Featuring the Chinese text on the left and the English translation on the right, this beautiful edition of Sun Tzu’s classic text makes a unique gift or collector's item.Written in the sixth century BCE, Sun Tzu’s The Art of War is still widely read and consulted today for its timeless, piercing insights into strategy and tactics. Napoleon, Mao Zedong, General Vo Nguyen Giap, and General Douglas MacArthur all claimed to have drawn inspiration from it. Beyond the world of war, business and management gurus have also applied Sun Tzu’s ideas to office politics and corporate strategy.This elegantly designed edition of The Art of War contains the full 13 chapters on such topics as laying plans, attacking by stratagem, weaponry, terrain, and the use of spies. Sun Tzu addresses different campaign situations, marching, energy, and how to exploit your enemy's weaknesses.This edition is an essential addition to any library, whether you’re fascinated by the philosophy of warfare, Chinese history, or even twenty-first-century business. Read more

In 1971 Henry Kissinger took the historic step of reopening relations between China and the West, and since then has been more intimately connected with the country at the highest level than any other western figure. This book distils his unique experience, examining China's history from the classical era to the present day, describing the essence of its millennia-old approach to diplomacy, strategy and negotiation, and reflecting on these attitudes for our own uncertain future. Read more

This is a completely new and updated edition of J. M. Roberts and Odd Arne Westad's widely acclaimed, landmark bestseller The Penguin History of the World.For generations of readers The Penguin History of the World has been one of the great cultural experiences - the entire story of human endeavour laid out in all its grandeur and folly, drama and pain in a single authoritative book. Now, for the first time, it has been completely overhauled for its 6th edition - not just bringing it up to date, but revising it throughout in the light of new research and discoveries, such as the revolution in our understanding of many civilizations in the Ancient World. The closing sections of the book reflect what now seems to be the inexorable rise of Asia and the increasingly troubled situation in the West.About the authors:J.M. Roberts, CBE, published The Penguin History of the World in 1976 to immediate acclaim. His other major books include The Paris Commune from the Right, The Triumph of the West (which was also a successful television series), The Penguin History of Europe and The Penguin History of the Twentieth Century. He died in 2003.Odd Arne Westad, FBA, is Professor of International History at the London School of Economics. He has published fifteen books on modern and contemporary international history, among them The Global Cold War, which won the Bancroft Prize, and Decisive Encounters, a standard history of the Chinese civil war. He also served as general co-editor of the Cambridge History of the Cold War.Reviews'A work of outstanding breadth of scholarship and penetrating judgements. There is nothing better of its kind' Jonathan Sumption, Sunday Telegraph'A stupendous achievement' A.J.P. Taylor'A brilliant book ... the most outstanding history of the world yet written' J.H. Plumb Read more

Prepare to embark on a global tour through time. You might want to take a map...But this is no ordinary atlas. The maps in History Atlas are rich visual extravaganzas, packed with kings, queens, heroes, villains, inventors, artists and explorers.Travel from Ancient Egypt and Rome to Ethiopia, Russia and China, and meet movers and shakers of world history from Genghis Khan to Martin Luther King. With quirky facts, astonishing characters, humorous details and compelling stories, this is history at its most entertaining. Read more

The Silk Road, which linked imperial Rome and distant China, was once the greatest thoroughfare on earth. Along it travelled precious cargoes of silk, gold and ivory, as well as revolutionary new ideas. Its oasis towns blossomed into thriving centres of Buddhist art and learning. In time it began to decline. The traffic slowed, the merchants left and finally its towns vanished beneath the desert sands to be forgotten for a thousand years. But legends grew up of lost cities filled with treasures and guarded by demons. In the early years of the last century foreign explorers began to investigate these legends, and very soon an international race began for the art treasures of the Silk Road. Huge wall paintings, sculptures and priceless manuscripts were carried away, literally by the ton, and are today scattered through the museums of a dozen countries. Peter Hopkirk tells the story of the intrepid men who, at great personal risk, led these long-range archaeological raids, incurring the undying wrath of the Chinese. Read more

