Charles River

*Includes pictures of important people, places, and events. *Includes a Bibliography for further reading. "Right or wrong. God judge me, not man. For be my motive good or bad, of one thing I am sure, the lasting condemnation of the North." - John Wilkes Booth Before the night of April 14, 1865, John Wilkes Booth was one of the most famous actors of his time, and President Abraham Lincoln had even watched him perform, but his most significant performance at a theater did not take place on the stage. That night, Booth became one of history's most infamous assassins when he shot President Lincoln at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D. C. Booth was a member of the prominent 19th century Booth theatrical family from Maryland, and he was a well-known actor throughout much of the country by the 1860s. But Booth was also a Confederate sympathizer who dabbled in espionage, and he was increasingly outraged at the Lincoln Administration. Although Robert E. Lee had surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia at Appomattox a few days earlier, an action often cited as the end of the Civil War, Booth believed the war was not yet over because Confederate soldiers under General Joseph E. Johnston were still fighting, and the flamboyant actor hoped his conspiracy could strike the kind of blow that might turn the Confederacy's fate around. Early plans to kidnap and ransom President Lincoln ultimately gave way to a wide ranging conspiracy by Booth and a small group to kill Lincoln and other top officials in a bid to decapitate the federal government and help the South. Perhaps not surprisingly, the actor's flair for the dramatic came at a cost to the plot. It took almost no time for the shocked public and the federal government to begin unraveling Booth's conspiracy, which had mostly faltered from the beginning. Following the shooting, America's most famous manhunt commenced, a 12 day pursuit that became the stuff of legends and controversy itself. Eight others were eventually tried for their alleged involvement in the plot and convicted, and four were hanged shortly thereafter as a result of some of the nation's most famous trials. Booth's crime has ensured his notoriety, but it has also overshadowed his life and career, not to mention his Civil War activities and the evolution of his plot. Notorious Assassins: The Life of John Wilkes Booth comprehensively covers his life and career, as well as the origins of the plot, the assassination of Lincoln, and the manhunt and trials that followed. Along with pictures of the important people and places, you will learn about the Lincoln's assassin like you never have before, in no time at all.

*Includes pictures *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading Nearly 2,000 years before Homer wrote his epic poems, the Minoan civilization was centered on the island of Crete, a location that required the Minoans to be a regional sea power. And indeed they were, stretching across the Aegean Sea from about 2700-1500 BCE, with trade routes extending all the way to Egypt. The Minoans may have been the first link in the "European chain", leading to the Ancient Greeks and beyond, but questions persist over the origins of the civilization, the end of the civilization, and substantial parts of their history, including their religion and buildings. All of this is largely because their written language, known today as "Linear A," remains undeciphered, and among the more enigmatic finds of this truly enigmatic culture was a small disk-shaped object excavated among the ruins of the Minoan city of Phaistos in 1908. The disc, which has since become known simply as the "Phaistos Disc," contains a number of pictographic symbols that were unrecognized by the scholars who first laid eyes on the object and remain unknown in the more than 100 years since. The contents of the Phaistos Disc, like the Minoan language of Linear A, remain unclear, but that is not for lack of trying by a plethora of scholars, some more credible than others. Many different theories have been advanced, but there is still no consensus concerning its origins, or even if it was intended to be writing. Discovering ancient shipwrecks hasn't been a novelty for thousands of years, but when artifacts were salvaged from a Roman shipwreck off the Greek island of Antikythera in 1900, the discovery of one set off one of the great mysteries of antiquity. When sponge divers investigated the shipwreck, they found the kind of items often associated with such discoveries, including marble statues, pottery, jewelry, and coins, but they also discovered a strange object, the likes of which nobody had ever seen before. Initially assumed to be pieces of rock, it turned out that the item, soon to be dubbed the Antikythera mechanism, consisted of dozens of pieces, many of which had gears. In fact, while scholars quickly deduced that it had an astronomical purpose, many believed the mechanism was too advanced to actually date back to antiquity. As it turned out, of course, the Antikythera mechanism did date back to the 1st or 2nd century BCE, and as scholars began to more fully comprehend its abilities, fascination over the device grew. In conjunction with the determination that the mechanism was an analog computer of sorts that could predict astronomical phenomena like the positions of stars and eclipses, conjecture over the origins of the device led to theories over what the Romans were going to do with it, and whether the device was created by the Greek genius Archimedes himself. To this day, debate continues over whether there were predecessors to the model, where the astronomical observations that went into creating the model were taken, and whether the ultimate origins of the device might even be Babylonian.

*Includes pictures *Includes accounts *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading "The desert was quivering with heat. The gun detachments and the platoons squatted in their pits and trenches, the sweat running in rivers down their dust-caked faces. There was a terrible stench. The flies swarmed in black clouds upon the dead bodies and excreta and tormented the wounded. The place was strewn with burning tanks and carriers, wrecked guns and vehicles, and over all drifted the smoke and the dust from bursting high explosives and from the blasts of guns." - Cecil Ernest Lucas-Phillips The fighting in North Africa during World War II is commonly overlooked, aside from the famous battle at El Alamein that pitted the British under General Bernard Montgomery against the legendary "Desert Fox," Erwin Rommel. But while the Second Battle of El Alamein would be the pivotal action in North Africa, the conflict in North Africa began all the way back in the summer of 1940, when Italian dictator Benito Mussolini declared Italy's entrance into the war. From his perspective, the fact that the British and French had their hands full with the Germans created an opportunity for Italy to enlarge its colonial holdings in Africa by seizing portions of the British Empire. However, British troops in the colony of Egypt responded to Italy's declaration of war by driving through the Egyptian-Ethiopian border and attacking Italian troops stationed in the Italian colony of Ethiopia. By September 13, 1940, Italian commanders in Ethiopia were finally ready to put Mussolini's plan into action and attack British colonial holdings, but British troops had already attacked a series of Italian frontier posts and had inflicted 3,500 casualties among Italy's North African troops. Although British maneuvering in North Africa began successfully against the Italians, the British forces suffered a series of defeats over the next two years, due to several problems the British army faced as a result of inadequate preparation and weaponry. For example, when the war began, junior officers were unprepared for the kind of cooperation between units that was necessary in the battles of North Africa. At the same time, while British tanks were capable of opposing Italian tanks, they were vastly inferior to German models. Dealing with the Italians was one thing, but the British faced an entirely different monster in North Africa when Erwin Rommel, a German general who had gained much fame for his role in the invasions of Poland and France, was sent to North Africa in February 1941. For the next two years, the Allies would face off against the legendary Desert Fox and his Afrika Korps. As a specific unit, the Afrika Korps represented only a small part of the German forces deployed in the North African theater, but the term "Afrika Korps" has since come to imply all forces under Rommel's command, and the Afrika Korps is now associated with all German war efforts in North Africa. On August 1, 1945, a month before the formal end of World War II, the British War Office announced the disbanding of a small, eclectic unit, the Long Range Desert Group. Since its founding five years earlier, in June 1940, the LRDG had pioneered and refined the concept and tactics of deep penetration, covert reconnaissance in both the North African desert, and later as a more varied special forces operations unit in the Aegean, Italy and the Balkans. The LRDG, although built on work done during the North African desert campaigns of World War I, suffered a difficult gestation at the onset of World War II, and it was only much later revived after World War II in the era of Vietnam and the African counterinsurgency wars to become a standard configuration in most modern armies. The Long Range Desert Group: The History of the Elite British Army Unit during World War II chronicles one of World War II's most famous fighting units.

