Product Description
Considered the innovator of "horizontal history," Genevieve Foster became frustrated when her two school-aged children complained about the boring presentation of history in their school texts. This frustration led to Foster's first book, George Washington's World (1941). In her unique approach, Foster weaves a story of the world around her central character; rather than focusing exclusively on geo-political events, as most textbooks do; she includes stories of scientific discovery and invention, music, literature, art, and religion. She has a keen intuition for stories that will especially delight and amuse her youthful audience. In Augustus Caesar's World, Foster traces the seven major civilizations Rome, Greece, Israel, Egypt, China, India, and Persia from 4500 B.C. to the time of Augustus Caesar in 44 B.C. and culminating in 14 A.D. Within this timeframe readers will learn not only the stories of Julius Caesar, Cleopatra, and Marc Antony, but also the historian Livy and how Virgil came to write the Aeneid. Foster will then take her readers all over the world to learn what was happening at this same time in China, Persia, India and so on. Foster's detailed pen and ink drawings are fresh and appealing, and her illustrated timelines give a clear sense of chronology, enriching the engaging text. An all-time customer favorite! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

A Treasure!!!!
The book Augustus Caesar's World provides rich information about the ancient world when Augustus Caesar was alive. Reading this book was a great learning experience. Augustus Caesar was the supreme rule of the Roman Empire from 44 B.C. to 14 A.D.
This superb book containes what's called parallel history. Parallel history is a format of teaching which tells what was happening all over the world at a given point in time. Often times, when a student is learning about a country in history, they will forget that other countries still have things going on. Parallel history prevents that. Although Augustus Caesar is the center of the story, I still learned of many other countries and their cultures and religions such as Egypt, China, Japan, Persia, India, Gaul, and Israel. Each culture was nicely illustrated yet always tied back to Rome and Augustus Caesar.
I adore Augustus Caesar's World and I think it's a treasure. I would recommend this book to anyone in fifth grade or higher. I think that the people who would get the most from Augustus Caesar's World would be students studying this time in history. At our school library, this book has never been checked out and it's time for Augustus Caesar's World to be rediscovered. Adults could also read this book and get the same amount of joy from it. I hope that everyone who reads this masterpiece will be as happy with it as I am.

OK
I am a big fan of Genevieve Foster's horizontal history.
I was a little disappointed in this book though - I thought it was very informative on Caesar's portion, but conjectured on the history of other things going on at the time.Not my favorite book of her's.

Public or homeschool...I recommend this book!
My friend recommended this book in my first year of homeschooling my son. I read it like a novel, in bed, in the bath, riding in the car, I could not put it down! It's everything I never learned in high school (public school) because those old textbooks were so boring! Not so with this book! There are just enough drawings in the book to illustrate who and what these people were like! I would have wanted to read this book just for fun and I hope my 8th grader will too! I will let him give his own review!

Excellent Resource
I checked this out from the library to research it as a possible source for our homeschooling library and have had trouble putting it down.It reads like a story and I love the way Foster inserts chapters that let you know what else is going on in the world at the time.My 5 year old son asked me to start reading it aloud to him after learning it was about Ancient Rome, and I was hesitant, concerned that it would be too far above him.But with some summarizing on my part at the end of every few paragraphs and asking him questions to see how well he was tracking, I discovered he really was understanding more than I thought and he was soon hooked.He didn't even want me to stop reading when he got up to use the restroom -- he hollered from down the hall, "Just keep reading loud, Mom, and I can still hear you.I want you to read all the way to the end!"Of course, we didn't finish the whole book in that sitting, but he's asked for it every day since.I look forward to checking out Foster's other histories.

Great Narrative!
This book is well-written and very interesting.My son consistently asks me to keep reading to him, even when we've run out of time.I find myself wanting to read ahead just so I can learn what happens.This is a terrific addition to a homeschool unit on Ancient Rome!I highly recommend it! ... Read more

Product Description
  The Book of Firsts is an entertaining, enlightening, and highly browsable tour of the major innovations of the past twenty centuries and how they shaped our world.

