Hourly History

The Inquisition The Roman Catholic Inquisition was one of the most controversial organizations in human history. Although it has been painted in a negative light, the Inquisition was too broad in scope to define as simply good or bad. It was a period where conflict and bloodshed were inevitable. It was a time where war, famine, plague, and poverty were common factors of human life. From the 1180s to the 1830s, the Inquisition was the judicial arm of the Catholic Church. Created to root out and punish heretics within the Catholic faith, the Inquisition became an institution that would carve its name into history. Inside you will read about... ✓ The Conception of the Inquisition ✓ The Hammer of Witches ✓ The Spanish Inquisition ✓ The Portuguese Inquisition ✓ The Roman Inquisition ✓ Shades of the Inquisition in Modern Society And much more Throughout its many variations, the Inquisition took hold in France, Spain, Portugal, and Italy and in the process, both hastened and stunted progress in Western society. The Inquisition was as multi-faceted in its failure as it was in its successes. Though it was responsible for the deaths of thousands, it was also responsible for the sparing of thousands more. The Inquisition put to death some of the brightest minds of the time, and yet their brutality quickened the pace of the Renaissance and the Enlightenment. In short, the Inquisition was many things

Discover the remarkable life of J. R. R. Tolkien...J. R. R. Tolkien, an orphan in love with words, spent most of his life as an unassuming Professor of Literature at Oxford studying and teaching old languages. During his time there, he created his very own languages and a mythological world, Middle-earth. Middle-earth was inhabited by Hobbits, Dwarves, Elves, and other fascinating creatures. It was a world that became almost more real to Tolkien than the one he lived in. Tolkien's two masterpieces, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, have set the standard in mythological literature. Translated into more than 70 languages, the books and their battles of good and evil are as relevant today as they were when Tolkien first wrote them. Discover a plethora of topics such asFrom South Africa to the English CountrysideTolkien's Forbidden LoveTolkien during World War IYears at OxfordThe Hobbit and The Lord of the RingsLate Life and DeathAnd much more So if you want a concise and informative book on J. R. R. Tolkien, simply scroll up and click the "Buy now" button for instant access

Thomas PaineThe mind of Thomas Paine was gifted to the American Revolution at just the right time. Right when the fervor of the revolutionary spirit was beginning to subside, the pen of Thomas Paine came along and ignited the fires of American liberty once again. Yet decades later, when Paine returned to the American shores that he helped liberate, he was met with a bitter homecoming. Paine had arrived right on the heels of his association with bloody upheavals in revolutionary France and the publication of his unapologetically anti-Christian tracts, which did go over well in an America swept by the Second Great Awakening. Both of these aspects of his intellectual life made him an insufferable outcast, shunned by nearly all of his former associates. But Thomas Paine always knew that life was a gamble, and depending on the factors involved he was variously known as the greatest hero of the republic, or the greatest villain. Inside you will read about...✓ On the Seas during the Seven Years' War✓ The Loss of His Wife and Child✓ The Father of the American Revolution✓ Rallying Behind the French Revolution✓ Escaping the Guillotine✓ An American OutcastAnd much more Now that the dust of history has finally begun to settle, we can get a much clearer view of who Thomas Paine was. This book seeks to cut through the hype and hyperbole to present to you the life of an unapologetic patriot and inveterate freethinker-Thomas Paine, the father of the American Revolution.

Jimi HendrixJimi Hendrix took the world of rock music to new heights, and it has never really come back down. Meet the man who single-handedly changed the face of modern music. In this book you will find the story of Hendrix's life in full detail-from his childhood to his stint in the U.S. military to his time as an international superstar. We will discuss the man, the myth, and the legend, Jimi Hendrix. Inside you will read about...✓ Extraterrestrial Encounter ✓ Running from Welfare Workers ✓ Jimi Joins the Army ✓ The Jimi Hendrix Experience ✓ Hendrix at Woodstock And much more

