Bøger om Empires & regions

When Emily Wilson's translation of The Odyssey appeared in 2017-revealing the ancient poem in a contemporary idiom that was "fresh, unpretentious and lean" (Madeline Miller, Washington Post)-critics lauded it as "a revelation" (Susan Chira, New York Times) and "a cultural landmark" (Charlotte Higgins, Guardian) that would forever change how Homer is read in English. Now Wilson has returned with an equally revelatory translation of Homer's other great epic-the most revered war poem of all time.The Iliad roars with the clamor of arms, the bellowing boasts of victors, the fury and grief of loss, and the anguished cries of dying men. It sings, too, of the sublime magnitude of the world-the fierce beauty of nature and the gods' grand schemes beyond the ken of mortals. In Wilson's hands, this thrilling, magical, and often horrifying tale now gallops at a pace befitting its legendary battle scenes, in crisp but resonant language that evokes the poem's deep pathos and reveals palpably real, even "complicated," characters-both human and divine.The culmination of a decade of intense engagement with antiquity's most surpassingly beautiful and emotionally complex poetry, Wilson's Iliad now gives us a complete Homer for our generation.

Titans of War, eng, Wilbur Smith, 2023-05-11, Bonnier Books UK

Da arkæologen Howard Carter efter ti års ihærdig søgen den 4. november 1922 fandt indgangen til barnekongen Tutankhamons grav, var hans lykke gjort. Der var nok guld til at gøre ham og hans sponsor, adelsmanden lord Carnarvon, både berømte og stenrige. Men ikke alt var fryd, guld og gammen. Fundene førte til slagsmål mellem journalister, styrkede nationalistiske strømninger i Egypten og var med til at forværre det anspændte forhold mellem Egypten og Storbritannien. Jagten på Tutankhamon er ikke kun en dramatisk fortælling med helte og skurke, forbandelser og ørkenstøv, glitrende guld og rygter om et 3.000 år gammelt kongemord. Det er i høj grad også en historie om skattens betydning, det oldegyptiske samfund og Carters egyptiske kolleger – de kvinder, mænd og børn, som er blevet glemt. Det er historien om Tutankhamons korte liv og den lange søvn, som Carter vækkede ham af. Og endelig er det fortællingen om, hvordan fundene kom til at præge den vestlige verdens syn på de gamle egyptere. Nicky Nielsen er lektor i egyptologi ved University of Manchester. Den danske forsker har deltaget i en lang række udgravninger i Egypten. Jagten på Tutankhamon er hans første bog på dansk.

Philip Freeman's Alexander the Great is filled with new insights into the Macedonian world that shaped Alexander.

For ten years Fraa Erasmas, a young avout, has lived in a cloistered sanctuary for mathematicians, scientists, and philosophers, protected from the corrupting influences of the outside world. But before the week is out, both the existence he abandoned and the one he embraced will stand poised on the brink of cataclysmic change?and Erasmas will become a major player in a drama that will determine the future of his world, as he follows his destiny to the most inhospitable corners of the planet . . . and beyond.Anathem is the latest miraculous invention by the New York Times bestselling author of Cryptonomicon and The Baroque Cycle?a work of astonishing scope, intelligence, and imagination.

Series confirmed from publisher's web site.

A captivating standalone novel from number one bestseller and sublime storyteller Jeffrey Archer. Can one man achieve his destiny?

En rejse til og udforskning af Pompeji og Herculaneum baseret på den nyere viden om Vesuvbyerne

Jødernes historie begrænses i dag ofte til forfølgelser, holocaustforbrydelserne og de politiske begivenheder i Mellemøsten. Denne bog ønsker at åbne for et mere facetteret og farverigere billede, hvortil især også hører den frugtbare udveksling med andre kulturer. Selv om jøderne altid har udgjort en lille minoritet, har de efterladt deres spor i talrige kulturer, har præget de store verdensreligioner og har udviklet deres egne livsverdener. Michael Brenner skildrer præcist og gennem rammende eksempler den mangefacetterede historie for en nation og en religion. Han tager læserne med på en verdensrejse fra den Nære Orient over den græske og romerske verden, det mauriske Spanien og Centraleuropa til Østeuropa, Israel og Amerika. Der opstår således et fascinerende panorama over en historie, som netop på grund af de mange brud og tvungne nye begyndelser gør indtryk gennem sin kontinuitet og troskab mod egne rødder.

