Ancient Nonfiction

Spend twenty-four hours with the ancient Chinese. Travel back to AD 17, during the fourth year of the reign of Wang Mang of the Han dynasty, a vibrant and innovative era full of conflicts and contradictions. But as different as the Han culture might have been to other great ancient civilizations, the inhabitants of ancient China faced the same problems as people have for time immemorial: earning enough money, coping with workplace dramas, and keeping your home in order.

A historical non-fiction book set in various regions of ancient North and South America during the pre-Columbian era. Unearth the forgotten legacy of the Mound-Builders—an advanced civilization that flourished across North America long before European contact. This compelling narrative dives deep into the rich history of these remarkable ancient peoples, exploring their impressive earthen mounds, complex social structures, and the tragic tales of knowledge lost to time and conquest. Their story is one of ingenuity, resilience, and ultimately, a poignant reminder of what was lost in the ...

Discover the shocking truth about ancient Greece's most controversial women. While their Athenian sisters lived in seclusion, forbidden to leave their homes without permission, Spartan women ran naked in public, wrestled with men, and controlled vast wealth that made them the richest females in the ancient world. They were history's first female athletes, training from childhood in running, javelin, and combat sports. They owned 40% of Sparta's land and managed estates with complete autonomy. They chose their husbands, divorced at will, and wielded political influence that terrified the ...

Before the emperors, there was the Republic. Before the Republic fell, there was the Rubicon. History of the Roman Empire: Power, Betrayal, and the End of the Republic is a sweeping, uncompromising account of how one of history’s most sophisticated democracies collapsed into autocracy—not through foreign invasion or sudden catastrophe, but through internal corrosion, political violence, and the dangerous allure of strongmen. Based entirely on verifiable sources, this work strips away myth and romanticism to reveal the hard truths of Roman political decay and the rise of imperial power. ...

Discover the secrets of our past and unlock a deeper understanding of human development. Immerse yourself in the legacies of ancient civilizations and uncover the interconnectedness and impact they still hold today. Gain a comprehensive overview of the most pivotal societies that have shaped human history. Experience the achievements, beliefs, and complexities of ancient cultures through captivating narratives. Delve into the advancements of ancient China, the diverse culture of the Persian Empire, and the enduring legacies of the Maurya and Byzantine Empires. Learn about the foundational ...

What if humanity’s greatest civilizations were built on a covenant of blood — one not with gods, but with alien overseers? From the ziggurats of Mesopotamia to the pyramids of Mexico, from Egypt’s temples to China’s tombs, one truth repeats: blood was the offering, and unseen powers received it. In A Blood Covenant: The Alien Agenda Behind Civilization and Human Domestication, experiencer and researcher Erik Nanstiel exposes the disturbing throughline binding humanity’s past to its present. Ancient sacrifices, cattle mutilations, and alien abductions are not separate mysteries —...

In ancient Rome, death was entertainment. In their struggle, we see ourselves. Step into the roaring heart of the Colosseum—where sand drank blood, emperors ruled by spectacle, and men fought not only for survival but for eternal glory. Gladiators of Rome reveals the astonishing truth behind one of history’s most misunderstood institutions: the Roman arena. Far from mindless brutality, the games were a mirror of an empire—its politics, religion, engineering, and obsession with power. Drawing on ancient texts, archaeology, and modern scholarship, Simpson Varro reconstructs the world of...

The world remembers Leonidas for how he died. This is the story of how—and why—he lived. At the dawn of Western history, one man’s final stand against an empire forged a legend that would echo for millennia. Leonidas: The Last King of Sparta is the definitive retelling of the life and legacy of the warrior who defied Persia at the narrow pass of Thermopylae — not as a comic-book hero or marble statue, but as a flesh-and-blood king shaped by duty, law, and fate. In this sweeping historical narrative, A. K. Thompson reconstructs the world that made Leonidas: a Sparta without walls, ...

"Not only an engrossing read about the distant past, both informative and entertaining, but also a profoundly thought-provoking view of our not-really-so-‘new’ present . . . All medieval history is here, beautifully narrated."—Wall Street Journal "A lively history . . . [Jones] has...