PiratesPirates dominate movie box office profits, they are theme park entertainment, and they occupy a place in popular culture that has outlasted the era when they originally ruled the seas. Contemporary audiences who are safe from the pistols and cutlasses of the men who sailed the Caribbean, Indian, and Atlantic Oceans to prey upon ships and claim their cargo may find it hard to reconcile the perceived glamor of Captain Jack Sparrow with the authentic bloodlust and greed of the real pirates who killed without conscience, kidnapped innocent victims for ransom, and ravaged, bribed, and robbed their way into legend. Tragut Rais, Grace O'Malley, William Kidd, Blackbeard and their colleagues were dangerous adventurers who lived at a time when piracy was an economic enterprise which yielded both wealth and a hangman's noose. Inside you will read about...- When Pirates Owned the Seas- The Roots of Piracy- The Original Pirates of the Caribbean- The Pirate Round- Piracy after the Spanish War of Succession- The Pirates of the Barbary Coast- The Modern-Day Pirates Most pirates had a short life before they were captured and executed. A few lucky ones did die of natural causes, but they were rare. Nonetheless, those tales of swashbuckling adventure under the Jolly Roger continue to mesmerize us. Read more about the reality of the Golden Age of Piracy to find out whether or not Hollywood's version can possibly compare with the truth.

Discover the remarkable history of the Opium Wars...Violent confrontation between armed groups over the supply of illegal narcotics is something we commonly associate with criminal gangs in modern cities, but in the mid-nineteenth century Great Britain went to war with Imperial China in order to continue to supply Chinese addicts with opium. The two wars which followed have become known as the Opium Wars, and they led to the utter defeat of China, the establishment of a British colony in Hong Kong, and the continuation of a narcotics trade that was worth millions of pounds each year to the British. The Opium Wars exposed the weaknesses of the Chinese Qing dynasty in terms of its military abilities and internal corruption. They also exposed divisions in Victorian Britain where people were beginning to question the morality of going to war to support an illegal narcotics trade which caused misery and death for millions of Chinese. In the end, the British were able to overcome their reservations and prosecuted these two wars with great success. British casualties were small and the gains enormous-the British opium trade to China would continue for more than fifty years after the end of the Second Opium War. For the Chinese Qing dynasty, the Opium Wars marked the beginning of the end. Imperial China had endured for two thousand years, but within fifty years of the humiliations of the Opium Wars, a revolution overthrew the imperial court and turned China into a republic. Although they are little remembered today, the Opium Wars changed the face not just of China but also of the whole of Asia. This is the story of those wars. Discover a plethora of topics such as The Joy Plant Outbreak of the First Opium War British Superiority and the Devil Ship The Treaty of Nanking: First of the Unequal Treaties The Inevitable Second Opium War The Fall of Beijing And much more So if you want a concise and informative book on the Opium Wars, simply scroll up and click the "Buy now" button for instant access

Progressive EraThe Progressive Era was the period of American history between the 1890s and 1920s. It was movement dedicated to political and social reform largely driven by the middle class. In a world that was dominated by wealthy industrialists and threatened by radical ideas of laborers, the middle class strived for order. Inside you will read about...✓ Stirred to Action✓ Women's Suffrage✓ Temperance and Anti-Alcohol Campaigns✓ The Dark Side of Progressivism: Forced Sterilizations and Eugenics✓ The African-American Experience✓ Progressive Presidents and the Start of WWIAnd much more Women played a prominent role in the movement. Their main objective was gaining the right to vote, but they also worked tirelessly on temperance, urban reform, and other social reforms. Women gained a strong influence even before they achieved suffrage.Progressivism was dominated by optimism for the future and the ability of civilization to find solutions to age-old problems. Those in the movement had an overriding faith particularly in Western civilization and its apparent greatness. The end of the era embodied a severe questioning of that faith. Ultimately, the Progressive Era left a legacy of hope, but also a warning against hubris.

Mexican RevolutionOver a period of more than ten years, following the overthrow of the government in 1910, Mexico experienced a period of intense and bloody warfare as a bewildering array of factions in ever-changing alliances took power and then lost it. Presidents were elected (or elected themselves) and were then deposed or assassinated. New factions appeared with impressive sounding slogans, took to the field, and were either wiped out and never heard of again or became the next government. Inside you will read about...✓ The Porfiriato✓ The Unlikely Revolutionary✓ Reign and Assassination of Madero✓ The Iron Hand of Huerta✓ Carranza Takes on Zapata and Villa✓ Last Man StandingAnd much more The Mexican Revolution is confusing and difficult to understand-there is, for example, still no agreement between scholars and historians on when it ended-but it is essential in understanding the national identity of modern Mexico. The civil war produced heroes whose names live on in legend and villains whose bloody exploits are still horrifying. It also caused anything up to two million casualties both as a direct result of the fighting and in the famine, economic hardship, and disease which followed in its wake.Modern Mexico was created out of the turmoil of the Mexican Revolution; this is the story of la revoluci n mexicana.