*Includes pictures *Profiles some of the mysteries and supernatural phenomena reported across England *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading *Includes a table of contents "The Anglo-Saxon charms... are of outstanding importance because they provide more than vague references of exceptional and short texts. They cannot be said to reveal everything, for there are numerous points in which they lamentably fail us, but they are numerous enough and, taken as a body, complete enough to give more than a tantalising hint of a strange world. The veil of mystification enveloping magic appears to be thin and transparent here." - G. Storms, Anglo-Saxon Magic (1948) England is an ancient land steeped in history and tradition, filled with prehistoric ruins, majestic castles, and a countryside sculpted from millennia of human habitation.. Its rolling countryside is dotted with prehistoric burial mounds and stone circles. Brooding castles hold tales of bloodshed and honor. Medieval churches have elaborate stained glass windows and gruesome carvings, reflecting a mixture of hope and darkness. Every hamlet and village has tales that go back centuries, and folk festivals with roots in pagan times. Thus, it is not surprising that England is a land filled with mysteries. For centuries, people have told tales of ghosts stalking its historic buildings, strange creatures lurking in its primeval forests, and unexplained paths linking its ancient sites. Mysterious England: Monsters, Mysteries, and Magic Across the English Nation offers a sampling of the many strange stories and unexplained phenomena that make England such an intriguing place. It is part of an ongoing series by Sean McLachlan and Charles River Editors that covers the mysteries and oddities of various places across the world, including The Weird Wild West, Weird West Coast, Mysteries of the South, Mysterious New England, and Weird Scotland. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about the mysteries of England like never before.

*Discusses the myths and legends surrounding the two rulers. *Includes passages from Catherine's memoirs and letters she wrote to contemporaries like Voltaire and Diderot. *Includes pictures depicting Peter, Catherine and important people, places and events in their lives. *Includes a Bibliography of both leaders for further reading. For anyone trying to understand the origins of modern Russia, the search should begin with Tsar Peter I (1672-1725), who titled himself Peter the Great during his lifetime. The moniker is fitting, considering the manner in which Peter brought Russia out of the Middle Ages and into the 18th century. Through a series of campaigns, Peter turned Russia into a formidable empire that would subsequently become a major force on the European continent, while also emulating Western Europe and turning Russia into an international state that interacted with the other continental powers. By revolutionizing and modernizing Russian arms, including the creation of Russia's first naval force, Peter was able to pursue an aggressive and expansionist foreign policy that set the stage for the way the European map would be redrawn again and again over the coming centuries. Perhaps more remarkably, as Peter was stretching Russia's borders, he was transforming Russia from the inside as well. Fond of the cultures to the west, Peter embraced technology, science and the arts, developing a new educational system for his people and supporting a number of institutions of higher learning in Russia. He built a European-style capital at St. Petersburg and also established new ports and access to the Baltic Sea for the purposes of opening up trade with the west. As one of the most famous women rulers in history, Russian Empress Catherine the Great has long been remembered not only as one of the most powerful women of her time, but she was also one of the most powerful and capable rulers in all of Europe. And her path to the throne was just as remarkable as her reign. In a story that sounds like it could have been a precursor to Cinderella, Catherine the Great was born into a family of minor nobility, but she managed to forge her own destiny through her own cunning use of diplomacy and intrigue, gradually gaining allies and power. By 1762, she confident enough to conspire against her own husband, Peter III, whose reign as Tsar lasted just six months before his arrest at the hands of his wife. Upon his arrest and death, Catherine took power as the regent for their son, Grand Duke Paul. Despite the strong-arm tactics, Catherine came to power in the midst of the Enlightenment, which was flourishing in France and Britain, and she would rule as an Enlightened ruler. A known correspondent of Voltaire's, Catherine sought to modernize Russia and turn it into a force in its own right, creating a rich and cultured court at the same time. Over the course of nearly 35 years in power, Catherine ushered in the Russian Enlightenment and presided over a period of time known as the Golden Age of the Russian Empire. Given her length of reign, forceful character, and lasting legacy, it was inevitable that legends about Catherine the Great would also pop up in the wake of her death. To an extent, certain legends have overshadowed her actual accomplishments, even as they continue to be circulated. Peter the Great & Catherine the Great addresses the lives and legends of the two rulers, explaining how they turned Russia into a major player on the European scene. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about Peter the Great and Catherine the Great like you never have before.

*Includes pictures of Tombstone and important people and places. *Profiles Tombstone's most famous residents, including Ed Schieffelin, the Earp brothers, Doc Holliday, and more. *Highlights the history of Tombstone, as well as its forms of entertainment. *Comprehensively covers the Gunfight at the O. K. Corral. *Includes a Bibliography for further reading. "The 26th of October, 1881, will always be marked as one of the crimson days in the annals of Tombstone, a day when blood flowed as water, and human life was held as a shuttle cock, a day to be remembered as witnessing the bloodiest and deadliest street fight that has ever occurred in this place, or probably in the Territory." - The Tombstone Nugget Space may be the final frontier, but no frontier has ever captured the American imagination like the "Wild West", which still evokes images of dusty cowboys, outlaws, gunfights, gamblers, and barroom brawls over 100 years after the West was settled. A constant fixture in American pop culture, the 19th century American West continues to be vividly and colorful portrayed not just as a place but as a state of mind. In Charles River Editors' Legends of the West series, readers can get caught up to speed on the lives of America's most famous frontier figures in the time it takes to finish a commute, while learning interesting facts long forgotten or never known. The Wild West has made legends out of many men, but it has forged a lasting legacy for the city of Tombstone, Arizona, a frontier boomtown that has come to symbolize everything about the Old West. In many ways, Tombstone fit all the stereotypes associated with that era in American history. A dusty place on the outskirts of civilization, Tombstone brought together miners, cowboys, lawmen, saloons, gambling, brothels, and everything in between, creating an environment that was always colorful and occasionally fatal. Those characteristics might not have distinguished Tombstone from other frontier outposts like Deadwood in the Dakotas, but some of the most famous legends of the West called Tombstone home for many years, most notably the Earp brothers and Doc Holliday. And ultimately, the relationships and rivalries forged by those men in Tombstone culminated in the legendary Gunfight at the O. K. Corral on October 26, 1881. The West's most famous fight all but ensured that Tombstone would be the epicenter of Western lore, and as the city's population dwindled at the end of the 19th century, the allure of Tombstone as a tourist center took hold. Nearly half a million tourists flock to Tombstone each year, where they find a city that has cashed in on its legacy through careful preservation. Many of the historic buildings in Tombstone haven't changed much in the last 130 years, and visitors who come to the O. K. Corral or Boothill Cemetery can get an idea of what Tombstone was like at its peak. Legends of the West: Tombstone, Arizona comprehensively covers the history of the city, profiles the people who called it home, and highlights the attractions and events that made it famous. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about Tombstone like you never have before, in no time at all.

