City at the End of TimeCity at the End of Time by Greg Bear.In his triumphant return to large-scale SF, Nebula and Hugo–winner Bear (Quantico) links three young drifters in present-day Seattle with an unimaginably distant future. When the drifters answer an odd newspaper advertisement, they soon find themselves caught up in a war between mysterious and powerful forces. Two not-quite-humans, creations of a million-year experiment, have discovered that their ancient fortress/city, perhaps the last refuge of intelligence in a dying universe, is about to fall before the onslaught of chaos.
The concept of human rights has a long history. Its practical origins, as distinct from its theoretical antecedents, are said to be comparatively recent, going back no further than the American and French Bills of Rights of the eighteenth century. Even those landmarks are seen as little more than the precursors of the twentieth century starting-point - the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which was adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1948.
War was a key part of the life and culture of ancient Greece and Rome. It influenced every level of existence, from the men fighting hand to hand to defend their communities, to the significance economic impact of organising a large fighting force. The ancient writers who tell us about technical aspects of military practice and the management of armies can shed much light on the murky area of the conduct of war, and convey the interest that the subject inspired in the ancient world.
Crime and punishment have concerned humanity since the beginning of social life. Their manifestations in ancient Rome remains a fascinating topic, as the law of most European countries today is derived from ancient Roman law. Richard A. Bauman tells the history of punishment from the Roman Republic to the late Empire, shedding light on some decisive aspects of Roman history. He assesses punishment according to its innate humanity and cruelty, traces the changes in Roman attitudes, laws and practices during this era.