An epic new novel of Ancient Egypt, from the Master of Historical Adventure, Wilbur Smith.FROM THE RUINS OF BATTLEA HERO MUST RISEFOR THE GLORY OF EGYPTYears of Hyksos rule have seen the plunder of once-mighty Egypt. Though the two kingdoms have now been reunited by the armies of the true Pharaoh, his position is perilous, his rule under threat from those who seek to take advantage of the turmoil created by the overthrow of the Hyksos. Desperate to keep Egypt united, Taita the Magus summons his protégé, Piay, to solve a millennia-old riddle which has the power to secure Egypt's future forever.But in the tumult of war, an evil has thrived. Malevolent followers of Seth, the god of chaos, are determined to claim this power and usher in a new age of darkness.The fate of Egypt is at stake. Can Piay prevent their land falling into the hands of those who would see its ruin?Book 3 in The New Kingdom Sequence and book 9 in the Ancient Egyptian series from the master historical adventure writer, Wilbur Smith. Don't miss House of Two Pharaohs, the next action-packed Egyptian adventure from Wilbur Smith. Coming August 2025.

Vi må altså undersøge, hvad der skal til for, at sjælen kan bevæge sig ubesværet i den samme rytme, være sig selv gunstigt stemt og se med fryd på sig selv, og uden at der går noget skår i denne glæde, blive ved at være i en fredelig tilstand og aldrig opblæst eller nedtrykt. Det kan nemlig kaldes sindsro.Senecas budskaber er så almengyldige, at de taler til os moderne mennesker i dag næsten 2.000 år efter, de er skrevet af Seneca i Romerriget. Seneca lægger vægt på praktisk visdom – handlinger – der anviser os, hvordan vi kan forbedre os og opbygge en stærk karakter.Kolibri-udgivelsen Om stoicisme er med udvalgte uddrag fra Om livets korthed. Om vrede. Om mildhed. Om sindsro. Bogen er i oversættelse af Villy Sørensen.Om stoicisme udkommer i Gyldendals Kolibri-serie, der er bøger om stærke emner skrevet af store forfattere. Kolibrien hører til blandt verdens mindste fugle, og bøgerne i serien er da også mindre end de fleste bøger. Serienavnet er altså både et nik til formatet og samtidig til Gyldendals historie, hvor forlaget igennem tiden lejlighedsvis har benyttet fuglenavne til sine kendte bogserier - Uglen, Spætten og Bekkasinen. Og forlagets logo er en trane.

TAKE THEM ON A TRIP TO VISIT ANCIENT ROME THIS CHRISTMAS AND JOIN NERO IN A BATTE FOR SURVIVAL'Deft and robust storytelling, that whips through the history with plenty of blood, guts and plot-twists' The Times'Epic and in a class of his own' Daily Mirror ----ANCIENT ROME, AD 37It begins with a man's hand curled around another's throat.Emperor Tiberius first dispatches a traitor.Then his whole family.Next all his friends. It is as if he never existed.THIS IS ROMAN JUSTICE.Into this fevered forum, a child is born.His mother is Agrippina, granddaughter of Emperor Augustus. But their imperial blood is no protection. The closer you are to the heart of the empire, the closer you are to power, intrigue, and danger.She faces soldiers, senators, rivals, silver-tongued pretenders, each vying for position. One mistake risks exile, incarceration, execution. Or, worst of all, the loss of her infant son.For Agrippina knows that opportunity waits, even in your darkest moments. Her son is everything. She can make this boy, shape him into Rome itself - the one all must kneel before.BUT FIRST, THEY MUST SURVIVE . . .This then is the story of Nero's birth and raising under the watchful and scheming eye of his mother Agrippina - a woman every man crossed at his peril.----PRAISE FOR CONN IGGULDEN'Breakthtakingly good' Bernard Cornwell'Magnificent' The Times'Pacy and propulsive, cracking with energy, violence and stirring speeches, Iggulden chronicles power struggles, political machinations and the bloodthirsty ravages of up-close combat' Daily MailReaders love Nero'Iggulden draws you into Rome, its brutality and its glory, and brings it back to life with such seamless ease' ***** Reader Review'Absolute quality from first to last page, atmospheric with a real feel for time and place' ***** Reader Review'It was fascinating to see the seeds being planted that will lead to the Nero becoming the tyrant we know through the ancient historians, but told in such a contemporary and accessible way' ***** Reader Review'An absolutely immersive experience throughout that throws you into the politics of Ancient Rome' ***** Reader ReviewConn Iggulden, Sunday Times bestseller, June 2023

