European history Books

Book SynopsisThe fascinating life of Frances Jennings, elder sister of Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough, charting her marriages and changes of fortune, her exile and return, her ambition, political manoeuvring and sincere piety. Frances Jennings, elder sister of Sarah, duchess of Marlborough, had an interesting and eventful life, most notably as the influential wife of Richard Talbot, earl of Tyrconnell, Catholic viceroy of Ireland under James II. Born circa 1649 into a Hertfordshire gentry family, she was a noted beauty at the Restoration court. There, she met and married George Hamilton, a Catholic officer who, after 1667, served in Louis XIV's army. In Paris, Frances raised three daughters, converted to Catholicism, and became an active member of the English Catholic émigré community. Following Hamilton's death, she remarried to Richard Talbot. As vicereine of Ireland, Frances helped re-establish Catholic hegemony, assisting in the foundation of convents and re-consecration of Christ Church cathedral. During the Williamite-Jacobite War in Ireland (1689-91), Frances fled to James II's exiled court in France. In 1691, she received word that her husband, now Jacobite duke of Tyrconnell, had died. Attainted for high treason, she used the Marlboroughs' influence to recover her Irish estates. In 1708, she returned to Dublin, where she died in 1731. Highlighting Frances's political manoeuvrings, religious identity and deep family attachments, this book portrays a complex and contested figure, a woman who acted on multiple stages, in diverse roles, challenging expectations of rank, gender, and 'nationality' in unexpected ways.Trade ReviewThe Jacobite Duchess has a tremendous depth of research [...], and this adds rich detail to the narrative. * FACHRS *[A] significant contribution to the history of an individual life, and through it, the history of early modern England and Ireland. This thoroughly researched work takes a scholarly approach to the history and simultaneously remains a pleasure to read. -- BRITISH CATHOLIC HISTORYFrances was a complicated and complex woman and Nolan does an excellent job of writing a non-hagiographic life. We need more histories of complex and difficult women and Nolan's book provides many ideas for how to do them. -- Amy M. Froide * Journal for Eighteenth-Century Studies and Renaissance Quarterly *Table of ContentsList of illustrations Acknowledgements List of abbreviations Notes on the text Introduction 1. 'The malicious little gipsy': early life, c.1649-1665 2. 'Hambleton is now going into France': marriage, motherhood and migration, 1666-1676 3. 'Ruined beyond redemption'?: widowhood, remarriage and returning, 1676-1686 4. 'That caballing humour': a political woman, 1687-1690 5. 'Every one's eye is watching': treason, forfeiture and exile, 1691-1699 6. 'Always a plane dealor': changing fortunes and life in the Low Countries, 1700-8 7. 'A duchess-nun'?: family, faith and finance in old age, 1708-1730 8. 'Albion's fairest plant': death and legacy Appendix A: Duchess of Tyrconnell's family tree Appendix B: Books in the possession of the duchess of Tyrconnell in Dublin, transported from her apartment in the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye Appendix C: David Nairne's 'Cyffer w[i]th the D[uche]sse of Tyrconnel, 5th August 1702' Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisAt its peak the Italian Army contributed 2.5 million troops to the Axis war effort. English-speaking readers tend to think of this army in terms of the North African campaign; but far more Italian troops served in other theatres. They invaded, and later bore the major burden of occupying, the Balkan countries; and Italy sent 250,000 troops to fight on the Russian Front. In this, the first of a three-part study, Philip Jowett covers the European theatre including Russia from 1940 to Italy's armistice with the Allies in 1943. Many interesting uniforms, a number of them new to most readers, are meticulously illustrated by Stephen Andrew.Table of ContentsThe Albanian adventure; French farce; Greece and Yugoslavia; the Partisan war; the war of Russia; invasion and revolution.

