Историческая литература
Различные книги в жанре Историческая литератураThis Country of Ours
"But I hope that you know something already of the history of your own country. For, after all, you know, this is only a play book. It is not a book which you need knit your brows over, or in which you will find pages of facts, or politics, and long strings of dates. But it is a book, I hope, which when you lay it down will make you say, 'I'm glad that I was born an American. I'm glad that I can salute the stars and stripes as my flag.'"—From the preface of «This Country of Ours», H. E. Marshall's expansive history of the United States.
The Battle with the Slum
Jacob A. Riis (1849-1941), pioneer of social documentary photography and journalism, occupies a singular position in the history of social journalism. Jacob A. Riis spent his life bringing to light the societal effects of urban decay and poverty in 19th century America. Here is presented his 1901 book «The Battle with the Slum», an arresting account of New York City's blighted areas. His exploration of the squalor found in Lower East Side tenements was groundbreaking. In the 1880's, up to 335,000 people lived within one square mile, making it the most densely populated place on earth. 10 to 15 persons occupied one room, creating rampant disease, hunger, and crime. By writing such captivating reportage on the conditions, public attention eventually lead to political action. Written with a literary eloquence rarely seen in journalistic writing of the time, «The Battle with the Slum» turns a documentarian's eye upon the roots of poverty in America.
Quo Vadis: A Narrative of the Time of Nero
"Quo Vadis: a Narrative of the Time of Nero" is the story of a love that develops between a young Christian woman, Lygia, and Marcus Vinicius, a Roman patrician. 'Quo Vadis' is Latin, meaning 'Where are you going?' and it is a reference to the New Testament verse John 13:36 which states, 'Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards.' A captivating tale set in an ancient time, Quo Vadis is a novel with a very pro-Christian theme.
The History of Rome (Books I-VIII)
An epic endeavor by a man genuinely enamored of his native Rome, Livy's «The History of Rome» was originally written in 142 books spanning the entire history of the Roman people up to Livy's day in the time of Augustus in the first century BC. While this Roman historian's monumental undertaking took most of his life, only 35 books still survive today. Livy begins with Aeneas' landing on Italy and the myth of Romulus and Remus' founding of Rome. He also thoroughly covers numerous wars, such as the Samnite Wars, the Punic Wars, and the Social War, as well as all of the rulers of Rome, including Julius Caesar, Nero, and Augustus. Though the work is a bit biased, its countless references to other sources are a testament of Livy's attempt to create an accurate, understandable history of the Roman Kingdom, and, later, the Republic. Simultaneously a glorification of Rome and a passionate warning to future Romans, «Ab Urbe Condita» reflects the magnificence and ignominy, the opinions and interests, and the myths and political realities of one of history's most remarkable civilizations. In this volume you will find books I-VIII of Livy's «Histories».
Salammbo
Gustave Flaubert (1821-1880), French novelist and short story writer, was considered to be a master of style, obsessively devoted to finding the right word («le mot juste»), in every piece of literature he produced. As a child he expressed great imagination and took in all the stories he could from his nurse and neighbors, and in doing so, he prepared himself for a life consumed by literature and history. In addition to his «Madame Bovary», his first published novel and the one considered to be his masterpiece, Flaubert is remembered for his great historical romance, «Salammbô». This novel draws largely from Book I of Polybius' «Histories», and combines the history of the First Punic War and the mythology of ancient Carthage in a fashion that has never been equaled. Flaubert sealed his reputation with the publication of this sophisticated novel in 1862, as audiences were entranced with its lush and brilliantly detailed descriptions of a little-known, but fascinating, period of history.
Montcalm and Wolfe
"Montcalm and Wolfe" is Francis Parkman's detailed account of the French and Indian War framed through portraits of its two opposing generals. The French and Indian War, which was the North American chapter of the Seven Years' War between the French and the British, pitted the commander of the French troops, Louis-Joseph de Montcalm-Gozon, Marquis de Saint-Veran, against the commander of the British forces, British Brigadier General James Wolfe. A captivating tale of one of the conflicts that arose over the colonies of the New World, «Montcalm and Wolfe» is a must read for all fans of the military history of the period.
The Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy
Jacob Burckhardt was a European historian and critic of the nineteenth century who is commonly referred to as the world's first cultural historian. He believed that historical writings should describe the spirit, forms of expression, people, and setting of a particular era. He viewed the Italian Renaissance as the world's finest period of culture and chose it as the subject of his most well-known work, «The Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy.» At the time of its publication it was the most influential interpretation of the Italian Renaissance ever written due to its expansive look into the opulent culture and artistic movements which were created during that time. In the work, Burckhardt seeks to compare the Renaissance with other important eras in order to show how the Italians rose above those cultures. The text, however, is not so much «scientific» as it is opinionated, which has earned it a reputation for being wholly biased. Still, Burckhardt is able to weave together a masterful narrative which creates a holistic story for the Renaissance and its influence on Western Civilization.
Ben-Hur, A Tale of the Christ
First published in 1880, this epic novel follows much of the life of Judah Ben-Hur, a man living in the time of Christ. Wallace intertwines the lives of Judah and Jesus of Nazareth, beginning the novel with the events of the Nativity and later following the downfall and ensuing hardships of Judah's life. The events depicted in the Gospels of the New Testament concerning Jesus are carefully threaded throughout Judah's story, ultimately finding both Jesus and Judah at the Crucifixion, though in different capacities. The incredible historical spectacle that is Judah of the House of Hur's life is a demonstration of fortitude and faith, a classic story of redemption for a whole family. Wallace wrote this remarkable work as an inspiration of faith, and it became one of the most popular novels of the nineteenth century in America.
The History of Rome (Books IX-XXVI)
An epic endeavor by a man genuinely enamored of his native Rome, Livy's «The History of Rome» was originally written in 142 books spanning the entire history of the Roman people up to Livy's day in the time of Augustus in the first century BC. While this Roman historian's monumental undertaking took most of his life, only 35 books still survive today. Livy begins with Aeneas' landing on Italy and the myth of Romulus and Remus' founding of Rome. He also thoroughly covers numerous wars, such as the Samnite Wars, the Punic Wars, and the Social War, as well as all of the rulers of Rome, including Julius Caesar, Nero, and Augustus. Though the work is a bit biased, its countless references to other sources are a testament of Livy's attempt to create an accurate, understandable history of the Roman Kingdom, and, later, the Republic. Simultaneously a glorification of Rome and a passionate warning to future Romans, «Ab Urbe Condita» reflects the magnificence and ignominy, the opinions and interests, and the myths and political realities of one of history's most remarkable civilizations. In this volume you will find books IX-XXVI of Livy's «Histories».
The Ancien Regime and the Revolution
First published in French in 1856, French diplomat and political scientist Alexis de Tocqueville’s “The Old Regime and the French Revolution” is one of the most influential treatises written on the French Revolution. Tocqueville begins by tracing the causes of the French Revolution to the structure of society of France prior to the Revolution, what he terms the “Ancien Regime”. Tocqueville rejected the notion that the Revolution was a radical transformation of French society. He instead suggests his theory of continuity, specifically that the Revolution was not an attempt to change the nature of society in a truly fundamental way, but to wrest control from the ancient, feudal landed aristocracy and replace those outdated institutions with a representative democracy. He makes the important observation that the government of Napoleon was autocratic, strongly centralized, and thus not much different from the “Ancien Regime”. Tocqueville was a fierce proponent of social institutions based on freedom and equality rather than on the rigid social hierarchy of the feudal social system of the Middle Ages, a system that was increasingly untenable in the age of enlightenment. Tocqueville’s treatise remains a timely and important work on social class, revolution, and democracy. This edition follows the translation of John Bonner.