Between the fifteenth and the mid-seventeenth centuries, when the Renaissance and early capitalism were transforming Europe, changes no less dramatic were occurring in Southeast Asia. This diverse tropical region was integrated into a global trade system, while trade-based cities came to dominate its affairs. Its states became more centralized and absolutist, and its people adopted scriptural faiths of personal morality.

The pace of these changes finds parallels only in our own era. Anthony R...

An enthralling account of paganism in Britain, from the Paleolithic Age to the arrival of Christianity

A beloved introductory physics textbook, now including exercises and an answer key, explains the concepts essential for thorough scientific understanding In this concise book, R. Shankar, a well-known physicist and contagiously enthusiastic educator, explains the essential concepts of Newtonian mechanics, special relativity, waves, fluids, thermodynamics, and statistical mechanics. Now in an expanded edition—complete with problem sets and answers for course use or self-study—this work p...

A collection of extra-biblical scriptures written by the gnostics, updated with three ancient texts including the recently discovered Gospel of Judas “The one indispensable book for the understanding of Gnosis and Gnosticism.”—Harold Bloom This definitive introduction to the gnostic scriptures provides a crucial look at the theology, religious atmosphere, and literary traditions of ancient Christianity and Hellenistic Judaism. It provides authoritative translations of ancient texts from...

A major new history of Saudi Arabia, from its eighteenth-century origins to the present day

A human history of one of the planet’s most iconic lakes, and the civilizations that surrounded its shores

The definitive history of the druids in Britain, from their ancient origins to the present day

A concise history of the goddess-like figures who evade both Christian and pagan traditions, from the medieval period to the present day