Hľadanie: Magnificat
zobraziť:
El Hombre A La Orilla Del Mar
Un misterio en la costa de Lancashire en el noroeste de Inglaterra.
John «Slim» Hardy, bebedor y soldado caído en desgracia y convertido en torpe detective privado, es contratado para investigar a Ted Douglas, banquero de inversión que se escapa todos los viernes a visitar una cala desolada en la costa de Lancashire. Allí camina hasta la orilla, abre un libro Viejo y empieza a leer en voz alta. Su mujer piensa que está teniendo una aventura. Slim piensa que está loco. La verdad es más increíble de lo que ambos pueden imaginar. El hombre a la orilla del mar es una magnífica novela de debut de Jack Benton, una historia clásica de amor, traición, asesinato e intriga.
Na stiahnutie
4,04 €
Music: The Definitive Visual History
A complete and harmonious history of music, from prehistory to the present day!
Have you ever wondered how blues influenced rock music? Or why jazz went Latin? Classical or rock, everyone has their favourite music style, but how did your top choice come about? If you find yourself asking these musical questions and more, then this may be the book for you!
Music is a compelling and richly illustrated history of the most unifying art form in the world. Explore the roots of all genres from chants of the middle ages through the grandeur of the classical period to the modern rhythm of blues, jazz, hip-hop, and pop. Music includes illustrated histories of instruments and listening suggestions for each musical genre. Spectacular galleries display families of instruments from around the world, while special features showcase the evolution of key instruments, such as the piano and the guitar, and profile iconic innovators such as Mozart, Billie Holiday, and David Bowie. Charting every musical revolution, from bone flutes to electronica and from jazz to hip-hop, this visually stunning history of music will hit the right note, whether you are into pop or rock, or disco or rap, classical or opera.
Explore the magical world of music like you've never known it before, and discover:
-Revolutionary musical developments outlined step by step
-Biographies profiling the lives and works of groundbreaking musicians
-Collection spreads feature families of instruments, such as the gamelan
-"Story of" spreads chart the evolution of individual instruments
-Key Works boxes provide listening suggestions for different music styles
-Illustrated glossary clearly explains musical terminology and genres
This magnificent book about music charts and explains the entire global history of music, whether it's music in the Middle Ages, to the Sounds of Soul, music in the Romance period to Renaissance and so much more. This new edition of Music has been updated with the latest facts and information, including the latest on streaming music, with specially-comissioned photography including a Stradivarus guitar, the earliest cello known to survice and a guitar used personally by Bob Dylan!
A must-have volume for musicians, music students or simply those wanting to learn about the history of their favourite music genre or their chosen instrument, Music is sure to delight!
Egy dinasztia fénykora
Az őrület és a halál napjai elmúltak. Senki nem tudja visszaadni az öccsét, ahogyan senki nem tudja eltörölni a borzalmat és az öldöklést, amit az emberei véghez vittek húsvét után. Tudta, hogy sok bűne van, de azt is megtanulta, hogy a hatalom és a felelősség túlélésének egyetlen módja az, ha jót tesz.
A Medici család legdicsőségesebb korszaka Lorenzo il Magnifico, a Nagyszerű Lorenzo (1449–1492) idejére esett. 1469, Firenze: Lorenzo de Medici és Clarice Orsini esküvőjét ünnepli a város, a dúsgazdag bankár a római arisztokrata család lányát veszi feleségül. A házasság, amit Lorenzo édesanyja hozott össze, megerősíti a Mediciek politikai helyzetét, és növeli társadalmi presztízsét. Lorenzo életének szerelme azonban Lucrezia Donati, az izgalmas, különleges nő, akivel titokban továbbra is találkozik. Lorenzo, a keménykezű városvezető a művészetek nagy tisztelője és támogatója, meghívja a fiatal Leonardo da Vincit Firenzébe, hogy a polihisztor művész készítsen számára háborús gépeket. Megígéri, hogy az új fegyvereket kizárólag védekezésre fogja használni, mert nagyapja és apja tanításait követve meg van győződve arról, hogy Firenze jövője a békében és a virágzásban van, a művészetben és az irodalomban. Ezt az elvet azonban lehetetlen az intrikával és politikai cselszövéssel teli reneszánsz Firenzében megvalósítani. Egyre erősebbé és harciasabbá válik a Medici-ellenes párt, amelyet IV. Sixtus pápa is támogatott Rómából. Összeesküvést szerveznek a két fivér, Giuliano és Lorenzo ellen, és Giulianot bátyja szeme láttára szúrják halálra a firenzei dómban 1478. áprilisában, a húsvéti mise után. Lorenzo megmenekül. A merényletet véres megtorlás követi, amely mind két oldalon szörnyű áldozatokkal jár.
