By Alexander Roob

Looks at how alchemy has been depicted in painting and drawings.

By Anthony Everitt
Recommended By Ralph Guiteau, Readers' Services Librarian

A reconstruction of the life of the ancient Greek conqueror highlights his contradictory depictions throughout history, placing his achievements against a backdrop of his own historical time to discuss his growing empire, respect for regional traditions and mysterious death.

By Israel Finkelstein

A radical new theory about the origins of the Old Testament challenges traditional notions about ancient Israel, such as the power of David and Solomon and the historicity of the Exodus story.

By Hershel Shanks
Recommended By Brenda Cherry, Reference Librarian

“This is the definitive story of the recent discovery of the first–century ossuary (limestone bone box) with the legend 'James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus', and its implications for understanding Jesus, his family (mother, father, brothers), his followers, the first Christians and the Jewish Christian movement in Jerusalem that James led … (From the Publisher).”

By Richard Miles
Recommended By Ralph Guiteau, Readers' Services Librarian

“A history of the city whose defeat was one of the ancient world's defining moments draws on new archaeological research to trace its rise to become the Mediterranean's greatest sea power and discuss the contributions of military leader Hannibal (From the Publisher).”

By Stacy Schiff
Recommended By Ralph Guiteau, Readers' Services Librarian
With Ralph Guiteau, Readers' Services Librarian

Tuesday, February 11, 2014. 7:30 PM.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer brings to life the most intriguing woman in the history of the world: Cleopatra, the last queen of Egypt. Though her life spanned fewer than 40 years, it reshaped the contours of the ancient world.

By Darrin M. McMahon

An intellectual historian describes the history of the concept of “genius” from the beginning of time, when great thinks were believed to be advised by demons, through modern times where the term has been squandered on rock stars and football coaches.

By Titus Livy

With stylistic brilliance and historical imagination, the first five books of Livy's monumental history of Rome record events from the foundation of Rome through the history of the seven kings, the establishment of the Republic and its internal struggles, up to Rome's recovery after the fierce Gallic invasion of the fourth century B.C.

By Steven L. McKenzie

Through a close and critical reading of biblical texts, ancient history, and recent archeological discoveries, McKenzie concludes that David was indeed a real person. This David, however, was no hero but a usurper, adulterer, and murderer – a Middle Eastern despot of a familiar type. McKenzie shows that the story of humble beginnings is utterly misleading: “shepherd” is a metaphor for “king,” and David came from a wealthy, upper-class background.

By David Berlinski

Explores the origins and critical legacy of Euclid's influential book, "The Elements," while demonstrating how scientists and thinkers throughout history have relied on his axiomatic system to shape human understanding of the world.

By Lars Brownworth
Recommended By Ralph Guiteau, Readers' Services Librarian

“A portrait of the lesser-known Byzantine Empire reveals how it endured as Christianity’s capital for a long period following the fall of the Roman Empire and shaped the Renaissance in the west, in an account that includes vivid coverage of the deliverance of numerous adversaries to Constantinople’s throne (From the Publisher).”

By Matt Kaplan

Tours history’s monsters and the culture that spawned them, explaining why monster myths are so compelling and examining the events that inspired their stories while considering the real-world animals behind specific characters.

By Plutarch
Recommended By Ralph Guiteau, Readers' Services Librarian

 “Plutarch's Lives contains the fifty lives of famous Greeks and Romans written by first century Greek historian and biographer Plutarch (From the Publisher).”

By Margalit Fox
Recommended By Brenda Cherry, Reference Librarian

“An intellectual detective story follows the quest to unlock one of the great secrets of human history-the decipherment of Linear B, an unknown script from the Aegean Bronze Age (From the Publisher).”

By Anthony Everitt
Recommended By Ralph Guiteau, Readers' Services Librarian

“Traces the rise of Rome as an unlikely evolution from a market village to the world’s most powerful empire, offering insight into its political clashes, military strategies, leading figures, and internal corruptions (From the Publisher).”

By Robert L. O'Connell

A sweeping illustrated history of war and the implements used to perpetrate it takes readers on a fascinating tour of humanity's most persistant and destructive character trait and the technology that has been developed to promote warfare.

By Barry Strauss

A thrilling story that has inspired novelists and filmmakers: The real-life Spartacus is even more amazing than his fictional counterparts. A slave from Thrace (modern day Bulgaria), possibly of noble origins, he led a shocking rebellion at a gladiatorial school in Capua in 73 BC.

By Pauline C. Bartel

This in-depth study of the history of witches and witchcraft begins with the first mention of witches 3,000 years ago, and follows the history up to modern-day Wiccans, exploring the origins of witchcraft, the Inquisition and Salem Witch Trials, and witches in popular culture.

By Stephen Greenblatt
Recommended By Ralph Guiteau, Readers' Services Librarian
With Ralph Guiteau, Readers' Services Librarian

Tuesday, February 12, 2013.  7:30 PM.

“A humanities professor describes the impact had by the translation of the last remaining manuscript of On the Nature of Things by Roman philosopher Lucretius, which fueled the Renaissance and inspired artists, great thinkers, and scientists (From the Publisher).”