Tony Spawforth

“This excellent survey . . . spans the rise and fall of the Greco-Roman world. This conversational yet erudite history is a treat.” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) The magnificent civilization created by the ancient Greeks and Romans is the greatest legacy of the classical world. However, narratives about the “civilized” Greek and Roman empires resisting the barbarians at the gate are far from accurate. Tony Spawforth, an esteemed scholar, author, and BBC presenter, follows the thread of civilization through more than six millennia of history. His story reveals that Greek and Roman civilization, to varying degrees, was surprisingly receptive to external influences, particularly from the East. From the rise of the Mycenaean world of the sixteenth century B.C., Spawforth traces a path through the ancient Aegean to the zenith of the Hellenic state and the rise of the Roman Empire, the coming of Christianity, and the consequences of the first caliphate. Deeply informed, provocative, and entirely fresh, this is the first and only accessible work that tells the extraordinary story of the classical world in its entirety. “A welcome survey of the two greatest powers in the ancient Mediterranean world and their bound destinies.” —Kirkus Reviews “A sweeping, beautifully written story. . . . With Spawforth as our guide, we grasp a world less of myths and superheroes than of people who really lived.” —John Timpane, The Philadelphia Inquirer “With great agility, Spawforth mixes literary, inscriptional, and archaeological material and offers a nuanced understanding of how civilisations evolve.” —Professor Michael Scott, author of Ancient Worlds “Informed, informative and thoroughly enjoyable. . . . A book that brings the past back to life.” —Peter Frankopan, author of The Silk Roads

The Story of Greece and Rome

Esta historia del mundo clásico de Tony Spawforth, profesor de Historia antigua de la Universidad de Newcastle y figura destacada en el campo de la Historia y la Arqueología del mundo antiguo, nos ofrece una imagen realmente nueva de los pueblos y las culturas de los que ha surgido nuestra propia civilización. Una historia de Grecia y de Roma, y de su relación con los pueblos de su entorno, como persas y etruscos, que se aparta de las síntesis tradicionales y enriquece el relato con las aportaciones más recientes de la investigación arqueológica. Una visión, en suma, innovadora y sugerente que nos llevará a revisar lo que creíamos saber.

Una nueva historia del mundo clásico

Called "fast-paced" (Kirkus Reviews) and "highly engrossing" (Publishers Weekly), this is the behind-the-scenes story of the world's most famous palace. The story of Versailles is one of high historical drama mixed with the high camp and glamour of the European courts, all in an iconic home for the French arts. The palace itself has been radically altered since 1789. Versailles sets out to rediscover what is now a vanished world: a great center of power and, for thousands, a home both grand and squalid. Using the latest historical research, Spawforth offers the first full account of Versailles in English in over thirty years. He probes the conventional picture of this "perpetual house party" and gives full weight to the darker side: not just the mounting discomfort of the aging palace but also the intrigue and status anxiety of its aristocrats, as well as the changing place of Versailles in France's national identity since 1789. Many books have told the stories of the royals and artists living in Versailles, but this is the first to turn its focus on the palace itself—from architecture to politics to scandal to restoration.

A Biography of a Palace

Versailles

A wide-reaching history of the old-regime palace evaluates eighteenth-century political and social aspects that have influenced modern France, in an account that covers such topics as the "perpetual house party," the consequences of the monarchy's relocation to Versailles, and the role of the palace in French national identity. 20,000 first printing.

An enjoyable, accessible exploration of the legacy of ancient Greece today, across our daily lives and all forms of popular culture Our contemporary world is inescapably Greek. Whether in a word like “pandemic,” a Freudian state of mind like the “Oedipus complex,” or a replica of the Parthenon in a Chinese theme park, ancient Greek culture shapes the contours of our lives. Ever since the first Roman imitators, we have been continually falling under the Greeks’ spell. But how did ancient Greece spread its influence so far and wide? And how has this influence changed us? Tony Spawforth explores our classical heritage, wherever it’s to be found. He reveals its legacy in everything from religion to popular culture, and unearths the darker side of Greek influence—from the Nazis’ obsession with Spartan “racial purity” to the elitism of classical education. Paying attention to the huge breadth and variety of Hellenic influence, this book paints an essential portrait of the ancient world’s living legacy—considering to whom it matters, and why.

What the Greeks Did for Us

Antony Spawforth

An enjoyable, accessible exploration of the legacy of ancient Greece today, across our daily lives and all forms of popular culture Our contemporary world is inescapably Greek. Whether in a word like "pandemic," a Freudian state of mind like the "Oedipus complex," or a replica of the Parthenon in a Chinese theme park, ancient Greek culture shapes the contours of our lives. Ever since the first Roman imitators, we have been continually falling under the Greeks' spell. But how did ancient Greece spread its influence so far and wide? And how has this influence changed us? Tony Spawforth explores our classical heritage, wherever it's to be found. He reveals its legacy in everything from religion to popular culture, and unearths the darker side of Greek influence--from the Nazis' obsession with Spartan "racial purity" to the elitism of classical education. Paying attention to the huge breadth and variety of Hellenic influence, this book paints an essential portrait of the ancient world's living legacy--considering to whom it matters, and why.

The behind-the-scenes story of the world's most famous palace, painting a picture of the way its residents truly lived and examining the palace's legacy, from French history through today The story of Versailles is one of historical drama, under the last three kings of France's old regime, mixed with the high camp and glamour of the European courts, all in an iconic home for the French arts. The palace itself has been radically altered since 1789, and the court was long ago swept away. Versailles sets out to rediscover what is now a vanished world: a great center of power, seat of royal government, and, for thousands, a home both grand and squalid, bound by social codes almost incomprehensible to us today. Using eyewitness testimony as well as the latest historical research, Spawforth offers the first full account of Versailles in English in over thirty years. Blowing away the myths of Versailles, he analyses afresh the politics behind the Sun King's construction of the palace and shows how Versailles worked as the seat of a royal court. He probes the conventional picture of a "perpetual house party" of courtiers and gives full weight to the darker side: not just the mounting discomfort of the aging buildings but also the intrigue and status anxiety of its aristocrats. The book brings out clearly the fateful consequences for the French monarchy of its relocation to Versailles and also examines the changing place of Versailles in France's national identity since 1789. Many books have told the stories of the royals and artists living in Versailles, but this is the first to turn its focus on the palace itself---from architecture and politics to scandal and restoration.

  Civilizațiile magnifice create de vechii greci și de vechii romani reprezintă cea mai importantă moștenire a lumii clasice. Cu toate acestea, poveștile despre imperiile „civilizate“ ale grecilor și romanilor care au rezistat în fața barbarilor sunt departe de a fi adevărate. Tony Spawforth, cercetător apreciat, autor și colaborator la diverse publicații și emisiuni TV, urmărește aceste civilizații prin mai mult de șase milenii de istorie. Povestea lui ne dezvăluie că civilizația greacă și cea romană, în grade variabile, au fost surprinzător și în majoritate receptive la influențe externe, mai ales venite din Orient.

De la apariția civilizației miceniene în secolul al XVI-lea î.Hr., Spawforth urmărește drumul care ne duce prin apele vechii Egei spre zenitul statului elen și apariția Imperiului Roman și a creștinismului și consecințele întemeierii primului califat. Plină de informații provocatoare și cu un conținut proaspăt, este prima și singura lucrare accesibilă care ne spune povestea extraordinară a lumii clasice în întregimea ei.

Tony Spawforth

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