Ancient History Books

This book contains interesting biographies of nearly every Roman emperor, as well as family trees and pictures of their faces. I highly recommend it for those interested in the Imperial leaders of Rome.

Anyone having reason to look for information on the emperors from Agustus through Romulus , and including the tetrarchy should get this book. Excellent maps and plans, geneological tables, reproduction of a portrait bust or coin per emperor along with the biographical sketches of one to four pages ( a few longer). The text is arranged in sequence, table of contents giving a guide to individual emperors. Also included is a key to arcane Latin terms such as "Comes Sacrarum Largitionum": essentially the financial minister controlling mints and currency and in charge of purchase of military uniforms. And an index of Latin authors and index of maps and charts rounds out the collection. This is a useful book for anyone sorting out the classical period, for coin collectors, history buffs, etc. A great addition to a personal reference library

This is a particuarly useful guide to each and every Roman emperor - including usurpers/failed coup leaders who called themselves emperor, and including East and West. It is a terrific "gap-filler" if one is seeking a biography of an obscure or forgotten Augustus. (Contrary to received Hollywood wisdom, the princeps was usually called "Augustus," the title "Caesar being reserved for the heir apparent or junior emperor.) This is particularly useful when we get to the cast of thousands who occupied the throne in the Third Century.

Grant's great strength is his sobriety: he refuses, utterly, to be drawn into hysterics about mad emperors like the fool Commodus (as caricatured by Joaquin Phoenix's in "Gladiator") or the sun-worshipping Heliogabus (compare the more credulous popular works which insist Heliogabus was a depraved hemaphrodite), and he disdains the "whig" history which tends to idolize the later Christian emperors and demonize those earlier rulers who threw churchgoers to the lions.

The incomparable Michael Grant delivers again with this erudite anthology of concise yet richly rewarding bios of the rulers of Imperial Rome, from Augustus thru the end of the Western Empire. Each Imperial bio is structured roughly the same, covering family background, methodology of accession, overview of reign, a general judgment of the character of both the Emperor and his time in power, and then more often than not quotes from primary sources like Suetonious or Dio Cassius giving contemporary physical and psychological descriptions of the Princeps. All the entries come with a thumbnail sized portrait of the subject, either lifted from sculptured busts or numismatic sources.

What truly makes this book work is of course Grants smoothly lucid prose, equally suitable for scholar and laymen alike. He command of classical history is so complete, he can embody vast amounts of useful information in just a few paragraphs. As a source book for research or as reference for the casual reader, this book cannot be beat.

This is an excellent book which offers an overview of the emperors of Roman history, beginning with Caesar Augustus (the "august one" who was first among equals). This book does not and cannot provide an in-depth view of each emperor's life and times & politics. Indeed, great individuals such as Augustus, Claudius, Hadrian & Marcus Aurelius warrant entire volumes dedicated to them separately. However, Grant does a wonderful job of giving his readers a "taste" of each ruler's reign as well as some useful (and sometimes colorful) anecdotes about their lives.

This is a tremendous book for those who would like a nice quick-and-easy history of the Romans who wore the purple. For those who would like more in-depth books that cover certain epochs (and I hope there are many of you out there), Grant has written books such as "12 Caesars" and "The Antonines" & some others which go into much more detail, but have less scope (timeline wise) than the present book.

Rome's Saxon Shore: Coastal Defences of Roman Britain is a slim book that details the defenses that Rome erected to protect Britain against the many Germatic raiders that plauged the provance for over three centuries. Do not let the small sized fool you though it is a very well written and researched work that helps bring light upon a forgotten part of Roman history.

This is a very well written, scholarly (although short) book on the Saxon Shore forts of Roman Britain that fills a gap in the literature nicely. It is beautifully printed, has many useful maps, illustrations and photos, and has a nice bibliography. Some of the books in this series are rather lightweight; I am happy to report that this one is much better than average for the Osprey series.

