Tom Holland

A masterful new translation of Suetonius' renowned biography of the twelve Caesars, bringing to life a portrait of the first Roman emperors in stunning detail The ancient Roman empire was the supreme arena, where emperors had no choice but to fight, to thrill, to dazzle. To rule as a Caesar was to stand as an actor upon the great stage of the world. No biography invites us into the lives of the Caesars more vividly or intimately than that by Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus, written from the centre of Rome and power, in AD 121. Placing each Caesar in the context of the generations that had gone before, and connecting personality with policy, Suetonius injected flesh and blood into their stories, which continue to inform how we understand the drama of power today. Their shortfalls, foreign policy crises and sex scandals are laid bare; we are shown their tastes, their foibles, their eccentricities; and we sit at their tables and enter their bedrooms, resulting in a series of biographies mediated through the lives of the Caesars themselves. That Rome lives more vividly in people's imagination than any other ancient empire owes an inordinate amount to Suetonius, and now award-winning author and translator Tom Holland brings us even closer in a new, spellbinding translation. Giving a deeper understanding of the personal lives of the Caesars and of how they inevitably informed what happened across the vast expanse of empire, The Lives of the Caesars is an astonishing, immersive experience of a time and culture at once familiar and utterly alien to our own.

THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERThe second bestselling book from ''the most joyous and brain-enhancing podcast out there'' (The Times) - also including puzzles and a quiz!Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook bring you an alphabetical miscellany, taking on some of history’s best and most bizarre moments. Charge forth against the traitors of the American Revolution, journey through Baghdad to discover the origins of the Arabian Nights and head to Sicily to witness the first face-off between Carthage and Rome. Along the way you''ll find the answers to questions like: - Was Henry V''s great-grandfather, Edward III, the biggest lad in British history?- Which Mitford sister tried to seduce her girlish crush, Adolf Hitler? - Who are history''s top 10 monkeys?- Why did the Romans inspire so much American science fiction?Dust off your tricorne hat, grab your lasso and get ready for a rollicking rollercoaster ride through the past . . . ‘All history podcasts have to be measured against The Rest is History. To listen to anyone else attempt to tell historical stories in audio form is to realise just how good Dominic Sandbrook and Tom Holland are’ James Marriott, The Times‘Holland and Sandbrook have reached a peak of listenability at which you’d happily hear them chortle through a history of paperclips or phonebooks’ Jasper Rees, Telegraph‘A global sensation . . . Dives into the past with raucous good cheer’ Wall Street Journal

The definitive history of Rome's golden age - antiquity's ultimate superpower at the pinnacle of its greatness. The Pax Romana has long been revered as a golden age. At its peak, the Roman Empire stretched from Scotland to Arabia, and contained perhaps a quarter of humanity. It was the wealthiest and most formidable state the world had yet seen. Beginning in 69AD, a year that saw four Caesars in succession rule the empire, and ending some seven decades later with the death of Hadrian, Pax presents a dazzling history of Rome at the height of its power. From the gilded capital to realms beyond the frontier, historian Tom Holland portrays the Roman Empire in all its predatory glory. Vivid scene follows vivid scene: the destruction of Jerusalem and Pompeii, the building of the Colosseum and Hadrian's Wall, the conquests of Trajan. Vividly sketching the lives of Romans both ordinary and spectacular, from slaves to emperors, Holland demonstrates how Roman peace was the fruit of unprecedented military violence. A stunning portrait of Rome's glory days, this is the epic history of the pax Romana.