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Book SynopsisAt the end of the sixteenth century, Queen Elizabeth I forced the Irish Franciscans into exile. Of the four continental provinces to which the Irish Franciscans fled, the Prague Franciscan College of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary was the largest in its time. This monograph documents this intense point of contact between two small European lands, Ireland and Bohemia. The Irish exiles changed the course of Bohemian history in significant ways, both positive - the Irish students and teachers of medicine who contributed to Bohemia's culture and sciences - and negative - the Irish officers who participated in the murder of Albrecht of Valdstejn and their successors who served in the Imperial forces. Dealing with a hitherto largely neglected theme, Parez and Kucharova attempt to place the Franciscan College within Bohemian history and to document the activities of its members. This wealth of historical material from the Czech archives, presented in English for the first time, will be of great aid for international researchers, particularly those interested in Bohemia or the Irish diaspora.Trade Review"An important contribution to a fuller understanding of the Irish Franciscans during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Prague has been the major piece that has been missing." (Joseph McMahon, Franciscan Friary, Dublin)

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Book SynopsisAlthough largely forgotten now, the 1885 trial of German artist Gustav Graef was a seminal event for those who observed it. Graef, a celebrated sixty-four-year-old portraitist, was accused of perjury and sexual impropriety with underage models. On trial alongside him was one of his former models, the twenty-one-year-old Bertha Rother, who...Trade ReviewHartston's book is a well written and engaging study. The author successfully uses the Graef trial to shine a light on the reactions of German male bourgeois elites to social and economic transformations taking place in the 1880s, an era, he argues, that historians too frequently ignore in favor of the 1890s. The book speaks to several historiographic discussions within German history and will be of value to students of the legal, cultural, and social history of late nineteenth-century Germany. * Central European History *Hartston skillfully weaves art and society into his description of a political critique of German liberalism, relying on the criminal justice system to demonstrate a 'silent revolution' against bourgeois dominance.In the end, Hartston insists, 'substantial progressive and democratizing tendencies within imperial Germany' moved the country forward through a series of nearly constant 'political, cultural, and legal clashes.' * German History *...engaging study of a court case that took place in Berlin in the fall of 1885. * The Journal of Modern History *It is Hartston's deft balancing of a particular focus on the Graef trial and a broader view of its historiographical implications that makes this book a successful example of microhistory.In clear and beautiful prose * American Historical Review *

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Book SynopsisGeorgian Portraits chronicles everyday life in the Republic of Georgia in the decade that followed the Rose Revolution of 2003. Recent anthropological developments argue for the use of "afterlives" as an analytical notion through which to understand processes of socio-political change. Based on a series of portraits, Martin Demant Frederiksen and Katrine Bendtsen Gotfredsen employ the theory of social afterlives to examine the role of revolution in the formation of a modern Georgia. The book contributes to a deeper understanding of life in the aftermath of political reform, depicting the hopefulness of the Georgian population, but also the subsequent return to political disillusionment which lead them to a revolution in the first place.

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Book SynopsisEach of the three volumes of this magisterial work provides a comprehensive picture of the realities of Jewish life in the Polish lands in the period it covers, while also considering the contemporary political, economic, and social context. Volume I: 1350 to 1881 provides a wide-ranging overview down to the mid-eighteenth century, including social, economic, and religious history. The period from 1764 to 1881 is covered in more detail, with attention focused on developments in each country in turn, especially with regard to the politics of emancipation, acculturation, assimilation, and forced integration. Volume II: 1881 to 1914 explores the factors that had a negative impact on Jewish life as well as the political and cultural movements that developed in consequence: Zionism, socialism, autonomism, the emergence of modern Hebrew and Yiddish literature, Jewish urbanization, and the rise of popular Jewish culture. Galicia, Prussian Poland, the Kingdom of Poland, and the tsarist empire are all treated individually, as are the main cities. Volume III: 1914 to 2008 covers the interwar period, the Second World War, and the Holocaust, including Polish–Jewish relations and the Soviet record on the Holocaust. A survey of developments since 1945 concludes with an epilogue on the situation of the Jews since the collapse of communism.Trade Review'Polonsky's sweeping study offers an illuminating, accessible view of Jewish life in eastern Euope since the end of World War II. In elegant prose, the author engages major historiographical issues while analyzing important cultural, religious, social, and political trends among eastern European Jewry. He carefully