Books with author Mary Bard

New York Times Bestseller A New York Times Notable Book Named one of the Best Books of the Year by the Wall Street Journal, the Economist,Foreign Affairs, and Kirkus Reviews Finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award (Nonfiction) Shortlisted for the Cundill Prize in Historical Literature Finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize (History) A San Francisco Chronicle Holiday Gift Guide Selection A New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice SelectionA sweeping, "magisterial" history of the Roman Empire from one of our foremost classicists shows why Rome remains "relevant to people many centuries later" (Atlantic). In SPQR, an instant classic, Mary Beard narrates the history of Rome "with passion and without technical jargon" and demonstrates how "a slightly shabby Iron Age village" rose to become the "undisputed hegemon of the Mediterranean" (Wall Street Journal). Hailed by critics as animating "the grand sweep and the intimate details that bring the distant past vividly to life" (Economist) in a way that makes "your hair stand on end" (Christian Science Monitor) and spanning nearly a thousand years of history, this "highly informative, highly readable" (Dallas Morning News) work examines not just how we think of ancient Rome but challenges the comfortable historical perspectives that have existed for centuries. With its nuanced attention to class, democratic struggles, and the lives of entire groups of people omitted from the historical narrative for centuries, SPQR will to shape our view of Roman history for decades to come. 100 illustrations; 16 pages of color; 5 maps

A sweeping, revisionist history of the Roman Empire from one of our foremost classicists.Ancient Rome was an imposing city even by modern standards, a sprawling imperial metropolis of more than a million inhabitants, a "mixture of luxury and filth, liberty and exploitation, civic pride and murderous civil war" that served as the seat of power for an empire that spanned from Spain to Syria. Yet how did all this emerge from what was once an insignificant village in central Italy? In S.P.Q.R., world-renowned classicist Mary Beard narrates the unprecedented rise of a civilization that even two thousand years later still shapes many of our most fundamental assumptions about power, citizenship, responsibility, political violence, empire, luxury, and beauty.From the foundational myth of Romulus and Remus to 212 ce―nearly a thousand years later―when the emperor Caracalla gave Roman citizenship to every free inhabitant of the empire, S.P.Q.R. (the abbreviation of "The Senate and People of Rome") examines not just how we think of ancient Rome but challenges the comfortable historical perspectives that have existed for centuries by exploring how the Romans thought of themselves: how they challenged the idea of imperial rule, how they responded to terrorism and revolution, and how they invented a new idea of citizenship and nation.Opening the book in 63 bce with the famous clash between the populist aristocrat Catiline and Cicero, the renowned politician and orator, Beard animates this “terrorist conspiracy,” which was aimed at the very heart of the Republic, demonstrating how this singular event would presage the struggle between democracy and autocracy that would come to define much of Rome’s subsequent history. Illustrating how a classical democracy yielded to a self-confident and self-critical empire, S.P.Q.R. reintroduces us, though in a wholly different way, to famous and familiar characters―Hannibal, Julius Caesar, Cleopatra, Augustus, and Nero, among others―while expanding the historical aperture to include those overlooked in traditional histories: the women, the slaves and ex-slaves, conspirators, and those on the losing side of Rome’s glorious conquests.Like the best detectives, Beard sifts fact from fiction, myth and propaganda from historical record, refusing either simple admiration or blanket condemnation. Far from being frozen in marble, Roman history, she shows, is constantly being revised and rewritten as our knowledge expands. Indeed, our perceptions of ancient Rome have changed dramatically over the last fifty years, and S.P.Q.R., with its nuanced attention to class inequality, democratic struggles, and the lives of entire groups of people omitted from the historical narrative for centuries, promises to shape our view of Roman history for decades to come. 100 illustrations; 16 pages of color; 5 maps