Jes s de Nazareth fue un maestro jud o de origen rural que vivi en el primer tercio del siglo I de nuestra era. Durante una celebraci n de la Pascua en Jerusal n fue condenado a la pena de muerte -espec ficamente crucifixi n- por la autoridad imperial de Roma, que en ese momento ten a el control de su pa s. Muchas cosas m s podr an decirse de su vida, pero aparte de este peque o resumen y quiz uno o dos detalles m s, ser a complicado que todos los acad micos estudiosos de la Biblia levantaran su mano en se al de acuerdo. Sin embargo, la literatura escrita en los siguientes 250 a os despu s de la muerte de este predicador jud o -relativamente desconocido en vida- fue abundante, casi estridente. Cu ntas personas dejaron por escrito vida o dichos de Jes s de Nazareth? La persona poco versada en estos temas responder que cuatro: los autores de los evangelios de Mateo, Marcos, Lucas y Juan, libros que se encuentran en el Nuevo Testamento. Pero para muchos resulta una sorpresa saber que los evangelios que aparecen en la Biblia no son sino una peque a muestra de los que se produjeron. Desde el principio, la producci n literaria de quienes consideraban a Jes s como Mes as fue abundante. Sin contar las breves menciones sobre la vida de Jes s que aparecen en las cartas de San Pablo, en los primeros dos siglos y medio de nuestra se compusieron muchas otras colecciones de dichos y hechos sobre el maestro jud o, algunas de ellas posiblemente por testigos oculares, o cuando menos, por cristianos de la primera o segunda generaci n (disc pulos de los disc pulos de Jes s). Algunos de esos textos fueron tan populares y gozaron de tal difusi n que han dejado su influencia hasta nuestros d as. Los nombres de los reyes magos -Melchor, Gaspar y Baltazar-, la tradici n de que Jos el padre de Jes s era viudo, los nombres de los bandidos que perecieron junto a l en la cruz -Dimas y Gestas- y el de la esposa de Pilatos, por citar s lo algunos ejemplos, provienen todos de los ap crifos: nunca se mencionan en la Biblia. La imponente pintura que est en la iglesia de San Paolo Maggiore, en N poles, que muestra a San Pedro luchando contra el mago Sim n, tambi n proviene de la imaginer a ap crifa.

*Includes pictures *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading The Weimar Republic has become a byword for a failed, tragic, political experiment. The official period of its existence, 1919-1933, marked the inter-war years in Germany and their related uncertainty, chaos and the state's ultimate collapse. Historians have found the roots of Nazism embedded in the Weimar years and that in the final analysis, Weimar politicians voluntarily handed over power to the man who wrought destruction on an epic scale, Adolf Hitler. Yet the Weimar era encapsulated a number of trends and fissures within German society, as well as the international community. The Weimar Republic was a prisoner of events and in the long run had little power to shape them. Historians are fond of interpreting the past as a tension between human agency, that is to say decision-making, and structural developments that evade individual choices. Both these interpretations are crucial when examining the tumultuous years of Germany's Weimar Republic. The early 1930s were a tumultuous period for German politics, even in comparison to the ongoing transition to the modern era that caused various forms of chaos throughout the rest of the world. In the United States, reliance on the outdated gold standard and an absurdly parsimonious monetary policy helped bring about the Great Depression. Meanwhile, the Empire of Japan began its ultimately fatal adventurism with the invasion of Manchuria, alienating the rest of the world with the atrocities it committed. Around the same time, Gandhi began his drive for the peaceful independence of India through nonviolent protests against the British. It was in Germany, however, that the strongest seeds of future tragedy were sown. The struggling Weimar Republic had become a breeding ground for extremist politics, including two opposed and powerful authoritarian entities: the right-wing National Socialists and the left-wing KPD Communist Party. As the 1930s dawned, these two totalitarian groups held one another in a temporary stalemate, enabling the fragile ghost of democracy to continue a largely illusory survival for a few more years. That stalemate was broken in dramatic fashion on a bitterly cold night in late February 1933, and it was the Nazis who emerged decisively as the victors. A single act of arson against the famous Reichstag building proved to be the catalyst that propelled Adolf Hitler to victory in the elections of March 1933, which set the German nation irrevocably on the path towards World War II. That war would plunge much of the planet into an existential battle that ultimately cost an estimated 60 million lives. The Weimar Republic: The History of Germany After World War I Before the Rise of the Nazi Party chronicles the pivotal events in the years between World War I and Hitler's ascension to power. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about the Weimar Republic like never before.

