Showing results by publisher "Saga Egmont" in History

Henry V is one of the most famous monarchs England ever had. His story is one of incredible rise against overwhelming odds: as heir to the throne, he began as a complete failure, his reputation very low, as he was an insecure ruler and victim to plots and cabals to remove him from power. While England was at war with France, everything seemed to go from terrible to terribly worse. The Battle of Agincourt was one of the most impressive gambles ever taken in military history.

King Edward I "Longshanks", or the "Hammer of the Scots", was a major figure of Medieval England. Arguably one of the most controversial British monarchs, he was portrayed as an ignominious villain in Mel Gibsons' Braveheart; but the reality was different. Indeed, his reign stands among the most dramatic and important of the entire Middle Ages, as Edward I brought war and conquest on an unprecedented scale; but he is also credited for bringing together the largest parliaments ever, for his competent rulership, and for the magnificent chain of castles he had built.

All Henry VI "The Mad" ever wanted was peace. But everything kept going to hell around him, till his mind broke from the pressure of having to rule two kingdoms, wage a war, and survive countless cabals all the while having not a single clue how rulership worked. Henry VI was thrown into power at the tender age of nine months, and kept being let down by everyone around him, while he struggled to understand what was going on.

Richard III: one of the most divisive and enigmatic figures in British history. Few monarchs have been held in greater infamy than Richard Plantagenet, who would later ascend the throne as King Richard III; his character has been passionately besmirched and defended, and the arguments still rage after several centuries. He was depicted as a deformed monster in Shakespeare's play, but maybe this was to obey the will of the Tudor monarchy of the time. His real tragedy was both personal and political; his story, replete with intrigue, murder, war, and treachery. Richard III laid the foundations for modern government, often taking the side of the people against the barons; for this, he eventually paid a terrible price.

A time of extreme religious unrest, a most magnificent and dangerous court, and strong ideas about the need for a perfect heir: all this may have been enough to transform an intelligent, compassionate and generous young king into such a bloody monster that he was eventually called the "English Nero". Henry VIII is most remembered for his six marriages, two of which ended with beheadings.

Henry Tudor was born in a country ravaged by conspiracies, coups, and ruthless violence. He belonged to the Plantagenet Royal Family, House of Lancaster. They were engaged in a bloody battle with the House of York, in a conflict that had been going on for years for control of the throne of England: the War of the Roses. Through ruse and guile, Henry Tudor made sure he emerged as the only claimant to the Crown. When he ascended the throne, he managed to unite the two warring houses by his marriage with Elizabeth of York, effectively ending the civil war while founding the Tudor dynasty; but to many, he remained an usurper and a false king. His story is rich with treachery, intrigue, and ruthlessness, while he was a capable monarch.

The Battle of Thermopylae is without doubt the most famous battle in European ancient history. It has inspired many poems, stories, and movies, most recently Frank Miller's 300. Vastly outnumbered Greek soldiers fought with all their might and held off the Persian army for seven days, before the rear-guard was annihilated in one of history's most famous last stands. This battle is a perfect example of tactical optimization and a stunning demonstration of the advantages of training and equipment to maximize an army's potential.

Discover the fundamentals of the French republic with two essentials. "The French declaration of the rights of Man and of the Citizen" has been of tremendous influence on every democracy ever since; "La Marseillaise", which has been called "the greatest national anthem in the world", is a powerful and inspiring cry for battle and freedom. "The Declaration of the rights of Man and of the Citizen" introduce the idea that human rights are a feature of human nature itself; it is the first time the rights of man were said to be universal, without distinction of race or religion. This was the idea used to create a nation of free individuals equally protected by law, and it is still the basis of many democracies today.

The Cid, an Arab nickname meaning "the Lord", has been called the "most famous Spaniard of all time". Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar was a Castillan military and political leader in medieval Spain. He was an outstanding general, first leading the Spanish against the Moors in victorious battles, then working as a mercenary-general for whoever would require a war won. He eventually captured the city of Valencia, keeping it to himself and ruling it until his death. His remarkable military ability made him the legendary national hero of Spain. He remains an idolized figure in Spain, and his name has been immortalized in every form of story.

The emperor Caligula was one of the strangest and cruelest rulers that ever lived, and most of what is known about his reign comes from Suetonius. The first six months of his reign appear to have been moderate and successful; but after that, he fell into a spiral of sadism, sexual perversity, and plain insanity that made him one of the most hated tyrants of all time.

Wer waren die Römer? Wie lebten sie? Der Autor legt eine aus den Quellen gewonnene Alltagsgeschichte vor, die uns das römische Volk mit seinen uns völlig fernen Lebensumständen und seinem Lebensgefühl besser verstehen lässt. Der Bogen spannt sich vom Familienleben über Bildung und Erziehung bis hin zu Freizeit und Politik.

In Caesar und Pompeius, den vielleicht bedeutendsten Politikern ihrer Zeit, verdichtet sich die Krise der späten römischen Republik...

Wird über den dunkelsten Fleck in der deutschen Geschichte gesprochen, kommt immer wiederdie Frage auf, ob es der deutschen Bevölkerung nicht möglich gewesen wäre, Widerstand zu leisten. Doch wo beginnt Widerstand? Dieser Frage geht dieses Hörbuch nach, exemplarisch an den Lebensgeschichten von den Geschwistern Scholl, Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg und Oskar Schindler.

Sie faszinieren uns noch heute: trutzige Ritterburgen und prächtige Königsresidenzen. Doch wie gestaltete sich das Leben am Hofe wirklich...

Nichts hat das Mittelalter so geprägt wie das Christentum - alle Bereiche des Lebens wurden von einem übermächtigen Glauben bestimmt...

Nicht zu Unrecht gilt Augustus als die widersprüchlichste Gestalt der römischen Geschichte: Protagonist des Bürgerkrieges um das Erbe Caesars und Stifter der "Pax Augusta"...

Der Kölner Dom, die Wartburg, Weimar, Lübeck und Bamberg sind wichtige Zeugen unserer Vergangenheit...

Die DDR wird oft auf Begriffe wie SED, Stasi und Enteignungen reduziert. Doch das Leben in Ostdeutschland war nicht nur schlecht und die Menschen alle unglücklich...

Byzanz, Vergessenes Rom am Bosporus; Reich der Franken; Irland; Die Araber.

Die Völkerwanderung: Europa in Aufruhr; Aksum: Großmacht in Afrika; Rätsel der Anden: Geheimnisvolle Zeichen im peruanischen Hochland; Die Hunnen: Attilas wilde Horden.