Great Cities Through Travelers' Eyes

Great Cities Through Travelers' Eyes PDF Author: Peter Furtado
Publisher: Thames & Hudson
ISBN: 0500774854
Category : Travel
Languages : en
Pages : 470

Book Description
A wide-ranging anthology of travelers’ accounts in thirty-eight of the world’s most fascinating cities, from ancient times through the twentieth century. This entertaining new anthology includes travelers’ tales from thirty-eight cities spread over six continents, ranging from Beijing to Berlin, Cairo to Chicago, and Rio to Rome. The volume features commentators across the millennia, including the great travelers of ancient times, such as Greek geographer Strabo; those who undertook extensive journeys in the medieval world, not least Marco Polo; courageous women such as Isabella Bird and Freya Stark; and enterprising writers and journalists, including Mark Twain. We see the work of famous travelers, but also stories by ordinary people who found themselves involved in remarkable situations, like the medieval Chinese abbot who was shown around the Sainte-Chapelle in Paris by the king of France. Some of the writers seek to provide a straightforward, accurate description of all they have seen, while others concentrate on their subjective experiences of the city and encounters with the inhabitants. Introduced and contextualized by bestselling historian Peter Furtado, each account provides both a vivid portrait of a distant place and time and an insight into those who journeyed there. The result is a book that delves into the splendors and stories that exist beyond conventional guidebooks and websites.

Lost Cities of the Ancient World

Lost Cities of the Ancient World PDF Author: Martin Salisbury
Publisher: Thames & Hudson
ISBN: 050077868X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 408

Book Description
The ruins of ancient Athens, Luxor and Rome are familiar cornerstones of world history, visited by travellers from across the globe. But what about the cities that have dropped off the map that have been submerged under water, or swallowed up by the sands of time? Where are they, and what can they tell us about our past? In this compendium of forgotten cities, Philip Matyszak explores the trials, tribulations and triumphs they faced, revealing how people have embarked on the shared endeavour of living together since we first settled down 12,000 years ago.Illustrated throughout with important artefacts, ruins and maps, Lost Cities of the Ancient World brings to life the sites and settlements across Europe, the Middle East and beyond that time forgot, from the sunken city of Ropotamo in the Black Sea to the deep cave dwellings of Derinkuyu in Turkey. Some have survived only in ancient literature, such as the lost city of Zoar by the Dead Sea, known from the Bible but not yet found. Others have been located, allowing archaeologists to trace their changing fortunes through centuries of occupation.Matyszak reveals a dynamic network of peoples and cultures who fought and traded between themselves, exchanging inventions, ideas and philosophies, with the result that peoples as far apart as Çatalhöyük in Turkey and Skara Brae in the Orkney islands in Scotland shared much of a common heritage. By examining the motivations that first drew people to gather and settle together, as well as the challenges that led to their cities abandonment, this visually striking and often surprising book offers us a fresh perspective on our urban origins.

The Great Journeys in History

The Great Journeys in History PDF Author: Robin Hanbury-Tenison
Publisher: Thames & Hudson
ISBN: 0500775680
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 490

Book Description
A lively collection of the adventurous stories of the greatest explorers in history. Ferdinand Magellan, Genghis Khan, Thor Heyerdahl, Amelia Earhart, and Neil Armstrong: these are some of the greatest travelers of all time. This book chronicles their stories and many more, describing epic voyages—from early trips through the great port city of Alexandria to the latest journeys into space. In antiquity, we follow Alexander the Great to the Indus and Hannibal across the Alps; in medieval times, we trek beside Genghis Khan and Ibn Battuta. The Renaissance eventually led to Columbus visiting the Americas and to the circumnavigation of the world. In the following centuries, global maps are filled in by Abel Tasman, Vitus Bering, and James Cook. Journeys specifically made for scientific discoveries, most famously by Alexander von Humboldt and Charles Darwin, begin. In modern times, the ends of the earth were reached—including both poles and the world’s highest mountain. Editor Robin Hanbury-Tenison leads an incredible team of fifty-two contributors, including Robert Ballard and Ranulph Fiennes, who relate firsthand experiences with the journeys and places they describe. The Great Journeys in History chronicles the stories of bold, early travelers who explored the unexplored and who set out into the unknown, bringing alive the romance and thrill of adventure.

