Новинки Майкла Дэвида Вуда

Updated with the latest archaeological research new chapters on the most influential yet widely unrecognised people of the British isles, In Search of the Dark Ages illuminates the fascinating and mysterious centuries between the Romans and the Norman Conquest of 1066.
In this new edition, Michael Wood vividly conjures some of the most important people in British history such as Hadrian, a Libyan refugee from the Arab conquests and arguably the most important person of African origin in British history, to Queen Boadicea, the leader of a terrible war of resistance against the Romans.
Here too, warts and all, are the Saxon, Viking and Norman kings who laid the political foundations of England: Offa of Mercia, Alfred the Great, Athelstan, and William the Conqueror, whose victory at Hastings in 1066 marked the end of Anglo-Saxon England.
Reflecting the latest historical, textual and archaeological research, this revised and updated edition of Michael Wood's classic book overturns preconceptions of the Dark Ages as a shadowy and brutal era, showing them to be a richly exciting and formative period in the history of Britain.

Уже не первый век поражают воображение человечества золотые сокровища Трои, найденные Шлиманом, знаменитым археологом, поверившим в греческие мифы и отправившимся на поиски древнего города, с десятилетней осады которого началась европейская история. Из глубины тысячелетий дошли до нас легенды о Елене Прекрасной, могучем Ахилле, отважном Патрокле и других героях Троянской войны. Но существовали ли в действительности эти необыкновенные люди? Соответствуют ли исторические события тому, что описано в мифах?.. Историк Майкл Вуд, исследовав комплекс археологических, литературных и исторических данных, предлагает свой взгляд на историю Троянской войны

In Search of the Dark Ages is an unrivalled exploration of the origins of English identity, and the bestselling book that established Michael Wood as one of Britain's leading historians. Now, on the book's 40th anniversary, this fully revised and expanded edition illuminates further the fascinating and mysterious centuries between the Romans and the Norman Conquest.
Alongside portraits of Boadicea, King Arthur, Alfred the Great, Athelstan, and William the Conqueror, the story of England is expanded further to include new voices, with all-new chapters on fascinating characters such as Penda of Mercia, Aethelflaed Lady of the Mercians, Hadrian the African, Eadgyth of England, and Wynflaed. It's an altogether richer, more varied, and inclusive study on the creation of Britain.
Just as it did when it first published 40 years ago, In Search of the Dark Ages overturns preconceptions of the Early Middle Ages as a shadowy and brutal era, showing them to be a richly exciting and formative period in the history of Britain.

Film is arguably the dominant art form of the twentieth century. In this Very Short Introduction, Michael Wood offers a wealth of insight into the nature of film, considering its role and impact on society as well as its future in the digital age. As Wood notes, film is many things, but it has become above all a means of telling stories through images and sounds. The stories are often quite false, frankly and beautifully fantastic, and they are sometimes insistently said to be true. Indeed, many condemn movies as an instrument of illusion, an emphatic way of seeing what is not there. And others celebrate the reverse: that film brings us closest to the world as it actually is. "Photography is truth," a character says in a film by Jean-Luc Godard. "And cinema is the truth twenty-four times per second." But they are stories in either case, and there are very few films, Wood observes, even in avant-garde art, that don't imply or quietly slip into narrative.

Уже не первый век поражают воображение человечества золотые сокровища Трои, найденные Шлиманом, знаменитым археологом, поверившим в греческие мифы и отправившимся на поиски древнего города, с десятилетней осады которого началась европейская история. Из глубины тысячелетий дошли до нас легенды о Елене Прекрасной, могучем Ахилле, отважном Патрокле и других героях Троянской войны. Но существовали ли в действительности эти необыкновенные люди? Соответствуют ли исторические события тому, что описано в мифах?.. Историк Майкл Вуд, исследовав комплекс археологических, литературных и исторических данных, предлагает свой взгляд на историю Троянской войны.

This sumptuously illustrated book with its magical mix of history and travelogue will provide an unforgettable portrait of India.

In this lavishly illustrated companion to his BBC TV series, Michael Wood weaves a spellbinding narrative out of the 10,000-year history of India. Home today to more than a fifth of the world’s population, the subcontinent gave birth to the oldest and most influential civilization on Earth, to four world religions, and to the world’s largest democracy. Now, as India bids to become a global giant, Michael sets out to trace the roots of India’s present in the incredible riches of her past.

