The reach of Rome

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Anthony Heilbut

An exploration of American culture celebrates subjects ranging from the birth of the soap opera and the obsessiveness of modern fandom to the outing of gay church members and the influence of German exiles.

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Jorge Meléndez Sánchez

Este libro presenta la cultura regional destacando aspectos de la identidad regional. Para ilustrar se toman problemas político administrativos, producción intelectual y condicionantes socioculturales comunes a la América Latina. Se presenta una síntesis de autores de poesía y novela.

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Konstantin Nosov

"At the beginning of their 800-year existence in the 4th century BC, gladiatorial games served as a solemn funeral rite to honor high-born citizens. From the height of their popularity to their decline, they were the equivalent of a multi-billion dollar industry--run by entrepreneurs and highly regulated by the government. Nossov shows how, with few exceptions, Roman leaders embraced the spectacle and how over the centuries new events such as mortal combat with animals and full-scale naval battles were added to the games. Using updated research that has never before appeared in English, Nossov's chapter on the everyday life and social status of gladiators will surprise many readers. Despite the persistent myth that Gladiators were treated as expendable refuse by their Roman handlers, Nossov demonstrates that the reality was much more nuanced. The professional gladiator pool was comprised primarily of highly-trained men (and, for a time, women) who volunteered for the arena. In return for a long-term contract with a local games master, these athletes would earn an annual salary hundreds of times greater than an ordinary person. And slaves who were willing to become gladiators could earn their freedom with as few as four wins. These athletes lived communal lives together and trained year round for events that occurred no more than seasonally. As Nossov shows, being a professional gladiator was not much different from the lifestyle of a modern professional football player or boxer."--Publisher's description.

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Frank Ross, Jr

Discusses the achievements of the ancient Chinese in astronomy, medicine, science, and engineering, as well as such influential Chinese inventions as paper, printing, gun powder, and the compass.