Discover the remarkable life of George Orwell...Free BONUS Inside George Orwell, the son of a British civil servant, spent his life promoting social justice and equality while fighting against totalitarianism and elitism. His two best-known novels, 1984 and Animal Farm, depict the ultimate horror of a totalitarian government.Orwell wrote with passion about what he believed. Eighty years after their publication, his novels are as relevant as ever. Citizens are spied on by CCTV cameras. Smartphones track people's movements and activities. These same citizens give up their privacy not through government force but through the internet and social media. In many ways, Orwell's dystopian future is the present in which we live. Discover a plethora of topics such asEarly Life as a Police Officer in BurmaFighting in the Spanish Civil WarOrwell during World War IIAnimal Farm and 1984Late Life and DeathAnd much more So if you want a concise and informative book on George Orwell, simply scroll up and click the "Buy now" button for instant access

Discover the remarkable history of The United States of America...Seven Books in One American Revolution War of 1812 American Civil War The Great Depression Pearl Harbor The Space Race Vietnam WarSo if you want a concise and informative book on the history of The United States of America, simply click the "Buy now" button for instant access American RevolutionThe American Revolution, which took place between 1765 and 1783, was an uprising by British colonists in North America against the rule of Great Britain. The colonists were fighting for rights they felt they deserved, not only as British citizens, but as human beings. War of 1812In 1812, Americans held two distinctly different visions of their country. Some saw growing production, manufactures, trade, and merchant ships traversing the globe bringing a vast array of staple and luxury goods to commercial centers and riches to American captains living in cities like the capitals of Europe. Others saw a vast agrarian paradise spreading from the eastern coast into the western wilderness where innumerable American farmers and their families could be independent and equal, free of government impediments and corruption. American Civil WarBeginning with the birth of the nation, slavery divided and caused conflict for the United States of America, worsening during the country's early decades as the practice became more economically vital. Finally, in 1861, the American Civil War erupted after the election of President Abraham Lincoln. The Great DepressionThe Great Depression was one of the most trying eras in American history. All aspects of the United States were affected. After the stock market crash of 1929, the nation was thrust into a decade of turmoil and change-in government, the economy, and culture. Many of the changes brought about by the Great Depression remain today. Pearl HarborPresident Franklin D. Roosevelt described December 7, 1941, the date when the Japanese launched a surprise attack against the United States while the two countries were still officially at peace, as a day that would live in infamy. The action hurled the United States into the global conflict of World War II, a violent conflagration that the nation, fiercely isolationist, had intended to ignore. The Space RaceDuring fourteen years, from 1955 to 1969, the Soviet Union and the United States of America were engaged in a dramatic race against each other to conquer space. This period encompassed dramatic victories, humbling defeats, and more than one tragedy. Vietnam WarThe Vietnam War remains one of the most iconic events of the twentieth century. In the United States, it polarized public opinion and changed foreign policy. It destroyed the presidency of Lyndon Johnson and was the catalyst for a massively impactful protest movement. More importantly, in Vietnam, as well as surrounding areas, it caused untold destruction, death, and suffering.

Discover the remarkable history of the Native Americans...Until surprisingly recently, most history books noted that America was discovered in 1492 by Christopher Columbus. The truth was that by the time that Columbus arrived in America, people had been living there for more than 12,000 years. During this time, the indigenous people of North America lived without contact with other continents. Different groups developed separate and distinct ways of life, cultures, and societies but all shared one common characteristic: they relied on the land to provide them with food, and they developed a series of religions that, while separate, shared a respect for nature and imbued many animals and natural features with spiritual characteristics. These beliefs, combined with the fact that most of these societies were relatively primitive compared to those emerging in other parts of the world, meant that the Native Americans were able to live in harmony with the natural world. These people had sophisticated and complex belief systems, but they built no cities, no wheeled vehicles, and developed nothing beyond the most basic written language. Although many millions of people lived in North America, their impact on the landscape and the natural systems was minimal.Then, abruptly, white settlers arrived, bringing with them new technologies and weapons, new religions, and an indifference towards nature. They also brought with them diseases to which the Native Americans had never before been exposed. Within two hundred years, the Native American population dwindled to a fraction of what it had been; the survivors were herded onto reservations on which they could not follow their traditional ways of life and where they were denied the most basic human rights. Only in the twentieth century did the population of Native American people begin to recover, and only then did the general population of America begin to regard these cultured and sophisticated people as anything but savages. This is the story of the gradual rise, sudden destruction, and slow recovery of the native people of North America. Discover a plethora of topics such asThe Emergence of Native American Peoples and CulturesLife before the White MenEuropean Settlers ArriveEarly Wars in AmericaAmerican ExpansionGhost Dancing and the Wounded Knee MassacreAnd much more So if you want a concise and informative book on Native American History, simply scroll up and click the "Add to cart" button

