Download or read book The Pope s Rhinoceros written by Lawrence Norfolk and published by Open Road + Grove/Atlantic. This book was released on 2007-12-01 with total page 1014 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “The acclaimed author of Lemprière’s Dictionary furnishes another richly textured romp steeped in history, legend, and excitement.” —Booklist The Pope’s Rhinoceros is a vivid, antic, and picaresque novel spun around one of history’s most bizarre chapters: the sixteenth-century attempt to procure a rhinoceros as a bribe for Pope Leo X. In February 1516, a Portuguese ship sank off the coast of Italy. The Nostra Senora de Ajuda had sailed fourteen thousand miles from the Indian kingdom of Gujarat. Her mission: to bribe the “pleasure-loving Pope” into favoring expansionist Portugal over her rival Spain with the most exotic and least likely of gifts — a living rhinoceros. Moving from the herring colonies of the Baltic Sea to the West African rain forest, with a cast of characters including an order of reclusive monks and Rome’s corrupt cardinals, courtesans, ambassadors, and nobles, The Pope’s Rhinoceros is at once a fantastic adventure tale and a portrait of an age rushing headlong to its crisis. “An exhausting banquet of a book . . . One of the most original, energetic, and ambitious novels of recent years.” —Kirkus Reviews “Mr. Norfolk’s heady originality and intellectual energy are apparent on every page.” —The New York Times Book Review

Download or read book Rhinoceros Bound written by Barbara H. Rosenwein and published by University of Pennsylvania Press. This book was released on 2016-11-11 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The rhinoceros, that is, any powerful man, is bound with a thong so that he may crush the clods of the valleys, that is, the oppressors of the humble."—Odo of Cluny, Vita Geraldi i.8 To the second abbot of the great monastery at Cluny, Saint Odo, tenth-century Europe was a world filled with violent men oppressing at whim the poor and the powerless. As royal authority waned, local magnates, unrestrained by any authority, divine or human, seized the opportunity to enhance their positions. Odo, along with Cluny's other founding spiritual and ideological leaders, created within the protective walls of the monastery a model of restraint, instituting in place of the instability of everyday life an interpretation of the Benedictine Rule that stressed ritual, order, and lawfulness. Such were the beginnings of the monastery that Pope Urban II in the eleventh century would call "the light of the world," the fountainhead of what would become one of the most far-reaching religious reform movements in European history. Barbara Rosenwein in Rhinoceros Bound focuses on Cluny's founding and early growth within the context of a society shaped by the needs of those set adrift in the social upheaval of the tenth century. Examining in the first chapter traditional approaches to Cluniac studies, the author reveals that historians have generally considered Cluny's eleventh-century role in church reform without analyzing the peculiar combination of forces and founders that created the Cluniac ideal and gave it its original momentum. This fundamental problem is the topic of the second chapter. She then examines how the early Cluniacs perceived the world outside the monastery and how they viewed their own world inside of it. Rosenwein concludes with a chapter on Cluny in the tenth century that combines traditional historical techniques with contemporary sociological insights. She provides in this study a significant reassessment of a period crucial to the political development of Europe, as well as a case study of institutional response to acute and political change.

Download or read book Lempri re s Dictionary written by Lawrence Norfolk and published by Open Road + Grove/Atlantic. This book was released on 2007-12-01 with total page 861 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Somerset Maugham Prize–winning, international bestselling debut novel: “a dazzling linguistic and formal achievement” set in 18th century London (Salman Rushdie). In eighteenth-century London, John Lempriere works feverishly on a celebrated dictionary of classical mythology that bears his name. But when he discovers a conspiracy against his family dating back 150 years, he embarks on a personal mission that will pit him against enemies he never new he had, allies he never thought he would ever want, and a destiny he never imagined . . . Told with the narrative drive of a political thriller and a Dickensian panorama of place and time, this “superbly entertaining” tale encompasses multinational conspiracies and a motley cast of scholars, eccentrics, prostitutes, assassins, drunken aristocrats, and octogenarian pirates—all brilliantly depicted across three continents and the world of classical mythology (The Washington Post).

Download or read book John Saturnall s Feast written by Lawrence Norfolk and published by A&C Black. This book was released on 2013-01-01 with total page 418 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the remote village of Buckland, a mob chants of witchcraft. It is 1625, and John and his mother are running for their lives. Taking refuge among the trees of Buccla's Wood, John's mother opens her book and begins to tell her son of an ancient Feast kept in secret down the generations. Little does he know that one day, to keep hold of all that he holds most dear, he most realize his mother's vision - he must serve the Saturnall Feast.

