ancient sites that kindle our imagination and afford us a glimpse into our shared history \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"This fascinating book is brimming with stories of people and places, all told with Bettany's natural sense of wonder and adventure.\" --Simon Sebag Montefiore, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/i\u003ebestselling author of \u003ci\u003eThe World\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eFor millennia, the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World have been known for their aesthetic sublimity, ingenious engineering, and sheer, audacious magnitude: The Great Pyramids of Giza, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Temple of Artemis, the Statue of Zeus, the Mausoleum of Halikarnassos, the Colossus of Rhodes, and the Lighthouse at Alexandria. Echoing down time, each of these persists in our imagination as an emblem of the glory of antiquity, but beneath the familiar images is a surprising, revelatory history. Guiding us through it is historian Bettany Hughes, who has traveled to each of the sites to uncover the latest archaeological discoveries and bring these monuments and the distinct cultures that built them back to breathtaking life. Spellbinding, richly illustrated, and full of insight, \u003ci\u003eThe Seven Wonders of the Ancient World \u003c\/i\u003eis a journey into the indomitable ambition and creativity of the human spirit. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"Learned and insightful. . . . Vivid. . . . Hughes is particularly adept at conjuring atmosphere from the scantiest ruin.\" --\u003ci\u003eThe Wall Street Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e","brand":"Vintage","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45786676985903,"sku":"9780593686157","price":20.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0770\/2855\/6847\/files\/imageloader_6a533e5c-3ba3-406e-b905-1d19cd25bae6.jpg?v=1786143591"},{"product_id":"byzantium-from-the-inside-out","title":"Byzantium from the Inside Out","description":"\u003cp\u003eNo matter how smart we are, we end up grappling with ideas that resist understanding. In this book, Byzantium is identified as the archetypical civilization that nurtured its innermost doubts. It shows how religious dogma was riddled with inscrutable quandaries, where the highest imaginable entity--God--is considered incomprehensible. Byzantine writers develop a doctrine of divine knowledge as a holy hiatus, and many of the features of Byzantine culture that look odd or irregular to modern eyes are expressions of a religious outlook that venerates a God who cannot be grasped.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrom this perspective, \u003cem\u003eByzantium From the Inside Out\u003c\/em\u003e solves many puzzles. Why did Byzantine artists paint pictures where spatial recession points the wrong way? Why did they create mosaics and icons with a gold backdrop when it negates space? Why were the faithful so terrified of a worm that chewed their flesh in the grave after death? Why did Byzantine people sigh so much, and why did they speculate about what people did not say rather than what they did say? And why were they constantly reproaching themselves?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBeginning with what is special about Byzantium, the book reveals how incomprehensibility became a dimension of later aesthetics. The study of this inside-out civilization gives non-Byzantinists a new reason to look back to Byzantium, where the aesthetics of incomprehensibility were born. \u003cem\u003eByzantium From the Inside Out\u003c\/em\u003e uses philological methods to support its theories, but it does not demand a knowledge of Greek and is written in accessible language.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Routledge","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45786677084207,"sku":"9781041158820","price":233.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0770\/2855\/6847\/files\/imageloader_9f3a9fdd-c4c0-435b-bc21-d0bd434abe25.png?v=1786143591"},{"product_id":"the-emerald-tablets-of-thoth-the-atlantean","title":"The Emerald Tablets of Thoth the Atlantean","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe history of the tablets translated in the following pages is strange and beyond modern scientists' comprehension. Their age is astounding, dating back 36,000 years B.C. Thoth is an Atlantean Priest-King who established a colony in ancient Egypt after the mother country was sunk. He was the builder of the Great Pyramid of Giza, which has been incorrectly attributed to Cheops. He included his knowledge of ancient wisdom as well as securely hidden records and instruments from ancient Atlantis.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrom approximately 50,000 B.C. to 36.000 B.C., he ruled the ancient race of Egypt for approximately 16,000 years. The ancient barbarous race among which he and his followers had settled had advanced to a high level of civilization at the time. Thoth was immortal, that is, he had defeated death, passing only when he wished and not through death. His vast knowledge elevated him to the throne of the various Atlantean colonies, including those in South and Central America.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen the time came for him to leave Egypt, he built the Great Pyramid over the entrance to the Great Halls of Amenti, placed his records inside, and appointed guards from among the highest of his people to guard his secrets. The descendants of these guards later became the pyramid priests, through whom Thoth was deified as the God of Wisdom, The Recorder, by those living in the age of darkness that followed his death. The halls of Amenti were transformed into the underworld, the Halls of the Gods, where the soul passed after death for judgment.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe ego of Thoth passed into the bodies of men in later ages, as described in the tablets. As a result, he incarnated three times, the last time as Hermes, the thrice-born. In this incarnation, he left the Emerald Tablets, a later and far less complete exposition of the ancient mysteries.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe ten tablets translated in this work were left in the custody of the pyramid priests in the Great Pyramid. To make things easier, the ten are divided into thirteen sections. The last two are so significant and far-reaching that their release to the general public is currently prohibited. However, there are secrets contained herein that will be invaluable to the serious student. They should be read a hundred times because only by doing so will the true meaning be revealed. A casual reading will provide glimpses of beauty, but more intensive study will open doors to the seeker's wisdom. The wisdom contained herein is the foundation of the ancient mysteries, and the reader who reads with open eyes and mind will have his wisdom multiplied a hundredfold.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRead. Whether you believe it or not, reading will awaken a response in your soul.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Dominicus Ioannes","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45786795966511,"sku":"9781088092828","price":12.77,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0770\/2855\/6847\/files\/imageloader_55730d2f-74df-4809-84e5-d3020a110159.jpg?v=1786144923"},{"product_id":"assyria","title":"Assyria","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA new history of Assyria, the ancient civilization that set the model for future empires.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"Truly extraordinary.\" --\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eTimes\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003e (London)\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e At its height in 660 BCE, the kingdom of Assyria stretched from the Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. It was the first empire the world had ever seen. Here, historian Eckart Frahm tells the epic story of Assyria and its formative role in global history. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Assyria's wide-ranging conquests have long been known from the Hebrew Bible and later Greek accounts. But nearly two centuries of research now permit a rich picture of the Assyrians and their empire beyond the battlefield: their vast libraries and monumental sculptures, their elaborate trade and information networks, and the crucial role played by royal women. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Although Assyria was crushed by rising powers in the late seventh century BCE, its legacy endured from the Babylonian and Persian empires to Rome and beyond. \u003ci\u003eAssyria \u003c\/i\u003eis a stunning and authoritative account of a civilization essential to understanding the ancient world and our own. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Basic Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45786800128047,"sku":"9781541605152","price":22.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0770\/2855\/6847\/files\/imageloader_b512eb7e-07a1-4cc6-92e6-d065a468d190.jpg?v=1786144927"},{"product_id":"the-corpus-hermeticum","title":"The Corpus Hermeticum","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe fifteen tractates of the Corpus Hermeticum, along with the Perfect Sermon or Asclepius, are the foundation documents of the Hermetic tradition. Written by unknown authors in Egypt sometime before the end of the third century C.E., they were part of a once substantial literature attributed to the mythic figure of Hermes Trismegistus, a Hellenistic fusion of the Greek god Hermes and the Egyptian god Thoth.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe treatises we now call the Corpus Hermeticum were collected into a single volume in Byzantine times, and a copy of this volume survived to come into the hands of Lorenzo de Medici's agents in the fifteenth century. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe treatises divide up into several groups. The first (CH I), the \"Poemandres\", is the account of a revelation given to Hermes Trismegistus by the being Poemandres or \"Man-Shepherd\", an expression of the universal Mind. The next eight (CH II-IX), the \"General Sermons\", are short dialogues or lectures discussing various basic points of Hermetic philosophy. There follows the \"Key\" (CH X), a summary of the General Sermons, and after this a set of four tractates - \"Mind unto Hermes\", \"About the Common Mind\", \"The Secret Sermon on the Mountain\", and the \"Letter of Hermes to Asclepius\" (CH XI-XIV) - touching on the more mystical aspects of Hermeticism. The collection is rounded off by the \"Definitions of Asclepius unto King Ammon\" (CH XV), which may be composed of three fragments of longer works.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Fv Editions","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45786802323503,"sku":"9791029911026","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0770\/2855\/6847\/files\/imageloader_3ccebaff-920f-4704-a0b6-da20e9d82a20.jpg?v=1786144931"},{"product_id":"those-who-are-about-to-die","title":"Those Who Are about to Die","description":"\u003cb\u003eONE OF \u003ci\u003eTHE ECONOMIST\u003c\/i\u003e'S BEST BOOKS OF 2025 - See ancient Rome through the eyes of a gladiator--from the evening before the games at the Colosseum to the evening after \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"A grippingly original way of making the alien world of the Roman Amphitheatre both accessible and comprehensible.\" --Tom Holland, co-host of \u003ci\u003eThe Rest is History\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWhat did a gladiator feel when he stepped out onto the sand of the Colosseum, his life in the balance? What ran through the minds of the masses there to witness his likely execution? And how did this bloodthirsty ritual come to exist in the first place? \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eThose Who Are About to Die, \u003c\/i\u003e Harry Sidebottom pulls us into the arena, and into the homes and forums of ancient Rome, taking the reader on an eye-opening, twenty-four-hour tour through Roman life at the height of the gladiatorial games, from the first century BC to the second century AD. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWe follow the gladiators through the schools (\u003ci\u003eludi\u003c\/i\u003e) where they trained, watch in awe as the massive event unfolds--from the gambling at the pre-festival dinner, to the dawn rush to get a seat in the arena, to the resounding music, the elaborate stage sets, and, yes, the public executions that served as lunch-break entertainment--and we unlearn all the bogus movie tropes (gladiators did not have ripped bods; they were kept fleshy so they'd bleed more). \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eBroken down by time of day--\u003ci\u003eVesper, Prima Vigilia, Secunda Vigilia, \u003c\/i\u003e up through the following sunset (\u003ci\u003eSolis Occasus\u003c\/i\u003e)--\u003ci\u003eThose Who Are About to Die\u003c\/i\u003e offers illuminating insights into every aspect of Roman life and thought: their social mores and hierarchies, their feelings about death and sex and violence, and the myths and dreams that fueled the spectacle of the Games.","brand":"Knopf Publishing Group","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45786802782255,"sku":"9780593801765","price":35.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0770\/2855\/6847\/files\/imageloader_47f70f88-521c-4754-94e5-d31605cac773.jpg?v=1786144931"},{"product_id":"the-crusades","title":"The Crusades","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFrom a renowned historian who writes with \"maximum vividness\" (\u003ci\u003eThe New Yorker\u003c\/i\u003e) comes the most authoritative, readable single-volume military history of the brutal struggle for the Holy Land.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNine hundred years ago, a vast Christian army, summoned to holy war by the Pope, rampaged through the Muslim world of the eastern Mediterranean, seizing possession of Jerusalem, a city revered by both faiths. Over the two hundred years that followed, Islam and Christianity--both firm in the belief that they were at God's work--fought for dominion of the Holy Land, clashing in a succession of chillingly brutal wars.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor the first time, this book tells the story of that epic struggle from the perspective of both Christians and Muslims. A vivid and fast-paced narrative history of the Crusades, it exposes the full horror, passion, and barbaric grandeur of the Crusading era, leading us into a world of legendary champions--such as Richard the Lionheart and Saladin--shadowy Assassins, poet-warriors, and pious visionaries; across the desert sands of Egypt to the verdant forests of Lebanon; and through the ancient cities of Constantinople, Cairo, and Damascus.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDrawing on painstaking original research and an intimate knowledge of the history of the Near East, Thomas Asbridge uncovers what drove Muslims and Christians alike to embrace the ideals of jihad and crusade, revealing how these holy wars of medieval history reshaped the world and why they continue to influence events today.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis essential work of scholarship reveals: \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eDual Perspective History: \u003c\/b\u003e For the first time, the story is told from both Christian and Muslim viewpoints, exploring the ideals of Crusade and Jihad side-by-side.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eIconic Historical Figures: \u003c\/b\u003e Journey with legendary champions like Richard the Lionheart and Saladin through the ancient and contested landscapes of the Holy Land.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eThe Fight for Jerusalem: \u003c\/b\u003e Delve into the two-century struggle for a city revered by two faiths, a chillingly brutal conflict that reshaped the medieval world.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eLasting Historical Impact: \u003c\/b\u003e Discover not only how these holy wars defined the era, but why their legacy continues to influence global events today.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Ecco Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45786805567535,"sku":"9780060787295","price":24.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0770\/2855\/6847\/files\/imageloader_c903ae23-c606-4af2-8402-bcb5c5f26f41.jpg?v=1786144936"},{"product_id":"the-trojan-war","title":"The Trojan War","description":"The Trojan War is one of history's most famous conflicts, a ten-year-long war waged over the beautiful Helen. For more than two thousand years this story has been a source of artistic inspiration. But is it true?In The Trojan War historian and classicist Barry Strauss explores the myth and the reality behind the war, from Homer's accounts in The Iliad and The Odyssey to Heinrich Schliemann's discovery of ancient Troy in the late nineteenth century to more recent excavations that have yielded intriguing clues to the story behind the fabled city. The Trojans, it turns out, were not ethnic Greeks but an Anatolian people closely allied with the Hittite Empire to the east. At the time of the Trojan War the Greeks were great seafarers while Troy was a more settled civilization. And while the cause of the war may well have been the kidnapping of a queen--and, more significantly, the seizure of her royal dowry--the underlying cause was a conflict between the Trojans and the Greeks for control of the eastern Aegean Sea. Through vivid reconstructions of the battles and insightful depictions of its famous characters, The Trojan War reveals the history behind Homer's great epic, without losing the poetry and grandeur of the epic myth.","brand":"Simon \u0026 Schuster","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45786811891759,"sku":"9780743264426","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0770\/2855\/6847\/files\/imageloader_df92b92b-2cbc-4598-870f-4e77e8993a55.jpg?v=1786144946"},{"product_id":"emperor-of-rome","title":"Emperor of Rome","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn her international bestseller \u003cem\u003eSPQR\u003c\/em\u003e, Mary Beard told the thousand-year story of ancient Rome, from its slightly shabby Iron Age origins to its reign as the undisputed hegemon of the Mediterranean. Now, drawing on more than thirty years of teaching and writing about Roman history, Beard turns to the emperors who ruled the Roman Empire, beginning with Julius Caesar (assassinated 44 BCE) and taking us through the nearly three centuries--and some thirty emperors--that separate him from the boy-king Alexander Severus (assassinated 235 CE).\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eYet \u003cem\u003eEmperor of Rome\u003c\/em\u003e is not your typical chronological account of Roman rulers, one emperor after another: the mad Caligula, the monster Nero, the philosopher Marcus Aurelius. Instead, Beard asks different, often larger and more probing questions: What power did emperors actually have? Was the Roman palace really so bloodstained? What kind of jokes did Augustus tell? And for that matter, what really happened, for example, between the emperor Hadrian and his beloved Antinous? Effortlessly combining the epic with the quotidian, Beard tracks the emperor down at home, at the races, on his travels, even on his way to heaven.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAlong the way, Beard explores Roman fictions of imperial power, overturning many of the assumptions that we hold as gospel, not the least of them the perception that emperors one and all were orchestrators of extreme brutality and cruelty. Here Beard introduces us to the emperor's wives and lovers, rivals and slaves, court jesters and soldiers, and the ordinary people who pressed begging letters into his hand--whose chamber pot disputes were adjudicated by Augustus, and whose budgets were approved by Vespasian, himself the son of a tax collector.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWith its finely nuanced portrayal of sex, class, and politics, Emperor of Rome goes directly to the heart of Roman fantasies (and our own) about what it was to be Roman at its richest, most luxurious, most extreme, most powerful, and most deadly, offering an account of Roman history as it has never been presented before.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Liveright Publishing Corporation","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45786821460015,"sku":"9781324095606","price":21.