Na stiahnutie
7,01 €
dostupné aj ako:
Toscana
Tuscany captivates with its gently rolling hilly landscape, its cypress avenues and pine forests, its magnificent castles, palaces, and country villas amidst of blooming vineyards and olive groves. Cities like Pisa, Florence, or Siena with outstanding cultural treasures, tiny mountain villages, and last but not least "la dolce vita" make the region one of the most popular in Italy.
Lacná kniha Stranger at Green Knowe (-90%)
When Ping sees Hanno in the zoo, he is excited, but also unhappy. Hanno is a magnificent African gorilla, big and black and much stronger than a man. But how can this wonderful wild animal live in a cage, behind bars and locked doors? Then Hanno escapes from the zoo. And a few days later his footprints are seen near Green Knowe, the old house deep in the English countryside where Ping is spending his holiday ...
Vypredané
0,90 €
8,99 €
dostupné aj ako:
Lacná kniha View from the Top (-90%)
"View From The Top" goes inside the private spaces of some of the world's most magnificent penthouses and apartments and offers a rare insight into not only the designs and lifestyles experienced in these palatial 'mansions in the sky' but also a loo
k at their amazing vistas. From edgy, sharply dressed apartments with front-row views of famous harbours to grand villas facing the waterfront in places like Venice and Monaco and of course eye-popping pieds-a-terre and penthouses in the heart of Man
hattan and London, "View From The Top" displays visionary architecture and extraordinary settings in one richly illustrated volume that showcases the cache of living among the clouds. Come upstairs and admire the view...
Vypredané
5,48 €
54,77 €
dostupné aj ako:
Bougery. Atlas of Human Anatomy and Surgery
We owe a great debt to Jean Baptiste Marc Bourgery (1797-1849) for his Atlas of Anatomy, which was not only a massive event in medical history, but also remains one of the most comprehensive and beautifully illustrated anatomical treatises ever published. Bourgery began work on his magnificent atlas in 1830 in cooperation with illustrator Nicolas Henri Jacob (1782-1871), a student of the French painter Jacques Louis David. The first volumes were published the following year, but completion of the treatise required nearly two decades of dedication; Bourgery lived just long enough to finish his labor of love, but the last of the treatise's eight volumes was not published in its entirety until five years after his death. The four parts of Bourgery's treatise cover descriptive anatomy, surgical anatomy and techniques (exploring in detail nearly all the major operations that were performed during the first half of the 19th century), general anatomy and embryology, and microscopic anatomy. Jacob's spectacular hand-colored, life-size lithographs are remarkable for their clarity, color, and aesthetic appeal, reflecting a combination of direct laboratory observation and illustrative research. Unsurpassed to this day, the images offer exceptional anatomical insight, not only for those in the medical field but also for artists, students, and anyone interested in the workings and wonder of the human body.