Peter D’Epiro makes this handy overview of human history both fun and thought-provoking with his survey of the major “firsts”—inventions, discoveries, political and military upheavals, artistic and scientific breakthroughs, religious controversies, and catastrophic events—of the last two thousand years. Who was the first to use gunpowder? Invent paper? Sack the city of Rome? Write a sonnet? What was the first university? The first astronomical telescope? The first great novel? The first Impressionist painting? The Book of Firsts explores these questions and many more, from the earliest surviving cookbook (featuring parboiled flamingo) and the origin of chess (sixth-century India) to the first civil service exam (China in 606 AD) and the first tell-all memoir about scandalous royals (Byzantine Emperor Justinian and Empress Theodora). In the form of 150 brief, witty, erudite, and information-packed essays, The Book of Firsts is ideal for anyone interested in an enjoyable way to acquire a deeper understanding of history and the fascinating personalities who forged it. 


From the Trade Paperback edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

I love it!
This is one of those great kind of book to just have laying around:A collection of short essays on a wide variety of historical subjects that I've found to go very well with breakfast, lunch or those late night times when you just want a little something to fall asleep with.Spanning a period from the First Century to the internet, it's full of things you knew (or thought you knew) but forgot or never knew to begin with.
The essays are written by multiple entertaining and erudite contributors, each with their own diverse style and strengths, making the reading more enjoyable yet.(For example, I was taken with the contributions of a writer named Tom Matrullo.Wish I could find more from him.Anybody know?)
So ... great book.I'd like to see more from the same editor.(Book of Firsts II?)

A MUST READ FOR INQUIRING MINDS OF ALL AGES
Congratulations to this author for compiling a series of interesting events in a heretofor unseen format.The research done was remarkable, and presented by Mr. D'Epiro in a comfortable writing style, which kept this reader interested throughout.

Our monthly book club in New Haven enjoyed the dialogue in reviewing it.I would highly recommend this collection to students of all ages, and to professionals who want to increase their knowledge of details of significant events throughout mankind's history.Most of all, it's a fun read!

First rate!
This is a great book!

In short accessible chapters this book deals with the great firsts of world history like who was the first Roman Emperor, the first Pope and the first President.

In some cases the issues treated are very esoteric but on the whole even the less than compelling chapters fly by.

BE AWARE:The history imparted in this book is very mainstream.For example, when facing the quesion who was the first American President they concentrate their focus on George Washington.

What? You say.Who could quibble with focusing on George Washington.Well, me for one and here's why:Although it's true that George Washington was the first President after the United States adopted the constitution of 1787, it's also true that our nation had not one but two governing institutions prior to that time.

The first was the Congress Congress which had no officer whose official title was "President of the United States."

BUT...under our second governing document we did have someone whose job was entitled President of the United States and that individual was named John Hanson.If you include Hanson and his seven successor Presidents of the United States, Washington was in fact our eighth and not first President of the United States.

Interesing eh?

Here's more.

When they answer the question of who was the first Pope they of course give the answer St. Peter.And indeed St. Peter is regarded by the Catholic Church as having been the first Pope.

BUT WAIT!If you read the Book of Acts, you'll find that prior to his "papacy" St. Peter himself even bowed to higher authority and by this I do not refer to Jesus.I am referring to James, referred to as the brother of Jesus, who led the church which was then based out of Jerusalem.

According to Acts, James was the one who presided over the counsel at which the church adopted the Pauline position that gentiles could become Christian without either submitting to circumcision or observing Jewish dietary laws.

From my perspective, learning the little details like the ones I just shared above give history an extra added quality that regular mainstream tellings don't give it.

Still the same, this is a first rate history book and a lot of brief accessible fun.

I highly recommend it!

another winner
Peter D'Epiro has written another winner!In this book, he identifies a small number of people, events and ideas in each of the last 20 centuries that were the first of their kind.Each topic is then described in a 3-5 page essay.The essays are well written and filled with a lot of detail.Some of the topics were well known to me but many were things I was not aware of.I learned something new in each of the essays.I found this book an enjoyable way to explore a lot of modern history in small servings.

The Book of Firsts Takes the Cake
I read many of the essays in this wonderful, quirky book while sitting in the Starbucks near Cooper Union in Greenwich Village on a cold March day. I rambled around in no order, jumping from first moon walk to first Santa Claus to first antibiotic. I started there because those were topics with which I was familiar. Then I turned my attention to all things British and read about the first known conqueror of Britain, the first great Roman wall in Britain, first Germanic settlers to Britain. I found one can pick any topic and find essays that at least touch upon it. Interested in cooking? Then read about the first recorded cookbook. A fan of Jack Bauer on "24"? Then read about the first inquisition and the first assassin. Trying to move toward the light? Then read about the first practical incandescent lamp. Worried about germs? Read about the first appearance of the Black Death in Western Europe. This book has something for everybody. In defense of calling it quirky, how else would one describe such a charming collection of essays that take one on such a lovely serendipitous adventure? ... Read more

Product Description

Revised throughout, the second edition of this successful book takes the most recent research in the field into account and reviews the evidence in order to place Augustus firmly in the context of his own times.

