An enormously entertaining account of contemporary France fromthe former Paris bureau chief of The New York Times. Bernsteincombines personal memoir, informed observation, and news-houndcuriosity to offer a stirring and unforgettable panaorama ofFrance--at times exalted, troubling, and occasionally absurd.

Menzies makes the fascinating argument that the Chinese discovered the Americas a full 70 years before Columbus. Not only did the Chinese discover America first, but they also, according to the author, established a number of subsequently lost colonies in the Caribbean. Furthermore, he asserts that the Chinese circumnavigated the globe, desalinated water, and perfected the art of cartography. In fact, he believes that most of the renowned European explorers actually sailed with maps charted by the Chinese. Though most historical records were destroyed during centuries of turmoil in the Far East, he manages to cobble together some feasible evidence supporting his controversial conclusions. Sure to cause a stir among historians, this questionable tale of adventure on the high seas will be hotly debated in academic circles. Margaret Flanagan

Edward III is a major new addition to the Shakespearean canon.Melchiori claims that Shakespeare is the author of a significantpart of the play, the extent of which is discussed in detail. Theintroduction explores the play's historical background and itsrelationship to the early cycle of history plays. The commentaryexamines in depth the play's linguistic and poetic features, whilean extensive appendix on the use of sources explains the stages ofits composition.

Shortly before noon on October 28, 1728, General Yue Zhongqi,the most powerful military and civilian official in northwestChina, was en route to his headquarters. Suddenly, out of thecrowd, a stranger ran toward Yue and passed him an envelope-anenvelope containing details of a treasonous plot to overthrow theManchu government. This thrilling story of a conspiracy against the Qing dynasty in1728 is a captivating tale of intrigue and a fascinatingexploration of what it means to rule and be ruled. Once again,Jonathan Spence has created a vivid portrait of the rich culturethat surrounds a most dramatic moment in Chinese history. "An infectiously readable narrative . . . on a par withbestselling works of historical reconstruction such as Dava Sobel'sLongitude . . . Eighteenth-century China springs to life." (TheDallas Morning News) "A slice of history told in the lively manner of a novel." (IanBuruma, The New York Times Book Review) "A work of history that pulses with emotion, with v

Pausanias's (c. 143-176) account of every Greek city andsanctuary includes historical introductions and a record of localcustoms and beliefs. This volume describes southern Greece,including Olympia, Sparta, Arcadia, and Bassae

As a young boy he re-enacted historic battles with toysoldiers, as a soldier he saw action on three continents, and asthe Prime Minister only a direct edict from King George VI couldkeep him from joining the troops on D-Day. Churchill's War Lab reveals how Churchill's passion for militaryhistory, his unique leadership style, and his patronization ofradical new ideas would lead to new technology and new tactics thatwould save lives and enable an Allied victory. No war generatedmore incredible theories, more technical advances, more scientificleaps, or more pioneering work that lay the foundation for thepost-war computer revolution. And it was Churchill's doggeddetermination and enthusiasm for revolutionary ideas that fuelledthis extraordinary outpouring of British genius. From the coauthorof Cold War comes an exciting new take on Churchill's warleadership and the story of a complex, powerful and inventive warleader.

Celebrated biographer Ron Chernow provides a richly nuancedportrait of the father of our nation. With a breadth and depthmatched by no other onevolume life of George Washington, thiscrisply paced narrative carries the reader through his adventurousearly years, his heroic exploits with the Continental Army, hispresiding over the Continental Convention, and his magnificentperformance as America's first president. In this groundbreakingwork, based on massive research, Chernow shatters forever thestereotype of a stolid, unemotional figure and brings to vivid lifea dashing, passionate man of fiery opinions and many moods.

In 1986, Charles Henderson first published Marine Sniper-theincredible story of Gunnery Sergeant Carlos Hathcock, whose 93confirmed kills in Vietnam have never been matched by any sniperbefore or since. Now, the incredible story of a remarkable Marine continues-withharrowing, never-before-published accounts of courage andperseverance. These are the powerful stories of a man who rose togreatness not for personal gain or glory, but for duty and honor. Arare inside look at the U.S. Marine's most challenging missions-andthe one man who made military history.