Lacná kniha Trochu divné kusy 3 (-90%)
Třetí kníha světové fantastiky podle výběru Martina Šusty. Každý člověk může být nositelem tisíce nových myšlenek, nápadů a příběhů... Někteří z nás je však umějí přetvořit do literárního díla a to způsobem, jenž se vymyká běžnému vypravěčství. Jsou to mistři psaného slova, tvůrci snových představ a stavitelé neobvykle živoucích světů. Často překračují nezřetelné žánrové hranice a zabývají se vážnými tématy – životem a smrtí, láskou a nenávistí, lidskou psychikou a sexualitou, náboženstvím, společenskými či rodinnými problémy. Vzniká tak literatura pro dospělého čtenáře, zvídavého, schopného přemýšlet o věcech zcela nových i o těch, co tu byly a jsou odedávna. Trochu divné kusy si vzaly za cíl najít právě takové texty, napsané dosud neznámými a svěžími hlasy fantastického žánru, a představit je na stránkách stylově i tematicky opět roztříštěné, ale ve svém předsevzetí jednotné knihy. Znovu vás tedy seznámíme s řadou zcela nových jmen, ale neopomeneme ani ta osvědčená z minulosti. A i tentokrát mějte raději na paměti, že jde o Trochu divné kusy, netradiční bránu do světů nespoutané autorské fantazie, podivuhodnou cestu, díky které se příznivcům fantastiky otevírá pohled do proměnlivé, živoucí a bouřlivé budoucnosti žánru...Najdete tyto povídky: Jay Lake: Američtí mrtví (The American Dead)- Karina Sumner-Smithová: Všechno jednou skončí (An End To All Things)- Benjamin Rosenbaum: Dům mimo vaši oblohu (The House Beyond Your Sky)- Shelley Jacksonová: Markýz de Wonka (The Marquise de Wonka)- Daryl Gregory: Damašek (Damascus)- Cat Rambová: Kouzelná prasátka (Magnificent Pigs)- Paul Melko: Stěny vesmíru (The Wall of the Universe)- Sonya Taaffeová: Orákulum hlubin (The Depth Oracle)- Greg van Eekhout: Osteomancerův syn (The Osteomancer's Son)- Claudia O’Keefeová: Poslední okamžik radosti (The Moment of Joy Before)- James Van Pelt: Machr přes malá hvězdná tělesa (The Small Astral Object Genius)- Ellen Klagesová: Dům U sedmi knihovnic (In the House of the Seven Librarians)- Christopher Rowe: Liga posledních dívek (The League of Last Girls)- A. M. Dellamonicová: Město u Postiženého moře (The Town on Blighted Sea)- Matthew Johnson: Nepravidelná slovesa (Irregular Verbs)- Theodora Gossová: List z Budapešti (Letters from Budapest)- William Shunn: Orientace (Inclination)- Catherynne M. Valenteová: Kouzelné vody klín (Urchins, While Swimming)- Christopher Barzak: Mrtvé dopisy (Dead Letters)- Sarah Monetteová: Amante dorée (Amante Dorée)- Chris Roberson: Společník sov (Companion to Owls)- M. Rickertová: Nikdy jsi tu nebyl (You Have Never Been Here)- Tim Pratt: Neuskutečnitelné sny (Impossible Dreams)- Meghan McCarronová: Létající žena (The Flying Woman)
Vypredané
2,19 €
21,90 €
dostupné aj ako:
Culture: A New World History
Can anyone really own a culture? This magnificent account argues that the story of global civilisations is one of mixing, sharing, and borrowing. It shows how art forms have crisscrossed continents over centuries to produce masterpieces. From Nefertiti's lost city and the Islamic Golden Age to twentieth century Nigerian theatre and Modernist poetry, Martin Puchner explores how contact between different peoples has driven artistic innovation in every era - whilst cultural policing and purism have more often undermined the very societies they tried to protect. Travelling through Classical Greece, Ashoka's India, Tang dynasty China, and many other epochs, this triumphal new history reveals the crossing points which have not only inspired the humanities, but which have made us human.
Great Astronomers: Tycho Brahe
This is the chapter on 16th century Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe from Sir Robert S. Ball's Great Astronomers, second edition, which begins: "The most picturesque figure in the history of astronomy ... Tycho Brahe was alike notable for his astronomical genius and for the extraordinary vehemence of a character which was by no means perfect. His romantic career as a philosopher, and his taste for splendour as a Danish noble, his ardent friendships and his furious quarrels, make him an ideal subject for a biographer, while the magnificent astronomical work which he accomplished has given him imperishable fame. ..."Before Tycho was seventeen he had commenced the difficult task of calculating the movements of the planets and the places which they occupied on the sky from time to time. He was not a little surprised to find that the actual positions of the planets differed very widely from those which were assigned to them by calculations from the best existing works of astronomers. With the insight of genius he saw that the only true method of investigating the movements of the heavenly bodies would be to carry on a protracted series of measurements of their places. This, which now seems to us so obvious, was then an entirely new doctrine. Tycho at once commenced regular observations in such fashion as he could."This book traces the life of Tycho Brahe (born 1546): the unusual way he was adopted by his uncle as an infant, his education, his productive years as inventor of precise astronomical instruments before telescopes, his meticulous observations, his personal life, his death as a prematurely aged man in 1601. Tycho’s observations were accurate enough for the mathematical astronomer Kepler to calculate that the planets moved in elliptic orbits, and to discover Kepler's other laws, which gave Newton the facts he needed to establish his inverse-square law of gravitation.