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0770\/2855\/6847\/files\/imageloader_e8864e2e-770a-4372-8ddb-db31ccbaf797.jpg?v=1786144959"},{"product_id":"alexander","title":"Alexander","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"In this staggeringly good biography, Edmund Richardson reveals in riveting and sumptuous detail the real Alexander, the man behind the legend. Richardson has drawn on new sources from recent archeological discoveries, adding a real freshness to this millennia old story.\" --\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eDaily Mail\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAn enthralling new biography of Alexander the Great, written as an intimate, present portrait of the way his world saw him and the price he paid to become history's greatest military mind.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAlexander the Great: a wide-eyed boy from the hills of Macedon who ruled most of the known world by his mid-twenties. For centuries, historians, refugees, poets, and explorers have told his story, and yet Alexander himself has remained a mystery. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eBut over the last few years, a series of remarkable discoveries has changed everything. From the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea and the dust of Central Asian hillsides, the remains of Alexander's cities have emerged. The diaries of Babylonian astronomers who knew him have been deciphered. The tombs of his ancestors have been unearthed. Now, for the first time since antiquity, it is possible to tell a different story. The story of a young man whom almost no-one noticed, until the day he became king. A king who became a hero, a hero who became a living god, and a god who died broken-hearted in Babylon. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eUsing cutting-edge research and a unique narrative approach, \u003ci\u003eAlexander\u003c\/i\u003e thrusts readers into Alexander the Great's world in ways which have never before been possible: to see the same stars wheeling overhead, feel the desert wind, and experience the full horror of battle. \u003ci\u003eAlexander\u003c\/i\u003e is a cinematic work of non-fiction, a revelatory retelling of one of the most famous and elusive stories in history.","brand":"St. Martin's Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45786824015919,"sku":"9781250285614","price":33.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0770\/2855\/6847\/files\/imageloader_5a29d1a8-4b7e-4e64-b823-6f8b33a51a2b.jpg?v=1786144963"},{"product_id":"the-story-of-the-greeks","title":"The Story of the Greeks","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAncient Greek history is full of fascinating events and adventures, with the refined culture and many Gods of olden Greece a highlight - this history, aimed at younger readers, summarizes the great civilization.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eExperienced historian and author Helene Guerber tells her history as a series of short and poignant stories. We hear of the founding of early cities such as Athens and Thebes, and the famous myths that would gradually grow to form the pantheon of Greek Gods and legends. The artistic and cultural styles introduced by ancient Greek artisans and craftsmen, the pioneering philosophies of Plato and Socrates, and the settlers who colonized southern Italy are all mentioned.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWe also hear about the wars and conflicts which were frequent in ancient Greece, becoming part of its literature and mythos. The siege and conquest of Troy, the Peloponnesian War, and the battles between the rival Athenian city states and the Spartans are described. Greece was innovative in war, being among the first civilizations to have organized units such as the hoplites and companion cavalry, and bringing the earliest artillery to the battlefield.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Pantianos Classics","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45786828439599,"sku":"9781789872453","price":10.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0770\/2855\/6847\/files\/imageloader_6342cae1-8914-4fd5-ac1a-ddd45948a1da.jpg?v=1786144970"},{"product_id":"the-story-of-birds","title":"The Story of Birds","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eNEW YORK TIMES\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cb\u003eBESTSELLER\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e​​​\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFrom the renowned paleontologist and bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eThe Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs\u003c\/i\u003e, a sweeping evolutionary history of birds, from their dinosaur origins to the 10,000+ extraordinary species alive today.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTens of billions of birds share the planet with us, an astonishingly diverse array of species that are present nearly everywhere humans call home--and many places we do not. With their flamboyant plumage, joyous dawn serenades, extraordinary aerial feats, they have captivated human imagination for millennia. Undeniably delicate creatures with hollow bones and thin skin protected by downy feathers, how did such a seemingly fragile species break the bounds of Earth and begin to fly, how have they survived millennia, and how does their legacy shape our world?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHailed as \"one of the stars of modern paleontology\" (\u003ci\u003eNational Geographic\u003c\/i\u003e), Steve Brusatte now tells the extraordinary story of the dinosaurs' living legacy: birds. He begins by exploring how dinosaurs gradually developed the trademark features of birds one-by-one--feathers, wings, beaks, big brains, keen senses, and warm-blooded metabolisms. He investigates why birds were the only dinosaurs to survive the cataclysmic asteroid impact 66 million years ago and chronicles how these survivors rapidly proliferated to produce the diversity of avian species we know today.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAlong the way, we meet a variety of remarkable - now extinct - species: \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e10-foot-tall terror birds with beaks that sliced flesh\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eElephant birds that lived on Madagascar and laid eggs the size of footballs\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePelagornithid seabirds with 20-foot wingspans\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA ferocious Jamaican ibis that used its wings as clubs to attack rivals\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eYet, Brusatte also urges us to appreciate the extraordinariness of birds alive today - penguins that literally fly underwater, parrots that can mimic human speech and crows that can make tools and are smarter than most mammals.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA fascinating scientific history that unearths the origins of birds, \u003ci\u003eThe Story of Birds \u003c\/i\u003eestablishes the living legacy of this remarkable species.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA\u003ci\u003e New Yorker \u003c\/i\u003eBest Books of 2026!\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Mariner Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45786832240687,"sku":"9780063349711","price":35.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0770\/2855\/6847\/files\/imageloader_c3d80a5b-cdcf-48a8-a4f8-f22a5e8413b9.jpg?v=1786144976"},{"product_id":"sparta","title":"Sparta","description":"\u003cp\u003eFor thousands of years, the ancient Greek city-state of Sparta has been famed as the ultimate warrior society. The flowing crimson capes and bronze shields of Spartan warriors remain the enduring image of masculine bravery, austerity, and toughness; King Leonidas's 300 soldiers at Thermopylae the quintessential example of courageous self-sacrifice in battle. But who were the Spartans, really--and how did they rise from a humble village in the Peloponnese to become the dominant military power of ancient Greece? In this landmark new history, renowned Sparta expert Andrew Bayliss delivers a strikingly clarifying, relentlessly complex portrait of a culture and people long shrouded in myth.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSifting masterfully through historical records and modern archaeological evidence, Bayliss traces the shifting alliances and volatile conflicts Spartans faced during the city-state's evolution from a minor hamlet in the Peloponnese to the foremost power of ancient Greece. In vivid detail, Bayliss brings to life the excruciating training, rigid dietary habits, and extreme discipline that molded the warriors of history's most renowned military power. He also lays bare lesser-known aspects of Spartan society that complicate its egalitarian reputation, including complex gender dynamics, stark wealth inequality, and its brutal exploitation of slave labor.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWith incisive analysis, Bayliss illuminates how the Spartans' ruthless might, unparalleled military ambition, and singular exclusivity fueled their seemingly unstoppable rise--and how those same factors became their undoing. Enthralling and informative in equal measure, \u003cem\u003eSparta\u003c\/em\u003e will stand for decades as the definitive history of one of antiquity's most legendary civilizations--from its meteoric rise to its surprising downfall.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"W. W. Norton \u0026 Company","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45786834927663,"sku":"9781324117513","price":35.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0770\/2855\/6847\/files\/imageloader_78045b4c-21df-45c1-8b4f-6533a0530783.jpg?v=1786144978"},{"product_id":"the-world-of-late-antiquity","title":"The World of Late Antiquity","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe first century CE was one of momentous events: the end of the Roman Empire, the rise of Christianity across Western Europe, and the disappearance of Persia from the Near East. An era in which the most deep-rooted ancient institutions disappeared, creating divergent legacies that are still present today. Renowned historian Peter Brown examines these changes and the reactions to them to show that the late antiquity was an outstanding period of new beginnings with far-reaching impacts.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe result is a lucid answer to a crucial question in world history: how the exceptionally homogenous Mediterranean world of the first century CE became divided into the three mutually estranged societies of the Middle Ages: Catholic Western Europe, Byzantium, and the Islamic world. Brown's remarkable study in social and cultural transformation explains how and why the late antique world came to differ from the \"classical civilization\" of the Greeks and Romans. Featuring a new preface and updated with color illustrations throughout, \u003cem\u003eThe World of Late Antiquity\u003c\/em\u003e demonstrates that we still have much to learn from this enduring and intriguing period of history.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Thames \u0026 Hudson","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45786840989743,"sku":"9780500297483","price":24.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0770\/2855\/6847\/files\/imageloader_1bcd1765-486f-4471-a248-29b8eb1c84bd.jpg?v=1786144987"},{"product_id":"the-african-origin-of-civilization","title":"The African Origin of Civilization","description":"Now in its 30th printing, this classic presents historical, archaeological, and anthropological evidence to support the theory that ancient Egypt was a black civilization.","brand":"Lawrence Hill Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45786850066479,"sku":"9781556520723","price":16.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0770\/2855\/6847\/files\/imageloader_84bd0cb3-fa3c-4951-826c-76763d210254.jpg?v=1786145001"},{"product_id":"pandoras-jar","title":"Pandora's Jar","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eNEW YORK TIMES \u003c\/i\u003eBESTSELLER\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Funny, sharp explications of what these sometimes not-very-nice women were up to, and how they sometimes made idiots of . . . but read on!\"--Margaret Atwood, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Handmaid's Tale\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe national bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eA Thousand Ships\u003c\/i\u003e returns with a fascinating, eye-opening take on the remarkable women at the heart of classical stories Greek mythology from Helen of Troy to Pandora and the Amazons to Medea.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the world of ancient Greece, the tellers of myths--historically men--have routinely sidelined the female characters. When they do take a larger role, women are often portrayed as monstrous, vengeful or just plain evil--like Pandora, the woman of eternal scorn and damnation whose curiosity is tasked with causing all the world's suffering and wickedness when she opened that forbidden box. But, as Natalie Haynes reveals, in ancient Greek myths there was no box. It was a jar . . . which is far more likely to tip over.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn \u003ci\u003ePandora's Jar\u003c\/i\u003e, the broadcaster, writer, stand-up comedian, and passionate classicist turns the tables on classical mythology, putting the women of the Greek myths on an equal footing with the men. With wit, humor, and savvy, Haynes revolutionizes our understanding of epic poems, stories, and plays in this engaging feminist retelling, resurrecting them from a woman's perspective and tracing the origins of their mythic female characters. She looks at women such as Jocasta, Oedipus' mother-turned-lover-and-wife (turned Freudian sticking point), at once the cleverest person in the story and yet often unnoticed. She considers Helen of Troy, whose marriage to Paris \"caused\" the Trojan war--a somewhat uneven response to her decision to leave her husband for another man. She demonstrates how the vilified Medea was like an ancient Beyonce--getting her revenge on the man who hurt and betrayed her, if by extreme measures. And she turns her eye to Medusa, the original monstered woman, whose stare turned men to stone, but who wasn't always a monster, and had her hair turned to snakes as punishment for being raped.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003ePandora's Jar\u003c\/i\u003e brings nuance and care to the millennia-old myths and legends and asks the question: Why are we so quick to villainize these women of Greek myth in the first place--and so eager to accept the stories we've been told?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eMythology Retold: \u003c\/b\u003e Discover why Pandora didn't have a box but a jar (far more likely to tip over), and how that simple mistranslation changed our view of the world's first woman.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eFeminist History: \u003c\/b\u003e Explore how the stories of powerful figures were reshaped by the men who told them, turning characters like the monstrous Medusa into victims punished for being assaulted.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eUnique Angles on Classic Tales: \u003c\/b\u003e See the women of myth in a new light, from the vilified Medea--reimagined as an ancient Beyoncé getting revenge--to Helen of Troy, whose choice of husband resulted in a somewhat uneven response.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eAccessible Classical Studies: \u003c\/b\u003e Join a passionate classicist and comedian as she reveals the cleverness of Jocasta, the nuance of Clytemnestra, and the truth behind the formidable women we thought we knew.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Harper Perennial","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45786850852911,"sku":"9780063139466","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0770\/2855\/6847\/files\/imageloader_60f1c863-45cf-42c1-a422-f79fee53b810.jpg?v=1786145003"},{"product_id":"band-on-the-run","title":"Band on the Run","description":"\u003cb\u003eA riveting retelling of one of the great adventure stories of antiquity\u003c\/b\u003e--\u003cb\u003ewhen Greek philosopher-warrior Xenophon led a stranded band of the \"Ten Thousand\" mercenary soldiers on a treacherous escape from the Persians.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e400 BC. The Persian prince Cyrus the Younger hires an army of Greek soldiers to oust his brother from the Persian throne. But when Cyrus dies in battle during the army's trek through the middle east, the army is stranded deep in enemy territory. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Led by Xenophon, a young Athenian philosopher turned solider, the Ten Thousand fought their way home through deserts and mountains, snowstorms, starvation, and relentless attacks, evolving into one of the most fearsome forces of the ancient world. Their journey, chronicled in Xenophon's \u003ci\u003eAnabasis\u003c\/i\u003e, is one of history's greatest military stories. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e In \u003ci\u003eBand on the Run\u003c\/i\u003e, Robert O'Connell not only gives us an exciting and witty retelling of this story, but he has done so with a wise contemporary spin. For in his estimation, this was the battle that established the use of powerful mercenary forces. The attempted conquest of the Ten Thousand begins a historical line through Western history of the use of mercenary armies that has lasted up to our present day. And, as O'Connell shows, much misery and tragedy in human history has been due to this trajectory. This is a brilliant revisionist history with important lessons for our time.","brand":"Simon \u0026 Schuster","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45786851082287,"sku":"9781668064818","price":29.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0770\/2855\/6847\/files\/imageloader_571b2673-769c-4280-8036-d0d5644ddb0b.jpg?v=1786145003"},{"product_id":"temples-tombs-and-hieroglyphs","title":"Temples, Tombs, and Hieroglyphs","description":"\u003cp\u003eWorld-renowned Egyptologist Barbara Mertz explores the reality behind the bestselling fiction she writes (as Elizabeth Peters) and casts a dazzling light on a remarkable civilization.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAfascinating chronicle of an extraordinary people--from the first Stone Age settlements through the reign of Cleopatra and the Roman invasions--\u003cem\u003eTemples, Tombs, and Hieroglyphs\u003c\/em\u003e brings ancient Egypt to life as never before. Lavishly illustrated with pictures, maps, and photographs, it offers tantalizing glimpses into Egyptian society; amazing stories of the pharaohs and the rise and fall of great dynasties; a sampling of culture, religion, and folklore; stories of explorers, scientists, and scoundrels who sought to unravel or exploit the ageless mysteries; and new insights into the architectural wonders that were raised along the banks of the Nile.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"William Morrow \u0026 Company","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45786855505967,"sku":"9780061252778","price":21.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0770\/2855\/6847\/files\/imageloader_0731ed13-5093-4396-9cf1-4321874413dd.jpg?v=1786145010"},{"product_id":"data-empire","title":"Data Empire","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eBARACK OBAMA'S 2026 SUMMER READING PICK\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAn NPR, New Scientist, Nautilus, and Next Big Idea Club Best Book of the Month\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"Here is the new history of mankind demanded by our times.\" --Jaron Lanier, author of \u003ci\u003eWho Owns the Future?\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"A must-read.\"--NPR, \"15 Books Our Critics Can't Wait to Read This Summer\"\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"Essential reading for understanding the opportunities and dangers of the technological revolution now transforming our world.\" --Jonathan Kennedy, author of \u003ci\u003ePathogenesis\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFrom clay tablets to the algorithmic state, a groundbreaking new lens on human history arguing that information has always been the seed of power, for readers of Nexus and The Age of Surveillance Capitalism.