Alexandria : the city that changed the world
Issa, Islam2024
Book
Inspired by the tales of Homer and his own ambitions of empire, Alexander the Great sketched the idea of a city onto the sparsely populated Egyptian coastline. He did not live to see Alexandria built, but his vision of a sparkling metropolis that celebrated learning and diversity was swiftly realised and still stands today. Situated on the cusp of Africa, Europe and Asia, great civilisations met in Alexandria. Together, Greeks and Egyptians, Romans and Jews created a global knowledge capital of enormous influence: the inventive collaboration of its citizens shaped modern philosophy, science, religion and more. In pitched battles, later empires, from the Arabs and Ottomans to the French and British, laid claim to the city but its independent spirit endures. In this sweeping biography of the great city, Islam Issa takes us on a journey across millennia, rich in big ideas, brutal tragedies and distinctive characters, from Cleopatra to Napoleon. From its humble origins to dizzy heights and present-day strife, Alexandria tells the gripping story of a city that has shaped our modern world.
Main title:
Alexandria : the city that changed the world / Islam Issa.
Author:
Issa, Islam, author
Edition:
First Pegasus Books cloth edition.
Imprint:
New York : Pegasus Books, 2024.©2024.
Collation:
476 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (chiefly colour), maps ; 24 cm.
Notes:
Includes bibliographical references (pages 433-459) and index.
Contents:
The ancient eraAlexander's dreamAlexander's dream cityPtolemy the SaviourThe PtolemiesWonder of the worldAll the books in the worldShrine of knowledgeCleopatrasAgeless CleopatraJewish hubSt Mark the EvangelistHorrorEarly ChristianityDestructionHypatiaIslamic conquestUmayyads and AbbasidsFatamidsThe Crusaders and Saladin's AyyubidsMamluks and the plagued centuryOttomansNapoleonThe father of EgyptBritish invasionThe First World War and revolutionCultural hubCultural renaissanceThe Second World WarThe postman's sonEpilogue.
ISBN:
9781639365456 (hardcover)
Dewey class:
962.1
Language:
English
Added title:
Subject:
BRN:
1971986