Jacob Abbott

Jacob Abbott was a well-known 19th century historian who wrote biographies on various leaders and famous individuals, including this one about the notorious Roman emperor Nero. Throughout the annals of history, there have been few figures as reviled as Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus, better known as Nero Claudius Caesar Drusus Germanicus, or more simply, Nero. Even today, he remains one of the Roman Empire's most famous - or notorious - figures, a villain whose impact on popular culture is so vast that his name crops up consistently to this day in literature, film, TV and mediums as unlikely as video games and anime. 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.

Jacob Abbott was a well-known 19th century historian who wrote biographies on various ancient leaders, including this one about Genghis Khan. In a world fascinated by men like Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar, Genghis Khan is one of history's greatest and most famous conquerors. No man, before or since, has ever started with so little and gone on to achieve so much. From a noble family but raised in poverty that drove him to the brink of starvation, Genghis Khan rose to control the second-largest empire the world has ever known (the largest being, arguably, the British Empire of the 18th and 19th centuries), and easily the largest empire conquered by a single man. And while many empires disintegrate upon the death of an emperor, like Alexander the Great's, Genghis Khan's empire endured and was actually enlarged by his successors, who went on to establish dynasties that in some cases lasted for centuries. Though history is usually written by the victors, the lack of a particularly strong writing tradition from the Mongols ensured that history was largely written by those who Genghis Khan vanquished. Because of this, Genghis Khan's portrayal in the West and the Middle East has been extraordinarily (and in many ways unfairly) negative for centuries, at least until recent revisions to the historical record. Certainly Genghis Khan was not a peaceful man, or a particularly merciful one, and he famously boasted to the Khwaremzids that he was "the flail of God, come to punish you for your sins". However, the image of him as a bloodthirsty barbarian is largely the result of hostile propaganda. He was far more complex than the mere brute that his negative portrayals indicate, and though there is a slew of graves and depopulated regions to testify to the fact that he was not a gentle man, it would be simplistic and wrong to describe him merely as a madman bent on destruction for destruction's sake. In truth he was an extremely intelligent and extraordinarily ambitious man with a gift for warfare, empire-building and administration, and he was a political visionary who dreamed of a united Asia under Mongol control. He was neither the vile mass-murderer he is seen as in much of the Middle East, nor the shining, flawless hero he is often remembered as in Mongolia and western China. Nor should this fractured tribal background confirm one of the longest-lasting impressions that people have held about Genghis Khan and his Mongols, that of wild horse-archers galloping out of the dawn to rape, pillage, murder and enslave. The Mongol army was a highly sophisticated, minutely organized and incredibly adaptive and innovative institution, as witnessed by the fact that it was successful in conquering enemies who employed completely different weaponry and different styles of fighting, from Chinese armored infantry to Middle-Eastern camel cavalry all the way to Western medieval knights and men-at-arms. Likewise, the infrastructure and administrative corps which governed Genghis Khan's empire, though largely borrowed from the Chinese, was inventive, practical, and extraordinarily modern and efficient. This was no fly-by-night enterprise but a sophisticated, complex and extremely well-oiled machine.

The story of England's greatest king of all time is a tale of war, peace, bravery, learning, and strength of character-and, in the end, the victory of enlightenment over darkness. Told by master storyteller Jacob Abbott, the tale begins with a discussion on racial origins-and an eye-opening, if brief, sweep of European racial history-before moving on to discuss the origins of the original Britons, the Anglo-Saxons, and the Danes, all of whom played important roles in British history over a millennium ago. As always, Abbott is careful to distinguish confirmed fact from mythology, and is at pains to point out what is certain and what is not-bearing in mind that Alfred ruled a mere 800 years after Julius Caesar. From that basis, the story of Alfred is told from his early years onward, his crowning as king, the early battles-and defeats-and his ultimately successful defense against the Viking attempt at conquest. This book also delves into Alfred's numerous social policies which were pioneering at the time. His promotion of education, the building of roads and towns, and many other achievements-including the invention of the lantern-greatly accelerated the civilizational development of England. The only monarch of the British Isles to be given the name "Great," Alfred's contribution to history towers above those of his contemporaries. It is not for naught that his name has eclipsed all other kings and queens of England for over one thousand years..." Alfred spent his life in laying broad and deep the foundations on which the enormous superstructure of the British empire has since been reared. If the tales respecting his character and deeds which have come down to us are at all worthy of belief, he was an honest, conscientious, disinterested, and far-seeing statesman. If the system of hereditary succession would always furnish such sovereigns for mankind, the principle of loyalty would have held its place much longer in the world than it is now likely to do, and great nations, now republican, would have been saved a vast deal of trouble and toil expended in the election of their rulers." ContentsChapter I: The BritonsChapter II: The Anglo-SaxonsChapter III: The DanesChapter IV: Alfred's Early YearsChapter V: State of EnglandChapter VI: Alfred's Accession to the ThroneChapter VII: ReversesChapter VIII: The SeclusionChapter IX: Reassembling of the ArmyChapter X: The Victory over the DanesChapter XI: Character of Alfred's ReignChapter XII: The Close of LifeChapter XIII: The Sequel