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLong before writing existed, at the dawn of civilization in Mesopotamia, rulers pressed marks into clay to keep track of land, people and grain. To rule, they had to keep count. It is no accident, then, that the first written name in human history was neither a god nor a king, but an accountant.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs ships and navigation expanded our horizons, a new age of European empires took control of more than 80 percent of the world's surface using censuses, maps and ledgers to decide who belonged, who owed, and who could be sacrificed. Today, we live in the third great era, when trading our information for access can feel harmless or inevitable - yet from targeted advertising to border policing and mass surveillance, data shapes the course of our lives.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWith our earliest tools like ancient cave markings and knotted strings, to colonial record-keeping and the algorithmic state, Data Empire reveals how data has always been the seed of power: a technology of control that has shaped civilizations and upheld empires. Empire was never just about weapons or ships. It was built on collecting information on us, to rule us. Both a sweeping history and a sharp critique, Data Empire is a call to recognize the power data holds--and to imagine what resistance looks like in an age defined by it. In looking at the history of data, readers will understand: \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eData made civilization possible: \u003c\/b\u003e Long before algorithms and AI, systems of counting, recording, and organizing information enabled everything from agriculture to taxation. The infrastructures of data are as old as cities themselves, and they are the precondition for large-scale human coordination.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eEvery system of data is also a system of power: \u003c\/b\u003eFrom clay tablets in Mesopotamia to colonial censuses to modern databases, data determines who is visible, who is legible, and who can be governed.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eThe modern data state was built in moments of crisis: \u003c\/b\u003e In the twentieth century, governments became vast information-processing systems. What we now think of as \"data\" was created in response to economic collapse and geopolitical conflict.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eThe \"data\" we know now is built on much older inequalities: \u003c\/b\u003e Today's digital systems inherit the logics of earlier recordkeeping regimes, including those shaped by colonialism, racial classification, and forms of government that extract from land and from populations. The biases we see in algorithms are not new but continuations of a long history.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eWe are living through a transformation in who controls data--and therefore power: \u003c\/b\u003e For most of history, data infrastructures were largely state-driven. Today, they are increasingly owned and operated by private corporations, even as they structure public life. This shift raises urgent questions about accountability, sovereignty, and the future of public life.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Harper","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45786862944303,"sku":"9780063430327","price":35.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0770\/2855\/6847\/files\/imageloader_4067cc8e-5b04-4173-9b26-4642311e505e.jpg?v=1786145021"},{"product_id":"100-greatest-ancient-coins","title":"100 Greatest Ancient Coins","description":"\u003cp\u003eWith the expanded third edition of his award-winning \u003cem\u003e100 Greatest Ancient Coins\u003c\/em\u003e, author, researcher, and one of America's best-known ancient-coin dealers, Harlan J. Berk, takes you on a personal guided tour of the numismatic antiquities of Greece, Rome, the Byzantine Empire, and other parts of the ancient world.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEach coin in this book ranks as one of the greatest relics of antiquity. Individually, they stand out as unique pieces of history, artistry, and human effort. Collectively, they tell the story of civilization from the glory days of the ancient Greeks to Europe's descent into the Dark Ages. Berk's passion for the beauty and workmanship of coins shows through in his writing, which is highly informative, sometimes gossipy, and always thought-provoking. The coins described in the book, he says, \"have been collected almost since they were issued. There is evidence that the leaders of some great cities issued wonderful artistic coins made by recognized artists so that future generations would know what heights they reached. . . . Renaissance kings and princes collected coins. Today ancient coins are collected around the globe.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn this expanded and revised edition, Berk has added new information about the earliest surviving forms of human art--ancient cave paintings--and draws a direct line to the earliest examples of coinage. He has given special attention to the first-ranked coin, Brutus's Eid Mar, minted to mark the overthrow of Julius Caesar, and the owl tetradrachms of ancient Athens, one of the mostly widely used coins of the ancient world. New coin rankings, new photographs, recent market information, an illustrated glossary, and other updated contents make the book a visual treat as well as an educational reference.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"I can't think of another person more qualified to have written this popular book than Harlan J. Berk. An impressively entertaining and informative volume . . . a fun book to read for anyone interested in ancient history.\" \u003cem\u003e-- Author and numismatist David Hendin\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"A remarkable catalog of 100 exceptional coins . . . invaluable for all serious ancient-numismatic academics, historians, dealers, and amateurs alike.\" \u003cem\u003e-- British numismatist and author Italo Vecchi\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Whitman Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45786864582703,"sku":"9780794851408","price":24.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0770\/2855\/6847\/files\/imageloader_ac5c4e94-e9c3-4058-80cb-adc0d748c5bb.png?v=1786145024"},{"product_id":"the-lost-voices-of-pompeii","title":"The Lost Voices of Pompeii","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAward-winning ancient historian, archaeologist, and social media sensation Dr. Jess Venner re-creates Pompeii's final day before Mount Vesuvius's eruption, revealing not just how its people died but how they lived. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhile today the ruins of Pompeii stand silent and preserved in ash and stone, they were once home to a vibrant, bustling community made up of thousands of people whose lives were forever altered--or cut short--in the wake of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Through extensive research and vivid storytelling, leading expert Dr. Jess Venner goes beyond the devastation and unveils a city teeming with art, customs, and culture.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Lost Voices of Pompeii \u003c\/i\u003efollows ordinary citizens on what should have been an ordinary day: the newly freed Petrinus grapples with how to navigate his future in a town that isn't always welcoming; Julia Felix, a businesswoman, faces prejudice as she skirts traditional female roles; Amisusius, priest of the cult of Isis, struggles to balance politics and religion; among many other residents.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTheir stories weave together and apart, until they cul­minate in the fateful event. Some will survive, but others will fall victim to the natural disaster.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePompeii's story is often reduced to the scope of its tragedy, but Dr. Venner brings the focus back to the peo­ple themselves, capturing a civilization rich in history, traditions, and aspirations. A profound and immersive experience, \u003ci\u003eThe Lost Voices of Pompeii \u003c\/i\u003erevives a people often overshadowed by death and destruction and tells a poignant tale of humanity and resilience.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"William Morrow \u0026 Company","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45786866810927,"sku":"9780063460614","price":30.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0770\/2855\/6847\/files\/imageloader_ccf64a02-38fe-4d1e-95f9-911bb98955d7.jpg?v=1786145028"},{"product_id":"an-african-history-of-africa","title":"An African History of Africa","description":"\u003cp\u003eAlready a major international bestseller, Zeinab Badawi's sweeping and much-needed survey of African history traces the continent's extraordinary legacy from prehistory to the present from the African perspective.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Equal parts gripping and galvanizing. . . . Researched across more than 30 countries, it brings the dazzling civilizations of pre-colonial Africa vividly to life. A book that feels both long-overdue--and wholly worth the wait.\" --British Vogue\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEveryone is originally from Africa, and this book is therefore for everyone.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor too long, Africa's history has been dominated by western narratives of slavery and colonialism, or simply ignored. Now, in this work of decolonized history, Zeinab Badawi sets the record straight.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn this fascinating nonfiction history book, Badawi guides us through Africa's spectacular history--from the very origins of our species, through ancient civilizations and medieval empires with remarkable queens and kings, to the miseries of conquest and the elation of independence. Visiting more than thirty African countries to interview countless historians, anthropologists, archaeologists and local storytellers, she unearths buried histories from across the continent and gives Africa its rightful place in our shared world history.