Download or read book In the Shape of a Boar written by Lawrence Norfolk and published by Grove Press. This book was released on 2002-12 with total page 340 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A juggernaut of a novel, a tour de force of love and betrayal, ancient myths and modern horrors, this story begins in the world of mythic Greece, where a dark tale of treachery and destructive love unfolds amid the hunt for the Boar of Kalydon--a tale that will reverberate in those same hills across the millennia in the final months of World War II.

Download or read book The Rhinoceros and the Megatherium written by Juan Pimentel and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2017-01-09 with total page 324 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How did Europeans three centuries apart respond to two mysterious beasts—a living rhinoceros previously known only from ancient texts and a nameless monster’s massive bones? Juan Pimentel shows that their reactions reflect deep cultural changes but also the enduring power of image and imagination to shape our understanding of the natural world.

Download or read book The Pope s Elephant written by Silvio A. Bedini and published by Penguin Mass Market. This book was released on 2000 with total page 332 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Examines the court of Pope Leo X in sixteenth-century Rome, and discusses the popularity of the Pope's white elephant, Hanno, a gift from the king of Portugal.

Download or read book The Golden Rhinoceros written by François-Xavier Fauvelle and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2021-02-09 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the birth of Islam in the seventh century to the voyages of European exploration in the fifteenth, Africa was at the center of a vibrant exchange of goods and ideas. It was an African golden age in which places like Ghana, Nubia, and Zimbabwe became the crossroads of civilizations, and where African royals, thinkers, and artists played celebrated roles in the globalized world of the Middle Ages. Drawing on fragmented written sources as well as his many years of experience as an archaeologist, the author reconstructs an African past that is too often denied its place in history. He looks at ruined cities found in the mangrove, exquisite pieces of art, rare artifacts like the golden rhinoceros of Mapungubwe, ancient maps, and accounts left by geographers and travelers

Download or read book Black Rhinos written by Kristen Pope and published by Child's World. This book was released on 2015-08 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Learn all about black rhinos, including where they live, why they are endangered, and how people are working together to save them. Chapters explain physical characteristics and behaviors as well. Additional features include full-color photographs, informative sidebars, detailed maps, a glossary of key words and phrases, and an introduction to the author"--Publisher description.

Download or read book Pope s Rhinoceros Display Piece written by Random House and published by . This book was released on 1997-02-01 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Soul of the Rhino written by Hemanta Mishra and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2009-09-01 with total page 265 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This new release is a spirited yet humble account of one man's scientific career and personal journey to save the endangered rhinoceros in his native Nepal. For more info go to souloftherhino.com

Download or read book My New Team Little Rhino 1 written by Ryan Howard and published by Scholastic Inc.. This book was released on 2015-01-27 with total page 80 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A new chapter book series from Major League Baseball's 2006 National League MVP, Ryan Howard! Every day when Little Rhino comes home from school, he finishes his homework, grabs his bat, his glove, and runs outside to meet Grandpa James. They always practice catching and hitting in the backyard. Playing baseball with grandfather is Little Rhino's favorite thing to do, especially when he pretends to be a real Major League homerun hitter.One afternoon, after a long day of second grade, Little Rhino comes home to find out that Grandpa James has signed him up for a baseball league! Little Rhino will finally be a part of a team! But Little Rhino will quickly learn that is not always so easy to a good teammate, especially when there's a bully wearing the same uniform as you.From Major League Baseball superstar Ryan Howard and his wife, Krystle Howard, a former elementary school teacher, this exciting new series is a fun read for sports and book fans alike!

Download or read book The Boilerplate Rhino written by David Quammen and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2012-10-23 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 1981 David Quammen began what might be every freelance writer's dream: a monthly column for Outside magazine in which he was given free rein to write about anything that interested him in the natural world. His column was called "Natural Acts," and for the next fifteen years he delighted Outside's readers with his fascinating ruminations on the world around us. The Boilerplate Rhino brings together twenty-six of Quammen's most thoughtful and engaging essays from that column, none previously printed in any of his earlier books. In lucid, penetrating, and often quirkily idiosyncratic prose, David Quammen takes his readers with him as he explores the world. His travels lead him to rattlesnake handlers in Texas; a lizard specialist in Baja; the dinosaur museum in Jordan, Montana; and halfway across Indonesia in search of the perfect Durian fruit. He ponders the history of nutmeg in the southern Moluccas, meditates on bioluminescent beetles while soaking in the waters of the Amazon, and delivers "The Dope on Eggs" from a chicken ranch near his hometown in Montana. Quammen's travels are always jumping-off points to explore the rich and sometimes horrifying tension between humankind and the natural world, in all its complexity and ambivalence. The result is another irrepressible assortment of ideas to explore, conundrums to contemplate, and wondrous creatures to behold.

