Books by Michael Wood

Five thousand years ago there began the most momentous revolution in human history. Starting in Mesopotamia, city civilization emerged for the first time on earth, to be followed in Egypt, India, China and the Americas. The ideals of these ancient civilizations still shape the lives of the majority of mankind. In Search of the First Civilizations (previously published as Legacy) asks the intriguing question: what is civilization? Did it mean the same to the Chinese, the Indians and the Greeks? What can the values of the ancient cultures teach us today? And do the ideals of the West - a latecomer to civilization - really have universal validity? In this fascinating historical search, Michael Wood explores these ancient cultures, looking for their essential character and their continuing legacy. A brilliant exploration. Sunday Times Well-written, gorgeous and guaranteed to induce thought... Wood takes great care to put everything in a large historical perspective, which is actually more disturbing than comforting. New York Post

For thousands of years we have been enthralled by tales of Troy and its heroes. Achilles and Hector, Paris and the famed beauty Helen remain some of the most enduring figures in art and literature. But did these titanic characters really walk the earth? Was there ever an actual siege of Troy? In this extensively revised edition, historian Michael Wood takes account of the latest dramatic developments in the search for Troy. His wide-ranging study of the complex archaeological, literary and historical records has been brought up-to-date. Detailing the rediscovery in Moscow of the so-called jewels of Helen and the re-excavation of the site of Troy begun in 1988, which continues to yield new evidence about the historical city, In Search of the Trojan War takes a fresh look at some of the most excited discoveries in archaeology. A dazzling and exhaustive analysis. Washington Post This beautifully illustrated book vividly evokes themes that are central to our civilizations quest for its past. The New York Times Book Review

Matilda Darke is back...

'Tense, twisty, emotional and gripping. Will definitely be reading more from Matilda Darke and this gets a huge 5 stars from me!' Angela Marsons 'Matilda Darke is an excellent character' BA Paris

'Excellent plotting. The twists keep on coming making this an irresistible read' Michael J. Malone, author of A Song of Isolation

Certified strength and conditioning specialist and nutrition coach Michael Wood offers readers an inside look at how he trains his private clients using his unique step-by-step approach that follows the same nutrition and exercise strategies that have made him a nationally recognized expert in the field.The TBC30 plan gives readers a game plan for teaching the same science-based approach that has worked for Michael and his clients for more than 30 years. His 6 step plan will help change your mindset and eventually your behavior. The TBC30 plan includes a high-quality exercise regime with nine nutritional strategies which are woven together with the use of today's technology. Empower yourself to reach your health and fitness goals with Michael's invaluable TBC30 plan.Advanced Praise for TBC30"Michael Wood rightly characterizes physical activity as an essential ingredient for health and vitality, and addresses it holistically in the context of other lifestyle practices. He provides detailed, expert guidance to build more fitness into your routine, and more vitality into your life." David L. Katz, MD, MPH, FACPM, FACP, FACLM, Author, Cut Your Cholesterol"Getting fit is kind of like climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, as Michael Wood explains in TBC30. You don't just roll out of bed and do it-instead, you need to set goals, adjust your mindset, and follow a well-designed plan. Wood's wisdom and experience will provide you with the tools and motivation you need to improve your health and fitness." Alex Hutchinson, PhD, Journalist, @sweatscience, Best-selling Author, of Endure & Which Comes First, Cardio or Weights?"Michael separates himself from other leading experts in health and fitness through his no-nonsense, easy to understand writing and communication style. This makes applying the information on exercise and nutrition in his book much more likely to stick. This practical and structured approach will support the goal of achieving and maintaining a healthy lifestyle."Dr. Kyle McInnis, Dean, Merrimack College School of Health Sciences"No one is more qualified than Michael Wood, a world-class trainer and fitness expert, to motivate and empower Americans to make positive changes. Michael shares decades of experience and wisdom in his step-by-step TBC30 plan!"JoAnn E. Manson, MD, DPH, Chief, Division of Preventive Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Professor at Harvard Medical School"As an integrative medicine physician, looking at the whole person including diet, exercise and lifestyle is part of their prescription for achieving overall wellness. Michael's book, the TBC30 plan, fits the bill in terms of a solid exercise plan and methodology, I would recommend his book and services without hesitation." Erica Song, MD, Owner of Vibrant Life Medicine, Englewood, NJ"Michael is able to get inside your head to help you change your body."Sarah Bowen Shea, host of Another Mother Runner Podcast

Your life is in his hands.In the gripping new serial killer thriller from Michael Wood, Matilda Darke faces a vicious killer pursuing his own brand of lethal justice. Perfect for fans of Angela Marsons and Helen Fields.There's a killer in your house.The Hangman waits in the darkness.He knows your darkest secrets.He'll make you pay for all the crimes you have tried desperately to forget.And he is closer than you think.DCI Matilda Darke is running out of time. Fear is spreading throughout the city. As the body count rises, Matilda is targeted and her most trusted colleagues fall under suspicion. But can she keep those closest to her from harm? Or is it already too late?