*SHORTLISTED FOR THE NERO BOOK AWARDS 2024**An instant Sunday Times bestseller, Radio 4 Book of the Week and Guardian Best Summer Read* Selected as a book to look out for in 2024 by the Guardian and The Rest is PoliticsEveryone is originally from Africa, and this book is therefore for everyone.For too long, Africa's history has been dominated by western narratives of slavery and colonialism, or simply ignored. Now, Zeinab Badawi sets the record straight.In this fascinating book, Badawi guides us through Africa's spectacular history - from the origins of humanity, through ancient civilisations and medieval empires, to the miseries of conquest and the elation of independence. Visiting more than thirty African countries to interview countless historians, anthropologists, archaeologists and local storytellers, Badawi weaves together a gripping new history of the oldest inhabited continent on the planet, told through the voices of Africans themselves.

The enthralling tale of a powerful Greek goddess maligned in both myth and ancient history, as told by Sunday Times bestselling author Jennifer Saint.'An exceptional achievement' ELODIE HARPER 'A very special novel' COSTANZA CASATI 'The essential mythological book of the decade' NIKITA GILL When Hera, immortal goddess and daughter of the ancient Titan Cronus, helps her brother Zeus to overthrow their tyrannical father, she dreams of ruling at his side. As they establish their reign on Mount Olympus, Hera suspects that Zeus might be just as ruthless and cruel as the father they betrayed.She was always born to rule, but must she lose herself in perpetuating this cycle of violence and cruelty? Or can she find a way to forge a better world?Often portrayed as the jealous wife or the wicked stepmother, this retelling captures the many sides of Hera, vengeful when she needs to be but also compassionate and most importantly, an all-powerful queen to the gods. More praise for HERA:'A thrilling depiction' ELIZABETH FREMANTLE'Subtle, nuanced and utterly gorgeous' SARAH UNDERWOOD 'Jennifer Saint's best book yet' ROSIE HEWLETT 'Vast in scope and thoroughly entertaining' NIKKI MARMERY 'An absolutely triumph' JASMINE ELMER

Although we think of early monks as master concentrators, a life of mindfulness did not, in fact, come to them easily. As historian Jamie Kreiner demonstrates in The Wandering Mind, their attempts to stretch the mind out to God-to continuously contemplate the divine order and its ethical requirements-were all-consuming, and their battles against distraction were never-ending. Delving into the experiences of early Christian monks living in the Middle East, around the Mediterranean, and throughout Europe from 300 to 900 CE, Kreiner shows that these men and women were obsessed with distraction in ways that seem remarkably modern. At the same time, she suggests that our own obsession is remarkably medieval. Ancient Greek and Roman intellectuals had sometimes complained about distraction but it was early Christian monks who waged an all-out war against it. The stakes could not have been higher: they saw distraction as a matter of life and death.Even though the world today is vastly different from the world of the early Middle Ages, we can still learn something about our own distractedness by looking closely at monks' strenuous efforts to concentrate. Drawing on a trove of sources that the monks left behind, Kreiner reconstructs the techniques they devised in their lifelong quest to master their minds-from regimented work schedules and elaborative metacognitive exercises to physical regimens for hygiene, sleep, sex and diet. She captures the fleeting moments of pure attentiveness that some monks managed to grasp, and the many times when monks struggled and failed and went back to the drawing board. Blending history and psychology, The Wandering Mind is a witty, illuminating account of human fallibility and ingenuity that bridges a distant era and our own.

