Cet ouvrage résulte d'un travail de plus de deux ans, mené à partir d'interviews des proches, des rivaux, des collègues, mais aussi d'entretiens avec le cofondateur de la firme Apple, Steve Jobs. Atteint d'un cancer, Steve Jobs évoquait sa carrière que certains qualifient d'exemplaire.
Ce recueil de notes et de correspondances dévoile la face inconnue et intime de Nelson Mandela, depuis l'éveil de sa conscience politique jusqu'à son rôle de leader d'une nation. Ses lettres de prison, ses carnets de notes, la retranscription de ses entretiens privés et le brouillon de son manuscrit autobiographique révèlent les réflexions et les espoirs mais aussi les peurs et les faiblesses d'un homme au-delà de la légende.
Christianity emerged nearly two thousand years ago in ancient Palestine, profoundly influencing human history. Yet, the origins remain elusive. How did Jesus, a first-century Jew, ignite a new religion? This question is one of history's greatest mysteries. Traditionally, the birth of Christianity has been linked to the miracle of the Resurrection, where Jesus, after his death, was raised by God and appeared to his disciples, urging them to spread the gospel. Witnessing the Risen Jesus solidified their belief, leading to the rapid spread of Christianity across the Middle East and Europe, eventually dominating much of the world. However, historians struggle to explain this success without the Resurrection as a catalyst. If no one truly saw the Risen Jesus, what convinced his followers of his immortality? Art historian Thomas de Wesselow has dedicated seven years to unraveling this puzzle, reconstructing a new understanding of Christianity's origins. By reassessing a familiar yet misunderstood historical source and reinterpreting biblical passages, he reveals that the answer has been overlooked for over a century: the Shroud of Turin, often dismissed as a fake, is authentic and holds the key to this enduring mystery.
Throughout his life Mozart was inspired, fascinated, amused, aroused, hurt, disappointed and betrayed by women; and he appeared equally fascinating to them. But, first and last, Mozart loved and respected women. His mother, his sister, his wife, her sisters, his patrons, his friends, his lovers and his artists all figure prominently in his life. Jane Glover introduces us to Mozart’s mother, Maria Anna and his beloved and talented sister, Nannerl. We meet, too, Mozart’s ‘other family’, the Webers: Constanze, his wife, much maligned by history, and her sisters Aloysia, Sophie and Josepha. This is their story. But it is also the story of the women in his operas, all of whom were – like his sister, his mother, his wife and entire female acquaintance – restrained by the conventions and strictures of eighteenth-century society. Yet through his glorious writing, he identified and released the emotions of his characters. They hold up the mirror to their audiences and offer inestimable insight, together constituting yet further proof of Mozart’s true genius and phenomenal understanding of human nature. Rich, evocative and compellingly readable, Mozart's Women illuminates the music and the man, but above all, the women who inspired him.
The God Delusion caused a sensation when it was published in 2006. Within weeks it became the most hotly debated topic, with Dawkins himself branded as either saint or sinner for presenting his hard-hitting, impassioned rebuttal of religion of all types. His argument could hardly be more topical. While Europe is becoming increasingly secularized, the rise of religious fundamentalism, whether in the Middle East or Middle America, is dramatically and dangerously dividing opinion around the world. In America, and elsewhere, a vigorous dispute between 'intelligent design' and Darwinism is seriously undermining and restricting the teaching of science. In many countries religious dogma from medieval times still serves to abuse basic human rights such as women's and gay rights. And all from a belief in a God whose existence lacks evidence of any kind. Dawkins attacks God in all his forms. He eviscerates the major arguments for religion and demonstrates the supreme improbability of a supreme being. He shows how religion fuels war, foments bigotry and abuses children. The God Delusion is a brilliantly argued, fascinating polemic that will be required reading for anyone interested in this most emotional and important subject.
Lange tijd was de SLag om Moskou in de militaire geschiedenis van de Tweede Wereldoorlog genegeerd. Stalin associeerde deze slag vooral met zijn eigen verkeerde inschattingen en de beschamende paniek van de eerste maanden van de strijd tegen de Duitsers. Moskou moest daarom tot 1965 wachten voor het "Heldenstad" werd. Het Museum voor de Verdediging van Moskou werd zelfs pas in 1995 opgericht. Dat de Slag om Moskou van groot belang is geweest staat echter buiten kijf: deze slag zou de geschiedenisboeken ingaan als de grootste ooit met meer dan 7 miljoen soldaten aan beide zijden en een strijdtoneel dat even groot was als de oppervlakte van Frankrijk. Het aantal SOvjetslachtoffers bij deze ene slag was hoger dan het totale slachtoffers van de Britten en Amerikanen in de hele Tweede Wereldoorlog. Dit was de afschuwelijke prijs die ze betaalden voor het feit dat ze de Wehrmacht de eerste echte nederlaag toebrachten. In zijn verslag verwerkte Braithwaiten de levensverhalen van burgers en soldaten, maar ook politici, intellectuelen, kunstenaars, schoolkinderen en boeren. Zo ontstaat een indringend beeld van hoe de strijd het dagelijks leven in Moskou beïnvloedde en welke moed en opoffering - vrijwillig en gedwongen - werden gevraagd van de burgerbevolking. Daarnaast schetst Braithwaite levendige portretten van Stalin en zijn generaals.