Light History

From the time of the ancient Greeks onwards the West's relationship with Asia consisted for the most part in outrageous tales of monsters and giants, of silk and spices trans-shipped over vast distances and an uneasy sense of unknowable empires fantastically far away. By the 20th century much of Asia may have come under Western rule after centuries of warfare, but its intellectual, artistic and spiritual influence was fighting back. The Light of Asia is a wonderfully varied and entertaining history of this vexed, confused but centrally important relationship.

A riveting work of historical fiction, The Traitor’s Wife tells the little known but explosive story of Peggy Shippen Arnold, the cunning young wife of Benedict Arnold and mastermind behind one of the most shocking acts of treason in American history. Everyone knows Benedict Arnold—the...

Prize-winning and bestselling historian Jean Edward Smith tells the “rousing” (Jay Winik, author of 1944) story of the liberation of Paris during World War II—a triumph achieved only through the remarkable efforts of Americans, French, and Germans, racing to save the city from destruction...

Josefina’s adventure begins in the first book in her series. A storm and flash flood hit the ranch hard, and many animals are lost. But Josefina and her sisters are determined to save the family business. Their aunt, Tía Dolores, wants to try some bold new ideas. Josefina likes learning to...

One of Smithsonian's Favorite Books of 2018 One of Forbes's 2018 Best Books About Astronomy, Physics and Mathematics One of Kirkus's Best Books of 2018 The intellectual adventure story of the "double-slit" experiment, showing how a sunbeam split into two paths first challenged our understanding...

Light begins at Stonehenge, where crowds cheer a solstice sunrise. After sampling myths explaining First Light, the story moves on to early philosophers' queries, then through the centuries, from Buddhist temples to Biblical scripture, when light was the soul of the divine. Battling darkness and despair, Gothic architects crafted radiant cathedrals while Dante dreamed a 'heaven of pure light.' Later, following Leonardo's advice, Renaissance artists learned to capture light on canvas.

The Lost Waves of Time (TLWOT) is one of those truly unique books that can alter your world-view. Unlike anything you have read before, it reveals an amazing history of ancient cultures, where music was wielded as a secret weapon. It details how masters and leaders across the ages utilized sound energy in the form of exquisitely precise music. The ultimate achievement of this secret was the ancients' ability to shape their people and as a result control the entire culture via their culture's signature music.

These passages from the writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson on religion and spiritual philosophy reveal a metaphysical thought that is quintessentially American and universally relevant to the spiritual needs of today's world. It is seldom that an American philosopher is found among the gurus, mystics, and masters present in the spiritual milieu. Emerson combined the spiritual intuition of the East with the philosophical acumen of the West.

For hundreds of years, the City of Light has set the stage for larger-than-life characters-from medieval lovers Heloïse and Abelard to the defiant King Henri IV to the brilliant scientist Madame Curie, beloved chanteuse Edith Piaf, and the writer Colette. In this book, Susan Cahill recounts the lives of 22 famous Parisians and then takes you through the seductive streets of Paris to the quartiers where they lived and worked: the scenes of their greatest triumphs and tragedies, their favorite cafes, bars, and restaurants, and the places where they found inspiration and love.

Set in a world similar to our own, during a war that parallels World War II, a young boy who is sent to stay at his grandmother's for the summer in a serene fishing village is met with the adventure of a lifetime. Their tranquility is shattered by the crash of a bullet-riddled enemy plane, the arrival of grandmother's friend, Mr. Girandole - a man who knows the true story of Cinderella's slipper - and the discovery of a riddle in the sacred grove of ruins behind grandmother's house.

As 1947 opens, Eva Cardon is the twenty-four-year-old owner of Washington, D.C.’s, most famous Black-owned restaurant. When her path crosses with Courtland, a handsome white senator from Georgia, both find themselves drawn to one another—but the danger of a relationship between a Black woman...

Here are magnificent insights into the lives of biblical prophets and kings, talmudic sages, and Hasidic rabbis from the internationally acclaimed writer, Nobel laureate, and one of the world’s most honored and beloved teachers. “This posthumous collection encourages a path toward purpose...

It'd been a long time since I claimed some solitude in this blessed landscape; since I've done without life's little props. Here I have no friend, no dog, no radio, no clock, no phone, no roof, no body pollutants.

'Your book is the "really good book. Just one" that Roger Butler would have wanted' - Sir Ian McKellen 'Miraculous. The Light of Day reclaims a forgotten hero . . . I couldn't put it down' - Will Tosh 'Sir, we are homosexuals . . .' So began the letter penned by Roger Butler and sent to several...

A call to courage from a soldier who refused to stand by as antisemitism surged and Western values came under siege. The world is shifting. Antisemitism is on the rise. The West stands at a crossroads. Hatred was once whispered. Now it roars—and too many look away. But what happens when someone outside the Jewish community refuses to stay silent, instead choosing to speak out boldly and without apology?

Paris Is Not Dead explores the past, present, and future of the City of Light through the lens of class conflict, highlighting the outsized role of immigrants in shaping the city's progressive, cosmopolitan, and open-minded character--at a time when politics nationwide can feel like they're shifting in the opposite direction. This is the Paris many tourists too often miss: immigrant-heavy districts such as the 18th arrondissement, where crowded street markets still define everyday life. Stangler brings this view of the city to life.

Editor Eleanor Brown presents a collection of personal essays from 18 different authors about their experiences in the City of Light.

With Chris Bell at the center of the Big Star universe, this book carefully reveals the production of the band's masterful 1972 debut LP, #1 Record, for Ardent/Stax Records. Despite stellar reviews, the record suffered abysmal sales. Soon after, toxic personality conflicts and turmoil tore the band apart while Bell battled drug abuse and depression.

From the best-selling author of The Lightouse Stevensons, a gripping history of the drama and danger of wrecking since the 18th century - and the often grisly ingenuity of British wreckers, scavengers of the sea. A fine wreck has always represented sport, pleasure, treasure and, in many cases, the difference between living well and just getting by. The Cornish were supposed to be so ferocious that notices of shipwrecks were given out during morning service by the minister....

Nineteenth-century art expert Derryn Witt documents an impossible find: gorgeously detailed paintings depicting the modern world…from 1859. But when a massive solar flare forces a shutdown of all integrated technology, her discovery is jeopardized. The threat intensifies when a group of rebels attack the college, their movement resting upon the rejection of technology. Derryn flees to New York with the help of a sympathetic Sovereign, under the guise of being one herself.