"John Adams," written by Pulitzer Prize winning author David McCullough, was published in 2001 by Touchstone Books. The story of America's second president surprised readers and brought new light to a man who was most significant in the country's beginnings, yet forgotten among the famous company he kept. More people point out George Washington or Thomas Jefferson when they think about the founding fathers, but Adams is revealed as an opinionated politician and a very interesting man in McCullough's book. The story of Adams and his political rivalry with Jefferson is the heart of the story.
"The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire" by Edward Gibbon, a member of England's Parliament in the 1700s, was published in six volumes over the course of 12 years. The volumes are often considered the teaching model for the understanding of Roman history, as the author was known as he first to study Ancient Rome in the modern age. The texts cover the era following the rule of Marcus Aurelius in 180 A.D. to the year 1590 following the fall of the empire. Gibbon used reliable documents from the 4th and 5th centuries to help construct his books and theorized that the Roman Empire fell partially because of the citizens of Rome gradually losing the desire to take care of local matters themselves. The Romans began outsourcing their protection through mercenaries, which eventually led to the overthrow of the civilization. His belief that religion also played a role in the decline in that the people became less concerned with the present and instead looked forward to a better life after death. This, combined with the trend toward pacifism, also aided in the fall.
"The Histories" is a collection of historical stories written by Herodotus. This "father of history" wrote the account of the wars between the Greeks and Persians between 430 and 424 B.C. The books are the first account written of the events in the Mediterranean and became the first text used for studying history in the Western world. "The Histories" is divided into nine volumes that range from the earliest rulers of Lydia in what is now Turkey to the battle that saw the Greeks defeat Persia after the second fall of Athens. Among the stories are accounts of ancient Egyptian customs and tales of one-eyed giants and characters who ride across the sea on dolphins.