Pilgrimage

Pilgrimage PDF Author: Peter Stanford
Publisher: Thames & Hudson
ISBN: 0500776423
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 274

Book Description
A thought-provoking reflection on the practice and history of pilgrimage, and a compelling exploration of its relevance today. Pilgrimage, a global ritual embraced by nearly all faiths, is one of civilization’s most enduring traditions. In this compelling book, author and journalist Peter Stanford reflects on the reasons people have walked along the same sacred paths through the ages. Through this history, Stanford explores how the experiences of the first pilgrims to Jerusalem, Mecca, and Santiago de Compostela compare to the millions of people who embark on life-changing physical and spiritual journeys today. Pilgrimage traverses sacred landscapes around the world, from the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City to the monolithic rock-cut churches of Lalibela, Ethiopia and the riverbanks of the Kumbh Mela in India. Stanford explores the historical and spiritual significance of these places of healing and reflection and discusses their roles as crossroads., Although pilgrimage is usually viewed as an individual’s escape from the everyday to refocus the mind and soul, institutional and national struggles for power have always had an impact on the way pilgrims experience their own personal journey. Guiding readers through the global history of pilgrimage, this thought- provoking book educates a new generation that may seek solace, clarity, and wonder by following in the footsteps of travelers from the past.

Forgotten Peoples of the Ancient World

Forgotten Peoples of the Ancient World PDF Author: Philip Matyszak
Publisher: Thames & Hudson
ISBN: 0500775435
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 518

Book Description
A chronicle of forty forgotten ancient civilizations which highlights the important contributions that each has made to modern society. The ancient world of the Mediterranean and the Near East saw the birth and collapse of great civilizations. While several of these are well known, for all those that have been recorded, many have been unjustly forgotten. Our history is overflowing with different cultures that have all evolved over time, sometimes dissolving or reforming, though ultimately shaping the way we continue to live. But for every culture that has been remembered, what have we forgotten? This thorough guide explores those civilizations that have faded from the pages of our textbooks but played a significant role in the development of modern society. Forgotten Peoples of the Ancient World covers the Hyksos to the Hephthalites and everyone in between, providing a unique overview of humanity’s history from approximately 3000 BCE–550 CE. A wide range of illustrated artifacts and artworks, as well as specially drawn maps, help to tell the stories of forty lost peoples and allow readers to take a direct look into the past. Each entry exposes a diverse culture, highlighting their important contributions and committing their achievements to paper. Forgotten Peoples of the Ancient World is an immersive, thought-provoking, and entertaining book for anyone interested in ancient history.

The Grove

The Grove PDF Author: Ben Dark
Publisher: Mitchell Beazley
ISBN: 1784727423
Category : Gardening
Languages : en
Pages : 189

Book Description
*** 'The best gardening book of 2022.' The Telegraph 'A book to make even a quick trip to the corner shop endlessly fascinating. Dark has been dubbed the millennial Monty Don for this beautifully written study of the oft-overlooked nature on our doorsteps...Dark teases the drama, humour and history from even the most commonplace buddleja, box and tulip.' George Hudson, Evening Standard, Favourite Gardening Books of the Year 'This enjoyable read throws a spotlight on the everyday.' Rachel De Thame's 10 Best Gardening Books of 2022, the Sunday Times 'Gardening for a billionaire taught Ben Dark that "plants alone are not enough to make a garden special". Instead he finds "special" in the people and the history, as well as the plants, that fill 191⁄2 London front gardens. A soulful read. Tom Howard, RHS The Garden, Best Books of The Year 'A wonderful book.' Alexandra Shulman, Mail on Sunday 'Meet the millennial Monty Don.' The Sunday Times Style 'Ben Dark's beautifully observed book, The Grove: A Nature Odyssey in 19 1⁄2 Front Gardens, tells the stories of 20 key plants growing in a single London street's front gardens in a way that's as engaging as it is informative.' The Irish Times Any walk is an odyssey when we connect with the plants around us. Each tree or flower tells a tale. Mundane 'suburban' shrubs speak of war and poetry, of money, fashion, love and failure. Every species in this book was seen from one pavement over twelve months and there is little here that could not be found on any road in any town, but they reveal stories of such weirdness, drama, passion and humour that, once discovered, familiar neighbourhoods will be changed forever. There is a renewed interest in the nature on our doorsteps, as can be seen in the work of amateur botanists identifying wildflowers and chalking the names on the pavements. But beyond the garden wall lies a wealth of cultivated plants, each with a unique tale to tell. In The Grove, award-winning writer and head gardener Ben Dark reveals the remarkable secrets of twenty commonly found species - including the rose, wisteria, buddleja, box and the tulip - encountered in the front gardens of one London street over the course of year. As Ben writes, in those small front gardens 'are stories of ambition, envy, hope and failure' and The Grove is about so much more than a single street, or indeed the plants found in its 19 1⁄2 front gardens. It's a beguiling blend of horticultural history and personal narrative and a lyrical exploration of why gardens and gardening matter.

