[A]n army of crusaders with the avowed purpose of pillage took
possession of Constantinople, and after committing every outrage which
can attend the sacking of a city, they bore away to Venice an amount of
plunder which cannot be estimated, and which still clothes the city of
the winged lion with gold and silver and jewels and priceless works of
art. The four bronze horses, which adorn the portal to St. Mark's
Church, were a part of this disgraceful spoil. -from Chapter III OF
INTEREST TO: readers of European and classical history With a verve and
liveliness worthy of a novelist, American writer MARY PLATT PARMELE
(1843-1911) put her unique stamp on world history with her series of
clever, concise histories, condensed tales of the world's great nations
that encompassed the essential facts necessary for appreciating the
state of the world as she saw it. With this book, first published in
1901 and updated in 1908, she outlines the vital and extraordinary
history of Rome and Italy. From the flight of Aeneas from the burning of
Troy to the battles between the Vatican and Rome in the early 20th
century, this is the exciting and inspiring tale of the place that is
the cornerstone of modern global civilization. Parmele's books available
from Cosimo Classics include: * The Evolution of an Empire: A Brief
Historical Sketch of France * The Evolution of an Empire: A Brief
Historical Sketch of the United States * A Short History of France * A
Short History of Germany * A Short History of Spain * A Short History
of England, Ireland and Scotland