February eBook of the Month: The African Unconscious by Edward Bruce Bynum

In honor of Black History Month, Cosimo presents The African Unconscious by Edward Bruce Bynum, with an introduction by Linda James Myers, as our February eBook of the Month!

In this extraordinary and captivating work, Edward Bruce Bynum offers his viewpoint on the roots of human existence. He believes that all humans at their deepest core are variations on the African template. In effect, we possess a shared identity and collective unconscious. This magnificent work is a blend of modern and ancient psychology that provides a relevant backdrop to humanity and our daily life. Looking at phenotypes and psychic structures that form and identify us as human beings, this book is ideal for psychologists, anthropologists, historians and anyone interested in African American history and culture.


Purchase this eBook at any of the retailers below.

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February eBook of the Month: African Unconscious

In honor of Black History Month, Cosimo presents The African Unconscious by Edward Bruce Bynum, with an introduction by Linda James Myers, as our February eBook of the Month!

In this extraordinary and captivating work, Edward Bruce Bynum offers his viewpoint on the roots of human existence. He believes that all humans at their deepest core are variations on the African template. In effect, we possess a shared identity and collective unconscious. This magnificent work is a blend of modern and ancient psychology that provides a relevant backdrop to humanity and our daily life. Looking at phenotypes and psychic structures that form and identify us as human beings, this book is ideal for psychologists, anthropologists, historians and anyone interested in

African American history and culture.

Purchase this eBook at any of the retailers below.

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May Series of the Month: The Conquests of Mexico and Peru

In honor of Cinco de Mayo and the celebration of Mexican culture, Cosimo is happy to announce The Conquests of Mexico and Peru as our Series of the Month for May!

With its vivid language and bold strokes, the magnificent The Conquests of Mexico and Peru two volume set, first published in 1847, is one of historian William Prescott's landmark works. A masterly study of Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro's overthrow of the Inca Empire, this astonishing chronicle is considered a classic of Latin American history. 

Perhaps the most important work of Latin American history, it is "one of the most brilliant examples which the English language possesses of literary art applied to historical narration," raves Prescott biographer Harry Thurston Peck. "All the chief actors of his great historic drama not only live and breathe, but they are as distinctly differentiated as they must have been in life."

Also available from Cosimo Classics: History of the Conquest of Peru, Prescott's companion volume about Pizarro's subjugation of the Incans.

About the Author

Historian, writer, and scholar William Hickling Prescott (1796-1859) was born in Salem, Massachusetts. A regular contributor to the prestigious Boston literary journal North American Review, he also authored numerous books of history, including 1837's The History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic, a critical and popular success in both America and Europe.

The paperback retail list price for this two-volume set is: $31.98, but our current price is: $24.99 (you save $6.99 or a 22 percent discount) and for a limited time, enjoy free shipping!

Cosimo offers this Classic series by individual volume at various online bookstores or as a full set in paperback.

November Series of the Month: Makers of History

In honor of Jacob Abbott's birthday, we here at Cosimo are proud to announce Makers of History as our November series of the month.

Abraham Lincoln raved that this series of historical biographies gave him "just that knowledge of past men and events which I need. I have read them with the greatest interest. To them I am indebted for about all the historical knowledge I have." 

Considered what we would now call "young adult" literature, this 31-volume collection, first published between 1848 and 1871, was designed to present a clear, distinct, connected narrative of the lives of the great figures of world history, those people who have been most influential, at least as American author and educator Jacob Abbott saw it from his 19th-century perspective. Wildly popular and republished many times under different collected names, this replica set mimics the 1904 reprint known as the "Makers of History" series. It will delight students of history as well as show the scholar how history telling has changed over the last few centuries. It is a must for many to read, as George Santayana once said "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

Cosimo offers this 31 volume series by individual volume at leading online bookstores or as a full set in hardcover or paperback, especially of interest to historians, collectors, who like to expand their personal library, or professional librarians. If you are interested in purchasing the full set, please contact us.

