Estonia, Latvia & Lithuania have been the battleground for neighbouring powers & the site of intense rivalry, but also interaction, between East & West. A History of the Baltic States masterfully traces the development of these three Baltic countries, from the northern crusades against Europe`s last pagans, & Lithuania`s rise to become one of medieval Europe`s largest states, to their incorporation into the Russian Empire & the creation of their modern national identities. Drawing upon the most recent scholarship, Andres Kasekamp pays particular attention to the tumultuous twentieth century, during which the Baltic States achieved independence, but also endured occupation by both the Soviet Union & Nazi Germany. Finally, he explores how the Baltic States recovered their statehood & transformed themselves into members of the European Union. Clearly & accessibly written, this is one of the first English-language books to provide a comparative survey of Baltic history. ...

The first volume of Steven Runciman`s classic, hugely influential trilogy on the history of the Crusades ` On a February day in the year AD 638 the Caliph Omar entered Jerusalem, riding upon a white camel` An enthralling work of grand historical narrative, Steven Runciman`s A History of the Crusades overturned the traditional view of the Crusades as a romantic Christian adventure, & instead shifted the focus of the story to the East. With verve & drama, volume one of Runciman`s trilogy tells the story of the First Crusade
- from its unlikely beginnings in pilgrimage to the horrors of the siege of Jerusalem & the carving out of new territory on the edge of the eastern Mediterranean. ` Without question one of the major feats of contemporary historical writing` The New York Times ` The historian whose magisterial works transformed our understanding of Byzantium, the medieval church & the crusades` Guardian
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The third volume of Steven Runciman`s classic, hugely influential trilogy on the history of the Crusades ` The whole tale is one of faith & folly, courage & greed, hope & disillusion` Steven Runciman`s triumphant three-volume A History of the Crusades remains an unsurpassed account of the events that changed the world & continue to resonate today. This final volume of the trilogy begins with the glamorous Third Crusade & ends with the ruinous collapse of the crusader states & the degeneration of their ideals, which reached its nadir in the tragic destruction of Byzantium. ` When historical events are written about with this sort of comm&, they take on not only the universality of a fairy tale but also a certain moral weight. Runciman writes both seductively & instructively about the dignity & beauty of different religious beliefs & about the difficulties of their co-existence` Independent ...

The second volume of Steven Runciman`s classic, hugely influential trilogy on the history of the Crusades ` There was magic about. Saladin himself was troubled by terrible dreams...` Steven Runciman`s unrivalled history of the Crusades is a classic of learning & vivid, compelling storytelling, which brilliantly brings to life the personalities, battles, massacres, triumphs & follies of these epochal events. In this second volume of his trilogy Runciman tells the story of the foundation of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, the disastrous, bloody Second Crusade & the inexorable rise of the crusaders` nemesis, Saladin. ` The pre-eminent historian of the Byzantine Empire & of the Crusades.. .a surefooted guide who could render the past visible & familiar` Daily Telegraph ` He tells his story plain.. .always pleasurable to read` Gore Vidal ...

The story of the most iconic railway company of the great age of steam. The initials `GWR` conjure an evocative picture of a Brunswick green locomotive hauling tea-&-cream- coloured coaches through a verdant West Country landscape. But the GWR was not just engines & trains. In this comprehensive history, Colin Maggs, one of the country`s foremost railway historians, tells of other, perhaps less well-known aspects of the company`s history. Its construction & expansion; the activities of its publicity department; its sea, air & road services. It was a caring cradle-to-the-grave employer & at Swindon provided a hospital, school, baths & recreational facilities. These, & other fascinating aspects of the company are all revealed in this accessible book illustrated with over 100 photographs & period posters, many in colour. ...

A History of the Pacific Islands is a wide ranging account of the peopling of the Pacific & the area’s impact on world history. The narrative spans nearly 50, 000 years & deals with an area (Melanesia, Micronesia & Polynesia) that makes up nearly a third of the globe’s surface. Steven Roger Fischer follows the development of the region from New Guinea’s earliest settlement to the modern-day statehoods of the Pacific, looking at the varied genealogy of the peoples themselves & the rich heritage resulting from multifarious succeeding invading peoples, as well as exploring the effect on the region of such global issues as whaling, pandemics, colonization, trade, war & nuclear testing. ...

The Silk Road is a route from the edges of the European world to the central plains of China. For thousands of years, its history has been a traveller`s history, of brief encounters in desert towns, snowbound passes & nameless forts. It was the conduit that first brought Buddhism, Christianity & Islam into China, & the site of much of the ` Great Game` between Victorian empires. Jonathan Clements guides the reader through the trackless wastes of the Taklamakan Desert, its black whirlwinds & dead lakes, its shimmering mirages, lost cities & mysterious mummies, but also its iconic statues & memorable modern pop songs. He explains the truth behind odd tales of horses that sweat blood, defaced statues & missing frescoes, & Marco Polo`s stories of black gold that seeps from the earth. ...

south Yorkshire has some of the most varied countryside in Engl&, ranging from the Pennine moors & the wooded hills & valleys in the west to the estate villages on the magnesian limestone escarpment & the lowlands in the east. Each of these different landscapes has been shaped by human activities over the centuries. This book tells the story of how the present landscape was created. It looks at buildings, fields, woods & moorl&, navigable rivers & industrial remains, & the intriguing place-names that are associated with them. Chapters include: The Oldest Parish Churches Monasteries & their Granges Pennine Farms Wombwell Ings & Old Moor Inland Waterways Wentworth Castle Cannon Hall & its Park Coal Mining & many more. ...

Philip Jenkins explores the central developments in American history from the fifteenth century to the present day. This highly readable & authoritative account discusses the political, social, cultural & economic events that have shaped the history of the United States. The text covers key elements of this history such as the civil rights movement, the events of pre- & post-9/11, & the Iraq war. For this new edition, Jenkins brings the story right up to date with discussions of: * the 2008 presidential election, Obama`s victory & presidency * the global economic crisis & the conditions that gave rise to it * key environmental & gay rights issues * recent US debates over war & the economy. A History of the United States provides a foundation for the study of American society, thought & culture. It is essential reading for anyone who wishes to understand the evolution of this remarkable nation. ...

Our understanding of world history is changing, as new discoveries are made on all the continents & old prejudices are being challenged. In this truly global journey Andrew Marr revisits some of the traditional epic stories, from classical Greece & Rome to the rise of Napoleon, but surrounds them with less familiar material, from Peru to the Ukraine, China to the Caribbean. He looks at cultures that have failed & vanished, as well as the origins of today's superpowers, & finds surprising echoes & parallels across vast distances & epochs. This is a book about the great change-makers of history & their times, people such as Cleopatra, Genghis Khan, Galileo & Mao, but it is also a book about us. For 'the better we understand how rulers lose touch with reality, or why revolutions produce dictators more often than they produce happiness, or why some parts of the world are richer than others, the easier it is to understand our own times.' Fresh, exciting & vividly readable, this is popular history at its very best. ...