History unlocks the truths and myths behind the world of epic heroes and villains. Examine the complex soul of the prophet Moses, who defeated the Pharaoh and the Egyptian army and led his people out of Egypt. See how Joshua's army infiltrated and destroyed Jericho from the inside out. Discover the stories of King Ramses II and such ancient marvels as the temple at Karnak and the rock temple at Abu Simbel.

"Few English writers wielded a pen so sharply as George Orwell, the quintessential political writer of the twentieth century. His literary output at once responded to and sought to influence the tumultuous times in which he lived--decades during which Europe and eventually the entire world would be torn apart by war, while ideologies like fascism, socialism, and communism changed the stakes of global politics. In this study, Stanford historian and...