Venice

Clara Erskine Clement Waters

Synopsis

The Venice which one visits to-day is so curiously a part and not a part of the ancient Venice of which we dream, that one feels, when in that sea-enveloped and fairy-like city, a strange sense of duality,—of being a veritable antique and an equally veritable modern. He has a genuine sympathy with the past, and regrets that he has not the enchanter's wand to bring it all back again,—long enough, at least, for him to revel in its magnificence.
If he believes in reincarnation, he is speedily convinced that he was once a Venetian indeed; else how could he feel so much at home, and how love Venice as he does! And yet, alas! he cannot quite lose his modern point of view.
The first emotion is all delight, and a delight that never loses its thrill; for until the time comes for reflection, we are under the charm of a perfect atmosphere, of skies of liquid blue, tinged at times with crimsons, gold, and violets, such as come only from Nature's loom; of music and soft, fascinating speech; of mysterious labyrinths and sunlit spaces,—in a word, under the spell of Venice. And if {2}Time brings to us the thought of the other side of the picture,—the decay which is stealthily doing its sad work, the grayness when it is gray, and all the pathos which ever attends a queen uncrowned,—yet through all and above all is the joy and pleasure which having once been ours, we are resolved to keep.

Disponible depuis: 18/11/2023.

Sciences humaines et Humanités

D'autres livres qui pourraient vous intéresser

The Sacred Way

Stephen L. Robertson

The Sacred Way is not a map. It is not a method. It is a transmission. 
  
In this companion to The Sacred Choice, Stephen L. Robertson offers a luminous reflection for the soul ready to embody what it has already remembered. Drawing from mystical insight, spiritual awakening, and the quiet wisdom of stillness, The Sacred Way invites readers beyond the threshold of realization—into a life of integration, gentleness, and divine simplicity. 
  
This masterwork does not teach—it mirrors. Through poetic clarity and sacred resonance, it unveils the quiet radiance of what happens after the spark: when ego dissolves, when becoming ends, and when the flame no longer flickers but simply burns. 
  
You are not searching anymore. 
You are becoming the field. 
  
This is not the beginning of your journey. 
This is the return.

Voir livre

Rain of Ruin - Tokyo Hiroshima...

Richard Overy

A leading historian of World War II sheds new light on the purposes and impact of the U.S. incendiary and atomic bombing of Japan’s cities in 1945.
With the development of the B-29 “Superfortress” in summer 1944, strategic bombing, a central component of the Allied war effort against Germany, arrived in the Pacific theater. In 1945 Japan experienced the three most deadly bombing attacks of the war. The firebombing of Tokyo in March burned the city’s most densely populated sector, killed some 85,000 residents, and left more than one million homeless. The attack was part of a months-long campaign of incendiary bombing that destroyed almost two-thirds of Japan’s cities. The two atomic blasts in August killed hundreds of thousands in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, most of them civilians. The bombing brought a destabilizing devastation that, combined with a declaration of war by the Soviet Union, induced Japan, as they put it, to terminate the war.
Many at the time and since have credited American air power, and especially the two atomic bombs, with Japan’s surrender. But Richard Overy tells a different, more dimensional story. Drawing on his expertise on the war and its bombing campaigns, he delivers a precise recounting of these aerial attacks, and a balanced, informed assessment of how and why they occurred. Overy is astute on the Allied decision-making, and, notably, integrates the Japanese leadership as well. He ably navigates the dramatic endgame of the war, which featured factional infighting within the Japanese cabinet, a scramble by American officials to formulate an acceptable version of “unconditional surrender,” and the crucial role played by the emperor, Hirohito. The atomic bombing emerges as impactful but not decisive in this rich, multilayered history.

Voir livre

Learn Hungarian While Sleeping -...

Innovative Language Learning, ...

Can you learn while sleeping? Studies* say that… yes you can.

Listening to a language while asleep can help supercharge your vocabulary.

Learn Easily with the Power of Pleasant Repetition

With the Learn Hungarian While Sleeping Audiobook, you’ll absorb over 430 Hungarian words and phrases effortlessly.

You can use this Beginner-Level Audiobook to

• Relax while listening to Hungarian phrases and translations

• Relieve stress. Just listen in — No confusing grammar rules

• Wind down before bed to help you fall asleep

• And of course — learn words passively — in your sleep.

