Popular History

The hundreds of end-of-time prophecies splashed across the consciousness from the time of clay tablets to our Internet have had something besides hysteria in common: every one of them has been wrong. Here is a survey of three millennia of apocalyptic prophecies, tracing one of the most remarkable threads of our cultural history: our long and unproductive fascination with apocalyptic myths and miracles that can solve our problems without requiring committed action in our own lives.

Why is the athlete so important to us? Few public figures can dominate the public imagination with such power and authority. Drawing from art, literature, politics, and history, Something like the Gods explores the powerful grip the athlete has always held on the Western imagination. Amidon examines the archetype of the competitor as it evolved from antiquity to the present day, from athlete-warriors such as Achilles and Ulysses to global media icons like Ali, Jordan, and Tiger Woods.

More than 60,000 books have been published on the Civil War. Most Americans, though, get their ideas about the war why it was fought, what was won, what was lost not from books but from movies, television, and other popular media. In an engaging and accessible survey, Gallagher guides listeners through the stories told in recent film and art, showing how they have both reflected and influenced the political, social, and racial currents of their times.

Guthrie kept moving throughout his life, making friends, soaking up influences, and writing about his experiences. Along the way, he produced more than 3,000 songs, as well as fiction, journalism, poetry, and visual art, that gave voice to the distressed and dispossessed. In this insightful audiobook, Will Kaufman examines the artist’s career through a unique perspective: the role of time and place in Guthrie’s artistic evolution.

Crafting a list of the top ten Korean dramas of all time presents a rich tapestry of storytelling, character development, and cultural impact. These dramas have resonated with audiences for their compelling narratives, memorable performances, and emotional depth. Let's delve into each one.

From the depths of the ocean to the farthest corners of the cosmos, "Incredible But True" traverses a vast array of topics, uncovering the most surprising and lesser-known truths of our universe. Listeners will be enthralled by quirky animal behaviors, bewildering scientific phenomena, and historical oddities that defy belief.

Over three sessions Suzanne explores how yoga came to Britain, covering the individuals and movements that influenced the exchange between the yoga from India, and the cast of characters in Britain that eagerly received these exotic ideas and practices that have become part of mainstream, modern life.

Der Experte für Esskultur nimmt uns mit auf eine Reise in die spannende Geschichte des Koffeins. Erstmalig wurde der Wunderstoff im Osten Afrikas entdeckt, aber es dauerte nur ein kurzes Jahrhundert, bis der Großteil der Welt abhängig war. Durch den Einfluss des Koffeins wurden schon Kriege entschieden, politische Strömungen umgelenkt und ganze Wirtschaftssysteme dominiert. Der Autor erklärt anschaulich, dass sogar die industrielle Revolution ohne das Koffein unmöglich gewesen wäre.

When it comes to superheroes of the silver screen, nobody knows more than the masterminds behind the wildly popular Comicstorian YouTube channel. This definitive guide to comic book films divulges behind-the-scenes secrets and the hidden history behind these must-see movies including how, after very rocky beginnings, they shot to the top with DC and Marvel as two of the most important franchises in the industry.

Have you ever pondered... What led to the creation of the humble sandwich? Why does chocolate have that irresistible allure? What's the story behind our morning cup of coffee? Like the ever-curious, you've perhaps questioned the origins of these everyday items on your plate. Prepare yourself for an enlightening journey as you uncover your favorite foods' unexpected and perhaps slightly peculiar history.

A People's History of Baseball, probes the less well-known but no less meaningful other side of baseball: episodes not involving equality, patriotism, heroism, and virtuous capitalism, but power - how it is obtained, and how it perpetuates itself. Through the growth and development of baseball Nathanson shows that, if only we choose to look for it, we can see the petty power struggles as well as the large and consequential ones that have likewise defined our nation.

