"War, the most profitable economic activity in the ancient world, transferred wealth from the vanquished to the victor. Invasions, sieges, massacres, annexations, and mass deportations all redistributed property with dramatic consequences for kings and commoners alike. No conqueror ever captured more people or property in so short a lifetime than Alexander the Great in the late fourth century BC. For all its savagery, the creation of Alexander's empire...

Presents a myriad of viewpoints, so that modern readers can begin to grasp the complexities of war and its impact. Such stories give voice to the individuals who fight and are fought against, who are injured, who suffer on the battlefield and at home, and who, inevitably, can no longer speak for themselves. Examines dominant and recurring subthemes in the literature of war; including survival, terrorism, leadership, and genocide.

Today we take living in cities, with all their attractions and annoyances, for granted. But when did humans first come together to live in large groups, creating an urban landscape? What were these places like to inhabit? More than simply a history of ancient cities, this volume also reveals the art and architecture created by our ancestors, and provides a fascinating exploration of the origins of urbanism, politics, culture, and human interaction....

The extraordinary companion to the British Museum's 250th anniversary exhibition. Opened in 1753 as the world's first public museum, the British Museum epitomized the Age of Enlightenment's dream of a rational universe. Indeed, in many ways the museum was the age's most potent instrument: the incarnation of a world that could be parsed, classified, and comprehended through the physical observation of objects, all in the name of reason, progress, and...

A Day No Pigs Would Die, Speak, Thirteen Reasons Why. These are some of the most beloved, and most challenged, books. Leaving controversial titles such as these out of your collection or limiting their access is not the answer to challenges. While ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom reports more than 4,500 challenges to young adult literature from 2000 through 2009. This handbook gives you the information you need to defend challenged books with...

"Read great fiction and discover what it takes to write it. This book is a treasury of short fiction by the best writers of the past and present. Their stories will transport you to other times and places, where you will be inspired to laugh, to question, and to think. Along with the stories are writers' own commentaries on their craft and the traditions of short fiction, offering you insight, inspiration, and plenty of support for discussion and...