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  Carolingians and the Moors The:...

  Charles River Editors

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  While the Moors have always been associated with Spain due to their lengthy stay on the Iberian Peninsula, the most famous battle they were involved in was actually fought in modern France. While the Franks were consolidating a kingdom there, Muslim forces were pushing out of North Africa and into the Iberian Peninsula in the early 8th century, and by the dawn of the 730s, the Umayyad dynasty had expanded its territory from the Atlantic to the Pyrenees, a series of seasonally snow-capped mountains in Europe that forms a border between the nations of Spain and France. This would lead to Charles Martel’s most famous military victory came at the Battle of Tours, also called the Battle of Poitiers, on October 10, 732. At this battle, a united Frankish force decisively defeated the invading Umayyad Caliphate, making it one of the most important in all the Middle Ages for stemming the advancement of the Islamic forces in Europe. 
  	Charles Martel was the forefather of the Carolingian dynasty, which carved out a major empire in Europe from 750-887, ushered in an important period in the Early Middle Ages. The Carolingians were in their time seen as the successors of ancient Rome in the West, and while they sought to reestablish the glory of antiquity, they’re remembered today for effectively founding the states that would become France and Germany. 	The Carolingians are also credited with creating the first Renaissance, the Carolingian Renaissance, centuries before the Italian Renaissance. Many of the great Latin classics survive today because of copies made during this period. In addition, the revisions made to written script at this time made texts easier to read, so much so that most of those changes remain in the modern system of writing. 

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  Ancient Rome’s Most Important...

  Editors Charles River

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  Caesar is still remembered for winning a civil war and helping bring about the end of the Roman Republic, leaving a line of emperors in its place, but it’s quite possible that none of what Caesar did would’ve happened without the template for such actions being set 40 years earlier. At the time, when Caesar was in his teens, war was being waged both on the Italian peninsula and abroad, with domestic politics pitting the conservative, aristocratic optimates against the populist, reformist populares, and this tension ultimately escalated into an all-out war. One of the leading populares was Caesar’s uncle, Gaius Marius, a military visionary who had restructured the legions and extended the privileges of land ownership and citizenship to legionaries on condition of successful completion of a fixed term of service. In the late 2nd century B.C., Marius had waged a successful campaign against several Germanic tribes, and after earning eternal fame in the Eternal City, Marius was appointed a consul several times. In 88 B.C., he entered into conflict with his erstwhile protégé, the optimate Sulla, over command of the army to be dispatched against Mithridates VI of Pontus, a long-time enemy of Rome and its Greek allies.   
  	The 50 years following the assassination of Severus Alexander on March 19, 235 A.D. has been generally regarded by academics as one of the lowest points in the history of the Roman Empire. This stands in stark contrast to the previous 150 years, which included the reigns of the Five Good Emperors and has been universally praised as one of the high points of the empire. Severus Alexander was the last of the Severan emperors, and the subsequent years of crisis were characterized by a series of short reigns, usually ending in the violent death of the reigning emperor.

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  Holding a Mirror Up to Nature

  James Gilligan, David A.J. Richards

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  At a time when violence in America and Europe dominates the daily news, a groundbreaking new book co-authored by James Gilligan, an eminent psychiatrist who has worked with criminals, and David A.J. Richards, a legal scholar of toxic patriarchy, illuminates the ways in which Shakespeare offers unique insights into the causes of violence as well as its prevention.Now a riveting new audio production, Holding a Mirror Up to Nature: Shame, Guilt, and Violence in Shakespeare takes advantage of scenes performed by acclaimed actors to dramatize how much Shakespeare’s tragic heroes exhibit the psychology of those who commit violence in the contemporary world.The voice of British-American actor John Douglas Thompson called “perhaps the greatest Shakespeare interpreter in contemporary theater,” together with women’s parts spoken by Shakespeare & Company’s distinguished Tod Randolph, and narration by award-winning theater star Nigel Gore, orchestrate this tour de force audiobook that belongs in the listening library of everyone who loves Shakespeare and is curious about what causes and what prevents violence.

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  Book of Creation The (Sefer...

  Abraham the Patriach, Tim Zengerink

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  What if you could unlock the secrets of the universe, understand the forces that shape reality, and discover your role in the divine order? 
  The Book of Creation (Sefer Yetzirah) is one of the oldest and most profound mystical texts in history.  
  Attributed to Abraham the Patriarch, this ancient work outlines the structure of creation through the “thirty-two paths of wisdom”—including the ten sefirot (divine emanations) and the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet. 
  For centuries, it has inspired mystics, philosophers, and seekers with its teachings on cosmology, metaphysics, and the interconnectedness of all things. Now presented in a clear, modern translation, this edition brings the timeless wisdom of Sefer Yetzirah to today’s listener. 
  What you'll discover inside: 
  •	The Mystical Blueprint of Creation – Explore the ten sefirot and Hebrew letters as tools of divine formation 
  •	Ancient Wisdom for Modern Life – Apply mystical principles to personal growth and spiritual transformation 
  •	Insights into Jewish Mysticism – Discover the roots of Kabbalah and its influence on spiritual thought 
  •	Practical Guidance for Self-Discovery – Use these teachings to deepen your understanding of yourself and the universe 
  Whether you're new to mystical philosophy or deepening your journey, The Book of Creation offers powerful insights to illuminate your path. 
  Begin your exploration today—and uncover the hidden wisdom that continues to inspire across generations.

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  Monster Dances at Dusk - A...

  Duraiya Khan

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  “In poetic prose, I revisit the scars of childhood abuse, molding me into a hollow shell of womanhood. Navigating immigrant pressures, cultures clash, tugging me in divergent paths. Unraveling buried trauma, self-destruction consumed, shattering false identities. Intuition emerges as my guide, leading through mystical realms to rebirth. From unworthiness to purpose-seeking, I rise, embracing happiness, truth, and destiny’s dance.” —From the author   This is the author’s poetic recollection of being abused as a child and how the aftermath shaped her to live her life as a shell of a woman. She takes the reader through the front seat of her mind as she navigates the pressures of being the daughter of brown immigrants and how the clash of cultures pushed and pulled her in different directions. Discovering the trauma stored in her body, self-destruction from the inside led to the inevitable death of her false self. Learning to trust her intuition and the universe, getting lost and found in the world of magic and her prophetic dreams, ultimately guided her to the rebirth of an awakened identity. She went from not feeling worthy enough to live, to searching for her purpose, pulling herself out of the hole, finding her happiness, and never looking back. She learned to live her truth, love herself, and instinctively play with her fate.

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  I Know What's Best for You -...

  Shelly Oria

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  Edited by Shelly Oria—author and editor of Indelible in the Hippocampus—this explosive, intersectional collection of essays, fiction, poems, plays, and more, explores the universality of human reproductive experiences, as well as their distinct individuality.An enlisted sailor must choose between her military career and keeping an unexpected pregnancy. A mother of three decides to become a surrogate, but is unprepared for everything that happens next. A trans man’s pregnancy forces them to approach their key relationships in a new way. A woman’s choice to live a child-free life is put to the test when her husband’s dying wish is for them to become parents. Forced sterilization camps line the borders of America in a dystopian future that may not be far off.In their own unique and unforgettable way, each storyteller examines our crisis of access to care in ways that are at turns haunting, heartbreaking, and outright funny.This collection is a collaboration with the Brigid Alliance, a nationwide service that arranges and funds confidential and personal travel support to those seeking abortion care.

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