In the Shadow of the Gods: The Emperor in World History by Dominic Lieven on Audiobook New

In the Shadow of the Gods: The Emperor in World History by Dominic Lieven

• In the Shadow of the Gods: The Emperor in World History
• Dominic Lieven
• Page: 528
• Format: pdf, ePub, mobi, fb2
• ISBN: 9780735222199
• Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group

Download In the Shadow of the Gods: The Emperor in World History

Real book free download pdf In the Shadow of the Gods: The Emperor in World History

Overview

A dazzling account of the men (and occasional woman) who led the world’s empires, a book that probes the essence of leadership and power through the centuries and around the world. From the rise of Sargon of Akkad, who in the third millennium BCE ruled what is now Iraq and Syria, to the collapse of the great European empires in the twentieth century, the empire has been the dominant form of power in history. Dominic Lieven’s expansive book explores strengths and failings of the human beings who held those empires together (or let them crumble). He projects the power, terror, magnificence, and confidence of imperial monarchy, tracking what they had in common as well as what made some rise to glory and others fail spectacularly, and at what price each destiny was reached. Lieven’s characters—Constantine, Chinggis Khan, Trajan, Suleyman, Hadrian, Louis XIV, Maria Theresa, Peter the Great, Queen Victoria, and dozens more—come alive with color, energy, and detail: their upbringings, their loves, their crucial spouses, their dreadful children. They illustrate how politics and government are a gruelling business: a ruler needed stamina, mental and physical toughness, and self-confidence. He or she needed the sound judgement of problems and people which is partly innate but also the product of education and experience. A good brain was essential for setting priorities, weighing conflicting advice, and matching ends to needs. A diplomatically astute marriage was often even more essential. Emperors (and the rare empresses) could be sacred symbols, warrior kings, political leaders, chief executive officers of the government machine, heads of a family, and impresarios directing the many elements of "soft power" essential to any regime’s survival. What was it like to live and work in such an extraordinary role? What qualities did it take to perform this role successfully? Lieven traces the shifting balance among these elements across eras that encompass a staggering array of events from the rise of the world’s great religions to the scientific revolution, the expansion of European empires across oceans, the great twentieth century conflicts, and the triumph of nationalism over imperialism. The rule of the emperor may be over, but Lieven shows us how we live with its poltical and cultural legacies today.

Pdf downloads: DOWNLOADS The Civil War of Amos Abernathy by Michael Leali here, {epub download} The Best Lasagna Recipe the Pasta and Sauce : This Cookbook Is The Perfect Bundle Of Lasagna Recipes For Pasta Lovers. And Offers Everything From Traditional To Unusual Dishes. pdf, [Pdf/ePub] Spaceships 2nd Edition: An Illustrated History of the Real and the Imagined by Ron Miller, Matthew Shindell, Margaret A. Weitekamp, Ron Miller, Matthew Shindell, Margaret A. Weitekamp download ebook site, [PDF/Kindle] Journal cru et trop intime d'une fille qui voulait se taper la terre entière by Sarah Treille Stefani here, My Busy Dinosaur Coloring Book by Tiger Tales, Cathy Hughes, Tiger Tales, Cathy Hughes on Ipad download pdf, DOWNLOADS La croisade d'Aliénor download pdf, {epub download} Eutopia download link, Read online: If an Egyptian Cannot Speak English: A Novel by Noor Naga download pdf, PDF [DOWNLOAD] The Truth Detector: An Ex-FBI Agent's Guide for Getting People to Reveal the Truth by Jack Schafer, Marvin Karlins Ph.D. on Iphone download link, [Pdf/ePub] Zero-Sum Victory: What We're Getting Wrong About War by download ebook read pdf,