Pompeii is the most famous archaeological site in the world, visited by more than two million people each year. Yet it is also one of the most puzzling, with an intriguing and sometimes violent history, from the sixth century BCE to the present day. Destroyed by Vesuvius in 79 CE, the ruins of Pompeii offer the best evidence we have of life in the Roman Empire. But the eruptions are only part of the story. In The Fires of Vesuvius, acclaimed historian Mary Beard makes sense of the remains. She explores what kind of town it was―more like Calcutta or the Costa del Sol?―and what it can tell us about “ordinary” life there. From sex to politics, food to religion, slavery to literacy, Beard offers us the big picture even as she takes us close enough to the past to smell the bad breath and see the intestinal tapeworms of the inhabitants of the lost city. She resurrects the Temple of Isis as a testament to ancient multiculturalism. At the Suburban Baths we go from communal bathing to hygiene to erotica. Recently, Pompeii has been a focus of pleasure and loss: from Pink Floyd’s memorable rock concert to Primo Levi’s elegy on the victims. But Pompeii still does not give up its secrets quite as easily as it may seem. This book shows us how much more and less there is to Pompeii than a city frozen in time as it went about its business on 24 August 79.

"Created quite a sensation in the Eastern States by her marriage to a young Brule named Squatting Bear, who accompanied a party of Sioux to Washington in 1867." -Kansas City Times, 1872"Her narrative is one of deep and entrancing interest." -Narratives of Captivity Among the Indians"A white trader name Daniel Leroy helped her escape to Fort Leavenworth." - Massachusetts Historical Society (1946)"Exaggerated two stereotypic images: the Indian as savage and the white woman as delicate vessel." - White Captives: Gender and Ethnicity on the American Frontier (2005)"Miss Barber had missionary aspirations; but they were soon quenched by the squalor of her husband's wigwam." - Red Men Calling on the Great White Father (1951)In 1867, when celebrated Sioux Chief "Squatting Bear" was visiting "The Great White Father" in Washington, D.C., 19-year-old Mary Barber (born 1848) would propose to and marry the great Brule warrior, who then promptly set out with her across the country to his Sioux village near Yankton, Dakota.The marriage had created a major sensation in newspapers of that time. Barber notes that "along the route we were greeted either with cheers, or shouts of derision, from the crowds assembled at the different railroad depots."After surviving a perilous journey across the country strapped to a pony, Barber would realize she had been more than a little rash in marrying Squatting Bear, who already had two other wives and would later marry a fourth, the jealous and vindictive Meemole. She notes that "the 'squaw' is forced in most cases, to do all the menial labor, and is in fact a slave." The next five years of her life would be spent "as a captive, in reality," with her husband becoming "a perfect tyrant," from whom she "resolved to escape if possible." In addition to suffering her own severe beatings and whippings, Barber would be forced to be a silent witness many other atrocities including a soldier and two teamsters being burnt at the stake and an emigrant train massacre. One time Squatting Bear decided to amuse himself and other braves by "dressing Meemole and myself in male costume that of the braves, and placing us face to face in deadly combat."In describing the desperate knife fight she was forced to participate in, Barber writes: "I resolved not to kill her unless pushed to do so in self-defence. The signal to commence hostilities was given, and quick as lightning Meemole sprang forward, and before I was aware of it, gave me a severe cut across the face with her knife. For a moment I was bewildered, but remembering my danger, and I may truly say, my American blood being up, I went in for dear life...."The tribe would range far into Canada and Minnesota, and on one occasion discovered an archaeological site of a "race of giants":"Waanataa discovered a cave or seemingly a tomb, in which were found skulls and skeletons of a race of Indians Iong since extinct. The shortest one of these skeletons child not have been less than 7 feet 9" in length, and several of them actually measured over 11 feet. Tomahawks of queer shapes, pipes of peculiar make, and other articles were found in abundance, one of which, an ornament cut from a solid block of gold, I still have in my possession...."After one failed escape attempt, Barber was tied to a stake when "suddenly vivid flashes of lightning illumined the heavens above. Waanataa now appeared upon the scene, and addressed the Indians. He bade them beware of the Great Spirit's wrath. They were about to burn a woman who did never harmed them, and the Great Spirit would talk to them. As he spoke a loud peal of thunder rent the air, and the Indians dropped as if struck by some unseen power...." After 5 years of suffering, during which time this beautiful young lady endured many hardships and participated in a great number of adventures, which were of a nature to unnerve the strongest, she attempted her final escape....