Nic Fields' ROME'S SAXON SHORE: COASTAL DEFENCES OF ROMAN BRITAIN AD 250-500 provides a technical survey of the design, history and technology of key fortresses and defensive systems of early Roman Britain, making it a pick for military collections and libraries strong in early history. The 'Saxon Shore' forts of Britain are among the most impressive monuments of the Roman occupation of the British Isles: their ruins are part of today's British landscape and their history is surveyed here with maps, photos and black and white and color illustration throughout.

Osprey keeps pumping out titles for history lovers everywhere. This is a concise, and easy to follow narrative of the defenses of Eastern Britian through the Arthurian period. Great illustrations as per usual, and brief time line make it quick study for Roman history buffs.

The typical Osprey title, concise, well-written, well-researched, and interesting. It is supplemented by excellent full-color plates depicting the fortifications themselves, and their soldiers in combat or on civilian duty.

Reviewed by Erika K. Oliver for Reader Views (2/06)

Joe Landwehr lets us know that the concept of "soul" is not easy to define, nor should it be easy. In his book, "The Seven Gates of Soul" he uses the myth the Mesopotamian goddess Inanna as a metaphor of the journey to discovering and uncovering your truth, your soul. Inanna must pass through seven gates to be allowed entrance into the underworld and Landwehr relates this story to the process of soul discovery. "Only as we shed the various ideas that buffer us from an encounter with the soul, will we hear what the soul is trying to tell us, and then speak, in turn, a language that the soul understands."(p.18)

"Soul" is explored across the disciplines of religion, science, psychology and astrology. Landwehr provides an incredible amount of historical information in each discipline to enable the reader to understand where concepts and ideas of the soul originated and came to be understood. Religion, science and psychology are addressed separately in sections consisting of multiple chapters with astrology woven into each. The astrological discussion progresses with each section as is grounded in the author's experience as an astrologist.

Soul as a balance of opposites is a theme throughout the book and explored in detail in Chapter 9, "Shedding the Scientific Concept of Causality", which was very enlightening in the context of uncovering your soul in the midst of social pressure and cultural norms. Chapters 13, "Liberating Psychology From Its Scientific Trappings", and 14, "Toward a Subjective Approach to the Image Making Process", provided insightful background regarding psychology, which we don't usually learn in college psychology or causal reading.

This is not light or easy reading but it is fascinating. I found myself wishing that Landwehr wrote more simply so that I could easily follow him and not be forced to reread sections or put the book down to clear my head. The "aha" moments made this book worth the effort. The author explained soul concepts and effects of each discipline on our ideas of soul to facilitate individual journeys to truth. The author's enthusiasm and dedication to finding his truth kept me reading.

I recommend this book as a college textbook and to those who are unsatisfied with the surface discussion of soul found in most mainstream books. I found myself wishing I was reading this with a group structured for discussion so that I could flush out the complex topics and information and understand more in the context of my experience.

Joe Landwehr has finally bridged the gap between Mind and Soul with "The Seven Gates of Soul." Yes, it is packed with interesting and insightful bits of history, philosophy, and religion, but it is also refreshingly creative in applying those disciplines to our modern search for soulful connections. His style is accessible and articulate which made me want to keep reading, but every page has so much to digest that I had to take it slowly to appreciate the wisdom that it contained. I highly recommend this book, not only to serious astrologers, but to all thinking and feeling individuals who have an interest in who we are, and could be, in the grand scheme of things.
Fran Laakman

Philosopher and astrologer Joe Landwehr presents The Seven Gates of Soul: Reclaiming the Poetry of Everyday Life uses the passage of a goddess through seven gates as a metaphor to permeate barriers to a true appreciation of the qualities of the soul. Religion, science, philosophy, and psychology each strive to comprehend yet interfere with understanding of the spirit; The Seven Gates of the Soul explores how to connect with one's innermost self and highest wisdom, from discerning the myth of immortality to reclaiming the sexual nature of the soul, how the deification of the rational mind in the 20th century has eroded understanding of the soul, how shedding scientific objectivity for the language of subjectivity can extend a deeper comprehension of truth, and much more. A serious and intense work of prolonged thought and feeling, written to speak against common exhortations that obfuscate the process of understanding with the intensely human yet ultimately misleading need to believe what we want to believe.

