Charles River

*Includes pictures *Includes Cole's quotes *Includes a bibliography for further reading *Includes a table of contents "If I could read it, I could play it." - Nat King Cole 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' American Legends series, readers can get caught up to speed on the lives of America's most important men and women in the time it takes to finish a commute, while learning interesting facts long forgotten or never known. Among the most recognizable and iconic vocal artists known to American society from the mid-twentieth to the twenty-first century, baritone Nat King Cole is indelible in the nation's consciousness for such hits as "Mona Lisa" and "Ramblin' Rose" as well as for his rendition of Mel Torm 's famous "Christmas Song," with the opening line known to millions of American households, "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire." Cole is almost synonymous with the Christmas holiday season. His entire career, following an early start as a first-rate pianist, includes a consistent string of similar hits, including: "Route 66," "Sweet Lorraine," "(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons," "Nature Boy," "Too Young," "Answer Me," "Walkin' My Baby Back Home," "Straighten Up and Fly Right," "Lush Life," "Those Hazy Lazy Crazy Days of Summer," "People," "That Sunday That Summer," "Dear Lonely Hearts, "L-O-V-E," and "Unforgettable." His gentle baritone sound, elegant phrasing, and crystal-clear enunciation are unmistakable, and have remained as a beloved fixture in America's collective ear for well over half a century. On the other hand, Cole, so well-known for just a fraction of his contribution to 20th century music, is one of the most anonymous and unexplored artists in the lexicon of great pop and jazz figures known to American and European audiences. Jazz devotees may know that, in his early years as a jazz pianist, he both studied with and influenced the greatest players, in his generation and those that followed. Those who regularly listen to the blues will find its distinct presence in his playing and can point to Cole's motion picture roles, one of which was the portrayal of the "Father of the Blues" himself, W. C. Handy. For those who love his singing, examples exist in multiple genres, and his image as a stage personality and host were smooth, unruffled, and elegant, putting him in good stead with others of his kind, such as Bing Crosby. And finally, despite his general bent toward tolerance and a non-violent response toward abuse, Cole's professional and personal stories are interwoven into the urge toward equal civil rights for African-Americans in the United States. Much like other famous singers, such as Marian Anderson, he fought ignorance and injustice, in part, by rising above it and providing a model for civilized behavior, both as a public figure and as an international musician. A professional performer who has continued to sell millions of records well past the date of his death, Nat King Cole also left a legacy, not only of an enormous body of recorded work, but in the career of his famous daughter, Natalie Cole. The United States feels nostalgia for Nat King Cole that it feels for few other artists, one that is easily triggered by the playing of any number of hits recorded over several decades. The strong strain of pianistic and vocal skills can be found in his "students" of the following generation, from pianist Oscar Peterson to singers George Benson and Johnny Mathis. American Legends: The Life of Nat King Cole looks at the life and legacy of one of America's most famous musicians. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about Nat King Cole like never before, in no time at all.

*Includes pictures *Includes ancient accounts of each group *Includes a bibliography for further reading Individuals who decide to take up learning about the Old Testament of the Bible are immediately faced with the difficult proposition of identifying the various peoples that the Hebrews met and sometimes came into conflict with when they entered the territory that eventually became Israel. The Moabites and Edomites were just two of the many Canaanite groups that the Hebrews dealt with, often violently, but there were dozens of other Canaanite groups, which were all for the most part identified through the names of their respective cities. In fact, before the Hebrews established a kingdom and before the Phoenicians colonized much of the Mediterranean, the Canaanites were the most important group in the Levant for much of the Bronze Age and into the early Iron Age. Although the Canaanites never created a unified nation-state or kingdom, their importance in the ancient Near East cannot be understated. It was at least partially because of that fact that the Canaanites were unable to resist their larger and more powerful neighbors that the average person today knows so little about their history, but modern studies have revealed that they developed a unique religion that influenced non-Canaanite peoples and continued to be practiced in some form centuries after the Canaanites ceased to be an identifiable people. Furthermore, during the height of the Bronze Age the Canaanites provided important resources to the Egyptian and Hittite Empires and played a key role in the geopolitical game of chess between those two kingdoms. It also goes without saying that the Canaanites were also a factor in the establishment of the Kingdom of Israel, as the battles they lost to the Hebrews later became the foundation of the Jewish kingdom. Although the Old Testament provides a credible source for some aspects of Philistine culture, it naturally