Discover the history of:

• King Alfred of England

• Cyrus the Great

• Julius Caesar

• Maria Antoinette

• Hannibal, the Carthaginian

• Mary, Queen of Scots

• Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt

• and many, many more!

The hardcover retail list price for this series is: $869.68, but now our price is: $699.99 (you save $170 or a 20 percent discount)

The paperback retail list price for this series is: $511.68, but now our price is: $399.99 (you save $112 or a 22 percent discount)

September Classic of the Month: A School History of the United States

With classes back in session, Cosimo is excited to present A School History of the United States by John Bach McMaster as its Classic of the Month.A School History of the United States, first published in 1897, became a definitive textbook. It possessed simple language, straightforward ideas, and easy organization. All its attributes make it browsable and concisely informative.

From the discovery of the New World by Europeans to the war with Spain at the turn of the 20th century, it still serves as a quick and useful introduction to the formation of the United States. Handy historical maps abound, and useful appendices include the complete Declaration of Independence as well as the Constitution of the United States as it stood at the beginning of the 20th century. 

A School History of the United States is of great interest to American history buffs, students of the history of education, librarians, and teachers.

A School History of the United States is available in paperback at leading online bookstores, including Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

About the Author:
John Bach McMaster was an American historian.

After growing up in Brooklyn, NY, John went to college at the City of New York, where he graduated in 1872. After graduation, he worked as a civil engineer in 1873-1877, was an instructor in civil engineering at Princeton University in 1877-1883, and in 1883 became professor of American history in the University of Pennsylvania.

He is best known for his History of the People of the United States from the Revolution to the Civil War (1883 sqq.), a valuable supplement to the more purely political writings of James Schouler, Von Holst and Henry Adams. He began working on it in 1873, having collected material since 1870. His A School History of the United States (1897) was an extremely popular textbook for many years. Besides these books and numerous magazine articles, he wrote Life of Benjamin Franklin in the “Men of Letters” series (Boston, 1887).

200th Anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo

Today marks the 200th anniversary of The Battle of Waterloo. The battle was fought on Sunday, June 18 1815, near Waterloo in what is now called Belgium. A French army under the command of Napoleon was defeated, ending Napoleon's rule as Emperor of the French, and marking the end of his Hundred Days return from exile. For those who wish to learn more about French history, The Battle of Waterloo, and Napoleon himself, Cosimo has a few great titles to offer:

Great Thoughts from Napoleon by A.S. Rappoport

Compiled herein are the thoughts and quotes of Napoleon on everything from women ("A beautiful woman pleases the eye, a good woman pleases the heart; the first is a jewel, the second a treasure") to the reason to wage war ("We must either strike or be stricken") to humanity itself ("Humanity is grateful to those who astonish her"). 

Napoleon and His Marshals (Two Volumes in One) by Joel T. Headley 

Within the reign of Napoleon still in the living memory of some, American author J. T. Headley took on the daunting task of rehabilitating the names and deeds of the emperor's right hand men, virtuoso military strategists and men of dauntless action eclipsed only by the brilliance of their leader. Gathered from essays that appeared in magazines in 1846, this striking two-volume work offers an extraordinary and unparalleled look at Napoleon's most trusted generals, including Berthier, Lannes, Murat, Brune, and Bernadotte, among others.

Napoleon: The Last Phase by Lord Rosebery
In this monograph, first published in 1900, Lord Rosebery looks at Napoleon's final years and the legacy he left behind, expounding upon the previous writings about the French emperor, especially with regards to his doubts about their veracity and completeness, and offering his thoughts on Napoleon's life in exile, the question of what title he should be afforded, Napoleon's impact upon democracy, and much more. This curious volume of 19th-century history will intrigue students of Napoleon and of historical commentary alike.

Life of Napoleon Bonaparte: Emperor of France by J. G. Lockhart

In this exceptional biography, John Gibson Lockhart examines the life and career of the man who became France's foremost military leader and, in the process, gained the love of his people. 

May Series of the Month: The Conquests of Mexico and Peru

In honor of Cinco de Mayo and the celebration of Mexican ethnicity, Cosimo is happy to announce The Conquests of Mexico and Peru as our Series of the Month.