History sees Augustus Caesar as the first emperor of Rome, whose system of ordered government provided a firm and stable basis for the expansion and prosperity of the Roman Empire. Hailed as 'restorer of the Republic' and regarded by some as a deity in his own lifetime, Augustus was emulated by many of his successors.

 Key topics discussed include:

•  the background to Augustus Caesar's spectacular rise to power 
• his political and imperial reforms
• the creation of the Republica of Augustus
• the legacy Augustus Caesar left to his successors. 

Including more coverage of the social and cultural aspects of this complex character's reign, together with an expanded guide to further reading, students will not miss a beat if this book is included on their course reading lists.

Product Description

This engaging new biography seeks to dispell some of the myths that have made the emperor Nero the infamous figure he represents today.

Product Description
A biography of the first Emperor of Rome, whose leadership gave rise to the period of prosperity and progress known as the Augustan Age. ... Read more

Product Description
The Lives of the Twelve Caesars, Volume 02: Augustus is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

Product Description
A biography of the first Roman emperor, under whom Rome achieved great glory. ... Read more

Product Description
This book presents seven fresh and original views of Caesar Augustus by an international group of scholars.The papers collected here consider the image which he presented of himself, how historians and poets reacted to him, the nature of his rule, and the representation of the newly-established monarch among his subjects in the provinces. ... Read more

Product Description
When a teenager named Octavian learned that he was the heir of Julius Caesar, the most powerful man in Rome, it seemed like a recipe for disaster. Caesar had just been assassinated, and in the chaotic world of Roman politics the inexperienced young man would seem to have no chance against men two and three times his age. But Octavian had a genius for politics. Within a year he emerged as one of three leaders of Rome. Just over a decade later he took total control. Soon afterward, the Roman people gave him a new name: Augustus Caesar. It was the name which would make him immortal. He ushered in a period of peace and prosperity, ending decades of civil conflict that had cost uncounted thousands of lives. His reign was also characterized by a flourishing of art and architecture. He was the first ruler of the Roman Empire. He was almost certainly the best. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Intersting, but...
I am not a classical scholar, so I cannot give a competent review of the contents. However, I can make some comments on this REPRINT (it is nowhere labeled as such). On p. vii I read "I have to thank the authorities of the British Museum for casts of coins reproduced in this book...," but the reproductions are not to be found in this printing. Barnes and Noble have changed the title of the book, so it is difficult to find it in library catalogs. The original appears to have been published as: Shuckburgh, Evelyn Shirley (1843-1906). Augustus: The Life and Times of the founder of the Roman Empire... (London: T.F. Unwin, 1903). Actually, a PDF download of the book, which includes plates that Barnes and Noble omitted, is available free of charge on the Internet (scanned by Google). ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A good book about a significant man
This book was published in 1908, and the author approaches his subject in a way designed to acquaint the reader with the unusual achievments of a man not often mentioned today.Augustus Caesar Dodge was the first man born west of the Mississippi River to become a United States Senator, as well as the first Iowa Senator.(I call him that because he was the first man chosen by the Iowa Legislature as U.S. Senator--in 1848, tho Iowa was admitted to the Union in 1846!)Before Iowa was a state Dodge served as a Delegate to Congress and did yeoman work for the future state.The account in this book of the border dispute with Missouri is especially revealing, few Iowans today being aware of the state's victory in the U.S. Supreme Court in the case of Missouri v. Iowa, 7 How. 660 (1849), which defintively settled the southern boundary of Iowa.While unfortunately Dodge had a benighted view on slavery, on many other questions he was a statesman.After his defeat in 1854 he served as Minister to Spain, and his efforts there to secure Cuba for the U.S. were strenuous but unsuccessful.How different the years since 1858 would have been had Cuba become a part of the U.S. back then!Your time spent reading this old book will be well spent. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
Originally published in 1909.This volume from the Cornell University Library's print collections was scanned on an APT BookScan and converted to JPG 2000 format by Kirtas Technologies.All titles scanned cover to cover and pages may include marks notations and other marginalia present in the original volume. ... Read more