paints a picture of them as a group of bloodthirsty warriors whose one purpose was to oppress the Hebrews/Israelites. When corroborated with ancient Egyptian and Mesopotamian sources, along with modern archaeological studies, an examination reveals that the reputation that the Philistines earned from the Old Testament was partially warranted, but that there was also much more to Philistine culture. Today, Babylon has become a byword for greed, excess, and licentiousness, mostly due to its mention in the Bible, but a closer examination reveals that Babylon was so much more, and even perhaps the most important city in the ancient world. Ancient Babylon was home to great dynasties that produced some of the world's most influential leaders, most notably Hammurabi and Nebuchadnezzar, and these rulers invoked their wills on the entire ancient Near East and have been remembered as both progressive and cruel all at the same time. Babylon was also the seat of culture in ancient Mesopotamia and the place where scholars made amazing scientific advances that would not be eclipsed for several centuries. An examination of ancient Babylon demonstrates that it was truly the first great city in the ancient world. Although the Biblical accounts of the Assyrians are among the most interesting and are often corroborated with other historical sources, the Assyrians were much more than just the enemies of the Israelites and brutal thugs. A historical survey of ancient Assyrian culture reveals that although they were the supreme warriors of their time, they were also excellent merchants, diplomats, and highly literate people who recorded their history and religious rituals and ideology in great detail. The Enemies of the Ancient Israelites: The History of the Canaanites, Philistines, Babylonians, and Assyrians looks at the various groups and their impact on the region and subsequent cultures.

*incluye fotos *incluye las cuentas de las batallas Aqu va una adivinanza. Qu parte de Estados Unidos ha estado bajo la soberan a de seis pa ses diferentes? La respuesta, por el t tulo de este libro, es obvia. "Texas es un estado mental, pero creo que es mucho m s que eso. Es una m stica que se aproxima a una religi n. A pesar de su enorme extensi n, variedad de climas y diferencias en el paisaje, Texas tiene una cohesi n interna quiz m s s lida que cualquier otra parte de la Uni n Americana", escribi John Steinbeck en Travels with Charley: In Search of America. No es raro que el texano promedio sienta un gran orgullo por el simple hecho de serlo, e incluso juegue con la noci n de que su estado podr a, y quiz deber a ser una gran naci n alg n d a. Terminada la colonizaci n europea en el continente, Texas dej de pertenecer a Espa a y Francia para formar parte del Imperio Mexicano; despu s fue un pa s independiente y actualmente es uno de los 50 estados de la Uni n Americana, aunque durante un breve periodo la rebelde Texas volvi a separarse para formar, junto con otros aliados, los Estados Confederados de Am rica. Decir que algo es "del tama o de Texas" expresa grandiosidad y abundancia, y sus habitantes ciertamente han mostrado la laboriosidad para hacer de esta parte de Norteam rica uno de los estados que mayormente contribuye al producto interno bruto de su pa s. Las historias sobre la revoluci n que en el siglo XIX la libr de la intolerancia, opresi n y crueldad mexicanas se cuenta lo mismo en las escuelas que en la astuta museograf a de las principales centros culturales del "Estado de la Estrella Solitaria". En particular la batalla del lamo, rodeada de leyendas y testimonios de hero smo, es un ejemplo de libro de texto de c mo se ve ah la conquista de la libertad, comparable a la batalla de Masada para los jud os. Las palabras "m rtires", por un lado, y "tiran a mexicana" por el otro, casi siempre est n presentes en los recuentos. Remember the Alamo es a la vez un slogan de auto-glorificaci n como de martirio. Pero sta es, desafortunadamente, una visi n pintada de rosa. Como en cada historia, todo depende del lado en que nos coloquemos y las historias de qui n estemos leyendo. La guerra de Texas ciertamente buscaba la libertad, pero no el ideal abstracto of "las masas cansadas, despojadas que anhelan respirar libres; los rechazados expulsados de lejanas costas". Era m s bien la libertad para ir comi ndose las tierras de un pa s d bil y mantener la esclavitud en sus campos de algod n, as como la ambici n de tierras baratas e inagotables recursos naturales. Texas no viv a bajo una tiran a, los colonos no hab an sido esclavizados por nadie -por el contrario, se les hab an regalado tierras y permitido todas las facilidades para prosperar-, ni el ej rcito mexicano era las fuerzas del mal cuyo nico objetivo era, en palabras de la poca, imponer "la barbarie y el despotismo (...) de la raza h brida hispanoamericana y la raza negra contra la civilizaci n" (Pacheco, 1997). Los colonos texanos, en su mayor parte familias pac ficas y trabajadoras, hicieron por a os lo que har a cualquier grupo humano en busca de mejores oportunidades teniendo ante s territorios deshabitados y no vigilados: entrar, asentarse en ellos, trabajarlos y defender lo logrado. Por su parte, M xico reaccion como lo hubiera hecho cualquier pa s que viera visto invadido su territorio por rebeldes extranjeros armados: expulsarlos o apaciguarlos. Sin embargo, durante la guerra de Texas y hasta la fecha, tiende a verse con actitud rom ntica el recuerdo de aquella rebeli n. La guerra de independencia que ah se llev a cabo fue el pre mbulo de otra m s extensa, destructiva y sangrienta: la guerra entre M xico y Estados Unidos en 1847. No es sta una historia de h roes ni de villanos.

