Bettany Hughes – författare

Brought to you by Puffin.It’s your LUCKY day! You’ve stumbled across an ancient treasure chest in your garden that was buried THOUSANDS of years ago by a child living in ancient Rome. And the chest is packed with 20 strange and curious items that tell us so much about their life, such as:

Unpack the treasure chest and discover the objects that a child just like YOU was using thousands of years ago. You’ll uncover fascinating facts and true tales about their school, family life, clothes, games, favourite snacks and so much more.The true, real-life experiences of children in ancient times is a part of history that has been neglected for far too long – award-winning historian, broadcaster and bestselling author Bettany Hughes is here to dig up this newly discovered information for young budding historians everywhere.© Bettany Hughes 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER''Life-filled and life-affirming history, steeped in romance and written with verve'' GUARDIAN''Richly entertaining and impeccably researched'' Peter FrankopanIstanbul has always been a place where stories and histories collide and crackle, where the idea is as potent as the historical fact. From the Qu''ran to Shakespeare, this city with three names - Byzantium, Constantinople, Istanbul - resonates as an idea and a place, and overspills its boundaries - real and imagined. Standing as the gateway between the East and West, it has served as the capital of the Roman, Byzantine, Latin and Ottoman Empires. For much of its history it was known simply as The City, but, as Bettany Hughes reveals, Istanbul is not just a city, but a story. In this epic new biography, Hughes takes us on a dazzling historical journey through the many incarnations of one of the world''s greatest cities. As the longest-lived political entity in Europe, over the last 6,000 years Istanbul has absorbed a mosaic of micro-cities and cultures all gathering around the core. At the latest count archaeologists have measured forty-two human habitation layers. Phoenicians, Genoese, Venetians, Jews, Vikings, Azeris all called a patch of this earth their home. Based on meticulous research and new archaeological evidence, this captivating portrait of the momentous life of Istanbul is visceral, immediate and scholarly narrative history at its finest.

Their names still echo down the ages: The Great Pyramid at Giza. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon. The Temple of Artemis. The statue of Zeus at Olympia. The mausoleum of Halikarnassos. The Colossus at Rhodes. The Lighthouse of Alexandria. The Seven Wonders of the World were staggeringly audacious impositions on our planet. They were also brilliant adventures of the mind, test cases of the reaches of human imagination. Now only the pyramid remains, yet the scale and majesty of these seven wonders still enthral us today. In a thrilling, colourful narrative enriched with the latest archaeological discoveries, bestselling historian Bettany Hughes walks through the landscapes of both ancient and modern time; on a journey whose purpose is to ask why we wonder, why we create, why we choose to remember the wonder of others. She explores traces of the Wonders themselves, and the traces they have left in history. A majestic work of historical storytelling, The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World reinforces the exciting, and nourishing, notion that humans can make the impossible happen.

''A wondrous wonderful achievement'' STEPHEN FRYLonglisted for The Anglo-Hellenic League Runciman Award 2025The Seven Wonders of the World were staggeringly audacious impositions on our planet. They were also brilliant adventures of the mind, test cases for the reaches of human imagination. Now only the great pyramid remains fully standing, yet the scale and majesty of these seven wonders still enthral us today. In a thrilling, colourful narrative enriched with the latest archaeological discoveries, bestselling historian Bettany Hughes walks through the landscapes of both ancient and modern time. This is a journey whose purpose is to ask why we wonder, why we create, why we choose to remember the wonder of others. She explores traces of the Wonders themselves, and the traces they have left in history. A magisterial work of historical storytelling, The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World reinforces the exciting and nourishing notion that humans can make the impossible happen.''Fantastic...a joy from the outset'' PETER FRANKOPAN''Fascinating...all told with Bettany''s natural sense of wonder and adventure'' SIMON SEBAG MONTEFIORE

''Lively'' THE TIMES''Engrossing'' THE SPECTATOR''Stunning'' WOMAN & HOME''Marvellous'' BBC HISTORY MAGAZINEThrough ancient art, evocative myth, intriguing archaeological discoveries and philosophical explorations, Bettany Hughes takes us on a voyage of discovery to reveal the truth behind Venus, and why this immortal goddess is so much more than nudity, romance and sex. It is both the remarkable story of one of antiquity''s most potent forces, and the story of human desire - how it transforms who we are and how we behave.

Bettany Hughes reveals the surprising and invigorating history of civilisation''s most influential ideas''Eloquent and engaging... don''t miss'' Radio TimesIn this compelling ''archaeology of philosophy'', award-winning historian Bettany Hughes takes 25 single-word ideas from Ancient Greek culture and traces their development. Travelling backwards and forwards through time, she investigates how they first emerged and have evolved throughout history - and how those changes have shaped us.In each programme, she discusses her chosenconcept with special guests from the humanities and sciences, discovers where these big philosophical ideas were born, and visits the street markets, churches, offices and homes where they continue to morph and influence our daily lives. We consider changing ideas of comedy by listening to a rat laughing and by giggling at schoolboy jokes from Ancient Mesopotamia; explores peace through images of war-torn Syria; investigates agony from conflict on the sports field to the battles of the heart; contemplate fame and how our attitude to celebrity has changed from Achilles to YouTube; and visits a Buddhist temple, the Palace of Westminster and the UK''s largest food bank to find out why humans are hard-wired to hope.Along the way, Bettany is joined by a star-studded cast including John Lloyd, Kate Mosse, John Prescott, Nick Clegg, Eniola Aluko, Carlo Rovelli, Angie Hobbs, Stanley Johnson, John Humphrys and Bob Geldof.Series 1 finds her looking at Ideas, Fame and Love, asking who came up with the idea of an idea? How has our attitude to celebrity changed over time? And what does love look like on a brain scan? She also delves into the perception of Agony, from sporting conflict to broken hearts, and investigates Justice, from Babylon to the Old Bailey.In Series 2, she examines changing ideas of Liberty and analyses Comedy with the help of a laughing rat and some Ancient Mesopotamian jokes. Plus, she shows poet Ben Okri some Hospitality, goes to a women''s football game and a synagogue in a quest to understand Wisdom and explores Peace through images of war-torn Syria and a talk with a dying man.Series 3 sees Bettany probing her Psyche on Sigmund Freud''s couch, finding Charisma at the Acropolis and in a bestselling novel, and inquiring into Irony in a club where it''s banned. Pursuing Nemesis, she talks to experts on counter-terrorism and climate change, and she''s aided on her hunt for Virtue by a former Greek Finance Minister and an aid worker back from Sierra Leone.In Series 4, she takes her street philosophy to an ancient palace, a political think-tank and a prison kitchen as she considers Character. She ponders the changing idea of Harmony in mythology and on the battlefield, researches Narcissism in Victorian society - and at a hairdresser''s, gets to grips with Technology at an electrical shop and in the future, and studies Hubris on a building site and aboard an Elizabethan sailing ship.Finally, in Series 5, Bettany asks some big questions about Hope, Memory, Gaia, Chaos and Time. Are we hard-wired to believe things can get better - and why does our past hold the key to our future? Do we still believe in Mother Earth, and what role does disruption play in our lives? And who owns time, what does it mean, and how can we best make use of it?CreditsPublished by Penguin Random House LtdLicensed by BBC Studios Distribution Ltd? 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd© 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd