Book Description
The Mammoth Book of Eyewitness Ancient Rome is the history of the rise and fall of the Roman Empire in the words of those who saw it firsthand. Never before in such detail has there been a history of this great and influential civilization that continues to mark the landscape (the Colosseum, the Roman roads, the aqueduct at Nimes), our language, our calendar (“July” for Julius Caesar), our laws, our traditions (carrying a bride across the threshold), and our very thoughts. With all the gossip of I, Claudius and the excitement of Gladiator (but none of the historical inaccuracy), The Mammoth Book of Eyewitness Ancient Rome is a unique tour into the most important civilization in the West.
Customer Reviews:
Good companion to Gibbons.......2007-03-27
I really enjoyed this book because it wasn't just a bunch of impersonal historical facts piled into one book. These are writings and historical accounts from those who were present at the time the history was being made. This book gives a unique perspective about the Roman Empire that most history books don't.
A unique and thorough collection of rare documents!.......2006-05-22
"The Mammoth Book of Eyewitness Ancient Rome: The History of the Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire in the Words of Those Who Were There" (whew!) is a 500+ page "phone book" of authentic Roman documents. The book is truly as "mammoth" as you would expect from a work with twenty-six words in the title alone, and pragmatically speaking, it's a remarkable value. For under eleven bucks, you can get this comprehensive set of writings, whereas buying just a handful of them in other sources (if such books are available for the work you want to read) would cost that much or more! A remarkable value!
I was most interested in the works of Josephus, but I quickly became enthralled by the way other works eerily paralleled our own society. Several of these writings can only be described as "how-to" books, for example. And, there's a document claiming to be written by Marc Antony himself entitled "On Going to Bed with Cleopatra", which makes one wonder if the Romans' attention was as misfocused as our own on cults of celebrity instead of important things. Over the years, you can follow along as Rome learns about the death of Christ from St. John, experiences Caligula and Nero, and dozens of other historical events. The Roman opinions clearly didn't always pan out, as our historical 20-20 vision will quickly tell you, but it's interesting to see how they viewed things at the time.
A Fun Resource, Marred By Some Creaky Translations.......2003-09-18
This Mammoth Book of Eyewitness Ancient Rome, edited by Jon Lewis, is really about the same size as a Viking Portable, so the title overstates the reality. At the same time, the book does collect a wide variety of Roman writings from all phases of its development and collapse. I've never before run across the Twelve Tables(450) BCE, anonymous rituals, Josephus, St. Augustine, Hannibal, Pliny, Suetonius, Marcus Aurelius, Horace, Caesar, Cicero, Juvenal, Constantine and too many others, known and anonymous, to name, all in one volume. It's main problem is that some of these translations are so hoary it's hard to imagine anyone ever expressed themselves in such convoluted and ornate language. Hannibal's speech to his troops is a prime example: it is unlikely his troops would have understood what he said, much less been motivated to valor, if he actually talked like he does in the translation here. Most of the pieces are good enough, though. It's fun to browse through, to get a peek at what Romans thought of themselves, and ordinary things they did, as well as great ones. The chronology at the front is very handy, too.
Book Description
Between Heaven and Earth explores the relationships men, women, and children have formed with the Virgin Mary and the saints in twentieth-century American Catholic history, and reflects, more broadly, on how people live in the company of sacred figures and how these relationships shape the ties between people on earth. In this boldly argued and beautifully written book, Robert Orsi also considers how scholars of religion occupy the ground in between belief and analysis, faith and scholarship.
Orsi infuses his analysis with an autobiographical voice steeped in his own Italian-American Catholic background--from the devotion of his uncle Sal, who had cerebral palsy, to a "crippled saint," Margaret of Castello; to the bond of his Tuscan grandmother with Saint Gemma Galgani.
Religion exists not as a medium of making meanings, Orsi maintains, but as a network of relationships between heaven and earth involving people of all ages as well as the many sacred figures they hold dear. Orsi argues that modern academic theorizing about religion has long sanctioned dubious distinctions between "good" or "real" religious expression on the one hand and "bad" or "bogus" religion on the other, which marginalize these everyday relationships with sacred figures.
This book is a brilliant critical inquiry into the lives that people make, for better or worse, between heaven and earth, and into the ways scholars of religion could better study of these worlds.
Customer Reviews:
Interesting, easy read.......2007-05-14
Orsi's book is an interesting intro to some of the issues facing religious studies scholars. It presents the issues of how to study a religious community and what difficulties arise in doing so. For the reader less interested in the academic field of religious studies, there is still a wealth of information on religion in America, especially the history and development of American Catholicism.
The book is accessible to a wide audience and is the kind of work that makes for good dicussions with a variety of different types of groups. I will add, however, that for those who are already sufficiently aware of the problems of doing anthropological research on religious communities, it offers little that is new or insightful.