The Tao Te Ching came into existence some 2500 years ago, since when it has become the most influential text of Eastern philosophy. Best translated as The Classic of the Way and its Power (or Virtue), its teachings are of simplicity, humility and 'non-action', and its cadenced poetry is at once spare and profound. This beautiful compact hardback edition, with gilded edges and foil on the cover, makes a wonderful gift.ABOUT THE SERIES: Arcturus Ornate Classics are beautifully bound editions of iconic literary works across history. These compact, foil-embossed hardbacks are printed using deluxe ivory paper and make the perfect gift. Read more

✓ This Coloring Book For Girls contains +100 completely unique coloring drawings. There are NO duplicate images in this book.The pages are printed on one side only to avoid bleeding and to be able to remove and display them without losing an image on the back.✓ We have carefully designed each page to be entertaining and child-friendly from 6 . We believe that children like to color fun scenes that stimulate their imagination, not a book filled with simple shapes.✓The pages are in 8.5x11 format.✓ A glossy Cover Read more

Elegies of Chu (in Chinese, Chuci), one of the two surviving collections of ancient Chinese poetry, is a key source for the whole tradition of Chinese poetry. Because the elegies contain passionate expressions of political protest as well as shamanistic themes of magic spells and wandering spirits, they present an alternative face of early Chinese culture; one that does not align with orthodox Confucianism. This translation employs literary English devices in order to emphasise the original structure of these Chinese poems. It also examines the extraordinarily vivid diction of the source texts, including of onomatopoeia, ornate descriptions, exotic flowers, dramatic landscapes, metaphors and startling similes. This translation will be based on the original anthology compiled in the Han dynasty by Wang Yi (2nd century CE), and contains a selection of poems that were collected from the 3rd century BCE through the Han dynasty. The anthology provides readers with an understanding of Chinese literature and its evolution from free-spirited, mythico-religious songs to the more formal, polished style of the Han court. Read more

While plenty of entertaining books have been written about the history of alcohol and other intoxicants, none have offered a comprehensive, convincing answer to the basic question of why humans want to get high in the first place.Drunk elegantly cuts through the tangle of urban legends and anecdotal impressions that surround our notions of intoxication to provide the first rigorous, scientifically-grounded explanation for our love of alcohol. Drawing on evidence from archaeology, history, cognitive neuroscience, psychopharmacology, social psychology, literature, and genetics, Drunk shows that our taste for chemical intoxicants is not an evolutionary mistake, as we are so often told. In fact, intoxication helps solve a number of distinctively human challenges: enhancing creativity, alleviating stress, building trust, and pulling off the miracle of getting fiercely tribal primates to cooperate with strangers. Our desire to get drunk, along with the individual and social benefits provided by drunkenness, played a crucial role in sparking the rise of the first large-scale societies. We would not have civilization without intoxication.From marauding Vikings and bacchanalian orgies to sex-starved fruit flies, blind cave fish, and problem-solving crows, Drunk is packed with fascinating case studies and engaging science, as well as practical takeaways for individuals and communities. The result is a captivating and long overdue investigation into humanity's oldest indulgence-one that explains not only why we want to get drunk, but also how it might actually be good for us to tie one on now and then. Read more

China and the United States are heading toward a war neither wants.The reason is Thucydides’s Trap, a deadly pattern of structural stress that results when a rising power challenges a ruling one. This phenomenon is as old as history itself. About the Peloponnesian War that devastated ancient Greece, the historian Thucydides explained: ‘It was the rise of Athens and the fear that this instilled in Sparta that made war inevitable.’ Over the past 500 years, these conditions have occurred sixteen times. War broke out in twelve of them.Today, as an unstoppable China approaches an immovable America, and both Xi Jinping and Donald Trump promise to make their countries ‘great again’, the seventeenth case looks grim. Unless China is willing to scale back its ambitions or Washington can accept becoming number two in the Pacific, a trade conflict, cyberattack, or accident at sea could soon escalate into all-out war.In Destined for War, the eminent Harvard scholar Graham Allison explains why Thucydides’s Trap is the best lens for understanding U.S.-China relations in the twenty-first century. Through uncanny historical parallels and war scenarios, he shows how close we are to the unthinkable. Yet, stressing that war is not inevitable, Allison also reveals how clashing powers have kept the peace in the past — and what painful steps the United States and China must take to avoid disaster today. Read more