How does it work? Just press play... and listen to the gentle voice of a native teacher.

Our teacher repeats each word and phrase multiple times... so you’ll retain them better… whether you’re awake or in bed. For best results, listen while awake first. Then, listen while falling asleep.

What Will You Learn? You’ll Master 430+ Beginner Words & Phrases Including

• Basic Greetings

• Numbers in Hungarian

• Common Questions and Answers

• Words for Introducing Yourself

• Basic Verbs & Adjectives

• And much more

The Learn Hungarian While Sleeping Audiobook includes

• 13 Beginner-Level Audio Lessons

• 6+ Hours of Lessons in Total

• Accompanying PDF eBook with all of the words, phrases and translations

* Züst, Mark Alain et al. “Implicit Vocabulary Learning during Sleep is Bound to Slow-Wave Peaks.” Current Biology. October 21, 2019.

Download the PDF and read along

Voir livre

Weird Rome: A Collection of...

Charles River Editors

The ambitious and fearless emperors who built the legendary Roman Empire from scratch, the broad-shouldered and bronzed gladiators with their iconic plume helmets and glinting swords, and elaborate parties attended by toga-wearing Romans fueled by alcohol, violence, orgies, and other godless acts all paint a picture of Roman life. Indeed, many people are well-versed with these unique scenes of Roman history, but few are familiar with the equally riveting years preceding the dawn of the Roman Republic, and even less people are acquainted with the fabled Seven Hills sitting east of the Tiber River – the core geographical components of Rome, and the very foundations that the Eternal City was built on.  
	Ancient Rome is understandably an object of enduring fascination, and its legacy still survives today, especially in the West, where Roman architecture, law, and philosophy all influence modern societies. But the Romans were also startlingly different - a deeply superstitious society, they believed in all sorts of omens and magic spells, while their leaders were capable of cruelties that would make a modern war criminal blush. Regular Romans performed strange religious practices, and they engaged in even stranger sexual practices. 
Weird Rome: A Collection of Mysterious Stories, Odd Anecdotes, and Strange Superstitions from the Ancient Romans looks at the more bizarre sides of Roman civilization, helping people understand the true nature of Rome and examining aspects that documentaries and museum exhibitions tend to gloss over.

Voir livre

Sex and Sexuality in Ancient Rome

L J Trafford

A fascinating and often-funny look into Romans' private (or not-so-private) lives, exploring the truth behind the empire's salacious reputation. 
 
 
  
From emperors to empresses, poets to prostitutes, slaves to plebs, ancient Rome was a wealth of different experiences and expectations—nowhere more so than around the subject of sex and sexuality. The image of ancient Rome that has come down to us is one of sexual excess: emperors gripped by perversion partaking in pleasure with whomever and whatever they fancied during weeklong orgies. 
 
 
  
But how true are these tales of depravity? Was it really a sexual free-for-all? What were the laws surrounding sexual engagement? How did these vary according to gender and class? And what happened to those who transgressed the rules? We invite you to climb into bed with the Romans to discover some very odd contraceptive devices, gather top tips on how to attract a partner, and learn why you should avoid poets as lovers at all costs. Along the way we'll stumble across potions and spells, emperors and their favorites, and some truly eye-popping interior decor choices.

Voir livre

The Alice Crimmins Case

Anais Renevier

New York, Summer of 1965. 
 
 
 
One hot summer, two young children disappeared from their first-floor apartment in the Kew Gardens neighborhood of Queens, New York. Their mother, Alice Crimmins, reported them missing to the police. Later that day, the body of four-year-old Missy was found in a vacant lot, showing signs of having been strangled. The body of five-year-old Eddie, Jr., was found several days later. 
 
 
 
Police were immediately suspicious of the mother. Recently divorced, with teased red hair and heavy makeup, Alice Crimmins did not fit the maternal ideal held by the predominantly Catholic police detectives on the case. Her every action was scrutinized: Was she behaving like a grief-stricken mother or like a coldhearted killer? After three years of police surveillance, Alice was charged with the murder of her children in 1968 in a highly publicized trial. Ultimately found guilty of manslaughter, Alice spent a decade in prison before being released on parole in 1977. 
 
 
 
But was she truly guilty, or just the victim of police bias and misogynistic judgment? Journalist Anaïs Renevier revisits the case, exploring one of the most famous and divisive trials in recent American history.

Voir livre