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe result is a gripping new account of Africa: an epic, sweeping history of the oldest inhabited continent on the planet, told through the voices of Africans themselves.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhat happens when Africa's history is finally told from an African perspective?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003ePre-Colonial Africa: \u003c\/b\u003e Journey through the dazzling civilizations and remarkable medieval empires of a continent, based on research across more than thirty countries.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eAncient Civilizations: \u003c\/b\u003e Go beyond the Nile to discover the magnificent and often overlooked histories of the Kingdom of Kush, Aksum, and more.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eThe Origins of Humankind: \u003c\/b\u003e Explore our shared beginnings on the African continent and understand why this story is for everyone.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eAn African Perspective: \u003c\/b\u003e Experience the continent's epic, sweeping history not as a Western narrative, but as a story told by African historians, archaeologists, and storytellers.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Mariner Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45786867105839,"sku":"9780063335417","price":32.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0770\/2855\/6847\/files\/imageloader_16fdeca9-48c5-455c-8df6-5ac66f95fced.jpg?v=1786145028"},{"product_id":"the-rise-and-fall-of-the-dinosaurs","title":"The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"THE ULTIMATE DINOSAUR BIOGRAPHY,\" hails \u003ci\u003eScientific American\u003c\/i\u003e: A thrilling new history of the age of dinosaurs, from one of our finest young scientists. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"A masterpiece of science writing.\" --\u003ci\u003eWashington Post\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e Bestseller - Goodreads Choice Awards Winner\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e - \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eA BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: \u003ci\u003eSmithsonian, \u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eScience Friday, \u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Times\u003c\/i\u003e (London), \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePopular Mechanics, \u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eScience News\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"This is scientific storytelling at its most visceral, striding with the beasts through their Triassic dawn, Jurassic dominance, and abrupt demise in the Cretaceous.\" --\u003ci\u003eNature\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe dinosaurs. \u003c\/i\u003eSixty-six million years ago, the Earth's most fearsome creatures vanished. Today they remain one of our planet's great mysteries. Now \u003ci\u003eThe Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs \u003c\/i\u003ereveals their extraordinary, 200-million-year-long story as never before.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn this captivating narrative of natural history (enlivened with more than seventy original illustrations and photographs), Steve Brusatte, a young American paleontologist who has emerged as one of the foremost stars of the field--naming fifteen new species and leading groundbreaking scientific studies and fieldwork--masterfully tells the complete, surprising, and \u003ci\u003enew \u003c\/i\u003ehistory of the dinosaurs, drawing on cutting-edge science to dramatically bring to life their lost world and illuminate their enigmatic origins, spectacular flourishing, astonishing diversity, cataclysmic extinction, and startling living legacy. Captivating and revelatory, \u003ci\u003eThe Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs\u003c\/i\u003e is a book for the ages.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBrusatte traces the evolution of dinosaurs from their inauspicious start as small shadow dwellers--themselves the beneficiaries of a mass extinction caused by volcanic eruptions at the beginning of the Triassic period--into the dominant array of species every wide-eyed child memorizes today, \u003ci\u003eT. rex\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003e Triceratops\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eBrontosaurus\u003c\/i\u003e, and more. This gifted scientist and writer re-creates the dinosaurs' peak during the Jurassic and Cretaceous, when thousands of species thrived, and winged and feathered dinosaurs, the prehistoric ancestors of modern birds, emerged. The story continues to the end of the Cretaceous period, when a giant asteroid or comet struck the planet and nearly every dinosaur species (but not all) died out, in the most extraordinary extinction event in earth's history, one full of lessons for today as we confront a \"sixth extinction.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBrusatte also recalls compelling stories from his globe-trotting expeditions during one of the most exciting eras in dinosaur research--which he calls \"a new golden age of discovery\"--and offers thrilling accounts of some of the remarkable findings he and his colleagues have made, including primitive human-sized tyrannosaurs; monstrous carnivores even larger than \u003ci\u003eT. rex\u003c\/i\u003e; and paradigm-shifting feathered raptors from China.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAn electrifying scientific history that unearths the dinosaurs' epic saga, \u003ci\u003eThe Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs\u003c\/i\u003e will be a definitive and treasured account for decades to come.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eIncludes 75 images, world maps of the prehistoric earth, and a dinosaur family tree.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis definitive account explores the complete, surprising story of the dinosaurs: \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eThe Age of Dinosaurs: \u003c\/b\u003e Follow the dinosaurs across 200 million years, from their Triassic dawn and Jurassic dominance to their abrupt demise in the Cretaceous.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eMass Extinction Events: \u003c\/b\u003e Uncover the science behind the volcanic eruptions that gave dinosaurs their start, and the giant asteroid that caused their cataclysmic extinction.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eThe Living Legacy: \u003c\/b\u003e Explore the startling connection between prehistoric ancestors and modern birds, revealing how the dinosaur story continues today.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Mariner Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45786868252719,"sku":"9780062490438","price":21.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0770\/2855\/6847\/files\/imageloader_ffa1b175-9db7-4a26-997e-82263fa2b364.jpg?v=1786145030"},{"product_id":"myths-gods-and-rituals-of-aztec-mythology","title":"Myths, Gods, and Rituals of Aztec Mythology","description":"\u003cstrong\u003eMeet the Gods of Sun and Sacrifice\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStep into the dazzling world of ancient Mesoamerica with this engaging and accessible guide to Aztec mythology.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eExplore the legends, gods, and cosmic cycles that defined one of the most powerful civilizations in the Americas.\u003c\/strong\u003e Far from a dry academic text, \u003cem\u003eMyths, Gods, and Rituals of Aztec Mythology\u003c\/em\u003e brings these ancient stories to life with vivid detail and cultural insight. Readers are introduced to the core beliefs of the Aztec people, including their view of the cosmos, the importance of rituals, and their reverence for nature's forces. Through simple yet powerful storytelling, Matthew Torres offers a beginner-friendly entry point into one of history's most fascinating mythologies.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePerfect for curious minds and first-time learners, this book breaks down complex Aztec myths with clarity and captivating storytelling.\u003c\/strong\u003e From the epic creation story of the Five Suns to the mythic journeys through the underworld, Torres makes it easy to understand how the Aztecs explained life, death, and the universe. You'll meet gods like Quetzalcoatl, Tezcatlipoca, and Huitzilopochtli, and explore their symbolic meanings and roles in Aztec society. With a strong sense of narrative and attention to historical context, this book connects the dots between myth, daily life, and cultural legacy.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eInside, you'll find: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cli\u003eAn easy-to-follow overview of major Aztec gods like Quetzalcoatl and Huitzilopochtli, plus underworld spirits, elemental deities, and cosmic forces.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cli\u003eCultural context that brings myths to life, including the sacred Aztec calendar, rituals, and worldview of cyclical time.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cli\u003eMyths and beliefs reimagined for modern readers, from the epic Five Suns creation story to the spiritual meanings behind sacrifice and daily life.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIf you liked \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eNative American Stories for Kids\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e, \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e Fifth Sun\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e, or \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Other Ancient Civilisations\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e, you'll love \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eMyths, Gods, and Rituals of Aztec Mythology.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Mango","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45786868777007,"sku":"9781684818648","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0770\/2855\/6847\/files\/imageloader_b3de5aff-638a-4cd8-a1d5-1a43c2d4ce00.jpg?v=1786145031"},{"product_id":"the-big-book-of-egyptian-mithology","title":"The Big Book of Egyptian Mithology","description":"\u003cp\u003eEgyptian civilization lasted for about three thousand years, producing icons that, even today, populate and intrigue people's imagination. Pyramids, animal-headed gods, sphinxes, mummies, hieroglyphs, deeds and concepts that marked the capacity of a people who lived their heyday many millennia ago, in a time so primitive that such accomplishments assume almost fantastic dimensions. This book on Egyptian Mythology not only brings the main gods and their attributes, but also contextualizes the history, religion and cosmogonies of this incredible people, taking you on a journey through time through this remarkable civilization.