The epic story of the collision between one of nature’ssmallest organisms and history’s mightiest empire During the golden age of the Roman Empire, Emperor Justinianreigned over a territory that stretched from Italy to North Africa.It was the zenith of his achievements and the last of them. In 542AD, the bubonic plague struck. In weeks, the glorious classicalworld of Justinian had been plunged into the medieval and modernEurope was born. At its height, five thousand people died every day inConstantinople. Cities were completely depopulated. It was thefirst pandemic the world had ever known and it left its indeliblemark: when the plague finally ended, more than 25 million peoplewere dead. Weaving together history, microbiology, ecology,jurisprudence, theology, and epidemiology, Justinian’s Flea is aunique and sweeping account of the little known event that changedthe course of a continent.

The newest addition to the Penguin Library of American IndianHistory explores the most influential Native AmericanConfederacy More than perhaps any other Native American group, the Iroquoisfound it to their advantage to interact with and adapt to whitesettlers. Despite being known as fierce warriors, the Iroquois werejust as reliant on political prowess and sophisticated diplomacy tomaintain their strategic position between New France and NewYork. Colonial observers marveled at what Benjamin Franklin calledtheir "method of doing business" as Europeans learned to useIroquois ceremonies and objects to remain in their good graces.Though the Iroquois negotiated with the colonial governments, theyrefused to be pawns of European empires, and their savvy kept themin control of much of the Northeast until the American Revolution.Iroquois Diplomacy and the Early American Frontier is a must-readfor anyone fascinated by Native American history or interested in aunique perspective on the dawn of Americ

If members of the History Book Club do not recognize the name Joy Hakim, grade school students know her as the grandmother who writes history. Hakim's widely acclaimed 10-volume A History of US has earned a place in classrooms across the nation. Now she aims to bring history into the nation's homes as well with a companion book for the upcoming PBS miniseries Freedom. She considers herself a storyteller, and indeed, she writes U.S. history from colonial times to the new millennium as the story of the march of liberty. As she recounts the struggles of women, workers, blacks, immigrants and other minorities to participate equally in American society and government, she reiterates the ideals of freedom of religion and speech, and the right to vote, to a fair trial and to education. Despite advertising claims that the book is "for families," Hakim seems to be writing for children. Young readers will like the personable characters, lively action and conversational style ("There's a whole lot more to this freedom s

Might always makes right, until it's too late, and we say itwas wrong after all. Surely one of the biggest illegal land grabsin history took place right here in River City, otherwise known asthe USA. Over a period of three hundred years, the originalinhabitants of this vast country were dispossessed of nearlyeverything---their land, their pride, their language, theirculture, and in many cases, their right to live. Brushed off as"savages", "primitive", "children of nature" and by other edifyingepithets, by 1900, the surviving American Indians had been confinedto a gulag archipelago of reservations, some of only a fewacres---though these lands were at least nominally controlled bythem. Alcohol and disease had brought them low, combined withmassacres and forced migrations. And these were the lucky ones !Many tribes, especially in the east, lost everything, reduced toremnants whose language and culture were all but destroyed, barelymanaging to hang on amidst the sea of uncaring white immigrants.Although th

"As I Crossed a Bridge of Dreams" is a unique autobiography inwhich the anonymous writer known as Lady Sarashina interspersespersonal reflections, anecdotes and lyrical poems with accounts ofher travels and evocative de*ions of the Japanese countryside.Born in AD 1008, Lady Sarashina felt an acute sense of melancholythat led her to withdraw into the more congenial realm of theimagination - this deeply introspective work presents her vision ofthe world. While barely alluding to certain aspects of her lifesuch as marriage, she illuminates her pilgrimages to temples andmystical dreams in exquisite prose, describing a profound emotionaljourney that can be read as a metaphor for life itself.