With its vivid language and bold strokes, the magnificent History of the Conquest of Peru two volume set, first published in 1847, is one of historian William Prescott's landmark works. A masterly study of Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro's overthrow of the Inca Empire, this astonishing chronicle is considered a classic of Latin American history. 

Perhaps the most important work of Latin American history, it is "one of the most brilliant examples which the English language possesses of literary art applied to historical narration," raves Prescott biographer Harry Thurston Peck. "All the chief actors of his great historic drama not only live and breathe, but they are as distinctly differentiated as they must have been in life."

Also available from Cosimo Classics: History of the Conquest of Peru, Prescott's companion volume about Pizarro's subjugation of the Incans.

About the Author

Historian, writer, and scholar William Hickling Prescott (1796-1859) was born in Salem, Massachusetts. A regular contributor to the prestigious Boston literary journal North American Review, he also authored numerous books of history, including 1837's The History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic, a critical and popular success in both America and Europe.

The paperback retail list price for this two-volume set is: $31.98, but our current price is: $24.99 (you save $6.99 or a 22 percent discount) and for a limited time, enjoy free shipping!

November Series of the Month: Beacon Lights of History

This November, Cosimo announces Beacon Lights of History by John Lord as it Series of the Month. First published in 1902, this cherished series contains a collection of John Lord's, an American historian, lectures. Covering a time span of 6,000 years of European and American history, Lord's lectures cover history from the old Pagan civilizations to Lord's modern time period. This replica edition features all of the original illustrations and is bound to excite reader's of history and lovers of classic literature.

John Lord was born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. He attended Dartmouth, graduated in 1833, and then pursued his studies at Andover Theological Society. During his second year, he curated a series of lectures on the Dark Ages, which he delivered the following Fall during a tour through northern New York. Following graduation, he became an agent for the American Peace Society, and then was later called to a church at New Marlboro, MA and then one in Stockbridge, MA. However, soon John Lord had other ventures he wanted to explore, and in 1840 he gave up his pastoral studies to become a public lecturer. He then went on to write a total of six works. 

Cosimo offers this series by individual volume at leading online bookstores or as a full 15-volume set in hardcover or paperback. These titles are especially of interest to historians, collectors, and professional librarians. However, this exceptional collection is one that must be read by all. If you are interested in purchasing the full set, please contact us.
 
The paperback retail list price for this series is: $251.85 but now our price is: $199.00 (you save $52.85 or a 20 percent discount)

The hardcover retail list price for this series is: $509.85, but now our price is: $399.99 (you save $109.86 or a 20 percent discount)
 

"The Roosevelts: An Intimate History" comes to PBS

The fourteen hour documentary film, "The Roosevelts: An Intimate History," began on PBS on September 14th and will continue for seven episodes. Each episode gives viewers an intense overview of the lives of  Theodore, Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt from unknown stories and facts, to deeply researched fresh takes on famous happenings and events, this film is sure to delight any history buff.

Beginning with Theodore Roosevelt’s birth in 1858, the episodes (from documentary filmmaker Ken Burns) cover both the political and private lives of the three relatives, covering elections, economic struggles, wars, family births and deaths, as well as their bravery, vision, and courage in both personal and public spheres, ending with Eleanor’s death in 1962. This documentary is the first of its kind to combine all three individual stories and histories of the three most predominant Roosevelts into one single narrative and to do so in such great detail, thoroughness, and depth.

If viewers wish to supplement the documentary watching or to learn more about the Roosevelts, Cosimo offers a robust collection of titles by Theodore Roosevelt, including: The Strenuous Life: Essays and Addresses, Theodore Roosevelt's Ranch Life and the Hunting Trail, Theodore Roosevelt's Letters to His Children, America and the World War, and A Book-Lovers Holidays in the Open.

Please visit our website to view all of our books written by Theodore Roosevelt, or visit our reports and history sections to learn more about the politics and the past events of that time. To watch full episodes of "The Roosevelts: an Intimate History," please visit the film's section on PBS.