Thank you for checking out this book by Theophania Publishing. We appreciate your business and look forward to serving you soon. We have thousands of titles available, and we invite you to search for us by name, contact us via our website, or download our most recent catalogues. Elizabeth I (7 September 1533 - 24 March 1603) was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called "The Virgin Queen", "Gloriana" or "Good Queen Bess", Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty. The daughter of Henry VIII, she was born into the royal succession, but her mother, Anne Boleyn, was executed two and a half years after her birth, with Anne's marriage to Henry VIII being annulled, and Elizabeth hence declared illegitimate. Her half-brother, Edward VI, ruled as king until his death in 1553, whereupon he bequeathed the crown to Lady Jane Grey, cutting his two half-sisters, Elizabeth and the Roman Catholic Mary, out of the succession in spite of statute law to the contrary. His will was set aside, Mary became queen, and Lady Jane Grey was executed. In 1558, Elizabeth succeeded her half-sister, during whose reign she had been imprisoned for nearly a year on suspicion of supporting Protestant rebels. Elizabeth set out to rule by good counsel, and she depended heavily on a group of trusted advisers led by William Cecil, Baron Burghley. One of her first moves as queen was the establishment of an English Protestant church, of which she became the Supreme Governor. This Elizabethan Religious Settlement later evolved into today's Church of England. It was expected that Elizabeth would marry and produce an heir so as to continue the Tudor line. She never did, however, despite numerous courtships. As she grew older, Elizabeth became famous for her virginity, and a cult grew up around her which was celebrated in the portraits, pageants, and literature of the day.

Genghis Khan, or Temujin, famous in the West for his and his descendants' incursions into Eastern Europe, conquered far more territory and achieved greater political deeds in Asia than anywhere else. In this splendid review of the life and times of the founder and Great Khan (emperor) of the Mongol Empire, master storyteller Jacob Abbott once again succeeds in retelling history in a breathtaking format which will take the reader on a broad sweep of a historical process which ultimately had a major impact upon faraway Europe as well. Starting with an overview of the pastoral lifestyle which characterized the nomadic Mongol people of the twelfth century, Temujin's early life, his close family intrigues and his inevitable rise to power through his forceful will and natural leadership abilities, the author provides a complete backdrop to the process which led to the creation of one of the largest contiguous land empires of all time. From the unification of the quarrelsome Mongol tribes and their brutal tactics of war, to the overrunning of the Great Wall of China and the invasions of the lands of the Ottoman Empire, the story follows Temujin's adventures, with the author carefully distinguishing between what is probable reality and likely myth in order to provide a highly satisfying-and exciting-adventure story of one of the towering characters of world history." Genghis Khan was one of the most renowned conquerors whose exploits history records. The cruelties which the Mongols perpetrated upon their unhappy victims when, after a long resistance, they finally gained possession of a town, were indeed dreadful. They usually ordered all the people to come out to an open space on the plain, and there, after taking out all the young and able-bodied men, who could be made useful in bringing stones and setting up engines, and other such labors, and also all the young and beautiful women, to be divided among the army or sold as slaves, they would put the rest together in a mass, and kill them all by shooting at them with arrows, just as if they had been beasts surrounded in a chase, excepting that the excitement and pleasure of shooting into such a mass of human victims, and of hearing the shrieks and cries of their terror, was probably infinitely greater to their brutal murderers than if it had been a herd of lions, tigers, and wolves that they were destroying." ContentsChapter I: Pastoral Life in AsiaChapter II: The MongolsChapter III: Yezonkai KhanChapter IV: The First BattleChapter V: Vang KhanChapter VI: Temujin in ExileChapter VII: Rupture with Vang KhanChapter VIII: Progress of the QuarrelChapter IX: The Death of Vang KhanChapter X: The Death of YemukaChapter XI: Establishment of the EmpireChapter XII: Dominions of Genghis KhanChapter XIII: The Adventures of Prince KushlukChapter XIV: IdikutChapter XV: The Story of HujakuChapter XVI: Conquests in ChinaChapter XVII: The Sultan MohammedChapter XVIII: The War with the SultanChapter XIX: The Fall of BokharaChapter XX: Battles and SiegesChapter XXI: Death of the SultanChapter XXII: Victorious CampaignsChapter XXIII: Grand CelebrationsChapter XXIV: Conclusion