Na stiahnutie
0,88 €
The Tale of the Heike
The Tale of the Heike is Japan's great martial epic: a masterpiece of world literature and the progenitor of all samurai stories. This major and groundbreaking new Penguin translation is by Royall Tyler, acclaimed translator of The Tale of Genji.
First assembled from scattered oral poems in the early fourteenth century, The Tale of the Heike is Japan's Iliad - a grand-scale depiction of the wars between the Heike and Genji clans. Legendary for its magnificent and vivid set battle scenes, it is also a work filled with intimate human dramas and emotions, contemplating Buddhist themes of suffering and separation, as well as universal insights into love, loss and loyalty. The narrative moves back and forth between the two great warring clans, between aristocratic society and street life, adults and children, great crowds and introspection. No Japanese work has had a greater impact on subsequent literature, theatre, music and films, or on Japan's sense of its own past.
Royall Tyler's new translation is the first to capture the way The Tale of the Heike was originally performed. It re-creates the work in its full operatic form, with speech, poetry, blank verse and song that convey its character as an oral epic in a way not seen before, fully embracing the rich and vigorous language of the original texts. Beautifully illustrated with fifty-five woodcuts from the nineteenth-century artistic master, Katsushika Hokusai, and bolstered with maps, character guides, genealogies and rich annotation, this is a landmark edition.
Royall Tyler taught Japanese language and literature for many years at the Australian National University. He has a B.A. from Harvard University and a PhD from Columbia University and has taught at Harvard, Stanford and the University of Wisconsin. His translation of The Tale of Genji was acclaimed by publications such as The New York Times Book Review.
Lány a tükörben
A reneszánsz jelentése megújulás, ez az a szó, melynek minden betűjét remény járja át. Meg szerkesztőként dolgozik egy könyvkiadónál, s legnagyobb vágya, hogy végre elutazzon Firenzébe. Kislány kora óta dédelgeti ezt az álmot, melyet elsősorban olasz nagymamája és a falán lógó festmény inspirált. A lány a munkája révén nemrégiben megismert egy szerzőt, Sofia Borellit, aki Firenzében él, és azon túl, hogy könyvet ír a századokkal korábban élt Medici hercegnőről, Nora Orsiniről, állítása szerint ő is a Mediciek egyik utolsó leszármazottja. Mikor Meg a nem túl megbízható apjával végül megbeszéli, hogy utaznak álmai városába, a férfi eltűnik, így a lány kénytelen egyedül nekivágni a kalandnak. Miután Sofia, Meg és Nora története keresztezi egymást, minden megváltozik, és sok kérdést kell megválaszolniuk: Mi van, ha a reneszánsz nem csupán egy szó? Mi van, ha ez az, ami akkor történik, mikor az embernek van bátorsága elhinni, hogy változtathat az életén? xxx „A karakterek még jóval a könyv becsukása után is az olvasóval maradnak. Olvasás közben pedig arra gondolunk, a szerző hogyan képes ekkora kegyelemmel írni azokról az érzésekről és emlékekről, melyek fogva tartanak bennünket.” – Jane Kirkpatrick „Valószínűleg ez a legszebb történet, amit valaha olvastam. Susan Meissner költői szintre emelte a könyvét, teljesen belevesztem a világba, melyet teremtett. A történet három szálon fut, melyek megdöbbentő, lenyűgöző és varázslatos egésszé állnak össze. Teljesen beleszerettem.” – Mary Connealy „Merüljön el ebben a sodró lendületű csodás történetben, miközben Olaszország szépségei és titokzatossága veszi körül. Ráadásul akár egy életre való útmutatásra lelhetünk a sorok között. Hangosan kiáltja majd, hogy magnifico!” – Jenny B. Jones, a Tiéd leszek szerzője „Letehetetlen történet, mely az elejétől a végéig elbűvölni az olvasóját. A történelmi részletek, az eleven karakterek és az egymásba fonódó drámai szálak izgalmas olvasmánnyá teszik a történelem és a romantika rajongói számára.” – Publisher’s Weekly „Meissner a reneszász korba repíti az olvasót ebben a szerelemről, veszteségről, megbocsátásról és elengedésről szóló lírai történetben.” – Karen White, a Hazatérés és Köztes idő szerzője „Gyönyörű történet szerelemről, veszteségről, áldozathozatalról és a kötelékekről, melyek összekapcsolnak bennünket az idő folyamán.” – Susanna Kearsley, Az emlékek háza szerzője „Magával ragadó történet, melynek olvasása közben azt kívántam, bárcsak megállna a világ, hogy rendesen kiélvezhessem. A szerző élénk képeket festve fűz össze idősíkokat és karaktereket. Ezúttal egy firenzei úttal ajándékoz meg minket, a művészet és a történetek otthonába repít.” – Cara C. Putman