What if the world was built from the body of a giant—and we’ve been chasing that legend ever since? From the dawn of civilization to the digital age, humankind has been haunted by stories of enormous beings. The Hidden History of Giants by Leif Harren is a sweeping exploration of these myths and mysteries—tracing how ancient faith, emerging science, and modern imagination have shaped our fascination with creatures larger than life. Across continents and centuries, giants appear as gods, heroes, villains, and metaphors. They build worlds, guard treasures, challenge the gods, and ...

Discover the lost empire that rivaled ancient Egypt and Babylonia. For centuries, the Hittites slipped into near oblivion, until archaeologists pieced together their astonishing legacy from ruins and clay tablets. Drawing on decades of research, archaeologist R. Jay Driskill brings this enigmatic civilization vividly to life. From their sudden rise in the early second millennium BCE to their collapse around 1180 BCE, the Hittites reshaped the ancient Near East with innovations in law, diplomacy, and the art of war. Blending the latest archaeological discoveries with translations of ...

In an age of warlords and plagues, one man ruled the world armed not with superstition or cruelty, but with reason. When Marcus Aurelius took the throne of Rome, the empire’s peace was already beginning to crumble. Beyond the Danube, restless tribes gathered. In the East, Parthian kings tested Rome’s strength. At home, pestilence hollowed out cities and farms. Yet amid chaos, the emperor sat by firelight in a soldier’s tent, writing meditations to himself about humility, duty, and the fleeting nature of power. The Philosopher King tells the sweeping, visceral story of Rome’s last ...

A journey of the soul through the map of Christian time. The liturgical year, beginning on the first Sunday of Advent and carrying through the following November, is the year that sets out to attune the life of the Christian to the life of Jesus, the Christ. What may at first seem to be simply...

As World War II raged, millions of men and women confronted injury, destruction, separation from home and loved ones, chaos, and death. These challenges and traumas and many others forced an entire generation of everyday heroes to take stock of their lives. And in the process, many turned to God...

A first-of-its-kind guide that outlines and explains the health-promoting properties of lymphatic massage, featuring five-minute self-massage sequences anyone can do at home. Thanks to the astonishing results it provides—glowing skin, a flatter stomach, enhanced immunity, and full-body...

What would you do for twenty-four hours if the only criteria were to pursue your deepest joy? Dan Allender's lyrical book about the Sabbath expels the myriad myths about this "day of rest," starting with the one that paints the Sabbath as a day of forced quiet, spiritual exercises, and religious...

For more than five thousand years, the land of Palestine has stood at the crossroads of civilizations. Empires have risen and fallen upon its soil, prophets have walked its hills, and generations of ordinary people have lived, loved, farmed, fought, and dreamed in this contested corner of the world. Today, the story of Palestine is often reduced to headlines about conflict—but its history is far richer, deeper, and more complex. In Palestine: A History Through Empires, Faith, and Struggle, Layla Al-Rami takes readers on a sweeping journey from the Bronze Age to the twenty-first century, ...

A bold new synthesis of paleontology, archaeology, genetics, and anthropology that overturns misconceptions about race, war and peace, and human nature itself, answering an age-old question: What made humans so exceptional among all the species on Earth? Creativity. It is the secret of what...

Vietnam is not only a nation — it is a story of survival etched in rice paddies, temples, and revolution. Echoes and Empires: The History of Vietnam is a sweeping, human-scale journey through one of Asia’s most resilient civilizations. Spanning over 4,000 years, this is not just the history of a country — it’s the story of a people who have endured foreign conquest, cultural upheaval, colonization, war, and renewal, yet have never lost their identity or voice. This book guides readers chronologically through the major eras of Vietnamese history — from the mythic origin of Lạc ...

A "masterly" (Economist), prize-winning, internationally bestselling history of books in the ancient world "Exquisite. . . . Beautifully translated into English by Charlotte Whittle, who is able to convey both Vallejo’s passionate narrative presence and her synthesising intelligence.” —The...