Med en passion for bjergbestigning forsøger Sylvain Tesson i august 2014 at kravle op ad facaden på et hus i Chamonix og falder ved et uheld ned, hvorefter han bliver lagt i kunstig koma. Han kommer sig efter ulykken, men lægerne fraråder ham al fremtidig klatring og vandring. I 2016 trodser han deres råd og begiver sig ud på en 3 måneders vandretur gennem det Frankrig hans mange rejser jorden rundt aldrig har givet ham tid til at besøge. Ad ukendte stier fortæller han fra de gemte og glemte dele af landet."Globetrotterforfatteren Sylvain Tesson har trawlet kloden tynd, men aldrig rigtig oplevet Frankrig. Det råder han bod på med en overdådigt velskrevet fortælling om sin vandring gennem fædrelandet.En forrygende og fortættede rejseberetning, der hurtigt transformeres til et vanvittigt velskrevet og nostalgisk portræt af et Frankrig, som er blevet knust af den kværnende blanding af globalisering og den evindelige galliske hang til administrativ orden og ensretning."Aske Munck, Weekendavisen"Sylvain Tesson iscenesætter sin egen bedagede rejsemaskulinitet med en naturlighed, der er både uironisk, på lange stræk latterlig, og dog samtidig mærkeligt læseværdig."Matthias Dressler-Bredsdorff, Information"Douchebag på afveje. Hvem har ikke – og måske især ved juletid – drømt om som rejsebogsforfatteren Tesson at skride fra det hele: arbejdet, telefonen, de sociale bånd og forpligtelser og forsvinde ud i verden?"Julie Gufler, FrihedsbrevetTesson fik i 2019 den prestigiøse Prix Renaudot for “Sneleoparden", der udkom på dansk i 2020.

Østblokken drømte om at vinde herredømmet i rummet. Et af midlerne var et nyt, forædlet menneske, og gennem medicinske forsøg på mennesker og dyr søgte man at skabe dette overlegne menneske, som skulle sikre Østblokken sejren. Som ung var Ines Geipel østtysk topatlet og satte i 1984 verdensrekord i 4 x 100 meter løb. Uden sit vidende blev hun dopet som led i det berygtede østtyske dopingprogram, der var en udløber af netop rumprogrammet. Man ville vinde kapløbet i rummet – og på sportsarenaerne. Mange forsøg blev hemmeligholdt og fik fatale følger for forsøgspersonerne, ikke mindst sportsfolk, der ligesom Geipel mod deres vidende blev udsat for doping. Denne bog fortæller historien om de uhyrlige forsøg og bestræbelser med afsæt i hidtil hemmeligholdte arkiver foruden øjenvidneberetninger og forfatterens personlige historie.

The European bestseller, an epic of two brothers, brought together and divided by betrayal, secrecy and self-delusion, spanning seventy years of German history: from the Russian Revolution, to World War II, to 1975.

The Sunday Times-bestselling author of Dresden returns with a monumental biography of the city that defined the twentieth century - Berlin'I loved this book . . . apposite and wise . . . To anyone who knows Berlin a little and is fascinated by it, but would like to understand it better, this is a wonderful aid' David Aaronovitch, The Times Throughout the twentieth century, Berlin stood at the centre of a convulsing world. This history is often viewed as separate acts: the suffering of the First World War, the cosmopolitan city of science, culture and sexual freedom Berlin became, steep economic plunges, the rise of the Nazis, the destruction of the Second World War, the psychosis of genocide, and a city rent in two by competing ideologies. But people do not live their lives in fixed eras. An epoch ends, yet the people continue - or try to continue - much as they did before. Berlin tells the story of the city as seen through the eyes not of its rulers, but of those who walked its streets.In this magisterial biography of a city and its inhabitants, bestselling historian Sinclair McKay sheds new light on well-known characters - from idealistic scientist Albert Einstein to Nazi architect Albert Speer - and draws on never-before-seen first-person accounts to introduce us to people of all walks of Berlin life. For example, we meet office worker Mechtild Evers, who in her efforts to escape an oncoming army runs into even more appalling jeopardy, and Reinhart Cruger, a 12-year-old boy in 1941 who witnesses with horror the Gestapo coming for each of his Jewish neighbours in turn. Ever a city of curious contrasts, moments of unbelievable darkness give way to a wry Berliner humour - from banned perms to the often ridiculous tit-for-tat between East and West Berlin - and moments of joyous hope - like forced labourers at a jam factory warmly welcoming their Soviet liberators.How did those ideologies - fascism and communism - come to flower so fully here? And how did their repercussions continue to be felt throughout Europe and the West right up until that extraordinary night in the autumn of 1989 when the Wall - that final expression of totalitarian oppression - was at last breached? You cannot understand the twentieth century without understanding Berlin; and you cannot understand Berlin without understanding the experiences of its people. Drawing on a staggering breadth of culture - from art to film, opera to literature, science to architecture - McKay's latest masterpiece shows us this hypnotic city as never before.

