"The Decameron" by Giovanni Boccaccio is a collection of short stories written in the 14th century. This seminal work features a framing narrative in which a group of ten nobles—seven women and three men—flee the decaying city of Florence during the Black Death. As they take refuge in the countryside, each member of the group recounts a tale over ten separate days, resulting in a rich tapes…
One of the most popular and controversial historians of the twentieth century, who made his subject accessible to millions, A.J.P. Taylor caused a storm of outrage with this scandalous bestseller. Debunking what were accepted truths about the Second World War, he argued provocatively that Hitler did not set out to cause the war as part of an evil master plan, but blundered into it partly by acc…
Where did the Polynesians come from? Why did they leave their original homeland? How did they find their way across the open sea to unknown lands? Did they ever set foot on South American soil? These are just some of the questions anthropologist Robert C. Suggs deals with in this challenging culture history of the Polynesians whose accomplishments in the field of navigation rank with the greate…