Clinging to a rugged hillside in the lush valley of Sparta lies Mistra, one of the most dramatically beautiful Byzantine cities in Greece, a place steeped in history, myth & romance. Following the Frankish conquest of the Peloponnese in the 13th century, William II of Villehardouin built a great castle on a hill near Sparta that later came to be known as Mistra. Ten years later, in a battle in northern Greece, Villehardouin was defeated & captured by the Byzantine Emperor. The terms for his release included giving Mistra to the Byzantine Greeks. Under their rule, the city flourished & developed into a centre of learning & the arts & was a focal point for the cultural development of Europe. Sir Steven Runciman, one of the most distinguished historians of the Byzantine period, travelled to Mistra on numerous occasions & became enhanted with the place. Now published in paperback for the first time, ” Lost City of Byzantium” tells the story of this once-great city
- its rise & fall & its place in the history of the Peloponnese & the Byzantine empire. This is the first paperback edition. It features Steven Runciman
- a star author, one of the greatest experts on Byzantine history. It is a classic, that will appeal to anyone interested in the history of Greece & the Byzantine empire.

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Who will discover the ancient civilizations? Two explorers embark on research journeys to remote corners of the world: the Himalayan mountains, the Central American rainforest, the Egyptian desert, a mysterious volcano, & the bottom of the sea. As the cards are played, the expedition routes take shape & the explorers earn points, & the most daring adventurers make bets on the success of their expeditions. Contains:- 1 Game Board- 45 Expedition Cards- 15 Wager Cards- 1 Rule Booklet ...

This prestigious volume is a guide to the discovery of the loveliest lost cities of the ancient world: Africa, the Americas, Europe, & in the Near, Middle, & Far East. Using magnificent photographs & accurate reconstructions of the ancient cities, this volume illustrates what remains of these centres where the ancient world's great civilizations flourished. The superb photographs present the ruins of vast architectural complexes, temples, palaces, public & private residences, works of art & fragments of civilizations that renowned archaeologists have discovered, investigated & brought back from oblivion. This revised edition contains minor revisions & corrections. It also features magnificent photographs & accurate reconstructions of the ancient cities. ...

For more than 10, 000 years, cities have been the sites of inspiration, myth & mystery. From Peru`s Machu Picchu to the legendary Troy & Babylon, this book follows the rise & fall of 28 of the world`s most fascinating lost cities, including the powerful seats of empires & renowned centres of learning. Lavishly illustrated, Joel Levy`s book brings past cities & cultures vividly to life & provides the reader with an invaluable insight into these often forgotten places. Each location is described in evocative detail & is accompanied by contact details, maps & travel information to help readers plan visits to the sites. ...

Ancient civilisations in Vietnam, the lost cities of the Amazon, the cities & towns of humankind have fought for space against the overwhelming power of nature. We think we`ve mastered it, but discoveries across the world show abandoned cities, their proud buildings now flooded, overtaken by the forests, nature taking back what once was its own, with the slow, relentlessness of time. But there are modern places too, towns built by corrupt local officials that were never occupied, amusement parks closed due to terrible tragedy, settlements sinking ineluctably into the mud, cities destroyed by radiation, these are the remnants of a generation, an entire society wiped from the earth, leaving only dismembered traces of memory. This exotic, powerful new book evokes the eerie, haunted places that retain small touches of humanity: a car with only one wheel, a battered doll, torn shirts on a washing line, a broken ferris wheel, all of them are shattered dreams that dwell now only in the imagination. ...

First published in the 1950s, The Lost City of the Incas by Hiram Bingham is the amazing account of the impressive discovery in 1911 of the lost city of Machu Picchu. Re-published now with an introduction by Hugh Thomson, this story is as fascinating as the ancient Incas civilization itself. Much of the wild country of the eastern Peruvian Andes was still unknown when Hiram Bingham, a pre-historian with a love for exotic destinations, set out to explore the area in search of the legendary city of Vilcabamba, capital city of the last Inca ruler, Manco Inca. In 1911, with a combination of doggedness & good fortune, he stumbled on the perfectly preserved ruins of a magnificent Inca city perched on a cloud-capped ledge 2000 ft above the torrent of the Urumbamba River. The buildings were of exquisitely carved white granite blocks, each higher than a man. Bingham had not, as it turned out, found Vilcabamba, but he had nevertheless made one of the most astonishing discoveries of the early days of the twentieth century, & one that was to make him famous: Machu Picchu. Spread out across a high mountain ridge, Machu Picchu had managed to survive the Spanish Conquest without being detected, preserving untouched some of the finest Inca architecture in existence. However, Bingham’s achievement did not end there. In the space of one short season he went onto discover two more Inca cities: Vitcos, where one of the last Inca Emperors was assassinated, & another settlement buried deep down the cloud-forest in the jungle. The Lost City of the Incas, written in 1948, is a distillation of the many articles & books which he wrote on these fabulous discoveries. It

Includes:: Hiram Bingham’s original photographs.

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stunning, timely, & absolutely mesmerizing, Daniel Alarcón`s “ Lost City Radio” questions war & its meaning: from the devastating ...

Cornwall's spectacular shoreline, with its brutal cliffs, desolate moors & pre-historic coastal settlements, has long held a source of fascination for those who cross the Duchy's boundary line. Yet despite the endurance of seascapes & ancient landscapes, which remain hidden from mainstream tourist routes, there are, throughout Cornwall, stories of change. Patterns of life have adapted to a shifting world, & whole communities have been affected as traditions are gradually subsumed in the struggle for 'progress'. However, remnants of recent history are still evident in Cornwall's architecture, its redundant transport systems & its cultural relics. This book is an exploration of some of the region's hidden facets & lesser known places which are testament to a way of life experienced just a couple of generations ago. ...

Pick up an old stamp album & flick through it. You`ll find a host of exotic & unfamiliar names: Cyrenaica, Fernando Poo, Fiume, North Ingria, Obock, Priamur, Stellal&, Tuva, Wenden
- distant lands, vanished territories, lost countries. Do they still exist? If not, where were they? What happened to them? Lost Countries goes in search of the truth about these & many other amazing places. Stuart Laycock & Chris West unearth stories of many kinds. Some take you to long-disappeared empires; others throw light on today`s most pressing conflicts. Lost Countries invites you to enjoy them all, in a collection of historical narratives as broad & enticing as an old stamp album that you`ve just discovered in the attic.
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Devon's colourful past may still be visible in its street names & pub signs, but in fact much of the region's history has been obliterated
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