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

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.

A concise introduction that gives readers important background information. A chronology of the author's life and work. A timeline of sinificant events that provides the book's historical context. An outline of key themes and plot points to help readers form their own interpretations. Detailed explanatory notes. Critical analysis,including contemporary and modern perspectives on the work. Discussion questions to promote l\ively classroom and bood group interaction. A list of recommernded related books and films to broaden the reader's experience. Enriched Classics offer readers affordable editions of great works of literature enhanced by helpful notes and insightful commentary.The scholarship provided in Enriched Classics enables readers to appreciate,understand,and enjoy the world's finest books to their full potential.

Bill Bryson is one of the world’s most beloved and bestselling writers. In A Short History of Nearly Everything, he takes his ultimate journey–into the most intriguing and consequential questions that science seeks to answer. It’s a dazzling quest, the intellectual odyssey of a lifetime, as this insatiably curious writer attempts to understand everything that has transpired from the Big Bang to the rise of civilization. Or, as the author puts it, “…how we went from there being nothing at all to there being something, and then how a little of that something turned into us, and also what happened in between and since.” This is, in short, a tall order. To that end, Bill Bryson apprenticed himself to a host of the world’s most profound scientific minds, living and dead. His challenge is to take subjects like geology, chemisty, paleontology, astronomy, and particle physics and see if there isn’t some way to render them comprehensible to people, like himself, made bored (or scared) stiff of sc

Gibbon's The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, published between 1776 and 1788, is the undisputed masterpiece of English historical writhing which can only perish with the language itself. Its length alone is a measure of its monumental quality: seventy-one chapters, of which twenty-eight appear in full in the edition, With style, learning and wit, Gibbon takes the reader through the history of Europe from the second century AD to the fall of Constantinople in 1453-an enthralling account by ‘the greates of the historians of the Englightenment'. This edition includes Gibbon's footnotes and quotation, here translated for the first time, togerther with brief explanatory comments, a precis of the chapters not included, 16 maps, a glossary, and a list of emperors.

On January 30, 1889,at the champagne-splashed height of the Viennese Carnival, theHandsome and charming Crown Prince Rudolf fired a revolver at histeenaged mistress and them himself. The two shots that rang out atMayerling in the Vienna Woods echo still.

The Histories, by Herodotus, is part of the Barnes NobleClassics series, which offers quality editions at affordableprices to the student and the general reader, including newscholarship, thoughtful design, and pages of carefully craftedextras. Here are some of the remarkable features of Barnes Noble Classics: New introductions commissioned from today s topwriters and scholars Biographies of the authors Chronologies ofcontemporary historical, biographical, and cultural eventsFootnotes and endnotes Selective discussions of imitations,parodies, poems, books, plays, paintings, operas, statuary, andfilms inspired by the work Comments by other famous authors Studyquestions to challenge the reader s viewpoints and expectationsBibliographies for further reading Indices Glossaries, whenappropriateAll editions are beautifully designed and are printed tosuperior specifications; some include illustrations of historicalinterest. Barnes Noble Classics pulls together aconstellation of influences—biographical, his

From Solon to Socrates is a magisterial narrativeintroduction to what is generally regarded as the most importantperiod of Greek history. Stressing the unity of Greek history andthe centrality of Athens, Victor Ehrenberg covers a rich anddiverse range of political, economic, military and cultural issuesin the Greek world, from the early history of the Greeks, includingearly Sparta and the wars with Persia, to the ascendancy of Athensand the Peloponnesian War.

"Geisha in Rivalry, " first published in 1918, is setagainst the backdrop of Tokyo's Shimbashi geisha district. Thestory of three geisha, imperious Rikiji, gaudy Kikuchiyo, and thenalve heroine Komayo, "Geisha in Rivalry" follows them in theirsearch for a place in a world that offers no easy route of escapefrom their profession. With a full cast of vivid characters playingout their dramas of illicit love, shady intrigue and unrelentingrivalry, "Geisha in Rivalry" is the sordid but fascinating tale ofKomayo, her lovers, and the women who conspire to steal them fromher.

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.

On 8 March 1421, the largest fleet the world had ever seen set sail from China. The ships, some nearly five hundred feet long, were under the command of Emperor Zhu Di’s loyal eunuch admirals. Their orders were ‘to proceed all the way to the end of the earth’. The voyage would last for two years and by the time the fleet returned, China was beginning its long, self-imposed isolation from the world it had so recently embraced. And so the great ships were left to rot, and the records of their journey destroyed. And with them, the knowledge that the Chinese had circumnavigated the globe a century before Magellan, reached America seventy years before Columbus, and Australia three hundred and fifty years before Cook. The result of fifteen years research, 1421 is Gavin Menzies’ enthralling account of this remarkable journey, of his discoveries and persuasive evidence to support them: ancient maps, precise navigational knowledge, astronomy, surviving accounts of Chinese explorers and later Europ

With a flaming holographic cover, the new GWR 2011 edition explodes with new and updated records. There's 100% new photography and hot new categories and features including TV's 75th anniversary, eye popping 3-D cinema, the historic Space Shuttle and a 270 city record-breaking GPS World Tour.

