At its height Renaissance Florence was a centre of enormous wealth, power & influence. A republican city-state funded by trade & banking, its often bloody political scene was dominated by rich mercantile families, the most famous of which were the Medici. This enthralling book charts the family`s huge influence on the political, economic & cultural history of Florence. Beginning in the early 1430s with the rise of the dynasty under the near-legendary Cosimo de Medici, it moves through their golden era as patrons of some of the most remarkable artists & architects of the Renaissance, to the era of the Medici Popes & Grand Dukes, Florence`s slide into decay & bankruptcy, & the end, in 1737, of the Medici line. ...

Out of the failures of Iraq & Afghanistan, the Arab Spring & Syria, a new threat emerges. While Al Qaeda is weakened, new jihadi movements, especially ISIS, are starting to emerge. In military operations in June 2014 they were far more successful than Al Qaeda ever were, taking territory that reaches across borders &

Includes:: the city of Mosul. The reports of their military coordination & brutality are chilling. While they call for the formation of a new caliphate once again the West becomes a target. How could things have gone so badly wrong? In The Rise of Islamic State, Cockburn analyzes the reasons for the unfolding of US & the West`s greatest foreign policy debacle & the impact that it has on the war-torn & volatile Middle East.

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Beginning with the founding myths of Romulus & Remus & a succession of probably fictitious kings, Anthony Everitt charts the development of Rome from its origins as a small market town in the eighth century BC, through various forms of patrician government, up to Caesar`s victory in the Civil War that defeated the Roman Republic & paved the way for Augustus to transform republican oligarchy into imperial autocracy. Using recent archaeological evidence & historical facts, & a wealth of legend & anecdote, Everitt shows how Rome grew
- both internally, via ever more ambitious construction projects, & externally, through successful military campaigns. In doing so, he highlights some fascinating parallels between ancient Roman society & the modern world. As readable & accessible as it is authoritative & scholarly, THE RISE OF ROME is the perfect introduction to Roman history & civilization for the general reader.
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In the late Iron Age, Rome was a small collection of huts arranged over a few hills. By the third century BC, it had become a large & powerful city, with monumental temples, public buildings & grand houses. It had conquered the whole of Italy & was poised to establish an empire. But how did it accomplish this historic transformation? This book explores the development of Rome during this period, & the nature of its control over Italy, considering why & how the Romans achieved this spectacular dominance. For Rome was only one of a number of emerging centres of power during this period. From its complex forms of government, to its innovative connections with other states, Kathryn Lomas shows what set Rome apart. Examining the context & impact of the city`s dominance, as well as the key political, social & economic changes it engendered, this is crucial reading for anyone interested in Ancient Rome. ...

In the late Iron Age, Rome was a small collection of huts arranged over a few hills. By the third century BC, it had become a large & powerful city, with monumental temples, public buildings & grand houses. It had conquered the whole of Italy & was poised to establish an empire. But how did it accomplish this historic transformation? This book explores the development of Rome during this period, & the nature of its control over Italy, considering why & how the Romans achieved this spectacular dominance. For Rome was only one of a number of emerging centres of power during this period. From its complex forms of government, to its innovative connections with other states, Kathryn Lomas shows what set Rome apart. Examining the context & impact of the city`s dominance, as well as the key political, social & economic changes it engendered, this is crucial reading for anyone interested in Ancient Rome. ...

The Easter Rising of 1916 not only destroyed much of the centre of Dublin
- it changed the course of Irish history. But why did
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This is the book on the way we eat. Solidifying her standing as a preeminent observer & scholar of everyday life, Margaret Visser takes on the sweeping history of table manners, from the civilizations of ancient Greece & medieval Europe to the way that technology has altered, & continues to alter, our behaviour over dinner. She writes of everything from cultural idiosyncrasies around preparation & consumption, to the surprising origins of tableware
- forks took eight centuries to become common utensils, the plate began as a four-day-old slice of bread. Blending folklore, history, & humour, this is a feast of fact & observation on one of our most primal rituals: the meal.
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` The dining room has long attracted old-world grandees & now enjoys a new stream of gastronauts eager to try Williams` ” Menu Surprise” for the first time.. . Extraordinary standards.`
- British GQ`[ John William`s] distinctive classical British dishes match their beautiful surrounding.`
- Telegraph` These establishments have long & illustrious histories, but the cooking at both has never been better than it is today.`
- Rebecca Burr, Editor of the Michelin Guide` John`s remarkable career is an example to anyone who wants to become the very best in the culinary world.`
- Andrew Oxley, Head of Hotel & Hospitality Services at The AAThe Ritz: The Quintessential Cookbook is the first book to celebrate recipes of the dishes served today, at lunch & at dinner. The book features 100 delicious recipes, such as Roast scallops bergamot & avocado, Saddle of lamb belle epoque & Grand Marnier Souffle, & is divided into the four seasons: spring, summer, autumn & winter. The recipes reflect the glorious opulence & celebratory ambience of The Ritz; seasonal dishes of fish, shellfish, meat, poultry & game. Desserts include pastries, mousses, ice creams & spectacular, perfectly-risen souffles. There are recipes that are simple & others for the more ambitious cook, plus helpful tips to guide you at home. Along the way, John Williams shares his culinary philosophy & expertise. For any cook who has wondered how they do it at The Ritz, this book will provide the answers. There will be plenty of entertaining tales about the hotel & unique glimpses of London`s finest kitchen beneath ground.



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When TV presenter Philippa Forrester first met Charlie, a wildlife cameraman, she thought he was a show-off
- & he thought she
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From the internationally bestselling author of the high fantasy series The Books of Pellinor comes a powerful story about the exploitation of indigenous people by the First World. Endorsed by Amnesty International as contributing to a better understanding of human rights, this poetic coming-of-age story combines magical realism & fable, & features beautiful black-&-white chapter illustrations. Simbala`s village has two treasures: the River, their road & their god; & the Book, their history, their oracle & their soul. Simbala is a Keeper of the Book, the latest in a long line of women who can use it to find answers to the villagers` questions. As developers begin to poison the River on which the villagers rely, the Book predicts change. But this does not come in the form that they expect; it is the sympathetic foreigner who comes to the village who inflicts the greatest damage of all. ...