I am entering on the history of a period rich in disasters, frightful in its wars, torn by civil strife, and even in peace full of horrors. In the Histories, Tacitus brings to life the events of one of the most tumultuous periods of the Roman empire. After the suicide of the Emperor Nero in AD69, Rome entered into a period of extreme civil unrest. Four emperors, Galba, Otho, Vitellius, and Vespasian, successively ruled the empire as each one rose in power only to fall victim to plots, military defeats and assassinations. This compelling narrative is filled with stunning drama and powerful insights into the nature of imperial Rome.

Tacitus was the greatest historian of the Roman empire. Born in about AD 55, he served as administrator and leading senator. This career gave him an intimate view of the empire at its highest levels, experience brought to bear on his writing. His major works are the Annals and the Histories, both of which have come down to us incomplete. Between them, they cover a period of about 80 years, from the death of the first emperor, Augustus, to the death of Domitian in 96AD. In addition, Tacitus also composed two short historical books or essays, the Agricola (about his father-in-law, a distinguished provincial governor) and the Germania, an account of the tribes beyond the Rhine. Tacitus is a brilliant narrator and master stylist who had ample material for his story in the dramatic, violent and often bloody events of the first century. His portraits - especially those of Tiberius, Nero, and Nero's immediate circle - are unforgettable, his scene-setting masterly, his psychological analysis as acute as any novelist. He is also a fierce critic of the decadence and corruption which marked struggles for the imperial succession. As Robin Lane Fox writes in his brilliant introduction, 'Above all Tacitus was supremely wary of the distortions and "spin" of official announcements. He had no illusions about the capacities of presidential, one-man rule.' Napoleon disliked him, not surprisingly. Everyman reprints the classic translation by A.J. Church and W.J. Brodribb, with extensive notes considerably revised and updated by Dr Eleanor Cowan.

The Agricola is both a portrait of Julius Agricola - the most famous governor of Roman Britain and Tacitus' well-loved and respected father-in-law - and the first detailed account of Britain that has come down to us. It offers fascinating descriptions of the geography, climate and peoples of the country, and a succinct account of the early stages of the Roman occupation, nearly fatally undermined by Boudicca's revolt in AD 61 but consolidated by campaigns that took Agricola as far as Anglesey and northern Scotland. The warlike German tribes are the focus of Tacitus' attention in the Germania, which, like the Agricola, often compares the behaviour of 'barbarian' peoples favourably with the decadence and corruption of Imperial Rome.

Tom Holland's 'stirring new translation' (Telegraph) of Herodotus' Histories, one of the great books in Western history - now in paperback The Histories of Herodotus, completed in the second half of the 5th century BC, is generally regarded as the first work of history and the first great masterpiece of non-fiction writing. Joined here are the sheer drama of Herodotus' narrative of the Persian invasions of Greece, and the endless curiosity - turning now to cannabis, now to the Pyramids - which make his book the source of so much of our knowledge of the ancient world. This absorbing new translation, by one of Britain's most admired young historians, allows all the drama and mysteriousness of this great book to be fully appreciated by modern readers.

One of the masterpieces of classical literature, The Histories describes how a small and quarrelsome band of Greek city states united to repel the might of the Persian empire. But while this epic struggle forms the core of his work, Herodotus' natural curiosity frequently gives rise to colourful digressions - a description of the natural wonders of Egypt; tales of lake-dwellers, dog-headed men and gold-digging ants. With its kaleidoscopic blend of fact and legend, The Histories offers a compelling Greek view of the world in the fifth century BC, in Aubrey de Selincourt's elegant and celebrated translation.

A new series of Horrible Histories sticker activity books, crammed with quick quizzes, foul facts and putrid pictures, the Horrible Histories Sticker Activity Book: Rotten Romans covers all things horrible in ruthless Rome. With over 250 savage stickers, explore the Roman's extraordinary empire. Get boggled by their baths, terrified by their torture and cured by their dastardly doctors. Be careful to keep on the right side of the grumpy gladiators though, otherwise you could end up on a spear!

A new series of Horrible Histories sticker activity books, crammed with quick quizzes, foul facts and putrid pictures, the explosive Horrible Histories Sticker Activity Book: Awful Egyptians covers all things horrible in ancient Egypt. With over 250 savage stickers, children can help to explore perilous pyramids, meet suffering slaves and saunter past scheming sphinxes. But be careful not to get lost for ever in the mummifying mazes!