Harry Houdini Played by Adrien Brody on the History Channel

The mini-series "HOUDINI" aired recently on the History Channel to good ratings and reviews, starring Adrien Brody as Harry Houdini and Kristen Connolly as his wife, Bess.

The show depicts the life of immigrant Ehrich Weiss as both the man and the magician behind the global escapologist phenomenon that was Harry Houdini. In episode one, the mini-series picks up at the start of Houdini's career, following his unsuccessful time as a circus performer and moves forward to showcase his world-wide fame and super stardom (illustrating some of his famous illusions and tricks), even diving into his later years where he discovers and struggles with the ideas and people of the spiritualism movement in episode two. 

This is not the first medium to have brought Houdini back to life, many biographical movies, plays, and books were made after his death in 1926, the most well-known being the 1953 version, entitled Houdini (played by Tony Curtis). In the 52 years he was alive, Houdini  acted in many films and wrote his fair share of books and articles. Cosimo is proud to offer two classic titles written by Houdini: The Right Way to do Wrong: An Exposé of Successful Criminals, and Miracle Mongers and Their Methods: A Complete Exposé.

In this 1920 book, Houdini uncovers the mysteries behind such extraordinary feats as fire-eating, sword-swallowing, snake-charmers, and strong men. More than a simple expose of stage trickery, though, this is a brisk history of such oddities throughout history and around the world, from the Middle Ages to the 20th century, from the culture of the Native Americans to that of Japan. This is a fascinating work of the strange and seemingly inexplicable made plain and understandable.

The legendary Harry Houdini started the tradition of magicians debunking charlatans and revealing secrets of the trade that continues today. But Houdini went even further here, in this delightful 1906 novelty: he revealed the working secrets of thieves, swindlers, and con artists. Culled from his conversations with "the chiefs of police and the most famous detectives in the world," Houdini's tales of the tricks of the trade of beggars, pickpockets, and burglars are instructive and amusing. 

To watch full episodes of "HOUDINI" on the History Channel, visit the show's video page. 

August Classic of the Month: The Federalist Papers

This month, Cosimo presents The Federalist Papers by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison as our August Classic of the Month. The last serially published essay appeared in August 1788, 226 years ago this month.

The Federalist papers contains 85 essays written by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison in support of the adoption of the U.S. Constitution and began appearing in New York newspapers in the autumn of 1787. Though controversy still swirls around authorship of certain individual essays, and the impact the papers had on the public opinion of the time remains open to debate, it's clear that the dramatic impact on global civilization of these spirited defenses of the nation's founding document cannot be exaggerated. 

As masterful examinations of the fundamental principals of the U.S. system of government, they are unrivaled -- as works of political philosophy, they have moved and influenced peoples and nations around the world in their battles toward freedom and democracy. This edition also includes The Articles of Confederation of the United States, and The Declaration of Independence. 

About the Authors
Alexander Hamilton, (1757-1804), John Jay, (1745-1829), and James Madison (1751-1836) are among the most revered of America's Founding Fathers, men whose animated advocacy of the new nation continues to reverberate in political thought today.

For a complete list of American history titles published by Cosimo, please visit our website.

Cosimo is proud to offer paperback, hardcover, and eBook editions of The Federalist papers at leading online bookstores including Barnes & Noble (paperback, hardcover), and Amazon (paperback, hardcover, eBook).

August Series of the Month: Makers of History by Jacob Abbott

We are bursting with historical knowledge of past noteworthy people and events with our August Series of the Month, Makers of History, by Jacob Abbott.

Abraham Lincoln raved that this series of historical biographies gave him "just that knowledge of past men and events which I need. I have read them with the greatest interest. To them I am indebted for about all the historical knowledge I have." 