frames each section with a chapter-long overview of the relevant historical context for the following chapters . . . Throughout, Polonsky masterfully navigates the different realms of a turbulent eastern European Jewish world, conveying both the richness of its history and the tragedy of its destruction. Highly recommended.'J. Haus, Choice'Succeeds admirably. Simply put, these volumes are required reading for anyone with a serious interest in East European history or for anyone looking for a scholarly assessment of a particular feature of Polish or Russian Jewish history. Handsomely produced, with extensive maps and tables, and a glossary . . . will remain a standard work in the field for some time . . . a body of work that, in summarizing the current state of our knowledge, effectively sets the agenda for future scholars. Polonsky is perhaps the scholar most responsible for the growth of Polish Jewish studies in the late twentieth century . . Very few historians could write a series of volumes like this . . . [he] has armed scholars with a formidable tool that will help them dispel stereotypes . . . Just as these volumes are destined to become the starting point for the work of many students, they will be the touchstone for scholars working in the field at all levels.' Sean Martin, European History Quarterly'Combines a masterful grasp of Jewish history with that of eastern Europe. While underlining the unique features and achievements of the Jewish communal experience he authoritatively integrates them into the history of the countries in which Jews lived . . . Incorporating current, ground-breaking scholarship from North America, Israel, and Europe these beautifully narrated volumes should not only be seen as a staple of university courses, but also as a must-read for anyone attempting to understand any aspect of modern Jewish history and religious tradition, wherever it may be playing out . . . With this extremely important book, Antony Polonsky not only writes history but, following the example of his illustrious predecessors, makes it.' Katarzyna Person, European Judaism'We can only commend Antony Polonsky for his massive effort to explain seven centuries of Jewish history in a mere 2,000 pages . . . Polonsky's strength lies in his ability to illuminate intellectual and cultural developments . . . Because of the excellent bibliographies, extensive annotation, and wonderful maps included in each volume, any reader wishing to read in greater detail about Polish and Russian Jewry will have plenty of resources to enable the search.' Alexandra S. Korros, Jewish Quarterly'Magisterial . . . all three volumes, but particularly Volume 3, should be of special interest to Polish Americans and all Americans interested in the history of the Jews in Poland, Lithuania, and Russia.' Anna M. Cienciala, Polish Review'Definitive . . . The scope is immense and the author does an impressive job of synthesizing a vast literature . . . This trilogy will no doubt serve as a standard history of east European Jewry for a long time.' - Shaul Stampfer, Religious Studies Review'Exemplary and formidable . . . Polonsky, as much as anyone else, has created the field of modern Jewish history as a subject to be considered and understood rather than simply a tragic past to be mourned. He is too good a historian to confuse the history of Jewish life with the German policies that brought Jewish death . . . The barely visible commitment in these three wonderful volumes is to rescue a world from polemic, for the sake of history.' - Timothy Snyder, Wall Street Journal‘The first serious, and most successful, effort thus far to summarize the history of the Jews of “Eastern Europe” . . . the first book to synthesize the vast research that has emerged since the seventies . . . comprehensive and multidisciplinary . . . there is no book today that can compare to its scope and to the vast and new materials that he brings forth and analyzes with a broad imagination, an intensive approach, and a moderate style.’ - Moshe Rosman, ZionTable of ContentsList of Maps List of Tables Note on Transliteration Note on Place Names Maps General Introduction I Jewish Life in Poland–Lithuanian to 1750 Introduction 1 Jews and Christians in Early Modern Poland–Lithuania 2 The Structure of Jewish Autonomous Institutions 3 Jewish Places: Royal Towns and Noble Towns 4 Jews in Economic Life 5 Religious and Spiritual Life Conclusion Appendix: The Polish-Lithuanian Background II Attempts to Transform and Integrate the Jews, and the Jewish Response, 1750–1880 Introduction 1 The Last Years of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth 2 The Jews in the Prussian Partition of Poland, 1772–1870 3 The Jews in Galicia to the mid-1870s 4 The Jews in the Duchy of Warsaw and the Kingdom of Poland, 1807–1881 5 The Jews in the Tsarist Empire, 1772–1825 6 Nicholas I and the Jews of Russia, 1825–1855 7 The Reign of Alexander II, 1855–1881 Glossary Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisEach of the three volumes of this magisterial work provides a comprehensive picture of the realities of Jewish life in the Polish lands in the period it covers, while also considering the contemporary political, economic, and social context. Volume I: 1350 to 1881 provides a wide-ranging overview down to the mid-eighteenth century, including social, economic, and religious history. The period from 1764 to 1881 is covered in more detail, with attention focused on developments in each country in turn, especially with regard to the politics of emancipation, acculturation, assimilation, and forced integration. Volume II: 1881 to 1914 explores the factors that had a negative impact on Jewish life as well as the political