Augustus Caesar, the first emperor of Rome (27 BC AD 14),brought peace and prosperity to his city after decades of savagecivil war. This selection from Cassius Dio's Roman History givesthe fullest de*ion of that long struggle and ultimate triumphdetailing the brutal battles and political feuds that led to thecollapse of Rome's 400-year-old republic, and Augustus' subsequentreign as emperor. Included are accounts of military campaigns fromEthiopia to Yugoslavia, and of long conflict with Antony andCleopatra. With skill and artistry, Dio brings to life manyspeeches from the era among them Augustus' damning indictment ofAntony's passion for the Egyptian queen and provides a fascinatingaccount of the debate between the great general Agrippa andMaecenas on the virtues of republicanism and monarchy.

Offering a dazzling overview of a turbulent century, ThePenguin History of the Twentieth Century explores the dramaticevents and underlying trends that made the twentieth century themost transformative in human history. Despite two devastating WorldWars and the traumatic rise and fall of communism, wealth hasincreased significantly alongside a four-fold leap in population,women’s lives have been transformed, America has assumed undisputedpolitical and cultural leadership, and China is now clearlyawaiting its moment—J. M. Robert’s masterly overview, now updatedto the present day, brings all of this and more into focus.

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.

With this volume, Alan Taylor challenges the traditional storyof colonial history by examining the many cultures that helped makeAmerica. Transcending the usual Anglocentric version of ourcolonial past, he recovers the importance of Native Americantribes, African slaves, and the rival empires of France, Spain, theNetherlands, and even Russia in the colonization of North America.Moving beyond the Atlantic seaboard to examine the entirecontinent, American Colonies reveals a pivotal period in theglobal interaction of peoples, cultures, plants, animals, andmicrobes. In a vivid narrative, Taylor draws upon cutting-edgescholarship to create a timely picture of the colonial worldcharacterized by an interplay of freedom and slavery, opportunityand loss. "Compelling, readable, and fresh, American Colonies isperhaps the most brilliant piece of synthesis in recent Americanhistorical writing." (Phillip J. Deloria, associate professor ofhistory and American culture, University of Michigan)

The author of The Journey of Crazy Horse presents a legendarybattle through the eyes of the Lakota The saga of “Custer’s Last Stand” has become ingrained in thelore of the American West, and the key players—Crazy Horse, SittingBull, and George Armstrong Custer—have grown to larger-than-lifeproportions. Now, award-winning historian Joseph M. Marshallpresents the revisionist view of the Battle of the Little Bighornthat has been available only in the Lakota oral tradition. Drawingon this rich source of storytelling, Marshall uncovers what reallytook place at the Little Big Horn and provides fresh insight intothe significance of that bloody day.

A lively, compulsively browsable collection of neglectednotables-from the bestselling author of A Treasury of RoyalScandals "History," wrote Thomas Carlyle, "is the essence of innumerablebiographies." Yet countless fascinating characters are relegated toa historical limbo. In A Treasury of Foolishly ForgottenAmericans , Michael Farquhar has scoured the annals and rescuedthirty of the most intriguing, unusual, and yes, memorableAmericans from obscurity. From the mother of Mother's Day to PaulRevere's rival rider, the Mayflower murderer to "America'sSherlock Holmes," these figures are more than historicalrunners-up-they're the spies, explorers, patriots, and martyrswithout whom history as we know it would be very differentindeed.

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.

Tacitus' "Annals of Imperial Rome" recount the majorhistorical events from the years shortly before the death ofAugustus up to the death of Nero in AD 68. With clarity and vividintensity he describes the reign of terror under the corruptTiberius, the great fire of Rome during the time of Nero, and thewars, poisonings, scandals, conspiracies and murders that were partof imperial life. Despite his claim that the Annals were writtenobjectively, Tacitus' account is sharply critical of the emperors'excesses and fearful for the future of Imperial Rome, while alsofilled with a longing for its past glories.

The rivalry that presaged the world’s most tenaciousconflict As the Arab -Israeli conflict continues to plaguethe Middle East, historian Ronald Florence offers extraordinary newinsights on its origins. This is the story of T. E. Lawrence, theyoung British officer who became famous around the world asLawrence of Arabia, Aaron Aaronsohn, an agronomist from Palestine,and the antagonism that divided them over the fate of the dyingOttoman Empire during World War I—a clash of visions that set Arabnationalism and Zionism on a direct collision course thatreverberates to this day.

