Power Middle Ages

"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 managed...

From the bestselling author of The Templars, Dan Jones's epic new history tells nothing less than the story of how the world we know today came to be built. Across 16 chapters, blending Dan Jones' trademark gripping narrative style with authoritative analysis, Powers and Thrones shows how, at...

The idea of a powerful woman in the Middle Ages seems like an oxymoron. Females in this time are imagined to be damsels in distress, trapped in a high tower, and waiting for knights to rescue them, all while wearing traffic-cones for a hat. After rescue, their lives improved little. Their career choices were to be either docile queens, housewives, or be burned at the stake for witchcraft. But what if this image of medieval women is a complete fiction? It turns out that it is. Powerful female rulers fill the Middle Ages.

The Middle Ages were dubbed the "Dark Ages" almost before they had begun to draw to a close. Ever since then, they have continued to be seen as a time of hardship and oppression, full of popes and crusades. In the second volume of 2,000 Years of Christ's Power, another side of the Middle Ages shines through though: The continual workings of Christ as he built his kingdom through figures such as Thomas a Kempis and John Wycliffe, who lived and struggled during these centuries. This was far from a period of stagnation; rather it was the fire from which the Reformation was kindled.

The crown of England is the oldest surviving political institution in Europe. Throughout this book Dr David Starkey emphasises the Crown's endless capacity to adapt to circumstances and reshape national policy, whilst he unmasks the personalities and achievements, the defeats and victories...

In this indispensable volume, one of America's ranking scholars combines a life's work of research and teaching with the art of lively narration. Both authoritative and beautifully told, The Middle Ages is the full story of the thousand years between the fall of Rome and the Renaissance - a time that saw the rise of kings and emperors, the flowering of knighthood, the development of Europe, the increasing power of the Catholic Church, and the advent of the middle class.

3 Books. 1 Epic Destiny. Over 750 Pages of Time-Traveling Magic! "A fun, fast read for all ages... Hard to put down!" — Kindle Customer Jack Mac Paidin was five years old when his parents were killed — and grew up separated from his brother and sister, never knowing why. When he touches a golden telescope hidden beneath the streets of Portland, fire erupts in his hands, a lifetime of secrets come to light, and nothing will ever be the same. A shadowy organization called the Dark Cabal has been pulling strings for generations, and now they have their sights set on Jack and his siblings. ...

Fall in love with this series from Chris Colfer, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Land of Stories, filled with adventure, imagination, and wonderfully memorable characters both familiar and new. When Brystal Evergreen stumbles across a secret section of the library, she discovers...

Dive into the first book of this frightfully fun series and join the ghost-hunting gang as they defend our world from the most fearsome phantoms! A sinister Problem has occurred in London: all nature of ghosts, haunts, spirits, and specters are appearing throughout the city, and they aren't...

“Lively. . . . Rousing. . . . Prophecy—roving, intelligent, irreducibly idiosyncratic—can expand our sense of possibility, starting now.” —The New York Times Book Review Tech empires are the prophets of the modern day, and like the ancient oracles and medieval astrologers that preceded...

An award-winning journalist tells the inspiring story of her unlikely midlife journey to master the daunting sport of obstacle course racing—a powerful, science-based account of the change possible at any age when we push limits. “This story of personal transformation is thrilling...

What was it really like to live in the Middle Ages? Forget the polished myths of knights in shining armor and fairy-tale castles. The reality was far grittier, harsher, and endlessly more fascinating. Beneath the Crown: The Untold Stories of Medieval Life and Power takes you on an unflinching journey into the everyday struggles of medieval Europe. From waking in bug-ridden straw beds to eating week-old pottage and trudging barefoot through mud-soaked streets, this book reveals the raw truth of survival in a world defined by disease, superstition, and unrelenting toil. Life was brutal, but ...

In the thrilling third book in Chris Colfer's #1 New York Times bestselling A Tale of Magic... series, a dark and mysterious menace has surfaced in the Land of Stories, threatening to destroy the entire world. As the doors were pushed, flames and magma spewed out from between the cracks...

After the sudden loss of her mother, twelve-year-old Philippa “Pippa” Rowe feels completely alone—until a mysterious mirror calls her name and pulls her into a hidden magical realm. At Wishmoor Academy, a school where fairy godmothers are trained to guide—not grant—wishes, Pippa discovers her mother once walked the same halls. Surrounded by new friends—warm, loyal Freya and whimsical, music-loving Lilou—Pippa begins to uncover the truth about her family, her powers, and the strange pull she feels toward magic. But something dark is watching. As Pippa struggles to find her ...

Nine knights founded the order in Jerusalem in 1119. A hundred years later, they were the most powerful organization in Christendom. They built impregnable castles, created the first international banking system, and fought Saladin to the last man. Then, on Friday, October 13, 1307, they were all arrested at the same time. A king in debt. A pope in fear. A trial based on torture and false confessions. And a curse that still echoes nine centuries later. This book tells the truth. The blood, the mud, the prayers, the terror of the cavalry charge, the silence of the dungeons, the flames of the...

A bestselling author offers a refreshingly honest, compassionate guide to the sh!tstorm that is divorce: falling apart, staying afloat, and new beginnings (whether you are ready for them or not). After 12 years together, 2 children, 10 pets, and 5 properties, Dawn and her partner...

The lives of the sons of Eleanor of Aquitaine are the stuff of legend. Her daughters, however, are less well known, and the fascinating personalities of her daughters-in-law have been almost entirely overlooked, as have those of the daughters she bore Louis VII of France. The Families of Eleanor of Aquitaine redresses this balance and showcases the lives, travels, and careers of these ten very different women, who formed a great international network of political alliances that linked their parents, siblings, husbands, and children all across Europe and the Holy Land.

A breathtaking, enchanting series from Jessica Townsend, about a cursed girl who escapes death and finds herself in a magical world—but is then tested beyond her wildest imagination. Morrigan Crow is cursed. Having been born on Eventide, the unluckiest day for any child to be born, she's...

Abandoned at birth, Ace the axolotl struggles to survive both human and animal predators in his quest to save himself—and his entire species—in this epic middle grade fantasy for fans of Warrior Cats. There’s danger lurking in the depths of the lake. Ace learns this early—when his twin...

16 years of peace and prosperity have passed since Lord Otori Takeo united the Three Countries. Takeo and his beloved consort, Kaede, have three daughters and a happy family life. Their success has attracted the attention of the distant Emperor and his general, the warlord Saga Hideki, who covet the wealth of the Countries. Meanwhile, the violent acts and betrayals of the past will not lie buried, and other secrets will not stay hidden. Everything that Takeo and Kaede have achieved is threatened.