Using original research and documentation, master storyteller Jacob Abbott once again weaves his magic to transform dry history into an intensely readable and action-packed epic, this time turning his attention to the story of Peter the Great. Starting with the family intrigues which led to his ascension to the throne, this narrative tells of his military and political adventures which successfully expanded the czardom into an empire and ultimately a major European power. By personally visiting western Europe-often in commoner's disguise-Peter identified the necessary social, technological, and cultural reforms needed to jolt Russia into the Age of the Enlightenment-even if he, as Abbott shows too clearly, very often used medieval methods against his personal opponents. The reader is provided with many of the sometimes grisly details of palace intrigues and subversion, but also of the military victories Peter achieved in the Great Northern War with Sweden, and in the Crimea against the Turks. In addition, the story of the incredible efforts to build the metropolis of St. Petersburg, his marriage to the Empress Catherine, and Peter's ultimate end, are told with the detailed and customary flair and style which Abbott fans will know all too well." Thus was brought to an end the earthly personal career of Peter the Great. He well deserves his title, for he was certainly one of the greatest as well as one of the most extraordinary men that ever lived. "Himself half a savage, he undertook to civilize twenty million people, and he pursued the work during his whole lifetime through dangers, difficulties, and discouragements which it required a surprising degree of determination and energy to surmount. "He differs from other great military monarchs that have appeared from time to time in the world's history, and by their exploits have secured for themselves the title of The Great, in this, that, while they acquired their renown by conquests gained over foreign nations, which, in most cases, after the death of their conquerors, lapsed again into their original condition, leaving no permanent results behind, the triumphs which Peter achieved were the commencement of a work of internal improvement and reform..." ContentsChapter I: The Princess SophiaChapter II: The Princess's DownfallChapter III: The Childhood and Youth of PeterChapter IV: Le Fort and MenzikoffChapter V: Commencement of the ReignChapter VI: The Emperor's TourChapter VII: Conclusion of the TourChapter VIII: The RebellionChapter IX: ReformsChapter X: The Battle of NarvaChapter XI: The Building of St. PetersburgChapter XII: The Revolt of MazeppaChapter XIII: The Battle of PultowaChapter XIV: The Empress CatherineChapter XV: The Prince AlexisChapter XVI: The Flight of AlexisChapter XVII: The TrialChapter XVIII: The Condemnation and Death of AlexisChapter XIX: Conclusion

The story of Xerxes the Great (circa 519-465 BC), the fourth king of the Persian Achaemenid Empire, includes the battles of Thermopyl and Salamis, famous in their own right-and which were pivotal to world and European history. The tale, woven by classic master storyteller Jacob Abbott is, as usual, free from the dry stuffiness which mars conventional historical accounts. Beginning with Xerxes' family background, the action starts straightaway with his interactions with Egypt and Greece, and the preparations for the invasion of that latter nation. Abbott's narration, based on meticulous research and primary sources, reveals the immense size of the Persian army, and that their ultimate intention was to conquer all of Europe. The Greek defensive preparations-spearheaded by the astonishing Spartans-are then reviewed. The mighty clash-and sacrifice-of the main Persian force and the 300 Spartans under Leonidas at Thermopyl forms one of the centerpieces of the work. It is followed by the equally important burning of Athens and the Battle of Salamis, where the Persian fleet was destroyed. Finally, faced with stalemate in Greece and rebellion at home, Xerxes was forced to return to Persia. His army, routed at the Battle of Plat a, followed him home, and the Persian attempt to seize Europe was definitively defeated." The name of Xerxes is associated in the minds of men with the idea of the highest attainable elevation of human magnificence and grandeur. This monarch was the sovereign of the ancient Persian Empire when it was at the height of its prosperity and power." It is probable, however, that his greatness and fame lose nothing by the manner in which his story comes down to us through the Greek historians. The Greeks conquered Xerxes, and, in relating his history, they magnify the wealth, the power, and the resources of his empire, by way of exalting the greatness and renown of their own exploits in subduing him." Cover image: Detail from Wilhelm von Kaulbach's Die Seeschlacht bei Salamis (1868). CONTENTSChapter I: The Mother of XerxesChapter II: Egypt and GreeceChapter III: Debate on the Proposed Invasion of GreeceChapter IV: Preparations for the Invasion of GreeceChapter V: Crossing the HellespontChapter VI: The Review of the Troops at DoriscusChapter VII: Preparations of the Greeks for DefenseChapter VIII: The Advance of Xerxes into GreeceChapter IX: The Battle of Thermopyl Chapter X: The Burning of AthensChapter XI: The Battle of SalamisChapter XII: The Return of Xerxes to Persia

