❦Meditations
Meditations
The private reflections of a Roman emperor on duty, mortality and self-control: a cornerstone of Stoic philosophy.
The Shelves
Classics & Primary Sources
History in the words of those who lived it — the ancient historians, philosophers and witnesses.
9 books on this shelf
❦History of the Peloponnesian War
History of the Peloponnesian War
An Athenian general's account of the long war between Athens and Sparta: a foundational work of political and military history.
❦Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave
Frederick Douglass's own account of his life in slavery, his self-education and his path to freedom: powerful and essential.
❦The Art of War
The Art of War
The ancient Chinese classic on strategy, deception and leadership, attributed to Sun Tzu and still widely read today.
❦The Federalist Papers
The Federalist Papers
The essays written to persuade Americans to adopt the Constitution, explaining how and why the new government was designed.
❦The Histories
The Histories
The first great work of Western history: Herodotus on the Persian Wars, and the peoples, customs and wonders of his world.
❦The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
Edward Gibbon's monumental, elegantly ironic history of Rome's long decline, from the second century to the fall of Constantinople.
❦The Prince
The Prince
Machiavelli's notorious short guide to gaining and keeping power, written in Renaissance Italy and debated ever since.
❦The Twelve Caesars
The Twelve Caesars
Gossipy, vivid ancient biographies of Rome's rulers, from Julius Caesar to Domitian, full of scandal and personal detail.
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