Myth meets history in a blockbuster retelling of the Persian Wars from multi-award-winning author of Rubicon and Persian Fire Tom Holland, lavishly illustrated by Jason Cockcroft. "The Persians are coming…" Hearing these words, Gorgo of Sparta is plunged into a dangerous world of vengeful gods and invincible heroes. For a mighty empire threatens Athens, Sparta and all who stand in its path... Calling on the ancient power to transform into a wolf and the blood of Zeus that runs through her veins, Gorgo must lead her nation in one of history's greatest wars. Multi-award-winning author Tom Holland and acclaimed illustrator Jason Cockcroft boldly weave myth and history in this dramatic tale of Greeks and Gods. Gripping and powerful, this extraordinary illustrated novel will be treasured by readers young and old. Ideal for fans of Percy Jackson, Neil Gaiman and Kevin Crossley-Holland, and the mythical retellings of Madeline Miller, Pat Barker and Stephen Fry, this is a book to be read again and again.

Tom Holland ve své nejnovější knize kreslí na širokém plátně obraz křesťanství coby nejtrvalejšího a nejvlivnějšího odkazu antiky, na kterém je vystavěn celý západní svět. Ukazuje, že klíčové koncepty jako sekularismus, liberalismus, věda, rovnost lidí, lidská práva, a dokonce i ateismus mají hluboké kořeny v křesťanství - zvláštní víře v to, že jedna z mnoha obětí ukřižování, tedy trestu určeného otrokům, má být uctívána jako bůh. Všechny tyto západní koncepty mají přitom s křesťanstvím společné zejména osobování si nároku na univerzální platnost, přestože jsou plodem jedné, zcela konkrétní společnosti. Hollandova kniha zkoumá, proč má křesťanství od antických počátků přes středověk až po současnost tak podvratnou a revoluční povahu, a ukazuje, jak tato víra i v dnešní stále skeptičtější společnosti dál hluboce poznamenává mnoho našich postojů a instinktů.

Tom Holland ve své nejnovější knize kreslí na širokém plátně obraz křesťanství coby nejtrvalejšího a nejvlivnějšího odkazu antiky, na kterém je vystavěn celý západní svět. Ukazuje, že klíčové koncepty jako sekularismus, liberalismus, věda, rovnost lidí, lidská práva, a dokonce i ateismus mají hluboké kořeny v křesťanství - zvláštní víře v to, že jedna z mnoha obětí ukřižování, tedy trestu určeného otrokům, má být uctívána jako bůh. Všechny tyto západní koncepty mají přitom s křesťanstvím společné zejména osobování si nároku na univerzální platnost, přestože jsou plodem jedné, zcela konkrétní společnosti. Hollandova kniha zkoumá, proč má křesťanství od antických počátků přes středověk až po současnost tak podvratnou a revoluční povahu, a ukazuje, jak tato víra i v dnešní stále skeptičtější společnosti dál hluboce poznamenává mnoho našich postojů a instinktů.

'If great books encourage you to look at the world in an entirely new way, then Dominion is a very great book indeed . . . Written with terrific learning, enthusiasm and good humour, Holland's book is not just supremely provocative, but often very funny' Sunday Times History Book of the Year Christianity is the most enduring and influential legacy of the ancient world, and its emergence the single most transformative development in Western history. Even the increasing number in the West today who have abandoned the faith of their forebears, and dismiss all religion as pointless superstition, remain recognisably its heirs. Seen close-up, the division between a sceptic and a believer may seem unbridgeable. Widen the focus, though, and Christianity's enduring impact upon the West can be seen in the emergence of much that has traditionally been cast as its nemesis: in science, in secularism, and yes, even in atheism. That is why Dominion will place the story of how we came to be what we are, and how we think the way that we do, in the broadest historical context. Ranging in time from the Persian invasion of Greece in 480 BC to the on-going migration crisis in Europe today, and from Nebuchadnezzar to the Beatles, it will explore just what it was that made Christianity so revolutionary and disruptive; how completely it came to saturate the mind-set of Latin Christendom; and why, in a West that has become increasingly doubtful of religion's claims, so many of its instincts remain irredeemably Christian. The aim is twofold: to make the reader appreciate just how novel and uncanny were Christian teachings when they first appeared in the world; and to make ourselves, and all that we take for granted, appear similarly strange in consequence. We stand at the end-point of an extraordinary transformation in the understanding of what it is to be human: one that can only be fully appreciated by tracing the arc of its parabola over millennia.

