AGES PAST
HISTORY SHOP

Here's a unique, sometimes irreverent, compilation of history as it relates to life and love in all its vagaries. We carefully select books that give the reader information, as well as entertainment, on historical topics. We avoid dry, boring anthologies of dates and places where events of import occurred. Rather, we find sources who speak to us about the personal and private, the mundane and the terrifying, the despairing and victorious moments in REAL PEOPLE'S LIVES. Listed below are a few of the areas covered on this website. We are also compiling a list of links to other websites for those of us who are fascinated by the past. Please share with us your insights and responses to the books, music and films we feature here.

Join us as we explore the lives and loves of those who made history. Journey to ancient worlds, from the Stone Age to the Renaissance with books, film and music selected and assembled here by AGES PAST. In addition to BOOKS, MOVIES and EARLY MUSIC are all available from this page. If an item you want is not available check the "Rare, Secondhand and Out of Print store" (link is below), as the items are frequently available there. To read reviews and for information on ordering (many are available in both hardback and paperback, or audiobook, new or used), just click on the link next to the book you are interested in. Please visit often to see the frequently updated selection of choice historical material. To easily locate 'Ages Past' again , BOOKMARK this page.

Gain knowledge about our distant ancestors and their struggle to survive, becoming human somewhere along the way. Read about the development of civilization and the earliest cultures.

Could the first humans have appeared long before originally thought? Why did our brain become larger than it needed to be to permit survival? Are we too smart for our own good? What did the people of the past consider fun, important? How about creating incomparable cave paintings!

Take a look at the long-ago and distant past. See the earliest statues depicting the human form. Stone Age male-female relationships? From the early statuettes of pregnant women it appears that early societies were matriarchal and worshipped female dieties. Evidence proves that 30,000 years ago the dieties were female. Certainly by 2500 B.C. this had changed. What caused women to fall off their pedestals? The Goddess- who is she? Why was she replaced by a male diety? Was Lillith, the precursor of Eve in Genesis, really the goddess made into a serpent to discredit female dieties and make possible the worship of a male diety? Discover a wealth of fascinating new knowledge on a very old topic!

Listen to music praising the Ancient Mother Goddess and meet her current devotees. Modern worshippers believe Mother Earth is alive and well.

From the Creation stories of the Babylonians to Noah's Flood, explore the earliest religions; early Judaism, pagan beliefs, Babylon, Astarte and Baal, Egyptian and other faiths that have had a lasting impact on the way we perceive nature and ourselves. Discover the code of the Qabala of Genesis. Learn the mysteries of Kabbalah...

Ancient Roman and Greek cultures and lives are examined. Scandals, private and personal details about marriage, sex, food, architecture and conquest, etc. Read about depraved Emperors, victorious battles, orgies, gladiatorial combats and the treatment of slaves. Other ancient cultures are explored such as Cleopatra's Egypt. Check out the great films on VHS and DVD about this exciting era.

The birth and establishment of Christianity and the Roman environment in which it was both persecuted and then nourished. Martyrdom in the arena, the 'lost' books excluded from the Bible, divisions, dissent and struggles...

See what life was really like in the "Dark Ages", how the Fall of Rome affected civilization and plunged the Western world into darkness, how people survived in frightening times, Find out how the ancient manuscripts and Gospel were preserved for posterity . Tall tales of King Arthur Pendragon and the Round Table, Glastonbury Abbey where Arthur and his Queen are buried, knights, the Holy Grail and more.

The Celts inhabited the British Isles before the Anglo-Saxons invaded and pushed them into Cornwall, Wales, Ireland and Scotland. Where did the Celts originate? See their magnificent artwork, discover their contributions to European civilization. Sample lively Celtic music.

What were the rules of chivalry, love and fidelity? Were women elevated or debased by codes of chivalry? Learn about love and lust, denial and purity, among bold knights and fair maidens. What influence did the 13th century French court have in shaping the times?

Hear early love songs and sample the music composed by crusaders like Richard the Lionheart, or read about the love-court of his mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine, first, Queen of France, then Queen of England, who rode bare-breasted with the Crusaders.

Witches and Warlocks, Curses and love-spells, a hag riding a broom! The real story of Pagan Goddess ritual and worship is surprisingly banal. Were little old ladies scorned because they loved cats? Naahh! Discover the beliefs that once predominated in Europe and which have made a comeback in the 1990's. Can one be both a Christian and a Pagan concurrently? Is witchcraft inherently evil? Are there different types of witches? Spells, charms and potions...

The Middle Ages were anything but fun! The Black Death, constant wars, the Inquisition, Nobles lording it over everybody, dreary serfdom, bullies on horses (knights) pillaging and raping, self-flagellation and hairshirts, those bad bowl-shaped haircuts, the Crusades...See how people lived, loved & thought.

The Renaissance was a complex era where commerce and cash bought high positions in the Church, where great artists created masterpieces and Popes were not very religious. Ancient concepts of humanism returned and national boundaries were forming. New exploration and discoveries expanded knowledge...We'll also explore the 16th century, with figures such as Henry the 8th and his sisters and wives, Queen Elizabeth the 1st, and Mary Queen of Scotland.

We revise & update this page as new and/or previously undiscovered sources are located,
so please check back frequently. Bookmark this page to make it easy to find us again.