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The Russian Revolution of 1917 was one of the most cataclysmic events in world history, profoundly shaping politics, international relations, social patterns, economics and science in the century that followed. It created long-lasting aftershocks which travelled far beyond its geographical borders. How did it happen? What were the sequence of events that led, following the shocking upheaval of the old Romanov order, to a fierce and violent rivalry between a variety of revolutionary factions and the ultimate victory of the Bolsheviks?

Epicurus of Samos (341-270 BCE) was the founder of the philosophical system to which he gave his name: Epicureanism. It is a label that is often misused and misunderstood today, with ‘a life of pleasure’ as the key aim misinterpreted as a life of indulgence. In fact, the philosophy of Epicurus demonstrated also by his life, was anything but! He established a school in Athens called The Garden, underpinned by his system of ethics. 

The rise of Rome is one of the great stories of world history and fortunately we have a reliable and at times an eyewitness account, from the Greek historian Polybius of Megalopolis. Polybius reports on the main confrontations with the authority of a man who was present at many events and also visited historic sites of importance to ensure his accounts of the past were accurate.

Although it was originally published in 1892, Early Greek Philosophy by John Burnet remains unquestionably one of the most respected and admired surveys of the pre-Socratics. It is an illuminating springboard into classical Greek philosophy.

It is June 1936. Leon Trotsky (1879-1940) has finally been granted a visa for asylum in Norway, having been banned first from living in Paris, and then the whole of France. With him comes the draft of The Revolution Betrayed: What Is the Soviet Union and Where Is It Going?, which is completed and sent to the publishers on the 4th of August. The book, published by Faber in 1937, is considered to be Trotsky’s major work on Stalinism. 

The Water Margin is one of the most popular classics of early Chinese literature. It tells the vigorous story of 108 characters who, falling foul of the established state authorities, are forced to become outlaws. They form a bandit community in Liangshan Marsh, becoming such a formidable force in their own right that they threaten the power of government itself.

Philosophical Investigations was published in 1953, two years after the death of its author. In the preface written in Cambridge in 1945 where he was professor of philosophy he states: ‘Four years ago I had occasion to re-read my first book (the Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus) and to explain its ideas to someone. It suddenly seemed to me that I should publish those old thoughts and the new ones together: that the latter could be seen in the right light only by contrast with and against the background of my old way of thinking.’

Famous for his political treatise The Prince, which advises would-be kings on the best strategies for governing, Machiavelli turns his attention to the inner workings of a successful republic and the people necessary to maintain it in his Discourses on Livy. Comparing contemporary societies to ancient Rome, with examples from Livy’s The History of Rome, Machiavelli tries to identify the foundations of a well-working republic, examining social and political aspects, such as voting, citizenship, warfare and religion.

First published in 1471, the year of the author’s death, The Imitation of Christ is a highly influential Christian text. A celebration of God’s mercy, holiness, and love, The Imitation is a devotional guide in which Christians are urged to trust fully in God and submit to the circumstances of the life that we are given by God. Although Thomas à Kempis spent 70 years of his life in the confines of a monastery, this work shows a complete comprehension of human nature.

The Romans have landed in Britain. The invasion is over, but the war has just begun. The legions march inland, but progress is slow, hampered by vast, ancient forests, swamps and treacherous rivers that must be crossed. But, guided by traitorous Celts blinded by self-interest, progress they do.

Britannia, 42AD. The wild island at the fringe of the world is in chaos. Into the turmoil marches the mightiest war machine in history: the legions of Rome. In a land torn apart by conflict, an orphaned boy must come of age within a tribe he despises.

Goethe as a novelist is best known for two earlier novels, The Sorrows of Young Werther (1774) and Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship (1796). But Elective Affinities, which was published in 1809, is widely regarded as his mature masterpiece, not least because of its unusual provenance, which brings together Goethe the scientist as well as Goethe the writer.

Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions is a prose work published in 1624. It consists of a series of meditations, prayers, and reflections that Donne wrote while he was recovering from a serious illness. It is divided into 23 sections, each representing a different meditation on various aspects of life, death, and spirituality. Donne explores themes such as the fragility and uncertainty of life, the interconnectedness of humanity, and the presence of God in times of suffering.

The Jewish War is an extraordinary historical document in that it details a calamitous period of four years during which the Jews pitted themselves against the might of the Roman empire. It is partly a remarkable account in that its author, Flavius Josephus (c.37–c.100 CE) was himself a Jew and yet, during the course of the conflict, found himself playing a prominent role for both sides. It is further underpinned by the fact that Josephus himself was not only a participant, but also an historian and a scholar of standing.

Published in 1762, it had a profound impact on the approach to the education and upbringing of a child, through infancy, childhood, adolescence and into adulthood. This was partly fuelled by the format – for Rousseau presents before us the boy Emile, taking him through the various stages of life, and as Emile becomes a young man, introducing a female counterpart, Sophie. This device personalises what would otherwise be a more formal philosophical presentation.  

Written in 516, The Rule of Saint Benedict for monastic living has been soul-inspiring for a countless number of people–not only monks, nuns and priests, but also a considerable number of lay people. It covers matters of doctrine, the structure of the monastery as the House of God, and observance of the Divine Office. The Rule gives a fascinating insight into the standards and behaviour expected of monks in their everyday lives. It remains notable for embodying the concept of a written constitution and influencing the shape of medieval Europe.

The Science of Rights (originally in German: Grundlage des Naturrechts nach Principien der Wissenschaftslehre) by Johann Gottlieb Fichte, was originally written in 1796 and later translated by Adolph Ernst Kroeger into English.

Elements of The Philosophy of Right, a key work in the output of Georg Wilhelm Hegel (1770-1831), appeared in 1820 - and was arguably his last major publication. His intention was to state his views on the philosophy of law, political and social theory and ethics. Appearing as it did in a crucial time for the Prussian state - still affected by the Napoleonic wars and their aftermath - it was viewed differently by those on both the left and the right of the political spectrum. 

Born into slavery in the first century AD, Epictetus was a leading Greek philosopher of the Stoic school. He spent most of his life in Rome before the Emperor Domitian banished all philosophers from the city in AD 93; his exile then took him to Nicopolis in Greece. His teachings were recorded by his pupil Arrian, who published both the Encheiridion and Discourses.

Johann Gottlieb Fichte (1762-1814) was the forerunner of the post-Kantian idealists and remains one of the most important figures in German philosophy. Throughout his career, Fichte published, in addition to his systematic or "scientific" treatises, the best known of which is the "Foundation of the Entire Wissenchaftslehre (1794-5), a series of works directed at the general public.