Download or read book Zarafa written by Michael Allin and published by Delta. This book was released on 1999-08-10 with total page 230 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In October 1826, a ship arrived at Marseille carrying the first giraffe ever seen in France. A royal offering from Muhammad Ali, Ottoman Viceroy of Egypt, to King Charles X, she had already traveled 2,000 miles down the Nile to Alexandria, from where she had sailed across the Mediterranean standing in the hold, her long neck and head protruding through a hole cut in the deck. In the spring of 1827, after wintering in Marseille, she was carefully walked 550 miles to Paris to the delight of thousands of onlookers. The viceroy's tribute was politically motivated: He commanded the Turkish forces then fighting the Greeks in their war of independence, and hoped his gift would persuade the French not to intervene against him. But the viceroy and his intentions were quickly forgotten as France fell in love with its "beautiful stranger." Zarafa chronicles the full story of this remarkable animal, revealing a kaleidoscope of history, science, and culture that opens an exotic window on the early nineteenth century. From the Enlightenment's blossoming fascination with science to Napoleon's ill-fated invasion of Egypt in 1798–from the eminent French naturalist Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire to Bernardino Drovetti, French consul general in Egypt and tomb robber extraordinaire–the era was full of memorable events and characters. Michael Allin deftly weaves them into the story with an appreciation for detail and an uncommon affection. The giraffe's strange and wonderful journey linked Africa and Europe in mutual discovery. Although her arrival did not keep the French out of Ali's war, she became an instant celebrity in Paris and over the next eighteen years she fascinated all of Europe. Through Michael Allin's narrative skill, Zarafa stirs the imagination as it provides a new context for the history of a distant age.

Download or read book The Rhinoceros of South Asia written by Kees Rookmaaker and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2024-06-12 with total page 891 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The rhinoceros is an iconic animal. Three species once inhabited South Asia, two of which disappeared over a century ago. This survey aims to reconstruct the historical distribution of these large mammals resulting in new maps showing the extent of their occurrences. Thousands of sources varied in time and nature are used to study the interactions between man and rhinoceros. The text is supported by over 700 illustrations and 38 maps showing the importance of the rhinoceros in the scientific and cultural fabric of Asia and beyond.

Download or read book The Knight at Dawn written by Mary Pope Osborne and published by Random House Books for Young Readers. This book was released on 2010-06-15 with total page 80 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The #1 bestselling chapter book series of all time celebrates 25 years with new covers and a new, easy-to-use numbering system! A castle with a secret passage! That's what Jack and Annie find when the Magic Tree House whisks them back to the Middle Ages for another wild adventure. In the Great Hall of the castle, a feast is under way. But Jack and Annie aren't exactly welcome guests! Did you know that there’s a Magic Tree House book for every kid? Magic Tree House: Adventures with Jack and Annie, perfect for readers who are just beginning chapter books Merlin Missions: More challenging adventures for the experienced reader Super Edition: A longer and more dangerous adventure Fact Trackers: Nonfiction companions to your favorite Magic Tree House adventures Have more fun with Jack and Annie at MagicTreeHouse.com!

Download or read book Representing and De Constructing Borderlands written by Weronika Łaszkiewicz and published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing. This book was released on 2016-02-08 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume stems from the assumption that broadly-understood borderlands, as well as peripheries, provinces or uttermost ends of different kinds, are abodes of significant culture-generating forces. From the academic point of view, their undeniable appeal lies in the fact that they constitute spaces of mutual interactions and enable new cultural phenomena to surface, grow or decline, and, as such, are worth thorough and constant scrutiny. However, they also provide the setting for radical clashes between ideologies, languages, religions, customs, and, as the media report every single day, armies or guerrilla units. Living within such areas of creative dynamics and destructive friction (or visiting them, even vicariously as the contributors to the volume do) is tantamount to exposing oneself to a difference. One’s response to this difference – either in the form of rejection or, more preferably, acceptance (or a mixture of both) – is not merely an index of one’s tolerance (a platitudinised term itself that all too often hides an attitude of comfortable indifference), but an affirmation of humaneness. Borderlands are paradoxical, if not aporetic, loci. They simultaneously connote territories on either side of a border, in a literal sense, and a vague, intermediate state or region, in a metaphorical sense. Encapsulating the idea of border, the term indicates both inescapable nearness and unavoidable (or perhaps unbridgeable) separateness. The studies included in the volume focus on various aspects of borderland art and literature, on analyses of selected works, and on the peculiarities of cultural and literary representations. Thus, the borderland landscape, both literal and metaphorical, comes to be seen as a factor contributing to the emergence of new, distinct and identifiable themes and motifs, as well as theoretical frameworks.