Ancient Empires

With unimaginable wealth, palace intrigues, birthday parties featuring fine wine and endless desserts, lavish architecture and gardens, an underground water system, and a 1,500-mile Royal Road, the ancient Persian Empire captures the imagination.

Peter Frankopan, number one best-selling author and historian, explores the connections made by people, trade, disease, war, religion, adventure, science and technology in this extraordinary book about how the East married the West with a remarkable voyage at its heart - the journey along the Silk Roads.

The Crusades shook the world. But why did they happen? Their origins are revealed in a new light. As part of a medieval world war that stretched from Asia to Europe. At its center was an ancient empire Byzantium. Told for the first time as a single, linked narrative are three great events that changed history: The fall of Byzantium in the 11th century, the epic campaign of the First Crusade and the origins of modern Turkey. Nick Holmes not only presents the First Crusade in a wider global context but he also puts forwards new interpretations of the original sources.

Perú es una tierra que, para muchos, parece lejana y distante. Incluso para quienes viven relativamente cerca geográficamente, Perú puede parecer fuera de su alcance. Después de todo, Perú está situado en lo alto de los Andes, en la costa occidental de Sudamérica. Los que se atreven a vivir a esta altitud han aprendido a vivir a su manera.

The Blade chose its wielder, but conviction alone may not be enough to survive. Kael has taken his place as the rebellion’s leader, but the cost of their fragile victory weighs heavily. With the empire tightening its grip and the Blade of Eternis testing his every move, Kael must rally his scattered allies and push forward—before hope is lost forever. As the empire strikes back with relentless force, Kael is torn between his self-doubt and the rebellion’s growing reliance on him. Joined by his trusted companions—a cunning thief, a brilliant inventor, and a warrior-priest willing to ...

The Parthians in whose hands the empire of the east now is, having divided the world, as it were, with the Romans, were originally exiles from Scythia. This is apparent from their very name; for in the Scythian language exiles are called Parthi. During the time of the Assyrians and Medes, they were the most obscure of all the people of the east. Subsequently, too, when the empire of the east was transferred from the Medes to the Persians, they were but as a herd without a name, and fell under the power of the stronger.

Gibbon's masterpiece on Rome is a monument of literature and a model of modern historical research. There has never been anything quite like it since its publication between 1776 and 1788. Although some of Gibbon's views are considered controversial today, there is no doubt that his research and patient devotion to scholarship produced one of the most valuable and renowned histories of all time.

The earliest history of Babylon is little known. Among the many cities flourishing in southern Iraq, the town first appears in texts in the third millennium BC. Until the last century of the third millennium, few references existed to Babylon; however, offerings made to the temple of Enlil in Nippur during this period (when Babylon was part of an empire ruled by Ur) suggest a city already of some size and wealth. From relative obscurity in the middle of the 18th century BC, Babylon emerged as the political center of southern Mesopotamia.

Our understanding of the Persian Empire has traditionally come from the histories of Greek writers such as Herodotus—and as such, over many centuries, our perspective has been skewed by ancient political and cultural agendas. Professor Llewellyn-Jones, however, calls upon original Achaemenid sources, including inscriptions, art and recent archaeological discoveries in Iran, to create an authentic 'Persian Version' of this remarkable first great empire of antiquity—the Age of the Great Kings.

See the Secrets of Caesar's Invasion of Brittania! Explore the Strategies, Battles, and Legacy of Rome's First Foray into Celtic Lands. Dive deep into the gripping narrative of Julius Caesar's invasion of Britain with this meticulously researched guide. More than just a recounting of battles, this book unveils the complex political machinations, cultural clashes, and long-lasting consequences of Rome's first foray into Celtic territory. Why Choose This Book? Unbiased Analysis: Explore multiple perspectives on Caesar's motives, tactics, and ultimate goals, separating historical fact from ...

