Terrain de jeu des mammouths et lieu des premières péripéties humaines : voici l'histoire du Paris préhistorique.
Au fil de quatre nouvelles romanesques, l'homme prend du poil de la bête. Il dompte le feu, découvre les outils, le fer et le bronze, apprend à chasser - et surtout à vivre avec ses pairs, dans l'amour ou la haine.
Homme de Cro-Magnon affrontant tous les dangers pour délivrer une fille en détresse ; chasseur cherchant à protéger coûte que coûte son peuple d'une prêtresse maléfique ; chef de clan tyrannique amassant pour lui toute la nourriture : les nouvelles sont toutes riches en péripéties.
Que ce soit pour l'amour, la technologie, la patrie ou les ressources, les Parisiens de la préhistoire doivent lutter sans relâche à coup de gourdin et de malice.
D'une plume tantôt pleine d'humour, tantôt satirique, Elie Berthet remonte dans l'immense nuit des âges passés. Si la société préhistorique semble proche de la notre, Berthet rappelle que la violence est éternelle et l'amour inépuisable.
Elie Berthet (1815-1891) né à Limoges est un auteur de romans populaires et de feuilletons. Passionné de littérature dès le plus jeune âge, il fait des études en Lettres et écrit « La Veilleuse ». À seize ans, il prétend à sa famille étudier le droit à Paris, mais se consacre en réalité à l'écriture. Il trouve un éditeur « Le Siècle » et publie ses écrits sous le pseudonyme Élie Raymond. Doué dans tous les genres et auteur devenu rapidement l'un des plus prolifiques de son siècle, sa réputation égale celle d'Alexandre Dumas. Avec son livre « L'Homme des Bois », il est considéré comme le précurseur de « Tarzan », et « Les Houilleurs de Polignies » est une des inspirations d'Émile Zola pour « Germinal. » Il est aussi le premier avant les frères Rosny à écrire un roman dit préhistorique « Paris avant l'Histoire »
Pierre Loti fait le voyage d'Angkor en 1901, pèlerinage qui répond à un rêve d'enfant et révèle le sens de toute une existence. C'est une véritable leçon de sagesse qui arrive au crépuscule d'une vie pour le mettre en valeur. Les pensées mélancoliques du voyageur et les descriptions de ce site incomparable, témoin ultime de la civilisation khmère, se mêlent intimement pour former un chef d'oeuvre absolu.
In early March 1867, Muir was injured while working at a wagon wheels factory: a tool he was using slipped and struck him in the eye. This accident changed the course of his life. He was confined to a darkened room for six weeks, worried he'd lost his sight forever. When he did recover, the world looked completely different and life had taken on a new meaning for him. Muir later said, "This affliction has driven me to the sweet fields. God has to nearly kill us sometimes, to teach us lessons." From that point on, he determined to "be true to myself" and follow his dream of exploring and studying plants.
A Thousand Mile Walk to the Gulf recounts Muir's walk of approximately 1,000 miles (1,600 km) from Indiana to Florida. He did not follow a specific route, only going by the "wildest, leafiest, and least trodden way I could find." This journal is the earliest of Muir's writings and autobiographically bridges the period between "The Story of my Boyhood and Youth" and "My First Summer in the Sierra."
John Muir (1838-1914) was a Scottish-American author and naturalist, who is traditionally considered to be the "Father of the National Parks". Born in Dunbar (East Lothian), he spent his childhood exploring the area, and that is where his love of nature first bloomed. In 1849, his family emigrated to Portage, Wisconsin for religious reasons. At 22, he joined the University of Wisconsin-Madison, from which he never graduated, as he preferred to take a multitude of different classes in the variety of subjects he was interested him, such as chemistry, botany and geology. In 1866, whilst working at an Indianapolis wagon wheel factory, he got into a serious accident and almost lost his sight. When he recovered, he decided to follow his dreams and explore nature. In September 1867, he walked from Kentucky to Florida, later describing the trip in his "A Thousand-Mile Walk to the Gulf." In 1868, he boarded a ship to Cuba, then later on sailed to New York City, from whence he travelled to California. From there, he decided to visit Yosemite, which he had long read about. He was one of the first to infer that the landscape there must have been formed by glaciers, a widely disputed theory at the time. Muir wrote countless essays, books and letters recounting his adventures out in nature, especially in the Sierra Nevada, which have been read by millions. He played a vital role in the preservation of natural areas, and the creations of Yosemite and Sequoia National Park, amongst many others.
How do you handle a basket case at 7000 metres height?