Cyrus II of Persia (c. 600-530 BC) was the founder of the Achaemenid Empire, which expanded to become one of the largest empires of the ancient world, encompassing from the Mediterranean Sea and Hellespont in the west to the Indus River in the east. Drawing upon archaeological fact and the sometimes dubious histories of Herodotus and Xenophon (with the author providing the necessary caveats as to the historical accuracy where necessary), this work tells of Cyrus's childhood, education, and how he came to the throne. From there, the story follows Cyrus's dealings with-and likely manipulations of-the famous Oracles, and the conquests of Lydia, Babylon, and the expansion of his empire's borders. Along the way, the author weaves in fascinating details of Cyrus's interactions with his civil servants and their families-including events which reveal both the humanness of mankind over 2000 years ago-and also the great brutality to which they could stoop. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the incredible size of the ancient cities, and the captivity of the Jews all form important segments of the story of Cyrus. "In reflecting on this melancholy termination of this great conqueror's history, our minds naturally revert to the scenes of his childhood, and we wonder that so amiable, and gentle, and generous a boy should become so selfish, and unfeeling, and overbearing as a man." But such are the natural and inevitable effects of ambition and an inordinate love of power. The history of a conqueror is always a tragical and melancholy tale. To be generous, disinterested, and noble, seems to be necessary as the precursor of great military success; and to be hard-hearted, selfish, and cruel is the almost inevitable consequence of it. The exceptions to this rule, though some of them are very splendid, are yet very few." ContentsChapter I: Herodotus and XenophonChapter II: The Birth of CyrusChapter III: The Visit to MediaChapter IV: CroesusChapter V: Accession of Cyrus to the ThroneChapter VI: The OraclesChapter VII: The Conquest of LydiaChapter VIII: The Conquest of BabylonChapter IX: The Restoration of the JewsChapter X: The Story of PantheaChapter XI: ConversationsChapter XII: The Death of Cyrus

More than just a marvelously-told history of the life of the founder of Rome, this work by storyteller extraordinaire Jacob Abbott shows how early historical accounts weaved fact and fiction into a founding story so appealing that it has persisted through the millennia. Abbott pulls together the historical and mythological strands from all the existing accounts to set the stage for the founding of the great city of Rome by Romulus. The story starts with the earliest legends and the Aeneid, which tells of the destruction of Troy and the founding of the first settlements in the Italian Peninsula by fleeing survivors. The story of Romulus and his twin brother Remus, children of Rhea Silvia, then takes center stage-with the author always careful to point out to the reader what is verifiable fact and what is myth. The founding of Rome, its first government, the carrying off of the Sabine women, and the organization of the city-state are among the vast number of topics covered in this sweeping overview, which remains highly readable because of its personal focus on the life of Romulus. In this way, the reader acquires a complete picture of Romulus while simultaneously being given a highly satisfying sweep of history, the importance of myth and historical accuracy, and the origins of the greatest of all of the classical civilizations. From the introduction: "If Rome had not risen to the proud position of mistress of the world, the story of the half-civilized chieftain who founded the city would never have been written, and the memory of his exploits would have perished with him. At best the accounts of Romulus and his great ancestor neas are somewhat legendary in character; but they have been incorporated into the literature of every civilized nation on the globe." Contains forty-seven illustrations and maps. ContentsChapter I: CadmusChapter II: Cadmus's LettersChapter III: The Story of neasChapter IV: The Destruction of TroyChapter V: The Flight of neasChapter VI: The Landing in LatiumChapter VII: Rhea SilviaChapter VIII: The TwinsChapter IX: The Founding of RomeChapter X: OrganizationChapter XI: WivesChapter XII: The Sabine WarChapter XIII: The Conclusion