Sunday Times Top 10 BestsellerShortlisted for a British Book Industry Book of the Year Award 2016The new series Ultimate Rome: Empire Without Limit is on BBC2 nowAncient Rome matters.Its history of empire, conquest, cruelty and excess is something against which we still judge ourselves. Its myths and stories - from Romulus and Remus to the Rape of Lucretia - still strike a chord with us. And its debates about citizenship, security and the rights of the individual still influence our own debates on civil liberty today.SPQR is a new look at Roman history from one of the world's foremost classicists. It explores not only how Rome grew from an insignificant village in central Italy to a power that controlled territory from Spain to Syria, but also how the Romans thought about themselves and their achievements, and why they are still important to us. Covering 1,000 years of history, and casting fresh light on the basics of Roman culture from slavery to running water, as well as exploring democracy, migration, religious controversy, social mobility and exploitation in the larger context of the empire, this is a definitive history of ancient Rome.SPQR is the Romans' own abbreviation for their state: Senatus Populusque Romanus, 'the Senate and People of Rome'.

A chill runs up one of my arms and down the other. I've been here all of five minutes, and I've already seen a dozen open caskets. Not only that, but I have a bad feeling that there's a dead guy in here somewhere. Who knows what surprises my grandfather keeps upstairs?Brad Stanislawski is looking forward to summer vacation, if only to get away from the classmates who make fun of his size (it's not his fault he's so tall) and his last name (Stan-is-lousy being their insult of choice). So when his mom announces that she's taking a summer vacation by herself and sending him to stay with his grandfather―a man Brad has never met who also happens to be an undertaker―he thinks life couldn't possibly get any worse. Until he hears about the secret hidden in his grandfather's house. Still, as Brad ought to know, first impressions can be deceiving. . . .

"Created quite a sensation in the Eastern States by her marriage to a young Brule named Squatting Bear, who accompanied a party of Sioux to Washington in 1867." -Kansas City Times, 1872"Her narrative is one of deep and entrancing interest." -Narratives of Captivity Among the Indians"A white trader name Daniel Leroy helped her escape to Fort Leavenworth." - Massachusetts Historical Society (1946)"Miss Barber had missionary aspirations; but they were soon quenched by the squalor of her husband's wigwam." - Red Men Calling on the Great White Father (1951)In 1867, when celebrated Sioux Chief "Squatting Bear" was visiting "The Great White Father" in Washington, D.C., 19-year-old Mary Barber (born 1848) would propose to and marry the great Brule warrior, who then promptly set out with her across the country to his Sioux village near Yankton, Dakota.The marriage had created a major sensation in newspapers of that time. Barber notes that "along the route we were greeted either with cheers, or shouts of derision, from the crowds assembled at the different railroad depots."Barber soon would realize she had been more than a little rash in marrying Squatting Bear, who already had two other wives and would later marry a fourth, the jealous and vindictive Meemole. She notes that "the 'squaw' is forced in most cases, to do all the menial labor, and is in fact a slave." The next five years of her life would be spent "as a captive, in reality," with her husband becoming "a perfect tyrant," from whom she "resolved to escape if possible." In addition to suffering her own severe beatings and whippings, Barber would be forced to be a silent witness many other atrocities including a soldier and two teamsters being burnt at the stake and an emigrant train massacre. One time Squatting Bear decided to amuse himself and other braves by "dressing Meemole and myself in male costume that of the braves, and placing us face to face in deadly combat."In describing the desperate knife fight she was forced to participate in, Barber writes: "I resolved not to kill her unless pushed to do so in self-defence. The signal to commence hostilities was given, and quick as lightning Meemole sprang forward, and before I was aware of it, gave me a severe cut across the face with her knife. For a moment I was bewildered, but remembering my danger, and I may truly say, my American blood being up, I went in for dear life...."The tribe would range far into Canada and Minnesota, and on one occasion discovered an archaeological site of a "race of giants":"Waanataa discovered a cave or seemingly a tomb, in which were found skulls and skeletons of a race of Indians Iong since extinct. The shortest one of these skeletons child not have been less than 7 feet 9" in length, and several of them actually measured over 11 feet. Tomahawks of queer shapes, pipes of peculiar make, and other articles were found in abundance, one of which, an ornament cut from a solid block of gold, I still have in my possession...."After one failed escape attempt, Barber was tied to a stake when "suddenly vivid flashes of lightning illumined the heavens above. Waanataa now appeared upon the scene, and addressed the Indians. He bade them beware of the Great Spirit's wrath. They were about to burn a woman who did never harmed them, and the Great Spirit would talk to them. As he spoke a loud peal of thunder rent the air, and the Indians dropped as if struck by some unseen power...." After 5 years of suffering, during which time this beautiful young lady endured many hardships and participated in a great number of adventures, which were of a nature to unnerve the strongest, she attempted her final escape....

