A narrative history of the origins of Western civilization argues that Europe was transformed in the tenth century from a continent rife with violence and ignorance to a continent on the rise.

Arcturus, the half-native, half-Roman doctor and occasional problem-solver, has seen much in his thirty-three years. He's risen--despite not playing the politics game. He the doctor and friend of Agricola, the governor of Britannia. He learns the governor is in trouble. He has seven days to unravel fact from story, truth from rumor, and motive from murder. He must walk a carnival landscape of fear and uncertainty, strewn with sadistic pimps, drunken...

"On a misty day in February, CE 194, Libertus, reluctant councillor and pavement maker by trade, is summoned to meet his patron at the local public baths. Marcus Aurelius is concerned because a distant cousin from Rome has announced his impending arrival and Marcus is convinced he is a spy for the Emperor Severus, despatched to Glevum to investigate reports of an 'act of treason.' Meanwhile, Libertus has concerns of his own. The local money-lender...

In the predawn hours of July 10, 2014, the son of Alaskan scientist and National Geographic Explorer Roman Dial walked alone into Corcovado National Park, an untracked rainforest along Costa Rica's remote Pacific Coast. He carried a light backpack and machete. Cody emailed his father that he would do 4 days in the jungle and a day to walk out. He was never seen again. The authorities suspected murder. Dial was forced to confront the question: Was...

Ancient Rome is a magnificent volume that traces the dramatic history of the Roman Empire, paying particular attention to its rise and fall and its lasting social, cultural, military, and political influence. From great feats and everyday customs, to works of art and household objects, this comprehensive account offers a fascinating insight into the highly complex and sophisticated society that once ruled the world. Authoritative text by Anna Maria...

"Defense attorney Dismas Hardy returns to defend a close friend against murder charges in New York Times bestselling author John Lescroart's most suspenseful and intricately plotted novel to date"--

After narrowly surviving his last operation, Gabriel Allon, the wayward son of Israeli intelligence, has taken refuge behind the walls of the Vatican, where he is restoring one of Caravaggio's greatest masterpieces. But early one morning he is summoned to St. Peter's Basilica by Monsignor Luigi Donati, the all-powerful private secretary to His Holiness Pope Paul VII. The body of a beautiful woman lies broken beneath Michelangelo's magnificent dome....