12 Books That Changed the World
Author : Melvyn Bragg
Performed By : Patricia Hodge, Hugh Ross, Robert Powell & Bill Bingham
Publisher : Hodder & Stoughton Audiobooks
Runtime : 2 hours
Categories : Arts & Drama
History
British
Our Price : $16.75
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When we think of great events in the history of the world, we tend to think of war, revolution, political upheaval or natural catastrophe. But throughout history there have been moments of vital importance that have taken place not on the battlefield, or in the palaces of power, or even in the violence of nature, but between the pages of a book.
In our digitised age of instant information it is easy to underestimate the power of the printed word. In his fascinating new book accompanying the ITV series, Melvyn Bragg presents a vivid reminder of the book as agent of social, political and personal revolution.
Twelve Books that Changed the World presents a rich variety of human endeavour and a great diversity of characters.
There are also surprises. Here are famous books by Darwin, Newton and Shakespeare – but we also discover the stories behind some less well-known works, such as Marie Stopes’ Married Love, the original radical feminist Mary Wollstonecraft’s A Vindication of the Rights of Woman – and even the rules to an obscure ball game that became the most popular sport in the world . . .
Great Introduction
Nick Ashfield from Bristol - 19 Mar 2007
This is a great introduction to some books you might not have heard of before. It provides a 10 minute summary of each book. Excellent for listening to in the car on long car journeys. Would love to get it on DVD but unfortunately ITV have decided not to release it.
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Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire - Part II, The
Author : Edward Gibbon
Performed By : Philip Madoc with Neville Jason
Publisher : Select Music & Distribution
Runtime : 7 hours 45 minutes
Categories : Classic Literature
Ancient
Our Price : $27.25
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Edward Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire occupies an immortal place in the pantheon of historical masterpieces. This six-disc recording covers the final three volumes of Gibbon's work, tracing ten centuries in the life of the eastern half of the empire, whose capital city was Constantinople. Among the many figures who stride across Gibbon's stage here are the emperor Justinian I, a noble statesman and successful warrior, brought low by his lascivious wife, the former prostitute Theodora; the murdering Basil I, a peasant who nonetheless proved himself a worthy figure upon which to drape the purple; and the final emperor of all, Constantine XI, who died on the battlements of Constantinople in 1453, valiantly fighting a losing battle to prevent the Turks from gaining a city they had craved for centuries. It is still the work that sets the standard for all histories of the period.