"So much nonsense has been written on suburban life and mores that it comes as a considerable shock to read a book by someone who seems to have his own ideas on the subject and who pursues them relentlessly to the bitter end," said LJ's reviewer (LJ 2/1/61) of this novel of unhappy life in the burbs. It is reminiscent of the popular film American Beauty in its depiction of white-collar life as fraught with discontent. Others have picked up on this theme since, but Yates remains a solid read.

I have sought to expand my understanding of American history .No better author than Parkman for the early centuries . He spentyears among many of the tribes he writes about , extensively readthe writings of the earliest French explorers and settlers involved. Parkman's still stands as the most in depth and at the same time, most exciting histories of the North American peoples. Heobviously respects the Native Americans but does not gloss overtheir character nor sets them on a pedestal . These histories ofhis are not P.C. inspired , but seeks to tell the truth andrealities of mans interaction and often clashes , with men oftotally different cultures. All his histories are about these earlyAmericans are so exciting you can smell the smoke of campfires andhear the great speeches of Native American speakers and theforesight of the men , the French and English and American settlerswho led in these early years . A truly eye opening book .

The Road to Serfdom remains one of the all-time classics oftwentieth-century intellectual thought. For over half a century, ithas inspired politicians and thinkers around the world, and has hada crucial impact on our political and cultural history. Withtrademark brilliance, Hayek argues convincingly that, whilesocialist ideals may be tempting, they cannot be accomplishedexcept by means that few would approve of. Addressing economics,fascism, history, socialism and the Holocaust, Hayek unwraps thetrappings of socialist ideology. He reveals to the world thatlittle can result from such ideas except oppression and tyranny.Today, more than fifty years on, Hayek's warnings are just as validas when The Road to Serfdom was first published.

This celebration of the English countryside does not only focus on the rolling green landscapes and magnificent monuments that set England apart from the rest of the world. Many of the contributors bring their own special touch, presenting a refreshingly eclectic variety of personal icons, from pub signs to seaside piers, from cattle grids to canal boats, and from village cricket to nimbies. First published as a lavish colour coffeetable book, this new expanded paperback edition has double the original number of contributions from many celebrities including Bill Bryson, Michael Palin, Eric Clapton, Bryan Ferry, Sebastian Faulks, Kate Adie, Kevin Spacey, Gavin Pretor-Pinney, Richard Mabey , Simon Jenkins, John Sergeant, Benjamin Zephaniah, Joan Bakewell, Antony Beevor, Libby Purves, Jonathan Dimbleby, and many more: and a new preface by HRH Prince Charles.

Another influential Penguin Classic-nowavailable in our signature black-spinedress For more than two thousand years,Sun-Tzu's The Art of War has provided military leaders withessential advice on battlefield tactics, managing troops andterrain, and employing cunning and deception. An elemental part ofChinese culture, it has also become a touchstone for the Westernstruggle for survival and success, whether in battle, in business,or in relationships. With this volume's crisp, accessibletranslation and lively, learned introduction, even those readersfamiliar with The Art of War will experience it anew,finding it more fascinating-and more chilling-than ever.

Since its first publication in 1945? Lord Russell's A History of Western Philosophy has been universally acclaimed as the outstanding one-volume work on the subject -- unparalleled in its comprehensiveness, its clarity, its erudition, its grace and wit. In seventy-six chapters he traces philosophy from the rise of Greek civilization to the emergence of logical analysis in the twentieth century. Among the philosophers considered are: Pythagoras, Heraclitus, Parmenides, Empedocles, Anaxagoras, the Atomists, Protagoras, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, the Cynics, the Sceptics, the Epicureans, the Stoics, Plotinus, Ambrose, Jerome, Augustine, Benedict, Gregory the Great, John the Scot, Aquinas, Duns Scotus, William of Occam, Machiavelli, Erasmus, More, Bacon, Hobbes, Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Locke, Berkeley, Hume, Rousseau, Kant, Hegel, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, the Utilitarians, Marx, Bergson, James, Dewey, and lastly the philosophers with whom Lord Russell himself is most closely associated -- Cantor, Frege, and

The 1914-18 conflict was called 'the war to end all wars'. World War I: A Photographic History charts the course of this epic struggle, from the assassin's bullet in Sarajevo which sparked the conflict to the flawed Treaty of Versailles which ended it. Superbly illustrated with photographs from the Daily Mail archives, many reproduced for the first time, these pages capture a defining moment in world history.