Describes the history of the Liberty Bell, from its beginnings as a newly minted English-made bell to its elevation to a symbol of American freedom.

A detailed history of the Parthenon exploring its construction and restoration.

"Some nine million people from all over the world flock to the Louvre each year to enjoy its incomparable art collection. Yet few of them are aware of the remarkable history of that place and of the buildings themselves-a fascinating story that historian James Gardner elegantly chronicles in the first full-length history of the Louvre in English. More than 7,000 years ago, men and women camped on a spot called le Louvre for reasons unknown; a clay...

"A revolutionary new understanding of the most famous and influential building in the world, a thesis that calls into question our basic understanding of the ancient civilization that we most identify with. For more than two millennia, the Parthenon has been revered as the symbol of Western culture, the epitome of the ancient society from which we derive our highest ideals. It was understood to honor the city-state's patron deity Athena, and its...

"Commune with yourself in a prison church, learn how Florence became the capital of hermetism during the Renaissance, escape the crowds of tourists to contemplate little-known artistic masterpieces, stroll through superb private gardens that even the Florentines are unaware of, marvel at an exceptional astronomical phenomenon, learn about the esoteric symbolism of the Boboli Gardens, get your children to count the number of bees carved on the monument...

In this short, spellbinding book, international bestselling author Ken Follett describes the emotions that gripped him when he learned about the fire that threatened to destroy one of the greatest cathedrals in the world--the Notre-Dame de Paris. Follett then tells the story of the cathedral, from its construction to the role it has played across time and history, and he reveals the influence that the Notre-Dame had upon cathedrals around the world...