Christianity is the most enduring and influential legacy of the ancient world, and its emergence the single most transformative development in Western history. Even the increasing number in the West today who have abandoned the faith of their forebears, and dismiss all religion as pointless superstition, remain recognisably its heirs. Seen close-up, the division between a sceptic and a believer may seem unbridgeable. Widen the focus, though, and Christianity's enduring impact upon the West can be seen in the emergence of much that has traditionally been cast as its nemesis: in science, in secularism, and yes, even in atheism. That is why Dominion will place the story of how we came to be what we are, and how we think the way that we do, in the broadest historical context. Ranging in time from the Persian invasion of Greece in 480 BC to the on-going migration crisis in Europe today, and from Nebuchadnezzar to the Beatles, it will explore just what it was that made Christianity so revolutionary and disruptive; how completely it came to saturate the mind-set of Latin Christendom; and why, in a West that has become increasingly doubtful of religion's claims, so many of its instincts remain irredeemably Christian. The aim is twofold: to make the reader appreciate just how novel and uncanny were Christian teachings when they first appeared in the world; and to make ourselves, and all that we take for granted, appear similarly strange in consequence. We stand at the end-point of an extraordinary transformation in the understanding of what it is to be human: one that can only be fully appreciated by tracing the arc of its parabola over millennia.

Římu nejprve vládli králové a pak se stal republikou. Ale poté co dobyl svět, se jeho republika zhroutila a Řím se topil v krvi. Občanské války byly tak strašné, že římský lid nakonec přivítal vládu autokrata, který mu dokázal přinést mír. Jejich nový pán si říkal Augustus (Vznešený) nebo také oblíbenec bohů. Křiklavé kouzlo dynastie, kterou Augustus založil, se nikdy nevytratilo. Žádná jiná rodina se jí nemůže vyrovnat galerií předních postav, jež vyvolávají zájem i znepokojení. Tiberius, slavný vojevůdce, který skončil jako zahořklý samotář, nechvalně proslulý svým zvráceným chováním; Caligula, mistr krutostí a ponižování, jenž chtěl jmenovat konzulem svého koně; Agrippina, která svými manévry dostala k moci svého syna Nera, jenž ji dal nakonec zavraždit; a samotný Nero, který závodil na olympijských hrách, oženil se s eunuchem a po požáru Říma si v centru metropole vystavěl vlastní palác neřestných rozkoší. Tom Holland přináší oslnivý portrét první císařské dynastie Říma. V tomto strhujícím příběhu nalezneme vrahy i ctihodné senátory, cizoložníky i vlasaté barbary, pletichařící matky i zdráhající se gladiátory. Dynastie je freskou rodiny, která přetvořila a ohromila Řím.

Rome was first ruled by kings, then became a republic. But in the end, after conquering the world, the Republic collapsed. Rome was drowned in blood. So terrible were the civil wars that the Roman people finally came to welcome the rule of an autocrat who could give them peace. 'Augustus,' their new master called himself: 'The Divinely Favoured One'. The lurid glamour of the dynasty founded by Augustus has never faded. No other family can compare for sheer unsettling fascination with its gallery of leading characters. Tiberius, the great general who ended up a bitter recluse, notorious for his perversions; Caligula, the master of cruelty and humiliation who rode his chariot across the sea; Agrippina, the mother of Nero, manoeuvering to bring to power the son who would end up having her murdered; Nero himself, racing in the Olympics, marrying a eunuch, and building a pleasure palace over the fire-gutted centre of his capital. Now, in the sequel to Rubicon, Tom Holland gives a dazzling portrait of Rome's first imperial dynasty. Dynasty traces the full astonishing story of its rule of the world: both the brilliance of its allure, and the blood-steeped shadows cast by its crimes. Ranging from the great capital rebuilt in marble by Augustus to the dank and barbarian-haunted forests of Germany, it is populated by a spectacular cast: murderers and metrosexuals, adulterers and druids, scheming grandmothers and reluctant gladiators. Dynasty is the portrait of a family that transformed and stupefied Rome.