'Fascinating' GREG JENNER'I couldn't put it down' JANINA RAMIREZ'Fabulous' NATALIE HAYNES'Alive with the spirit of adventure' RANULPH FIENNES'If you love Indiana Jones, this is the real thing' DAN SNOWAncient shipwrecks in crystal seas, mythical princesses preserved in ice and astonishing lost rituals - this is the story of archaeology.Professor Michael Scott uncovers the true stories behind history's most monumental discoveries, unearthing traps, curses and buried treasure along the way. Full of extraordinary characters - from glory hunters to forgotten heroes - X Marks the Spot explores our love affair with the past. Read more

A rich, discovery-filled history that tells how a forgotten empire transformed the ancient worldIn the late 8th and early 7th centuries BCE, Scythian warriors conquered and unified most of the vast Eurasian continent, creating an innovative empire that would give birth to the age of philosophy and the Classical age across the ancient world―in the West, the Near East, India, and China. Mobile horse herders who lived with their cats in wheeled felt tents, the Scythians made stunning contributions to world civilization―from capital cities and strikingly elegant dress to political organization and the world-changing ideas of Buddha, Zoroaster, and Laotzu―Scythians all. In The Scythian Empire, Christopher I. Beckwith presents a major new history of a fascinating but often forgotten empire that changed the course of history.At its height, the Scythian Empire stretched west from Mongolia and ancient northeast China to northwest Iran and the Danube River, and in Central Asia reached as far south as the Arabian Sea. The Scythians also ruled Media and Chao, crucial frontier states of ancient Iran and China. By ruling over and marrying the local peoples, the Scythians created new cultures that were creole Scythian in their speech, dress, weaponry, and feudal socio-political structure. As they spread their language, ideas, and culture across the ancient world, the Scythians laid the foundations for the very first Persian, Indian, and Chinese empires.Filled with fresh discoveries, The Scythian Empire presents a remarkable new vision of a little-known but incredibly important empire and its peoples. Read more

How are illnesses diagnosed? What is cancer? Why are some pandemics so deadly? This book explores big questions like these, explaining the breakthroughs and discoveries that have shaped our modern-day understanding of medicine and helped us protect and promote our health. Written in plain English, The Medicine Book cuts through the jargon and is packed with pithy explanations of the most important milestones in medical history, with step-by-step diagrams and witty illustrations that untangle knotty concepts.From ancient medical practices, such as herbal medications and balancing the humours, through groundbreaking work including Jenner's experiments with cowpox, which laid the basis for vaccination, The Medicine Book offers an engaging overview of medical history across the world all the way into the 21st century with gene manipulation, immunotherapy, and robotics and telesurgery. Covering the role that therapies and drugs have played in the human quest to treat and prevent disease, the establishment of hospitals and later international medical bodies, like the WHO, and medical science's response to new challenges, such as accelerated antibiotic resistance and COVID-19, The Medicine Book explains the stories behind each milestone development.Continuing the "Big Ideas" series' trademark combination of authoritative, informative text, and bold graphics, The Medicine Book uses an innovative visual approach to make the subject accessible to everyone, whether you're a student of medicine or science, a medical professional, or an armchair expert. Read more