Revolutions: How They Changed History and What They Mean Today

Revolutions: How They Changed History and What They Mean Today PDF Author: Peter Furtado
Publisher: Thames & Hudson
ISBN: 0500775567
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 295

Book Description
Leading historians from around the world reflect on the great revolutions of modern history and explore their lasting legacies. Whether it’s because their rhetoric—“liberty, fraternity, equality”—articulates those ideals to which we most aspire, or because we are shocked by the destructive forces that are unleashed when social conventions break down, revolutions hold a distinct place in the popular imagination. And while all revolutions are born of civil unrest, each is unique in that it’s a product of its time, its society, and its people, and the outcomes vary dramatically, from liberal reform to cruel dictatorship. In Revolutions, the follow-up to the bestselling Histories of Nations, twenty-four leading historians—most writing about their country of origin—consider global revolutions, from England’s Glorious Revolution of 1688 and the American Revolution in 1776 to the Irish Revolution in the early twentieth century and the Arab Spring of 2011. Reflecting not only on their causes, crises, and outcomes, but also on their legacies and implications in today’s society, these historians answer key questions: What were the main events and dominant ideologies? Who were the leading protagonists? Are revolutionary pasts remembered critically in national history, mythologized, or even hidden? And why? Authoritative and enlightening, Revolutions reflects on the events, ideologies, and legacies of twenty-four revolutions from the seventeenth century to the present day, providing an overview of some of the most politically significant events in modern history.

Plague, Pestilence and Pandemic: Voices from History

Plague, Pestilence and Pandemic: Voices from History PDF Author: Peter Furtado
Publisher: Thames & Hudson
ISBN: 0500776474
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 424

Book Description
An eye-opening anthology from the bestselling editor of Histories of Nations, exploring how people around the globe have suffered and survived during plague and pandemic, from the ancient world to the present. Plague, pestilence, and pandemics have been a part of the human story from the beginning and have been reflected in art and writing at every turn. Humankind has always struggled with illness; and the experiences of different cities and countries have been compared and connected for thousands of years. Many great authors have published their eyewitness accounts and survivor stories of the great contagions of the past. When the great Muslim traveler Ibn Battuta visited Damascus in 1348 during the great plague, which went on to kill half of the population, he wrote about everything he saw. He reported, "God lightened their affliction; for the number of deaths in a single day at Damascus did not attain 2,000, while in Cairo it reached the figure of 24,000 a day." From the plagues of ancient Egypt recorded in Genesis to those like the Black Death that ravaged Europe in the Middle Ages, and from the Spanish flu of 1918 to the Covid-19 pandemic in our own century, this anthology contains fascinating accounts. Editor Peter Furtado places the human experience at the center of these stories, understanding that the way people have responded to disease crises over the centuries holds up a mirror to our own actions and experiences. Plague, Pestilence and Pandemic includes writing from around the world and highlights the shared emotional responses to pandemics: from rage, despair, dark humor, and heartbreak, to finally, hope that it may all be over. By connecting these moments in history, this book places our own reactions to the Covid-19 pandemic within the longer human story.

The Architecture of South-East Asia Through Travellers' Eyes

The Architecture of South-East Asia Through Travellers' Eyes PDF Author: Roxana Waterson
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 344

Book Description
From the sixteenth century onwards, but particularly from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, comes a wealth of accounts written by foreigners of their experiences in South-East Asia. They were seafarers, businessmen, ambassadors, or travellers for sheer pleasure or curiosity. All vividly recorded their impressions of many aspects of South-East Asian life. Not least of these concerned the enormous diversity of indigenous and colonial architectural forms they encountered, and the style of living of the people who created them. From the sublime ruins of Angkor Wat, the elegance of life in the colonial residences in Malaya, to the bustle of burgeoning cities like Singapore, the travellers of these eras evoke for us the many amazing architectural styles of the region. Their often sensitive and lively observations are as fascinating to readers today as they were to their contemporaries.
Proudly powered by WordPress | Theme: Rits Blog by Crimson Themes.