Just finished your book. It is FANTASTIC! You combine the three great elements. You have something unique to say, you have a writer's gift of "style" and you have SOUL! And I love the connective metaphor of the Falcon, storm or song circling the tower. Reminds me of the song lyrics from the ol' Hippie Days, when there was an abundance of soul moving around the music. I can really see it being taught as a college course. In fact we may start using it in our classes here at Center Point Management. I think your book would fit in nicely. Thanks for the "Gift" of having written it.

The Seven Gates of Soul: Reclaiming the Poetry of Everyday Life is a textbook detailing the history and concepts behind the idea and purpose of the soul. This book examines how the death of the physical body has been viewed throughout human history and how these views have changed over time and differ between different cultures. Moreover, this book examines the differing methodologies of various religious personages, philosophers, scientists, and psychologists in their attempts to explored the concept of soul and identify the existence (or non-existence), properties, and purpose of life, death, and the soul.

The author has done an exemplary job at illustrating a very complete history of these studies. This book contains complete libraries worth of related material carefully compiled in a meaningful, organized way. These concepts are presented in such a complete way that one need not have any background on the subject to read and understand this book. Nonetheless, readers should be aware that this book contains a great deal of research that requires time to contemplate and question. Simply put, do not expect to finish reading this book in a single day.

Furthermore, the author has managed to keep non-denominational, non-egocentric while presenting this material. In this way, a wide variety of spiritualities, cultures, and investigation methods throughout the world are investigated without cultural bias. The only bias that can be detected is that of objective versus subjective research methods and the practice of astrology versus astropoetics. These aspects are most apparent while the author is presenting his methodology for soul research: astropoetics an introspective, subjective study of an individual's life purpose and exploration into their definition of soul. Nevertheless, even these slightly biased portions are presented more as food for thought than unshakable truth.

This is a wonderful book: at once gracefully summarizing what is known and adding importantly to that store of knowledge, Kastan's book, gracefully and often wittily written, compellingly tells the story of how the plays we love to read reached print -- from their own time even to our own computor age. This is a book that will delight lovers of Shakespeare and also reassure those who are worrying that the age of the book is quickly passing. The beauty of this book alone itself insures this will not be so. Bravo!!

I loved this book. It is beautiful written, even funny in places, is a clear and always interesting account of how Shakespeare made it into print (and what print has done to him since). Anyone interested in Shakespeare and in books will enjoy this and learn from it.

This is just plain fun--or not so plain, but amazingly enjoyable for something so filled with new and surprising information. Kastan writes well, seemingly knows everything that has been written on this vast topic, and makes it accessible and exciting.

this is informative, wittily written, and filled with surprises about how Shakespeare became "Shakespeare"; it is also a beautifully produced book, as one would expect from Cambridge.
The paperback makes a great gift for anyone interested in Shakespeare or in the history of the book, even as that history moves into the digital era. A great buy and a must for any college or good high school library.

Shakespeare as we read him! This is wonderful! hard to believe so much information could be made so available and fun to read. Well written and a good looking book--and the price is right!

Very good translation and excellent hardbound edition of some of the best plays ever written.

If you haven't read anything by Sophocles and want to read him for fun, I'd suggest getting the Fagles translations of the Theban plays, followed by the Sophocles II volume published by University of Chicago. That will get you every complete play we have by him and is a good way to start.

However, if you've read one (or even all) of the plays in this volume, know some Greek, and want to go a bit deeper, this is the book you're looking for. The translations in this volume are extremely, almost unusually, literal. While the two most prominent translations (Fagles and Greene) waver from the text at times for poetic value, Lloyd-Jones does nothing of the sort. For the most part, what you see on the left side is as close as it gets in English to the Greek on the right side. This is really helpful for those who know enough Greek to be curious about what Sophocles is up to but not enough to actually read the text in the Greek without a lexicon.

