Showing results by author "John Dryden" in All Categories

While running in Central Park, New York Times science writer Damon Ellis crashes—literally—into a story that just might resurrect his career…and change the course of human history. On the face of it, it seems absurd—a small biotech company in Boston called Calypso that claims to have cracked the secret of eternal youth. Surely a hoax. Or is it?

Tumanbay: the wealthiest city on Earth. The beating heart of a vast empire. A city of dreams, where those who once arrived as slaves now hold power, and merchants, artists and warriors live side-by-side in peace. But this magnificent city is under threat. A rebellion in a far-off province, led by 'Queen' Maya, is gathering strength - and a mysterious force is devouring the empire from within.

This epic chronicle by Plutarch (A.D. 46-120) continues with the lives of great Grecians and Romans. These biographies of the men who created the ancient world are brought to life in this new, high-quality recording. Legends such as Caesar, Alexander, Cicero, Demosthenes, and many others come alive as their politics, economy, and their individual stories play out in the time of the ancients. This translation is by John Dryden and is considered by scholars to be the quintessential translation.

Raunchy, risqué and rebellious, early Restoration comedies were a breath of fresh air for 17th century theatregoers. With Charles II restored to the throne in 1660, Oliver Cromwell's ban on stage performances was rescinded, and for the first time, women were invited to tread the boards as actresses. Playwrights developed a new style of social comedy, packed with amorous escapades, bawdy humour, wicked wit and sexual innuendo. This scintillating anthology showcases six leading lights of early Restoration drama.

Plutarch’s Lives remains one of the world’s most profoundly influential literary works. Written at the beginning of the second century, it forms a brilliant social history of the ancient world. His “parallel lives” were originally presented in a series of books that gave an account of one Greek and one Roman life, followed by a comparison of the two. Volume 1 compares Theseus and Romulus, Alcibiades and Coriolanus, and Aristides and Marcus Cato, among others.

After a century of civil strife in Rome and Italy, the poet Virgil wrote The Aeneid to honor the emperor Augustus by praising Aeneas, Augustus's legendary ancestor. As a patriotic epic imitating Homer, The Aeneid also set out to provide Rome with a literature equal to that of Greece.

Plutarch’s Lives remains one of the world’s most profoundly influential literary works. Written at the beginning of the second century, it forms a brilliant social history of the ancient world. second volume includes Alexander and Caesar, Demetrius and Antony, Dion and Marcus Brutus, the aforementioned Demosthenes and Cicero, as well as biographies of Alexander, Caesar, Cato the Younger, and others.

In 1667, Dryden published Annus Mirabilis, a lengthy historical poem which described the English defeat of the Dutch naval fleet and the Great Fire of London. This work established him as the pre-eminent poet of his generation, and was crucial in his attaining the posts of Poet Laureate in 1668 and a couple of years later, historiographer royal (1670), as his talent encompassed many forms; from poetry to plays to translations. In 1694 he began work on what would be his most ambitious and defining work as translator, The Works of Virgil (1697).

A three-part thriller by John Dryden. In Part 1, 'The Present', Dr Jan Roldano, microbiologist and WHO advisor on infectious diseases, arrives in Bangkok to give a keynote lecture at a medical conference. But when a virulent strain of bird flu emerges, he finds himself trapped in Thailand...

When Atlantic Airlines Flight 702 disappears mid-flight between London and New York, the world is stunned. With the public clamouring for answers, authorities seem at a loss as to how to explain the plane's disappearance. There were 256 passengers on Flight 702, with many carrying dark secrets on board with them. Could one of them hold the truth behind the plane's disappearance? College student Kaitlin Le's beloved twin brother, Conor, was on that plane. She refuses to believe the official statements, or to join her parents in their blind acceptance of Conor's death.

For centuries England has always had a leading and admired reputation for its poets and poetry. In this volume we explore those born in the East Midlands who created such revered, enduring and respected verse.

On 4 January 2011, millionaire businessman and governor of Punjab Salmaan Taseer was shot to death. He had been leading a campaign to amend Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, after an illiterate Christian woman was sentenced to death for blasphemy. Within hours, a Facebook page for the assassin Mumtaz Qadri had over 2000 members. Transferred to jail, Qadri was garlanded with roses by lawyers offering to take his case for free.

Three dramas surrounding the murder of a young teacher in Japan. Part 1: 'The Parents': Jennifer and Peter Whitelock arrive in Japan to help find their daughte's murderer. Frustrated with the progress of the police investigation, Peter puts his trust in TV producer Norio Ito, who promises to...

A three-part BBC Radio drama about modern-day spying set in Cairo against a backdrop of the "Arab Spring". Hard-up Coptic art expert Duncan Kavanagh scrapes a living as a private English language tutor and by showing tourists around the ancient churches of Cairo. He lives with his...

The Elizabethan age had almost departed, and the world had seen the rise of great European empires that continued to hunt with mischief between themselves as they traversed the globe in search of more spoils and territories. In England the Civil War had brought about the will of Parliament and the replacement of the Crown as the governing body. But with these Puritan times, and the subsequent Restoration, poetry had entered a golden age. John Milton, John Dryden and Ben Jonson are but a few of the luminaries whose great verse followed in the wake of the immortal William Shakespeare.

This captivating book blends history and travelogue, recounting a brief visit by a wealthy U.S. politician during a tumultuous era in Haiti’s past, marked by American invasion and occupation. Through Dryden’s eyes, we explore various facets of Haitian culture, including education, religion, and commerce, revealing a mix of optimism and the limitations of a casual observers perspective. One memorable chapter details his duck hunting expedition, illustrating the disconnect between privilege and the lived realities of the Haitian people. Despite its shortcomings, this account sheds light on ...

Mark van Doren guides you through some of the most brilliant works of poetry in the English language.

Three lives on three continents connected by one event - A young British schoolboy obsessed with school massacres, a radio journalist in India on the trail of a scoop for the BBC and the boss of an American church-owned clothing firm are the threads that run through this intricate, suspenseful...

All for Love is widely regarded as John Drydens masterpiece, a poignant tragedy that captivates with its emotional depth. Written in blank verse, this powerful retelling of the tragic love story between Roman general Marc Antony and the enchanting queen Cleopatra delves into their final days in Alexandria, where the specter of defeat looms large. Unlike Shakespeares more flamboyant portrayal, Drydens work offers an intimate exploration of love, loyalty, fidelity, and the fragile nature of masculinity against the backdrop of impending doom. This elegant drama is a true gem of the Restoration ...

June - the sixth month of the year in our Gregorian calendar and the official byginning of summer. The days stretch to their longest, and many subjects and thoughts fill the minds of our poets, such as Dryden, Levy, Raleigh, Blunt and Dickenson, as they describy the warming days.