Michael Scott – författare

The oracle and sanctuary of the Greek god Apollo at Delphi were known as the "omphalos"--the "center" or "navel"--of the ancient world for more than 1000 years. Individuals, city leaders, and kings came from all over the Mediterranean and beyond to consult Delphi's oracular priestess; to set up monuments to the gods; and to take part in competitions. In this richly illustrated account, Michael Scott covers the history and nature of Delphi, from the literary and archaeological evidence surrounding the site, to its rise as a center of worship, to the constant appeal of the oracle despite her cryptic prophecies. He describes how Delphi became a contested sacred site for Greeks and Romans and a storehouse for the treasures of rival city-states and foreign kings. He also examines the eventual decline of the site and how its meaning and importance have continued to be reshaped. A unique window into the center of the ancient world, Delphi will appeal to general readers, tourists, students, and specialists.

'This vivid and engaging book brings to life some of the most important moments in ancient history, moments that have shaped not only the politics and culture of bygone eras, but the institutions, thoughts and fantasies of our time.' Yuval Noah Harari (Sapiens)'A bold and imaginative page-turner that challenges ideas about the world of antiquity.' Peter Frankopan (The Silk Roads)'As panoramic as it is learned, this is ancient history for our globalised world.' Tom Holland (Dynasty, Rubicon)________________________________________Acclaimed historian and TV presenter Michael Scott guides us through an epic story spanning ten centuries to create a bold new reading of the classical era for our globalised world.Scott challenges our traditionally western-focused perception of the past, connecting Greco-Roman civilisation to the great rulers and empires that swept across Central Asia to India and China - resulting in a truly global vision of ancient history.With stunning range and richness Ancient Worlds illustrates how the great powers and characters of antiquity shared ambitions and crises, ways of thinking and forms of governing: connections that only grew stronger over the centuries as political systems evolved, mighty armies clashed, universal religions were born and our modern world was foreshadowed.Scott focuses on three epochal 'moments' across the ancient globe, and their profound wider significance: from 509-8 BCE (birth of Athenian democracy and Rome's republic, also the age of Confucius's teachings in China); to 218 BCE (when Hannibal of Carthage challenged Rome and China saw its first emperor); to 312 CE, when Constantine sought to impose Christianity on the Roman world even as Buddhism was pervading China via the vast trading routes we now know as the 'Silk Roads.'A major work of global history, Michael Scott's enthralling journey challenges the way we think about our past, re-draws the map of the classical age to reveal its hidden connections, and shows us how ancient history has lessons for our own times.

“Anyone fascinated by the underwater world will be riveted by the photos in this richly illustrated guide... Readers can lose themselves in the magnificent environment beneath the sea....” —Publishers Weekly on the first edition of Reef Life. From tide pools to coral reefs and the open ocean beyond lies a world abounding with colourful and fascinating creatures. The lure of the life that inhabits the ocean’s reefs and open waters is no secret to scuba enthusiasts and snorkellers who enjoy gazing upon this wonderful world through their dive masks. A practical and comprehensive guidebook for divers, naturalists and ocean lovers, Reef Life identifies the most commonly encountered animals in the tropical marine environment. This marvellous book features more than 1,000 beautiful colour photographs that provide a window into this magnificent world. A gallery of over 425 ray-finned fish species, as well as elasmobranchs (sharks, rays and skates), invertebrates, marine reptiles and marine mammals, offers readers an extensive identification guide to the most commonly seen marine species, with detailed descriptions of size, habitat, range and behaviour. The book also includes: A guide to tropical marine ecosystems; Surveys of global coral reef communities, from the Caribbean to the Red Sea; And a discussion about the factors that are threatening marine ecosystems today. This updated edition features new photographs, 33 new species profiles and an extended chapter about the state of the ocean and reefs on our rapidly changing planet. Reef Life is a handy, portable and comprehensive reference in a time when understanding and appreciating the diversity of our tropical oceans is at a critical point.

A portrait of the Athenian politician and general Themistocles, tracing his political development, his victory at the Battle of Salamis, and his exile in Persia“Excellent. . . . A superb introduction to the life of Themistocles and the foundations of democracy.”—David Gibbins, Wall Street JournalThemistocles (524–459 BC) came of age just as a newly democratic and empowered Athens was emerging. He would become an instrumental political and military figure, fighting in the Battle of Marathon; persuading Athenians to expand their fleet; and engineering the Athenians’ defeat of the Persians at the Battle of Salamis. However, as Michael Scott demonstrates in this biography, Themistocles failed as much as he succeeded.Scott offers a fully human picture of Themistocles, a man who could be both decisive and heroic as well as uncertain and unprepared. He was loved and hated in Athens, his plans and ideas ignored as often as they were respected. Eventually he was exiled as a traitor, ultimately settling in Persia as an adviser to Artaxerxes, the son of Xerxes, his foe at Salamis. And yet, in the aftermath of his death, he emerged as one of Greece’s historical heroes.In this portrait of a man Thucydides deemed one of the most illustrious Greeks of his time, Scott reveals one man’s struggle to navigate the turbulent world of Athenian politics, and the crucial role of historians and biographers in shaping, and distorting, the image of Themistocles that has come down to us through the centuries.