I generally see Loeb books as investments, due to their high costs. This is one investment that has paid off for me. Highly recommended for anyone interested in Oedipus the King, Ajax, or Electra (although let's be honest: you probably want this more for Oedipus the King than for the other two plays).

This play is a fantastic view at what some ancient people in Athens thought about their leader Pericles. I love this play, and can only justify Loeb Classics as the best text. I challenge anyone to read this play and not feel a strange need to wickedly laugh out loud as the story unfolds.

I honestly enjoyed reading these plays. Especially the first and third. The translation is easy to read and flows really well. I picked these up to supplement some lines of study that I'm pursuing but ended up enjoying them in their own right and for the purposes natural to them. These are not dusty old dry plays - exactly the opposite - these are vibrant introductions to the ancient greek world. I highly recommend you read these - and I recommend this edition and most especially the wonderful translation.

Sophocles is the master of Greek drama and a master at contstructing a plot. Antigone is excellent and turns into an amazing story that leaves you rethinking just who the "tragic hero" of the play is. Oedipus at Colonus is perhaps the saddest play of the so called "Oedipus Cycle". Yet, in a way, it has a very redeeming end. This is a great edition because, of course like all the Loeb series, it also has the Greek.

The strength of this novel is its strong prose style, a style that Ian Campbell has correctly described as "flexible and arresting." (xxvi) The novel's weakness is its limited characterization. For all its fine evocative passages, the characters are flat and fail to develop. Perhaps we can excuse former slaves for being emotionally stunted, but the reader may soon cease to care whether such people live or die.

And die they all do. This is a novel littered with corpses. Even though Mitchell, writing in the 1930s, could not have anticipated the sort of blood lust in which twenty-first-century Hollywood wallows, his numerous unpleasant deaths, coolly observed, are still multiple deaths from which the humanity has been drained.

Finally, mention should be made of what Campbell calls Mitchell's "occasionally injudicious reliance on one effect." (xxix) Some characters have a leitmotif that follows them insistently (and sometimes irritatingly) through the story. The author also has a fascination with Latin, Greek, and obscure English words. Although the reader can usually deduce what the unknown word must mean, occasionally Mitchell goes overboard, as when he writes that "beyond the horreum itself, through a fence of osiers, the steadings of a farm loomed." (56)

I don't understand why this isn't at the top of the Spartacus search. The movie was adapted from THIS novel, why would anything be above it? Excellent novel, and a must-have for those who love history and/or historical fiction.

Lewis Grassic Gibbon (or James Leslie Mitchell) has written a novel of Spartacus that is as refreshing as it is clearly one of the forerunners of historical fiction. Opening through the eyes of the eunuch Kleon and his mission to find the heroic leader of the Slaves the novel centers more around Spartacus 'inner circle' and his relationship with Elpinice. Book I is told through Kleon and deals with the period up to the defeat after the Battle of the Lake. Books II and III with Spatracus' victories until we move towards the well-known and inexorable end on the Appian way at the hands of Marcus Licinius Crassus at the end of Book VI. The novel ends as it begins, with Kleon, and his crucifixion
The novel is well written, well-paced and pauses sufficiently to voice greater philospohical views than historical novels of the current generation. It is easy to see why this has been heralded as one of the great novels of its genre.

This novel is an amazing masterpiece of prose. I cannot praise this book enough! The opening scene is one of the most memorable and epic works of writing I have ever read.

I just finished reading this book. It was absolutely fantastic. The author's command of the English language...his use of imagery, metaphor, symbolism, foreshadowing..etc was made this book a joy to read.

I have heard that Assata is the aunt of famous rapper, Tupac Shakur. Is this true? Is their any mention of Tupac in her books???

A collection of mostly interviews conducted over a number of years, the voices of Dhoruba Bin Wahad, Mumia Abu-Jamal and Assata Shakur speak loud & proud while revealing the roles of a variety of government agencies in destroying the Black Power movement.

Originally published in 1993, the topics covered include the Black Panther Party, (Philadelphia) MOVE, the Black Liberation Army and the racism in the American judicial system. Particularly interesting is the BPP chronology and a collection of FBI documents that explain in government-speak the targeting of individuals/organizations.

These are important accounts that challenge and ultimately debunks mainstream media coverage of individuals & events that will continue to have significance when one researches the real history of the Black Power movement.

This book gives a insight of the most famous victim of The F.B.I's cointelpro next to Geronimo Pratt. This book shows that 19 years of Prison has not dulled Dhoruba's committment to Revolutionary Struggle. The excerpts by Mumia abu Jamal and Assata Shakur are very helpful.

After spending about two decades in America's penal system for a crime he did not commit Dhoruba bin Wahad gives us his too brief insights into America and it's relationship with Blacks. Interms of clearity perhaps only matched by Chomsky.

The other two writers [Jamal and Shakur] one on death row, the other exiled in Cuba also peel back the illusions of justice for all citzens in America. A vivid account of what it is to have the most powerful country in the world trying to destroy you for standing up for justice.Also a great general history lesson.

Book should be part of a mandatory reading list in public schools for all students black and white.

This book gives a insight of the most famous victim of The F.B.I's cointelpro next to Geronimo Pratt. This book shows that 19 years of Prison has not dulled Dhoruba's committment to Revolutionary Struggle. The excerpts by Mumia abu Jamal and Assata Shakur are very helpful.

My preconceived notions about this conflict I picked up from the movie,"Braveheart",have to be somewhat revised after reading this book.Mainly the equipment aspect,seeing that William Wallace would have probably worn a full suit of the latest European style armor imported from the "land of the Franks".The tartans he wears in Braveheart give Mel more the folksy hero look I'll admit,but in actual combat who's looking to be a "folkhero".Wallaces' army from my read of this pamphlet style book,was alot more organized and while there were some"Bezerkers" in his ranks alot more of them would have been equipped European style aping their French sympathies.Rather than a bunch of outraged natives defending their turf,Wallace's army appears organized and capable of pulling off a well executed trap and getting there"firstist with the mostest",beforwe the English could fully deploy their forces.Excellent maps and overhead views.Great artwork as always with Wallace in full armor rather than bluish and kilted.
King Edward the First was tied up in continental politics at the time of Stirling Bridge and so the English command at the battle was left to a subordinate,who bungled the affair.In the second part of this Osprey book,the Battle of Falkirk,Edward(Longshanks)the First was present and what a difference as the Scots were defeated.This makes the 4th book on the Scottish/English wars I've read in the Osprey series and there are even a few more I haven't yet read.I'd hoped to see and understand the origin of this conflict but I've concluded it's probably prehistoric when pre-Picts said they were tired of being bossed by ancestors of McRiley's,(something like that)!

This Osprey title examines two of William Wallace's most climatic battles, both of which are portrayed (entertainingly but inaccurately) in the movie Braveheart. It does service to the most heroic battles in the history, and indeed the mythology, of Scotland.

Of the several campaign titles I have read, I found this one to be the most interesting and appealingly presented. In the usual format it begins by summarizing the events that led to Stirling Bridge-starting with the scandalous yet accidental demise of King Alexander III of Scotland in 1286, and the subsequent efforts by Edward I ('Longshanks') of England to subdue the Scots. It then gives a summarized chronology, and then goes on to profile the commanders on both sides, including the ruthless King Edward, the mediocre John de Warenne, the obese and oppressive Hugh Cressingham, and the infamous William Wallace and his compatriot Andrew de Moray (who is, like many of these people, completely left out in Braveheart).

The armies are next detailed. They were surprisingly similar in composition-and the Scots were mail clad halberdiers and pikemen, rather than painted warriors wearing kilts and not much else (the three plates by Angus McBride excellently illustrate the soldiery of both sides-and makes Wallace into the knight he was likely armed as). The events leading up to the battles, and the battles themselves are discussed in clear detail, and the history of Scotland 1298-1314 is summed up as a conclusion.

