Books with author Edward Gibbs

It’s natural – yet terrifying.As individuals, we reach out to explore, to learn and to make contact. Our adventures spring from the noble side of our humanity. In the near future, we will reach out again toward the stars, out past previous limits where only our minds have explored before.But there’s an adversary to these noble aspirations, one that also springs from our basic human nature. As individuals we naturally cluster into groups, gravitate into larger units, then grow into divisions and finally develop large bureaucratic organizations, institutions which inevitably fabricate the Enemy that turns inward to rape the individual.Does this contest, this inner battle, arise solely from our human nature, or, on a grander scale, could it be more universal, perhaps even a basic fabric of space itself? In REACH, our astronauts, Joe Ryder and Speed Spencer, unwittingly seek the answer as they encounter Enemy, their deep space mission turns deadly and excitement of exploration turns into terror of discovery.On the surface, REACH is a mechanical quest in response to a mechanical challenge. Joe and Speed lead their crew on a mission to discover the fate of the previous crew that came to a tragic, ill-defined end as they explored a new object in deep space. Subtle at first, the Enemy encountered by both crews proves to be callous, universal and overwhelming.“A great new concept in high-tech terror! Alien life is NOT friendly and peace-loving, but neither is it evil. It is simply, terrifyingly, ALIEN. "REACH" swallows one in a universe both otherworldly and familiar – the more so because the logic of it is inexorable, the conclusion inescapable. Good treatment of scientific/technical issues, while scaring you to death. A fascinating, new conception of first contact. 5 of 5 Stars – A Customer”REACH is crafted by an astronaut who's been there, one of the few who can bring realistic excitement and discipline to space adventure and realistic personalities and competence to the crew that struggles to meet the challenge. For 21 years Astronaut Gibson and his two crewmates held the American record for time in space. “Ed Gibson was an astronaut with the Right Stuff. It’s apparent that as an author he also has the Right Stuff. In most books I’ve read, the astronauts think and talk like Hollywood actors. Not so here; it’s a pleasure to find characters who think and act like REAL astronauts. —Alan Bean, Astronaut, Skylab II and Apollo 12, America’s 2nd Moon Landing.”REACH explores the future, not so much from scientific imagination but from realistic extrapolations of our explosive technological growth that often leaves us behind. For example, as we embed larger, more complex blocks of human thought into software, we back off further in our roles as supervisors and leave increasing room for mischief within the ethereal mountains of coding.Additionally, travel to distant objects outside our solar system requires higher velocities and longer travel times than currently envisioned by any NASA explorations of deep space. The mission led by Joe and Speed isn’t just another flight, another well-measured risk, another trip to Moon, Mars or other established human outpost. They exit the solar system, abandon our home star, leave Sun's warmth and light behind, shed all the comfort and support of humanity's incubator and probe outward far into their real environment, that cold, open, all-encompassing black void that envelopes us all—deep space.To reduce travel times nuclear propulsion is employed. Still, to keep the crew alive requires massive supplies, which make the mission near impossible. A solution is found in hibernation.In essence, REACH is a conflict between we humans and what we create and continue to endorse—and it’s deadly.“A first-rate space adventure... a page turner!” — Michael Collins, Astronaut on Gemini and Apollo 11, America’s 1st Moon Landing with Neil ArmstrongREACH is richly illustrated by paintings of Michae

[Read by Bernard Mayes] The third volume of Edward Gibbon's classic timeless work of ancient Roman history. Considered one of the finest historical works in the English language, The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire is lauded for its graceful, elegant prose style as much as for its grand scope and considerable accuracy. It is a remarkable survey of what the author calls ''the greatest and, perhaps, most awful scene in the history of mankind.'' This third volume of Gibbon's masterpiece covers the years 1185 to 1453 and explores the rise of Islam, the Crusades, the invention of gunpowder, Genghis Khan and the Mongol invasions, the Turkish conquests, and the beginning of the Renaissance. The publication of this work in 1788 ended twenty years of Gibbon's contemplation and vast research on his subject and made this virtually self-educated man the most famous historian of his time.

The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire is a book of history written by the English historian Edward Gibbon, which traces the trajectory of Western civilization (as well as the Islamic and Mongolian conquests) from the height of the Roman Empire to the fall of Byzantium. It was published in six volumes. Volume I was published in 1776 and went through six printings. Volumes II and III were published in 1781; volumes IV, V, and VI in 1788–89. The original volumes were published in quarto sections, a common publishing practice of the time. The work covers the history, from 98 to 1590, of the Roman Empire, the history of early Christianity and then of the Roman State Church, and the history of Europe, and discusses the decline of the Roman Empire in the East and West. Because of its relative objectivity and heavy use of primary sources, unusual at the time, its methodology became a model for later historians. This led to Gibbon being called the first "modern historian of ancient Rome". Gibbon offers an explanation for the fall of the Roman Empire, a task made difficult by a lack of comprehensive written sources, though he was not the only historian to attempt the task. According to Gibbon, the Roman Empire succumbed to barbarian invasions in large part due to the gradual loss of civic virtue among its citizens. They had become weak, outsourcing their duty to defend their empire to barbarian mercenaries, who then became so numerous and ingrained that they were able to take over the Empire. Romans, he believed, were unwilling to live a tougher, military lifestyle. In addition, Gibbon argued that Christianity created a belief that a better life existed after death, which fostered an indifference to the present among Roman citizens, thus sapping their desire to sacrifice for a larger purpose. He also believed that Christianity's comparative pacifism tended to hamper the traditional Roman martial spirit. Finally, like other Enlightenment thinkers and British citizens of the age steeped in institutional anti-Catholicism, Gibbon held in contempt the Middle Ages as a priest-ridden, superstitious Dark Age. It was not until his own era, the "Age of Reason," with its emphasis on rational thought, it was believed, that human history could resume its progress. Gibbon saw the Praetorian Guard as the primary catalyst of the empire's initial decay and eventual collapse, a seed planted by Augustus when the empire was established. His writings cite repeated examples of the Praetorian Guard abusing their power with calamitous results, including numerous instances of imperial assassination and incessant demands for increased pay. He compared the reigns of Diocletian (284–305) and Charles V (1519–1556), noting superficial similarities. Both were plagued by continual war and compelled to excessive taxation to fund wars, both chose to abdicate as Emperors at roughly the same age, and both chose to lead a quiet life upon their retirement. However, Gibbon argues that these similarities are only superficial and that the underlying context and character of the two rulers is markedly different.

History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire - Volume 2 is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by Edward Gibbon is in the English language, and may not include graphics or images from the original edition. If you enjoy the works of Edward Gibbon then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection.

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

Excerpt from The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Vol. 2 of 12Usurpation and death of his brother Florianus, Their family subsists in obscurity, Character and elevation of the emperor Probus, His respectful conduct towards the senate, Victories of Probus over the barbarians.About the PublisherForgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.comThis book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.