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Camelot Editora","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45786877755439,"sku":"9786585168564","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0770\/2855\/6847\/files\/imageloader_af150e9b-dbad-4589-9131-76aa026932f9.jpg?v=1786145041"},{"product_id":"not-built-in-a-day","title":"Not Built in a Day","description":"\u003cb\u003eFrom acclaimed author of \u003ci\u003eA Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum \u003c\/i\u003eand historian Emma Southon, a groundbreaking history of Ancient Rome that explores how the empire was built, fueled, and shaped by its enslaved people.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWhen Julius Caesar conquered Gaul he boasted that he killed a million Gauls and enslaved a million more. This is the truth about the Roman empire: Rome could not function without slavery as it underpinned every single part of their economy. Without the millions of people snatched from their homes in the aftermath of war, kidnapped from the streets, sold into slavery as punishment, or born into it as \"home bred slaves\", the Roman empire's great aqueducts and temples could never have been built. There would be no coins or tiles to find in fields, no limitless manpower for the army and navy that conquered the Mediterranean, no marble palaces or underfloor heating, and certainly no life of unimaginable luxury for the one percent who didn't even tie their own shoes. For the first time, \u003ci\u003eNot Built in a Day\u003c\/i\u003e tells their stories. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003ci\u003eNot Built in a Day\u003c\/i\u003e takes readers into the invisible spaces of the Roman empire, where the millions of enslaved lives perpetuated the excesses of the empire that owned them. From the fields of wheat required to give every Roman his daily bread, to the actors and gladiators who provided their circuses; from the guards who kept the streets of Rome safe and the mines which kept Rome a city of gold and marble, to the builders who placed every brick in the Colosseum. It traces how people entered, experienced, and left slavery, covering the little known story of slave revolts and the complex realities of enslaved people who themselves owned enslaved people. \u003ci\u003eNot Built in a Day\u003c\/i\u003e\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003ealso explores the lives of those freed from slavery, finally able to choose their own destinies. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e With humor, wit, and expertise, Emma Southon invites us into the absurdity of Roman life and completely upends our idea of the Roman empire.","brand":"Simon \u0026 Schuster","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45786878083119,"sku":"9781668089552","price":31.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0770\/2855\/6847\/files\/imageloader_005f5af4-45c3-42b8-b619-f4738a49ddd6.jpg?v=1786145042"},{"product_id":"love-thy-stranger","title":"Love Thy Stranger","description":"\u003cb\u003eFrom the \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eMisquoting Jesus\u003c\/i\u003e comes a surprising history of Jesus' most radical commandment, tracing how this extraordinary duty to love even those who are strangers to us has shaped our world and our lives.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eFrom the earliest of times up through Greek and Roman antiquity, moral thinkers prioritized generosity toward friends and family. Even Old Testament exhortations to love your neighbor said little about the suffering of those beyond your own community. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eJesus changed all this, introducing a revolutionary new ethical obligation to show love to those you don't know, and might even dislike, through acts of care. The implications of this radical commandment would be debated, misunderstood, and resisted by early Christians. But by the 5th century, this new \"common sense\" began to transform the moral conscience--and the politics--of the West. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e In \u003ci\u003eLove Thy Stranger\u003c\/i\u003e, New Testament historian Bart D. Ehrman charts the causes and consequences of this ethical revolution up to the present day with his signature sly humor and verve. For in this moment of renewed debate over the limits of the love we owe to others, Jesus' most demanding commandment remains quite provocative, even two millennia on.","brand":"Simon \u0026 Schuster","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45786881949743,"sku":"9781668025031","price":30.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0770\/2855\/6847\/files\/imageloader_7fff4f09-5a31-4bd7-8314-f9f2bf4f9861.jpg?v=1786145048"},{"product_id":"alexander-at-the-end-of-the-world","title":"Alexander at the End of the World","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"A heart-pounding, mind-bending adventure.\" --Ilyon Woo\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA riveting biography of Alexander the Great's final years, when the leader's insatiable desire to conquer the world set him off on an exhilarating, harrowing journey that would define his legacy. \u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBy 330 B.C.E., Alexander the Great had reached the pinnacle of success. Or so it seemed. He had defeated the Persian ruler Darius III and seized the capital city of Persepolis. His exhausted and traumatized soldiers, veterans of the conquest of Persia, were ready to return home to Macedonia. Yet Alexander had other plans. He was determined to continue heading east to Afghanistan in search of his ultimate goal: to reach the end of the world. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAlexander's unrelenting desire to press on resulted in a perilous seven-year journey through the unknown eastern borderlands of the Persian empire that would test the great ancient conqueror's physical and mental limits. He faced challenges from the natural world, moving through deadly monsoons and extreme temperatures; from a rotating cast of well-matched adversaries, who conspired against him at every turn; and even from his own men, who questioned his motives and distrusted the very beliefs\u003cb\u003e \u003c\/b\u003eon which Alexander built his empire. This incredible sweep of time, culminating with his death in 323 BC at the age of 32, would come to determine Alexander's legacy and shape the globally interconnected Hellenistic world he left behind. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eAlexander at the End of the World\u003c\/i\u003e, renowned classicist and art history professor Rachel Kousser vividly brings to life Alexander's labyrinthine, treacherous final years, weaving together a brilliant series of epic battles, stunning landscapes, and nearly insurmountable obstacles. Meticulously researched and grippingly written, Kousser's narrative is an unforgettable tale from classical antiquity of daring and adventure, an inspiring portrait of grit and ambition, and a powerful meditation on the ability to learn from failure. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis gripping work of ancient history explores the untold story of the conqueror's transformation, revealing: \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eLeadership Under Pressure: \u003c\/b\u003e Follow Alexander through deadly monsoons, treacherous conspiracies, and open dissent from his own men as his physical and mental limits are tested on the road to the end of the world.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eA Clash of Cultures: \u003c\/b\u003e Witness the Macedonian king's struggle to rule the vast Persian Empire, a challenge that forced him to compromise and integrate in ways that would change the course of history.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eResilience in Defeat: \u003c\/b\u003e Discover how Alexander's greatest failures--from intractable guerrilla warfare in Central Asia to full-blown army protests--forged his character and shaped his ultimate triumphs.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eThe Birth of the Hellenistic World: \u003c\/b\u003e Go beyond the epic battles to understand the complex legacy of a man whose ambition forged a new, globally interconnected world out of the crucible of war.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Mariner Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45786887356463,"sku":"9780062869692","price":21.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0770\/2855\/6847\/files\/imageloader_7224780d-212b-4b57-8ddd-0651af581265.jpg?v=1786145054"},{"product_id":"fall-of-civilizations","title":"Fall of Civilizations","description":"\u003cstrong\u003e\"A treasure trove of myths and terror... Atmospheric as hell... Immersive.\"-\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Times\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBased on the podcast with over one hundred million downloads, \u003cem\u003eFall of Civilizations\u003c\/em\u003e brilliantly explores how a range of ancient societies rose to power and sophistication, and how they tipped over into collapse.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAcross the centuries, we journey from the great empires of Mesopotamia to those of Khmer and Vijayanagara in Asia and Songhai in West Africa; from Byzantium to the Maya, Inca and Aztecs of Central America; from Roman Britain to Rapa Nui. With meticulous research, breathtaking insight and dazzling, empathic storytelling, historian and novelist Paul Cooper evokes the majesty and jeopardy of these ancient civilizations, and asks what it might have felt like for a person alive at the time to witness the end of their world.","brand":"Hanover Square Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45786893910063,"sku":"9781335013415","price":35.