A grand sweep of history by the late Fernand Braudel–one of the twentieth century’s most influential historians–Memory and the Mediterranean chronicles the Mediterranean’s immeasurably rich past during the foundational period from prehistory to classical antiquity; illuminating nothing less than the bedrock of our civilization and the very origins of Western culture.Essential for historians; yet written explicitly for the general reader; this magnificent account of the ebb and flow of cultures shaped by the Mediterranean takes us from the great sea’s geologic beginnings through the ancient civilizations that flourished along its shores. Moving with ease from Mesopotamia and Egypt to the flowering of Crete and the early Aegean peoples; and culminating in the prodigious achievements of ancient Greece and Rome; Braudel conveys in absorbing detail the geography and climate of the region over the course of millennia while brilliantly explaining the larger forces that gave rise to agriculture; writing; sea travel; trade; and; ultimately; the emergence of empires. Impressive in scope and gracefully written; Memory and the Mediterranean is an endlessly enriching work of history by a legend in the field.
#972500 in Books Emily Bingham 2016-06-21 2016-06-21Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 .32 x .4 x 5.52l; .0 #File Name: 0374536198384 pagesIrrepressible The Jazz Age Life of Henrietta Bingham
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. An interesting but ultimately sad lifeBy LyricInteresting look at the life of a woman of means who consorted with many of the bold name figures of the 20's and 30's. Bingham obviously was a very troubled woman. She was a lesbian at a time when it was nearly impossible to live openly in most circles. However; Henrietta Bingham did have the advantage of wealth and the ability to move in circles in which being homosexual was not forbidden or hidden. It was an atmosphere in which she could have made a life for her self with the woman/women she loved but something prevented her from committing to any one -- male or female lovers. Although her homosexuality was certainly the cause of some of her emotional issues; frankly; I thought that the thing in her life that caused the greatest turmoil for her was the fact of having her mother killed in her presence in a horrific train/car accident and subsequently seeing her father marry Mary Lily Flagler and then having her die under questionable circumstances which dogged the father for the rest of his life. It also was obvious that Robert Worth Bingham; her father; had a suffocating attachment to her and she to him -- and she spent her life trying to "escape" that attachment but never successfully made the break that she so desperately needed to make.Ultimately it's a sad story and a sad life. I kept waiting for Henrietta to drop the façade and live with the woman she loved but -- she didn't and instead allowed herself to drift into drinking and drugs and basically wasted her life having accomplished nothing of importance. Her father was suffocating but he also provided her with the money to live well and he was also willing to give her the opportunity to takeover and run the newspaper that he owned. That kind of thinking on his part for his only daughter was far outside the mold of men in the 1930's. Yet; she rejected the opportunity to manage the papers which just may have given her a purpose in life beyond being "fascinating" to both men and women.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Bravo!By Laurie A. BirnsteelIn the last paragraph of “Irrepressible. The Jazz Age Life of Henrietta Bingham;†the author writes:Henrietta leaves us with a series of sounds: unceasing calls to “come homeâ€; ice clinking in emptying highball glasses; a saxophone note trailing away as the party ends; a tennis racket smashing a ball; a powerful car engine sighing as it's shut off; pills rattling in a bottle. She took freedom as far as she could. She gave pleasure. By not living the brilliant life expected of her; she disappointed her father; her brother; her lovers. Henrietta's charm and best efforts could not dissolve the pain she spent years trying to escape; but in her return to us again she may; even briefly; find acceptance.“Irrepressible. The Jazz Age Life of Henrietta Bingham†is a wonderful tribute to “that mysterious relative;†that someone we've never met but somehow have always known. Bravo Emily Bingham! “Irrepressible†is a most interesting read.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Changing public viewsBy Spencer ReppeI will have to give author Emily Bingham a lot of credit for uncovering enough material to portray the life of her great aunt Henrietta Bingham. She could find less than two dozen letters written by Henrietta. All the "inverts" and bisexuals she hung around with had basically cleansed her from their lives; as Emily says people of this ilk are prone to do—they leave no trail or evidence. There were about two hundred letters left by two male suitors that provided much of the background; and accounts of the goings-on of the Bloomsbury group were helpful; as Henrietta was able to crack into that circle. The author gives a good accounting of a character that follows the lifestyle of F. Scott Fitzgerald in The Crack-up; though hers takes place over much longer time frame than Fitzgerald's. We see the changing public views of the LBGT crowd as it was quite accepting in the Jazz Age; but started to harden as we moved through the Depression; WWII; and the anti communist/McCarthy era. The author also hints that being gay or lesbian can be quite different if one is able to "retreat into their money"; as the Buchanans did in The Great Gatsby.