Diferentes ramas de la misma religi n son la excepci n m s que la regla, y han tenido un profundo impacto en la historia. El cisma entre las iglesias ortodoxa y cat lica influy en las relaciones entre las naciones de toda Europa, y la intolerancia religiosa basada en diferentes creencias cristianas llev a la persecuci n y la violencia por todo el continente durante siglos. La Reforma Protestante dividi el cristianismo a n m s, y los resultados culminaron en la incre blemente destructiva Guerra de los Treinta A os en el siglo XVII. Hoy, la divisi n religiosa m s importante es entre los sunitas y los chi es (chi tas) dentro del Islam. A diferencia de las divisiones en otras religiones (entre jud os conservadores y ortodoxos o cat licos y cristianos protestantes) la divisi n entre los sunitas y los chi es ha existido desde hace tanto como la propia fe, y surgi r pidamente de las tensiones creadas por la crisis pol tica despu s de la muerte del Profeta Mahoma. En cierto sentido, lo que ahora son dos formas diferentes de Islam inicialmente comenz como facciones pol ticas dentro del cuerpo unificado de creyentes musulmanes. En los ltimos siglos, los cristianos han sido en su mayor a capaces de vivir junto a sus correligionarios, pero la divisi n entre los sunitas y los chi es es todav a tan pronunciada que muchos adherentes de cada rama se ven con desd n o incluso como ap statas o no creyentes La divisi n religiosa es quiz s la l nea de falla m s importante en el turbulento Medio Oriente de hoy, con naciones sunitas como Egipto y Arabia Saudita en desacuerdo con naciones chi es como Ir n. En niveles inferiores, grupos no estatales como el Estado Isl mico y Hezbollah est n luchando entre s en formas que cruzan l neas estatales en lugares como L bano, Irak y Siria. Aunque t cnicamente es una divisi n en la religi n, la divisi n ha tenido ramificaciones globales sustanciales durante d cadas, y parece que no hay fin a la vista. La historia de la divisi n sun y chi traza los or genes de la divisi n y los efectos hist ricos de la divisi n principal dentro del Islam. Junto con fotos de personas importantes, lugares y eventos, aprender s sobre la historia de los sunitas y chi es como nunca antes, en muy poco tiempo.

