Author:Arthur Cotterell
The chariot changed the face of ancient warfare. First in West Asia and Egypt, then in India and China, charioteers came to dominate the battlefield. Its use as a war machine is graphically recounted in Indian epics and Chinese chronicles. Homer's Iliad tells of the attack on Troy by Greek heroes who rode in chariots. In 326 BC Alexander the Great faced charioteers in northern India, while in 55 BC, on a Kent beach, Julius Caesar was met by British chariots.
Because of the danger involved, chariot racing attracted hundreds of thousands of spectators. So enthusiastic were they that the Roman emperor Nero could not resist driving his own ten-horse chariot at the Olympic Games: he fell out but still won the prize. Rivalry between groups of spectators at chariot races often ignited urban riots. In Constantinople, in 532 AD, a three-day disturbance left 30,000 dead.
In this amiably discursive history, Arthur Cotterell roams up and down through time and place, seeking answers to the whys and wherefores of the chariot's rise and fall
—— The TimesThe Prestons' richly patterned chintz of a book also delivers a romantic account of the Mughal empire as a whole.
—— The IndependentA hugely entertaining book packed with information, often irrelevant but still fascinating, about the Mughal emperors of India and in particular Shah Jahan, who built the Taj Mahal.
—— GuardianAn enthralling history of extraordinary kings and their peerlessly cultured and opulent lives . . . truly unforgettable.
—— Daily MailA highly readable potted history of the Moghul empire that produced this extraordinary building...thorougly enjoyable.
—— Financial TimesThe Prestons tell the story engagingly and well, providing a lucid narrative sweep
—— Literary ReviewConsiderable research leavened by colourful story-telling...every page offers a vivid image or telling detail that captures the deeply weird and violent world of the Moghuls.
—— SpectatorAn enjoyably written argument
—— Sinclair McKay , Daily TelegraphA gripping account
—— Adam Forrest , The HeraldDeGroot tells the story of the American lunar mission with verve and elegance
—— Richard Aldous , Irish TimesFascinating, gossipy and occasionally hilarious
—— Jeffrey Taylor , ExpressAckroyd's view of Venice is not that of an infatuated lover... but more the magisterial distillation of much knowledge and reading, conveyed in prose that aspires to the glassy elegance of La Serenissima herself
—— Harry Eyres , Financial Times, Travel books of the yearOpulent, shimmering prose
—— Celia Brayfield , The Times, Christmas booksAckroyd does Venice, his sonorous, scene painting prose advancing in rhythmic columns until no quarter of the city has escaped assimilation.
—— Ian Pindar , GuardianAckroyd's achievement is to bring the city back to life and help you to experience differently. Take it with you next time you visit.
—— Kate Quill , The TimesHis dark tapestry ... deserves a place in every visitor's luggage
—— IndependentAckroyd writes about Venice as an idea, with stylish meditations on such topics as time, light, water, sexuality, politics and psychopathology...he writes so well that at times he'd drive you mad - "Venice represented an idea that was itself eternal" - but if you just climb into his gondola and go where he takes you, the rewards are great indeed
—— Arminta Wallace , The Irish TimesMany books have been written about Venice by authors like Mary McCarthy and Jan Morris. Ackroyd's advantage is his poetic eye
—— Colin Waters , Sunday HeraldAckroyd writes beguilingly as he weaves his way around the lagoon, supplying interesting details en route...
—— Jane Knight , The Times
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