The Origin of EmpireIn 264 BC, a Roman army was poised to cross from southern Italy into Sicily. They couldn't know that this crossing would be Rome's first step on its journey from local republic to vast and powerful empire. At the beginning of the three dramatic centuries that make up this book's narrative, Rome had no emperor and limited global influence; by the book's end, Hadrian was set to pass into history as one of the greatest emperors, whose territories

With their high birth and unrivalled beauty

unimaginable pressure

But this is Siberia

the best in the world in his position

and all thoughtfully

his wife Emily asleep beside him

which reveals the 15 essential plot points needed to make any novel a success

With lessons from 100 countries

Picasso's blue period to the charcoal on the cave walls at Lascaux

steaming bowls of punch

conservation breakthroughs and fascinating scientific discoveries

and welcoming them inside as equals