I start up the street toward my grandfather's house. Just how weird is it that I, Brad Stanislawski, am walking toward a funeral home of my own free will?Where do you fit in when you're oversized, underappreciated, and faced with a name like Stanislawski?Brad Stanislawski is looking forward to summer vacation, if only to get away from the classmates who make fun of his size (it's not his fault he's so tall) and his last name (Stan-is-lousy being their moniker of choice). So when Brad's mother announces that she's taking a summer vacation by herself and sending Brad across the country to stay with his estranged grandfather-who happens to be an undertaker-Brad thinks life couldn't possibly get any worse. Still, as Brad ought to know, first impressions can be deceiving, and a name can hold a lot more than embarrassment.What exactly does it mean to be Brad Stanislawski? In this thoughtful, funny first novel, Brad (with a little help from his grandfather) is about to find out for himself.Funerals and Fly Fishing is a 2005 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

I start up the street toward my grandfather's house. Just how weird is it that I, Brad Stanislawski, am walking toward a funeral home of my own free will?Where do you fit in when you're oversized, underappreciated, and faced with a name like Stanislawski?Brad Stanislawski is looking forward to summer vacation, if only to get away from the classmates who make fun of his size (it's not his fault he's so tall) and his last name (Stan-is-lousy being their moniker of choice). So when Brad's mother announces that she's taking a summer vacation by herself and sending Brad across the country to stay with his estranged grandfather-who happens to be an undertaker-Brad thinks life couldn't possibly get any worse. Still, as Brad ought to know, first impressions can be deceiving, and a name can hold a lot more than embarrassment.What exactly does it mean to be Brad Stanislawski? In this thoughtful, funny first novel, Brad (with a little help from his grandfather) is about to find out for himself. Funerals and Fly Fishing is a 2005 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

Our planet contains a great deal of heat under its surface. Scientists have learned how to tap into this heat and use it as an alternative energy source. This book brings students inside Earth for an up-close look at how geothermal energy is created, harnessed, and used to power our world. Early elementary science curriculum is made highly-accessible and fun through full-color photographs and images. An emphasis on STEM topics addressed in the Next Generation Science Standards makes this the perfect resource for students looking to learn more about the science and engineering behind geothermal energy.

Young witchlin Filly Tucker has a problem. In order to earn her wand, she must master her basic spells before her tenth birthday. In a cozy cottage where she lives with her Grandmaa famous witch extraordinaireand her ornery magic cat, Tabasco, Filly struggles to get even the simplest spell right.One afternoon, as Filly arrives home from rolling down grassy hills with her friends, she discovers a large cardboard box outside her front doorwaiting to transport her to the home of the terrible Twissle twins, known for their unruly, madcap lifestyle and obnoxious spells. As the Twissle twins rely on their horrid personalities and crazy tricks to create green meatballs, coax a dozen Canadian geese to soar around the chandelier, and convince a cat who thinks he is a cowboy to ride around the room on the back of a flying Dalmatian dog, Filly realizes she should have paid better attention while learning her spells.Filly quickly learns that it is up to her to make things right, but she needs to master her spells first. Only time will tell if Filly Tucker will ever earn her wand.