Masks of Mayhem (Puffin Adventure Gamebooks)

Children's Books

Robin Waterfield

Action & Adventure

Puffin Penguin Books

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea

Classics

Penguin Uk

Why Socrates Died: Dispelling the Myths

A revisionist account of the most famous trial and execution in Western civilization―one with great resonance for American society today. Socrates’ trial and death together form an iconic moment in Western civilization. In 399 BCE, the great philosopher stood before an Athenian jury on serious charges: impiety and “subverting the young men of the city.” The picture we have of it―created by his immediate followers, Plato and Xenophon, and perpetuated in countless works of literature and art ever since―is of a noble man putting his lips to the poisonous cup of hemlock, sentenced to death in a fit of folly by an ancient Athenian democracy already fighting for its own life. But an icon, an image, is not reality, and time has transmuted so many of the facts into historical fable. Aware of these myths, Robin Waterfield has examined the actual Greek sources and presents here a new Socrates, in which he separates the legend from the man himself. As Waterfield recounts the story, the charges of impiety and corrupting the youth of Athens were already enough for a death sentence, but the prosecutors accused him of more. They asserted that Socrates was not just an atheist and the guru of a weird sect but also an elitist who surrounded himself with politically undesirable characters and had mentored those responsible for defeat in the Peloponnesian War. Their claims were not without substance, for Plato and Xenophon, among Socrates’ closest companions, had idolized him as students, while Alcibiades, the hawkish and notoriously self-serving general, had brought Athens to the brink of military disaster. In fact, as Waterfield perceptively shows through an engrossing historical narrative, there was a great deal of truth, from an Athenian perspective, in these charges. The trial was, in part, a response to troubled times―Athens was reeling from a catastrophic war and undergoing turbulent social changes―and Socrates’ companions were unfortunately direct representatives of these troubles. Their words and actions, judiciously sifted and placed in proper context, not only serve to portray Socrates as a flesh-and-blood historical figure but also provide a good lens through which to explore both the trial and the general history of the period. Ultimately, the study of these events and principal figures allows us to finally strip away the veneer that has for so long denied us glimpses of the real Socrates. Why Socrates Died is an illuminating, authoritative account of not only one of the defining periods of Western civilization but also of one of its most defining figures. 4 pages of illustrations

History

Ancient Civilizations

W.W.Norton&Company

Xenophon's Retreat: Greece, Persia and the end of the Golden Age

Faber&Faber

Why Socrates Died

A revisionist account of the most famous trial and execution in Western civilization―one with great resonance for American society today. Socrates’ trial and death together form an iconic moment in Western civilization. In 399 BCE, the great philosopher stood before an Athenian jury on serious charges: impiety and “subverting the young men of the city.” The picture we have of it―created by his immediate followers, Plato and Xenophon, and perpetuated in countless works of literature and art ever since―is of a noble man putting his lips to the poisonous cup of hemlock, sentenced to death in a fit of folly by an ancient Athenian democracy already fighting for its own life. But an icon, an image, is not reality, and time has transmuted so many of the facts into historical fable. Aware of these myths, Robin Waterfield has examined the actual Greek sources and presents here a new Socrates, in which he separates the legend from the man himself. As Waterfield recounts the story, the charges of impiety and corrupting the youth of Athens were already enough for a death sentence, but the prosecutors accused him of more. They asserted that Socrates was not just an atheist and the guru of a weird sect but also an elitist who surrounded himself with politically undesirable characters and had mentored those responsible for defeat in the Peloponnesian War. Their claims were not without substance, for Plato and Xenophon, among Socrates’ closest companions, had idolized him as students, while Alcibiades, the hawkish and notoriously self-serving general, had brought Athens to the brink of military disaster. In fact, as Waterfield perceptively shows through an engrossing historical narrative, there was a great deal of truth, from an Athenian perspective, in these charges. The trial was, in part, a response to troubled times―Athens was reeling from a catastrophic war and undergoing turbulent social changes―and Socrates’ companions were unfortunately direct representatives of these troubles. Their words and actions, judiciously sifted and placed in proper context, not only serve to portray Socrates as a flesh-and-blood historical figure but also provide a good lens through which to explore both the trial and the general history of the period. Ultimately, the study of these events and principal figures allows us to finally strip away the veneer that has for so long denied us glimpses of the real Socrates. Why Socrates Died is an illuminating, authoritative account of not only one of the defining periods of Western civilization but also of one of its most defining figures. 4 pages of illustrations