Beneath the waves, darkness stirs… Most know stories of Atlantis; the downfall of a superior civilization that sank into the ocean. Join these characters on the adventures of a lifetime as they navigate the dangerous depths. From exploring sunken cities where hungry monsters lurk to sanguine sirens that leave bloody trails in their wakes. From selkies stumbling across love to the discovery of elusive creatures like Nessie. Featuring stories from Jo Niederhoff, Barend Nieuwstraten III, Ella Rose, Charles Kyffhausen, M.R. Parsons, and J.E. Feldman.

If you want to discover the captivating history of the Holy Roman Empire, then pay attention... Two captivating manuscripts in one audiobook: The Holy Roman Empire and The Carolingian Empire. Throughout the story of the Holy Roman Empire, a wealth of fascinating tales from interesting people proliferates. Monks and emperors will clash, poets sing the praises of kings, and the pope rides blind and bareback on a frightened donkey through the streets of Rome.

If you want to discover the captivating life of Tiberius, then pay attention.... Compared with the preceding rulers, Julius Caesar and Augustus, the name does not ring out with the same fame and pomposity. Shakespeare wrote no plays about Tiberius; his name does not echo in the history books with the same awe-inspiring prominence. Even his successors, Caligula and Nero, are more famous than he was.

Sweeping and accessible, The Ruin of the Roman Empire captures the richness of late antique life and the colorful characters of the age, while offering insight into today's debates about barbarism, religion, empires, and their threatened borders.

Lying in the middle of a plain in modern day Iran is a forgotten ancient city: Persepolis. Built two and a half thousand years ago, it was known in its day as the richest city under the sun. Persepolis was the capital of Achaemenid Persian Empire, the largest empire the world had ever seen, but after its destruction, it was largely forgotten for nearly 2,000 years, and the lives and achievements of those who built it were almost entirely erased from history. Alexander the Great’s troops razed the city to the ground in a drunken riot to celebrate the conquest of the capital, after which time and sand buried it for centuries. It was not until the excavations of the 1930s that many of the relics, reliefs, and clay tablets that offer so much information about Persian life could be studied for the first time. Through archaeological remains, ancient texts, and work by a new generation of historians, a picture can today be built of this remarkable civilization and their capital city. Although the city had been destroyed, the legacy of the Persians survived, even as they mostly remain an enigma to the West and are not nearly as well understood as the Greeks, Romans, or Egyptians. In a sense, the Achaemenid Persian Empire holds some of the most enduring mysteries of ancient civilization.

Discover the majestic landscapes, ancient traditions, and the relentless quest for freedom in this captivating journey. Explore the spiritual and everyday life of Tibetan civilization, from the mysterious beginnings of its people to their ongoing struggles under Chinese rule.

The Roman civilization is probably the single most important civilization in the history of the planet. Its expansion defined Europe. Its constitution shaped societies from Russia in the east to the United States and Latin America in the west. Not even its conquerors were immune to the superior Roman culture. In this new captivating history book, you’ll learn all you need to know about Roman institutions and politics.

The pope wanted it, Montesquieu used it, and the Nazis pilfered an Italian noble's villa to get it: the Germania, by the Roman historian Tacitus, took on a life of its own as both an object and an ideology. When Tacitus wrote a not-very-flattering little book about the ancient Germans in 98 CE, at the height of the Roman Empire, he could not have foreseen that the Nazis would extol it as "a bible", nor that Heinrich Himmler, the engineer of the Holocaust, would vow to resurrect Germany on its grounds. But the Germania inspired - and polarized - people long before the rise of the Third Reich.

Glory Favors the Bold. Martius dreams of one day joining the legendary legions of the Belgadan Empire. He seeks to enlist as only a simple foot soldier, but the twists of war have another path for him. As he's thrown into the army's air cavalry and becomes a member of the famous gryphon riders, the empire's fearsome enemies mass on its borders. Martius's one chance at glory is here. With the help of veteran generals and his bond with a war gryphon, can Martius find his place in the legion and claim greatness? Or will the barbarians charging towards the gates of the empire overrun and ...

Brazil has a rich and complicated history that few outside South America know about. It leads the world in some of the most profitable exports (gold, sugar, oil, and coffee), yet Brazil has one of the largest wealth disparities in the world, being known for crime and poverty.