Los submarinos tuvieron un impacto decisivo en el resultado de la Batalla del Pac fico en la Segunda Guerra Mundial. La flota submarina de los Estados Unidos, bajo el mando general, si bien no exclusivamente, del Vicealmirante Charles Lockwood, estrangul las l neas de suministro y tr fico naval del Imperio del Jap n. Sus "asaltos al comercio" lisiaron la capacidad japonesa, tanto de mantener abastecidas sus unidades en el frente, como de fabricar las armas, embarcaciones y veh culos que necesitaba para continuar con xito la lucha. Tanto los Estados Unidos como Jap n produjeron excelentes submarinos de alta tecnolog a en el contexto de la era de la II Guerra Mundial. Los submarinos Clase I de la Armada Imperial Japonesa (AIJ) demostraron excelente estabilidad en aguas dif ciles y ofrec an la versatilidad que les daba su gran tama o, incluyendo la capacidad de servir como naves nodrizas para mini submarinos, como portaaviones para aviones exploradores, o incluso como bombarderos especializados. Los torpedos Tipo 93 Long Lance y Tipo 95 que llevaban eran lo suficientemente poderosos para hundir buques capitales como acorazados y portaviones, desde varias millas de distancia. Los submarinos de la Marina de los Estados Unidos (US Navy - USN), si bien m s peque os, pod an sumergirse profundamente, moverse r pidamente y proporcionar tanto potencia de fuego como probabilidades de supervivencia. Aunque sus torpedos Tipo XIV y Tipo XVIII no igualaban al Tipo 93 japon s, igualmente ten an potencia letal, particularmente tras ser mejorados a finales de 1943. El USS Archerfish tambi n demostr a los buques capitales japoneses la letalidad de los submarinos estadounidenses. Los submarinistas de ambas flotas demostraron inmenso valor, osad a y habilidad en el ejercicio de su deber. Ambos grupos de hombres exhibieron agresi n, patriotismo y esp ritu de lucha en igual medida, independientemente del lente cultural a trav s del cual se manifestaron estos rasgos. Ambas marinas produjeron con xito oficiales submarinistas profesionales y altamente capacitados. Los japoneses, sin embargo, decidieron utilizar sus submarinos principalmente como apoyo para grandes acciones de flota a distancias visuales, lo cual nunca ocurri . En lugar de eso, los submarinos llevaron a cabo ataques espor dicos y descoordinados, y el resto del tiempo, permanecieron en guardias de vigilancia o vieron su tiempo desperdiciado en transporte de suministros y evacuaciones subacu ticas. Los nipones nunca corrigieron estos problemas, posiblemente debido a factores culturales. Los impetuosos y democr ticos estadounidenses, desconfiados de la autoridad y acostumbrados a hacerse valer, confrontaron bulliciosamente a sus comandantes cuando sintieron que algo estaba mal. El problema de los torpedos provoc reyertas entre los capitanes de submarinos y los almirantes que casi llegaron a los pu os, pero al final, los almirantes examinaron y corrigieron el problema. A pesar de constituir apenas el 1.6% del tonelaje total de la USN en el Pac fico, la flota submarina infligi enormes p rdidas a la AIJ y la crucial marina mercante japonesa. Los submarinos hundieron el 55% de los nav os mercantes perdidos, o aproximadamente 1.300 embarcaciones; en total, los Aliados hundieron el 77% del transporte naval japon s. Los submarinos tambi n hundieron 214 acorazados japoneses, 82 de ellos de mil toneladas o m s -4 portaaviones, 4 portaaviones escolta, un buque de batalla, 4 cruceros pesados, 9 cruceros ligeros, 38 destructores y 23 submarinos- lo que representaba aproximadamente el 30% de toda la Armada Imperial Japonesa. Las estilizadas naves depredadoras hechas en los astilleros de Virginia, Wisconsin o el estado de Washington devastaron los activos navales y de carga del Imperio del Sol Naciente, muy por encima de proporci n en relaci n con sus n meros, y a un costo de 42 submarinos en "patrulla eterna".

*Includes pictures. *Includes quotes from participants, including declassified CIA files. *Includes footnotes and a bibliography for further reading. Within just a month of becoming President, the issue of communist Cuba became central to John F. Kennedy and his administration. On February 3rd, 1961, President Kennedy called for a plan to support Cuban refugees in the U. S., and a month later, he created the Peace Corps, a program that trained young American volunteers to help with economic and community development in poor countries. Both programs were integral pieces of the Cold War and were attempts to align disadvantaged groups abroad with the United State and the West against the Soviet Union and its Communist satellites. Meanwhile, covert operations were laying the groundwork for overthrowing Cuban leader Fidel Castro, and he knew it. Castro railed against CIA involvement among Cubans trying to overthrow him and his still young revolution. Matters came to a head that April, when the Kennedy Administration moved beyond soft measures to direct action. From April 17-20, 1,400 CIA-trained Cuban exiles landed on the beaches of Western Cuba in an attempt to overthrow Castro. This plan, known as the "Bay of Pigs," had been originally drafted by the Eisenhower Administration. The exiles landed in Cuba and were expected to be greeted by anti-Castro forces within the country, after which the U. S. would provide air reinforcement to the rebels and the Castro regime would slowly be overthrown. Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev's belief that he could push the inexperienced American leader around grew in the wake of the Bay of Pigs fiasco and the inconclusive Vienna summit in June 1961 that left Kennedy complaining to his brother Bobby that Khrushchev was "like dealing with Dad. All give and no take." Motivated by the events of the previous year, 1962 saw Khrushchev made his most decisive decision. Still questioning Kennedy's resolve, and attempting to placate the concerns of Cuban leader Fidel Castro following the failed Bay of Pigs invasion, Khrushchev attempted to place medium range nuclear missiles in Cuba, just 90 miles off the coast of the United States. Though Castro warned him that the act would seem like an act of aggression to the Americans, Khrushchev insisted on moving the missiles in quietly, under the cover of darkness. These missiles could serve not only as a deterrent against any invasion of Cuba but also as the ultimate first-strike capability in the event of a nuclear war. However, in October 1962, American spy planes discovered the Soviets were building nuclear missile sites in Cuba, and intelligence officials informed Kennedy of this on October 16th. It went without saying that nuclear missile sites located just miles off the coast of the American mainland posed a grave threat to the country, especially because missiles launched from Cuba would reach their targets in mere minutes. That would throw off important military balances in nuclear arms and locations that had previously ensured the Cold War stayed cold. Almost all senior American political figures agreed that the sites were offensive and needed to be removed, but how? Ultimately, some of the biggest arguments during the crisis took place among members of the Kennedy administration and the military. Members of the U. S. Air Force wanted to take out the sites with bombing missions and launch a full-scale invasion of Cuba, but Kennedy and his brother feared that military action could ignite a full-scale escalation leading to nuclear war. Though he had previously taken aggressive stances on Cuba, Bobby was one of the voices who opposed outright war and helped craft the eventual plan: a blockade of Cuba. That was the decision President Kennedy ultimately reached as well, but it remained to be seen whether Khrushchev would test Kennedy's resolve yet again.

