Bookbot

Boukje Verheij

    Ghostman
    Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls
    In the Shadow of the Sword
    El Código De Arquímedes
    Dynasty
    Pompeii
    • Dynasty

      • 544 páginas
      • 20 horas de lectura

      This surging narrative offers a brilliant synthesis of ancient sources, making it a must-read for anyone interested in history, politics, or human nature. Rome transitioned from kings to a republic, ultimately collapsing into civil wars so brutal that the populace welcomed an autocrat promising peace. Augustus, the "Divinely Favoured One," established a dynasty that continues to captivate with its unsettling characters. Tiberius, once a celebrated general, became a bitter recluse known for his vices; Caligula, infamous for cruelty, famously rode his chariot across the sea; Agrippina, mother of Nero, schemed to elevate her son who would later have her murdered; and Nero himself, a figure of excess, indulged in the Olympics and constructed a pleasure palace over the ruins of a devastated city. In this sequel to Rubicon, the author presents a dazzling portrait of Rome's first imperial dynasty, capturing both its allure and the dark shadows of its crimes. The narrative spans from the marble grandeur of Augustus's capital to the barbarian-haunted forests of Germany, featuring a spectacular cast of characters: murderers, metrosexuals, adulterers, druids, scheming grandmothers, and reluctant gladiators. It is a vivid portrayal of a family that transformed and stupefied Rome.

      Dynasty2015
      4,1
    • De twee Hotel Francforts

      • 246 páginas
      • 9 horas de lectura

      De Amerikaanse Julia en Pete zijn in 1940 Parijs ontvlucht. Ze zijn daar niet langer veilig omdat Julia joodse is. Terwijl zij in Lissabon wachten op een schip naar de VS, ontmoeten ze het schrijversechtpaar Iris en Edward. De vier hoofdpersonen zijn druk met elkaar en met hun intriges. Julia en Iris lijden allebei aan een moederschapstrauma. Beginnen de mannen daarom een homoseksuele relatie? De week die de twee stellen met elkaar doorbrengen blijkt enorme sporen na te laten in hun levens maar pas aan het einde van de roman wordt daar een tipje van de sluier over opgelicht. Pete is de verteller maar tegelijkertijd ook een pion in het spel tussen de echtelieden

      De twee Hotel Francforts2013
    • 'Fast, hard and knowing: this is an amazing debut full of intrigue, tradecraft and suspense. Read it immediately!' Lee Child (author of the Jack Reacher novels) I make things disappear. It’s what I do. This time I’m tidying up the loose ends after a casino heist gone bad. The loose ends being a million cash. But I only have 48 hours, and there’s a guy out there who wants my head in a bag. He’ll have to find me first. They don’t call me the Ghostman for nothing...

      Ghostman2013
      3,8
    • Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls

      • 288 páginas
      • 11 horas de lectura

      A guy walks into a bar . . . From here the story could take many turns. A guy walks into a bar and meets the love of his life. A guy walks into a bar and finds no one else is there. When this guy is David Sedaris, the possibilities are endless. In Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls, Sedaris delights with twists of humour and intelligence, remembering his father's dinnertime attire (shirtsleeves and underpants) his first colonoscopy (remarkably pleasant) and the time he considered buying the skeleton of a murdered pygmy. By turns hilarious and moving, David Sedaris masterfully looks at life's absurdities as he takes us on adventures that are not to be forgotten.

      Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls2013
      3,9
    • In the Shadow of the Sword

      The Battle for Global Empire and the End of the Ancient World

      No less than the collapse of the Roman Republic or the Persian invasion of Greece, the evolution of an Arab empire is one of the supreme narratives of ancient history; a story dazzlingly rich in drama, character and achievement. Just like the Romans, the Arabs came from nowhere to carve out a stupefyingly vast dominion - except that they achieved their conquests, not over the course of centuries, as the Romans did, but in a matter of decades. Just like the Greeks during the Persian wars, they overcame seemingly insuperable odds to emerge triumphant against the greatest empire of the day - not by standing on the defensive, however, but by hurling themselves against all who lay in their path. IN THE SHADOW OF THE SWORD effectively completes Tom Holland's trilogy describing the Ancient World. It represents an extraordinary achievement by the most exciting and readable young British historian working today

      In the Shadow of the Sword2011
      4,0
    • Pompeii explodes a number of myths - from the very date of the eruption, probably a few months later than usually thought; the hygiene of the baths which must have been hotbeds of germs; and the legendary number of brothels, most likely only one, to the massive death count which was probably less than ten per cent of the population.Street Life, Earning a Living: Baker, Banker and Garum Maker (who ran the city), The Pleasure of the Body: Food, Wine, Sex and Baths, these chapter headings give a surprising insight into the workings of a Roman town. At the Suburban Baths we go from communal bathing to hygiene to erotica. A fast-food joint on the Via dell' Abbondanza introduces food and drink and diets and street life. These are just a few of the strands that make up an extraordinary and involving portrait of an ancient town, its life and its continuing re-discovery, by Britain's leading classicist.

      Pompeii2010
      4,1
    • El Código De Arquímedes

      • 400 páginas
      • 14 horas de lectura

      El código de Arquímedes es una obra de no ficción que se lee como una novela, pues combina intriga, libros perdidos, y hallazgos de manuscritos al tiempo que nos ofrece unas revelaciones finales que reescriben la historia de las matemáticas y de la ciencia moderna. La obra escrita para todos los públicos, comienza relatando la trepidante subasta en Christie’s donde se vendió el manuscrito perdido de Arquímedes, procedente probablemente de un robo. Dañados, incompletos y reescritos, los textos y dibujos de Arquímedes fueron encontrados entre las páginas de un libro de oraciones de un monje del siglo XIII. Gracias a la reconstrucción y conservación del pergamino se ha podido demostrar que el pensamiento de Arquímedes se adelantó incluso al de Isaac Newton.

      El Código De Arquímedes2007
      3,9