Empires come about through conquest and colonisation. Historians who take a longer view see this as a part of how civilisations rise and fall.
Last year we saw international history professor Marc David Baer's 500-plus-page The Ottomans. Now it's the turn of the nomadic tribes of central Asia to have their contribution recognised. These two accounts intersect, as the conquerors of the steppes often butted up against the easternmost borders of the Roman and Ottoman empires.
Kenneth Harl, an emeritus professor based in New Orleans, spent 25 years studying Greco-Roman sites in Turkey. Ten years ago, he launched a series of lectures called Barbarians of the Steppes. Interest in the Silk Road countries, a subject covered by the British Peter Frankopan, another distinguished professor of history, had spiked because of China's Belt and Road infrastructure initiative. Harl was persuaded to turn his lectures into another doorstopper of 570 pages, including an index, extensive source notes and a glossary.
Denne historien er fra September 30 - October 6 2023-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.
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Denne historien er fra September 30 - October 6 2023-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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First-world problem
Harrowing tales of migrants attempting to enter the US highlight the political failure to fully tackle the problem.
Applying intelligence to AI
I call it the 'Terminator Effect', based on the premise that thinking machines took over the world.
Nazism rears its head
Smirky Höcke, with his penchant for waving with a suspiciously straight elbow and an open palm, won't get to be boss of either state.
Staying ahead of the game
Will the brave new world of bipartisanship that seems to be on offer with an Infrastructure Commission come to fruition?
Grasping the nettle
Broccoli is horrible. It smells, when being cooked, like cat pee.
Hangry? Eat breakfast
People who don't break their fast first thing in the morning report the least life satisfaction.
Chemical reaction
Nitrates in processed meats are well known to cause harm, but consumed from plant sources, their effect is quite different.
Me and my guitar
Australian guitarist Karin Schaupp sticks to the familiar for her Dunedin concerts.
Time is on my side
Age does not weary some of our much-loved musicians but what keeps them on the road?
The kids are not alright
Nuanced account details how China's blessed generation has been replaced by one consumed by fear and hopelessness.