In 1766 Jean-Jacques Rousseau -- philosopher, novelist, composer, educational and political provocateur -- was on the run from intolerance, persecution, and enemies who decried him as a madman, dangerous to society. David Hume, now recognized as the foremost philosopher in the English language, was universally lauded as a paragon of decency. Having willingly put himself unde...(展开全部)

The nineteenth century saw several major innovations in naval warfare. Reliable steam engines made it so that ships no longer depended on the wind and could maneuver more freely. At the same time, new explosive shells were developed, replacing cannonballs, and no wooden ship could withstand them. In response to these shells, a new class of self-propelled, armored "ironclads" wa...(展开全部)

The professions of architect and engineer, which had maintained very close links since the time of the Renaissance, became increasingly isolated from one another in France during the course of the eighteenth century, the 'Age of the Enlightenment'. This book analyses the meaning of this gradual mutual isolation, the consequences of which can still be felt at a variety of differ...(展开全部)

In the late-18th century, a group of publishers in what historian Robert Darnton calls the "Fertile Crescent" — countries located along the French border, stretching from Holland to Switzerland — pirated the works of prominent (and often banned) French writers and distributed them in France, where laws governing piracy were in flux and any notion of "copyright" very much in its...(展开全部)

A stunning portrait of the magnificent splendor and enduring legacy of ancient Persia The Achaemenid Persian kings ruled over the largest empire of antiquity, stretching from Libya to the steppes of Asia and from Ethiopia to Pakistan. From the palace-city of Persepolis, Cyrus the Great, Darius, Xerxes, and their heirs reigned supreme for centuries until the conquests of Alexan...(展开全部)

In The Fall of the Ottomans, award-winning historian Eugene Rogan brings the First World War and its immediate aftermath in the Middle East to vivid life, uncovering the often ignored story of the region’s crucial role in the conflict. A sweeping narrative of battles and political intrigue from Gallipoli to Arabia, The Fall of the Ottomans is essential reading for anyone seekin...(展开全部)

In 1914 the Ottoman Empire was depleted of men and resources after years of war against Balkan nationalist and Italian forces. But in the aftermath of the assassination in Sarajevo, the powers of Europe were sliding inexorably toward war, and not even the Middle East could escape the vast and enduring consequences of one of the most destructive conflicts in human history. The G...(展开全部)

吴芳思（弗朗西丝 ? 伍德）曾在剑桥大学、北京大学以及伦敦大学学习过中文，并且作为大英图书馆中文典藏部主任直至2013年。她出版了众多关于中国的书籍，包括《蓝牌中国指南》《马可波罗到过中国吗？》《丝绸之路：亚洲中心的二千年》《紫禁城》《口岸往事：海外侨民在中国的迷梦与生活》和《禁止野餐：一战期间乱象中国的外交》。 克里斯托弗 ? 阿南德尔转入金融、咨询行业之前，在英、美都教授过古典文学。退休之后，他投入了编、写书籍的工作，作品包括讲述美国奥因银行（Orion Bank）和联合财团的《带上你的合作伙伴》（直译）、《国际化思维，本地化消费》，以及两本中英双语配图的谚语集，包括《空中楼阁》（和吴芳思合作撰写）。他还主编了《克劳福德勋爵的一战日记》（笔与剑出版社于 2014年出版）。

Between the fall of the western Roman Empire in the fifth century and the collapse of the east in the face of the Arab invasions in the seventh, the remarkable era of the Emperor Justinian (527-568) dominated the Mediterranean region. Famous for his conquests in Italy and North Africa, and for the creation of spectacular monuments such as the Hagia Sophia, his reign was also ma...(展开全部)