The House of the Eagle begins Duncan Sprott's Ptolemies Quartet, an epic story of the Greek Pharaohs of Egypt, whose extraordinary dynasty spans twelve generations from the death of Alexander the Great to the fall of Cleopatra. Narrated by Thoth, the ibis-headed Egyptian god of writing and wisdom, The House of the Eagle chronicles the golden years of the first three Ptolemies - the shrewd Ptolemy Soter, the luxury-loving Ptolemy Philadelphos, the empire-building Ptolemy Euergetes - and their tragic queens, pampered mistresses and turbulent children. Very soon their public triumph is marred by tragedy as the dynasty embarks on a rampage of matricide, infanticide, conquest and murder...
From a refreshingly antic new voice in historical fiction, this epically entertaining, irresistibly madcap novel re-creates an ancient family whose obsessions and dysfunctions would change the world, for better or worse. They were the last pharaohs to rule Egypt. Ptolemy Soter (putative half-brother of Alexander the Great–his mother may have been raped by Alexander’s father) begins it all when he takes the kingdom of the Nile as his share of the empire and brings along Alexander’s carefully embalmed corpse for luck. Soon enough, Ptolemy, in a kind of ancient corporate takeover, becomes pharoah, the living god of Egypt, first in what he hopes will be a long line of Ptolemies. Scheming priests, conniving wives, errant sons and daughters (some of whom have a thing for each other), and an epic’s worth of battles and intrigue make for a tale so rich in upheaval and mayhem that perhaps only our narrator, the irreverent and disapproving Thoth, Egyptian god of Wisdom and Patron of Scribes, could do it justice.
Writing Historical Fiction: A Writers' & Artists' Companion is an invaluable companion for a writer working in this challenging and popular literary genre, whether your period is Ancient Rome or World War II. PART 1 includes reflections on the genre and provides a short history of historical fiction. PART 2 contains guest contributions from Margaret Atwood, Ian Beck, Madison Smartt Bell, Ronan Bennett, Vanora Bennett, Tracy Chevalier, Lindsay Clarke, Elizabeth Cook, Anne Doughty, Sarah Dunant, Michel Faber, Margaret George, Philippa Gregory, Katharine McMahon, Valerio Massimo Manfredi, Hilary Mantel, Alan Massie, Ian Mortimer, Kate Mosse, Charles Palliser, Orhan Pamuk, Edward Rutherfurd, Manda Scott, Adam Thorpe, Stella Tillyard, Rose Tremain, Alison Weir and Louisa Young. PART 3 offers practical exercises and advice on such topics as research, plots and characters, mastering authentic but accessible dialogue and navigating the world of agents and publishers.
The Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt. Powerful. Irresponsible. Dangerous. It's 279 BC. and Ptolemy Philandelphus finds his wife ousted by his reptillian sister, who wants to marry him herself . . . A generation later, and Berenike Beta murders her husband and marries Ptolemy Euergetes instead. But with the glory of the Ptolemies at its height after Egypt wins victories at Syria, it is the turn of the murderess to be murdered. Meanwhile, the people of Egypt are thinking about revolution . . .
Our Lady of the Potatoes' is a brilliant re-examination of eighteenth-century France, seen through the eyes of Marie-Louise Murphy, an Irish adventuress who gets caught up in all the dramas of the age of enlightenment and revolution, becoming the mistress of Louis XV and narrowly escaping death at the hands of the revolutionaries in 1789. Part objet trouvé, part recycled history, part grotesque variation on a fairy-tale, 'Our Lady of the Potatoes' is a highly entertaining and vivid novel, a tour de force of historical story-telling, which more than confirms this talented writer's great promise.
