France

British and German Literature, History and Culture

Harumi James, "The Scarlet Queen" - Recommended biography to learn about the life of Mary, Queen of Scots, a tragic, too tragic woman.

Tragic, too tragic!

Reading this biography I couldn't stop thinking about it.

I couldn't help but cry, wondering if life could be so tragic.

Mary Stuart as portrayed in this biography is so fascinating that it makes me want to begrudge fate for how such a great person had to suffer so tragically.

I would highly recommend this biography. James Harumi's narration is excellent and I was quickly drawn in. This book will change the way you see England and Scotland. Why not pick up a copy?
The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire, the Vatican, and Roman Catholicism

André Chastel, "The Tragedy of the Holy City of Rome in 1527" - The shocking destruction and sack of Rome by the Holy Roman Empire's army.

This book is recommended in combination with "Rome of the Popes" by Masumi Ishinabe.

You will witness the incredible history of the Vatican, which is majestic and overwhelmingly beautiful.

I have been reading this book for less than a month now and I am still in that state of shock. It is such a shock. I feel that this event is very significant not only for religion but also for the history of mankind.
The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire, the Vatican, and Roman Catholicism

Hiroshi Emura, "Karl V: The Glorious Days of the Habsburgs" - Recommended work to learn about the life of Karl V, King of Spain in his heyday and the situation in Western Europe at that time.

「この男をもって、ハプスブルク家は最盛期を迎える。若きスペイン王として君臨し、皇帝の冠を抱いたのちは、ヨーロッパだけでは飽きたらず、アフリカにまでその手を伸ばした戦いと栄光の日々。しかし、王家と自身の黄昏は、静かに忍び寄っていた―。ハプスブルク家が光に満ちた最後の姿を描いた傑作評伝」

この本はサッコ・ディ・ローマ事件について知りたかった私にとって非常にありがたい作品でした。中世ヨーロッパに君臨した巨大な王の生涯を知れる素晴らしい一冊です。
The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire, the Vatican, and Roman Catholicism

Hiroshi Emura, "The Habsburgs" - A good introduction to the history of the royal family that ruled Europe.

この本はタイトル通り、長い歴史を持つハプスブルク家がいかにして始まり、どのように勢力を増していったのかということが非常にわかりやすく説かれています。

読んでいて「へぇ～！そうなんだ！」とびっくりすることが何度も何度もありました。これまで中世ヨーロッパまでなかなか手が回らなかったためその歴史はほとんど知りませんでしたが、当時のヨーロッパはこんな状況だったのかとまさに目から鱗でした。これは面白いです。
中世ヨーロッパに興味のある方、繁栄を極めたハプスブルク家に興味のある方にぜひおすすめしたい作品です。
The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire, the Vatican, and Roman Catholicism

Shohei Touyama, "Henry VIII: Tyrant or Charismatic" - Recommended biography to learn about the King's divorce issues and the process of founding the Church of England.

この本はものすごく面白いです。著者の語りも素晴らしく、歴史の流れがすっと入ってきます。ヘンリー八世という圧倒的カリスマの驚異の人生を私達は目撃することになります。

I highly recommend this book to Shakespeare fans. The daughter of this king was the future Queen Elizabeth, and Shakespeare was active in her reign. If you know the historical background in which he lived, you can enjoy Shakespeare's works more. No art is apart from its historical background. I have appreciated this biography very much.
The Italian Renaissance and the Revolution of Knowledge

Erasmus' "The Lover's Praise" Synopsis and Impressions - A satirical work by the world's first best-selling author, the originator of humanism.

It satirizes serious theologians and philosophers and humorously describes what it means to be human. It is also critical of the corrupt clergy, and I wondered at the moment I read it how the Catholic Church could allow this work to be published, but sure enough, it was placed on the Catholic banned books list.

Erasmus was at the top of his game as a bestselling author at a stage when the huge publishing industry did not yet exist.

The work that became the source of its popularity is "Lover's God Reisan". We encourage you to pick up a copy.
Marx Engels Writings and Related Works

Yohei Nakajima, "The Eve of Socialism: Saint-Simon, Owen, and Fourier" - Was Marx's label of imaginary socialists unjustified?

Saint-Simon, Owen, and Fourier were labeled "fantastical socialists" by Marx Engels. This book looks at whether these three men were really fantastical socialists.

As stated in the book introduction above, this is a stimulating work that provides an insight into its reality, which is "neither fanciful nor socialist".
The Italian Renaissance and the Revolution of Knowledge

A. Monroe, A History of Paper and People - How the invention and spread of paper changed the world - also to learn about the history of Buddhism, China and Japan.

The amount of information in this work is just tremendous!

This is a detailed look at how paper, invented in China in the first half of the 2nd century, spread and what happened to it as it spread around the world.

The history of paper is discussed from the stage before paper was invented, that is, how letters were invented, to the history of China, Taoism, Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, and so on.

This book is just so large in scale. I think you will be amazed if you read it. I highly recommend it!
The Italian Renaissance and the Revolution of Knowledge

C. Hamel, "The Making of a Medieval Manuscript" - Surprising medieval writing materials and book making methods! Recommended for book lovers!

In this book you can learn a lot of different tidbits about medieval manuscripts. I also appreciate the many photographs, which make it very easy to visualize.

In the first half of the book, you can also see how parchment is made in pictures, which is quite shocking. I was also surprised at how it is made. I was also surprised. I was also surprised at how parchment is made.

How were our beloved books once produced? This is a surprising part of the story, but it is very interesting to learn about it.