1930 i nærheden af Kazan, Tatarstan: Zulejkha lever som sine formødre har gjort i århundreder. Hun arbejder hårdt fra morgen til aften på sin mands fædrene gård med at passe sin svigermor, røgte gårdens få dyr og gå til hånde. Familiens store skam er, at hun aldrig har født dem en søn, kun fire døtre, som alle er døde som små, og både mand og svigermor bebrejder Zulejkha.Men da den røde hær kommer for at indtage landsbyen, sætter Zulejkhas mand sig imod, hvilket koster ham livet, mens hun sendes på den umenneskelige, månedlange rejse mod Stalins Gulag-lejre i Sibirien. Således begynder en fortælling om overlevelse, sult og iskolde vintre, men også om frigørelse, fornyelse og menneskelig styrke – og om to sjæle, der finder hinanden på trods af nærmest umulige omstændigheder.

Travel back in time in this essential mini encyclopedia to the mighty Roman empire, with all the information you need to know about gods, gladiators, baths, battles, and more! Did you know that audiences of up to 50,000 people watched entertainments in the Colosseum in Rome, and their tickets were numbered pieces of broken pottery? Or that Romans went to public baths to get clean, but there wasn't any soap as they rubbed themselves with olive oil instead. No? Then you need this brilliant mini book to learn the really important facts about one of history's greatest civilisations. Includes pictures, Pocket Eyewitness Ancient Rome uses bite-sized chunks of information, including amazing stats and facts, to make learning fun. Ideal for school projects and homework assignments, Pocket Eyewitness Ancient Rome is the perfect guide for young historians.

The perfect introduction to the rich delights of Persian Literature, bound in a seductive, collectable edition.Gorgeous Collector's Edition. From such texts as the Shah Nameh (the Persian Book of Kings), Masnavi-e Ma’navi, the Anvar-i Suhayli fables and works by the great poet Nizāmī, come ancient tales of a civilization that once stretched across the known world. Find here the wonderful stories of the magical bird the Simurgh, the Seven Labours of Rustem, the evil demon onager-giant Akwán Díw and the tragic romance of Laili and Majnun. Persian literature is amongst the most beautiful and inventive of all cultures, offering a joyful read of creation, love and conquest.Flame Tree Collector's Editions present the foundations of speculative fiction, authors, myths and tales without which the imaginative literature of the twentieth century would not exist, bringing the best, most influential and most fascinating works into a striking and collectable library. Each book features a new introduction and a Glossary of Terms.

This journal of Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine is a collection of Andrey Kurkov's writings and broadcasts from Kyiv.

The digital era is beset by distraction, and it feels like things are only getting worse. At times like these, the distant past beckons as a golden age of attention. We fantasise about escaping our screens. We dream of recapturing the quiet of a world with less noise. We imagine retreating into solitude and singlemindedness, almost like latter-day monks.But although we think of early monks as master concentrators, a life of mindfulness did not, in fact, come to them easily. As historian Jamie Kreiner demonstrates in The Wandering Mind, their attempts to stretch the mind out to God-to continuously contemplate the divine order and its ethical requirements-were all-consuming, and their battles against distraction were never-ending. Delving into the experiences of early Christian monks living in the Middle East, around the Mediterranean, and throughout Europe from 300 to 900 CE, Kreiner shows that these men and women were obsessed with distraction in ways that seem remarkably modern. At the same time, she suggests that our own obsession is remarkably medieval. Ancient Greek and Roman intellectuals had sometimes complained about distraction, but it was early Christian monks who waged an all-out war against it. The stakes could not have been higher: they saw distraction as a matter of life and death.Even though the world today is vastly different from the world of the early Middle Ages, we can still learn something about our own distractedness by looking closely at monks' strenuous efforts to concentrate. Drawing on a trove of sources that the monks left behind, Kreiner reconstructs the techniques they devised in their lifelong quest to master their minds-from regimented work schedules and elaborative metacognitive exercises to physical regimens for hygiene, sleep, sex and diet. She captures the fleeting moments of pure attentiveness that some monks managed to grasp, and the many times when monks struggled and failed and went back to the drawing board. Blending history and psychology, The Wandering Mind is a witty, illuminating account of human fallibility and ingenuity that bridges a distant era and our own.

A celebration of Ukraine's rich cultural heritage bringing to light the country's most important works of art and architectural monuments from prehistory to the present.