James Gardner

Almost nine million people from all over the world flock to the Louvre in Paris every year to see its incomparable art collection. Yet few, if any, are aware of the remarkable history of that location and of the buildings themselves, and how they chronicle the history of Paris itself-a fascinating story that historian James Gardner elegantly tells for the first time.Before the Louvre was a museum, it was a palace, and before that a fortress. But much earlier still, it was a place called le Louvre for reasons unknown. People had inhabited that spot for more than 6,000 years before King Philippe Auguste of France constructed a fortress there in 1191 to protect against English soldiers stationed in Normandy. Two centuries later, Charles V converted the fortress to one of his numerous royal palaces. After Louis XIV moved the royal residence to Versailles in 1682, the Louvre inherited the royal art collection, which then included the Mona Lisa, given to Francis by Leonardo da Vinci; just over a century later, during the French Revolution, the National Assembly established the Louvre as a museum to display the nations treasures. Subsequent leaders of France, from Napoleon to Napoleon III to Francois Mitterand, put their stamp on the museum, expanding it into the extraordinary institution it has become.With expert detail and keen admiration, James Gardner links the Louvres past to its glorious present, and vibrantly portrays how it has been a witness to French history - through the Napoleonic era, the Commune, two World Wars, to this day - and home to a legendary collection whose diverse origins and back stories create a spectacular narrative that rivals the buildings legendary stature.

The Goose Girl is a German fairy tale in which a widowed queen sends her daugther to her bridegroom in a faraway land, only accompanied by a waiting maid and a magical talking horse. But the evil maid rebels and forces the princess into trading clothes with her and swearing secrecy, effectively taking her place until they arrive at a foreign palace. There, the princess is made into a common goose girl while the maid is wooed as a princess herself. Bound by secrecy, the real princess seems helpless, unless magical powers come at her aid. This lesser-known tale from the collection of the Brothers Grimm is read by Katie Haigh.

Meditation is a practice, a state of mind, a way of life, a means and an end. These 200 quotes selected among the sayings of great spiritual masters will inspire you on your journey and accompany you in your habit of living your life consciously.

Have you ever been to a King Lear performance with the impression of not having understood everything? Its normal. Shakespeares plays are the most beautiful of the theatrical repertoire, but you can not go to a Shakespeare play if you do not have a minimum prepared this show: understand the issues, characters, context, cultural references or historical is indispensable. The same is true if you intend to read a play by William Shakespeare: our summaries will help you better understand what you have read. The list of the 9 Shakespeare masterpieces with summaries to listen : Hamlet, Prince of Denmark ; Romeo and Juliet ; King Lear ; The Merchant of Venice ; Macbeth ; Othello ; As you like it ; The Tempest ; Midsummer nights dream. Shakespeare is regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the worlds best dramatist. His plays have been translated into every major language, and are the most performed ever. His work contains stunningly modern insight, witty jokes and soaring passion; it is an endless source of amazement and inspiration.

The myth of Echo and Narcissus appears in Ovids Metamorphoses, a Latin mythological epic from the Augustan Age. It is one of the most touching stories ever written, and has inspired countless works of art through the centuries. The nymph Echo angers Hera, queen of the gods, who curses her: henceforth, Echo will only be able to repeat the last words that struck her ears. One day, the beautiful Narcissus, son of a nymph and a river god, passes through the forest...

Bring together the inner happiness brought by meditation and the external pleasure of ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response). We specify that the interpretation of this title is intentionally whispered, to correspond to the principles of the ASMR. This album of meditation and relaxation techniques is read by Katie Haigh in a soft whisper that will ensure to trigger the frisson of ASMR and its healing properties, so that you feel perfectly relaxed, brain-thrillingly good, and finally let go of stress and anxieties. ASMR and meditation have both been linked to decrease in anxiety, sleeping disorders and panic attacks; the six meditation techniques presented in this bundle will teach you to de-stress the mind and body while experimenting the tingling, "braingasmic" sensation of ASMR. Let yourself be guided by her soft, feminine whisper through meditation techniques for beginners, a calming color relaxation visualization, a guided sleep relaxation, a special visualization where you achieve total relaxation by floating on a cloud, and a sleep countdown relaxation technique for long-lasting enhancing effects on your sleep.

The myth of Icarus is an ageless story of failure at the hands of pride, similar to that of Phaeton. It is a fundamental part of Greek mythology and of modern culture. This short story is a retelling of the myth from 1914, a year in which it was easy to fear for a son who would soar in the sky with metal wings; the story of Icarus and Daedalus is told in great detail and with an elegant style that will edify children and adults alike.

Here is a collection of the most beloved English poems, from century-old anonymous nursery rhymes to delightful texts from Edward Lear to Lewis Carroll and Robert Stevenson. Rediscover the classics that have been passed from parents to children for generations: The Owl and the Pussy-Cat, Kindness to Animals, How doth the little busy bee, Twinkle twinkle little star, and 20 more timeless jewels, read by Katie Haigh.

