In 1859, at age fourteen, Florence Szasz stood before a room full of men and waited to be auctioned to the highest bidder. But slavery and submission were not to be her destiny: Sam Baker, a wealthy English gentleman and eminent adventurer, was moved by compassion and an immediate, overpowering empathy for the young woman, and braved extraordinary perils to help her escape. Together, Florence and Sam -- whose love would remain passionate and constant throughout their lives -- forged into literally uncharted territory in a glorious attempt to unravel a mysterious and magnificent enigma...
In 1859, at age fourteen, Florence Szasz stood before a room full of men and waited to be auctioned to the highest bidder. But slavery and submissi...
"Proconsul" have profound implications for the very definition of humanness. This book speaks not only of an ape in a tree but also of the ape in our tree.
"Proconsul" have profound implications for the very definition of humanness. This book speaks not only of an ape in a tree but also of the ape in our ...
"Fascinating. . . . As engaging an explanation of how scientists study fossil bones as any I have ever read." --John R. Alden, Philadelphia Inquirer In 1984 a team of paleoanthropologists on a dig in northern Kenya found something extraordinary: a nearly complete skeleton of Homo erectus, a creature that lived 1.5 million years ago and is widely thought to be the missing link between apes and humans. The remains belonged to a tall, rangy adolescent male. The researchers called him "Nariokotome boy." In this immensely lively book, Alan Walker, one of the lead researchers, and his wife...
"Fascinating. . . . As engaging an explanation of how scientists study fossil bones as any I have ever read." --John R. Alden, Philadelphia Inquirer <...
To one nineteenth-century scholar, their fierce, ridged brows were evidence of a "moral darkness" that set them irrevocably apart from human beings. Some commentators accused them of cannibalism. Yet by the 1970s the Neandertals were being hailed as "the first flower people" and praised for their apparent compassion and religious piety. The story of how scientists could come to such divergent conclusions about a set of bones unearthed in Germany in 1856 unfolds with irresistible detail in this enthralling book. Even as The Neandertals assesses the identity, kinship, and character of our...
To one nineteenth-century scholar, their fierce, ridged brows were evidence of a "moral darkness" that set them irrevocably apart from human beings. S...
In 1856, as Darwin completed "The Origin of Species", the fossilized remains of a stocky human-like creature were discovered in a cave in the German Neander Valley. This work offers the complete story of Neanderthal Man, dead for 40,000 years, about whom c
In 1856, as Darwin completed "The Origin of Species", the fossilized remains of a stocky human-like creature were discovered in a cave in the German N...
To most 19th-century scholars, the Neandertals' fierce, ridged brows were evidence of a moral darkness that set them apart from humans. Yet by the 1970s, the Neandertals were being praised for their apparent compassion. This work reveals how different scientists came to such wildly divergent conclusions. Photos and illustrations.
To most 19th-century scholars, the Neandertals' fierce, ridged brows were evidence of a moral darkness that set them apart from humans. Yet by the 197...
In 1917, the notorious Oriental dancer Mata Hari was arrested on the charge of espionage; less than one year later, she was tried and executed, charged with the deaths of at least 50,000 gallant French soldiers. The mistress of many senior Allied officers and government officials, even the French minister of war, she had a sharp intellect and a golden tongue fluent in several languages; she also traveled widely throughout war-torn Europe, with seeming disregard for the political and strategic alliances and borders. But was she actually a spy? In this persuasive new biography, Pat Shipman...
In 1917, the notorious Oriental dancer Mata Hari was arrested on the charge of espionage; less than one year later, she was tried and executed, cha...
Pat Shipman tells the story of Lady Florence Baker, a Hungarian who lived in a Turkish harem until sold at auction to her future husband, the explorer Sam Baker. Together they travelled to Africa & discovered the source of the Nile, experiencing great privations & dangers along the way.
Pat Shipman tells the story of Lady Florence Baker, a Hungarian who lived in a Turkish harem until sold at auction to her future husband, the explorer...
Approximately 200,000 years ago, as modern humans began to radiate out from their evolutionary birthplace in Africa, Neanderthals were already thriving in Europe--descendants of a much earlier migration of the African genus Homo. But when modern humans eventually made their way to Europe 45,000 years ago, Neanderthals suddenly vanished. Ever since the first Neanderthal bones were identified in 1856, scientists have been vexed by the question, why did modern humans survive while their closest known relatives went...
A Times Higher Education Book of the Week
Approximately 200,000 years ago, as modern humans began to radiate out from their evolutiona...
