Matthew Kneale

A fascinating history of the city of Rome, seen through the eyes of its most significant sackings, from the Gauls to the Nazis and everything in between.No city on earth has preserved its past as has Rome. Visitors stand on bridges that were crossed by Julius Caesar and Cicero, walk around temples visited by Roman emperors, and step into churches that have hardly changed since popes celebrated mass in them sixteen centuries ago.These architectural survivals are all the more remarkable considering the violent disasters that have struck the city. Afflicted by earthquakes, floods, fires and plagues, it has most of all been repeatedly ravaged by roving armies. Rome: A History in Seven Sackings examines the most important of these attacks and reveals, with fascinating insight, how they transformed the city - and not always for the worse.From the Gauls to the Nazis, Kneale vividly recounts those threatening the city, while drawing an intense and vibrant portrait of the city and its inhabitants, both before and after being attacked. In these troubled times when our cities can seem fragile, Rome's history offers a picture that is both shocking and also reassuring. Like the Neapolitans from Norman Lewis's Naples 44, Romans have repeatedly shrugged off catastrophes and made their city anew.A meticulously researched, magical and novel blend of travelogue, social and cultural history, Rome: A History in Seven Sackings is part celebration of the fierce courage, panache and vitality of the Roman people, and part passionate love letter to Rome. This is a popular history of the famous, incomparable city like no other.

Nine-year-old Lawrence is the man in his family. He watches protectively over his mother and his wilful little sister Jemima. He is the one who keeps things in order, especially when, quite suddenly, his mother decides the three of them must leave their life in England behind. Their destination is Rome, where she lived when she was young, and as they drive through the night in a car filled to bursting, the excitement takes them back to those happier days. For Lawrence, fascinated by stories of popes and emperors, Rome is an adventure. Though short of money, and passed from one to another of his mother's old friends, it seems that little by little their new life is beginning to take shape. But the mystery that brought them to Italy will not quite leave them in peace. "When We Were Romans" is a haunting psychological novel, another masterful work from the author of the prize-winning English Passengers .Powerfully evoking the feelings of childhood - the triumphs, the jealousies, the fears, the possessions, the love - it is most of all the story of Lawrence, of how, with a wisdom well in advance of his years, he strives to keep his family together, as everything he understands is turned upside down

It is 1857 and the Reverend Geoffrey Wilson has set out for Tasmania, hoping to find the true site of the Garden of Eden. But the journey is turning out to be less than straightforward - dissent is growing between him and sinister racial-theorist Dr Potter, and, unknown to both, the ship they have hurriedly chartered is in fact a Manx smuggling vessel, fleeing British customs. In Tasmania the aboriginal people have been fighting a desperate battle against British invaders, and, as the passengers will discover, the island is now far from being an earthly paradise …

The author of the award-winning novel "English Passengers" takes readers around the world in 12 deftly crafted stories that illuminate the uncertainties of life at home and abroad.

La más completa y exhaustiva historia de la fe. ¿Qué llevó al hombre prehistórico, refugiado en la oscuridad de las cavernas, a apelar al reino de los espíritus? ¿Por qué calaron las creencias y creamos el cielo y el infierno, el pecado y la redencion y, sobre todo, los dioses?La religion refleja nuestras mas altas esperanzas y nuestros peores temores. Independientemente de que creamos en ella o que, al igual que Matthew Kneale, poseamos la perspectiva de un no creyente que admira la capacidad del hombre para crear e imaginar, no cabe duda de que ha dado forma al mundo en que vivimos.A medida que han cambiado nuestros sueños y pesadillas tambien lo han hecho nuestras creencias. De los chamanes a los sacerdotes aztecas, de los budistas a los cristianos, los dioses que creamos han evolucionado y mutado con nosotros. La fe ha sido la mas epica labor de invencion del hombre. Se ha convertido en nuestra mas intima compañera y ha seguido a la humanidad a lo largo de los continentes y a traves de las epocas. Esta es su historia.

Esta novela tiene todo para interesar, divertir y descubrir la historia a sus lectores. A través de una cuidada caracterización de personajes (un ingenio colono, un indígena atormentado por su identidad, un ruin capitán de barco, un científico racista...) y un paisaje exótico, el autor plantea temas como el choque cultural o la búsqueda de la propia identidad.Con esta novela el autor ha recibido el premio Whitebread a la mejor novela, además de quedar finalista en el premio Booker y además ha obtenido el premio John Lewellyn en 1992 y el premio Somerset Maugham en 1997.

La m s completa y exhaustiva historia de la fe. Qu llev al hombre prehist rico, refugiado en la oscuridad de las cavernas, a apelar al reino de los esp ritus? Por qu calaron las creencias y creamos el cielo y el infierno, el pecado y la redenci n y, sobre todo, los dioses? La religi n refleja nuestras m s altas esperanzas y nuestros peores temores. Independientemente de que creamos en ella o que, al igual que Matthew Kneale, poseamos la perspectiva de un no creyente que admira la capacidad del hombre para crear e imaginar, no cabe duda de que ha dado forma al mundo en que vivimos. A medida que han cambiado nuestros sue os y pesadillas tambi n lo han hecho nuestras creencias. De los chamanes a los sacerdotes aztecas, de los budistas a los cristianos, los dioses que creamos han evolucionado y mutado con nosotros. La fe ha sido la m s pica labor de invenci n del hombre. Se ha convertido en nuestra m s ntima compa era y ha seguido a la humanidad a lo largo de los continentes y a trav s de las pocas. Esta es su historia.