A short history of nearly everything classical. The foundations of the modern world were laid in Alexandria of Egypt at the turn of the first millennium. In this compulsively readable narrative Justin Pollard and Howard Reid bring one of historys most fascinating and prolific cities to life creating a treasure trove of our intellectual and cultural origins. Famous for its lighthouse its librarythe greatest in antiquityand its fertile intellectual and spiritual lifeit was here that Christianity and Islam came to prominence as world religionsAlexandria now takes its rightful place alongside Greece and Rome as a titan of the ancient world. Sparkling with fresh insights on science philosophy culture and invention this is an irresistible eye opening delight. show more