Heroes of History is a book of wisdom and optimism, complete with Pulitzer Prize-winner Will Durant's wit and ability to explain events and ideas in simple, exciting terms. Here are the lessons of our heritage passed on for the benefit of future generations -- a fitting legacy from America's most beloved ... more »

A surprising, charming, and ever-fascinating history of the seemingly simple game that has had a profound effect on societies the world over. Why has one game, alone among the thousands of games invented and played throughout human history, not only survived but thrived within every culture it has touched ... more »

In Britain today there are many 'normal' houses that were once owned by, or been the birthplace of, famous authors, poets, painters, explorers and naturalists. Many are open to the public and the fascination and interests of their one-time occupants are often as diverse as the structures themselves. ... more »

No story of World War II is more triumphant than the liberation of France, made famous in countless photos of Parisians waving American flags and kissing GIs, as columns of troops paraded down the Champs Ã?lysées. Yet liberation is a messy, complex affair, in which cultural understanding can be as elusive ... more »

Millions of innocent people killed in one of the darkest times of the planet. Cultures irrevocably changed. Was the Church silent?  Why? Read how the Church felt about God's Chosen Race. You will be surprised to see who spoke out and who was silent, reminding us of Pastor Martin Niemöller's prose ... more »

Who among us cannot testify to the possibilities of the night? To the mysterious, shadowed intersections of music, smoke, money, alcohol, desire, and dream? The hours between dusk and dawn are when we are most urgently free, when high meets low, when tongues wag, when wallets loosen, when uptown, downtown ... more »

Afghanistan, March 2002. In the early morning darkness on a frigid mountaintop, a U.S. soldier is stranded, alone, surrounded by fanatical al Qaeda fighters. For the man's fellow Navy SEALs, and for waiting teams of Army Rangers, there was only one rule now: leave no one behind. In this gripping you ... more »

An important, massively researched and revelation-filled work of history that uncovers how decisions made by the first Bush White House preordained the current administration's decision to invade Iraq. "Is this a one-time thing, or should we foreshadow more to come?" This was the prophetic ... more »

Here is the first panoptic history of the long struggle between the Christian West and Islam. In this dazzlingly written, acutely nuanced account, Andrew Wheatcroft tracks a deep fault line of animosity between civilizations. He begins with a stunning account of the Battle of Lepanto in 1571, then turns ... more »

For sheer bravado and style, no woman in the North or South rivaled the Civil War heroine Rose O'Neale Greenhow. Fearless spy for the Confederacy, glittering Washington hostess, legendary beauty and lover, Rose Greenhow risked everything for the cause she valued more than life itself. In this superb ... more »

On a late September day in 480 B.C., Greek warships faced an invading Persian armada in the narrow Salamis Straits in the most important naval battle of the ancient world. Overwhelmingly outnumbered by the enemy, the Greeks triumphed through a combination of strategy and deception. More than two millennia ... more »

It is well plainly to recognise that if democracy is to be a blessing instead of a curse there are three conditions necessary to control and guide its action. First, with the consciousness of power there must be a deep sense of responsibility . Secondly, with freedom of action there must be a law-abiding ... more »