Ein britischer Historiker, Biograf, Kritiker und Übersetzer, der sich auf erzählende Sachbücher spezialisiert hat, insbesondere auf Kulturgeschichte und die Geschichte der Entdeckungen. Seine Werke erwecken fesselnde Geschichten vergangener Reisen und Entdeckungen zum Leben und bieten den Lesern aufschlussreiche Perspektiven darauf, wie diese Expeditionen unsere Welt geprägt haben. Cliffs unverwechselbarer Ansatz kombiniert gründliche Recherche mit fesselndem Storytelling und macht komplexe historische Ereignisse zugänglich und fesselnd.
A dramatic account of the life of Cold War pianist Van Cliburn describes his early years as a musical prodigy in Texas and the ways he charmed both American and Russian audiences, helping to ease tensions between the two nations.--Publisher's description
A sparkling new translation of the most famous travel book ever written Marco Polo’s voyages began in 1271 with a visit to China. Afterward, he served Kublai Khan on numerous diplomatic missions in the Far East. His subsequent account of his travels offers a fascinating glimpse of what he encountered abroad: unfamiliar religions; new customs and societies; the spices and silks of the East; the precious gems, exotic vegetation, and wild beasts of faraway lands. Evoking a remote and long-vanished world with color and immediacy, Marco Polo’s book revolutionized Western ideas about the then-unknown East and remains one of the greatest travel accounts of all time. Nigel Cliff’s new translation, based on the original medieval sources, is a fresh, authoritative rendering, with a lively introduction and notes. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
Roman
Das Ehekarussel dreht sich weiter In »Mansfield Park«, dem Herrenhaus des reichen Sir Thomas Bertram, leben nicht weniger als drei junge Ehekandidatinnen. Maria und Julia, die beiden Töchter des Hauses, gefährden durch Arroganz und Eitelkeit ihr zukünftiges Glück. Zugleich machen sie ihrer Cousine Fanny, Tochter verarmter Eltern, die bei den Bertrams aufwächst, das Leben schwer. Fanny, die eigentliche Heldin des Romans, trotzt kraft ihrer Unbestechlichkeit und Menschenkenntnis allen Anfechtungen. Und sie wird damit belohnt, daß sie letzten Endes doch noch den Mann heiraten darf, den sie lange Zeit ohne Hoffnung geliebt hat. Jane Austens wie immer von feiner Ironie und scharfer Charakterzeichnung getragener Roman erfreut sich seit seines ersten Erscheinens im Jahr 1814 ungebrochener Popularität. Erst im vergangenen Jahr war eine Neuverfilmung mit Frances O'Connor und Jonny Lee Miller im Kino zu sehen.
'You will hear it for yourselves, and it will surely fill you with wonder...' In this selection from Marco Polo's famous travel book, the intrepid Venetian describes the customs of India, recounts the story of the king who died eighty-four times and explains how to retrieve diamonds from snake-infested caves... Introducing Little Black Classics: 80 books for Penguin's 80th birthday. Little Black Classics celebrate the huge range and diversity of Penguin Classics, with books from around the world and across many centuries. They take us from a balloon ride over Victorian London to a garden of blossom in Japan, from Tierra del Fuego to 16th-century California and the Russian steppe. Here are stories lyrical and savage; poems epic and intimate; essays satirical and inspirational; and ideas that have shaped the lives of millions. Marco Polo (1254-1324). Polo's Travels are available in Penguin Classics.
The first accessible, authoritative, and complete modern account of Vasco da Gama's historic and audacious attempt, in 1497, to seize the spice routes and re-conquer the Holy Land.
Originally published in hardcover as: Holy war. New York: HarperCollins, c2011.
How Vasco Da Gama's Epic Voyages Turned the Tide in a Centuries-Old Clash of Civilizations
The narrative offers a radical reinterpretation of Vasco da Gama's voyages, framing them as pivotal moments in the historical conflict between Christianity and Islam. It delves into the complexities of cultural encounters and the profound implications of these explorations on global dynamics. Through rich historical detail, the book explores the motivations, challenges, and consequences faced by da Gama, shedding light on the broader impact of his journeys on both European and Islamic worlds.