Leading a Learning Revolution tells the compelling story of a learning revolution that took place within the U.S. Department of Defense. Written by practitioners who actually walked the walk, this account of the creation of Defense Acquisition University (DAU) provides a clear blueprint that others can follow. It shares, in detail, the best practices they developed, so that the thousands of training organizations worldwide striving to create premier corporate universities can catapult forward. Offering an insider s look at the process, the authors clearly explain how they transformed an outdated training provider into a world-class university. Step-by-step the book outlines the enduring principles that were pivotal to Defense Acquisition University s success and describes the environment, early victories, current methods, and subsequent results. The authors discuss how to establish a mission and vision, develop a performance-based strategic planning process, and tackle change initiative. They also expl

The remarkable life of Alexander the Great, one of thegreatest military geniuses of all time, vividly told by one of theworld's leading exp erts in Greek history. With all theintensity, insight, and narrative drive that made The Spartans sucha hit with critics and readers, Paul Cartledge's Alexander theGreat: glowingly illuminates the brief but iconic life of Alexander(356-323 BC), king of Macedon, conqueror of the Persian Empire, andfounder of a new world order. Cartledge, the distinguished scholarand historian long acknowledged as the leading internationalauthority on ancient Sparta and Greece, brilliantly evokesAlexander's remarkable political and military accomplishments,leads us along the geographical path of his victorious armies, andcompellingly charting the tremendous field of this warrior hero'sinfluence. Alexander's legacy has had an astounding impact onmilitary tacticians, scholars, and statesmen—in his own lifetimeand in ours. In various countries and at various times he has beenseen as

An absorbing, revelatory, and definitive account ofone of the greatest tragedies in human history Adroitly blending narrative, de*ion, and analysis, RichardJ. Evans portrays a society rushing headlong to self-destructionand taking much of Europe with it. Interweaving a broad narrativeof the war's progress from a wide range of people, Evans revealsthe dynamics of a society plunged into war at every level. Thegreat battles and events of the conflict are here, but just astelling is Evans's re- creation of the daily experience of ordinaryGermans in wartime. At the center of the book is the Naziextermi?nation of the Jews. The final book in Richard J. Evan'sthree-volume history of Hitler's Germany, hailed "a masterpiece" by The New York Times, The Third Reich at War lays bare themost momentous and tragic years of the Nazi regime.

David Kertzer's absorbing history presents an astonishingaccount of the birth of modern Italy and the clandestine politicsbehind the Vatican's last stand in the battle between church andthe newly created Italian state. Taking advantage of a wealth ofsecret documents long buried in the Vatican archives, Prisoner ofthe Vatican begins by looking at the embattled Pius IX. WhenItaly's armies seized the Holy City and claimed it for the Italiancapital, the pope, outraged, retreated to the Vatican and declaredhimself a prisoner, calling on foreign powers to force the Italiansout of Rome. The action set in motion decades of politicalintrigues, little known until now, that hinged on such fascinatingcharacters as Garibaldi, Napoleon III, and Chancellor Bismarck. Noone who reads this eye-opening book will ever think of Italy, orthe Vatican, in quite the same way again.

This second of two volumes gathering the essential writings of one of the towering figures of the American Revolution traces John Adams's career from his leading role in the debate over independence (he was "our Colossus on the floor," remembered Thomas Jefferson), to his tireless efforts to establish the fledgling government of the United States and supply its army in the field, to his crucial diplomatic service in Europe, where he was hailed as "the George Washington of negotiation." It includes the highly influential pamphlet Thoughts on Government (1776); the "Report of a Constitution for Massachusetts," (1780) Adams's blueprint for what remains the world's oldest working political ...

This classic remains one of Karl Popper's most wide-ranging and popular works, notable not only for its acute insight into the way scientific knowledge grows, but also for applying those insights to politics and to history.

A delightful treasury of observations and insights into the lives of all sorts of creatures -- from jackdaws and water-shrews to dogs, cats and even wolves -- this is a wonderfully written introduction to the world of our furred and feathered friends!

This "New York Times" bestseller tells the harrowing true story of nine American airmen shot down over the Pacific. One of them, George H.W. Bush, was miraculously rescued. This edition features the same Afterword by the author that appeared in the trade paperback edition. 作者简介： James Bradley is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Flags of Our Fathers and the son of one of the men who raised the American flag on Iwo Jima. The story of the events on Chichi Jima was first brought to his attention after the publication of that book and involved several years of research, travel, and writing-including a return trip to Chichi Jima with President George H. W. Bush. This is Bradley's second book. He lives in New York.