A single-volume history told in a new way: mingling grand sweep narrative with deep-core, local, personal stories - all woven together with landscape history and the author's own travel journals.

As the Christmas season approaches, many will be busy taking part in activities that don't represent the reason for Christmas: the birth of Christ. From Creation to the Gospel, an Advent devotional written by Michael Wood, provides readers with an Advent calendar depicting the creation of Earth: from the temptation and Fall of Adam to the virgin birth and Jesus' ascension. Each day of the devotional covers promises in the Old Testament and promises fulfilled in the New Testament, with the goal of educating readers on who we are as God's creation. Michael encourages readers each day to remember that we are made in God's image, and according to God's plan: not just being believers of Jesus, but taking on the duties of Christians in spreading the gospel everywhere. As we learn what Jesus' life, death and resurrection mean at Christmastime, we can live it out in faith and action.

Author Michael Wood has been described as "the hardest working man in show business". He has been called one of the "most connected people in today's music industry". Everything from touring North America to voting on the Grammy Awards to now being a professor at one of the largest colleges in Canada, Michael has tried to take everything he has learned along the way and help aspiring musicians and music executives to reach their goals. On top of sharing his experiences and ideas, he has called upon some of his "friends in the 'biz" to share their stories and help point you in the right direction. People such as Casey Kasem, Ruth McCartney (Paul McCartney's sister), JT The Brick (Fox Sports Radio), Don Kronberg (worked with Jerry Seinfeld, Martina McBride), Dale Penner (Producer, Nickelback), Shawn Mullins (Grammy Award winning songwriter) and many more have all participated to make this book a down to earth, unpretentious and humorous guide to the music industry. The back of the book contains contacts in the industry and an opportunity to contact Michael directly to receive hundreds of more contacts making this the most interactive music industry book between writer and reader on the market today.

Two murders. Twenty years. Now the killer is back for more...DCI Matilda Darke has returned to work after a nine month absence. A shadow of her former self, she is tasked with re-opening a cold case: the terrifyingly brutal murders of Miranda and Stefan Harkness. The only witness was their eleven-year-old son, Jonathan, who was too deeply traumatized to speak a word.Then a dead body is discovered, and the investigation leads back to Matilda's case. Suddenly the past and present converge, and it seems a killer may have come back for more...A darkly compelling debut crime novel, this is the start of a brilliant series, perfect for fans of Louise Penny and Val McDermid.Praise for Michael Wood:'Crackling dialogue, dark wit and an exciting ending' Mark Edwards'DCI Matilda Darke is going places' James Oswald'I really enjoyed getting to know DCI Matilda Darke' Robert Bryndza'A beautifully written book with a dark heart and a secret that impacts on generations' Sarah Ward'A skilfully crafted and compelling debut that hooks from the off and will keep you guessing until the final page' M.R. Hall'Gripping, sad and unexpected' Alex Marwood

In this absorbing series of essays Michael Wood probes and plays with the dilemmas of twentieth century fiction - the myth of lost paradise, lost certainties, the suspension between contrary ideals, the lure of fantasy, the quest for the silence beneath speech.

The village of Kibworth in Leicestershire lies at the very centre of England. It has a church, some pubs, the Grand Union Canal, a First World War Memorial - and many centuries of recorded history. In the thirteenth century the village was bought by William de Merton, who later founded Merton College, Oxford, with the result that documents covering 750 years of village history are lodged at the college.Building on this unique archive, and enlisting the help of the current inhabitants of Kibworth, with a village-wide archeological dig, with the first complete DNA profile of an English village and with use of local materials like family memorabilia, Michael Wood tells the extraordinary story of one English community over fifteen centuries, from the moment that the Roman Emperor Honorius sent his famous letter in 410 advising the English to look to their own defences to the village as it is today. The story of Kibworth is the story of England itself, a 'Who Do You Think You Are?' for the entire nation. It is the subject of a six-part BBC tv series to be shown in autumn 2010.

The Spanish conquest of the Americas in the 16th century was one of the most important and cataclysmic events in history. Spanish expeditions endured incredible hardships in order to open up the lands of the 'New World', and few stories in history can match these for drama and endurance.In Conquistadors, Michael Wood follows in the footsteps of some of the greatest of the Spanish adventurers travelling from the forests of Amazonia to Lake Titicaca, the deserts of North Mexico, the snowpeaks of the Andes and the heights of Machu Picchu. He experiences the epic journeys of Cortes, Pizarro, Orellana and Cabeza de Vaca, and explores the turbulent and terrifying events surrounding the Spanish conquest of the Aztec and Inca empires.Wood brings these stories to vivid life, highlighting both the heroic accomplishments and the complex moral legacy of the European invasion. Conquistadors is Michael Wood at his best - thoughtful, provocative and gripping history.

