The
sixth century was an era of personalities and
uprisings. It was the time of Xenophanes, Cyrus,
Solon the lawmaker, Sappho, the Budda, Aeschylus,
Pythagoras, Confucius, Lao-tzu and Nebuchadnezzar; it
was the era of prose re-awakenings and the
exploration of rational thought.
George
Woodcock's The Marvellous
Century, brings the era and the
personalities to life as he explores the literature,
the philosophy, the politics, the sciences. He
documents the writing of the Upanishads, pursues the
thought of the Greek astronomer and philosopher
Thales, traces the emergence of atomic theories in
India, the emergence of geography, geology and
physics as disciplines, and monitors the economics of
the central Asia silk trade. He reflects upon the
great religions--Christianity, Islam, Zoroastrianism
and Modern Judaism--all of whom had their roots in
the sixth century, and discusses how, and why, so
much that was vital to our civilization came into
being during this era.
The
Marvellous Century is a century
of history in one volume, filled with characters,
events, romance, and intrigue. It is a fascinating
journey that allows us to experience the beauty,
savagery and all-encompassing impact of the 6th
century B.C., a century characterized by a cluster of
events that changed irrevocably the way humans looked
upon the universe and even upon themselves.
George Woodcock
(1912-1995)--poet, author, essayist and widely known
as a literary journalist and historian--published
more than 90 titles on history, biography,
philosophy, poetry and literary criticism.
256
pages, 6x9, references, bibliography, index
Paperback ISBN: 1-55164-266-2 $24.99
Hardcover ISBN: 1-55164-267-0 $53.99
Table of Contents
History
May
2005