You wouldn’t be ‘barking mad’ if, when asked the definition of certain phrases, ‘the cat got your tongue’ and you ‘clammed up’. Let’s not ‘beat around the bush’; the English language is littered with linguistic quirks that, on closer examination, seem utterly fantastical. In Spilling the Beans on the Cat’s Pyjamas, Judy Parkinson explores the many colourful – but rather incomprehensible – phrases that enhance our language, describing their origins and defining their true meanings.

One afternoon in the late 1970s, deep in the labyrinthine interior of a massive Gothic tower in New Haven, an unsuspecting employee of Yale University opened a long-locked room in the Payne Whitney Gymnasium and stumbled upon something shocking and disturbing. Shocking, because what he found was an enormous cache of nude photographs, thousands and thousands of photographs of young men in front, side, and rear poses. Disturbing, because the photos looked like the record of a bizarre body-piercing ritual.

Breve storia triste (o BST, sempre per obbedire all'esigenza di sintesi) non è più solo il tormentone che impazza sul web ma, come scrive Ivan Cotroneo nella Prefazione, "una specie di esercizio filosofico che in maniera brutale e diretta toglie fronzoli e orpelli e ti mette di fronte l'essenza possibile della storia, a volerla guardare con il filtro dell'ironia". Una chiave narrativa che mescola brevitas e levitas per raccontare non solo le proprie piccole-grandi sfighe del quotidiano, ma che ora si applica a tutto lo scibile umano.

La historia de Taiwán es asombrosa. Políticamente, Taiwán tenía una cultura de señores de la guerra. Los portugueses, al pasar por la isla a mediados de la década de 1540, llamaron a la isla "Ilha Formosa", que significa "Isla Hermosa". Luego, los holandeses llegaron en la década de 1620, en busca de una base de operaciones para la Compañía holandesa de las Indias Orientales.

La milenaria, compleja y convulsa historia de China, acaso uno de los procesos históricos más llamativos de todo el planeta, estudiada con precisión y detalle en un período que comprende desde las Guerras del Opio, a la lucha entre Mao Zedong y Chang Kai-Shek y la posterior proclamación del comunismo y el nacimiento de la nueva República Popular China.

Die Ritter des Mittelalters - heldenhaft, kühn, edel und gerecht - begegnen uns auf Schritt und Tritt in Literatur, Film, Computerspielen und ganz leibhaftig auf zahlreichen Mittelaltermärkten. Doch was ist dran am edlen Heldenbild, das uns schon die hochmittelalterliche Epik vermittelt? Entspricht es der Realität mittelalterlicher Lebenswelten? Wie war es um die sprichwörtliche Ritterlichkeit der schweren Panzerreiter bestellt?

Rein und unvermischt, Urväter deutscher Nation und von überlegener Rasse - die Nationalsozialisten wollten mit den Germanen eine Jahrtausende alte, rassische Überlegenheit der "Deutschen" konstruieren. Auch wir, die es heute besser wissen, stellen uns die Germanen oft recht einseitig vor. Raubeinige Horden, unbarmherziger Krieger und gefürchtete Gegner der Römer - oder doch ein Volk mit reicher Kultur und wechselvoller Geschichte?

War das Mittelalter wirklich finster? Waren Burgen uneinnehmbar und die Menschen damals einfältig-dumm? Um kaum eine historische Epoche ranken sich derart viele und widersprüchliche Mythen wie um das Mittelalter. Es gilt als Inbegriff einer finsteren Zeit voll abergläubischer Intoleranz und grausamer Gewalt: Verschwenderische Fürsten unterdrückten rücksichtslos das darbende Volk, an jeder Ecke standen Galgen, brannten Scheiterhaufen, und schon ein fauler Zahn konnte den Tod bedeuten.

In the early 18th century, 80 years prior to revolution, France went wild for stocks and bonds. Mechanics dropped their tools and tradesmen closed their shops. There was but one profession, one employment, one occupation for persons of all ranks, from peasant to prince. And that profession was speculating in stocks. This is the story of John Law, the adventurous Scotsman played chance against an entire nation.