Books about Battista from Amazon.com

British parliamentarian and soldier Edward Gibbon (1737-1794) conceived of his plan for Decline and Fall while "musing amid the ruins of the Capitol" on a visit to Rome. For the next 10 years he worked away at his great history, which traces the decadence of the late empire from the time of the Antonines and the rise of Western Christianity. "The confusion of the times, and the scarcity of authentic memorials, pose equal difficulties to the historian, who attempts to preserve a clear and unbroken thread of narration," he writes. Despite these obstacles, Decline and Fall remains a model of historical exposition, and required reading for students of European history..
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In this diary, engineer and explorer of Egyptian antiquities Giovanni Battista Belzoni (1778-1823), recounts a life story as entertaining as the best fiction. Beginning with his childhood in Padua where he was one of 13 children, moving on to his early adulthood in England where he was a member of a circus troupe, and, finally, his later years spent searching for antiquities in Egypt in an era when the desert sands concealed boundless treasures, Belzoni's diary chronicles an extraordinary life. His discoveries, including the temple at Abu Simbel, the pyramid of Khafre, and the tomb of Seti I, made a fundamental contribution to our knowledge of ancient Egypt, yet Belzoni has remained obscure-until now. His journal gives readers fresh insight into an exciting time in the history of archaeology and into the career of one of the pioneers of Egyptology, later praised by Howard Carter as "one of the most remarkable men in the entire history of Archaeology.".
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The cycle of disciplines now known as the humanities emerged in their modern form during the Italian Renaissance as the result of an educational movement begun by humanist teachers, writers, and scholars of the early Quattrocento. The movement argued for the usefulness of classical literature as an instrument for training young men and women, not only in the arts of language and eloquence, but also in civic virtue and practical wisdom. This volume contains four of the most important theoretical statements that emerged from the early humanists' efforts to reform medieval education. The four texts are Pier Paolo Vergerio, "The Character and Studies Befitting a Free-Born Youth"; Leonardo Bruni, "The Study of Literature"; Aeneas Silvius Piccolomini (Pope Pius II), "The Education of Boys"; and Battista Guarino, "A Program of Teaching and Learning". The Vergerio and Guarino texts appear in English for the first time..
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Reprint of the 1922 edition Cloth, Octavo. xii, 96pp. Frontispiece and 146 illustrations Piranesi (1720-1778), Italian engraver and architect, is best known for his etchings of ancient and baroque Rome and the grandiose architectural constructions of his own imagination. In 1745 Piranesi's first real success came with his Carceri d' Invenzione, or Imaginary Prisons, 16 large plates that are often considered his masterpieces. Piranesi's next enterprise was to record the ruins of ancient Rome. It was to be the biggest project of his life. In 1756 Piranesi published his Roman Antiquities, four huge volumes containing over 200 folio plates. Hind's work is still one of the standard works on Piranesi. In all Hind describes 146 of Piranesi's work, including all the views of Rome, and the Carceri. Hind is invaluable for information on watermarks and states of each etching. He also provides information on dimensions, numbering, and publishers. Hind also provides a complite list of all the known works of Piranesi. He also provides a bibliography, and index, and illustrations of 124 the views of Rome..
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Every runner knows this, and marvels at it, and finds it hard to wholly describe: Running will change your life. These four dozen essays capture the power of running to change and shape our existence, to elevate us, to inspire and strengthen us in all our pursuits. They were selected for the fine quality of their writing, the emotional strength of the stories, and for their narrative drama. Collectively they are motivational, inspirational, and instructive, thus making a fascinating book for dewy beginners and grizzled veterans alike.

In this book are personal tales of running to quit drinking or drugs, to escape a bad marriage, to lose weight, running out grief, developing self-esteem, running for the sheer joy of it. A daughter finally bonds with her distant father when she wins a local race. A man diagnosed with a tumor in his lung runs his way back to health. A teenage girl living in a crack-infested neighborhood of the Bronx takes up running and finds her strength, and a good side of life. One man, viciously attacked on a remote beach in Africa and bleeding profusely, runs miles to safety, saving his own life. One woman's story tells us, "Everything I need to know I learned from cross-country running." A Pakistani man, as an orphaned child, was introduced to running by a kind teacher-and went on to become a national caliber marathoner.

They are all here-every type of runner, and running in all its physical and spiritual glory. This is a book to inspire anyone to go run, and love every miserable, glorious second of it.

Garth Battista is the editor of The Runner's Literary Companion.

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