*Includes pictures *Includes ancient accounts of Sidon *Includes a bibliography for further reading Of all the peoples of the ancient Near East, the Phoenicians are among the most recognizable but also perhaps the least understood. The Phoenicians never built an empire like the Egyptians and Assyrians; in fact, the Phoenicians never created a unified Phoenician state but instead existed as independent city-state kingdoms scattered throughout the Mediterranean region. However, despite the fact there was never a "Phoenician Empire," the Phoenicians proved to be more prolific in their exploration and colonization than any other peoples in world history until the Spanish during the Age of Discovery. The Phoenicians were well-known across different civilizations throughout the ancient world, and their influence can be felt across much of the West today because they are credited with inventing the forerunner to the Greek alphabet, from which the Latin alphabet was directly derived. Nonetheless, the Phoenicians left behind few written texts, so modern historians have been forced to reconstruct their past through a variety of ancient Egyptians, Assyrian, Babylonian, Greek, and Roman sources. It's not even clear what the Phoenicians called themselves, because the name "Phoenician" is derived from the Greek word "phoinix", which possibly relates to the dyes they produced and traded (Markoe 2000, 10). The mystery of the ancient Phoenicians is further compounded by the fact that archaeologists have only been able to excavate small sections of the three primary Phoenician cities: Byblos, Sidon, and Tyre. For centuries, the port city of Sidon served as the capital of the Phoenician homeland, the administrative center of their maritime trading network, and the holy center of one of the most popular Levantine religious cults. Located in southern Phoenicia about 30 miles south of the present-day Lebanese capital of Beirut, the settlement has a narrative that stretches far into the depths of prehistory. The oldest archaeological remains date from the second half of the 4th millennium BCE. The history of Sidon, as with other Phoenician cities, constantly fluctuated between freedom and subjection. Its privileged geographical position on the coast was the source of its commercial development and its openness to foreign cultures, but in doing so the prosperous city became coveted by numerous conquerors. It passed through the successive influence of Egypt, the neighboring Phoenician city-state of Tyre, and eventually flourished under Persian rule as the seat of a satrap for the whole Euphrates region. The Persian king frequently made use of the renowned Sidonian fleet during his military campaigns, and the kings of Sidon were greatly rewarded for their services. During the campaigns of Alexander the Great, Sidon opened its doors to the young Macedonian, who chose to depose the long lasting dynasty of Sidonian kings. It later became the battleground between the Arab caliphates and European Crusaders during the Middle Ages in a conflict that in many ways continues to shape the region to this day. Like many other cities in the Levant, Sidon has been continuously inhabited over the centuries, and despite the transformations brought by multiple civilizations that succeeded the Phoenicians, the city maintained a thoroughly ancient identity and original character into the modern period. Nonetheless, much of its ancient history remains shrouded in mystery, not only by a lack of systematic archaeological excavation but also because much of its heritage has been lost through conflict and looting by treasure hunters throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. To this day a great amount of Sidon's archaeological assets are the property of foreign museum collections.

*Includes pictures *Includes Biblical and other accounts of the Magi *Includes a bibliography for further reading In almost every nativity scene today are shown three kings presenting gifts to the newborn baby Jesus, and though everyone is familiar with the Three Wise Men, they are also some of the most mysterious characters from the Bible. According to Scripture, they journeyed from an unnamed land to Bethlehem, bearing gifts for Jesus Christ, and then disappeared. They were the first Christian pilgrims, they later became the patron saints of travelers, and their image is on millions of Christmas cards. Nevertheless, over 2,000 years later, little is known of where they came from and where they went, and most of what people think they know about the Magi does not actually come from the Bible but from assorted myths that have emerged over the millennia. The Bible does not, in fact, say that the three men were kings - this was a detail added later. Most startling of all is that the Bible does not even say that there were three men. Moreover, it seems unlikely that the Magi were actually present on the night that Jesus was born. According to the Book of Luke, Joseph and Mary brought Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem 40 days after Jesus was born, which means they had remained in Bethlehem for some time after his birth: "And when the days for their purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord." In fact, in the course of describing the visit of the Magi, the Bible clearly notes there had been time enough for Joseph and Mary to find a house in Bethlehem: "On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route." These Magi were wealthy and well-educated. They likely came from Persia, but they had been ordered by King Herod to discover the location of Christ, purportedly so that Herod could pay homage to the child, but in all likelihood to murder the newborn threat to his power. Word quickly reached King Herod of the arrival of a new-born "King of the Jews," and since he was understandably unwilling to allow any threat to his own authority, Herod was determined to do away