"A trailblazing account of human history, challenging our most fundamental assumptions about social evolution-from the development of agriculture and cities to the emergence of "the state," political violence, and social inequality-and revealing new possibilities for human emancipation"-- "A trailblazing account of human history, challenging our most fundamental assumptions about social evolution-from the development of agriculture and cities to...

The battle between the Blue and Gray had ended, but the Ozarks were still witnessing a war. Divided loyalties gave rise to rampant lawlessness and debauchery, plaguing this region with robberies, shootouts, and showdowns. In twenty-five compelling chapters, Larry Wood meticulously compiles his research from the shocking incidents that took place in the Ozarks during the late 1860s through the 1950s. The author includes haunting portraits of the corrupt...

Gibbon's masterpiece, which narrates the history of the Roman Empire from the second century A.D. to its collapse in the west in the fifth century and in the east in the fifteenth century, is widely considered the greatest work of history ever written. This abridgment retains the scope of the original, but in a compass equivalent to a long novel. Casual readers now have access to the full sweep of Gibbon's narrative, while instructors and students...

Biographies of the six queens who were the wives of Henry the VIII of England drawn from early biographies, memoirs, and diplomatic reports.

Examines the history of the Barbary pirates, and discusses their relationship with the United States Navy in the early years of the country's entry into the shipping trade.

Informed by the latest research and enlivened by wit and anecdote, Keay's classic single-volume history of China spans 5,000 years, from the Three Dynasties (2000-220 BC) to Deng Xiaoping's opening of China and the past three decades of economic growth.

Recounts the flooding of the Mississippi River in 1927 and its aftermath, discussing how it influenced political elections, spurred a large migration of African-Americans northward, and forced a reexamination of government policy toward widespread disasters.

A fascinating account of how the Mississippi River shaped America.

Provides a crisp synthesis of a vast array of historical material, and explores the interrelationships between social, political and cultural factors in the light of scholarly controversies.