Ladybird Histories is a series of books about periods and people in history that children find especially engaging and that are often taught in schools. Packed full of interesting and entertaining details that will delight all readers aged seven plus - from lifestyles, battles, and important characters to the influence the past has played on the world around us today. This Ladybird Histories title is all about the Vikings: their famous leaders such as Leif Ericsson, Sweyn Forkbeard and Harald Finehair, what people wore, how they lived, the invasions, their fascinating myths and legends and how they shaped Britain today. Everything you need to know about the Vikings for school homework!

Lurching from crisis to crisis, the four men circle each other, driven by their personal histories and addictions, confused, angry - so desperate that even Hibs winning the Scottish Cup doesn`t really help.

This Ladybird Histories book all about Ancient Egypt is perfect for children learning about Ancient Egypt and the egyptians at school. It includes Ancient Egypt's kings and queens, how ancient Egyptians lived and why they believed in mummification and different egyptian gods. Packed full of interesting and entertaining details that will delight all readers - from lifestyles, battles, and important characters to the influence the past has played on the world around us today. Everything you need to know about Ancient Egypt for school homework! Ladybird Histories is a series of books about periods and people in history that children find especially engaging.

Filled with all the festive facts every HORRIBLE HISTORIES reader wants to know! The complete horrible history of Christmas tells tales from the dark days when the Puritans tried to abolish Christmas, to Christmas in the trenches when the British and Germans traded bullets for footballs. Plus dreadful jokes, rotten recipes and a Christmas quiz!

Over the course of a year, leading historian and nature writer David Gange kayaked the weather-ravaged coasts of Atlantic Britain and Ireland from north to south: every cove, sound, inlet, island. The idea was to travel slowly and close to the water: in touch with both the natural world and the histories of communities on Atlantic coastlines. The story of his journey is one of staggering adventure, range and beauty. For too long, Gange argues, the significance of coasts has been underestimated, and the potential of small boats as tools to make sense of these histories rarely explored. This book seeks to put that imbalance right. Paddling alone in sun and storms, among dozens of whales and countless seabirds, Gange and his kayak travelled through a Shetland summer, Scottish winter and Irish spring before reaching Wales and Cornwall. Sitting low in the water, as did millions in eras when coasts were the main arteries of trade and communication, Gange describes, in captivating prose and loving detail, the experiences of kayaking, coastal living and historical discovery. Drawing on the archives of islands and coastal towns, as well as their vast poetic literatures in many languages, he shows that the neglected histories of these stunning regions are of real importance in understanding both the past and future of the whole archipelago. It is a history of Britain and Ireland like no other.

Ladybird Histories is a series of books about periods and people in history that children find especially engaging and that are often taught in schools. Each book is packed full of interesting and entertaining details that will delight all readers - from lifestyles, battles and important characters, to the influence of the past on the world around us today. Ladybird Histories: Ancient Greeks is the ideal homework help book for primary school children. Packed with everything they need to know about life in ancient Greece, this book is perfect for all school project work. It is packed with information about topics such as what the ancient Greeks wore, what they ate and who their leaders were.

The two novels from The Archived Series appearing together for the first time.Imagine a place where the dead rest on shelves like books.Each body has a story to tell, a life seen in pictures only Librarians can read. The dead are called Histories, and the vast realm in which they rest is the Archive.Mackenzie Bishop’s grandfather first brought her here four years ago, when she was twelve years old, frightened but determined to prove herself. Now her grandfather is dead, and Mac has grown into what he once was: a ruthless Keeper, tasked with stopping often-violent Histories from waking up and getting out. Because of her job, she lies to the people she loves, and she knows fear for what it is: a useful tool for staying alive.

Histories of the Unexpected not only presents a new way of thinking about the past, but also reveals the world around us as never before. Traditionally, the Romans have been understood in a straightforward way but the period really comes alive if you take an unexpected approach to its history. Yes, emperors, the development of civilisation and armies all have a fascinating history… but so too do tattoos, collecting, fattening, recycling, walking, poison, fish, inkwells and wicked stepmothers! Each of these subjects is equally fascinating in its own right, and each sheds new light on the traditional subjects and themes that we think we know so well.

The new Penguin Freud, under Adam Phillips' general editorship, offers a fantastic opportunity to see Freud in a fresh light. This endlessly beguiling, suggestive, thought-provoking writer can be appreciated nowhere more vividly than in The Case Histories: 'Little Hans', 'The Rat Man', 'The Wolf Man' and 'Some Character Types Met within Psychoanalytic Work.'