Arab Art
Emile Prisse d'Avennes (1807–1879), a French Orientalist, author and artist, was one of the greatest pre-20th century Egyptologists. An ardent admirer of the superb skills of Egyptian and Oriental artisans, he was enamored of Arabic art. As a youth he dreamed of exploring the Orient, and at 19 began travelling to Greece and Palestine. Over the next 40 years he explored Syria, Arabia, Persia, and resided in Egypt and Algeria. Converting to Islam, he travelled Egypt disguised as an Arab, using the name Edris Effendi. A student of ancient Egyptian and Islamic cultures, he later wrote: "We shall discuss all the arts, all the industries cultivated by Orientals with so much taste, brilliance, and fantasy. We will present splendid reproductions of the monuments, objects of art and luxury, which provide evidence of an advanced civilization, the influence of which has been felt even in Europe." In 1848/1851 Prisse d'Avennes published his Oriental Album in London (Oriental Album. Characters, Costumes, and Modes of Life, the Valley of the Nile). This brilliant collection of 32 chromolithographs illustrating the people and costumes of the Nile Valley was accompanied by a commentary by renowned Orientalist and Egyptologist James Augustus St. John. After again travelling to North Africa, Prisse d'Avennes returned to France in 1860, bearing the fruits of his journeys—hundreds of folio drawings, photographs, sketches, plans and 400 meters of bas-reliefs. Fascinated by the symmetry, complexity, and opulence of Egyptian and Arabic art, he drew from this vast collection to create compilations of the finest examples of art and architecture, which also took into account historical, social, and religious contexts. In 1877, he published his outstanding survey on Islamic art and architecture, Arab Art (L'Art arabe d'après les monuments du Kaire, 1869–1877), in Paris. This publication reproduces the three atlas volumes containing 200 plates—137 of them magnificent chromolithographs—mainly by Prisse d'Avennes. L’Art arabe is an indispensable compendium on the development of Arabic art, portraying its splendor and diversity, and a work of supreme draftsmanship.
Heretics of Dune
Book Five in the Magnificent Dune Chroniclesthe Bestselling Science Fiction Adventure of All Time
Leto Atreides, the God Emperor of Dune, is dead. In the fifteen hundred years since his passing, the Empire has fallen into ruin. The great Scattering saw millions abandon the crumbling civilization and spread out beyond the reaches of known space.
The planet Arrakisnow called Rakishas reverted to its desert climate, and its great sandworms are dying.
Now the Lost Ones are returning home in pursuit of power. And as these factions vie for control over the remnants of the Empire, a girl named Sheeana rises to prominence in the wastelands of Rakis, sending religious fervor throughout the galaxy. For she possesses the abilities of the Fremen sandridersfulfilling a prophecy foretold by the late God Emperor....
William Blake
'To see the world in a grain of sand, and to see heaven in a wild flower, hold infinity in the palm of your hands, and eternity in an hour' William Blake
William Blake was a poet and artist. Born in Soho in the eighteenth century, the son of a shopkeeper, he is now acclaimed as a radical left-field artist. Most recently, the Tate held an exhibition of his work: 'Magnificent ... reveal's Blake's vision at its most vivid and strange' GUARDIAN
Blake's written work was equally vivid. A major poet of the Romantic age, the full range of his poetry includes the joyful and sorrowful, the childlike and complex - and illustrates his original and prophetic vision. Considered mad by contemporaries for his idiosyncratic opinions, he is now revered for the depth of his poetry and art, and the philosophical undercurrents intrinsic to all his creative work.
Roald Dahl Creative Writing with Fantastic Mr Fox: How to Write a Marvellous Plot
Plan brilliant beginnings, magnificent middles and excellent endings! Structure the perfect plot with Fantastic Mr Fox.
These fun activities and writing tasks help to develop language and vocabulary skills, giving you the tools you need to write your own story. Learn how to use action scenes, perspective and tense to write an exciting story.
Roald Dahl's Creative Writing sparks creativity, builds confidence and inspires young writers through the wonderful worlds of these best-loved stories. Filled with top tips and ideas boxes, each book introduces techniques and methods to help you plan and write a phizz-whizzing story of your own!