with this child. He sent soldiers to kill all of the boys that were up to two years old in and around Bethlehem - an event known as the "Massacre of the Innocents". It was a tragic event for many families in the city, but Jesus was evidently safe on his way to Egypt with his parents. So what exactly is known of these mysterious figures that lived in the time of Christ? There is still plenty of intrigue and mystery surrounding the Magi's story, but it's apparent they were inextricably linked to that of Herod the Great, who ruled over Judea when Jesus was born and who is to this day reviled as the evil king who tried to kill the Christ child during the slaughter of the innocents. Herod, the king that the Romans had placed on a throne he had no right to, was prone to violent rages and extreme paranoia. He had a fearsome reputation, having already killed his own wife, several sons, and hundreds of political opponents, and is said to have suffered from all kinds of ailments, including chronic kidney disease and gangrene. Yet there was another side to this brutal king; he was the greatest builder in the history of the land, and he left behind magnificent monuments that still dazzle the eye 2,000 years later. Who was Herod the Great - a murderous madman, a brilliant king, or both? The Three Wise Men: The History and Legacy of the Biblical Magi examines the known and unknown about some of the most important figures in the Bible. Along with pictures depicting important people, places, and events, you will learn about the Magi like never befor

*Includes pictures *Includes contemporary accounts *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading "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) London is one of the great cities of Europe, a center of commerce, art, and science for more almost 2,000 years. Visitors today are treated to world-class museums, pulsing nightlife, and fine dining. But one does not have to search far beyond this prosperous and modern fa ade to glimpse an older, and more unusual, London; in fact, everywhere one looks, ancient traditions and old patterns emerge. Pagan figures peer down from pub walls, ghosts allegedly haunt major tourist sites, and strange customs continue in places of supposedly Christian worship. London was founded by the Romans shortly after an invasion led during the reign of Emperor Claudius in 43 CE. The site chosen was the north bank of the River Thames, close to a good ford. The Romans called the capital of their new province of Britannia "Londinium," derived from Celtic word "lond," meaning "wild," after the untouched states of the land. However, archaeology and folklore make clear that the land wasn't entirely uninhabited. Londinium was already a sacred site for the Celts, and several swords and pieces of armor have been dredged up from the Thames, thrown there as offerings by Druids. Also, two of the city's major religious centers, Westminster Abbey and St. Paul's Cathedral, were Celtic sacred sites. The last major Celtic resistance against the invaders came in 60 CE, when Boudicca, the female leader of the Iceni, gathered the tribes together and laid waste to Verulamium (modern St. Albans) and other Roman settlements before marching on Londinium. She burned and looted the city, but the Romans soon rallied and amassed their disciplined legions against her. The two armies met at an area near King's Cross station known to later generations as Battlebridge. The Romans crushed the Celtic army and the warrior queen poisoned herself rather than be led away in chains. Legend has it that she is buried below platform seven of King's Cross Station. Given its ancient past, it's no surprise London is so 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. London is built upon mystery, and what follows are only a few, because recounting them all would require an entire library. Mysterious London is part of an ongoing series by Sean McLachlan and Charles River Editors that covers the mysteries and oddities of the world, including titles like Mysterious England, The Weird Wild West, Weird West Coast, Mysteries of the South, and Mysterious New England, and Weird Scotland. This book offers a sampling of strange, unexplained, and just plain odd stories from London that have fascinated people in and around the city for centuries. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about Mysterious London like never before.

*Includes pictures *Includes accounts of battles like the Alamo and Goliad *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading What part of the United States has been under the rule of six different countries? The answer, given the title of this book, is obvious, and perhaps that s why few places in America have citizens with such an inflamed pride for their homeland. As John Steinbeck famously wrote in Travels with Charley: In Search of America, "Texas is a state of mind, but I think it is more than that. It is a mystique closely approximating a religion. For all its enormous range of space, climate, and physical appearance, and for all the internal squabbles, contentions, and strivings, Texas has a tight cohesiveness perhaps stronger than any other section of America." It s not uncommon for the average Texan to feel great pride for the mere fact of being a Texan, and even if also a proud American, he she can even play with the notion that the Lone Star State can (and perhaps should) be a big nation itself. To say that something is "The size of Texas" expresses grandeur and impressiveness, and its inhabitants have certainly displayed enough industriousness to make this part of North America one of the states that contribute most to the country s gross domestic product. When various revolutions mostly forced the Europeans out of the continent, Texas ceased to belong to Spain and France to become a part of the Mexican Empire; later it was an independent country, and currently one of