Customer Reviews:
a very good edition of the Bible.......1999-05-11
This is a very good edition of the Bible. The third world perspective is a useful balance to the plethora of study bibles writen from a "1st world" academic perspective. The work is scholarly, yet also includes much devotional and pastoral reflection, including references to Augustine and other great saints and doctors of the tradition. I would give it 5 stars except that there are a few errors in the notes ( a supplement is included pointing out the errors) and the Old Testament books are not in canonical order which can confuse the reader at first. All in all, I think that this Bible can be used with the Oxford Annotated Study Bible (Revised Standard Version) and either the New American Bible or the New Jerusalem Bible.
A JOY TO READ!.......1999-01-31
This Bible is a real joy to read! It's notes and comments reflect both deep reverence for God and His Word, and respect for the findings of modern science. This is the most enjoyable Bible translation I have found to date, and I highly recommend it to everyone as a superb devotional Bible.
Book Description
As Richard vibrantly describes the contributions of the individuals, he details the historical context in which each lived, showing how these men influenced their world and ours.
Average customer rating:
- Quickie Classical Reference Book
- An invaluable reference!
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Who's Who in the Ancient World: A Handbook to the Survivors of the Greek and Roman Classics (Penguin reference books)
Betty Radice
Manufacturer: Puffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0140510559 |
Customer Reviews:
Quickie Classical Reference Book.......2007-02-27
This is an excellent little reference book for the ancient Greco-Roman Classical world. Great for the student of ancient history or mythology or for classical allusions in literature or political science made to this day.
An invaluable reference!.......1998-04-16
This book offers invaluable references for travel, literature art...heck, even songs by Sting! I purchased my first copy while in art school where I couldn't keep straight all of the tales of love, betrayal and revenge in the ancient world. After four months in Italy and Greece it is worn, torn and lovingly wine stained, but it has served me well. I used it to decipher names on structures in the Roman Forum and to reveal the meaning of paintings in the Ufizzi. Without it my travels would not have been nearly as rich.
Book Description
Making an early appearance in this volume are the first Roman invader of Britain, Julius Caesar, whose campaigns in 55 and 54 B.C. are succinctly described; Boudicca, the Iceni queen whose rebellion nearly ended the Roman occupation only seventeen years after the Emperor Claudius's conquest. Later figures are Bede, "the earliest and most influential of all English historians"; and King Canute, the Danish monarch famed for his failure to hold back the sea actually a demonstration to his sycophantic courtiers of the weakness of his powers compared to God's.
Average customer rating:
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Greek and Roman Lives (Giant Thrifts)
Plutarch , and
Arthur Hugh Clough
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
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The Trial and Death of Socrates: Four Dialogues (Dover Thrift Editions)
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The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (Modern Library Classics)
ASIN: 0486445763 |
Book Description
Plutarch's biographies of Solon, Pericles, Alexander the Great, Caesar, Cicero, and others form a brilliant social history of the ancient world. This rich collection reveals the character and personalities of Greece and Rome's most influential figures. It is Plutarch's most enduring work and is an exceptional choice for biography lovers and readers of ancient history.
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Who's Who in the Roman World (Who's Who)
John Hazel
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Who's Who in the Greek World (Who's Who) (Who's Who (Routledge))
ASIN: 0415291623 |
Book Description
A wide-ranging survey of one of the greatest civilizations in history, Hazel's authoritative and hugely enjoyable guide introduces figures from all walks of Roman life, from Emperors to generals, from politicians to thieves.
Customer Reviews:
very useful book.......2001-07-24
I recommend this book for anybody who is interested in the ancient Roman civilization. Very well compiled and very useful dictionary of biographies on the famous Roman people.
However, there exists somewhat discordia in selection of the entries. For example, in the book we can find the emperor Hadrianus' favorite boy ANTINOUS , but not the emperor Nero's boy-wife SPORUS nor the emperor Elagabarus' husband HIEROCLES.
If you'd like to read more detailed accounts or articles , you should better to purchase the last version of "the Oxford Classical Dictionary".
Product Description
The author introduces the reader to 12 men whose accomplishments shaped Western thought and society: Homer, Plato, Augustus, Julius Caesar, Augustine, Cicero, Alexander the Great, Scipio Africanus, Paul of Tarsus, Pericles, Thales, and Themistocles.
Customer Reviews:
Great for younger grades.......2005-08-21
We used in our study of Ancient Rome. Kids enjoyed format and pictures.
A Great Introduction to Roman Culture!.......2000-12-10
I would especially recommend this book for homeschooling parents who want a lively and interesting introduction to Roman culture for their children. Written in question and answer format, children will learn how modern culture compares and contrasts with the ancient world.
How do you put on a toga? Did Roman women wear makeup? How were mosaics made? What was it like inside a roman house? Did they have toilets? Who and what were gladiators? Did the Romans have zoos?
The color illustrations are terrific! A great book for older elementary and middle school students!