In this issue, guest editors bring their considerable expertise to this important topic.

Programming Language Pragmatics is the most comprehensive programming language textbook available today, with nearly 1000 pages of content in the book, plus hundreds more pages of reference materials and ancillaries online. Michael Scott takes theperspective that language design and language implementation are tightly interconnected, and that neither can be fully understood in isolation. In an approachable, readable style, he discusses more than 50 languages in the context of understanding how code isinterpreted or compiled, providing an organizational framework for learning new languages, regardless of platform. This edition has been thoroughly updated to cover the most recent developments in programming language design and provides both a solid understanding of the most important issues driving software development todayProvides a complete re-write of the chapter on semantic analysis, using formal inference rulesIncludes a heavy revision of the chapter on type systemsPresents significant updates to the chapters on composite types, object orientation, and code generationCovers new material on ownership types, safe concurrency, asynchronous programming, traits, move constructors, template “concepts,” the LLVM compiler infrastructure, and many other topics

Theatre has never been afraid to adapt, rewrite and contemporize Shakespeare's drama, since theatre by definition is a living medium involving a corporate creativity. Shakespeare himself rewrote or adapted old plays and stories, and since being written his dramas have experienced many transformations. Recent dramatists, following this age-old tradition, have rewritten some of Shakespeare's plays for the contemporary stage or modelled their drama on formulations used by him. In this book, Professor Scott examines a selection of such plays written in the last 40 years. They include Samuel Beckett's "Waiting for Godot", Tom Stoppard's "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead" and Ionesco's "Macbeth". Edward Bond's "Lear", Arnold Wesker's "The Merchant" and Charles Marowitz's "Collages" represent an attempt by some modern dramatists to challenge a particular ideology which appears to have appropriated Shakespeare to itself. The book concludes with an examination of some recent trends in Shakespearean production, particularly by the Royal Shakespeare Company.Michael Scott's previous publications include "Renaissance Drama and a Modern Audience", "'Antony and Cleopatra' - Text and Performance", "John Marston's Plays", "Harold Pinter: 'The Birthday Party', 'The Caretaker' and 'The Homecoming': A Casebook". He is the general editor of Macmillan's "Text and Performance" and "The Critics Debate".

This edited collection of essays on Shakespeare includes writings on Shakespeare in his time, in our time, and in the future. It looks at why we talk so much about Shakespeare by considering the dominant views and theories on his work at the beginning of the new millennium. Essays included examine topics such as touring practices in Shakespeare's day, the history of the Royal Shakespeare Company, Shakespeare in relation to his contemporaries, Shakespeare and homoeroticism and Shakespeare and the future.Talking Shakespeare, as its title implies, focuses on the reciprocal relationship between past and present, the way Shakespeare talks to us, the ways in which we talk about Shakespeare, and the way in which Shakespeare, ultimately, is 'all talk'. Indeed the approach employed throughout the book is a consideration of the ways in which the past informs the present as well as how the present informs the past. The book takes a multi-disciplinary view of Shakespeare, looking at how Shakespeare is 'talked about' in the fields of English Studies, Performance Studies and Cultural Studies. There is also an appendix surveying material available on Shakespeare in the electronic or 'virtual' library.

Nicholas Flamel appeared in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter—but did you know he really lived? And he might still be alive today! Discover the truth in Michael Scott’s New York Times bestselling series the Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel with the first three books: The Alchemyst, The Magician, and The Sorceress.   The truth: Nicholas Flamel was born in Paris on September 28, 1330.   The legend: Nicholas Flamel discovered the secret of eternal life.     The records show that he died in 1418.   But his tomb is empty.   Nicholas Flamel lives. But only because he has been making the elixir of life for centuries.    The secret of eternal life is hidden within the book he protects—the Book of Abraham the Mage. It's the most powerful book that has ever existed. In the wrong hands, it will destroy the world. That's exactly what Dr. John Dee plans to do when he steals it.    Humankind won't know what's happening until it's too late. And if the prophecy is right, Sophie and Josh Newman are the only ones with the power to save the world as we know it.    Sometimes legends are true. And Sophie and Josh Newman are about to find themselves in the middle of the greatest legend of all time. “[A] A riveting fantasy…While there is plenty here to send readers rushing to their encyclopedias…those who read the book at face value will simply be caught up in the enthralling story. A fabulous read.”—SLJ, Starred  Read the whole series! The Alchemyst The Magician The Sorceress The Necromancer The Warlock The Enchantress

Recent events from the economic downturn to climate change mean that there has never been a better time to be thinking about and trying to better understand the concept of risk. In this book, prominent and eminent speakers from fields as diverse as statistics to classics, neuroscience to criminology, politics to astronomy, as well as speakers embedded in the media and in government, have put their ideas down on paper in a series of essays that broaden our understanding of the meaning of risk. The essays come from the prestigious Darwin College Lecture Series which, after twenty-five years, is one of the most popular public lecture series at the University of Cambridge. The risk lectures in 2010 were amongst the most popular yet and, in essay form, they make for a lively and engaging read for specialists and non-specialists alike.