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.

Provides a comprehensive look at both sides of the Vietnam Warthrough a collection of personal tales and delves into thepolitical and military events in the United States and elsewherethat originally caused the war and the brought it to an end.Reprint. TV tie-in."

They are sent to the world's hot spots-on covert missionsfraught with danger. They are called on to perform at the peak oftheir physical and mental capabilities, primed for combat andsurveillance, yet ready to pitch in with disaster reliefoperations. They are the Army's Special Forces Groups. Now followTom Clancy as he delves into the training and tools, missions andmindset of these elite operatives. Special Forces includes: ? The making of Special Forces personnel: recruitment andtraining ? A rare look at actual Special Forces Group deploymentexercises ? Tools of the trade: weapons, communications and sensorequipment, survival gear ? Roles and missions: a mini-novel illustrates a probablescenario of Special Forces intervention ? Exclusive photographs, illustrations and diagrams Plus: an interview with General Hugh Shelton, USA, Chairman ofthe Joint Chiefs of Staff (and the former Commander-in-Chief of theU.S. Special Operations Command-USSOCOM)

Keegan illuminates the history of naval combat by expertlydissecting four landmark sea battles, each featuring a differenttype of warship: The Battle of Trafalgar, the Battle of Jutland inWorld War I, the Battle of Midway in World War II, and the long andarduous Battle of the Atlantic.

An epic saga of hubris , cruelty, and redemption, Now theHell Will Start tells the remarkable tale of the greatestmanhunt of World War II. Herman Perry, besieged by the hardships ofthe Indo-Burmese jungle and the racism meted out by his whitecommanding officers, found solace in opium and marijuana. But onone fateful day, Perry shot his unarmed white lieutenant in thethroes of an emotional collapse and fled into the jungle. Brendan I. Koerner spent nearly five years chasing Perry's ghostto the most remote corners of India and Burma. Along the way, heuncovered the forgotten story of the Ledo Road's GIs, for whom JimCrow was as powerful an enemy as the Japanese-and for whom HermanPerry, dubbed the jungle king, became an unlikely folk hero.

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

This fascinating and powerful collection of first-handaccounts—prepared with the assistance of the Pearl Harbor SurvivorsAssociation—brings to vivid life one of the most fateful days inAmerican history. Here, in their own words, survivors of the attack—from all branchesof the service—recall what it was like to witness this momentousevent as it happened. Dramatic and compelling, these livingmemories offer a rare look inside the hearts and minds of Americanheroes—and an invaluable record of American history.

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

The Greek statesman Polybius (c.200 - 118 BC) wrote his accountof the relentless growth of the Roman Empire in order to help hisfellow countrymen understand how their world came to be dominatedby Rome. Opening with the Punic War in 264 BC, he vividly recordsthe critical stages of Roman expansion: its campaigns throughoutthe Mediterranean, the temporary setbacks inflicted by Hannibal andthe final destruction of Carthage. An active participant of thepolitics of his time as well as a friend of many prominent Romancitizens, Polybius drew on many eyewitness accounts in writing thiscornerstone work of history.

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.

For history buffs, students, and anyone interested in the 20thcentury, this book reveals why World War I began, explores the"guns of August," describes the horrors of trench warfare and thefirst uses of poison gas, and explains why the Americans were soslow to enter the war. From the eastern front to the west, fromGallipoli to the Marne, from the Lafayette Escadrillo to Lawrencefo Arabia, the book tells the whole story of "the war to end allwars.

Fascinating real-life facts about the Marines offer acompelling story and a unique insider's view of this hallowedbranch of the Armed Forces and the men and women who serve onAmerica's front lines, in an in-depth look at the United StatesMarine Corps.

An unforgettable portrait of the diverse American community inParis during the occupation. From the spring of 1940 to liberation in the summer of 1944,Americans in Paris recounts tales of adventure, intrigue, passion,deceit, and survival under the brutal Nazi occupation through theeyes of the Americans who lived through it all. Renowned journalistCharles Glass tells the story of a remarkable cast of five thousandexpatriates-artists, writers, scientists, playboys, musicians,cultural mandarins, and ordinary businessmen-and their struggles inNazi Paris. Glass's discovery of letters, diaries, war documents,and police files reveals as never before how Americans were trappedin a web of intrigue, collaboration, and courage.