Unquestionably the best English translation of Herodotus to have appearedin the past half-century. "The Times Literary Supplement" In Tom Holland s vibrant translation, one of the great masterpieces of Western history springs to life. Herodotus of Halicarnassus hailed by Cicero as the Father of History composed his histories around 440 BC. The earliest surviving work of nonfiction, "The Histories "works its way from the Trojan War through an epic account of the war between the Persian empire and the Greek city-states in the fifth century BC, recording landmark events that ensured the development of Western culture and still capture our modern imagination. Beautifully packaged in a Penguin Classics Deluxe edition with a comprehensive array of tools to guide first-time readers and experts alike, this accessible translation makes Herodotus fresh and irresistible once more. 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."

In the 6th century AD, the Near East was divided between two great empires: the Persian and the Roman. A hundred years on, and one had vanished for ever, while the other was a dismembered, bleeding trunk. In their place, a new superpower had arisen: the empire of the Arabs. So profound was this upheaval that it spelled, in effect, the end of the ancient world. But the changes that marked the period were more than merely political or even cultural: there was also a transformation of human society with incalculable consequences for the future. Today, over half the world's population subscribes to one of the various religions that took on something like their final form during the last centuries of antiquity. Wherever men or women are inspired by belief in a single god to think or behave in a certain way, they bear witness to the abiding impact of this extraordinary, convulsive age - though as Tom Holland demonstrates, much of what Jews, Christians and Muslims believe about the origins of their religion is open to debate. In the Shadow of the Sword explores how a succession of great empires came to identify themselves with a new and revolutionary understanding of the divine. It is a story vivid with drama, horror and startling achievement, and stars many of the most remarkable rulers ever seen.

In the 6th century AD, the Near East was divided between two venerable empires: the Persian and the Roman. A hundred years on, and one had vanished forever, while the other seemed almost finished. Ruling in their place were the Arabs: an upheaval so profound that it spelt, in effect, the end of the ancient world. In The Shadow of the Sword, Tom Holland explores how this came about. Spanning Constantinople to the Arabian desert, and starring some of the most remarkable rulers who ever lived, he tells a story vivid with drama, horror and startling achievement.

Římská republika byla bezesporu nejpozoruhodnějším státem v dějinách. Hrstka vesničanů se usadila mezi bažinami a pahorky a jejich potomci dobyli celý tehdy známý svět. Hollandova kniha přináší živý obraz republiky v zenitu její velikosti.

'The Book that really held me, in fact, obsessed me, was Rubicon . . . This is narrative history at its best. Bloody and labyrinthine political intrigue and struggle, brilliant oratory, amazing feats of conquest and cruelty' Ian McEwan, Books of the Year, Guardian 'Marvellously readable' Niall Ferguson The Roman Republic was the most remarkable state in history. What began as a small community of peasants camped among marshes and hills ended up ruling the known world. Rubicon paints a vivid portrait of the Republic at the climax of its greatness - the same greatness which would herald the catastrophe of its fall. It is a story of incomparable drama. This was the century of Julius Caesar, the gambler whose addiction to glory led him to the banks of the Rubicon, and beyond; of Cicero, whose defence of freedom would make him a byword for eloquence; of Spartacus, the slave who dared to challenge a superpower; of Cleopatra, the queen who did the same. Tom Holland brings to life this strange and unsettling civilization, with its extremes of ambition and self-sacrifice, bloodshed and desire. Yet alien as it was, the Republic still holds up a mirror to us. Its citizens were obsessed by celebrity chefs, all-night dancing and exotic pets; they fought elections in law courts and were addicted to spin; they toppled foreign tyrants in the name of self-defence. Two thousand years may have passed, but we remain the Romans' heirs.