Altogether, it is an excellent source on these two great battles in Scottish history, and the brilliant (and indeed freedom-loving and arrogant) warlord who led them.

The Osprey Campaign account of the two major battles of William Wallace's rebellion has a solid, authoritative feel to it. Pete Armstrong's text is not particularly elegant and would have benefited from stricter editing, but he more than makes up for this with a thorough knowledge of his subject and an infectious enthusiasm for it.

It makes sense to combine these two battles in one volume because, together with a description of the background and linking events, they constitute an account of Wallace's entire campaign. Little is known about the man himself, so justice can be done to him in a relatively short book like this.

The maps, 2D and 3D, are informative and attractive. The illustrations of battle scenes are excellent, giving a real sense of how things must have looked, minus the mud and blood and guts, of course. The various sketches of seals and coats of arms will be rather too much for most general readers, but those depicting arms and armor should be of interest to everyone.

The Wallace episode is an important and absorbing one in the ancient conflict between English and Scot, rivals as only neighbors can be. It has accreted plenty of mythic elements also, which books like this may help to dispel.

I know that many people like the Hollywood movie "Braveheart" with Mel Gibson, and have "learnt history" from that inacurrate, fantasy film. But if you want the real story about William Wallace's war against Edward II, take your time and read this superb, new volume from Osprey, written by the respected historian David Nicolle. Here we're introduced to Wallace the armoured knight, leading his disciplined mailclad scottish pikemen, not the longhaired and kilt-dressed savage in head of his pictish hordes as inacurratly portrayed by Hollywood. Perhaps equally important for the victory at Stirling bridge was also Andrew Murray. So enjoy this fascinating peice of history, and laugh next time you watch "Braveheart"!

Amateur historian Pete Armstrong provides a good summary of William Wallace's famous rebellion against English rule in Scotland during 1297-1298. The two principle battles of this rebellion were Stirling Bridge and Falkirk, the first a Scottish victory and the second an English victory. Overall, Armstrong provides both insight and detail of this epic phase of the Scottish struggle for independence from English domination.

Stirling Bridge & Falkirk 1297-1298 begins with a nine-page introduction that explains how Scotland's dynastic problems led to English intervention. The sections on opposing commanders and opposing armies are decent, but perhaps not as informative as they could have been (a diagram of tactical unit dispositions might have been helpful). The maps are a bit skimpy in this volume, as there are only four 2-D maps instead of the typical 7-8; they are: Edward I's invasion in 1296, the campaign of 1297, the campaign of Falkirk and the campaigns of 1300-1307. There are also three 3-D "Birds Eye View" maps - two of Stirling Bridge and one of Falkirk. The three battle scenes by Angus McBride depict William Wallace at Stirling, the Scottish attack at Stirling and the English cavalry at Falkirk.

One aspect of this book that is particularly welcome for military historians is the attention that the author devotes to issues such as the terrain over which the battles were fought. Clearly, the restrictive terrain at Stirling Bridge contributed significantly to the English defeat on that battlefield. Similarly, the lack of suitable defensive terrain at Falkirk led to the Scottish defeat. It is also clear that both sides were plagued by logistic problems and the lack of intelligence about enemy movements.

This book is excellent reading material!! Dr. Robbins is my professor for a Great Discoveries in Archaeology class at MSU and we use this book for the class. I certainly don't feel as if I'm doing homework while reading it. The book is very informative, yet easy reading material. Dr. Robbins is a very talented professor and writer with a great deal of precise and sometimes humorous information to offer anyone interested in reading this book!!

Informative, entertaining, and consise. A great survey of important archeological discoveries....but written in a highly readable way.

This book covers a wide range of archaeological finds from all over the world. Cave paintings, skeletons, tombs, the list goes on. There are different (and more specialized) types of archaeology mentioned as well as the discoveries they brought about. Another thing I liked was that the author presents different interpretations and points of view about the information recovered from digs. In the back of the book there's a chronological table of archaeology discoveries that helped me to better organize important dates in my mind.