"El punto es que la idea de los veh culos espaciales en forma de platillos voladores fue impresa en la psique nacional durante muchos a os antes de 1947, cuando tuvo lugar el incidente de Roswell. A los primeros observadores de los OVNIs no les cost mucho trabajo suponer que los objetos desconocidos que flotaban en el cielo ten an la misma forma de disco que los veh culos de ciencia ficci n"- Frank Wu, ilustrador de revistas de ciencia ficci n. Cuando la gente piensa en objetos voladores no identificados (OVNIS), tiende a pensar en discos voladores pilotados por seres grises con grandes cabezas y enormes ojos. Tienden a pensar que estos avistamientos apenas comenzaron hace relativamente poco tiempo y que la creencia en los OVNIs es una especie de religi n moderna provocada, quiz s, por los temores justificados de una era nuclear. Pero un estudio del fen meno revela r pidamente que la humanidad ha estado viendo OVNIS desde el principio de la historia registrada y quiz s mucho m s tiempo que eso. La Ufolog a moderna se centra en luces misteriosas sobre "Ceres" o cuentos de abducci n alien gena, pero no siempre fue as . Observando c mo ha cambiado la creencia en el fen meno de los OVNIs y c mo se ha mantenido, arroja nueva luz sobre c mo la cultura y las creencias cambian con el tiempo. No se tiene que creer que los seres humanos est n siendo visitados por extraterrestres de otro planeta para reconocer la importancia de los OVNIS en la sociedad humana. Cualquier creencia generalizada que perdure durante siglos es digna de estudio, y como siempre, existen casos que no pueden ser explicados como simples "creencias"... Todo el mundo est familiarizado con las teor as acerca de los OVNIs, o "platillos voladores" como se los llamaba entonces, pero incluso este nombre data de 1947. Antes de esa poca se les llamaba "cohetes fantasmas" o "aviones fantasmas" o "naves a reas fantasmas" Antes de la era del vuelo, los objetos voladores se llamaban varias cosas como "carros voladores" No importa la terminolog a que se use, cada generaci n claramente ha tenido su propia creencia de que la humanidad no est sola. Por ejemplo, pocas cosas en la historia estadounidense son tan controvertidas como la Colisi n de Roswell. El nico hecho innegable es que algo sucedi cerca de Roswell, Nuevo M xico, en 1947, pero m s all de eso, los hechos se vuelven turbios a medida que los recuerdos y las pruebas pierden su lustre a trav s de los a os. Dicho esto, el impacto de un objeto no identificado contin a desconcertando a los residentes, visitantes y curiosos, y no s lo ha puesto a Roswell en el mapa, sino que lo ha mantenido all para miles de turistas. Sin embargo, prevalece el escepticismo sobre la versi n oficial del incidente, y un sinn mero de personas contin an creyendo que el gobierno estadounidense encubri un aterrizaje forzoso alien gena. Como John B. Alexander, Ph. D., un antiguo director de proyecto del Laboratorio Nacional de Los lamos y consultor de la CIA, dijo: "Intentar llegar a una resoluci n completa del incidente es un mandado de un tonto, ya que cualquiera que sea la verdad, se ha distorsionado tanto con el tiempo que los hechos se han fusionado inextricablemente con la ficci n". Platillos voladores: La misteriosa historia del fen meno OVNI examina la locura de objetos voladores no identificados. Junto con fotos de personas importantes, lugares y eventos, aprender sobre platillos voladores como nunca antes, en un abrir y cerrar de ojos.

En 1911, el historiador estadounidense Hiram Bingham public el hallazgo de lo que en aquel momento era considerado una "ciudad perdida" inca. Aunque los habitantes locales ya la conoc an desde hac a un siglo, Bingham document y fotografi las ruinas de un asentamiento del siglo XV establecido a lo largo de una cresta monta osa sobre el valle de Urubamba en Per , colocado tan perfectamente desde un punto de vista defensivo que se cree que los espa oles nunca lo conquistaron y puede que nunca lo conocieran. Hoy en d a, por supuesto, Machu Picchu es uno de los mejores puntos tur sticos de Am rica del Sur, y las ruinas han sido incluso votadas como una de las Siete Nuevas Maravillas del Mundo. Pero a pesar de que Machu Picchu es ahora la m s conocida de todas las ruinas incas, su funci n en la civilizaci n inca a n no est clara. Algunos han especulado que era un puesto de avanzada o una ciudadela fronteriza, mientras que otros creen que es un santuario o un centro de trabajo para las mujeres. Otros sugieren que era un centro ceremonial o tal vez el ltimo refugio de los incas despu s de la conquista espa ola. Una de las teor as a tener en cuenta es que Machu Picchu era la vivienda de verano de la corte real de los incas, la versi n inca de Versalles. Como sucedi con el cambio de nombre de las ruinas mayas y aztecas, los nombres dados a diversas estructuras por los arque logos son puramente imaginarios y por lo tanto no muy tiles; por ejemplo, el mausoleo, el palacio o la torre de vigilancia en Machu Picchu puede que no hubieran sido nada de eso. Lo que est claro en Machu Picchu es que el plan urbano y las t cnicas de construcci n empleadas segu an a los de otros asentamientos incas, particularmente la capital de Cuzco. La ubicaci n de las plazas y el uso inteligente de las irregularidades de la tierra, junto con la est tica muy desarrollada involucrada en el trabajo de mamposter a, sigui el modelo de la capital inca. En Machu Picchu, la t pica t cnica inca de ensamblar meticulosamente la siller a y crear muros de bloques sin un material aglutinante es sorprendente. A veces los bloques son cuadrados uniformemente y algunas veces son de forma variable. En este ltimo caso, la conexi n muy estrecha entre los bloques de piedra parece bastante notable. A n m s asombroso que el corte de piedra preciso de los incas es el m todo que utilizaron para el transporte y movimiento de estos bloques enormes. Los incas no ten an la rueda, as que todo el trabajo se realiz usando rodillos y palancas. Machu Picchu: la historia y el misterio de la ciudad inca cubre de manera integral la historia de la ciudad, as como la especulaci n sobre el prop sito de Machu Picchu y el debate sobre los edificios. Junto con im genes y una bibliograf a, aprender s sobre Machu Picchu como nunca antes, en nada de tiempo.