Considered what we would now call "young adult" literature, this 31-volume collection, first published between 1848 and 1871, was designed to present a clear, distinct, connected narrative of the lives of the great figures of world history, those people who have been most influential, at least as American author and educator Jacob Abbott saw it from his 19th-century perspective. Wildly popular and republished many times under different collected names, this replica set mimics the 1904 reprint known as the "Makers of History" series. It will delight students of history as well as show the scholar how history telling has changed over the last few centuries. It is a must for many to read, as George Santayana once said "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

 Cosimo offers this 31 volume series by individual volume at leading online bookstores or as a full set in hardcover or paperback, especially of interest to historians, collectors, who like to expand their personal library, or professional librarians. If you are interested in purchasing the full set, please contact us.

Discover the history of:

• King Alfred of England

• Cyrus the Great

• Julius Caesar

• Maria Antoinette

• Hannibal, the Carthaginian

• Mary, Queen of Scots

• Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt

• and many, many more!

The hardcover retail list price for this series is: $869.68, but now our price is: $699.99 (you save $170 or a 20 percent discount)


The paperback retail list price for this series is: $511.68, but now our price is: $399.99 (you save $112 or a 22 percent discount)

Twelve Years a Slave Now Available

"Having been born a freeman, and for more than thirty years enjoyed the blessings of liberty in a free State--and having at the end of that time been kidnapped and sold into Slavery, where I remained, until happily rescued in the month of January, 1853, after a bondage of twelve years--it has been suggested that an account of my life and fortunes would not be uninteresting to the public."

We're pleased to announce that we now offer Solomon Northup's powerful, heartbreaking biographical tale Twelve Years a Slave in both paperback and hardcover, reproduced from its original edition.

This work, originally published in 1853, details Northup's experiences as a free Black man sold into slavery. This harrowing narrative provided factual validation for Harriet Beecher Stowe's fictional Uncle Tom's Cabin. Stowe's work was often maligned and ridiculed by plantation owners who refused to acknowledge the true treatment of slaves in the United States, but Northrup's detailed account of his treatment solidified the facts of the situation, particularly because his enslavement was geographically near the setting of Stowe's work.

Twelve Years a Slave was a bestseller in its time and remains one today. Northrup's work sold approximately 30,000 copies copies when it was first released, and has made the Top Ten of the New York Times Non-Fiction Bestseller list for 2013. Renewed interest in this work stems, in part, to a recent film adaptation by Steve McQueen, starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, and Brad Pitt. It is considered a contender for major honors during the upcoming awards season and has sparked continued debate about the history of this nation and how we represent its events onscreen.

Twelve Years a Slave is available in hardcover and paperback at Amazon and Barnes & Noble online. This must-read is available in a beautiful replica hardcover edition for just $19.79 at Amazon.

The Gettysburg Address: 150 Years Later

"But the long story is that no single American utterance has had the staying power, or commanded the respect and reverence, accorded the Gettysburg Address. It has been engraved...translated...and analyzed in at least nine book-length critical studies over the last century." -- Allen C. Guelzo, "Lincoln's Sound Bite: Have Faith in Democracy"

We've been so busy we almost missed this important anniversary: the 150th anniversary of the Gettysburg Address! At only 272 words, it's a rather short speech for a President, yet the Gettysburg Address remains one of the most well-known speeches in American Presidential history.

"Four score and seven years ago..." is an introduction we all know, yet how many Americans know the details that surround this speech? For example, that Lincoln's speech was not the only one given that day, as Edward Everett gave a much longer oration as well? It's a testament to Lincoln's powers as an orator and writer that school children do not learn word one of the two-hour speech Everett delivered.

In honor of this anniversary we provide some links to interesting and fun articles about the address:

• "Lincoln's Sound Bite: Have Faith in Democracy," by Allen C. Guelzo. Here the author examines the reasons behind the Address' staying power in American history, detailing why it was--and is--considered a "landmark" speech.
• This famous speech went through multiple drafts: you can compare the text of five known copies (including the most-often replicated 'Bliss Copy') here.
• To commemorate the anniversary, special events were held on the fields of Gettysburg, including a reading of the Address by a Lincoln impersonator. Check out the video below for a vignette about what it's like being a Lincoln impersonator!

