From Robert Louis Stevenson"s 'Treasure Island' to Errol Flynn in 'Captain Blood' on to today"s 'Pirates of the Caribbean', the romantic image of pirates in modern Western popular culture has long been with us. But of course pirates come in many guises, and not all of them as charming as Johnny Depp. Pirates are outlaws who move quickly, a form of lawlessness based on the application of immense short term power by mobile forces which fade away, similar to guerrilla warfare. In 'Pirates and Privateers' Tom Bowling offers a lively history of piracy, from ancient times through the "privateers" such as Morgan, with their Letters of Marque (an early example of State-sponsored terrorism), to the still real and flourishing threat of contemporary pirates that patrol the less well-regulated shipping lanes of the world today.

autor: Tom Bowling

issn: 978-1-84839-235-9

data: 2009.02.19

cena: 47.33 PLN

kategorie: Historia / 

 

The Knights Templar were the most powerful military religious order of the Middle Ages. Formed to protect pilgrims in the Holy Land, they participated in the Crusades and rapidly gained wealth, lands and influence and were answerable to none save the Pope himself. In addition to having a fearful military reputation, they were also Christendom?s first bankers, and invented the modern banking system that is still in use today, and were also involved in exploration and engineering. Seemingly untouchable for nearly two centuries, the Templars fell from grace spectacularly after the loss of the Holy Land: in 1307, all Templars in France were arrested on charges of heresy, homosexuality, denial of the cross and devil worship. The order was suppressed by the Pope in 1312, and Jacques de Molay, the last Grand Master, was burnt at the stake as a heretic two years later.
The myth of the Templars was born and in the ensuing seven centuries, they have exerted a unique influence over European history: orthodox historians see them as nothing more than soldier-monks whose arrogance was their ultimate undoing, while others see them as occultists of the first order, the founders of Freemasonry, possessors of the Holy Grail and creators of the Turin Shroud. Sean Martin considers both the orthodox and conspiratorial version of events, and includes the latest revelations from the Vatican Library.

autor: Sean Martin

issn: 978-1-84839-150-5

data: 2008.11.27

cena: 50.49 PLN

kategorie: Historia / 

 

The world of Freemasonry exerts a powerful influence on the modern imagination. In an age when perceived notions of history are being increasingly questioned and re-examined it is perhaps inevitable that secretive societies such as the Freemasons find themselves at the centre of considerable speculation and conjecture. To some they represent a powerful and shadowy elite who have manipulated world history throughout the ages, whilst to others they are an altogether more mundane and benign fraternal organisation.
Giles Morgan begins by exploring the obscure and uncertain origins of Freemasonry. It has been variously argued that it derives from the practices of medieval stonemasons, that it dates to events surrounding the construction of the Temple of Solomon and that it is connected to ancient Mystery Cults. One of the major and often disputed claims made for Freemasonry is that it is directly attributable to the Knights Templar, generating a wealth of best-selling publications such as ?The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail? and more recently Dan Brown?s ?The Da Vinci Code?, linking Freemasonry to a supposed secret order known as the Priory of Sion who are the guardians of the true nature of the Holy Grail.
Freemasonry today is a worldwide phenomenon that accepts membership from a diverse ethnic and religious range of backgrounds. Entry to Freemasonry requires a belief in a Supreme Being although it insists it does not constitute a religion in itself. The rituals and practices of Freemasonry have been viewed as variously obscure, pointless, baffling, sinister and frightening. An intensely stratified and hierarchical structure underpins most Masonic orders whose activities are focussed within meeting points usually termed as Lodges. Giles Morgan examines its historical significance (George Washington and Benjamin Franklin were both Masons) and its position and role in contemporary society.

autor: Giles Morgan

issn: 978-1-84839-125-3

data: 2008.09.15

cena: 50.49 PLN

kategorie: Historia / 

 

What is the Da Vinci code and what is all the fuss about? Despite being a work of fiction, the best-selling novel The Da Vinci Code has a plot based on a number of concepts and ideas that the author claims to be true. This book explores the locations, historical facts and theories, and the sources of inspiration behind the novel in order to reveal the true key to the Da Vinci code.

autor: Stewart Ferris

issn: 978-1-84839-035-5

data: 2007.11.01

cena: 40.39 PLN

kategorie: Historia / 

 

The mystery of Rennes-le-Château has inspired treasure hunts, theories about the origins of Christianity, and the best-selling novel and film The Da Vinci Code. The mystery concerns Bérenger Sauni?re, the 19th century priest of an impoverished hilltop village in southern France who became immensely wealthy after apparently finding ancient parchments hidden in his church. Although the secret of the source of his money died with him, he left behind enigmatic clues that have puzzled researchers ever since.
In this audiobook, Stewart Ferris, author of The Key to The Da Vinci Code, tours Rennes-le-Château searching for evidence to support the leading theories as to the origins of Sauni?re's fortune, but in doing so he comes across people and clues that lead him to draw fresh and original conclusions of his own. This audiobook is based on the DVD programme of the same name.

autor: Stewart Ferris

issn: 978-1-84839-024-9

data: 2007.10.16

cena: 50.49 PLN

kategorie: Historia /