The theatre of early modern England was a disastrous affair. What we tend to remember of the Shakespearean stage and its history are landmark moments of dissolution. This title is a study of these catastrophes and the theory of performance they convey.

With a wicked eye for absurdities, Gordon MacCreagh recounts his adventures with eight "Eminent Scientificos" as they set out to explore the Amazon in 1923 without any idea of what lies ahead of them: rapids, malaria, monkey stew, and "dangerous savages." A combination of Twain's The Innocents Abroad and a cautionary tale for explorers, this is one of the most honest accounts ever written of a scientific expedition.

We are often so far removed from persecution that it can be hard to relate to people who suffer for their faith. Journey with Greg Musselman, a former sports anchor, as he introduces you to believers he has interviewed from around the world--Christians with extraordinary stories to tell and amazing courage to impart. Whether in Ethiopia or Eritrea, North Korea or Nigeria, India or Iran, these believers have endured incredible pain and suffering, and live under constant threat and hardship. As they have stood boldly for Christ, they have discovered a vital truth: the closer you are to Jesus, the closer you are to the fires of persecution! Yet their tragic stories reveal a deeper hope and greater faith than most of us experience in our more protected lives--and they have much to teach us. Closer to the Fire helps Christians in free countries to identify with and learn from believers in the persecuted Church, as it explores the deeper truths of Scripture and provides probing questions to strengthen your personal walk. These courageous testimonies will inspire you to stand firm for the gospel, develop a greater trust in God, and draw closer to Jesus--and closer to the fire.

In The Myth of Persecution, Candida Moss, a leading expert on early Christianity, reveals how the early church exaggerated, invented, and forged stories of Christian martyrs and how the dangerous legacy of a martyrdom complex is employed today to silence dissent and galvanize a new generation of culture warriors. According to cherished church tradition and popular belief, before the Emperor Constantine made Christianity legal in the fourth century, early Christians were systematically persecuted by a brutal Roman Empire intent on their destruction. As the story goes, vast numbers of believers were thrown to the lions, tortured, or burned alive because they refused to renounce Christ. These saints, Christianity's inspirational heroes, are still venerated today. Moss, however, exposes that the "Age of Martyrs" is a fiction—there was no sustained 300-year-long effort by the Romans to persecute Christians. Instead, these stories were pious exaggerations; highly stylized rewritings of Jewish, Greek, and Roman noble death traditions; and even forgeries designed to marginalize heretics, inspire the faithful, and fund churches. The traditional story of persecution is still taught in Sunday school classes, celebrated in sermons, and employed by church leaders, politicians, and media pundits who insist that Christians were—and always will be—persecuted by a hostile, secular world. While violence against Christians does occur in select parts of the world today, the rhetoric of persecution is both misleading and rooted in an inaccurate history of the early church. Moss urges modern Christians to abandon the conspiratorial assumption that the world is out to get Christians and, rather, embrace the consolation, moral instruction, and spiritual guidance that these martyrdom stories provide.

A lively and accessible guide to the rich literary, philosophical and artistic achievements of the notorious age of Nero.

A successful Italian doctor’s idyllic life is shattered by shameful accusations in a novel by the Campiello Prize–winning author of The Worst Intentions. In a sprawling villa on the outskirts of Rome, the internationally revered pediatric oncologist Leo Pontecorvo and his family have gathered for dinner. For these exemplary members of Italy’s upper middle-class, the scene is perfect in every way—until a horrifying accusation airs on the evening news concerning Leo Pontecorvo himself. From this point on, nothing will ever be the same. An allegation of embezzling would be bad enough, but to the horror of his family, Leo is also said to have seduced his son’s twelve-year-old girlfriend. The spotlight now turned on Leo reveals every mistake, regret, and contradiction of his lifetime. The details of his private and professional life are debated by both friends and foes, ravenous reporters and punctilious prosecutors. Unable to face the suspicious gazes of his wife and children, Leo descends into the basement of his palatial home—a self-imposed exile in which he attempts to piece together the shattered remains of his life.