Well, I wasn't too sure when I started but by the time I finished the first chapter, "Stones, Bones and Ancient Cities" by Lawrence H. Robbins had me hooked so much I didn't get much sleep for the next few days. The writing style is crisp, clean and easy to understand. Robbins presents the cold-hard facts not just in layman's terms but in INTERESTING terms. I really loved the map of important sites discussed in the book which helped to put things into real perspective.

Chapter 2 about Cave Art is really eye-opening and informative about this controversial and speculative area of anthropology. Robbins also presents several Time-Lines at the back of the book that are also very informative. I am also a HUGE fan of the Chapter-by-Chapter form of Notes to be terrific for those of us that like to add more and more reading materials to our shelves. The photographs are fine though MORE is always better in these types of books.

REALLY AN ENJOYABLE READ!!

Informative, entertaining, and consise. A great survey of important archeological discoveries....but written in a highly readable way.

This is a great history book on the great Mongol Empire. It clears up a lot misunderstandings and superstitions about the supposedly horrible Mongol barbarians and gives a reliable account of their rule in this time period. It covers Temujin's (aka Genghis Khan) beginnings to the end of his forebears rule. It has pictures from the past and of re-enactments of Mongol cavalry - you will rarely find this elsewhere. The Mongol Empire was a militaristic nation, so this book lacks on the military strategy and warfare of the Mongols. Only the basics are covered.

I love the occasional suprises in life; you know the very unexpected which enriches you forever.
When I bought this book I really wasn't interested in Ghengis Khan but I thought maybe I could find out more about the group. Well, the book ws written beautifully which madefollowing the sory and timeline very easy.
I found the author had a scholastic approach to the subject which is what I sought and had the ability to incorporate mady other aspects tpo the Khans which gave me the unusual perspective that I always desire. You know the knowledge that lets you lord over others who happen to feel they are experts and expect that noone else knows. Thats my kind of fun.
Anyway, the book incorporates the necessary maps and some beautiful artwork that really enhances the book. Unfortunately, I mark up all of my good book with underlines, exclamation points and many many stars for futile future reference
The only criticism I can offer is that beside his references to many of the major cities that he invaded and then re-constructed there was no mention of the modern names of these places which requers me to search them out on the internet.
If you are a history lover and want a dry but fascinating look at this period, BUY THIS BOOK!
I fmr: Marshall reads this- well thank you for writing this book you have given me the power of knowledge.

This is a great overview of the part of Mongolian history that most intrigues westerners, the years of the great Khans. It is a very accessible book that doesn't require any prior knowledge on the part of the reader, and hopefully inspires them to look deeper into the people and the nation of Mongolia.

In the west we've all heard of Ghengis Khan, and we have our preconceptions of "barbarian" cultures or the terrible hordes of Mongol warriors; the reality behind the myths and legends is well worth knowing. I first encountered the "Storm from the East" video series on TLC and it has since re-played {but rarely} on THC. The film or video is only on offer to educational institutions at a very high price, so the most a layman can hope for is a quality tape from TV -or- this book.

The book follows the video script almost verbatum, with many of the same maps, diagrams and stills from the live footage shot in Mongolia. It's a wonderful substitute, and an easy to digest history lesson.

The relationship of the medieval Mongolian nation to China and the western European nations is fascinating, and thanks to "Storm from the East" it is easily understood. The book is written with a gentle sense of humor, but does not belittle nor aggrandize the Mongolian people or the historical Khans.

An excellent book for all interested in the rise and fall of the Mongol Empire. Written in an exciting and lively way, the reader is left thirsty for more, even though the book itself is factually complete without inundating the interested layman with boring, left-alone facts and dates.

This book is based on a BBC documentary of the same name. The book is written so that any history freak can read and enjoy it. Many, Many pictures and maps make it more understandable. Some of the pictures are even re-enactments and are very interesting to look at.