Chronicles the history of Egyptian politics, economics, social and cultural developments from ancient times to the present.

Have you ever wondered what it was like in the Valley of the Kings? To unlock the mysteries of the pyramids? Or sail down the Nile on Cleopatra's Barge? In her fascinating new introduction to the wonders of ancient Egypt expert Barbara Mertz tells the extraordinary history from the first stone age settlements to the age of Cleopatra and the Roman Emperors. It offers not just insights into the glories of the Pharaohs, but also intriguing glimpses of everyday life, folklore and culture.

The subject of history dates back to the invention of writing thousands of years ago. From the ancient civilizations of Egypt and Mesopotamia to the modern nations of the 21st century, humans have continuously made history with great accomplishments. A Brief History of the World examines the great Wonders of the World like the Pyramids of Giza, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, and the Great Wall of China. A great part of history includes military achievements such as the great battles of Kadesh, Issus, Cannae, Salamis, Crecy, Waterloo, and Midway. Throughout history, great leaders like Ramesses II, Alexander the Great, Hannibal, Caesar, Genghis Khan, Elizabeth I, Mehmed the Conqueror, and Napoleon have led their people to dominance. The day-to-day lives of ordinary people must not to be neglected either, as aspects of ordinary life like shelter, food, government and politics are explained. Young or old, when reading about history, one can't help but imagine life in the past, or ponder about the wonders of the future.

Victor T. Cheney has just published a BRIEF HISTORY OF CASTRATION 2nd EDITION. This book contains a five page index plus a two page glossary with numerous footnotes t aid the curious history buff and serious researcher. Readers unfamiliar with this subject (which is most of us) will be surprised to learn how important this operation was to many cultures of the world in times past, and to a lesser extent, even today. In Italy thousands of young boys were castrated to prepare their voices for the opera. In Arab lands slaves (both black and white) were castrated in order to become harem guards. Chinese emperors found castrated males to be extremely reliable for treasurers and other governmental posts. In the past their operation was very dangerous and many died from infections. Bur it also had its beneficial side effects. The average castrated male lives 15 years longer than “normal” men. This is because harmful hormones and other impediments were removed form the man’s system. For instance, one cannot get testicular cancer if he has no testicles. Many ancient religions, as well as the early Christians, used their religious duties unhampered by impure thoughts and immoral deeds. Though Christians gradually abandoned this practice some breakaway groups continued to castrate young men in Russia and elsewhere even in this 20th century. The author believes that castration can still play an important role in modern society. He shows that it can be used to prevent serious crimes, diseases, and the loss of vital spiritual and moral values.

This new edition of Egypt: A Brief History from Ancient to Modern Times, first published in 1949, was one of several invaluable and informative books on Egyptian history, written by the British Army Lieut.-Col. P. G. Elgood, who was stationed in Egypt during World War I. This new edition contains two supplemental chapters that bring the story of Egypt from 1935, where Lt.-Col. Elgood left it, to the Allied victory of Alamein, November 1942. They were contributed by a close friend of Elwood, who was a competent student of Egyptian affairs. “THE history of Pharaonic Egypt is confused, the chronology uncertain. Despite generations of research, there are gaps still unbridged, inconsistencies still awaiting explanation. Dynasties rise and fall, doctrines blossom and decay: empire fades, ambitions wither. Such in the main is the story which records and monuments covering a period of three thousand years tell. Yet its study is worth the pains, for ancient Egypt, has profoundly influenced the culture of the world.”—Chapter 1

The Atlantis story remains one of the most haunting and enigmatic tales from antiquity, and one that still resonates very deeply with the modern imagination. But where did Atlantis come from, what was it like, and where did it go to? Atlantis was first introduced by the Greek philosopher Plato in two dialogues the Timaios and Kritias, written in the fourth century BC. As he philosophises about the origins of life, the Universe and humanity, the great thinker puts forward a stunning description of Atlantis, an island paradise with an ideal society. But the Atlanteans degenerate and become imperialist aggressors: they fight against antediluvian Athens, which heroically repels their mighty forces, before a cataclysmic natural disaster destroys the warring states. His tale of a great empire that sank beneath the waves has sparked thousands of years of debate over whether Atlantis really existed. But did Plato mean his tale as history, or just as a parable to help illustrate his philosophy? The book is broken down into two main sections plus a coda - firstly the translations/commentaries which will have the discussions of the specifics of the actual texts; secondly a look at the reception of the myth from then to now; thirdly a brief round-off bringing it all together.

Grounded in the latest archeological developments, Victor Matthews's A Brief History of Ancient Israel presents a concise history of Israel covering the ancestral period, conquest and settlement, the monarchy, and both the exilic and postexilic periods. Using supplemental figures and insets, the author concentrates on providing a cogent and condensed discussion of events. He examines historical geography, archaeological data, and, where relevant, comparative cultural materials from other ancient Near Eastern civilizations. With an accessible yet high-quality introduction, A Brief History of Ancient Israel will be of immense value to both students of the Old Testament and the scholars who teach them.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1883.

Narrates the complex tale of Israel's people and their modern state, established thousands of years after the destruction of the old one, against the backdrop of exile, anti-Semitism, Zionism, and the Holocaust.