Books with author Hugh Kenner

They were history's most famous and ferocious warriors. From the Huns to the Mongols, successive waves of nomadic horsemen swept out of the great steppes of Central Asia and wreaked havoc on the static civilizations of Europe, India, and China. How were they so successful? And, what were the limits of their powers? An esteemed professor--who specializes in Arabic and medieval studies--reveals just how "underdeveloped" societies spawned such great generals, from Attila to Genghis Khan; how nomadic Arabs swarmed from the desert in the 7th century to carve out an empire that stretched from Spain to the Chinese frontier; why the Mongols failed to conquer Europe; and where those unique, seaborne raiders, the Vikings, fit into this story.

Have you ever wondered where the flowers came from? Have you heard of the "little people" that some call fairies? The Flowers and the Fairies is a magical tale about how the earth became so colourful and where fairies came from. Angels were starring down at earth one day and thought it looked rather plain, so they set out on a great adventure and gather magical star dust from all the colourful stars in heaven. Riding the bright moonbeams down to earth, they bring the star dust and sprinkle it all over the land. Soon there are thousands of beautiful flowers everywhere - and no one to look after them. This is how the little flower fairies came to be. This story is for the young at heart of all ages who still believe in magic and fairies.