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Sumeria, c.3500 BC, witnessed the birth of the world's very first city by the rich and fertile banks of the Uruk. Over the next four millennia, the social and cultural landscape would change beyond recognition as many of history's most important kingdoms and cities took root. Interweaving Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Persian, Greek and Roman history, this book follows these burgeoning empires over 4,000 years, examining the delicate balance of power as they vied for territory, conquest and glory. From Alexander the Great's 22,000-mile march on Persia to Attila the Hun's plunder of the Roman empire, John Haywood brings the most crucial battles and decisive campaigns to vivid life, and examines the extraordinary cultural achievements of these civilizations - the first written words, the spectacular works of architecture, the growth of democracy and the spread of religions - that changed our world for ever.
'Haywood's lucid explanations of the cultures of the Danes, Swedes, and Norwegians are vital to understanding the motivations for their movements' KIRKUS REVIEWS. The violent and predatory society of Dark Age Scandinavia left a unique impact on the history of medieval Europe. From their chill northern fastness, Norse warriors, explorers and merchants raided, traded, and settled across wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic from the late 8th to the mid-11th century. Northmen narrates their story focusing on places where key events were played out, from the sack of Lindisfarne in 793 to the murder in Iceland in 1241 of the saga-writer Snorri Sturluson. Such episodes are fascinating in themselves, but also shed crucial light on the nature of Viking activity – its causes, effects, and the reasons for its decline. In 800 the Scandinavians were barbarians in longships bent on plunder and rapine; by 1200, their homelands were an integral part of Latin Christendom. John Haywood tells, in authoritative but compellingly readable fashion, the extraordinary story of the Viking Age.
"First published in the United Kingdom in 2011 by Thames & Hudson Ltd...London"--Colophon.
An original new way of appreciating the vast series of events that have shaped world history, allowing complete and quick comparability between different periods and regions. In Timelines, John Haywood presents a grand sweep of global history in an immediately accessible format. Using concise, insightful, and engaging text summaries alongside timelines, maps, and illustrations, Haywood takes the reader from the origins of our first ancestors up to the present day. A short essay introduces and summarizes the most important political and cultural landmarks, with a clear timeline then presenting events in four categories: “Politics & Economy,” “Religion & Philosophy,” “Science & Techn...
The great civilizations of the distant past never cease to impress us with their spectacular achievements. Ideas, writings, and works of art speak to us across tracts of time with an amazing freshness of imagination and workmanship. This book presents a vivid, multi-faceted portrait of these achievements, set within their historical context and embracing a global coverage, which includes ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, Rome, India, China and Pre-Columbian America. The Ancient World is the most accessible guide yet produced to the spiritual, cultural, technological, and artistic innovation that was a hallmark of these complex and fascinating societies. Organized chronologically, the text ...
The Penguin Historical Atlas of Ancient Civilizations explores the world's earliest cultures, from the farming settlements of Mesopotamia to the Americas and Polynesia, via the birth of Greek city states and the foundation of Rome. It examines the development of civilizations in the Near East - Babylonian, Assyrian, Persian - as well as those in Europe - the Minoans, Etruscans and Celts. Across the continents of Africa, Asia and America, it covers such subjects as Egypt from its pre-dynastic roots to the age of the Pharaohs, China during the Shang and Zhou dynasties, and the great cities of the Incas and Aztecs. Vivid descriptions of civilizations are complemented by discussion of such key topics as colonization, agriculture and technology, and the rise of empires and city states. Richly illustrated with timelines, photographs, artwork re-creations and full-colour maps, this is an illuminating and multi-faceted one-volume introduction to early peoples and the worlds they created. - Back cover.
This dramatic history traces the mysterious Celts from their dark origins, including Druids and King Arthur, right across Britain and Europe and looking at their beliefs, cultures and arts as well as their warring and expansion. The resurgence of Celtic identity in Britain and Europe has revitalized interest in Celtic history. At the same time, developments in genetics and archaeology have led to it becoming an arena of serious controversy. John Hayward explores the changing identity of Europe's Celtic speaking peoples through history, both as they saw themselves and as others saw them. Covering continental Europe, Britain and Ireland, and the present day Celtic global diaspora, this is a vibrant and meticulously researched account.
Atlas showing the range of Viking developments and exploration.
Combines the latest research and discoveries with a humorous eye to take us inside the Viking world
From the movement of homo erectus out of Africa one million years ago to the Aboriginal settlement of Australia around 50,000 BC; and from the barbarian invasions of early medieval Europe to the diaspora of African slaves in the early modern period, the migration of peoples has been a critical motor of change throughout human history.The Wanderers brings together 50 epic accounts of the mass movement of peoples. Each account not only describes the migration itself, but also examines in detail its causes, and its short- and long-term consequences. The Wanderers tells a multiplicity of stories - of the discovery of new worlds, of flight from persecution, of nation-building, of colonization, an...