Creasy's most famous work, the Fifteen Battles, reveals much about 19th century white-supremacist European sentiment, being laced with explicit references to the deplorable barbarism and immorality of non-Europeans. Indeed, the reason Creasy gives for the significance of most of the fifteen battles, is the very fact that they denied Middle Eastern / Far Eastern people groups access to European soil. For example, Attila the Hun's defeat at Chalons, defeat of the Moors at Tours, Babylonian defeat at Arbella, Defeat of Hasdrubel at Metaurus, other Carthaginian defeats in Mediterranean and the first battle Creasy describes, Marathon. Coming as he does, just before Darwin, Creasy's world-view is notably one of 'enlightenment', and he sees Europe as the origin of civilization. His logic is ephemeral, as he ascribes the Christian Gospel as a gift to Europe, which she alone could deserve. He shares with most Post-Waterloo, 19th century writers the illusion that world peace has been achieved by enlightened Man. Ranging from Marathon to Waterloo, this 1851 classic of military history chronicles the battles that changed the course of history. It ranks among the most influential, popular histories ever published, and generations of students and historians have appreciated its gripping, authoritative analyzes of  battles at Tours, Hastings, Saratoga, and elsewhere.

Fifteen Decisive Battles Of The World

Edward Shepherd Creasy

Cedar Lake Publications

Advancement Of Learning

Francis, Bacon

"The Wealth of Nations" by Adam Smith lays the foundations of modern economics without the formalization which would come later. Adam Smith starts by exploring the need for specialization of labor once societies advance beyond the hunter gatherer phase, making the natural assumption that each individual pursues their best interests. Smith then foreshadows the concepts of marginal utility and scarcity in determining the shapes of demand curves for commodities. Similarly, he describes the three factors determining supply prices for commodities (rent of land, wages and capital costs ) and the various factors which influence them (the equivalent of modern supply/demand curves for each factor ). Smith then puts these together under ideal circumstances to show how supply and demand meet to clear markets (equilibrium in modern language). "The Wealth of Nations" covers macroeconomics, laying the foundations for GDP and showing how capital can be distributed to unproductive and productive labor. "The Wealth of Nations" also explores the consequences of various distribution of each from both the micro and macroeconomic perspective. Adam Smith concludes by emphasizing the importance of government in providing international and domestic security as well as providing public works and institutions especially education. Naturally this requires state revenue and he devotes almost one entire "book" to taxes. Smith also delves briefly into political economy especially mercantilism and its detrimental effects to society at large. "The Wealth of Nations" is a great introduction to modern economics which explains the motivation for many modern economic concepts which are too often lost today.

Wealth Of Nations

Adam, Smith

"How the Other Half Lives" by Jacob Riis sheds fascinating light on how our immigrants in the 1800's lived in New York City. A must-read for Americans whose family has been in the U.S. for only a few generations, this book tells what it was really like in the slums. Whether Irish, Italian, Jewish, Chinese or Polish, German, Russian, hordes of refugees ended up in New York on the promise of a better life. Entrepreneurs lured poor people from Eastern Europe and contracted out their labor in sweat shops in the US. The laborers lived in tenements, which were dark, unventilated cages in blocks of buildings that rented for a surprising high rent to people who died by the thousands in the unsanitary conditions. The conditions described by Jacob Riis in this classic are heart-rending, especially the part about foundling babies (abandoned newborns). A cradle was put outside a Catholic Church and instead of a baby each night, racks of babies appeared. The Church had to establish foundling hospitals run by nuns, who persuaded the unwed or impoverished mothers to nurse the baby they gave up, plus another baby. The child mortality rate, especially in the "back tenements" or buildings built on to the back of others (dark and airless) was incredible. Riis also provides interesting information about the gangs of New York in "How the Other Half Lived."

How the Other Half Lives: A Jacob Riis Classic

Jacob Riis

"Letters of a Woman Homesteader" is a frontier classic by Elinore Pruitt Stewart, a widowed young mother who accepted an offer to assist with a ranch in Wyoming. In Stewart's delightful collection of letters, she describes her homesteading experiences to her former employer, Mrs. Coney. Stewart's charming descriptions of work, travels, neighbors, animals, land and sky have an authentic feel. The West comes alive, and everyday life becomes captivating. Stewart's writing is clear, witty, and entertaining. Clear as a bell, concise yet comprehensive, replete with localisms and skillfully rendered frontier humor, it makes one want to toss the PC and reference library into the trash and move to some unspoiled wilderness. The 26 letters are brief and tell about her life on the ranch in the early 1900s. The author frequently and unnecessarily apologizes for being too wordy; she begs forgiveness for many "faults," like being forgetful, ungrateful, inconsistent and indifferent, all without apparent cause. On occasion, language reflects the racial prejudice of the time. Many times in "Letters of a Woman Homesteader" Stewart attempts to portray the culturally diverse characters she meets by writing their various dialects as they sound. After enjoying this book, readers will be equipped with a whole new view of not only life in the early 20th century but of the impact woman had on it.

