Throughout the history of the world, libraries have been constructed, burned, discovered, raided, and cherished—and the treasures they've housed have evolved from early stone tablets to the mass-produced, bound paper books of our present day. The Library invites you to enter the libraries of ancient Greece, early China, Renaissance England, and modern-day America, and speaks to the book lover in all of us. Incorporating beautiful illustrations, insightful quotations, and many marv...

The Fact Atlas series offers an age-appropriate overview of the historic and world-changing events of World War II, covering everything from the rise of Hitler and Nazism to the tragedy of the Holocaust and its long-lasting effects. Readers will be introduced to key players-political and military leaders like Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt as well as Joseph Stalin, Benito Mussolini, and many more. Explore the ideas of democracy versus totalitarianism and international relations a...

John Trumbull's sweeping historical paintings of battle scenes of the American Revolution hang in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C., for all to see. This patriot-artist painted lifelike portraits of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin, and he traveled around the country to capture realistic likenesses of the other Founding Fathers who drafted the Declaration of Independence in 1776.Pore over the landmark work left by this brilliant artist and beco...

In a spellbinding account of her two-year teaching stint and travels in China, Woronov provides, through numerous anecdotes, insight into the everyday life of the modern Chinese people. 20 photos.

"From Torquemada to Guantánamo and beyond, Cullen Murphy finds the 'inquisitorial impulse' alive, and only too well, in our world" (Jane Mayer, author of Dark Money).Established by the Catholic Church in 1231, the Inquisition continued in one form or another for almost seven hundred years. Though associated with the persecution of heretics and Jews—and with burning at the stake—its targets were more numerous, its techniques were more ambitious, and its eff...

Finally the Truth about the Rise of the WestModernity developed only in the West—in Europe and North America. Nowhere else did science and democracy arise; nowhere else was slavery outlawed. Only Westerners invented chimneys, musical scores, telescopes, eyeglasses, pianos, electric lights, aspirin, and soap.The question is, Why?Unfortunately, that question has become so politically incorrect that most scholars avoid it. But acclaim...

In this sweeping history, bestselling author Amy Chua explains how globally dominant empires—or hyperpowers—rise and why they fall. In a series of brilliant chapter-length studies, she examines the most powerful cultures in history—from the ancient empires of Persia and China to the recent global empires of England and the United States—and reveals the reasons behind their success, as well as the roots of their ultimate demise.Chua's analysis uncovers a fascinating historical patte...

"Splendidly articulate, informative and provoking....A book to be savored and gone back to."—Baltimore SunOn the survival and destruction of knowledge, from Alexandria to the Internet. Through the ages, libraries have not only accumulated and preserved but also shaped, inspired, and obliterated knowledge. Matthew Battles, a rare books librarian and a gifted narrator, takes us on a spirited foray from Boston to Baghdad, from classical scriptoria to medieval monasteries, fro...

From the New York Times best-selling author of Cod and Salt, a definitive history of paper and the astonishing ways it has shaped today’s world.Paper is one of the simplest and most essential pieces of human technology. For the past two millennia, the ability to produce it in ever more efficient ways has supported the proliferation of literacy, media, religion, education, commerce, and art; it has formed the foundation of civilizations, p...

The second edition of this best-selling textbook is thoroughly updated to include expanded coverage of the late eighteenth century and the Enlightenment, and incorporates recent advances in gender history, global connections and cultural analysis. It features summaries, timelines, maps, illustrations and discussion questions to support the student. Enhanced online content and sections on sources and methodology give students the tools they need to study early modern European history. Leadi...

The story of literature in sixteen acts—from Homer to Harry Potter, including The Tale of Genji, Don Quixote, The Communist Manifesto, and how they shaped world historyIn this groundbreaking book, Martin Puchner leads us on a remarkable journey through time and around the globe to reveal the how stories and literature have created the world we have today. Through sixteen foundational texts selected from more than four thousand years of world literature, he...

A "riveting and thoroughly researched" history of language technology's effect on society across millennia—from Sumerian syntax to social media hashtags (Phil Lapsley).Writing was born thousands of years ago in Mesopotamia. Spreading to Sumer, and then Egypt, this revolutionary tool allowed rulers to extend their control far and wide, giving rise to the world's first empires. When Phoenician traders took their alphabet to Greece, literacy's first boom led to the bi...