A long history of the Bretons, from prehistoric times to the present, and the very close relationship they have had with their British neighbours. It is a story of a fiercely independent people and their struggle to maintain their distinctive identity.
By Steppe, Desert, and Ocean is nothing less than the story of how humans first started building the globalized world we know today. Set on a huge continental stage, from Europe to China, it is a tale covering over 10,000 years, from the origins of farming around 9000 BC to the expansion ofthe Mongols in the thirteenth century AD.An unashamedly "big history", it charts the development of European, Near Eastern, and Chinese civilizations and the growing links between them by way of the Indian Ocean, the silk Roads, and the great steppe corridor (which crucially allowed horse riders to travel from Mongolia to the GreatHungarian Plain within a year). Along the way, it is also the story of the rise and fall of empires, the development of maritime trade, and the shattering impact of predatory nomads on their urban neighbours.Above all, as this immense historical panorama unfolds, we begin to see in clearer focus those basic underlying factors--the acquisitive nature of humanity, the differing environments in which people live, and the dislocating effect of even slight climatic variation--which have driven changethroughout the ages, and which help us better understand our world today.
[This book] demonstrates how wrong Kipling was: East may be East and West may be West, but over the millennia the twain have repeatedly met. Tom Holland, Books of the Year 2015, History Today
More than two hundred illustrationsincluding twentyfour color platesand thirty maps complement an authoritative account that draws on recent archaeological findings to trace the development of Celtic civilization and its influence on Europe past and present. Reprint.
By the fifteenth century Europe was a driving world force, but the origins of its success have until now remained obscured in prehistory. In this book, distinguished archaeologist Barry Cunliffe views Europe not in terms of states and shifting political land boundaries but as a geographical niche particularly favored in facing many seas. These seas, and Europe's great transpeninsular rivers, ensured a rich diversity of natural resources while also encouraging the dynamic interaction of peoples across networks of communication and exchange. The development of these early Europeans is rooted in complex interplays, shifting balances, and geographic and demographic fluidity.
The Scythians were warlike nomadic horsemen who roamed the steppe of Asia in the first millennium BC. Using archaeological finds from burials and texts written, mainly, by Greeks, this book reconstructs the lives of the Scythians, exploring their beliefs, their burial practices, their love of fighting and their flexible attitude to gender.
The Egyptian pyramids were considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and today, some 4500 years later, they still inspire awe and admiration. But the first time visitor to Egypt may be surprised at the number of pyramids at Meidum, Dahsur, Saggara, Abusir and Giza, which have earned the Old Kingdom the epithet, "The Pyramid Age". Most of these monuments were constructed in the vicinity of the ancient capital city of Memphis, making nearly all the sites accessible to tourists on day trips from Cairo. Hart guides the reader through the principal pyramids, mastabas and other surviving monuments to show how and why that civilization (contemporary with the first stage of Stonehenge) produced these remarkable buildings, and what they reveal of the life of the ancient Egyptians. Containing information on the latest archeological discoveries, this is a chronological guide and a handbook to some of the most astonishing constructions ever built by man.
This is a panoramic view of world history from the time the first humans appeared to the present day. Each section is introduced by a series of maps which give a bird's eye view of the state of the world at significant moments in each era. These snapshot surveys are then followed by area maps which give regional detail, depicting the growth of empires, military campaigns, and the spread of settlements, towns, agriculture and technology. Cultural and religious developments are also shown. To complete the picture, each map carries with it a wealth of annotation and is supported by essays and timelines.
The book delves into the interconnected cultural developments of mainland Europe and the Mediterranean Basin, examining key themes such as economic strategies, trade dynamics, and the interactions between civilized centers and their peripheral regions. By analyzing these systems, it sheds light on the complexities of societal structures and relationships in ancient times.
Northern Africa is dominated now by the Sahara Desert, stretching across the continent from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea. This book is about the people who lived around the edges of the Desert and the different ways in which they responded to its challenges, establishing networks of communication across its expanse.