Most Popular Books by John Julius NORWICH

Henry James wrote of Venice: ''You desire to embrace it, to caress it, to possess it . . .'' whereas Mark Twain found St Mark''s ''so ugly . . . propped on its long row of thick-legged columns, its back knobbed with domes, it seems like a vast, warty bug taking a meditative walk''. Reactions to Venice have been, throughout the ages, astonishingly different. John Julius Norwich has put together a dazzling anthology, drawing on the writings of Byron, Goethe, Wagner, Casanova, Jan Morris, Robert Browning and Horace Walpole, among many others. The pieces range from the sixth century, when the early lagoon-dwellers lived ''like sea-birds in huts, built on heaps of osiers'' to the exquisite city of eighteenth-century revellers and nineteenth-century art lovers. The city''s many diferent guises are shown as both its citizens and visitors saw them. This wonderful volume from the Traveller''s Reader series also contains maps, engravings and notes on history, art, architecture and everyday city life.

Travel back in time in search of long-lost attitudes on love, lust, and passion. Beautifully illustrated in full color, this fascinating exploration uncovers how ancient civilizations regarded sex and sexuality. Exquisite photographs showcase sculpture, pottery, paintings, and architecture that feature graphic representations of the human form and the art of love. Seeing how romance was represented, communicated, and mythologized from the cave dwellers through the sophisticated Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans gives us new perspectives on history and on our lives today.

Bizans otokrasiyle idare ediliyordu, baştaki imparator Havarilere eş, Tanrı’nın yeryüzündeki temsilcisi, tüm tebaasının hayatını avucunda tutan yarı ilahi bir varlıktı. Bu imparatorlardan bazıları kahramandı, bazıları da canavar; fakat asla silik değillerdi. Sadece bundan ötürü bile bu kitabı yazmak sürekli bir zevkti, fakat mütevazı anlamda, bir borcun ödenmesiydi aynı zamanda. Bizim medeniyetimiz Doğu İmparatorluğu’na ne kadar çok şey borçlu olduğunu asla yeterince değerlendiremedi. Hıristiyanlığın bu Doğu Kalesi olmasaydı, Avrupa’nın VII. yüzyılda Sasani ordularına, VIII. yüzyılda Bağdat Halifesi’nin ordusuna karşı şansı olur muydu? Bugün hangi dili konuşuyor ve hangi tanrıya tapıyor olurduk? Kültürel alandaki borcumuz da çok büyüktür. Barbar istilaları ve Roma’daki imparatorun düşüşünden sonra, Batı Avrupa’daki öğrenme ışığı, tek tük manastırdaki titrek alevler dışında, sönmüştü. Alev alev yanmayı sürdürdüğü ve klasik mirası koruduğu yer Bosphoros kıyılarıydı. Antik Çağ hakkındaki bilgilerimizin çoğu -özellikle Yunan ve Latin edebiyatı ve Roma hukuku- Constantinopolis’in âlimleri ve yazmanları olmasaydı sonsuza değin kaybolacaktı. JOHN JULIUS NORWICH

Mitreißend und elegant erzählt John Julius Norwich die turbulente Geschichte der »Königin der Inseln«, die ein einzigartiges Kaleidoskop der Völker und Kulturen war und ist. Unterhaltsam führt er uns durch die Jahrtausende, in denen Sizilien im Brennpunkt der Weltgeschichte stand. Sizilien: die größte Insel des Mittelmeers, die Schwelle zwischen Europa und Afrika, Bindeglied zwischen dem lateinischen Westen und dem griechischen Osten. Ihre einzigartige strategische Lage lockte Phönizier, Griechen, Römer, Araber und Normannen, französische Fürsten und spanische Könige. Die Kämpfe um die Insel spielten für den Aufstieg und Fall der mächtigsten Dynastien der Welt eine Schlüsselrolle. Erstmals verknüpft John Julius Norwich all die bunten Fäden der sizilianischen Geschichte zu einer umfassenden Darstellung und führt die Leser durch die Jahrtausende. Von ihren Anfängen in der Antike bis zu ihrem Aufstieg zur multikulturellen Drehscheibe des Handels während der Kreuzzüge, vom Widerstand gegen die Vereinigung mit Italien bis zum Aufkommen der Mafia ist die Insel reich an weltgeschichtlichen Ereignissen und dramatischen Persönlichkeiten. Wie die Insel selbst, ist dies ein Buch voller kräftiger Farben und Aromen, das man immer wieder zur Hand nehmen möchte.

Primera parte de una ambiciosa obra de John Julius Norwich que refleja la historia de Roberto Guiscardo, posiblemente el aventurero europeo más extraordinario ente Julio César y Napoleón; de su hermano Roger, que le ayudó a arrebatar Sicilia a los sarracenos; y de su sobrino Roger II, coronado rey de Sicilia en Palermo en 1130.

Each year these small anthologies of poetry and prose are sent out to friends instead of a Christmas card.

A fascinating journey through the history of the most enigmatic island in the Mediterranean. Goethe said: "Sicily is the key to everything." The Italian island, the largest in the Mediterranean, is the bridge between Europe and Africa, the gateway between East and West. Its strategic location has made it coveted by Roman emperors, French princes, and Spanish kings over the centuries, and conflicts between its inhabitants and foreign powers have played a crucial role in the rise and fall of some of the world''s most powerful dynasties. Yet, Sicily has gone almost unnoticed in the annals of history. In this volume, the result of his fascination with the island, John Julius Norwich offers us a thrilling journey through Sicily''s turbulent past. From its beginnings as a Greek city-state to its emergence as a center of multicultural trade during the Crusades, to its many rebellions against its oppressors, Sicily''s history is filled with extraordinary moments and remarkable figures, including the Normans, Charles III, Nelson and Lady Hamilton, Garibaldi, Mussolini, and Cosa Nostra. With his usual skill, elegance, and humor, Norwich delivers a masterful account of one of the world''s most diverse and interesting islands.