History is full of surprises, but rarely has there been a turnaround as unexpected, and momentous as what occurred to a formative Russia during the medieval period. Attacked and invaded from all sides, it hardly looked as if the small Slavic principalities would survive. But they did and were eventually absorbed into Kiev Rus' and then Muscovy, which gradually expanded and laid the foundation for a huge empire. The author uncovers this extraordinary period, from the founding of the Kievan state to the accession of Peter the Great in 1682, describing both the times of danger and defeat and...

Of the many ancient civilizations we are aware of, few are smaller than the ancient Kingdom of Israel. Small both in geographical area and population, it was barely noticed by the major civilizations of the time in Egypt, Mesopotamia and elsewhere, which either ignored or crushed it. Yet, several millennia later, Israel is the civilization we remember most acutely, which we know - or think we know - the most about, and which has even been revised after a manner. Alas, what we know - or think we know - about Israel comes partly from the Old Testament and partly from fragmentary and sometimes...

The Enlightenment Movement changed society forever, driving it forward through new and fresh ways of thinking about science, religion, history, politics, and culture. This dictionary offers a balanced overview and helps us to understand and appreciate the Enlightenment through its coverage of the basic assumptions and values that structured the movement; explanation of how these ideas were articulated; the paths of communication they followed; how its key ideas grew, developed and were refracted; and how new problems grew out of what were advanced as solutions to older problems. An engaging...