Biographies & Memoirs

Historical

Faber and Faber

This guide to "Baywatch" provides readers with all the information they need about the lives, adventures and relationships of all the characters and the actors who play them. It also features a section on the Californian beach-lifestyle and the work of real lifeguards. "Penguin Readers" is a series of simplified novels, film novelizations and original titles that introduce students at all levels to the pleasures of reading in English. Originally designed for teaching English as a foreign language, the series' combination of high interest level and low reading age makes it suitable for both English-speaking teenagers with limited reading skills and students of English as a second language. Many titles in the series also provide access to the pre-20th century literature strands of the National Curriculum English Orders. "Penguin Readers" are graded at seven levels of difficulty, from "Easystarts" with a 200-word vocabulary, to Level 6 (Advanced) with a 3000-word vocabulary. In addition, titles fall into one of three sub-categories: "Contemporary", "Classics" or "Originals". At the end of each book there is a section of enjoyable exercises focusing on vocabulary building, comprehension, discussion and writing. Some titles in the series are available with an accompanying audio cassette, or in a book and cassette pack. Additionally, selected titles have free accompanying "Penguin Readers Factsheets" which provide stimulating exercise material for students, as well as suggestions for teachers on how to exploit the Readers in class.

Baywatch - the Inside Story: Book and Cassette Pack (Penguin Readers: Level 2) (Penguin Audio-Readers)

Education & Teaching

Schools & Teaching

Penguin Longman Publishing

Mr Verloc is an anarchist and wants to see a revolution in Britain, but he also wants to live a quiet life looking after his shop. Then Mr Vladimir orders him to bomb the Greenwich Observatory in London. Will Mr Verloc do the job, and what happens if it all goes wrong? "Penguin Readers" is a series of simplified novels, film novelizations and original titles that introduce students at all levels to the pleasures of reading in English. Originally designed for teaching English as a foreign language, the series' combination of high interest level and low reading age makes it suitable for both English-speaking teenagers with limited reading skills and students of English as a second language. Many titles in the series also provide access to the pre-20th century literature strands of the National Curriculum English Orders. "Penguin Readers" are graded at seven levels of difficulty, from "Easystarts" with a 200-word vocabulary, to Level 6 (Advanced) with a 3000-word vocabulary. In addition, titles fall into one of three sub-categories: "Contemporary", "Classics" or "Originals". At the end of each book there is a section of enjoyable exercises focusing on vocabulary building, comprehension, discussion and writing. Some titles in the series are available with an accompanying audio cassette, or in a book and cassette pack. Additionally, selected titles have free accompanying "Penguin Readers Factsheets" which provide stimulating exercise material for students, as well as suggestions for teachers on how to exploit the Readers in class.

Penguin Readers Level 3: the Secret Agent: Book and Cassette (Penguin Readers) (Penguin Longman Penguin Readers)

Joseph, Conrad

Traces the influences that shaped Kahlil Gibran, author of the inspirational New Age text The Prophet, which remains an enduring work of the 20th century. He explores Gibran's development from the wounded Romantic and angry young man to his final metamorphosis as the Prophet of New York, following him from the decadence of Boston to the vigor of Greenwich Village in its heyday before the WW1. Though known outwardly for the peace and optimism that permeates his work, Gibran's life was littered with personal tragedy. Tormented by his failure to live up to his own vision of spiritual fulfillment, Gibran ultimately succumbed to the ravages of alcoholism. Illustrated.

Prophet: The Life and Times of Kahlil Gibran

Arts & Literature

St.Martin's Press

The Greek Myths: Stories of the Greek Gods and Heroes Vividly Retold

The Greek Myths contains some of the most thrilling, romantic, and unforgettable stories in all human history. From Achilles rampant on the fields of Troy, to the gods at sport on Mount Olympus; from Icarus flying too close

Politics & Social Sciences

Kathryn Waterfield

Social Sciences

Quercus

Meditations

Marcus, Aurelius

Independently published

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Books by Robin Waterfield