Um homem caolho, com uma capa cinza e um chap u de abas largas apoiando-se em uma bengala. Um andarilho que aparece quando menos esperado, trazendo triunfo ou perdi o. O deus da profecia, poesia e destino. Um metamorfo. Um feiticeiro. O deus Odin representa uma figura dram tica na mitologia n rdica e permanece uma parte da imagina o popular. Ele a inspira o para personagens como Gandalf o Cinza de J. R. R. Tolkien, e ainda faz parte de literatura moderna t o variada quanto hist rias em quadrinhos da Marvel bem como o romance de Neil Gaiman Deuses Americanos. Ao lado de seu filho Thor, Odin um dos deuses n rdicos mais bem conhecidos, e bem f cil esquecer-se que outrora ele esteve no centro de um pante o devotamente adorado por milh es de europeus durante a Idade M dia. Odin possui numerosos nomes e t tulos (mais de 200 de acordo com uma fonte), mas seu t tulo mais conhecido o "Pai de Tudo", o co-criador da Terra ("Midgard"), da humanidade e todas as criaturas que habitam esse mundo. Importante notar que ele tamb m o deus da profecia, xtase, e poesia, pap is todos profundamente conectados no mundo n rdico, tendo em vista que a linha separando o poeta do profeta era t nue e eles eram tidos como possuindo uma inspira o por uma esp cie de f ria ext tica. Esses pap is eram conectados pelo fato de Odin patrocinar o conhecimento, especialmente o conhecimento m stico, j que ele era o descobridor de runas m gicas e m sicas que ent o passou para a humanidade. Isso n o foi obtido sem sacrif cio - ele teve de arrancar um de seus pr prios olhos e permanecer morto por nove dias com fim de adquiri-los. Odin era um deus da vida e tamb m da morte, e famoso por tomar as almas de guerreiros que morriam em combate de volta ao seu reino de Valhalla. Seu papel estava ligado sua posi o como um deus da guerra, uma posi o que talvez n o pare a evidente a um leitor moderno para um deus do conhecimento e sabedoria. Entretanto, Odin era o rei dos deuses e o mestre de Asgard; portanto, no entendimento n rdico, uma de suas tarefas cruciais era a defesa daquele reino atrav s de poderio militar quando necess rio. Seus seguidores vivos iriam invoc -lo durante batalhas, e dizia-se que ele levou campe es e at mesmo ex rcitos de humanos ao triunfo. til comparar Odin a duas outras divindades proeminentes: Thor e Zeus. Thor, o filho de Odin, era um outro deus da guerra n rdico, e Zeus era um outro deus rei. E ainda em ambos os casos, Odin difere grandemente destes deuses. Ele era mais enigm tico, e seu poderio era mais indireto e sutil. Odin era um deus de mist rios, de descobrir conhecimento obscuro, e ainda que fosse poderoso em batalha, as hist rias onde ele tem maior destaque s o aquelas onde ele assume formas discretas e faz com que os outros lhe passem informa es que talvez n o divulgassem t o abertamente. Isso difere da natureza temperamental dos outros dois deuses e de seu orgulho. Odin sempre foi um deus que planejava muitos passos adiante, disposto a fazer sacrif cios de curto-prazo extremos para progredir com seus planos, e continuamente trabalhava para endireitar a natureza de seu destino. Este livro explora a figura de Odin, incluindo suas origens, as hist rias contadas sobre ele, o modo como era adorado e fragmentos e mem rias dele que sobreviveram at a era moderna. Junto de ilustra es e uma bibliografia, voc aprender a respeito de Odin como nunca antes, e sem perder tempo.

*Includes inspirational quotes from both Emerson and Thoreau *Includes Emerson's article about Thoreau's life in the August 1862 edition of Atlantic Monthly *Includes a Bibliography of their works and secondary works about them. *Includes pictures of Emerson, Thoreau and important people and places in their lives. "Standing on the bare ground, - my head bathed by the blithe air, and uplifted into infinite space, - all mean egotism vanishes. I become a transparent eye-ball; I am nothing; I see all; the currents of the Universal Being circulate through me; I am part or particle of God." - Ralph Waldo Emerson "A living dog is better than a dead lion. Shall a man go and hang himself because he belongs to the race of pygmies, and not be the biggest pygmy that he can? Let every one mind his own business, and endeavor to be what he was made. Why should we be in such desperate haste to succeed and in such desperate enterprises? If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away." - Henry David Thoreau In the mid-19th century, Romantic literature was still in full bloom across the West, but some American authors began producing literature that, while still Romantic, was unique enough to be considered a different genre. This new genre, Transcendentalism, focused on the spirituality of the self and nature, not rejecting religion outright but concentrating on pragmatism and the importance of individuals as the spiritual center of the cosmos. In addition to drawing upon the Age of Enlightenment, Transcendentalist authors also utilized the philosophy of Plato, who taught that self-fulfillment through attaining knowledge should be an individual's ultimate goal. The leader of Transcendentalism, and the man who ushered the movement's practices and literature, was Ralph Waldo Emerson (1802-1883), one of America's most famous writers and speakers. Emerson initiated Transcendentalism with the publishing of his essay Nature in 1836, which espoused the virtues of nature and the interconnectedness of all life in nature. With his focus on the environment and natural history, Emerson became the first major American writer whose work was not influenced in any way by European literature. Emerson established group meetings, gave a series of lectures, and helped produce a Transcendentalist publication in the 1840s, which included his famous essay Self-Reliance. As Emerson's movement and stature grew, he befriended other authors, including Henry David Thoreau, who became his greatest prot g . As a prot g of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Thoreau took the values of the movement to heart and was particularly interested in the interconnection between man and nature, writing in Walden, "Most of the luxuries and many of the so-called comforts of life are not only not indispensable, but positive hindrances to the elevation of mankind." That famous work was Thoreau's account of his experience living for two years in a small cabin in a forest along the shore of Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts. In 1846, Thoreau was arrested for failing to pay taxes, which was based on his opposition to slavery and other ways the government spent taxpayers' money. After being freed, he gave a lecture about the roles of governments and individuals in society, which eventually became the famous essay "Civil Disobedience." Thoreau's message of civil disobedience has resonated more than any of his other Transcendentalist values, and it had a profound influence on the philosophy and nonviolent protests of activists like Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. Ralph Waldo Emerson & Henry David Thoreau looks at the lives and works of both men, examining their ideology and the Transcendentalist movement.

*Discusses the myths and legends surrounding Catherine's life and death. *Includes passages from Catherine's memoirs and letters she wrote to contemporaries like Voltaire and Diderot. *Includes pictures depicting Catherine and important people in her life. *Includes a Bibliography for further reading. A lot of ink has been spilled covering the lives of history's most influential figures, but how much of the forest is lost for the trees? In Charles River Editors' Russian Legends series, readers can get caught up to speed on the lives of Russia's most important men and women in the time it takes to finish a commute, while learning interesting facts long forgotten or never known. As one of the most famous women rulers in history, Russian Empress Catherine the Great has long been remembered not only as one of the most powerful women of her time, but she was also one of the most powerful and capable rulers in all of Europe. And her path to the throne was just as remarkable as her reign. In a story that sounds like it could have been a precursor to Cinderella, Catherine the Great was born into a family of minor nobility, but she managed to forge her own destiny through her own cunning use of diplomacy and intrigue, gradually gaining allies and power. By 1762, she confident enough to conspire against her own husband, Peter III, whose reign as Tsar lasted just six months before his arrest at the hands of his wife. Upon his arrest and death, Catherine took power as the regent for their son, Grand Duke Paul. Despite the strong-arm tactics, Catherine came to power in the midst of the Enlightenment, which was flourishing in France and Britain, and she would rule as an Enlightened ruler. A known correspondent of Voltaire's, Catherine sought to modernize Russia and turn it into a force in its own right, creating a rich and cultured court at the same time. Over the course of nearly 35 years in power, Catherine ushered in the Russian Enlightenment and presided over a period of time known as the Golden Age of the Russian Empire. Given her length of reign, forceful character, and lasting legacy, it was inevitable that legends about Catherine the Great would also pop up in the wake of her death. To an extent, certain legends have overshadowed her actual accomplishments, even as they continue to be circulated. Russian Legends: The Life and Legacy of Catherine the Great addresses the controversial legends about Catherine and her reign, but it also explores how a woman became one of the most powerful rulers in a country and continent dominated by men. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about Catherine the Great like you never have before, in no time at all.

