From its earliest beginnings thousands of years ago, the course of man's progress has been measured by his empires. Large, dynamic flows of power, people, and culture that merge, thrive, then break apart - the pieces only to merge again in a new configuration, the process to be repeated. Through pictures and words, "Empires: Their Rise and Fall" brings the reader face to face with many of the world's greatest empires. Full-color photographs are combined with an absorbing narrative in a lively historical account of each empire and an examination of the period's most enduring cultural achievements. This volume in the series focuses on Byzantium, and The Turks. The two civilizations - Byzantium and Turkish - that played out their rivalry across the Aegean as the Middle Ages waned have always proved enigmatic to Western Europeans. Cosmopolitan, exotic Byzantium has exercised a perennial fascination on the imagination of the West and yet has stubbornly eluded understanding. The Turkish Empire has emerged as the West's foremost caricature of the cruel and alien state, menacing and at the same time alluring in its violence and sensuousness. All those who would hope to arrive at a more balanced understanding of the Turks and Byzantines must first disabuse themselves of a long succession of colorful stereotypes. The task is not easy - distortions centuries in the making are not readily abandoned - but the effort is surely worthwhile. For it is only after taking a conscientious look at the histories and cultural achievements of these two peoples that we can gain a legitimate sympathy for two empires which may justifiably be called "monuments of unaging intellect."

The Cross and the Crescent: Byzantium, The Turks (Imperial Visions Series: The Rise and Fall of Empires)

Joyce Milton

Rafael Steinberg

Sarah Lewis

HBJ Press

From its earliest beginnings thousands of years ago, the course of man's progress has been measured by his empires. Large, dynamic flows of power, people, and culture that merge, thrive, then break apart - the pieces only to merge again in a new configuration, the process to be repeated. Through pictures and words, "Empires: Their Rise and Fall" brings the reader face to face with many of the world's greatest empires. Full-color photographs are combined with an absorbing narrative in a lively historical account of each empire and an examination of the period's most enduring cultural achievements. This volume in the series focuses on Imperial China, and Islands of the Rising Sun. As Charlemagne was crowning himself King of the Holy Roman Empire in Europe, China was just beginning its fabulous Tang Dynasty, one of the most brilliant empires in the realm of the arts and in sweeping political influence. Printing and gunpowder were both invented during its rule, and Changan, the Tang capital, was at the time perhaps the greatest city in the world, with more than one million inhabitants. The power of Chinese culture to transmit its values and observances to another society was well demonstrated in Japan. Beginning with the introduction of Chinese writing and Buddhism in the fifth and sixth centuries, Chinese learning and political institutions transformed Japan from a primitive, tribal society to an ardent follower of the Chinese model. The chief of the ruling clan, who claimed descent from the sun goddess Amaterasu of early Japanese mythology, became an "emperor" in the Chinese style, having all the trappings and ritual of the Chinese court and presiding over an elaborate bureaucracy. The Japanese imperial line has continued until the present day - a unique record of unbroken succession.

Dynasties of the East: Imperial China, Islands of the Rising Sun (Imperial Visions Series: The Rise and Fall of Empires)

History

Wendy B. Murphy

Americas

Edgell Communications

From its earliest beginnings thousands of years ago, the course of man's progress has been measured by his empires. Large, dynamic flows of power, people, and culture that merge, thrive, then break apart - the pieces only to merge again in a new configuration, the process to be repeated. Through pictures and words, "Empires: Their Rise and Fall" brings the reader face to face with many of the world's greatest empires. Full-color photographs are combined with an absorbing narrative in a lively historical account of each empire and an examination of the period's most enduring cultural achievements. This volume in the series focuses on The Pre-Columbian God-Kings, and The Papal States. From the simple agricultural life over 4000 years before Christ to the arrival of the Spaniards in South America, the vibrant, dynamic societies of the Aztecs, the Mayas, and the Incas are still shrouded in uncertainty among scholars as to the paths of their social, cultural, and political development. Yet Pre-Columbian refinements in crafts and the arts continue to be studied and enjoyed by people the world over, their true histories still temptingly beyond our grasp. As to the Papal States, there is no lack of dramatic incident in the history of the papacy, particularly in the early days of the Church. The Christian leaders of the infant Church were, in a sense, minority heroes who reconciled themselves to the possibility of meeting death by crucifixion or enduring a lifetime of servitude, torture, or exile. Persecuted by the state, members of the early Christian communities were often forced to live in catacombs, underground tunnels that also served as cemeteries. From these uncertain beginnings grew an institution that was, at selected moments in history, to wield supreme spiritual and temporal authority throughout the world.

