Contained in two volumes, D.C. Somervell's abridgement preserves the method, atmosphere, texture, and, in many instances, the very words of the original. This volume includes sections on Universal States, Universal Churches, Heroic Ages, Contacts Between Civilizations in Space, Contacts Between Civilizations in Time, Law and Freedom in History, the Prospects of the Western Civilization, and the Conclusion.Of Somervell's work, Toynbee wrote, "The reader now has at his command a uniform abridgement of the whole book, made by a clear mind that has not only mastered the contents but has entered into the writer's outlook and purpose."

    In these pages, readers will wrestle with sea monsters, drift endlessly in hot, dead calms, face raging storms, and battle mighty navies. They will join scientists and explorers on expeditions into the sea, across it, and to its floor to discover new life forms, new sources of wealth, and new lands to conquer. The inimitable Freuchen paints an exciting and colorful picture of humankind's adventures at sea-from the first prehistoric voyages in open rafts to daring scientific explorations in bathyspheres. He tells of sailors who fought for fame and glory, traders who risked their lives for wealth, and galley slaves who sought only freedom. He exposes the scavengers of the sea-pirates, privateers, whalers, and wreckers who placed lights on rocky shoals to lure unsuspecting ships to disaster. He describes the greatest battles of the seven seas-from the destruction of the Persian fleet at Salamis to the great conflict at Leyte Gulf in the Philippines in World War II. Revealed here are the great mysteries of the sea itself-monstrous waves over 100 feet high; rivers and currents flowing between underwater mountains and valleys; ghost ships, mermaids, and sea serpents. Here too are the great treasures of the sea-jewels, oil, minerals, and millions of dollars' worth of gold in each cubic mile of sea water. The result of many years of exploration and research, this is a truly magnificent volume.

     For the next four years they would become instrumental in the secret war against Germany, developing a wide array of armaments to give Britain the upper hand against the might of the Axis forces. Under the guidance of Charles Goodeve, a remarkable Canadian with a flair for picking out which invention could tip the war in the Allies’ favor, these scientists and inventors worked tirelessly, and even put their lives on the line, in the quest to give Churchill’s military the knockout weapon. As Nevil Shute, who was an engineer with the Wheezers and Dodgers stated, “If any one quality was a common requirement for the officers in this unusual department I would say it was imagination — the imagination to look forward and to visualize what might happen.” Not all of their inventions were successful, indeed Sir Charles Madden, who served as staff officer to the Director of the Department stated that during his time there he dealt with “a medley of suggestions ranging from the impractical to the lunatic.” Yet, despite some mishaps, the Wheezers and Dodgers were instrumental in aiding the Allies to victory, with their degaussing method of protecting ships from mines to their Hedgehog weapon that destroyed over forty-five enemy submarines. Secret Weapons of World War II records all of the Department’s developments through the course of the conflict, both successful and not, and is written with humor and insight. “Their story has the fascination of the unexpected, in a British well-played spirit.” Kirkus Reviews Gerald Pawle worked with the Wheezers and Dodgers through the course of World War Two. This work was first published under the title The Secret War: 1939-1945 in 1957. Pawle passed away in 1991.

    The insight given into the Essene community, the destruction of Jerusalem and the interpretations and traditions of the Old Testament in first century Judaism is invaluable. The outlook of Josephus, a late first century Pharisee and historian, on Jesus and the New Testament documents is enlightening and provocative. As an original reference, "The Works of Josephus" is essential to a full understanding of the first century, the time of Christ and the New Testament.Complete and unabridged, this is the best one-volume edition of the classic translation of Josephus' works. The entire text has been reset in modern, easy-to-read type; numbering corresponding to that used in the Loeb edition has been added to the text; and citations and cross-references have been updated from Roman numerals to Arabic numbers.