Fanciful stories is a collection of folk-tales, fairy tales and delightful poetry to encourage children to dream and connect their imagination with the tales of old. Learn about the mystery of the house-elves, dance with the fairies and breathe the air of the legendary forests with these fantastic short stories for children. The collection: White Magic; The Brownies, by Juliana Horatia Ewing; The Story of Peter Pan; Sir Lark and King Sun, by George MacDonald; The Imps in the heavenly meadow, by Kate E. Bunce; The birthday honors of the Fairy Queen, by Hapgood Moore.

Peter the Great ruled the Tsardom of Russia and later the Russian Empire, leading a cultural revolution based on the Enlightenment, modernizing and rationalizing the Russian social and political system. "All his qualities, indeed, were on a colossal scale. His rage was cyclonic: his hatred rarely stopped short of extermination. His banquets were orgies, his pastimes convulsions. He lived and he loved like one of the giants of old". Discover the life and struggles of one of the most influential rulers through this precise, clear and thorough presentation.

Here is a collection of ancient Chinese folk stories. These tales for children are as wise as they are humorous, and will be a delightful introduction to Chinese culture for children and adults alike. "The Most Frugal of Men" is a funny story about masters of frugality outperforming each other; "The Moon-Cake" about the dangers of asking for a cake that would resemble the moon; "The Ladle that fell from the Moon" tells about the witty attempt to confound an elderly scammer; "The Young Head of the Family" tells about a father being outwitted by his daughter-in-law, and "A dreadful boar" tells how a poor old woman could defend herself of an elf that met her in the form of a wild Boar, threatening to devour her granddaughter.

Ivan IV the Terrible was the Grand Prince of Moscow from 1533 to 1547, then Tsar of All the Russias until his death in 1584. He transformed Russia from a medieval state into an empire, though at immense cost to its people, and its broader, long-term economy. He was described as intelligent and devout, yet given to rages and prone to episodic outbreaks of mental instability that increased with his age. In one such outburst, he killed his son and heir Ivan Ivanovich, which left his younger son, pious but politically ineffectual, to inherit the throne. Discover the life and struggles of this influential ruler through this precise, clear and thorough presentation.

The Twelve Labours of Hercules are a series of feats ordered by the gods carried out by Heracles, the greatest of the Greek heroes, whose name was later Romanised as Hercules. The legend was first written whole, as a fixed cycle of twelve labours, in an epic Greek poem now lost, in about 600BC; as they survive in the original source, the labours are not all recounted in a single place, but must be reassembled from many sources. This short story is a retelling of Hercules legend with an elegant style that will edify children and adults alike: why Hercules came to be ordered these twelve tasks by the gods and the treachery surrounding them, what seemingly impossible trials he had to go through and the clever solutions he found each time.

Jack and the Beanstalk is an English fairy tale, the best known of the "Jack tales", a series of stories featuring an archetypal English hero. According to scholarly research, this particular tale takes its roots in ancient stories told more than 5000 years ago, in which a boy steals an ogres treasure. In this tale, Jack is a poor boy sent by his mother to the market to sell their dairy cow. He encounters a bean dealer who sells him magic beans; upon seeing him return with a few beans and no money, his mother is desperate, throws the beans on the ground and sends him to bed without supper. In the morning, they discover the beans have sprouted a fabulous beanstalk that would lead a climber to a land high in the sky... This classic tale is told by Katie Haigh, for the pleasure of children and adults alike.

Alexander II was the Emperor of Russia from 2 March 1855 until his assassination on 13 March 1881. He is remembered as Alexander the Liberator, as he led the emancipation of Russias serfs; during his reign, he kept seeking peace, although the context of the surrounding countries was proving more and more difficult. Although he went down in history as a reformer, his actions were too little too late for the revolutionaries of late imperial Russia, who managed to assassinate him in 1881. This concise presentation will help you understand this part of Russian history and the particular struggles this careful pacifist had to put up with in a troubled land.

King Kojata is a Slavonic fairy tale. A king and a queen had no children. One day, the king was travelling and grew thirsty. He found a spring with a cup floating in it. Trying to grab the cup did not succeed; it always evaded his hands. When he dropped to drink directly, a creature in the well grabbed his beard and would not free him until he promised to give it something he knew nothing about, and which he would find on his return home. As for the Story of King Frost: A daughter-in-law is left to die by her father, because of the wickedness of his new wife. She meets the King of Frost, who makes her colder, and colder, to see whether she can sustain it...

Ten mythological heroes and stories from Greek mythology, for a delightful overview of the fundamentals of our culture. This is a selection of the most touching and inspiring stories from Ancient Greece; they have all inspired countless works of art through the centuries, often come from even more ancient myths, and are here retold in a detailed and lively manner. This selection contains: The myth of Apollo and Daphne, about the revenge of the cruel god Eros on Apollo; Atalanta, the story of the swiftest runner who ever was; Echo and Narcissus, about a nymph who angered a god; Endymion, a shepherd whose beauty made the goddess Diana fall in love; Icarus, this ageless story of failure at the hands of pride; King Midas, the famous cautionary tale; Orpheus and Eurydice, the ultimate tragic love story and one of the most famous Greek myths; Phaeton, a similar story to that of Icarus about the pride of wanting to be like a god; Pygmalion, a sculptor so skilled he fell in love with one of his creations; and the death of Adonis, one of Greeces most touching stories, in which a goddess hopelessly falls in love with a man whose sole passion is hunting.