That is the question an accomplished and esteemed aeronaut is forced to ask himself in 1850 after his hot air balloon is hijacked by a young, idealistic admirer in the skies above Frankfurt, Germany.
A fellow countryman well-versed in aeronautical science and its history, the newcomer's abrupt arrival is soon forgotten, although his companion's soaring aspirations and numerous tales of historical balloon expeditions leave the narrator with a sense of unease.
But how much room is there for honest debate when you're of inferior physique, several kilometers
above ground and a few feet below considerable volumes of highly flammable gas?
Originally titled "A Drama in the Air", Jules Verne takes suspense and air balloons to new heights in this 1852 short story, while also providing insight into the technical aspects and oftentimes grim history of hot air balloon travel.
Most famous for his 54-volume "Extraordinary Voyages" series, French writer Jules Verne (1828-1905) was a pioneer of fantastical journeys propelled by science, most notably "Journey to the Center of the Earth" (1864), "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea" (1870) and "Around the World in Eighty Days" (1872) .
Popular with both children and adults, Verne's works have had an incalculable impact on scientists the world over. He is credited as one of the inventors of the science fiction genre.
`Eight Hundred Leagues on the Amazon' follows Joam Garral a Brazilian ranch owner living on the Peruvian border. When his daughter wants to return to their old city of Belem for her wedding Joam relents as the loving father he is. Joam is a wanted man however, framed for a crime he never committed he will have to face the music when he returns home, putting his life and everything he holds dear at risk. Garral is offered a way out, he can clear his name, but the cost could very well tear his family apart. It is a wonderful read built on the strength of Verne's mastery of description and his ensemble of brilliant characters.
Jules Verne (1828-1905) was a French novelist, poet and playwright who is remembered for his significant contribution to the science fiction genre. With the help of editor Pierre-Jules Hetzel he wrote a series of books called "Extraordinary Travels", which includes "Journey to the Centre of the Earth" (1864), "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea" (1870), and "Around the World in Eighty Days" (1873). Due to his incredible vision he is often given the moniker `The Father of Science Fiction', shared with fellow science fiction author H.G. Wells. Widely popular with both children and adults, Verne is one of the most translated authors of all time, second only to Agatha Christie and Shakespeare.
France - Delicious food, beautiful buildings and an elegance of people rarely seen anywhere else!
Dear reader, take my hand and enjoy this tour de France - with Henry James as your guide. Written as a first person narrative, "A Little Tour in France" is one of James' most influential and interesting travel guides. Of course, the tour is not that "little" for the reader is invited to visit the Loire Valley, Britanny, the Bordeaux region, Provence, and Paris. And, in a typical Jamesian style, he never fails to describe the people he meets and their view of life and nature. A valuable book from James' priceless treasure.
Henry James (1843-1916) is regarded as one of the greatest novelists in the English language. Born in the United States, but mainly living and working in Europe, he was largely occupied with the clash of personalities and cultures between the Old World and the New World.
He explored this topic in his famous novels 'The Portrait of a Lady' and 'The Wings of the Dove'. James was thrice nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature.
"The Portrait of a Lady" has been adapted for the big screen many times with the most notable being from 1996 starring Nicole Kidman and John Malkovich.
Originally published in The London Review in 1861, A Ride Across Palestine is a short story by Anthony Trollope. Our narrator, the somewhat mysterious Mr Jones, is travelling through the Holy Land and lamenting his lack of a companion. When a young Mr John Smith requests to accompany him on his travels, having also been suffering with loneliness, Mr Smith gladly accepts. Over the course of their journey the pair become close, though all is not as it seems. Dealing with the topics of gender stereotypes and gender expectations of the time, this is a thrilling short story of deception and disguise.
Anthony Trollope (1815 - 1882) was a Victorian writer and author of 47 novels. He also wrote an autobiography, short stories and plays, travel articles, reviews and lectures. A prolific writer, he made no secret of the fact that money was his motivation for writing - an admission which raised eyebrows among his literary contemporaries at the time. The amount of works Trollope authored are testament to his belief in hard work. His first successful novel was The Warden followed by its sequel, Barchester Towers. The Chronicles of Barsetshire are perhaps his most well-known series of novels, though many of his works have been adapted for TV and radio, starring many familiar faces such as Alan Rickman, David Tennant, Bill Nighy and Tom Hollander. Alongside his literary career, Trollope also worked for some time for the Post Office and is credited with the introduction of the iconic post box to Britain. A memorial to Anthony Trollope was unveiled in Poets' Corner in Westminster Abbey in 1993.
