{"title":"Books by Dr Philip Matyszak","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9781789291278","title":"24 Hours in Ancient Rome","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eWalk a day in a Roman’s sandals ... \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eWhat was it like to live in one of the ancient world’s most powerful and bustling cities – one that was eight times more densely populated than modern day New York? \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn this entertaining and enlightening guide, bestselling historian Philip Matyszak introduces us to 24 characters who lived and worked there. In each hour of the day we meet a new character – from a senator to a slave girl, a gladiator to an astrologer, watchmen to washerwomen – and discover the fascinating details of their daily lives.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43205628592306,"sku":"9781789291278","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781789291278_88550df7-cc70-4309-849c-e2e85be120a7.jpg?v=1786027006"},{"product_id":"9781789293500","title":"24 Hours in Ancient Athens","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Accessible, informative, enjoyable' - \u003ci\u003eAll About History \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSpend 24 hours with the ancient Athenians. See the city through their eyes as it teeters on the edge of the fateful war that would end its golden age.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAthens, 416 BC\u003c\/b\u003e. A tenuous peace holds. The city-state’s political and military might are feared throughout the \u003cb\u003eancient world\u003c\/b\u003e; it pushes the boundaries of social, literary and philosophical experimentation in an era when it has a greater concentration of geniuses per capita than at any other time in human history. Yet even geniuses go to the bathroom, argue with their spouse and enjoy a drink with friends.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDuring the course of a day we meet \u003cb\u003e24 Athenians from all strata of society\u003c\/b\u003e – from the \u003cb\u003eslave-girl\u003c\/b\u003e to the \u003cb\u003ecouncilman\u003c\/b\u003e, the \u003cb\u003evase painter\u003c\/b\u003e to the \u003cb\u003enaval commander\u003c\/b\u003e, the \u003cb\u003ehousewife\u003c\/b\u003e to the \u003cb\u003ehoplite\u003c\/b\u003e – and get to know what the real Athens was like by spending an hour in their company. We encounter a different one of these characters every chapter, with each chapter forming an \u003cb\u003ehour in the life of the ancient city\u003c\/b\u003e. We also get to spy on the daily doings of notable Athenians through the eyes of regular people as the city hovers on the brink of the fateful war that will destroy its golden age.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43600211411122,"sku":"9781789293500","price":8.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781789293500_a8f7676e-8dcb-49fb-a043-d5a5bb8e90d8.jpg?v=1786027052"},{"product_id":"roman-empire-in-100-moments","title":"Roman Empire in 100 Moments","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eTravel back to one of history’s most fascinating eras in this expansive, bite-sized guide to the empire you can’t stop thinking about.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eExplore the \u003cb\u003edefining moments\u003c\/b\u003e of one of history’s \u003cb\u003egreatest civilizations\u003c\/b\u003e. An expert in Roman history, Dr Philip Matyzsak captures the Romans’ rise from a small city-state to a dominant power, its \u003cb\u003egolden age\u003c\/b\u003e and its \u003cb\u003einternal struggles\u003c\/b\u003e, all the way to its eventual fall. This \u003cb\u003econcise guide\u003c\/b\u003e presents the extraordinary events that defined Ancient Rome – battles that rewrote history and cultural achievements that still echo to this day. It details the death of Julius Caesar and how he was killed by his fellow senators, how Tigranes quite literally shot the messenger and how Rome staggered through a century under the threat of ever-present violence.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHistory is often shaped by long-term trends, but sometimes a single moment can permanently alter its course. A crisis erupts, a decision is made, a life is lost … and the world changes forever. The ‘100 Moments’ format finally gives these small, vital moments the attention they deserve.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFeaturing \u003cb\u003eillustrations\u003c\/b\u003e throughout, Dr Philip Matyszak takes the reader on a sweeping exploration of the \u003cb\u003edelicate threads upon which the fate of an empire hung\u003c\/b\u003e – the triumphs, tragedies and seismic transformations that have shaped the modern world.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis is the story of the Roman Empire, which rose from a republic torn by civil war to become the \u003cb\u003egreatest imperial power\u003c\/b\u003e the world has ever seen.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57507672260981,"sku":"9781789299557","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781789299557.jpg?v=1787042791"}],"url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/collections\/author-dr-philip-matyszak.oembed","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}