Medieval City

Life in a Medieval City is the classic account of the year 1250 in the city of Troyes, in modern-day France. Acclaimed historians Frances and Joseph Gies focus on a high point of medieval civilization - before war and the Black Death ravaged Europe - providing a fascinating window into the sophistication of a period we too often dismiss as backward. Urban life in the Middle Ages revolved around the home, often a mixed-use dwelling for burghers with a store or workshop on the ground floor and living quarters upstairs.

Rome 998 AD. Galen and his friends have taken shelter in an abbey where there is much to learn from the local scribes and illustrators. Galen is grateful for the order and tranquillity of their temporary new home, but is it a false peace?

Located in the center of Beijing, the Forbidden City served as the palace for the emperor of China from 1420 to 1912 CE, a period encompassing the Ming and Qing dynasties. It was home to the celestial leaders of China, men that possessed the Mandate of Heaven. A total of 24 emperors lived and ruled from the vast and magnificent complex for almost 500 years, until the last Chinese dynasty was overthrown in 1912 with the abdication of Emperor Xuantong, more commonly known as Puyi.

A true rags-to-riches tale, Jonah's journey spans the breadth of human experience, from the intricacies of Edward III's political intrigues to the cutthroat world of international trade, from the triumphs of war to the agonies of personal loss - love, friendship, joy, heartbreak and glory. Set largely in London - the Scarlet City - the centre of medieval England, this is a thrilling portrait of the age and the people who made it so rich, colourful and extraordinary.

Recent research has revealed that the richest person of all time lived in the 14th century in West Africa and went by many names, including Kankan Musa Keita, Emir of Melle, Lord of the Mines of Wangara, Conqueror of Ghanata, and the Lion of Mali II, but today he is usually referred to as Mansa Musa. Adjusting his wealth to modern values, he was worth about an estimated $400 billion as the Sultan of ancient Mali, which controlled the trade routes across the Sahara Desert.

The Republic of Genoa: The History of the Italian City that Became Influential across the Mediterranean during the Middle Ages examines the highs and lows of Genoa La Superba (“The Proud”), including its humble origins in the first century CE, its felicitous rise after the fall of the Roman Empire, its golden age as a mercantile power during the “Genoese Century,” and its demise at the hands of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1797.

Arnau de Vallbona and his fellow Templar Brother Ramon are bound for the Holy Land to take part in the great Crusade when fate intervenes. Delayed in Cyprus, they learn of a growing rift in Christendom: the crusading army has diverted from its course and threatens Rome's allies in the Byzantine Empire. Arnau and Ramon, alongside the irascible Preceptor Bochard, race to Constantinople, encountering a grand and crumbling world of alliances and betrayals, emperors and armies.

Makoud, a middle-aged apothecary, has come to Málaga with his family to work. Shortly after they arrive, the khalifa Yahya I dies. Rumors say he was poisoned. Makoud is worried that the poison used by the assassins was bought from his shop. His son Umar, now a soldier in the khalifa’s army, decides to investigate - but soon finds himself arrested and accused of murder. His father, family, and friends pool all their resources to try and help him, but the closer they get to the truth, the greater the danger they find themselves in.

Carcassonne today is the capital of the Aude department in the Occitanie region of southwestern France, about 58 miles from Toulouse. It lies by the eastward bend of the glittering cobalt waters of the River Aude, which serves as a barrier between the two towns of the city: the Cité and the Ville Basse. It is the old Cité that attracts most of Carcassonne's visitors (three million of them each year), for it houses the historic fortress that looks like it came straight out of a fairy tale. This audiobook examines the origins of the site and its sweeping history.

A young Moorish prince wakes to the filth and stench of his new home. His brother is the new khalifa of Málaga, but instead of welcoming Ben-Yahya with open arms, he has him thrown into prison. The young prince can only guess what Hasan is plotting, but one thing he does know is that no one gets out of these dungeons alive.