The Serpent and the Robe: The Pre-Columbian God-Kings; The Papal States

Robert Orsi

Norman Harrison

Boston Publishing

From its earliest beginnings thousands of years ago, the course of man's progress has been measured by his empires. Large, dynamic flows of power, people, and culture that merge, thrive, then break apart - the pieces only to merge again in a new configuration, the process to be repeated. Through pictures and words, "Empires: Their Rise and Fall" brings the reader face to face with many of the world's greatest empires. Full-color photographs are combined with an absorbing narrative in a lively historical account of each empire and an examination of the period's most enduring cultural achievements. This volume in the series focuses on The Spanish Hapsburgs, and The Hapsburgs in Central Europe. From the 15th-Century golden age of Spanish civilization, both in Europe and the New World, to the cosmopolitan cultural life of early 20th-Century Vienna, the House of Hapsburg ruled over six centuries and three continents. One of the last great classic empires, the Central European Hapsburgs successfully balanced the conflicting interests of a dozen different nationalities while helping to spawn a renaissance in music and the arts.

The House of Hapsburg: The Spanish Hapsburgs, The Hapsburgs in Central Europe (Imperial Visions Series: The Rise and Fall of Empires)

Europe

From its earliest beginnings thousands of years ago, the course of man's progress has been measured by his empires. Large, dynamic flows of power, people, and culture that merge, thrive, then break apart - the pieces only to merge again in a new configuration, the process to be repeated. Through pictures and words, "Empires: Their Rise and Fall" brings the reader face to face with many of the world's greatest empires. Full-color photographs are combined with an absorbing narrative in a lively historical account of each empire and an examination of the period's most enduring cultural achievements. This volume in the series focuses on Russia of the Czars, and Portugal of the Navigators, two empires that arose at Europe's geographical extremities and spread out in different directions - the Portuguese to the tropical expanses of Brazil, Africa, and southern Asia, and the Russian across central Asia and Siberia to Alaska. Vast cultural gulfs separated the Portuguese, with their Latin tongue and Catholic faith, from the Slavic, Orthodox Russians. Indeed, the Portuguese and Russian paths never crossed; the two states never fought a war and never even had a serious diplomatic dispute. It would be difficult to find two of history's great empires less alike culturally than those of Portugal and Russia. In their social and economic structures, however, the empires share features that should impress upon us the need to search beyond superficial dissimilarities for underlying historical patterns.

Frontiers of Europe: Russia of the Czars, Portugal of the Navigators (Imperial Visions Series: The Rise and Fall of Empires)

Henry Wiencek

Gorillas: Gentle Giants of the Forest (Step Into Reading)

Science & Math

Biological Sciences

Random House USA Children's Books

A beautifully illustrated book with information on dinosaurs and how they lived.

Dinosaur Days (Step 2 book)

Random House, Inc.

Illus. in full color. "Milton understands what kids like about whales, and packs a considerable amount of information into the book. This easy-reader leaps with appeal."--Bulletin, Center for Children's Books.

Whales: The Gentle Giants

Children's Books

Animals

Random House Books for Young Readers

Read about a mother bear and her two cubs. Find out what bears like to eat...and more!

Bears Are Curious (Step Into Reading, Step 1 Preschool - Grade 1)

Scholastic. Inc.

Traces the life and career of the patriot who warned the rebels that the British were on their way and signaled the start of the Revolution

The Story of Paul Revere: Messenger of Liberty

Yearling

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Books by Joyce Milton