Vypredané
6,60 €
6,95 €
Lacná kniha Great British Railway Journeys (-90%)
A glorious insight into Britain over the last 150 years - its history, landscape and people - from the window of Britain’s many and magnificent railway journeys. Inspired by George Bradshaw, a 19th-century cartographer who mapped Britain’s railways as th
Vypredané
1,62 €
16,20 €
dostupné aj ako:
Adam & The Ants - Original Album Classics 3CD
"Adam and the Ants" bola anglická rocková skupina, ktorá vznikla v Londýne v roku 1977. Skupina existovala v dvoch verziách, pričom obe boli na čele s Adamom Antom v rokoch 1977 až 1982.Prvá fáza začala, keď bola kapela založená v máji 1977 a do novembra toho roku sa volala The Ants. Neskôr zmenili svoj štýl z punk rocku na post-punk a novú vlnu a vydali jeden album “ Dirk Wears White Sox“. Finálnu zostavu tejto verzie tvorili Dave Barbarossa, Matthew Ashman a Leigh Gorman – všetci opustili kapelu v januári 1980 na návrh manažéra Malcolma McLarena, aby vytvorili Bow Wow Wow. Druhá verzia Adam and the Ants zahŕňala gitaristu Marca Pirroniho a bubeníka a producenta Chrisa Hughesa a bola známa používaním bubnov Burundi. Táto skupina existovala od februára 1980 do marca 1982 a dosiahla veľký komerčný úspech vo Veľkej Británii. S ich hudobnými videami, ktoré vysielajú na MTVsú v Spojených štátoch spájaní s druhou britskou inváziou.
Tracklist
CD 1: (Dirk Wears White Sox)
01. Car Trouble (Parts 1 & 2)
02. Digital Tenderness
03. Nine Plan Failed
04. The Day I Met God
05. Tabletalk
06. Cleopatra
07. Catholic Day
08. Never Trust A Man (With Egg On His Face)
09. Animals And Men
10. Family Of Noise
11. The Idea
12. Zerox
13. Whip In My Valise
14. Kick!
15. Physical (Single Version)
16. Car Trouble (Parts 1 & 2) (Chris Hughes Mix)
17. Friends (Single Version)
18. Car Trouble (Single Version)
19. Kick! (Single Version)
CD 2: (Kings Of The Wild Frontier)
01. Dog Eat Dog
02. Antmusic
03. Feed Me To The Lions
04. Los Rancheros
05. Ants Invasion
06. Killer In The Home
07. Kings Of The Wild Frontier
08. The Magnificent Five
09. Don’t Be Square (Be There)
10. Jolly Roger
11. Making History
12. The Human Beings (Demo Version)
13. Antmusic (Alternate Take)
14. Antmusic (Demo Version)
15. Feed Me To The Lions (Demo Version)
16. The Human Beings (Demo Version)
17. S.E.X. (Demo Version)
18. The Omlette From Outerspace
CD 3: (Prince Charming)
01. Scorpios
02. Picasso Visita El Planeta De Los Simios
03. Prince Charming
04. 5 Guns West
05. That Voodoo!
06. Stand And Deliver
07. Mile High Club
08. Ant Rap
09. Mowhok
10. S.E.X.
11. Prince Charming (Demo Version)
12. Stand And Deliver (Demo Version)
13. Showbiz (Demo Version)
14. Picasso Visita El Planeta De Los Simios (Demo Version)
15. Who’s A Goofy Bunny Then? (Demo Version)
16. Scorpio Writing (Demo Version)
Written in History
WRITTEN IN HISTORY celebrates the great letters of world history, creative culture and personal life. Acclaimed historian Simon Sebag Montefiore selects over one hundred letters from ancient times to the twenty-first century: some are noble and inspiring, some despicable and unsettling; some are exquisite works of literature, others brutal, coarse and frankly outrageous; many are erotic, others heartbreaking. The writers vary from Elizabeth I, Rameses the Great and Leonard Cohen to Emmeline Pankhurst, Mandela, Stalin, Michelangelo, Suleiman the Magnificent and unknown people in extraordinary circumstances - from love letters to calls for liberation, declarations of war to reflections on death. In the colourful, accessible style of a master storyteller, Montefiore shows why these letters are essential reading: how they enlighten our past, enrich the way we live now - and illuminate tomorrow.