Early one morning, the ambitious pirate Captain al-Awar makes a lightning raid on the shipyard in Málaga and kidnaps Bakr, a master shipbuilder, and two of his workmen. Before anyone can do anything about it, they have disappeared. No one has any idea why the pirates have taken them or where they have gone, but everyone agrees that only one of two fates await them: death or slavery.

Año 1284. Cae la noche en una de las ciudades medievales más bellas del mundo. Poderosas montañas y murallas inexpugnables la protegen de los reinos que la rodean y codician. ¿Te atreves a caminar por sus estrechas calles, por sus empinadas cuestas y sus asombrosos rincones? Empieza a oscurecer. Sientes frío. Escuchas los rumores acerca de las inexplicables muertes que se están sucediendo. De los secretos que esconden los gremios. De la peligrosa mujer encerrada en las mazmorras.

When King Claudio sends Mangus the Magician and his faithful servant, Fabrizio, to Venice to steal a manuscript that explains a magical method of making money, they must succeed in their mission or risk death. The manuscript is key to obtaining great profits for the king-and a secure future for Mangus and Fabrizio.

La historia de las ciudades más espectaculares de la Edad Media, desde América hasta el Lejano Oriente: una guía fundamental para descubrir estas ciudades de las que, en algunos casos, sólo quedaron las ruinas. Existe actualmente un interés general por la historia, numerosas monografías y novelas históricas dan cuenta de ello, no obstante, existe un tremendo vacío a la hora de encontrar audio libros que aborden la historia de las ciudades utilizando el urbanismo como marco teórico.

A partir del siglo XII van a surgir dos fenómenos sociales que caracterizan lo que va a denominarse la Baja Edad Media, que es el precedente inevitable del Renacimiento. Nos referimos a las ciudades, que habían perdido su importancia socioeconómica desde la decadencia del Imperio romano, y las universidades, que son una nueva base sobre la que se va a construir la revolución cultural de la Baja Edad Media.

Samarkand is one of the oldest cities of Central Asia, founded nearly 3,000 years ago. The legendary city was the capital of the Sogdians, a trading people who facilitated the spread of commodities, religions, technologies, and ideas across the Silk Road between China and the rest of Eurasia. Samarkand was a key site along the ancient Silk Road, a place where a number of world cultures from the East and the West met and assimilated.

Even centuries before the birth of the Prophet Muhammad, the leaders of Mecca established that their city was the preeminent holy site in Western Arabia and established a truce for pilgrims to the city. In the process one effect of this was that Mecca became a center for what might today be described as tourism, as even ancient visitors needed places for food, water, and sleep. Of course Mecca is now best known for being Islam's holiest city, revered as the birthplace of Muhammad and the site where Allah first revealed the Qu'ran to him.

Centuries before the birth of the Prophet Muhammad, Jews settled on the land to escape persecution at the hands of the Babylonians and Romans, meaning the area and its arid environment brought inhabitants precisely because it wasn't an attractive or resource rich area. In fact, the city fated to become the second holiest city in Islam earned that spot simply by straddling trade routes to the religious city of Mecca, which brought traders and pilgrims in large enough numbers to make it a trade center.

Centuries before the birth of the Prophet Muhammad, the leaders of Mecca established that their city was the pre-eminent holy site in western Arabia and established a truce for pilgrims to the city. One effect of this was that Mecca became a center for what might today be described as tourism. Of course, Mecca is now best known for being Islam's holiest city, revered as the birthplace of Muhammad and the site where Allah first revealed the Qu'ran to him. Within Mecca is the Ka'aba, a building housed within the Al-Masjid al-Haram (Great Mosque), considered the holiest site.

In 1450 Christine de Pisan took up the pen to defend her maligned sex. Her book, The City of Ladies, was built around preserving women's reputations from the slights and misunderstandings of history. In it the author is visited by three spirits - Justice, Rectitude and Reason - who guide her in sifting through countless lives, in search of worthy citizens. Nearly 600 years later, the historian and novelist Lisa Hilton picks up the book and promptly falls asleep, only to be visited by three great women from history: Cleopatra, Lucrezia Borgia and Catherine the Great.