*Includes pictures of Hill and other important people in his life. *Includes maps of important battles Hill fought in, including Antietam and Gettysburg. *Discusses Hill's contentious relationships with Stonewall Jackson and James Longstreet. *Includes Hill's account of the Battle of Gettysburg and others' quotes about Hill. *Includes a Bibliography for further reading. "Little Powell's got on his battle shirt " - Hill's soldiers before a battle. Of all the eccentric and enigmatic men who led during the Civil War, perhaps none had as mixed a record as Confederate Lieutenant General Ambrose Powell Hill, better known as A. P. Hill. Hill was a well known and highly respected general on both sides, particularly for his command of "Hill's Light Division" under Stonewall Jackson, which arrived just in time to save Lee's army during the Battle of Antietam. He continued to be Jackson's most capable subordinate until Jackson's death, when Lee gave him command of the III Corps of the Army of Northern Virginia just before the Pennsylvania campaign that climaxed at Gettysburg. Known affectionately to his soldiers as Little Powell, Hill was considered courageous and courteous, a fitting representative of his native Virginia. But after the defeat at Gettysburg and in the wake of his death during the final week of the war, Hill's reputation was somewhat tarnished. Hill was frequently sick to the point of being unfit for command during crucial times like the final day of the Battle of Gettysburg, either because of nerves or the lingering effects of gonorrhea, which he contracted decades earlier around the time he became a West Point cadet in the fabled Class of 1846. He is perhaps best remembered for being engaged to Ellen B. Marcy, the future wife of Hill's West Point friend George B. McClellan, before her parents pressured her to break off the engagement. Little Powell: The Life and Career of A. P. Hill profiles the famous general and examines his Civil War record, analyzing the legacy he's left behind. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about Hill like you never have before, in no time at all.

*Includes pictures of the generals and important people in their lives. *Includes maps of the battles they fought in. *Includes quotes from each general's memoirs describing their participation in battles like Antietam, Gettysburg and the Atlanta Campaign. *Discusses their relationships with each other and their superiors. *Includes a Bibliography on each general for further reading. During the Civil War, one of the tales that was often told among Confederate soldiers was that Joseph E. Johnston was a crack shot who was a better bird hunter than just about everyone else in the South. However, as the story went, Johnston would never take the shot when asked to, complaining that something was wrong with the situation that prevented him from being able to shoot the bird when it was time. The story is almost certainly apocryphal, but it was aptly used to demonstrate the Confederates' frustration with a man who everyone regarded as a capable general. Johnston would become known more for losing by not winning. Johnston was never badly beaten in battle, but he had a habit of strategically withdrawing until he had nowhere left to retreat. Johnston and Confederate President Jefferson Davis had a volatile relationship throughout the war, but Johnston was too valuable to leave out of service and at the beginning of 1864 he was given command of the Army of Tennessee. When Johnston gradually retreated in the face of Sherman's massive army (which outnumbered his 2-1) before Atlanta in 1864, Davis removed Johnston from command of the Army of Tennessee and gave it to John Bell Hood. Hood was one of the most tenacious generals in the Confederacy, for better and worse. The intimidating Texan began to make a name for himself as a brigade commander in the Army of Northern Virginia under new commander Robert E. Lee during the Seven Days Battles in 1862, after which he was promoted to division command. For the next several campaigns, he led a division under General James Longstreet's I Corps., fighting at places like Antietam and Fredericksburg. Hood was in the thick of the action on Day 2 at Gettysburg, suffering a bad wound that left his left arm permanently disabled. When Longstreet's command headed west, Hood suffered another wound at Chickamauga, leading to the amputation of his right leg. However, his reputation took an extreme hit in the final years of the war. In 1864, Joseph E. Johnston continued to move in the face of Sherman's armies back toward Atlanta, eventually leading to Hood's promotion to command of the Army of Tennessee. At this point, Hood was so damaged by his wounds that he needed assistance to even get on a horse. Nevertheless, Hood aggressively led a series of offensive attacks, failing to dislodge Sherman and only damaging his own army. Sherman eventually took Atlanta anyway. Hood's leadership only got worse during the final months of 1864, culminating in the Franklin-Nashville campaign in which he ordered a massive frontal attack at the Battle of Franklin that left many of his top officers, like Patrick Cleburne, dead on the field. Civil War historian Wiley Ford noted of the campaign, "Never had there been such an overwhelming victory during the Civil War-indeed, never in American military history." After the war, the two generals wrote memoirs in which they blamed each other for Atlanta and defended their own records against the allegations made by their critics. Playing the Confederate Blame Game chronicles the lives and careers of both men, examines their feuding, and analyzes their lasting legacies. Along with pictures, you will learn about Johnston and Hood like you never have before.

*Includes pictures *Includes ancient accounts of the landmarks *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading The famous conqueror from the European continent came ashore with thousands of men, ready to set up a new kingdom in England. The Britons had resisted the amphibious invasion from the moment his forces landed, but he was able to push forward. In a large winter battle, the Britons' large army attacked the invaders but was eventually routed, and the conqueror was able to set up a new kingdom. Over 1,100 years before William the Conqueror became the King of England after the Battle of Hastings, Julius Caesar came, saw, and conquered part of "Britannia," setting up a Roman province with a puppet king in 54 B. C. In the new province, the Romans eventually constructed a military outpost overlooking a bridge across the River Thames. The new outpost was named Londinium, and it covered just over two dozen acres. Londinium was initially little more than a small military outpost near the northern boundary of the Roman province of Britannia, but its access to the River Thames and the North Sea made it a valuable location for a port. During the middle of the first century A. D., the Romans conducted another invasion of the British Isles, after which Londinium began to grow rapidly. As the Romans stationed legions there to defend against the Britons, Londinium became a thriving international port, allowing trade with Rome and other cities across the empire. By the 2nd century A. D., Londinium was a large Roman city, with tens of thousands of inhabitants using villas, palaces, a forum, temples, and baths. The Roman governor ruled from the city in a basilica that served as the seat of government. What was once a 30 acre outpost now spanned 300 acres and was home to nearly 15,000 people, including Roman soldiers, officials and foreign merchants. The Romans also built heavy defenses for the city, constructing several forts and the massive London Wall, parts of which are still scattered across the city today. Ancient Roman remains continue to dot London's landscape today, reminding everyone that almost a millennium before it became the home of royalty, London was already a center of power. The Romans were master builders, and much of what they built has stood the test of time. Throughout their vast empire they have left grand structures, from the Forum and Pantheon in Rome to the theatres and hippodromes of North Africa and the triumphal gates in Anatolia and France. Wherever they went, the Romans built imposing structures to show their power and ability, and one of their most impressive constructions was built on the northernmost fringe of the empire. Shortly after the emperor Hadrian came to power in the early 2nd century CE, he decided to seal off Scotland from Roman Britain with an ambitious wall stretching from sea to sea. To accomplish this, the wall had to be built from the mouth of the River Tyne - where Newcastle stands today - 80 Roman miles (76 miles or 122 kilometers) west to Bowness-on-Solway. The sheer scale of the job still impresses people today, and Hadrian's Wall has the advantage of being systematically studied and partially restored. A study of the wall and its history provide an insight not only into the political context of Rome at the time but the empire's incredible engineering capabilities. Londinium and Hadrian's Wall: The History of Ancient Rome's Most Famous Landmarks in Britain analyzes the history of the influential Roman presence in England, and the ruins that remain thousands of years later. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about Londinium and Hadrian's Wall like never before.