From the Khyber Pass and the Himalayas to the tropical jungles of India’s Deep South, this original and striking survey of Indian history provides vivid portraits of India’s regions and cultures, and new insights into some of history’s greatest figures: the Buddha and Ashoka, Samudragupta and Akbar the Great, Nehru and Gandhi. It explores the ways in which Indian ideas and inventions have shaped the history of the world, and shows how some of ancient India’s conclusions about the nature of civilization have lost none of their relevance for our own times.
Dazzling colour photographs capture an extraordinary spectrum of landscapes, architectural splendours, customs, rituals and festivals. This sumptuously illustrated book from one of Britain’s best-loved historians and broadcasters is a magical mixture of history and travelogue, and an unforgettable portrait of India, past, present — and future.

This edition of Michael Wood's groundbreaking first book explores the fascinating and mysterious centuries between the Romans and the Norman Conquest of 1066. In Search of the Dark Ages vividly conjures up some of the most famous names in British history, such as Queen Boadicea, leader of a terrible war of resistance against the Romans, and King Arthur, the 'once and future king', for whose riddle Wood proposes a new and surprising solution. Here too, warts and all, are the Saxon, Viking and Norman kings who laid the political foundations of England - Offa of Mercia, Alfred the Great, Athelstan, and William the Conqueror, whose victory at Hastings in 1066 marked the end of Anglo-Saxon England. Reflecting recent historical, textual and archaeological research, this revised edition of Michael Wood's classic book overturns preconceptions of the Dark Ages as a shadowy and brutal era, showing them to be a richly exciting and formative period in the history of Britain. 'With In Search of the Dark Ages, Michael Wood wrote the book for history on TV.' The Times 'Michael Wood is the maker of some of the best TV documentaries ever made on history and archaeology.' Times Literary Supplement

In 1086, Domesday Book, perhaps the most remarkable historical document in existence, was compiled. This tremendous survey of England and its people was made at the behest of the Norman king William the Conqueror. It was called Domesday, the day of judgement, because 'like the day of judgement, its decisions are unalterable'. The Domesday Quest (previously published as Domesday) is not only a study of this ancient manuscript but also an attempt to analyse the world that Domesday Book so vividly portrayed. By skilful use of the Domesday record, historian Michael Wood examines Norman society and the Anglo-Saxon, Roman, and even the Iron Age cultures that preceded it.

Michael Wood retraces Alexander the Greats amazing journey from Greece to India, searching for the truth behind the legend and experiencing the tremendous scale of his achievements. Using the ancient historians as his guides, Wood follows Alexanders journey as closely as possible, crossing deserts and rivers, from Turkey to war-torn Afghanistan. As the journey progresses, he recreates the drama of Alexanders epic marches and bloody battles. All along the way he finds proof of the survival of the legends surrounding Alexander, a leader whose life has excited the worlds imagination for the 2,000 years. 'Wood tells a glorious story with some very dark shadows.' New York Times 'Wood is a perceptive, entertaining and enthusiastic companion.' Sunday Times 'Wood is a lively storyteller.' The Washington Post

In this entrancing new book, historian Michael Wood journeys to some of the remotest places on earth in search of four of our most powerful myths: Shangri-La, Jason and the Golden Fleece, the Queen of Sheba and King Arthur. His adventures take him from the fantastic landscapes of Tibet and the mountains of Georgia to the coasts of Ethiopa and Yemen. Michael asks why these famous legends still captivate us as he goes in search not just of the historical past and literal truth but also the mythic past. In the first of these journeys, Michael investigates the legend of the hidden valley of Shangri-La - a place where the ancient wisdom of humanity is preserved for future ages - immortalized in James Hilton's novel and Frank Capra's Hollywood movie. The Greek legend of Jason's search for the Golden Fleece is the ultimate quest, older even than Homer's Iliad and Odyssey - but was there really an expedition beyond the limits of the known world back in the mists of prehistory, before the Trojan War? Travelling from Jerusalem to the Horn of Africa, Michael uncovers the legends of the Queen of Sheba, King Solomon and the Ark of the Covenant, stories found in the Jewish and Christian Bible, the Ethiopian Book of Kings and the Muslim Koran. FInally, Michael travels through the Celtic countries of the British Isles in search of the tales of King Arthur, the Knights of the Round Table and the Holy Grail. Where do these stories come from? And why are we still fascinated by the once and future king? Illustrated with a wonderful series of specially commissioned photographs by the Himalayan photographer and mountaineer Steve Razzetti, In Search of Myths and Heroes is at once a book of great journeys, a historical adventure and an exploration of some of humanity's most enduring myths.