the 50 states of the United States. During a short period, rebellious Texas again separated from the U. S. to join the Confederate States of America with other secessionist states. Of course, the most important war of all for Texas came in the early 19th century, and the common story heard in America is about rebellion against intolerance, oppression and Mexican cruelty. The Battle of the Alamo in particular, surrounded by legend and testimonies of heroism, is a textbook example of the fight for freedom, comparable to the Jewish defenders during the Roman siege at Masada. The words "martyrs" and "Mexican tyranny" are almost always present in the recounts, and "Remember the Alamo " is both a slogan of self-glorification and martyrdom that remains one of the most famous phrases in America. Naturally, this typical account is portrayed through rose-colored glasses. As in every story, everything depends on which side readers are positioned and whose histories they re reading. The Texas Revolution certainly pursued freedom, but not for the tired, poor and huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the homeless or the wretched refuse of alien shores; it was rather the freedom to suck in land from a weak country and to preserve slavery in the cotton fields, added to enthusiasm for cheap land and inexhaustible natural resources. Texians did not live under a tyranny, and the settlers were not enslaved by anyone - on the contrary, they had been given cheap or free land and every assistance to settle. Nor was the Mexican army the evil force whose sole purpose was, in the words of the time, to enforce "barbarism and despotism (...) of the Hispanic-American hybrid race and the black race against civilization" (Pacheco, 1997). As Arnoldo de Le n noted, "The Texans never experienced oppression like that of the others who have risen in rebellion. The Mexican government was thousands of miles away, unable to pay attention to what was transpiring in Texas." Texan settlers, most of them peaceful and hard-working families, did what any human group in search of better opportunities would have done at the sight of uninhabited and unsupervised territories: enter, settle in them, work and defend what they achieved. For its part, Mexico reacted as any country would if foreign armed rebels invaded its territory: expel them or appease them.

*Includes pictures *Includes ancient historians' accounts of Nero *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading *Includes a table of contents Nero ranks among the very worst of the Caesars, alongside the likes of mad Caligula, slothful Commodus, and paranoid Domitian, a figure so hated that, in many ancient Christian traditions, he is literally, without hyperbole, considered the Antichrist; according to a notable Biblical scholar, the coming of the Beast and the number 666 in the Book of Revelation are references to Nero. He was the man who, famously, "fiddled while Rome burned", an inveterate lecher, a murderous tyrant who showed little compunction in murdering his mother and who liked to use Christian martyrs as a source of illumination at night - by burning them alive. His economic policies, according to many historians, virtually bankrupted Rome. The best known accounts of Nero come from biographers like Tacitus, Cassius Dio, Suetionius and Josephus, but there are also indications that, to some extent, reports of Nero's cruelty were exaggerated. Nero was popular with the common people and much of the army, and during his reign the Empire enjoyed a period of remarkable peace and stability. Many historians, including some of his ancient biographers - such as Josephus - suggest that there existed a strong bias against Nero. Part of this is because his successors wished to discredit him, and justify the insurrections which eventually drove him, hounded from the throne, to a lonely suicide. Much of the bias against Nero can also be attributed to the fact that he was a renowned persecutor of Christians, and since many of the historians who wrote about Nero in the years after his death were Christians themselves, it made sense for them to have a jaundiced view of their erstwhile nemesis. Because of this, some historians have suggested that Nero's demeanour and reputation might not be as black as the original sources might be inclined to suggest. Having left no heir, Nero's death plunged the empire into confusion and chaos, bringing to an end the Julio-Claudian lineage while at the same time offering no clear rule of succession. This presented the opportunity for influential individuals in the empire, and in particular provincial governors who also commanded large military garrisons, to express and further their own ambitions to power. The result was a period of instability and civil war as several pretenders to the throne, among them the emperors Galba, Otho and Vitellius, gained and lost power, until finally the emperor Vespasian seized and retained the imperial principate. Vespasian imposed order and discipline on a chaotic empire and founded the Flavian Dynasty, which survived until CE 96, encompassing the reigns of Vespasian himself (69-79), and his two sons Titus (79-81) and Domitian (81-96). The 12 months known in history as the Year of the Four Emperors was a pivotal chapter in the long epoch of the Roman Empire. It marked the tumultuous end of the Julio-Claudian Dynasty and the advent of a year of civil war, renewal and realignment, the result of which was the establishment of a new era and the founding of a new (and arguably more rational and responsible) imperial dynasty. The End of the Julio-Claudian Dynasty in Rome: The History of Nero's Reign and the Year of the Four Emperors looks at the life of one of Rome's most notorious emperors and the chaos that engulfed Rome after his death. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about Nero and the Year of the Four Emperors like you never have before.