From the end of postwar Reconstruction in the South to ananalysis of the rise and fall of Black Power, acclaimed historianAdam Fairclough presents a straightforward synthesis of thecentury-long struggle of black Americans to achieve civil rightsand equality in the United States. Beginning with Ida B. Wells andthe campaign against lynching in the 1890s, Fairclough chroniclesthe tradition of protest that led to the formation of the NAACP,Booker T. Washington and the strategy of accommodation, MarcusGarvey and the push for black nationalism, through to Martin LutherKing, Jr., and the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s and beyond.Throughout, Fairclough presents a judicious interpretation ofhistorical events that balances the achievements of the CivilRights Movement against the persistence of racial and economicinequalities.

Commemorating the 150th anniversary of the beginning of theAmerican Civil War. This well-rounded selection of Abraham Lincoln's finest speechescombines the classic and obscure, the lyrical and historical, andthe inspirational and intellectual to present a historical arcmarking periods of the Civil War-crisis, outbreak, escalation,victory, and Reconstruction. Addressing the conflict's multipleaspects-the issue of slavery, state versus federal power, themeaning of the Constitution, civic duty, death, and freedom-thiselegant keepsake collection will make a wonderful inspirationalgift for professed Lincoln fans, Civil War buffs, and lovers ofrhetorical genius.

More than one million Americans have served in Iraq andAfghanistan, but fewer than 500 from this group have earned aSilver Star, Navy Cross, Air Force Cross, Distinguished ServiceCross, or the Medal of Honor. These Americans have demonstratedextraordinary courage under fire—in the worst of circumstances.They come from all branches of the military. They also come fromall over the country and all walks of life, representing the entirespectrum of races and creeds. But what unites them are their deeds of consummate bravery,beyond the call of duty. Heroes Among Us tells theseextraordinary true stories of valor, honor and sacrifice.

The Crusades were the bridge between medieval and modernhistory, between feudalism and colonialism. In many ways, thelittle explored later Crusades were the most significant of themall, for they made the crisis truly global. The LastCrusaders is about the period?s last great conflict betweenEast and West, and the titanic contest between Habsburg-ledChristendom and the Ottoman Empire in the fifteenth and sixteenthcenturies. From the great naval campaigns and the ferociousstruggle to dominate the North African shore, the conflict spreadout along trade routes, consuming nations and cultures, destroyingdynasties, and spawning the first colonial empires in South Americaand the Indian Ocean. Acclaimed scholar of Islamic history and author Barnaby Rogersonilluminates the Last Crusades in an accessible and skillful manner.He shows how, to this day, the disputed borders of the Crusades erastand as defining frontiers and dividing lines between languages,nations, and religions. From Constantinople to Fez, from Rhode

Xenophon's "History" recounts nearly fifty turbulent years ofwarfare in Greece between 411 and 362 BC. Continuing the story ofthe Peloponnesian War at the point where Thucydides finished hismagisterial history, this is a fascinating chronicle of theconflicts that ultimately led to the decline of Greece, and thewars with both Thebes and the might of Persia. An Athenian bybirth, Xenophon became a firm supporter of the Spartan cause, andfought against the Athenians in the battle of Coronea. Combininghistory and memoir, this is a brilliant account of the triumphs andfailures of city-states, and a portrait of Greece at a time ofcrisis.

Did Eisenhower avoid a showdown with Stalin by not takingBerlin before the Soviets? What might have happened if JFK hadn'tbeen assassinated? This new volume in the widely praised seriespresents fascinating "what if..." scenarios by such prominenthistorians as: Robert Dallek, Caleb Carr, Antony Beevor, JohnLukacs, Jay Winick, Thomas Fleming, Tom Wicker, Theodore Rabb,Victor David Hansen, Cecelia Holland, Andrew Roberts, Ted Morgan,George Feifer, Robert L. O'Connell, Lawrence Malkin, and John F.Stacks. Included are two essential bonus essays reprinted from theoriginal New York Times bestseller What If? (tm)-DavidMcCullough imagines Washington's disastrous defeat at the Battle ofLong Island, and James McPherson envisions Lee's successfulinvasion of the North in 1862.