Letters of a Woman Homesteader

Elinore Pruitt Stewart

"Stepping Heavenward" by Elizabeth Prentiss (first published in 1869), tells the story of Kate and her quest to live a better life. By watching her godly mother (with whom she becomes easily irritated at times), Kate learns about striving for excellence. A no-nonsense approach to Christian living, "Stepping Heavenward" employs good humor, all the while leading the reader to ponder deeper, eternal matters. The diary of Kate reveals innocence coupled with an acute awareness of her naturally human tendencies to selfishness. Through "Stepping Heavenward," we learn that small things really do matter, as Kate matures into a young woman with true depth of character. While Kate's freckle-faced candor is truly refreshing, the artfully penned expressions woven throughout "Stepping Heavenward" also provide great reading. There is humor, seriousness, and some sadness as Kate progresses through the stages of life. Through it all, author Elizabeth Prentiss displays an astounding ability to put the struggles faced by all men and women who desire to live for Christ yet are confronted by their flawed humanity, into words. "Stepping Heavenward" is an elevating, and interesting, book that both mothers and daughters will enjoy.

Stepping Heavenward

Elizabeth Prentiss

The Divine Comedy (Hell) describes Dante Alighieri 's journey through Hell (Inferno), guided first by the Roman epic poet Virgil and then by Beatrice. Dante called the poem "Comedy" because poems in the ancient world were classified as High ("Tragedy") or Low ("Comedy"). Low poems had happy endings and were of everyday or vulgar subjects, while High poems were for more serious matters. Dante was one of the first in the Middle Ages to write of a serious subject in the low and vulgar Italian language and not the Latin language as one might expect for such a serious topic. "The Divine Comedy" is an allegory where each canto may contain many alternate meanings. Dante's allegory is complex. Guided by the poet Virgil, Dante plunges to the very depths of Hell and embarks on his arduous journey towards God. Together they descend through the nine circles of the underworld and encounter the tormented souls of the damned - from heretics and pagans to gluttons, criminals and seducers - who tell of their sad fates and predict events still to come in Dante's life. In this first part of his "Divine Comedy", Dante fused satire and humor with intellect and soaring passion to create an immortal Christian allegory of mankind's search for self-knowledge and spiritual enlightenment. "The Divine Comedy" is often lauded for its particularly human qualities: Dante's skillful delineation of the characters he encounters in Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise; his bitter denunciations of Florentine and Italian politics; and his powerful poetic imagination. Dante's use of real characters allowed him the freedom of not having to involve the reader in description, and to make room in his poem for the discussion of a great many subjects of the utmost importance, thus widening its range and increasing its variety. "The Divine Comedy" is recommended reading for anyone interested in literature and medieval history.

Dante's Inferno

DANTE, ALIGHIERI

Charles Eliot Norton

This legendary book by Justice Benjamin N. Cardozo explains, in detail and with his famous style, how judges make decisions. Asked "What is it that I do when I decide a case? To what sources of information do I appeal for guidance?," Cardozo answered in timeless prose. This book is still read today by lawyers and judges, law students and scholars, historians and political scientists, and philosophers--anyone interested in how judges really think and the many decisional tools they employ. Already famous at the time for his trenchant and fluid opinions as a Justice on New York's highest court (he is still studied on questions of torts, contracts, and business law), and later a Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, Cardozo filled the lecture hall at Yale when he finally answered the frank query into what judges do and how do they do it. The lectures became a landmark book and a source for all other studies of the ways of a judge.

Nature Of The Judicial Process

Benjamin Cardozo

Mary Kingsley's "Travels in West Africa" has become a classic, and deservedly so. Her story is remarkable. In the 1890s, unmarried and no longer having to care for her parents, Kingsley decides she should travel in "the tropics" and sets off for "West Africa" (i.e., the West coast of Central Africa). She travels as a scientist, collecting fish specimens, and finances her travels by trading along the way--but mostly she travels for the love of adventure and to satisfy an appetite for the unknown. "Travels in West Africa" is a treasure trove of information about Atlantic-coast Central Africa in the late 1800s. The last third of "Travels in West Africa" consists of three long chapters on fetish customs. Although she lacks a systematic view of the role of fetishes and other spiritual tokens in the cultures she met, her depiction of their impact on everyday life and on funeral customs is enlightening. She delves into the afterlife beliefs of the peoples she encountered; in many of these cultures today, the beliefs she relates are still expressed in a form of syncretistic Christianity. But beyond its historic and sociological value, the book is just wonderful. Mary Kingsley's descriptions are vivid, her insights interesting, and her understated humor is a joy. Anyone with a love of exploration and a good story would enjoy "Travels in West Africa." Mary Kingsley's account of her experiences, suffused with an infectious good humor, was published to immediate success in 1897 and remains a compelling tale of adventure.

Travels In West Africa

Mary H. Kingsley

The South Pole by Roald Amundsen tells the story of the author's trek to the Antarctic region. Roald Amundsen led the first expedition to reach the South Pole, on December 14, 1911. His account, entitled The South Pole: An Account of the Norwegian Antarctic Expedition in the Fram, 1910-1912, tells how the team endured frostbite, snow blindness, and other horrors to reach their destination. Roald Amundsen planted the Norwegian flag on the South Pole on December 14, 1911, a full month before Robert Falcon Scott arrived on the same spot. Amundsen's book is a riveting first-hand account of a truly heroic expedition. The journey to the South Pole remains Roald Amundsen's masterpiece, the culmination of the classical age of Polar exploration and, perhaps, the greatest snow journey ever made.

South Pole

Roald Amundsen

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