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Why did British boats shoot their way up the Yangzi in 1842, rather than Chinese ones up the Thames? Why do Easterners use English more than Europeans speak in Mandarin or Japanese? To put it bluntly, why does the West rule? There are two schools of thought: the 'Long-Term Lock In' theory, suggesting some sort of inevitability, and the 'Short-Term Accident' theory. But both approaches have misunderstood the shape of history. Ian Morris presents a startling new theory. He explains with flair and authority why the paths of development differed in the East and West and - analysing a vicious twist in trajectories just ahead of us - predicts when the West's lead will come to an end. 'Here you have three books wrapped into one: an exciting novel that happens to be true; an entertaining but thorough historical account of everything important that happened to any important people in the last 10 millennia; and an educated guess about what will happen in the future. Read, learn, and enjoy!' Jared Diamond 'A great work of synthesis and argument, drawing together an awesome range of materials and authorities to bring us a fresh, sharp reading of East-West relationships.' Andrew Marr
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The Pope declares he has received a private revelation that the world is about to end, and an old friend embarks on a dangerous journey to investigate whether he's mad or whether just possibly there's truth in it. The second novel in Morris West's internationally bestselling Vatican trilogy, it is the book he regarded as his best. Pope Gregory XVII has spent a lifetime quietly serving the Church he loves-until he announces a prophecy so alarming that it threatens to tear the Vatican apart. Terrified, the Vatican cardinals imprison him in a monastery. Is he mad, as they believe, or is it all an elaborate plot? An old friend of the pope sets out on a risky quest to find out. On the way, he dis...
Originally published: New York: Morrow, 1959.
A fictional investigation of the dilemma faced by modern man when confronted with increasing social violence.
One man's search for an uncharted, legendary island to which all navigators are said to go on the eve of their deaths. A tale of high adventure, ancient mystery and modern men and women rediscovering love, comradeship and tribal life, in the face of primal terrors. Son of a Norwegian master-mariner and grandson of Kaloni, the last of the great Polynesian navigators, Gunnar Thorkild is a man consumed by a dream. Convinced that the Polynesians' legendary Island of the Dead is real, he risks his career, his life-and those of his fellow adventurers-to find it. Shipwrecked on the very island they seek, the castaways are forced to leave behind everything they know and rely upon. To survive in this lush tropical paradise, they must make new laws of power and property, of sex and marriage. The Navigator is a gripping tale of sea lore, shipwreck and moral courage. 'This is a great read and . . . will make you think.' Amazon review 'Hypnotic from start to finish.' Chicago Sun-Times
This rich and intense novel is a tribute to Giordano Bruno, a brilliant Dominican monk who was burned at the stake for heresy in 1600. Published posthumously, it is a tribute to Morris West himself, a man of great compassion who always held firm against those in his church who used doctrine and dogma to oppress others. One of the most famous victims of the Holy Office of the Inquisition was the brilliant Dominican monk Giordano Bruno, burnt at the stake for heresy in 1600. Morris West recreates a diary of Bruno's intimate thoughts as he languishes in Rome's worst prison for seven years. Bruno's reflections and frank memories of his life reveal him to be both a fine thinker and a flawed pries...
Out of every international crisis comes at least one great book. The Ambassador is acclaimed for its insights into the political wheeling and dealing behind the scenes in the early days of the Vietnam War. American ambassador Maxwell Gordon Amberley has a reputation as a tough negotiator. Yet when he is sent to Vietnam, the dilemma he faces throws him into self-doubt. He is made arbiter of his nation's fate on the one hand, and of the life and death of the ruling house of Vietnam on the other. Out of every international crisis comes at least one great book. From the explosive, bitter and savage battlefront of Vietnam, Morris West's masterly novel The Ambassador brings to life the early days of the Vietnam War and its backroom political dealings, foreshadowing the repercussions that continue today. 'Mr West is a master-hand in accurate scene-setting.' The Sunday Times 'Few writers of bestselling fiction have brought to the popular novel such acute intelligence and ethical perception.' Peter Pierce, The Australian
A financial empire is about to be shattered by a terrifying international conspiracy. Can Desmond help his friend Harlequin save his bank - and his family? Paul Desmond admires his close friend George Harlequin for his impeccable European breeding. Head of a prestigious Swiss bank, Harlequin belongs to a vanishing class of gentlemen whose handshake is their bond. Then their gilded world is blown apart. A computer printout identifies the Harlequin et Cie bank as the target of a gigantic takeover. The mastermind is Basil Yanko, a ruthless financial genius whose instruments are fraud, blackmail and terror. As the conflict moves from Zurich to London, New York and Mexico, Harlequin must become a 'villain by necessity'. Can Desmond help his friend save his bank-and his family? 'A skilfully woven web of fraud, blackmail and murder.' The Sunday Telegraph 'In a tiny group of best-selling novelists, Morris West qualifies as the brains of the organisation.' Time 'The classiest of thrillers.' Daily Mirror