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0770\/2855\/6847\/files\/imageloader_f9a63df9-4e1c-4b69-94aa-ea377d12c727.jpg?v=1786145064"},{"product_id":"cleopatra-1","title":"Cleopatra","description":"\u003cb\u003eNamed a \"Best Book of the 21st Century\" by \u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e, this biography from a Pulitzer Prize-winning author brings to life the most intriguing woman in history: Cleopatra, the last queen of Egypt.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Her palace shimmered with onyx, garnets, and gold, but was richer still in political and sexual intrigue. Above all else, Cleopatra was a shrewd strategist and an ingenious negotiator. Though her life spanned fewer than forty years, it reshaped the contours of the ancient world. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e She was married twice, each time to a brother. She waged a brutal civil war against the first when both were teenagers. She poisoned the second. Ultimately she dispensed with an ambitious sister as well--incest and assassination were family specialties. Cleopatra appears to have had sex with only two men. They happen, however, to have been Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, among the most prominent Romans of the day. (Both were married to other women.) Cleopatra had a child with Caesar and--after his murder--three more with his protégé. Already she was the wealthiest ruler in the Mediterranean, and her relationship with Antony confirmed her status as the most influential woman of the age. The two would together attempt to forge a new empire, in an alliance that spelled their ends. Cleopatra has lodged herself in our imaginations ever since. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Famous long before she was notorious, Cleopatra has gone down in history for all the wrong reasons. Shakespeare and Shaw put words in her mouth. Michelangelo, Tiepolo, and Elizabeth Taylor put a face to her name. Along the way, Cleopatra's supple personality and the drama of her circumstances have been lost. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eIn a masterly return to the classical sources, Stacy Schiff here boldly separates fact from fiction to rescue the magnetic queen whose death ushered in a new world order. Rich in detail, epic in scope, Schiff's is a luminous, deeply original reconstruction of a dazzling life.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"Stacy Schiff does a rare thing: She gives us a book we'd miss if it didn't exist.\" ―\u003ci\u003eThe Wall Street Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e","brand":"Little, Brown Paperbacks","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45786893942831,"sku":"9780316001946","price":21.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0770\/2855\/6847\/files\/imageloader_bcf97823-3c3b-4405-bf2e-817898e10dc4.jpg?v=1786145064"},{"product_id":"the-mesopotamian-riddle","title":"The Mesopotamian Riddle","description":"\u003cb\u003eAn \"adventure tale for puzzle lovers and Indiana Jones fans alike\" (\u003ci\u003eThe Washington Post\u003c\/i\u003e) following three free-spirited Victorians on their twenty-year quest to decipher cuneiform, the oldest writing in the world--from the \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eThe Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIt was one of history's great vanishing acts. Around 3,400 BCE, a scribe in the mud-walled city-state of Uruk picked up a reed stylus to press tiny symbols into clay. For the next three thousand years, wedge-shape cuneiform script would record the military conquests, scientific discoveries, and epic literature of the great kingdoms of Mesopotamia. And then...the meaning of the characters was lost. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eLondon, 1857. In an era obsessed with human progress, mysterious palaces emerging from the desert sands have captured the Victorian public's imagination. Assyria, Babylon, the mighty Persian Empire... these civilizations had gone down in the annals as the great antagonists to ancient Greece and ancient Israel. What did these \"bad guys\" of Western history have to say for themselves? What were their values, their rituals, their understandings of their place in the universe? What was it like simply to be human at the dawn of recorded history? \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eEnter a swashbuckling archaeologist, a suave military officer turned diplomat, and a cloistered Irish rector, all vying for glory in a race to decipher the script that would enable humans to peer farther back into our history than ever before. From the ruins of Persepolis to lawless outposts of the crumbling Ottoman Empire, let \u003ci\u003eThe Mesopotamian Riddle\u003c\/i\u003e whisk you off on \"an epic intellectual adventure\" (\u003ci\u003eThe Wall Street Journal\u003c\/i\u003e) through the golden age of archaeology in an epic quest to understand where we came from--and where we perhaps might go.","brand":"Simon \u0026 Schuster","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45786894204975,"sku":"9781668015445","price":29.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0770\/2855\/6847\/files\/imageloader_65512a52-cd4a-402c-a2c1-fb7356cda776.jpg?v=1786145065"},{"product_id":"between-two-rivers","title":"Between Two Rivers","description":"\u003cp\u003eThousands of years ago, in a part of the world we now call ancient Mesopotamia, people began writing things down for the very first time.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhat they left behind, in a vast region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, preserves leaps in human ingenuity, like the earliest depiction of a wheel and the first approximation of pi. But they also capture breathtakingly intimate, raw, and relatable moments, like a dog's paw prints as it accidentally stepped into fresh clay, or the imprint of a child's teeth.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn \u003cem\u003eBetween Two Rivers\u003c\/em\u003e, historian Dr. Moudhy Al-Rashid reveals what these ancient people chose to record about their lives, allowing us to brush hands with them millennia later. We find a lullaby to soothe a baby, instructions for exorcising a ghost, countless receipts for beer, and the messy writing of preschoolers. We meet an enslaved person negotiating their freedom, an astronomer tracing the movement of the planets, a princess who may have created the world's first museum, and a working mother struggling with \"the juggle\" in 1900 BCE.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMillennia ago, Mesopotamians saw the world's first cities, the first writing system, early seeds of agriculture, and groundbreaking developments in medicine and astronomy. With breathtaking intimacy and grace, Al-Rashid brings their lives--with all their anxieties, aspirations, and intimacies--vividly close to our own.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"W. W. Norton \u0026 Company","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45786896138287,"sku":"9781324036425","price":31.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0770\/2855\/6847\/files\/imageloader_a1c94bab-6a4d-437d-840b-e67b41cb5f39.jpg?v=1786145068"},{"product_id":"greek-fire-poison-arrows-and-scorpion-bombs","title":"Greek Fire, Poison Arrows, and Scorpion Bombs","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA gripping and groundbreaking history of how ancient cultures developed and used biological, chemical, and other unconventional weapons of war\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eFlamethrowers, poison gases, incendiary bombs, the large-scale spreading of disease: are these terrifying agents of warfare modern inventions? Not by a long shot. In this riveting history of the origins of unconventional war, Adrienne Mayor shows that cultures around the world have used biological and chemical weapons for thousands of years--and debated the morality of doing so. Drawing extraordinary connections between the mythical worlds of Hercules and the Trojan War, the accounts of Herodotus and Thucydides, and modern methods of war and terrorism, this richly illustrated history catapults readers into the dark and fascinating realm of ancient war and mythic treachery.","brand":"Princeton University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45786897580079,"sku":"9780691211084","price":20.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0770\/2855\/6847\/files\/imageloader_bde464da-fcaf-4262-a6dd-bf60e04767c6.jpg?v=1786145070"},{"product_id":"empires-of-the-steppes","title":"Empires of the Steppes","description":"\u003cstrong\u003e\"A vibrant account of how roaming warlords shaped technology, religion and culture.\" --\u003cem\u003eThe Guardian\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e The barbarian nomads of the Eurasian steppes have played a decisive role in world history, but their achievements have gone largely unnoticed. These nomadic tribes have produced some of the world's greatest conquerors: Attila the Hun, Genghis Khan and Tamerlane, among others. From a single region emerged a great many peoples--the Huns, the Mongols, the Magyars, the Turks, the Xiongnu, the Scythians, the Goths--all of whom went on to profoundly and irrevocably shape the modern world. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e In this new, comprehensive history, Professor Kenneth W. Harl vividly re-creates the lives and world of these often-forgotten peoples from their beginnings to the early modern age. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \"From Attila to Genghis Khan via Prester John, and from the terracotta army of Qin Shi Huang to the walls that Alexander built to hold back the hosts of Gog and Magog, this is a history of epic scope.\" \u003cstrong\u003e--Martyn Rady, author of \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Habsburgs\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e","brand":"Hanover Square Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45786899120175,"sku":"9781335146823","price":24.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0770\/2855\/6847\/files\/imageloader_ae933bf8-eee0-4946-8249-4da533524260.jpg?v=1786145073"}],"url":"https:\/\/tssbooks.com\/collections\/books-nonfiction-history-ancient-history.oembed?page=2","provider":"tssbooks","version":"1.0","type":"link"}