English country squire Charles Warde seems to have everything a man could want--a beautiful wife, a ravishing estate, and mountains of money--but his self-indulgence knows no bounds, something the Victorian society around him cannot accept
Writing Historical Fiction: A Writers' & Artists' Companion is an invaluable companion for a writer working in this challenging and popular literary genre, whether your period is Ancient Rome or World War II. PART 1 includes reflections on the genre and provides a short history of historical fiction. PART 2 contains guest contributions from Margaret Atwood, Ian Beck, Madison Smartt Bell, Ronan Bennett, Vanora Bennett, Tracy Chevalier, Lindsay Clarke, Elizabeth Cook, Anne Doughty, Sarah Dunant, Michel Faber, Margaret George, Philippa Gregory, Katharine McMahon, Valerio Massimo Manfredi, Hilary Mantel, Alan Massie, Ian Mortimer, Kate Mosse, Charles Palliser, Orhan Pamuk, Edward Rutherfurd, Manda Scott, Adam Thorpe, Stella Tillyard, Rose Tremain, Alison Weir and Louisa Young. PART 3 offers practical exercises and advice on such topics as research, plots and characters, mastering authentic but accessible dialogue and navigating the world of agents and publishers.
From a refreshingly antic new voice in historical fiction, this epically entertaining, irresistibly madcap novel re-creates an ancient family whose obsessions and dysfunctions would change the world, for better or worse. They were the last pharaohs to rule Egypt. Ptolemy Soter (putative half-brother of Alexander the Great–his mother may have been raped by Alexander’s father) begins it all when he takes the kingdom of the Nile as his share of the empire and brings along Alexander’s carefully embalmed corpse for luck. Soon enough, Ptolemy, in a kind of ancient corporate takeover, becomes pharoah, the living god of Egypt, first in what he hopes will be a long line of Ptolemies. Scheming priests, conniving wives, errant sons and daughters (some of whom have a thing for each other), and an epic’s worth of battles and intrigue make for a tale so rich in upheaval and mayhem that perhaps only our narrator, the irreverent and disapproving Thoth, Egyptian god of Wisdom and Patron of Scribes, could do it justice.
This textbook surveys the current knowledge on substance use disorders (SUD), summarizing scientific evidence from numerous fields. It uses a biopsychosocial framework to integrate the many factors that contribute to addictions, from genetic predispositions, neurological responses caused by drugs, co-occurring psychiatric disorders, personality traits, and developmental conditions to cultural influences. Real-life vignettes and first-person accounts build understanding of the lived experience of addiction. The currently accepted practices for diagnosis and treatment are presented, including the role of 12-step programmes and other mutual-assistance groups. The text also investigates the research methods that form the foundation of evidence-based knowledge. The main body text is augmented by study guideposts such as learning objectives, review exercises, highlighted key terms, and chapter summaries, which enable more efficient comprehension and retention of the book's material.
Using ecological, historical, humanist, institutionalist, and Marxist methodologies, Duncan argues that the entire project of developing the theory of political economy has been seriously sidetracked by industrialism. Using England as a case study he shows that the relationship between modernity and agriculture need not be uncomfortable and suggests ways in which the original socialist project can be rejuvenated to make it both more feasible and more attractive. Duncan concludes that no sustainable human future can be conceived unless and until the centrality of agriculture is properly recognized and new economic institutions are developed that will encourage people to take care of their landscapes.
Despite considerable work the answer to basic questions such as ‘what are our ethics and our moral norms now?’ ‘Have they changed since last year?’, ‘If so why?’ remain surprisingly illusive. This book argues that progress towards answering these questions is possible through a grounded analytical account of the cultivation of ethics and moral norms in social groups, in particular places and times. Departing from the evolutionary theory of why we gain value from pro-social behaviour, we argue that a coherent thread exists for how we do so through evolved social capacities that are united in the pursuit of a Positive Social Identity. Drawing on a unique quantitative dataset from Sierra Leone this book offers a theoretical framework and a preliminary guide to the systematic quantitative analysis of ethics and moral norms and how these may relate to the long term success of organisations. The results directly challenge a ‘one-size-fits-all’, universal understanding of both ethics and moral norms both within and between organisations. The costs and challenges influencing the development of ethics and moral norms and their ultimate conception of pro-sociality vary dramatically according to situation. Nowhere is this more starkly illustrated than between economically developed and developing countries. In analysing the relationship between agency and situation, the role of diversity, conflict, inefficiency and failure to cooperate prove to be essential components of the solution of social dilemmas on which Positive Social Identity depends.
Thank you for visiting our website. Would you like to provide feedback on how we could improve your experience?
This site does not use any third party cookies with one exception — it uses cookies from Google to deliver its services and to analyze traffic.Learn More.