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- An important document of the slave experience
- A Woman's Voice and the Experience of Slavery
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The History of Mary Prince, A West Indian Slave, Related by Herself: Revised Edition
Manufacturer: University of Michigan Press
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ASIN: 0472084100 |
Book Description
Mary Prince was the first black British woman to escape from slavery and publish a record of her experiences. In this unique document, Mary Prince vividly recalls her life as a slave in Bermuda, Turks Island, and Antigua, her rebellion against physical and psychological degradation, and her eventual escape to London in 1828.
First published in London and Edinburgh in 1831, and well into its third edition that year, The History of Mary Prince inflamed public opinion and created political havoc. Never before had the sufferings and indignities of enslavement been seen through the eyes of a woman--a woman struggling for freedom in the face of great odds.
Moira Ferguson's edition of the book added an introduction, annotations, and appendices. The book has found popularity both in the classroom and with the general public. Recently, an adaptation of the memoirs of Mary Prince appeared as one segment of "A Skirt Through History," a six-part feature film series produced by the BBC. Mary Prince's story has also been the centerpiece of BBC radio broadcasts.
In this revised and expanded edition of The History of Mary Prince, Ferguson has added new material, based on her extensive research in Bermuda and London. The book includes new details of Mary Prince's experiences as a freewoman in England, the transcripts of several libel cases brought against her, and the reactions of British society, as seen in prominent periodicals of the day, against the original publication of The History of Mary Prince. This new material brings greater depth and detail and serves to more fully illustrate and contextualize the life of this remarkable woman.
Moira Ferguson is James E. Ryan Professor of English and Women's Literature, University of Nebraska.
Customer Reviews:
An important document of the slave experience.......2001-01-06
Born in Bermuda in the late 18th century, Mary Prince was a Black woman who survived enslavement in the colonial world of the Caribbean. She orally told her story to a third party, who transcribed it. First published in England in 1831, "The History of Mary Prince, a West Indian Slave" is one of the most important narratives of the slave experience in the Americas.
This book describes in detail the reality of the slave experience: the dehumanization of Black people, the moral degradation of their masters, and the ever-present violence. Prince's story is also an important early defense of the humanity of people of African descent. She notes that slave masters "think that black people are like cattle, without natural affection. But my heart tells me it is far otherwise."
Prince tells of her labor in the salt ponds of Turk's Island, her conflict with a hired mulatto woman, her spiritual life in the Moravian Church, and many other topics. Ultimately, she celebrates the desire and hope for freedom: "All slaves want to be free."
"The History of Mary Prince" does not quite attain the level of literary craftsmanship and psychological complexity as do some other classic slave narratives (I am thinking in particular of those of Frederick Douglass and Harriet Jacobs). But it is still a powerful, authoritative, and important human testament. Mary Prince declares, "I have been a slave--I have felt what a slave feels, and I know what a slave knows." We of later centuries need to hear her words.
A Woman's Voice and the Experience of Slavery.......2000-09-25
First published in 1831, "The History of Mary Prince" is an extraordinary cultural document. It is the first published account of a female British ex-slave. Mary Prince, a slave in the West Indies in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, tells the story of her life in an effort to awaken sympathy for the abolitionist movement in England.
Mary particularly emphasizes instances of the arbitrary punishments meted out by her various masters. She repeatedly questions how the British, a civilized nation, could permit its colonists to treat its colonial work force like brute beasts. Mary elicits our attention and respect in the ways she manages to resist the brutality of her masters, both physically and vocally. She often shows herself speaking out against cruelty regardless of social taboos, accepted colonial norms of unquestioning obedience, and the image of the "benevolent" slave owner.
Mary's narrative is also remarkable for her characterization as the "self-made heroine." Mary tells us extensively about her attempts to save enough money to purchase her freedom, and to engage, convert, and marry the man of her choice. As the editor of this edition points out, as Mary begins to learn the value of her labor, she more easily manipulates her owners into realizing their own powerlessness over her. A sort of Wollstonecraftian feminist hero, Mary Prince bases her self-definition on her ability to be financially, as well as physically independent, and to improve herself through education and religion.
One limitation of "The History of Mary Prince" is the fact that it was only dictated by Prince. It was transcribed and published by British abolitionists, who may have suggested the emphasis on brutality and deemphasis on specifically sexual violence. It is impossible to know the extent of the editing process, which was out of Prince's hands. Nonetheless, this edition, edited by Moira Ferguson, contains many relevant historical documents which provide a rich context for Prince's narrative.
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The Mammoth Book of Eyewitness Ancient Egypt
Handbook to Life in Ancient Rome
The Mammoth Book of How It Happened: Eyewitness Accounts of Great Historical Moments from 2700 BC to AD 2005
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The Mammoth Book of Eyewitness Britain: Eyewitness Accounts of Great Historical Moments from 55 B.C. to A.D. 2000
