Exploring Top Books of Shelfari

The word "history" derives from the Greek word for "inquiry". Combining his encyclopaedic interests and curiosity about the customs and workings of humankind, the "Father of History" gives us an unforgettable account of the great clash between Greece and the Persian Empire. In his matchless study of persons, places, and events, Herodotus recounts the rise of Lydia, and the ascendancy of the kingdom of Persia under... (more)

The Bronze Bow

by Elizabeth George Speare

The Bronze Bow takes place in Galilee, Israel, during the time of Jesus. Eighteen-year-old Daniel bar Jamin has endured a life of unbelievable hardships. At the tender age of eight, Daniel witnesses his father’s and uncle’s crucifixion by Roman soldiers. After three years apprenticed to a cruel master Daniel flees to the hills and meets a radical rebel leader, Rosh. Hatred for the Romans consumes him. He thinks... (more)

D'Aulaires Book of Greek Myths

by Edgar D'Aulaire, Ingri D'Aulaire

Mighty Zeus, with his fistful of thunderbolts, Athena, goddess of wisdom, Helios the sun, greedy King Midas--here are gods, goddesses, and legendary figures of ancient Greece brought to life in the myths that have inspired great literature and art throughout the ages. Illustrations throughout.

The Iliad

by Homer

"Each new generation is bound to produce new translations. <Lattimore> has done better with nobility, as well as with accuracy, than any other modern verse translator. <In> our age we do not often find a fine scholar who is also a genuine poet and who takes the greatest pains over the work of translation."--Hugh Lloyd-Jones, New York Review of Books

The Epic of Gilgamesh

by Stephen Mitchell, David Ferry, Herbert Mason, A. R. George

Gilgamesh is the first known piece of literature in the world. It is located in the Mesopotamian land. Translated with an Introduction by Andrew George.

Fingerprints Of The Gods: The Evidence of Earth's Lost Civilization

Fingerprints Of The Gods: The Evidence of Earth's Lost Civilization

by Graham Hancock

The bestselling author of The Sign and the Seal reveals the true origins of civilization. Connecting puzzling clues scattered throughout the world, Hancock discovers compelling evidence of a technologically and culturally advanced civilization that was destroyed and obliterated from human memory. Four 8-page photo inserts.

The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire

The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire

by Edward Gibbon

Gibbon’s masterpiece, which narrates the history of the Roman Empire from the second century a.d. to its collapse in the west in the fifth century and in the east in the fifteenth century, is widely considered the greatest work of history ever written. This abridgment retains the full scope of the original, but in a compass equivalent to a long novel. Casual readers now have access to the full sweep of Gibbon’s... (more)

Cicero: The Life and Times of Rome's Greatest Politician

Cicero: The Life and Times of Rome's Greatest Politician

by Anthony Everitt

“All ages of the world have not produced a greater statesman and philosopher combined.” —John Adams He squared off against Caesar and was friends with young Brutus. He advised the legendary Pompey on his somewhat botched transition from military hero to politician. He lambasted Mark Antony and was master of the smear campaign, as feared for his wit as he was for exposing his opponents’ sexual peccadilloes.... (more)

I, Claudius

by Robert Graves

Considered an idiot because of his physical infirmities, Claudius survived the intrigues and poisonings of the reigns of Augustus, Tiberius, and the Mad Caligula to become emperor in 41 A.D. A masterpiece.

History of the Peloponnesian War

by Thucydides

Written four hundred years before the birth of Christ, this detailed contemporary account of the struggle between Athens and Sparta stands an excellent chance of fulfilling the author's ambitious claim that the work "was done to last forever." The conflicts between the two empires over shipping, trade, and colonial expansion came to a head in 431 b.c. in Northern Greece, and the entire Greek world was plunged into... (more)

The Trojan War

by Olivia E. Coolidge

In this retelling of the Trojan War, Olivia Coolidge crafts heroes and gods into real, multidimensional characters, not just the figures of legend. Vibrant storytelling and finely wrought action have made her version of the classic tale of the Fall of Troy accessible to generations of young readers.

Cleopatra VII: Daughter of the Nile, Egypt, 57 B.C. (The Royal Diaries)

The Royal Diaries

Cleopatra VII: Daughter of the Nile, Egypt, 57 B.C. (The Royal Diaries)

by Kristiana Gregory

Established Dear America author Kristiana Gregory kicks off the Royal Diaries with the captivating story of young Cleopatra's tumultuous life. Daughter of King Ptolemy Autletes, Pharaoh of Egypt, Cleopatra lives a life filled with opulence and mystery.

The Gifts of the Jews

How a Tribe of Desert Nomads Changed the Way Everyone Thinks and Feels

by Thomas Cahill

The author of the runaway bestseller How the Irish Saved Civilization has done it again. In The Gifts of the Jews Thomas Cahill takes us on another enchanting journey into history, once again recreating a time when the actions of a small band of people had repercussions that are still felt today. The Gifts of the Jews reveals the critical change that made western civilization possible. Within the matrix... (more)

The Republic of Plato

by Plato

Plato's "Republic" is widely acknowledged as the cornerstone of Western philosophy. Presented in the form of a dialogue between Socrates and three different interlocutors, it is an enquiry into the notion of a perfect community and the ideal individual within it. During the conversation other questions are raised: what is goodness; what is reality; what is knowledge? "The Republic" also addresses the purpose of... (more)

Lives of the Twelve Caesars

by C. Suetonius Tranquillus, Andrew Wallace-Hadrill, Suetonius, Joseph Gavorse

Covering the Roman rulers from Julius Caesar to Domitian, remains on e f the most enlightening of all Roman histories.

History of the Ancient World

by Susan Wise Bauer

A lively and engaging narrative history showing the common threads in the cultures that gave birth to our own. This is the first volume in a bold new series that tells the stories of all peoples, connecting historical events from Europe to the Middle East to the far coast of China, while still giving weight to the characteristics of each country. Susan Wise Bauer provides both sweeping scope and vivid attention... (more)

Pyramid

by David MacAulay

Through concise text and richly detailed black and white illustrations we come to know the philosophy of life and death in ancient Egypt.

God King: A Story in the Days of King Hezekiah (Living History Library)

God King: A Story in the Days of King Hezekiah (Living History Library)

by Joanne S. Williamson

"I have really enjoyed your books, "God King, Shadow Hawk and "Hittite Warrior. I also have enjoyed the book that you all recommended in the introduction of "God King, The Lost Queen of Egypt.... Thank you so much for publishing, and continuing to publish such wonderful books.

Rubicon

The Last Years of the Roman Republic

by Tom Holland

In 49 B.C., the seven hundred fifth year since the founding of Rome, Julius Caesar crossed a small border river called the Rubicon and plunged Rome into cataclysmic civil war. Tom Holland’s enthralling account tells the story of Caesar’s generation, witness to the twilight of the Republic and its bloody transformation into an empire. From Cicero, Spartacus, and Brutus, to Cleopatra, Virgil, and Augustus, here are... (more)

The Great Transformation

by Karen Armstrong

From Karen Armstrong, the bestselling author of A History of God and The Spiral Staircase , comes this extraordinary investigation of a critical moment in the evolution of religious thought. In the ninth century BCE, events in four regions of the civilized world led to the rise of religious traditions that have endured to the present day--the development of Confucianism and Daoism in China, Hinduism and... (more)

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Tags: ancient history

by Herodotus