Sundials are arguably the oldest of all scientific instruments. Their beauty is often a reflection of great craftsmanship, as well as a design statement that is highly ordered and rational. As objects that perform a function, yet require no power and perform indefinitely, they are a powerful symbol of endurance and permanence. This copiously illustrated book charts the evolution of sundials around the world from the earliest neolithic rondels and stone circles, such as Stonehenge, to the present day. This history is in effect the story of Man's understanding of the heavens, and his own place in the cosmos. Rich in cultural and religious significance, sundials represent the coming together of art and astronomy. Mark Lennox-Boyd describes in detail the main types of sundial, describing important historical examples, such as Emperor Augustus's Sundial on the Campus Martius in Rome, Syrian, Indian and Chinese sundials, and showcasing a range of stunning modern sundials that have been inspired by them. The story has a colourful cast of characters, including artists, alchemists, two emperors, a maharajah and the founding President of the United States of America. Sundials combines images of inspirational designs with a fascinating historical narrative. It includes a glossary of terms, bibliography and an appendix explaining some of the theory and mathematics. Read more

The full story of human endeavour - complete with its dramas, wars, schemes, discoveries, and personalities - is laid out before you in this illustrated guide to the history of our world.Who were the Mongols, the Maya, or Isis? How far did the Roman or the British empire stretch? Why did apartheid or Communism begin, and what were the issues in the Vietnam War?World History is your convenient reference, answering all your questions. But it also tells you why events happen and explains key issues. Its timelines trace events as they happen, from the appearance of the first humans in Africa to first civilisations and then on to recent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and the space race. It succinctly explains how one event led to another, and sums up topics that include ancient Egypt, the Romans, the Renaissance, World Wars I and II, slavery and empire, and Communist China.Dotted throughout this comprehensive volume are sumptous images that reveal historical world treasures, such as the 16,000-year old cave paintings at Lascaux, Machu Picchu, and the Taj Mahal.With wide coverage of the world's civilisations, events, ideas, and discoveries, World History is both an essential reference and a fascinating read. Read more

Genghis Khan - creator of the greatest empire the world has ever seen - is one of history's immortals. In Central Asia, they still use his name to frighten children. In China, he is honoured as the founder of a dynasty. In Mongolia he is the father of the nation. In the USA, Time magazine, voted Genghis Khan 'the most important person of the last millennium'. But how much do we really know about this man? How is it that an unlettered, unsophisticated warrior-nomad came to have such a profound effect on world politics that his influence can still be felt some 800 years later? How he united the deeply divided Mongol peoples and went on to rule an empire that stretched from China in the east to Poland in the west (one substantially larger than Rome's at its zenith) is an epic tale of martial genius and breathtaking cruelty. John Man's towering achievement in this book, enriched by his experiences in China and Mongolia today, is to bring this little-known story vividly and viscerally to life. Read more

While there are many books that explore China’s history, public knowledge is still lackingMany people can name more than one Roman Emperor, but how many can name a Chinese Emperor?For anyone who wants to know more about this once closed and distant culture, History Brought Alive brings you a concise, masterful, and reliable book on the history of China.In this book we explore the magnificent history of China from its early origins to its rise as a modern super power.Join us as we travel through over four thousand years of Chinese history, culture, myths and more. Inside you will discoverThe Five Major Eras - Ancient China & The First, Second & Third Imperial Ages + The Modern AgeInnovations, World Firsts & Important Inventions - Including Paper Money, Insurance, The Printing Press and moreThe Prosperity & Rise of The Han Chinese (the majority ethnic group in China)Marco Polo - how a lowly merchant from the opposite end of the earth found a place of high employmentThe Mongol Terror - Bloodshed, Genghis Khan & The Mongol RaidersGreat Personages including Emperor Wu, Mao Zedong, Qin Shi Huangdi, Confucius and moreTrade History, Silver, Investment & The Opium WarsThe Cultural Revolution - How Mao Zedong and the Communist Party Began Transforming ChinaAn Era of Modernization - China Becomes a Modern Superpower & The FutureAnd much, much more…Whether you're a history enthusiast or just a curious reader..inside you will discover a wealth of Chinese cultural history, mythology and more.So if you want to find out more about Chinese History then this is The Book for You Read more