Modern Age

Dazzling in its originality, Rites of Spring probes the origins, impact, and aftermath of World War I from the premiere of Stravinsky's ballet "The Rite of Spring" in 1913 to the death of Hitler in 1945. "The Great War", as Modris Eksteins writes, "was the psychological turning point...for modernism as a whole. The urge to create and the urge to destroy had changed places."

Alistair Horne is a leading scholar of French history. Here he trains his sights on one of the most compelling figures of the 19th century, Napoleon Bonaparte. Far from a mere dictator, Napoleon was a military, political and social visionary whose legacy can still be felt in France and all over the world. Horne examines the one-time emperor at his most human, from his greatest triumphs to his disastrous failures.

Best-selling author Brian Fagan brings early humans out of the deep freeze with his trademark mix of erudition, cutting-edge science, and vivid storytelling. Cro-Magnon reveals human society in its infancy, facing enormous environmental challenges - including a rival species of humans, the Neanderthals. For ten millennia, Cro-Magnons lived side by side with Neanderthals, an encounter that Fagan fills with drama.

An essential guide for parents and caregivers, this book offers insights, strategies, and understanding to navigate middle childhood (ages 6-12). Dr. Sheryl Gonzalez Ziegler, a seasoned clinical psychologist and mother, highlights ways to foster resilience, encourage open communication, and build lasting connections during this crucial period.

This is a story that starts off close and goes very big. The initial part of the story might sound familiar at first: it is about a platoon of mostly 19-year-old boys sent to Afghanistan, and an experience that ends abruptly in catastrophe. Their part of the story folds into the next: inexorably linked to those soldiers and never comprehensively reported before is the US Department of Defense’s quest to build the world’s most powerful biometrics database, with the ability to identify, monitor, catalog, and police people all over the world.

Magic has always been the undervalued sister of mainstream spirituality. It is hard to find a religious or spiritual movement that accepts that magic is a fundamental pillar of its philosophy. For thousands of years, magic and magic formulas have been considered dangerous by many religious elites. Many have tried to eliminate or adapt it, but these attempts have failed. Magic is, after all, a practice that predates any established religion. Unfortunately, thousands if not millions of books of magic formulas have been destroyed, but popular forces and beliefs have prevented them from ...

From the 1930s to the 1960s, the Motion Picture Production Code severely restricted what Hollywood cinema could depict. This included “any inference” of the lives of homosexuals. In a landmark 1981 book, gay activist Vito Russo famously condemned Hollywood’s censorship regime, lambasting many midcentury films as the bigoted products of a “celluloid closet.”

Now is the chance to make him mine! Kenya: From the depths of my heart, I've harbored a persistent desire for him, an aspiration that has endured through time. Regrettably, in his eyes, I've existed solely as a fleeting presence, perhaps a relic of the past—a girl, not yet recognized for the woman I've become. In the present moment, an opportunity unfolds before me, a chance to unveil the depth of my being and demonstrate that there is more to us than he has perceived. I yearn for him to realize that our connection has the potential to blossom into something extraordinary, a bond that ...

Stepping out of the shower in my vacation cabin and seeing HIM, standing there looking me up and down, was not how I expected to see my first love again. Alex Mitchell is the grumpy HOT billionaire business mogul turned cowboy boss from my internship that accused me of stealing 10 years ago. We were double booked to the same cabin and the resort had no other rooms available. I was stuck with him and it didn’t help that our chemistry was stronger than ever. Okay, so we succumbed to our deepest desires once again, but it’s fine. I’ll never see him again. Well, that’s what I thought ...

Nicolas Cage is many things, but love him, or laugh at him, there's no denying two things: You've seen one of his many films, and you certainly know his name. But who is he, really, and why has his career endured for over 40 years, with more than a hundred films, and birthed a million memes? Age of Cage is a smart, beguiling book about the films of Nicolas Cage and the actor himself, as well as a sharp-eyed examination of the changes that have taken place in Hollywood over the course of his career.

Many have heard the term “Balkans” tossed about but likely don’t know a whole lot about the region. The saga of the Balkans is profound yet incredibly complicated. Bordered by both the Balkan Mountains of southeastern Europe and the Mediterranean Sea, this region holds a strong place in the history of Western civilization and is also a major crossroads of Eastern civilization as well.

Nowhere in modern literature has any story exceeded COMING OF AGE in the drama that symbolizes, no matter how large or small a role one plays, how important each human being is in the web of history. The never-ending fight to bring freedom of the press, freedom of speech, and freedom to simply live a life where one can attain peace, without fear of tomorrow, lies at the very core of this monumental tour de force, a gargantuan buffet for those who gorge on historical fiction. Here, the reader endures the agony of shattering defeats, the depths of tragically lost love, and the lowest level to...

There are plenty of other elements about real-life pirates that are simply fiction. But what about the real history of pirates - is it worth exploring, and why? The history of the Golden Age of Piracy, the one that has shaped the modern conception of a pirate, is complex and long, with lots of information to cover.

A masterpiece of Christian mysticism and a literary jewel of Spain’s Golden Age, Dark Night of the Soul by Saint John of the Cross has inspired spiritual seekers for centuries. This edition, carefully rendered into modern English, allows contemporary readers to enter its depth without stumbling over archaic language or obscure expressions. The accompanying commentary aims to bridge the 500-year cultural divide between the 16th century and today’s reader. It not only clarifies the symbolism and implicit theology in each verse but also offers insight into the spiritual experience that the...

Against the mythical dreamscape of America, Auster brilliantly weaves the bizarre narrative of Marco Stanley Fogg, an orphan searching for love, his father, and the key to the riddle of his origin and fate.

It is not an easy job to draw the border between the history of Italy and the history of Rome. In so many places, the two political and geographical entities collide. They wouldn’t be possible without each other, but they each have their own story. Rome’s history is only a small fragment of Italy’s history. Although it is just a city, Rome was the birthplace of the republic, a great empire, and notable philosophers, poets, and artists.

Embark on a breathtaking adventure through the captivating world of optics with "Light through the Ages: A Global History of Optics." This enthralling and comprehensive guide will take you on an exhilarating ride, unveiling the mysteries of light and its applications that have shaped human history and transformed our understanding of the universe. From the ingenious discoveries of the ancient Egyptians to the cutting-edge advancements in quantum optics, this riveting book brings to life the inspiring stories of the remarkable pioneers, inventors, and visionaries who have revolutionized the ...

The philosopher Susan Neiman argues that the absence of appealing models of maturity is not an accident: By describing life as a downhill process, we prepare young people to expect - and demand - very little from it. In Why Grow Up?, she challenges our culture of permanent adolescence, turning to thinkers including Kant, Rousseau, and Arendt to find a model of maturity that is not a matter of resignation. In growing up, we move from the boundless trust of childhood to the peculiar mixture of disappointment and exhilaration that comes with adolescence.

Churches often realize they need to change. But if they're not careful, the way they change can hurt more than help. Leading practical theologian Andrew Root offers a new paradigm for understanding the congregation in contemporary ministry. He articulates why congregations feel pressured by the speed of change in modern life and encourages an approach that doesn't fall into the negative traps of our secular age.

Set at a small, affluent liberal-arts college in New England at the height of the Reagan '80s, The Rules of Attraction is a startlingly funny, kaleidoscopic novel about three students with no plans for the future - or even the present - who become entangled in a curious romantic triangle.