Search results for ""Author Philip Kay-Bujak""

Cicero was Rome's greatest orator and one of the key statesmen of the late Roman Republic. He championed traditional Republican values against populist demagogues like Julius Caesar during a tumultuous period of civil war and unrest. During his term as consul (63 BCE), his decisive actions thwarted a plot to overthrow the Senate, controversially having the ringleaders executed. He outlived Caesar but then mounted a virulent opposition to Mark Antony, which led to Cicero's proscription and execution as an enemy of the state. The legacy of his speeches, letters and treatises on politics, law, oratory and other subjects endured, however, and was massively influential on Latin literature and, when rediscovered in the Middle Ages, formed one of the cornerstones of the Renaissance. The period in which Cicero flourished and died was one in which democracy was under attack from radical demagoguery and Philip Kay-Bujak believes his career holds important parallels and lessons for our own times. Written in a clear and accessible style, this fresh look at Cicero's life demonstrates his relevance to a modern audience.

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According to Pliny (admittedly a native of the province), Gallia Narbonensis was ''by the cultivation of its soil, the manners and civilization of its inhabitants and the extent of its wealth, surpassed by no other province in the Empire''. Philip Kay-Bujak describes how this vital area came to be occupied and incorporated into Rome''s domains and how it was then governed. Straddling important roads connecting Rome with Spain, northern Gaul and the Channel ports, the province grew into an agricultural and economic powerhouse. Containing some of the finest examples of Roman cities, such as Narbonne and Lyon, it was among the most sought after postings for Roman officials. However, this strategic positioning also made it the battlefield for numerous foreign invasions and civil wars, and we follow the region''s fluctuating fortunes through several centuries of drama. Drawing on extensive research and many personal visits to the area, Philip Kay-Bujak brings us a fascinating story of this

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_Empire Javelin_ an American-built LSI (Landing Ship, Infantry) in Royal Navy service, played an important role on D-Day. She carried A Company 116th RCT (the famous Bedford' Boys') across the Channel and her landing craft put them ashore on Dog Green sector as part of the initial assault or suicide wave', onto Omaha beach. In telling her story, Philip Kay-Bujak does justice to the contribution of the Royal Navy at Omaha Beach, which has been underappreciated in the past (when directing Saving Private Ryan, Stephen Spielberg notoriously said there was no British involvement). Drawing heavily on first-hand accounts, the author covers the actions of the ship herself and of the landing craft launched from her in great detail. One third of her landing craft were lost in the first wave alone. He also reveals _Empire Javelin's_ earlier life, from design and construction, through launch and training. Similarly, he relates her service after that fateful day in June 1944, when she continued t

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