In his major new work, Wall Street Journal Istanbulcorrespondant Hugh Pope provides a vivid picture of the Turkicpeople, descendants of the nomadic armies that conquered theByzantine Empire and reigned over the region for centures. Todaythe Turks encompass a region much larger than the politicalboundaries of the nation of Turkey - from the Xinjiang province ofwestern China, to Iran, Iraq, the Netherlands, Germany, all the wayto the Appalacian Mountains of the United States. One of theworld's foremost experts on modern Turkey - its languages, people,and history - and acclaimed co-author of Turkey Unveiled (a NewYork Times Notable Book), Hugh Pope has traveled the world toencounter and assimilate the many facets of this extraordinarilycomplex and fascinating ethnic group, distilling the essentailqualities shared by all people of Turkish descent. Rich withstories and legends stretching back centuries, Sons of theConquerors is a compellingly readable account of a profoundlyneglected subject. --This text re

When Hitler ’s Pope , the shocking story of Pope PiusXII that “redefined the history of the twentieth century” ( TheWashington Post ) was originally published, it sparked afirestorm of controversy both inside and outside the CatholicChurch. Now, award-winning journalist John Cornwell has revisitedthis seminal work of history with a new introduction that bothanswers his critics and reaffirms his overall thesis that Pius XII,now scheduled to be canonized by the Vatican, weakened the CatholicChurch with his endorsement of Hitler—and sealed the fate of theJews in Europe.

This is the story of John McKinney who received the Medal ofHonor for his actions against a Japanese surprise attack. On May11, 1945, McKinney returned fire on the Japanese attacking hisunit, using every available weapon-even his fists-standing aloneagainst wave after wave of dedicated Japanese soldiers. At the end,John McKinney was alive-with over forty Japanese bodies beforehim. This is the story of an extraordinary man whose courage andfortitude in battle saved many American lives, and whose legacy hasbeen sadly forgotten by all but a few. Here, the proud legacy ofJohn McKinney lives on.

In this audacious recasting of the American Revolution,distinguished historian Gary Nash offers a profound new way ofthinking about the struggle to create this country, introducingreaders to a coalition of patriots from all classes and races ofAmerican society. From millennialist preachers to enslavedAfricans, disgruntled women to aggrieved Indians, the people sovividly portrayed in this book did not all agree or succeed, butduring the exhilarating and messy years of this country’s birth,they laid down ideas that have become part of our inheritance andideals toward which we still strive today.

In 1542, after years of witnessing Indian suffering andslavery, Bartolome de Las Casas wrote this indictment againstEuropean exploitation and mistreatment of the native peoples of theNew World. The document was dedicated to Prince Philip of Spain andappeared in published form in 1552. It carries all the urgency of amoment in history when it still seemed possible to reverse thetide.

In late June 2005, media sources recounted the tragic story ofnineteen U.S. special operations personnel who died at the hands ofinsurgent / terrorist leader Ahmad Shah- and the lone survivor ofShah's ambush-deep in the Hindu Kush Mountains of Afghanistan. Theharrowing events of Operation Red Wings marked an important-yetwidely misreported-chapter in the Global War on Terror, the fulldetails of which the public burned to learn. Victory Point reveals the complete, as-yet untold, storyof Operation Red Wings (often mis-referenced as "OperationRedwing"), and the follow-on mission, Operation Whalers. Together,these two U.S. Marine Corps operations (that in the case of RedWings utilized Navy SEALs for its opening phase) unfurl not as amission gone terribly wrong, but of a complex and difficultcampaign that ultimately saw the demise of Ahmad Shan and his smallarmy of barbarous fighters. Due to the valor, courage, and commitment of the 2nd Battalion ofthe 3rd Marine Regiment in the summer of 2005

Mark Kurlansky, the bestselling author of Cod and The Basque History of the World , here turns his attention toa common household item with a long and intriguing history: salt.The only rock we eat, salt has shaped civilization from the verybeginning, and its story is a glittering, often surprising part ofthe history of humankind. A substance so valuable it served ascurrency, salt has influenced the establishment of trade routes andcities, provoked and financed wars, secured empires, and inspiredrevolutions. Populated by colorful characters and filled with anunending series of fascinating details, Kurlansky's kaleidoscopichistory is a supremely entertaining, multi-layered masterpiece.