*Includes pictures*Includes accounts written by explorers*Includes a bibliography for further reading*Includes a table of contents It is the dreamland of most children in Europe and the Americas, and the mysterious home of the mythical Santa Claus, his devoted wife Mrs. Claus, the reindeer and the many elves who make Christmas toys each year. In many ways, the North Pole is the first geographical location many kids learn, if only because children over the age of 3 can manage to tell any interested adult that Santa Claus lives there. In reality, of course, the North Pole proved to be as elusive for many brave explorers as jolly old Santa has been for children who wait up at night by the chimney. The biggest problem, of course, is the North Pole's unforgiving location, far from sunshine or any sort of natural warmth. Another problem, one that would only became obvious in the 20th Century, was that it is located not on any piece of stable land but in the middle of the Arctic Ocean, usually covered by ever shifting ice floes. Finally, without modern technological advances, it was nearly impossible to tell when one has actually reached the planet's northernmost spot. This has led to more than one argument about who actually made it and who did not; as historian E. Myles Standish put it, "Anyone who is acquainted with the facts and has any amount of logical reasoning can not avoid the conclusion that neither Cook, nor Peary, nor Byrd reached the North Pole; and they all knew it." Those sentiments were echoed by Canadian explorer Richard Weber, who asserted, "We came to the conclusion that Peary never got anywhere near the Pole. On the ice, everything looks the same. I'm afraid we'd have been lost without a global positioning system." Reaching the North Pole: The History of the Expeditions Attempting to Explore Earth's Northernmost Point looks at the historic expeditions that sought to reach the North Pole. Along with pictures and a bibliography, you will learn about these efforts like never before, in no time at all.

Es dif cil encontrar una isla en el mapa m s central que Sicilia. Situada en la encrucijada entre Europa y frica, y entre el Mediterr neo oriental y occidental, Sicilia rara vez ha sido gobernada como un Estado independiente y unificado. Sin embargo, la isla siempre ha ocupado un asiento de primera fila en algunos de los acontecimientos m s importantes de la historia, y en ning n otro lugar es m s evidente que en la antig edad. Muy f rtil en la antig edad, Sicilia fue especialmente apreciada por su producci n de cereales. La isla hab a sido habitada por tribus nativas desde la prehistoria, pero en los siglos IX y VIII a. C., Sicilia ser a el lugar de encuentro entre los griegos y los fenicios, midiendo sus poderes mar timos que luchaban por establecer colonias a lo largo de sus costas. Estas colonias, con el tiempo, se independizar an y, para la poca cl sica (510-323 a. C.), librar an sus propias guerras. Fue durante la poca cl sica que, especialmente bajo los tiranos (dictadores) de la ciudad griega de Siracusa, Sicilia se acerc m s a ser gobernada como un estado nico, unificado e independiente. Con el tiempo, lleg a desafiar al poderoso imperio comercial de Cartago, una antigua colonia fenicia en el norte de frica, y compiti con las ciudades y reinos de la Grecia continental por la primac a en el mundo griego. M s tarde, Sicilia ser a tanto un premio como un campo de batalla durante la Primera Guerra P nica (263-241 a. C.) y, en menor medida, tambi n durante la Segunda Guerra P nica (218-201 a. C.). Fueron conflictos masivos y prolongados entre Cartago y la naciente Rep blica Romana, y Roma se convertir a posteriormente en la principal potencia del Mediterr neo en su camino hacia el gobierno de gran parte del mundo conocido. Sicilia pasar a a ser el primer territorio de la Rep blica Romana fuera de Italia y su primera provincia; e Hier n, el tirano de Siracusa en ese momento, ser a el primer rey cliente de Roma. As , los dos modelos diferentes a trav s de los cuales Roma controlar a su imperio en el futuro hicieron su primera aparici n en Sicilia. La provincia de Sicilia ser a, adem s, crucial a la hora de proporcionar fondos, y sobre todo cereales, a la naciente Rep blica Romana. Despu s de las guerras p nicas, Sicilia seguir a siendo un dominio romano hasta el final de la antig edad, y los asuntos en la isla afectaron dram ticamente a los romanos en casa. La Primera Guerra Servil (135-132 a. C.) y la Segunda Guerra Servil (104-100 a. C.) tuvieron lugar en Sicilia, y fueron quiz s las revueltas esclavas m s grandes (y temporalmente exitosas) en la antig edad, demostrando un gran malestar en las primeras etapas del imperialismo romano. En el a o 70 a. C., el orador romano y estadista Cicer n pronunci un discurso contra Verres, el gobernador corrupto de la isla, y m s de 2.000 a os m s tarde todav a ofrece una visi n inestimable de la manera en que las cosas funcionaban en Sicilia y la Rep blica Romana en su conjunto. Aunque la conquista de Egipto en el a o 30 a. C. despojar a a Sicilia de su papel central como principal abastecedor de grano de Roma, la isla seguir a siendo una parte importante del Imperio Romano durante unos 500 a os m s. Sicilia s lo volver a a ser independiente despu s de la ca da del Imperio Romano Occidental a las tribus b rbaras a finales del siglo V d. C., que dio inicio al comienzo de la Edad Media. Antigua Sicilia: La Historia Y El Legado De La Isla M s Grande Del Mediterr neo En La Antig edad analiza uno de los territorios m s importantes y disputados del mundo. Junto con im genes que representan personas importantes, lugares y eventos, usted aprender acerca de la antigua Sicilia como nunca antes.