The Civil War was not only a war of armies but also a war ofideas, in which Union and Confederacy alike identified itself as amoral nation with God on its side. In this watershed book, Harry S.Stout measures the gap between those claims and the war’s actualconduct. Ranging from the home front to the trenches and drawing ona wealth of contemporary documents, Stout explores the lethal mixof propaganda and ideology that came to justify slaughter on andoff the battlefield. At a time when our country is once again atwar, Upon the Altar of the Nation is a deeply necessary book.

On General Douglas MacArthur's orders, a force of 12,000 U.S.Marines were marching north to the Yalu river in late November1950. These three regiments of the 1st Marine Division--strung outalong eighty miles of a narrow mountain road--soon found themselvescompletely surrounded by 60,000 Chinese soldiers. Despite beinggiven up for lost by the military brass, the 1st Marine Divisionfought its way out of the frozen mountains, miraculously takingthier dead and wounded with them as they ran the gauntlet ofunceasing Chinese attacks. This is the gripping story that Martin Russ tells in hisextraordinary book. Breakout is an unforgettable portrayal of theterror and courage of men as they face sudden death, making thebloody battles of the Korean hills and valleys come alive as theynever have before. "Magnificent . . . [Russ] seamlessly weaves the stories of manymen, units and battles, day and night, into a coherentpicture."--Chicago Tribune "Engrossing . . . Vivid, at times

Her enthusiasm for animals and travel has led her to visit many countries around the world where she can indulge her passion for watching and photographing wildlife. She is a[so author of Africa: Natural Spirit of the African Continent, Spirit of the Jungle, Spirit of the Elephant and Spirit of India in this series. Gill currently lives in a converted barn by the coast in Pembrokeshire with her graphic designer husband and three cats.

More than fifteen million Americans currently practice yoga (according to Yoga Journal ), but how many of them know the true story of how Downward Dog first captivated America? Resurrecting a fascinating and forgotten tale, journalist Robert Love returns to the Gilded Age, when Dr. Pierre Bernard (n Perry Baker in Iowa) revived a discipline banned in Victorian India, packaged it for Americans, and taught legions of followers, who bankrolled his luxurious Hudson River ashram- the first in the nation. Filled with Jazz Age celebrities, heiresses, spies, and outraged clergy, The Great Oom is the enthralling life story of the unlikeliest of gurus, and a stunning saga of mysticism, intrigue, and the American dream.

Lawyer, philosopher, statesman and defender of Rome'sRepublic, Cicero was a master of eloquence, and his pure literaryand oratorical style and strict sense of morality have been apowerful influence on European literature and thought for over twothousand years in matters of politics, philosophy, and faith. Thisselection demonstrates the diversity of his writings, and includesletters to friends and statesmen on Roman life and politics; thevitriolic Second Philippic Against Antony; and, his two most famousphilosophical treatises, "On Duties" and "On Old Age" - acelebration of his own declining years. Written at a time of brutalpolitical and social change, Cicero's lucid ethical writings formedthe foundation of the Western liberal tradition in political andmoral thought that continues to this day.

Case one: A little girl goes missing in the night. Case two: A beautiful young office worker falls victim to amaniac's apparently random attack. Case three: A new mother finds herself trapped in a hell of herown making - with a very needy baby and a very demanding husband -until a fit of rage creates a grisly, bloody escape. Thirty years after the first incident, as private investigatorJackson Brodie begins investigating all three cases, startlingconnections and discoveries emerge . . .

From the author of the New York Times bestseller The Wealth and Poverty of Nations , a fascinatinglook at the crossroads of kin and coin David S. Landes has earned a reputation as a brilliant writer andiconoclast among economic historians. In his latest acclaimed work,he takes a revealing look at the quality that distinguishes a thirdof today's Fortune 500 companies: family ownership. From thebanking fortunes of Rothschild and Morgan to the automobile empiresof Ford and Toyota, Landes explores thirteen different dynasties,revealing what lay behind their successes-and how extravagance, badbehavior, and poor enterprise brought some of them to their knees.A colorful history that is full of surprising conclusions, Dynasties is an engrossing mix of ambition, eccentricity,and wealth.