Most people think about the sanctuary of Delphi as the seat of the famous oracle and of Olympia as the site of the Olympic games. The oracle and the games, however, were but two of the many activities ongoing at both sites. This book investigates the physical remains of both sanctuaries to show how different visitors interacted with the sacred spaces of Delphi and Olympia in an important variety of ways during the archaic and classical periods. It highlights how this fluid usage impacted upon, and was itself affected by, the development of the sanctuary space and how such usage influenced the place and relationship of these two sites in the wider landscape. As a result, it argues for the re-evaluation of the roles of Delphi and Olympia in the Greek world and for a re-thinking of the usefulness of the term 'panhellenism' in Greek politics, religion and culture.

Dr John Dee has destroyed Paris in his mission to find Nicholas Flamel and Sophie and Josh Newman. The two missing pages of the book of Abraham the Mage are still with them and the Dark Elders need them for the Final Summoning. They will not rest until they are in power and the human race has been destroyed.Nicholas Flamel knows he must protect Josh and Sophie and the pages from the Dark Elders. For this he must rely on Clarent - the sister sword to Excalibur - and the sword's evil power makes it nearly impossible to use without darkness seeping into the soul of whoever wields it.What will be the price to pay for the twins to remain protected and the Dark Elders to be defeated?

Sophie and Josh have returned to San Francisco. They must protect themselves from the Dark Elders, but they've not yet mastered the magic they'll need to do so. Their trust in Nicholas Flamel is shaken, and their friend Scatty is missing. Unbeknownst to the twins, John Dee has amassed an enormous army of foul creatures, with which he plans to battle Nicholas and his wife, Peronelle. In order for his plan to work, he must train a necromancer to raise the Mother of the Gods from the dead. The twins of legend will make the perfect pupils in his diabolical scheme.

Nicholas Flamel was born in Paris on 28 September 1330. Nearly seven hundred years later, he is acknowledged as the greatest Alchemyst of his day. It is said that he discovered the secret of eternal life. The records show that he died in 1418. But his tomb is empty and Nicholas Flamel lives. The secret of eternal life is hidden within the book he protects - the Book of Abraham the Mage. It's the most powerful book that has ever existed. In the wrong hands, it will destroy the world. And that's exactly what Dr. John Dee plans to do when he steals it. Humankind won't know what's happening until it's too late. And if the prophecy is right, Sophie and Josh Newman are the only ones with the power to save the world as we know it. Sometimes legends are true. And Sophie and Josh Newman are about to find themselves in the middle of the greatest legend of all time.

Ashes to ashes . . .California: The book of Abraham the Mage holds the secret of eternal life - a secret more dangerous than any one man should possess. Dr. John Dee is two pages away from the knowledge that would bring the Dark Elders into ultimate power - and could mean the destruction of the world as we know it.Two people stand in his way: Josh and Sophie Newman.Paris: Time is running out for Nicholas Flamel and his wife Perenelle. Every day they spend without the book, they age one year: their magic becomes weaker and their bodies more frail. Niccolo Machiavelli, immortal author and celebrated art collector, works for Dee and is in hot pursuit of them - Flamel knows there's no time to lose and Sophie must learn about Fire Magic...Josh and Sophie are the world's only hope. If they don't turn on each other first.

Winner of a Parents' Choice Silver Honor Award, 2012The Newman twins have finally been divided. The end is near.In San Francisco, Josh has chosen a side - and he will not stand with his sister, Sophie, or the Alchemyst, Nicholas Flamel. He has chosen to fight along side John Dee and the mysterious Virginia Dare. Sophie will do anything she can to find her brother, but her training must continue. With Perenelle and Nicholas as weak as they are, Niten must help her to master Earth Magic. Without this, she will fail and the human race will be doomed forever...Can she save the world alone?

The two that are one must become the one that is all. One to save the world, one to destroy it. San Francisco:Nicholas and Perenelle Flamel have one day left to live, and one job left to do. They must defend San Francisco. The monsters gathered on Alcatraz Island have been released and are heading toward the city. If they are not stopped, they will destroy everyone and everything in their path.But even with the help of two of the greatest warriors from history and myth, will the Sorceress and the legendary Alchemyst be able to defend the city? Or is it the beginning of the end of the human race?Danu Talis:Sophie and Josh Newman travelled ten thousand years into the past to Danu Talis when they followed Dr. John Dee and Virginia Dare. And it’s on this legendary island that the battle for the world begins and ends.Scathach, Prometheus, Palamedes, Shakespeare, Saint-Germain, and Joan of Arc are also on the island. And no one is sure what – or who – the twins will be fighting for.Today the battle for Danu Talis will be won or lost. But will the twins of legend stand together?Or will they stand apart – one to save the world and one to destroy it?