The Great FamineThe Great Famine which afflicted Ireland from 1845 to 1849 was one of the most catastrophic events in Europe during the nineteenth century. More than one-quarter of the population of Ireland died of starvation or associated disease, or were forced to emigrate. Ireland after the famine was a completely different country in many ways.The direct causes of the famine are simple to understand-a large part of the population of Ireland, mainly the poorest families, had become completely dependent on the potato as a source of food. In 1845, the blight appeared, a disease which affected the potato crop. Successive failures of the potato crop in Ireland led to more than one million people dying as a direct result.What is less easy to understand is why this famine was confined to Ireland and why the British government did not do more to help. The potato blight affected parts of Great Britain and other countries in Europe, but nowhere else did it lead to famine. For much of the famine, food continued to be exported from Ireland, and at its height, there was food stored in warehouses which could have been used to alleviate the suffering of the starving-that it was not represents at the very least a complete failure of understanding on the part of the British government. Inside you will read about...✓ Farming in Ireland✓ The Blight Arrives✓ Full-blown Famine✓ Mass Emigration✓ Poor Laws, Revolt, and the Return of the Blight✓ Aftermath and LegacyAnd much more The Great Famine left a legacy of distrust and animosity between large segments of the population of Ireland and Great Britain, and this in part led to the movements which finally produced Irish independence. The famine also left a deep impression on the psyche of the people of Eire, and even today, Ireland remains at the forefront of international famine relief.This is the story of the Irish Potato Famine.

Discover the remarkable history of The Olmecs...Many ancient civilizations are described as mysterious, but none provide as many puzzles and unanswered questions as the Olmecs. These people arrived in lands near the Gulf of Mexico around 1500 BCE, and they brought with them entirely new concepts in terms of engineering, agriculture, and religion. The problem is, we have no idea where they came from or how they developed these new ideas. Then, around 400 BCE, the Olmecs vanished as suddenly and inexplicably as they appeared, leaving behind no written records but providing a legacy of beliefs and ideas which permeated virtually every Mesoamerican culture which followed. Respected scholars take very different views on the Olmec civilization. Some feel that the Olmecs must have come to Central America from somewhere else entirely, while others are adamant that they are indigenous people. Some historians believe that the Olmecs were simply one of several cultures which emerged at around the same time, while others are vehement that this is the mother culture from which all subsequent Mesoamerican cultures descended. Less than one hundred years ago, there wasn't even agreement on whether these people had existed at all.There are very few cultures as important as the Olmecs about which we know so little. This book attempts to convey the story of the mysterious Olmecs and their unique and fascinating artifacts. Discover a plethora of topics such as Origins The Olmec Enigma The Fall of San Lorenzo Were-Jaguars and Feathered Serpents The Rise of La Venta The Disappearance of the Olmecs And much more So if you want a concise and informative book on The Olmecs, simply scroll up and click the "Buy now" button for instant access

☆☆☆ American Civil War ☆☆☆Beginning with the birth of the nation, slavery divided and caused conflict for the United States of America, worsening during the country's early decades as the practice became more economically vital. Finally, in 1861, the American Civil War erupted after the election of President Abraham Lincoln. Never acknowledging the South's right to secede, Lincoln and the North fought the South through four long, bloody, destructive years; much longer than anyone thought the war would last. Inside you will read about...✓ America in the Antebellum Era✓ Secession and the First Shots✓ Early Battles and the Turning Point: April 1861-July 1863✓ The United States and the Confederacy✓ Women and Blacks in the War✓ Military Events, 1863-1865: The War Ends✓ Reconstruction✓ The Legacy of the Civil War By 1865, more than 700,000 American soldiers and civilians were dead (including Lincoln himself), a race of people had been freed from bondage, and an entire country needed to rebuild. The Civil War is of such crucial importance to the history of the United States not just because of these factors, but also because its legacy still lives on.

The American Revolution, which had its roots in 1765 with a rejection of British authority to tax the colonies without fair representation and ended with the British defeat at Yorktown, was one of the most momentous events in the history of the North American continent.The odds faced by the colonists were almost overwhelming. Facing the superpower of the day, which boasted a professional army equipped with the latest weapons and the ability to properly finance the war, the rebels were reliant on the goodwill of men to continue fighting without pay and in dreadful conditions.In this book, American Revolution, you will discover the history behind the conflict and why it came about. The chapters lead you through the major events which took place, including the Boston Tea Party and the significant clashes between the armies. Other chapters include; ✓ A Series of Oppressions✓ Death and Taxes✓ Out of Many, One✓ War in Earnest✓ Voices of Liberty✓ Independence The rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness were what gave the colonists the impetus and courage to continue a fight, which at times looked to be a hopeless lost cause at best, to eventually win the freedom they yearned for.The new government they created was unlike anything seen before and became a model for democracies around the world.American Revolution is a compelling read, packed with historical information. If you are a student of the era, or simply want to know a little more about this fascinating period of history, then this book is one you cannot afford to pass by

VikingsThe saga of the Vikings rises and falls on the banks of history, ebbing and flowing with popular opinion and whimsical anecdotes. The Vikings are routinely typecast and labeled anywhere from bloodthirsty tyrants to valiant heroes. They have been condemned as pirates and praised as explorers. We have all heard the stories of the fierce warriors with long ships and horned helmets storming onto the shores of medieval Europe; but who were these men really? Inside your will read about...✓ From the Fury of the Northmen✓ Retaliation, Royal Ambition, and Bribery✓ The Viking Age of Exploration and Expansion✓ Tidings from the East✓ The End of the Viking Age✓ The Vikings Come to Christ✓ The Second Viking Invasion This book helps to unravel the mystery. Helping to finally shed the light on why the Vikings abruptly descended onto the world stage in such dramatic fashion, this book begins to explore the motives of the Viking exodus like no other and takes an in depth evaluation of all the geographical, political, economic and religious underpinnings that led the Viking Age.

☆ Julius Caesar ☆A little over 2000 years ago a man named Julius Caesar changed the world. Even if you had never heard of him his lasting legacy has no doubt had an impact on your life. No doubt, even the very calendar that you use is based upon the system he created, with the month of July bearing his name. So who was this man that singlehandedly changed the course of history? Inside you will read about...✓ The Underpinnings of a Republic✓ The Real Struggle Begins✓ When in Rome✓ The Ides of March This book follows the life and legacy of the man whose life stood as a footnote between Republic and Empire. The man who has inspired playwrights, governments, and the very days of the week, the life of Julius Caesar is an incredible journey to behold. Series Information: Military Biographies Book 3

Alan TuringAlan Turing had a radical and ingenious mind. He is considered one of the fathers of artificial intelligence, and his theories on this matter range from purely mechanical to almost spiritual. During World War II, his decryption of the Nazis' Enigma codes proved vital for the Allied victory over the Axis powers. Turing's fingerprints are everywhere, and yet his own country for quite some time failed to acknowledge it. It wasn't until 2009 that the then prime minister of the United Kingdom, Gordon Brown, issued an official, posthumous apology to Alan Turing for "the appalling way he was treated." To many, this was an admission that was far too long in coming. Inside you will read about...✓ The Death of His First Love✓ Turing Machines✓ Breaking the Nazis' Enigma Codes✓ Conviction and Chemical Castration✓ The Poison AppleAnd much more As the chronicling of this book demonstrates, Alan Turing's life was by no means easy; there were hardships, trials, and tribulations that would shake him to his core. But despite the tragic way his life ended by way of a poison apple, the spark ignited by Alan Turing's short life is still something exceedingly brilliant to behold. Series Information: World War 2 Biographies Book 7