Ecco una biografia estremamente piacevole da leggere, dallo straordinario piglio narrativo. Chiara Frugoni I tempi lontani in cui l'Europa era priva di strade e piena di paludi, finalmente sottratti alle nebbie delle nostre memorie scolastiche, in un saggio che si fa leggere come un romanzo. Laura Lilli, la Repubblica, nel giorno di Natale dell'anno 800 Carlo Magno viene incoronato imperatore. Un poeta rimasto anonimo saluta in lui il padre dell'Europa.

Fra' Salimbene da Parma, il francescano che ha conosciuto papi e imperatori, vescovi e predicatori, e su ognuno ha da raccontare aneddoti, maldicenze e pettegolezzi; Dino Compagni, il mercante di Firenze che ha vissuto in prima persona i sussulti politici d'un comune lacerato dai conflitti al tempo di Dante; Jean de Joinville, il nobile cavaliere che ha accompagnato Luigi il Santo alla crociata, testimone imperturbabile di sacrifici, eroismi e vigliaccherie; Caterina da Siena, che parlava con Dio e le cui lettere infuocate facevano tremare papi e cardinali.

Un mondo che si considera prospero e civile, segnato da disuguaglianze e squilibri al suo interno, ma forte di un'amministrazione stabile e di un'economia integrata; all'esterno, popoli costretti a sopravvivere con risorse insufficienti, minacciati dalla fame e dalla guerra, e che sempre più spesso chiedono di entrare; una frontiera militarizzata per filtrare profughi e immigrati.

Questo libro racconta di una battaglia che ha cambiato la storia del mondo ma non è famosa come Waterloo o Stalingrado: anzi, molti non l'hanno mai sentita nominare. Eppure secondo qualcuno segnò addirittura la fine dell'Antichità e l'inizio del Medioevo, perché mise in moto la catena di eventi che più di un secolo dopo avrebbe portato alla caduta dell'impero romano d'Occidente. Parleremo di Antichità e Medioevo, di Romani e barbari, di un mondo multietnico e di un impero in trasformazione e di molte altre cose ancora.

Il secolo appena trascorso si è chiuso nel caos e l'inizio del nuovo si annuncia drammatico. La pistola di Gaetano Bresci spezza la vita di Umberto I, colpevole di aver decorato con la gran croce quel Bava Beccaris che aveva sparato sulla folla di Milano. Potrebbe essere l'inizio di una catastrofe politica e sociale, invece è l'avvio di un nuovo corso di politica liberale. Intanto in Europa impazza la Belle Époque.

The 13 chapters of The Art of War, each devoted to one aspect of warfare, were compiled by the high-ranking Chinese military general, strategist, and philosopher Sun-Tzu. In spite of its battlefield specificity, The Art of War has found new life in the modern age, with leaders in fields as wide and far-reaching as world politics, human psychology, and corporate strategy finding valuable insight in its timeworn words.

Fingerprints of the Gods is the revolutionary rewrite of history that has persuaded millions of listeners throughout the world to change their preconceptions about the history behind modern society. An intellectual detective story, this unique history audiobook directs probing questions at orthodox history, presenting disturbing new evidence that historians have tried - but failed - to explain.

The Mongol army led by Genghis Khan subjugated more lands and people in 25 years than the Romans did in 400. In nearly every country the Mongols conquered, they brought an unprecedented rise in cultural communication, expanded trade, and a blossoming of civilization.

Hilarious, fascinating, and a roller coaster of dizzying, historical what-ifs, Napoleon's Hemorrhoids is a potpourri for serious historians and casual history buffs. In one of Phil Mason's many revelations, you'll learn that Communist jets were two minutes away from opening fire on American planes during the Cuban missile crisis, when they had to turn back as they were running out of fuel. You'll discover that before the Battle of Waterloo, Napoleon's painful hemorrhoids prevented him from mounting his horse to survey the battlefield.

Experience a bold take on this classic autobiography as it’s performed by Oscar-nominated Laurence Fishburne. In this searing classic autobiography, originally published in 1965, Malcolm X, the Muslim leader, firebrand, and Black empowerment activist, tells the extraordinary story of his life and the growth of the Human Rights movement. His fascinating perspective on the lies and limitations of the American dream and the inherent racism in a society that denies its non-White citizens the opportunity to dream, gives extraordinary insight into the most urgent issues of our own time.

How did the Wendels, one of New York’s most famous Gilded Age families, disappear from history? The Wendels built a fortune from New York real estate, and rubbed shoulders with the Astors, Vanderbilts, and Stuyvesants. But as the 19th century came to an end, the Wendel family tore itself apart. Following six years of painstaking archival research, Claire Prentice has prised open the door of the Wendels’ Fifth Avenue mansion—dubbed “the house of mystery” by the press—to reveal a fascinating and dysfunctional family imprisoned in a gilded cage.

Do you know how many wives Zeus had? Or how the famous Trojan War was caused by one beautiful lady? Or how Thor got his hammer? Give your imagination a real treat. This Mega Mythology Collection of eight audiobooks is for you....

Millions of words have poured forth about man's trip to the moon, but until now few people have had a sense of the most engrossing side of the adventure: namely, what went on in the minds of the astronauts themselves - in space, on the moon, and even during certain odysseys on earth. It is this, the inner life of the astronauts, that Tom Wolfe describes with his almost uncanny empathetic powers that made The Right Stuff a classic.

An unmatched guide to the religious dimensions of American politics, Jeff Sharlet journeys into corners of our national psyche where others fear to tread. The Undertow is both inquiry and meditation, an attempt to understand how, over the last decade, reaction has morphed into delusion, social division into distrust, distrust into paranoia, and hatred into fantasies—sometimes realities—of violence.

Prosecuting attorney in the Manson trial Vincent Bugliosi held a unique insider's position in one of the most baffling and horrifying cases of the 20th century: the cold-blooded Tate-LaBianca murders carried out by Charles Manson and four of his followers. What motivated Manson in his seemingly mindless selection of victims, and what was his hold over the young women who obeyed his orders? Now available for the first time in unabridged audio, the gripping story of this famous and haunting crime is brought to life by acclaimed narrator Scott Brick.