The violent, bloody, and incredible story of Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (37-68 AD), who was Roman Emperor from 54 to 68, forms the basis of this highly readable and compelling work by master storyteller and popular historian Jacob Abbott. Beginning with the previous emperors Caligula and Claudius, Abbott lays the groundwork for Nero's early years and family background. Nero was adopted by his great-uncle Claudius to become his heir and successor, and succeeded to the throne after Claudius's death. The author is careful to make sure that all the details he provides are accurate and sourced-and then presents to the reader a whirlwind of drama, intrigue, amazing extravagance, and ultimately, madness, centered around the highest office in the Roman Empire. As Nero's personal behavior became more and more erratic, he accumulated endless enemies at home. This resulted in assassination conspiracies-all of them unsuccessful, but increasingly desperate and causing a spiral of retaliation and cruelty. Finally, in 68, the rebellion of Vindex in Gaul, and later the acclamation of Galba in Hispania, drove Nero from the throne. Threatened with death by execution, Nero committed suicide, finally ending the Julio-Claudian Dynasty." In writing the series of historical narratives to which the present work pertains, it has been the object of the author to furnish to the reading community of this country an accurate and faithful account of the lives and actions of the several personages that are made successively the subjects of the volumes, following precisely the story which has come down to us from ancient times. The writer has spared no pains to gain access in all cases to the original sources of information, and has confined himself strictly to them. The reader may, therefore, feel assured in perusing any one of these works, that the interest of it is in no degree indebted to the invention of the author. No incident, however trivial, is ever added to the original account, nor are any words even in any case, attributed to a speaker without express authority. Whatever of interest, therefore, these stories may possess, is due solely to the facts themselves which are recorded in them, and to their being brought together in a plain, simple, and connected narrative." ContentsChapter I: Nero's MotherChapter II: The Assassination of CaligulaChapter III: The Accession of ClaudiusChapter IV: The Fate of MessalinaChapter V: The Childhood of NeroChapter VI: Nero an EmperorChapter VII: BritannicusChapter VIII: The Fate of AgrippinaChapter IX: Extreme DepravityChapter X: Piso's ConspiracyChapter XI: The Fate of the ConspiratorsChapter XII: The Expedition into GreeceChapter XIII: Nero's End

In this ultimate volume, Abbott tells the story of the life of George Washington, the military leader of the American Revolution, and the first president of the nation he led to victory against the British Empire. This is no dry autobiography-it is an action-packed insider view of the American Revolution, and the creation of the United States. It tells of Washington's early life, his family background, his early military career, and his first retirement and farming activities at Mount Vernon. This period also includes many little-known personal details, drawn together using Abbott's famous original research methodology. Washington's recall to public service by the Continental Congress to lead the revolution, his victory, election as first president, policies, and the creation of the branches of government, are then recounted, providing once more many fascinating details and revelations on how the great issues of the day were addressed-which still have ramifications to the present day. On the nature of the greatness of Washington: "Washington was, as it were, the first of a new class of great men, such as the world before his day had scarcely known-that is, of men who acquire renown not by imposing their ideas and enforcing their will upon their countrymen, but by embodying and carrying into effect the ideas and determinations which their countrymen had previously formed." Washington did not originate the idea of the independence of America, as perhaps Julius C sar did that of the universal empire which he founded." The conception of American independence and nationality was gradually developed in the public opinion of a widely extended, intelligent, and well informed community." Washington was called upon to give effect to the will of this community, and for this purpose vast powers were put into his hands. When the work was accomplished he resigned the power, and returned to his retirement, leaving to that great community itself the entire responsibility of future action." ContentsCHAPTER I: Early DaysCHAPTER II: The Valley of the OhioCHAPTER III: Life at Mount VernonCHAPTER IV: The RevolutionCHAPTER V: Negotiations for PeaceCHAPTER VI: The Disbanding of the ArmyCHAPTER VII: The ConfederationCHAPTER VIII: The UnionCHAPTER IX: Inauguration of the GovernmentCHAPTER X: Working of the SystemThe American History Series by Jacob Abbott: Volume I: Aboriginal AmericaVolume II: Discovery of AmericaVolume III: The Southern ColoniesVolume IV: The Northern ColoniesVolume V: Wars of the ColoniesVolume VI: Revolt of the ColoniesVolume VII: War of the RevolutionVolume VIII: Washington