and cultural movements that developed in consequence: Zionism, socialism, autonomism, the emergence of modern Hebrew and Yiddish literature, Jewish urbanization, and the rise of popular Jewish culture. Galicia, Prussian Poland, the Kingdom of Poland, and the tsarist empire are all treated individually, as are the main cities. Volume III: 1914 to 2008 covers the interwar period, the Second World War, and the Holocaust, including Polish–Jewish relations and the Soviet record on the Holocaust. A survey of developments since 1945 concludes with an epilogue on the situation of the Jews since the collapse of communism.Trade Review'A truly landmark study of east European Jewish history for the mid-fourteenth century to the outbreak of World War I. This work is an invaluable synthetic exposition of Jewish civilization in Poland and Russia that pays close attention to the larger historical context in which Jewish history unfolded in these areas. While exhaustive in presenting historical detail and utilizing available sources and data of all types, Polonsky is also masterful in conveying the texture of Jewish life in different regions during each period. His study weaves together numerous aspects of that life—among others, the relationship of Jewish communities to the states in the region and their governance mechanisms; Jewish religious and political movements; the evolving role of the synagogue in communities; the wide variety of Jewish organizations over time and space; cultural changes, including the development of the mass press, modern literature, and theatre; the experiences of Jewish women; and descriptions of the towns and cities in which Jewish history played out. The contribution of Polonsky's study, however, is not only an impressive synthesis of a vast topic and vast amount of information. In integrating all of this material, the author also deftly crafts his own interpretations of trends in the area and the timing of shifts in them. His marshalling of evidence and his own insights add up to a compelling set of arguments about the course of Jewish history. Polonsky addresses Jewish, Polish, and Russian historical developments all with great nuance, and that depth of understanding allows him to present the complexities of these intertwined histories with a subtlety rarely achieved in projects of such ambitious temporal and spatial scope. This study will become a “go to” reference for scholars of east European Jewish history for a long time to come.'From the citation for the 2011 Kulczycki Book Prize for Polish Studies, awarded to Volumes I and II 'This second volume of Polonsky's well-reseached, eloquently written study provides a finely distinct portrait of Jewish life in eastern Europe in the years leading up to the Great War . . . Highly recommended.'- R. K. Byczkiewicz, Choice'Succeeds admirably. Simply put, these volumes are required reading for anyone with a serious interest in East European history or for anyone looking for a scholarly assessment of a particular feature of Polish or Russian Jewish history. Handsomely produced, with extensive maps and tables, and a glossary . . . will remain a standard work in the field for some time . . . a body of work that, in summarizing the current state of our knowledge, effectively sets the agenda for future scholars. Polonsky is perhaps the scholar most responsible for the growth of Polish Jewish studies in the late twentieth century . . Very few historians could write a series of volumes like this . . . [he] has armed scholars with a formidable tool that will help them dispel stereotypes . . . Just as these volumes are destined to become the starting point for the work of many students, they will be the touchstone for scholars working in the field at all levels.'- Sean Martin, European History Quarterly 'Combines a masterful grasp of Jewish history with that of eastern Europe. While underlining the unique features and achievements of the Jewish communal experience he authoritatively integrates them into the history of the countries in which Jews lived . . . Incorporating current, ground-breaking scholarship from North America, Israel, and Europe these beautifully narrated volumes should not only be seen as a staple of university courses, but also as a must-read for anyone attempting to understand any aspect of modern Jewish history and religious tradition, wherever it may be playing out . . . With this extremely important book, Antony Polonsky not only writes history but, following the example of his illustrious predecessors, makes it.'- Katarzyna Person, European Judaism'The first two volumes of Antony Polonsky's magisterial The Jews in Poland and Russia trilogy provide a much-needed addition to the landscape of Jewish historical studies . . . [a] significant achievement in presenting the most modern findings in a clear, readable, comprehensive survey . . . his narrative is grand and his analysis tight . . . an excellent synthesis of this community's history, incorporating much of the groundbreaking scholarship of the last few decades. Repeatedly, the volumes remind us of the many lost opportunities for real reform in the region. They help correct the nostalgic and romanticized portraits of what is sometimes considered a lost civilization, while simultaneously demonstrating the vibrancy and diversity of Jewish life in the region . . . essential reading for those seeking a thorough and balanced understanding of Jewish life in pre-twentieth century Eastern Europe.' - Jeffrey Veidlinger, H-Judaic'For several decades now, Antony Polonsky has been at the forefront of Polish–Jewish studies . . . It is thus fitting that Polosnky, who has nurtured young scholars, especially in Poland itself and North