Books with author Bryn Barnard

Did a meteorite wipe out the dinosaurs and allow for human evolution? Did an earthquake usher in the rise of Greek civilization? Did a snowstorm help create the New York subway? The answer to all these questions is a resounding yes! Over and over again, natural disasters have influenced the course of human history in ways great and small. From the Great Fire of London to the Great Kanto Quake, Bryn Barnard describes ten key moments when natural disasters have played a significant role in shaping our history. Highlighted with vivid and meticulously researched illustrations, Dangerous Planet demonstrates the mighty force of planet Earth–and the role humanity must play in its survival.

Did the Black Death destroy the feudal system? Did cholera pave the way for modern Manhattan? Did yellow fever help end the slave trade? Remarkably, the answer to all of these questions is yes. Time and again, diseases have impacted the course of human history in surprisingly powerful ways. From influenza to small pox, from tuberculosis to yellow fever, Bryn Barnard describes the symptoms and paths of the world’s worst diseases–and how the epidemics they spawned have changed history forever.Highlighted with vivid and meticulously researched illustrations, Outbreak is a fascinating look at the hidden world of microbes–and how this world shapes human destiny every day.

The Middle Ages were a period of tremendous cultural and scientific advancement in the Islamic Empire—ideas and inventions that shaped our world. Did you know that:• The numbers you use every day (Arabic numerals!) are a Muslim invention?• The marching band you hear at football games has its roots in the Middle East?• You are drinking orange juice at breakfast today thanks to Islamic farming innovations?• The modern city's skyline was made possible by Islamic architecture?The Muslim world has often been a bridge between East and West, but many of Islam's crucial innovations are hidden within the folds of history. In this important book, Bryn Barnard uses short, engaging text and gorgeous full-color artwork to bring Islam's contributions gloriously to life. Chockful of information and pictures, and eminently browsable, The Genius of Islam is the definitive guide to a fascinating topic.

·:The enigma that a young woman from such a closed and protected environ-ment as a Yorkshire parsonage could write the wildly romantic, complex, andunconventional Wuthering Heights has long fascinated readers.Largely self-educated, Emily Bront6 spent most of her short life at the familyhome in Haworth, England. Her solitary instincts are well known, and everybiographer's task has been complicated by her refusal to reveal anything ofherself during her lifetime.In this fascinating biography, Robert Barnard examines Emily Bront6'sinsulated childhood, the lyrical poems of her twenues that prefigure the rawintensity of Wuthering Heights, and the sources and inspiration for WutheringHeights itself. The author draws not only on Bront6's own writing, but also onthe words of her friends and family to present a full picture of her life andcharacter. Also crucial to this story are recent discoveries concerningBront6's studies of the classics, glimpses of her in her brother's recentlypublished juvenilia, and her little-known writing during her year of study inBrussels.