"When Pope Pius XII died in 1958, his papers were sealed in the Vatican Secret Archives, leaving unanswered questions about what he knew and did during World War II. Those questions have only grown and festered, making Pius XII one of the most controversial popes in Church history, especially now as the Vatican prepares to canonize him. In 2020, Pius XII's archives were finally opened, and David I. Kertzer--widely recognized as one of the world's...

"The Magicians : Alice's Story is an all new chapter set in the world of The Magicians trilogy of novels by New York Times bestselling author Lev Grossman that retells the events of the first novel through fan-favorite character Alice Quinn. Alice Quinn is manifestly brilliant, and she's always known that magic is real. During her years at Brakebills College for Magical Pedagogy, she rises to the top of her class, falls in love with Quentin Coldwater,...

A group of students go hiking into the mountains of Siberia, close to the border with Mongolia. One day on a very difficult climb, the group leader Olle gets lost in a lethal landslide. His team presume he’s dead so they forge on to the nearest village for help. The locals mistrust them and they end up in jail, and then things go from bad to worse when Olle’s body mysteriously shows up. Has the local legend come true?

Provides informative biographical profiles of the important and influential persons of African American and/or black heritage. Covers persons of various nationalities in a wide variety of fields, including architecture, art, business, dance, education, fashion, film, industry, journalism, law, literature, medicine, music, politics and government, publishing, religion, science and technology, social issues, sports, television, theater, and others.

The startling truth behind one of the most notorious dynasties in history is revealed in a remarkable new account by the acclaimed author of The Tudors and A World Undone. Sweeping aside the gossip, slander, and distortion that have shrouded the Borgias for centuries, G. J. Meyer offers an unprecedented portrait of the infamous Renaissance family and their storied milieu.
 
They burst out of obscurity in Spain not...

Professor William R. Cook explores the vast and fascinating history of one of the most influential spiritual institutions in the world. Follow the development of this powerful religious force throughout the centuries and witness its ability to move armies, inspire saints, and shape the lives and spirits of its more than 1 billion members.

The particular conditions of 15th- and 16th-century Italy allowed the popes to augment their power and fashion themselves as rulers. Here, explore papal programs designed to cement Rome as Christendom's true capital (after a century of geographic dislocations) and their architects, including Nicholas V, Pius II, and Sixtus IV.

Amen. examines the links between the Vatican and Nazi Germany. The central character is Kurt Gerstein (Ulrich Tukur), a Waffen-SS officer employed in the SS Hygiene Institute, designing programs for the purification of water and the destruction of vermin. He is shocked to learn that the process he has developed to eradicate typhus, by using a hydrogen cyanide mixture called Zyklon B, is now being used for killing Jews in extermination camps. Gerstein...

From 121BC onwards, powerful leaders dominated the political fortunes of Rome. Marius - the military reformer, Sulla - the dictator, Cicero - the lawyer, orator and consul, and Julius Caesar who appointed himself dictator in 45BC. When the Roman fleet destroyed the Egyptians at the Battle of Actium, Augustus became the first Roman Emperor. The rule of the Julio-Claudia emperors, notably Caligula and Nero, were a disgrace. During the period of the...