"The Horses' ultimate biography."ùIndependent on Sunday<BR><BR>"Entertaining and instructive."ùSpectator<BR><BR>"Lucid and engaging."ùSunday Telegraph<BR><BR>Praise For A.D. 381<BR><BR>"Exceptional... Of the many excellences in Freeman's book, not least are the eloquence, grace, and subtlety of argument with which he presents his case. Invaluable."ùLibrary Journal<BR><BR>"Freeman does a good job in forcing a re-examination of this crucial turning point."ùKirkus<BR><BR>"Clearly written, well organized, and compellingly argued, A.D. 381 provides an absorbing window into 'one of the most important moments in the history of European thought."'ùHouston Chronicle<BR><BR>"Freeman's exploration of the `swansong of free speech' makes distant events intensely relevant."ùIndependent (UK)<BR><BR>The story of the Horses of St Mark's has been entwined with the history of Venice from the moment of their arrival in the city, in the early thirteenth century, as part of the plunder from the Venetian sack of Constantinople. Ever since, they have intrigued onlookers with their mystery. Where were they made? Were they Greek or Roman? Why were they cast in copper and not bronze with its far lower melting point? Over the centuries they became an inspiration for painters and sculptors and found a place in the heart of three majestic cities: Constantinople; Venice, from its greatness to its fall in 1797; the Paris of Napoleon; and then back to Venice, the most romantic city in the world.<BR><BR>In this remarkable book, Charles Freeman is finally able to reveal both the birthplace and the creator of these magnificent gilded horses. It is a superb account of the statues and the societies in which they were displayed: a story of theirùand ourùtimes.