Inspired by a temple astrologer (who had accurately predicted his marriage and the birth of his two daughters), the writer and broadcaster Michael Wood travelled on a magical journey through south-east India.

In The Story of India, Michael Wood weaves a spellbinding narrative out of the 10,000-year history of the subcontinent. Home today to more than a fifth of the world's population, India gave birth to the oldest and most influential civilization on Earth, to four world religions, and to the world's largest democracy.Now, as India bids to become a global economic giant, Michael sets out on an epic journey across this vibrant country to trace the roots of India's present in the incredible riches of her past. The Story of India is a magical mixture of history and travelogue, and an unforgettable portrait of India - past, present and future.

Making Sense of Statistics provides a thorough, but accessible, introduction to statistics and probability, without the distractions of mathematics. There are exercises and case studies from a variety of areas of application, and an accompanying website from which interactive spreadsheet models and data files can be downloaded.

This edition of Michael Wood's groundbreaking first book explores the fascinating and mysterious centuries between the Romans and the Norman Conquest of 1066. In Search of the Dark Ages vividly conjures up some of the most famous names in British history, such as Queen Boadicea, leader of a terrible war of resistance against the Romans, and King Arthur, the 'once and future king', for whose riddle Wood proposes a new and surprising solution. Here too, warts and all, are the Saxon, Viking and Norman kings who laid the political foundations of England - Offa of Mercia, Alfred the Great, Athelstan, and William the Conqueror, whose victory at Hastings in 1066 marked the end of Anglo-Saxon England. Reflecting recent historical, textual and archaeological research, this revised edition of Michael Wood's classic book overturns preconceptions of the Dark Ages as a shadowy and brutal era, showing them to be a richly exciting and formative period in the history of Britain. 'With In Search of the Dark Ages, Michael Wood wrote the book for history on TV.' The Times 'Michael Wood is the maker of some of the best TV documentaries ever made on history and archaeology.' Times Literary Supplement

In 1086, Domesday Book, perhaps the most remarkable historical document in existence, was compiled. This tremendous story of England and its people was made at the behest of the Norman king William the Conqueror. It was called Domesday, the day of judgement, because 'like the day of judgement, its decisions are unalterable'. In Search of the Roots of England is not only a study of the ancient manuscript but an attempt to analyse the world that Domesday Book so vividly portrayed. By skilful use of the Domesday record historian Michael Wood examines Norman society and the Anglo-Saxon, Roman, and even the Iron Age cultures that preceded it. 'Wood is a perceptive, entertaining and enthusiastic companion.' Sunday Times 'Wood is a lively storyteller.' Washington Post

Michael Wood retraces Alexander the Greats amazing journey from Greece to India, searching for the truth behind the legend and experiencing the tremendous scale of his achievements. Using the ancient historians as his guides, Wood follows Alexanders journey as closely as possible, crossing deserts and rivers, from Turkey to war-torn Afghanistan. As the journey progresses, he recreates the drama of Alexanders epic marches and bloody battles. All along the way he finds proof of the survival of the legends surrounding Alexander, a leader whose life has excited the worlds imagination for the 2,000 years. 'Wood tells a glorious story with some very dark shadows.' New York Times 'Wood is a perceptive, entertaining and enthusiastic companion.' Sunday Times 'Wood is a lively storyteller.' The Washington Post

Almost 400 years after his death, William Shakespeare is still acclaimed as the world's greatest writer, and yet the man himself remains shrouded in mystery. In this absorbing historical detective story, the acclaimed broadcaster and historian Michael Wood takes a fresh approach to Shakespeare's life, brilliantly recreating the turbulent times through which the poet lived: the age of the Reformation, the Spanish Armada, the Gunpowder Plot and the colonization of the Americas. Drawing on an extensive range of sources, Michael Wood takes us back into Elizabethan England to reveal a man who is the product of his time - a period of tremendous upheaval that straddled the medieval and modern worlds. Using a wealth of unexplored archive evidence the author vividly conjures up the neighbourhoods of the Elizabethan London where Shakespeare lived and worked during his glittering career. Full of fresh insights and fascinating new discoveries, this book presents us with a Shakespeare for the twenty-first century: a man of the theatre, a thinking artist, playful and cunning who held up a mirror to his age, but who was also, as his friend Ben Jonson said, 'not of an age, but for all time'.