Born into slavery in the first century AD, Epictetus was a leading Greek philosopher of the Stoic school. He spent most of his life in Rome before the emperor Domitian banished all philosophers from the city in AD 93; his exile then took him to Nicopolis in Greece. His teachings were recorded by his pupil Arrian, who published both the Encheiridion and Discourses. The Discourses, which Arrian claimed to have taken down during lectures he attended, comprised eight books of which we have onl...

The shadow of an ancient evil stirs.Creatures of legend walk once more.And two unlikely heroes must rise—or their world will fall.For three hundred years, the Five Realms have known peace. Until now.Elodi never sought power. Yet after her father’s sudden death, she is forced to lead her people—burdened by doubt, her authority questioned, and tested when a horror from the past storms Calerdorn’s gates. But what she faces is only the beginning. Far greater dange...

The Water Margin is one of the most popular classics of early Chinese literature. It tells the vigorous story of 108 characters who, falling foul of the established state authorities are forced to become outlaws. They form a bandit community in Liangshan Marsh, becoming such a formidable force in their own right that they threaten the power of government itself.The author, Shi Nain, writing in the 14th century, the time of the Ming Dynasty, presents the tale with all the force and d...

Philosophical Investigations - a landmark in 20th century philosophy - was published in 1953, two years after the death of its author. In the preface written in Cambridge in 1945 where he was professor of philosophy he states: ‘Four years ago I had occasion to re-read my first book (the Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus) and to explain its ideas to someone. It suddenly seemed to me that I should publish those old thoughts and the new ones together: that the latter could be seen in the right l...

The Russian Revolution of 1917 was one of the most cataclysmic events in world history, profoundly shaping politics, international relations, social patterns, economics and science in the century that followed. It created long-lasting aftershocks which travelled far beyond its geographical borders. How did it happen? What were the sequence of events that led, following the shocking upheaval of the old Romanov order, to a fierce and violent rivalry between a variety of revolutionary faction...

The Romans have landed in Britain. The invasion is over, but the war has just begun.The legions march inland, but progress is slow, hampered by vast, ancient forests, swamps and treacherous rivers that must be crossed. But, guided by traitorous Celts blinded by self-interest, progress they do.Marshalling the fractious tribes, Caratacos plans the first major battle for the only fording point of the mighty Vaga River.Meanwhile, Cullen, now a warrior of renown, is dispa...

Separating fact from fiction, Professor Le Donne places Jesus within the context of first-century Judaism, and explores the debate about his status as 'Son of God' among the early Christians. He then follows his legacy through medieval Europe, and compares the various cultural Jesuses in enlightenment and post-enlightenment thought.

From a ruined land, a hero will rise.Britannia, 42AD. The wild island at the fringe of the world is in chaos. Into the turmoil marches the mightiest war machine in history: the legions of Rome.In a land torn apart by conflict, an orphaned boy must come of age within a tribe he despises.

Though born to a poor but pious family of ribbon weavers in in Saxony in 1762, Johann Gottlieb’s exceptional intelligence was apparent from an early age. Remarkably, from this humble background, he earned himself a respected place in the pantheon of late 18th and early 19th century German philosophers. That fact that he is placed between Kant and Hegel, yet still retains a significant and individual presence, says much about his work and personality. He became known, especially, for initia...

It is June 1936. Leon Trotsky (1879-1940) has finally been granted a visa for asylum in Norway, having been banned first from living in Paris, and then the whole of France. With him comes the draft of The Revolution Betrayed: What Is the Soviet Union and Where Is It Going?, which is completed and sent to the publishers on the 4th of August. The book, published by Faber in 1937, is considered to be Trotsky’s major work on Stalinism. Trotsky’s passion for the spirit of the Revolution he co-f...

Elements of The Philosophy of Right, a key work in the output of Georg Wilhelm Hegel (1770-1831), appeared in 1820 - and was arguably his last major publication. His intention was to state his views on the philosophy of law, political and social theory and ethics. Appearing as it did in a crucial time for the Prussian state - still affected by the Napoleonic wars and their aftermath - it was viewed differently by those on both the left and the right of the political spectrum.The es...

How did the city state of Rome rise inexorably to become the dominant power in the Mediterranean and much of the Western world?In short, first of all it overcame the established Carthaginian Empire despite the remarkable exploits of Hannibal. And, largely at the same time, it gradually subjugated the many and varied city states of Greece, despite various allied opposition.The rise of Rome is one of the great stories of world history, and fortunately, we have a reliable and ...