Other books that might interest you

• 

  Nerva-Antonine Dynasty The: The...

  Editors Charles River

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  “The Five Good Emperors,” a reference to the five emperors who ruled the Roman Empire between 96 and 180 CE (Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, and Marcus Aurelius), was a term first coined by Machiavelli and later adopted and popularized by historian Edward Gibbon, who said that under these men, the Roman Empire “was governed by absolute power under the guidance of wisdom and virtue.”  
  	This period of 84 years is generally regarded as the high point of the Roman Empire, at least after Augustus, but what is uncertain and a matter of ongoing debate is whether the five emperors were personally responsible for the situation and the accompanying prosperity enjoyed throughout the empire at the time or if they were simply the beneficiaries of the Pax Romana, inaugurated by Augustus in the early part of the 1st century CE. In other words, historians have wondered whether anyone in power during those years would have enjoyed the same rewards.  
  	The description of these rulers as “good” is also a matter of interpretation, with some scholars suggesting they were only “good” in comparison to the preceding emperor (Domitian) and the emperor who followed Marcus Aurelius (Commodus). Both of them were horrible rulers in every aspect, making their near contemporaries look all the better.  
  	Regardless, it is clear that the era of the Five Good Emperors was one of unparalleled success and wealth, and the reasons Rome reached its zenith at this time are worthy of scrutiny. Perhaps most noteworthy is that none of these five emperors were blood relatives - while the final two are often referred to as the Antonines, they were not, in fact, related except by adoption, a practice that may in itself provide at least part of the answer to the question as to why this particular period was so magnificent.

  Show book

• 

  The Shortest History of Music -...

  Andrew Ford

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  No art form is as widely discussed—or as readily available—as music. With the click of just a few buttons, modern humans can decide what they think of the brand-new Beyoncé just as quickly as they can form opinions on Brahms or the Beatles or Bob Dylan. But things weren't always this way. In this brisk, breakneck history, award-winning musician and broadcaster Andrew Ford dives into the constant evolutions and reinventions that have led to the popularity and accessibility of modern music. Ford explores: 
   
   
   
  ● Why playing history's earliest example of notated music—clay tablets from 1400 BCE Syria—doesn't produce a consistent sound 
   
   
   
  ● How colonization and the slave trade led to one region in West Africa having an unparalleled influence on world music 
   
   
   
  ● How clerical and royal support allowed early composers to invent the symphony 
   
   
   
  ● What leads humans to make music in the first place—and why music plays such a massive role in our culture. 
   
   
   
  The Shortest History of Music takes us on a lively tour through several thousands of years of music history, tracing our relationship with this essential art and allowing us to freshly appreciate and understand music today.

  Show book

• 

  Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda

  Swami Vivekananda

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  What if true strength came from knowing who you really are?
  
  The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda brings together the full legacy of one of the most influential spiritual teachers of modern times. A disciple of Sri Ramakrishna and a global ambassador of Vedanta, Vivekananda inspired millions with his message of fearlessness, self-belief, and universal harmony.
  
  This comprehensive collection includes Vivekananda's lectures, writings, letters, and discourses delivered across India and the West. His teachings bridge spirituality and practical life—addressing self-discipline, service, education, religion, meditation, and the unity of all beings.
  
  Clear, powerful, and deeply motivating, his words continue to guide readers seeking inner strength, purpose, and spiritual clarity in a changing world.
  
  Inside this eBook, you'll explore:
  
  All major lectures, essays, and writings of Swami Vivekananda
  
  Core teachings on Vedanta, yoga, and spiritual freedom
  
  Practical guidance for character building and self-confidence
  
  A cornerstone of modern spiritual and philosophical literature
  
  Read worldwide and studied for generations, Swami Vivekananda's works remain as relevant today as ever.
  
  Awaken the strength within. Buy now and experience the complete works of Swami Vivekananda.

  Show book

• 

  Too Much Sea for Their Decks -...

  Michael Schumacher

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  Against the backdrop of the extraordinary history of Great Lakes shipping, Too Much Sea for Their Decks chronicles shipwrecked schooners, wooden freighters, early steel-hulled steamers, whalebacks, and bulk carriers all lost in the frigid waters of Lake Superior. 
   
   
   
  Included are compelling accounts of vessels destined for infamy, such as that of the Stranger, a slender wooden schooner swallowed by the lake in 1875; an account of the whaleback Wilson, rammed by a large commercial freighter in broad daylight and in calm seas; and the mysterious loss of the Kamloops, a package freighter that went down in a storm and whose sailors were found on the Isle Royale the following spring, having escaped the wreck only to die of exposure on the island. Then there is the ill-fated Steinbrenner, plagued by bad luck from the time of her construction to her eventual sinking in 1953. These tales and more represent loss of life and property—and are haunting stories of brave and heroic crews. 
   
   
   
  Arranged chronologically and presented in three sections covering Minnesota's North Shore, Isle Royale, and the three biggest storms in Minnesota's Great Lakes history (the 1905 Mataafa storm, the 1913 hurricane on the lakes, and the 1940 Armistice Day storm), each shipwreck documented within provides a piece to the history of shipping on Lake Superior.

  Show book

• 

  Russia After Putin and Trump

  Sergey Shelin

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  This gripping book by the prominent Russian journalist and analyst Sergey Shelin aims to explain why most Russians suddenly "understood" the need to attack Ukraine and Europe and are confident that their country is on the right path.
  
  Shelin, who was declared a "foreign agent" by the Putin regime and forced to leave Russia, argues that while most Russians now want a break from war, they are not going to apologize for the aggression and do not believe it stems from Vladimir Putin's actions. They have come to see Donald Trump as the only Western leader who understands and respects Russia and have embraced a kind of alternative West led by Trump and the European far right.

  Show book

• 

  Nations in the Balance - The...

  Christopher L. Kolakowski

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  An account of the decisive WWII battles that helped shape Asia’s future: “Reminds us of the high stakes at risk for both Allies and Axis powers in Burma.” —Military Review   From December 1943 to August 1944, Allied and Japanese forces fought the decisive battles of World War II in Southeast Asia. Fighting centered around North Burma, Imphal, Kohima, and the Arakan, involving troops from all over the world along a battlefront the combined size of Pennsylvania and Ohio. The campaigns brought nations into collision for the highest stakes: British and Indian troops fighting for Empire, the Indo-Japanese forces seeking a prestige victory with an invasion of India and the Americans and Chinese focused on helping China and reopening the Burma Road.   Events turned on the decisions of the principal commanders—Admiral Louis Mountbatten and Generals Joseph Stilwell, William Slim, Orde Wingate, and Mutaguchi Renya, among many others. The impact of the fighting was felt in London, Tokyo, Washington, and other places far away from the battlefront, with effects that presaged postwar political relationships. This was also the first U.S. involvement in Southeast Asia, and Stilwell’s operations in some ways foreshadowed battles in Vietnam two decades later.  Nations in the Balance recounts these battles, offering dramatic and compelling stories of people fighting in difficult conditions against high odds, with far-reaching results. It also shows how they proved important to the postwar future of the participant nations and Asia as a whole, with effects that still reverberate decades after the war.

  Show book