To learn more about the Gettysburg Address and other significant Lincoln works, check out Abraham Lincoln: The Gettysburg Speech and Other Papers, our Series of the Month Abraham Lincoln: A History (in hardcover or paperback), or The Lincoln Year Book: Axioms and Aphorisms From the Great Emancipator, by Wallace Rice (paperback).

Lincoln the Movie Receives Wide Praise from The New York Times

In its debut weekend with wide release across the United States, Lincoln pulled in over $21,000,000, making it the 3rd ranked movie in the US.

Film critic A.O. Scott of The New York Times says, "To say that is is among the fines films ever made about American politics may be to congratulate it for clearing a fairly low bar...

And the genius of Lincoln, finally, lies in its vision of politics as a noble, sometimes clumsy dialectic of the exalted and the mundane. Our habit of argument, someone said recently, is a mark of our liberty, and Mr. Kushner, whose love of passionate, exhaustive disputation is unmatched in the modern theater, fills nearly every scene with wonderful, maddening talk. Mr. Spielberg's best art often emerges in passages of wordlessness, when the images speak for themselves, and the way he composes his pictures and cuts between them endow the speeches and debates with emotional force, and remind us of what is at stake.

Go see this movie. Take your children, even though the may occasionally be confused or fidgety. Boredom and confusion are also part of democracy, after all Lincoln is a rough and noble democratic masterpiece - an omen, perhaps, that movies for the people shall not perish from the earth."

To read more of A.O. Scott's review, visit movies.nytimes.com.

And to help relieve some of the confusion surrounding Lincoln, Cosimo Books has several titles to educate you and your family about one of our nation's most notorious and beloved presidents, perfect gifts for any history buff this holiday season:


Herndon's Lincoln: A True Story of a Great Life by William Herndon


Abraham Lincoln by Lord Charnwood



Abraham Lincoln: A History by Hay and Nicolay, a 10-volume set available in hardcover and paperback


The Lincoln Year Book: Axioms and Aphorisms From the Great Emancipator by Wallace Rice


Lincoln isn't the only president making headlines this holiday season. Journalist and historian, Jon Meacham has just released his new biography of Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power with an extensive review by The New York Times Executive Director, Jill Abramson, in the Sunday Book Review: "Grand Bargainer."

Also available, from Cosimo Classics, to offer insight and understanding into the life and mind of our third president are:

The Autobiography of Thomas Jefferson, Available in hardcover and paperback December 1st

The Works of Thomas Jefferson, A 12 Volume Set

The Jefferson Bible: The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth

A Manual of Parliamentary Practice by Jefferson

"The Men Who Built America"

There is a series on the History Channel called "The Men Who Built America" about famous men who changed the American landscape as we know it: John D. Rockefeller, Cornelius Vanderbilt, Andrew Carnegie, Henry Ford, and J.P. Morgan. The show's summary explains, "These men created the American Dream and were the engine of capitalism as they transformed everything they touched in building the oil, rail, steel, shipping, automobile and finance industries..."

Cosimo carries several biographies and histories about all these great men, and others like them. If you're a fan of the History Channel and want to know more about these historical figures, check out our bookstore. You can read books by and about Andrew Carnegie, Henry Ford,  John D. Rockefeller, Cornelius Vanderbilt, and soon, J. P. Morgan. Read and learn about the history of America and the faces who made it.

Cosimo’s Classic of the Month, written by one of the finest writers in the history of Spanish Language.

Saint John of the Cross was a major figure in the Catholic reformation of the 16^th century. He was a passionate writer and wrote many pieces including Spiritual Canticle, The Dark Night of the Soul, and Sayings of Love and Peace.

Cosimo’s classic of the month The Living Flame of Love contains not only the poem of the same name but selected letters, poems, and writings of the 16th-century mystic. Written soon after his escape from a nine-month stint in solitary confinement, The Living Flame of Love is Saint John’s ode to the soul’s ultimate union with God. It is presented here in its entirety along with a detailed explanation of each stanza.

With 365 spiritual maxims, instructions on achieving perfection, and precautions against Satan, The Living Flame of Love is a wonderful introduction to the works of a deeply pious man, but one of the finest writers in the history of the Spanish language.