Norman F. Cantor Knihy

Skvělé dílo o černé smrti vyniká nejen vědeckou fundovaností, ale také autorovou břitkostí, úsporností a černým humorem. S jasností nám přibližuje biomedicínské otázky a historii, přičemž fascinujícím způsobem analyzuje vliv morové rány z roku 1348 na politiku a společnost. Studie nabízí detailní pohled na řádění černé smrti v Anglii a na evropské pevnině, seznamuje nás s příběhy mužů a žen čtrnáctého století – rolníků, kněží, kupců a králů. Autor představuje rozmanité postavy, jako je anglická princezna Joan, která cestuje do Španělska, a Thomas z Birminghamu, opatem pečujícím o opatství v těžkých časech. Osud bohatého pozemkového vlastníka Johna le Strange, jehož jméno vymazala černá smrt, je také jedním z příběhů, které nás osloví. Navzdory katastrofálním následkům, které si vyžádaly více než čtyřicet procent evropské populace, měla pandemie i blahodárné důsledky. Zhroucení starých pořádků vedlo k prosazení nového exaktního myšlení a umění zažilo bouřlivý rozvoj. Černá smrt přinesla i ekonomické změny, kdy přeživší rolníci rychle bohatli a položili základy svobodného selského stavu. Tyto příběhy se objevují z temnoty a autorův obraz světa černé smrti je provokativní a poutavý. Vytvořil fascinující a čtivé dílo, které osloví široké publikum.

«In Twentieth-Century Culture, Norman Cantor has undertaken the formidable task of explaining, separately, and in their interaction, the major intellectual and cultural movements of our era. To this courageous enterprise Cantor brings extraordinary intelligence, wit, and passion. It will be a rare reader who does not disagree - even disagree vehemently - with some of Cantor's strong opinions, and an even rarer one who does not come away from this book instructed, stimulated, and enlightened.» (Robert W. Hanning, Columbia University)

We have set down in this book the basic rules and principles of historical study that a student should bear in mind as he enters upon his first college history course.

Now revised and expanded, this edition of the splendidly detailed and lively history of the Middle Ages contains more than 30 percent new material.

Describes Alexander's relations with his parents, his Oedipal complex and his bisexuality. This book shows Alexander's attempts to bridge the East and West, the Greek and Persian worlds, especially using Achilles, the hero of the Trojan War, as his model. It explores Alexander's view of himself in relation to the pagan gods of Greece and Egypt.

A fascinating look at life in the Middle Ages that focuses on eight extraordinary medieval men and women through realistically invented conversations between them and their counterparts.

Arguably the greatest biomedical disaster in history, the Black Death wiped out 40% of Europe's population, rocking the foundations of medieval civilisation. Leading medieval historian Norman F. Cantor offers a social history of the Black Death

Inventing the Middle Ages: The Lives, Works and Ideas of the Great Medievalists of the Twentieth Century In this ground-breaking work, Norman Cantor explains how our current notion of the Middle Ages-with its vivid images of wars, tournaments, plagues, saints and kings, knights and ladies-was born in the twentieth century. The medieval world was not simply excavated through systematic research. It had to be conceptually created: It had to be invented, and this is the story of that invention. Norman Cantor focuses on the lives and works of twenty of the great medievalists of this century, demonstrating how the events of their lives, and their spiritual and emotional outlooks, influenced their interpretations of the Middle Ages. Cantor makes their scholarship an intensely personal and passionate exercise, full of color and controversy, displaying the strong personalities and creative minds that brought new insights about the past. A revolution in academic method, this book is a breakthrough to a new way of teaching the humanities and historiography, to be enjoyed by student and general public alike. It takes an immense body of learning and transmits it so that readers come away fully informed of the essentials of the subject, perceiving the interconnection of medieval civilization with the culture of the twentieth century and having had a good time while doing it! This is a riveting, entertaining, humorous, and learned read, compulsory for anyone concerned about the past and future of Western civilization.

This study contains almost 150 written texts in the form of short stories, essays, novels, biographies and memoirs to give the reader an insight into every aspect of Jewish life and experience. It includes contributions from many well-known Jews including Anne Frank, Philip Roth, and Franz Kafka.