America, should bring together old and new work in this remarkable multi-volume synthesis of Jewish history and culture . . . These volumes will provide the first port of call for any student of east European Jewry.' - Tony Kushner, Jewish Chronicle'We can only commend Antony Polonsky for his massive effort to explain seven centuries of Jewish history in a mere 2,000 pages . . . Polonsky's strength lies in his ability to illuminate intellectual and cultural developments . . . Because of the excellent bibliographies, extensive annotation, and wonderful maps included in each volume, any reader wishing to read in greater detail about Polish and Russian Jewry will have plenty of resources to enable the search.' - Alexandra S. Korros, Jewish Quarterly'An excellent synthesis of recent research on east European Jewish culture and history. As such it fills a definite need for an accessible introduction to the current scholarship and thinking about the Jews of Poland and Russia . . . should be on the reading list of anyone interested in the history and folk cultures of eastern Europe, whether they work specifically with Jewish history and folk culture, or with other regional cultures.'- David Elton Gay, Journal of Folklore Research'Any reader who invests the time and money to read the book . . . will find it very rewarding—and not just because of the wealth of information it contains. What Polonsky's book brings home, in a way that a narrower study could not, is the sheer complexity and vitality of Jewish life in that time and place . . . this broader picture is needed to make sense of the social changes that were accelerating by the late nineteenth century—above all, in the situation of women, the subject of one of Polonsky's best chapters . . . Polonsky's panoramic book, which packs so much vivid detail and statistical information into its 500 pages, helps to show just how rich, and how difficult, that life really was.'- Adam Kirsch, The New Republic and Tablet Magazine'Polonsky's magisterial The Jews in Poland and Russia is one of those rare works that can hope to bridge the gap between specialist and “intelligent general reader”, providing a strong narrative and appealing prose for the latter as well as an up-to-date distilled knowledge of both primary and secondary sources for the former. No one interested in Jewish, Polish, or Russian history can afford to be without these volumes . . . will long remain the standard work on this crucial Jewish community . . . While a survey of this sort requires a goodly bit of politics . . . Polonsky has gone out of his way to include culture, religious life, gender, Jewish mass culture, and social history . . . The books' structure is entirely appropriate for its primary purpose: to provide a basic overview of this Jewish community's history . . . strikingly high level of scholarship . . . [The publisher] is particularly to be commended on its allowing Polonsky to cite at length from the Jewish literary sources he is considering and not begrudging space for a dozen pages of useful statistics (not a small thing in a publishing world where bibliographies are often considered superfluous!) . . . This history, written by a major scholar of both Polish and Jewish history and a person profoundly attached to both communities, is exemplary in its efforts to integrate Jews into Polish history, neither white-washing sources of friction nor painting an overly rosy picture. The most important thing one can say about Antony Polonsky's The Jews in Poland and Russia is: get it and read it!'- Theodore R. Weeks, The Polish Review'This superb and very up-to-date book is very well written, carefully documented, balanced, and will be a standard reference in the field. It has a glossary and a wide-ranging bibliography, very useful maps, and statistical tables, all of which make it a good starting point for any reading on east European Jewry.'- Shaul Stampfer, Religious Studies Review'Exemplary and formidable . . . Polonsky, as much as anyone else, has created the field of modern Jewish history as a subject to be considered and understood rather than simply a tragic past to be mourned. He is too good a historian to confuse the history of Jewish life with the German policies that brought Jewish death . . . The barely visible commitment in these three wonderful volumes is to rescue a world from polemic, for the sake of history.' - Timothy Snyder, Wall Street Journal‘The first serious, and most successful, effort thus far to summarize the history of the Jews of “Eastern Europe” . . . the first book to synthesize the vast research that has emerged since the seventies . . . comprehensive and multidisciplinary . . . there is no book today that can compare to its scope and to the vast and new materials that he brings forth and analyzes with a broad imagination, an intensive approach, and a moderate style.’- Moshe Rosman, ZionTable of ContentsList of MapsList of TablesNote on TransliterationMapsIntroduction1 The Position of the Jews in the Tsarist Empire, 1881-19052 Revolution and Reaction, 1904-19143 The Kingdom of Poland, 1881-19144 Galicia in the Second Half of the Nineteenth Century5 Prussian Poland, 1848-19146 Jewish Spaces: Shtetls and Towns in the Nineteenth CenturyStatistical Appendix7 Modern Jewish Literature in the Tsarist Empire and Galicia8 Jewish Religious Life from the Mid-Eightteenth Century to 19149 Women in Jewish Eastern Europe10 The Rise of Jewish Mass Culture: Literature, Press, TheatreConclusionGlossaryBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisIn honor of the 2018 centennial of Czech independence, philosopher of law Jir Prib n and award-winning Czech journalist Karel Hv zdala took the opportunity to examine key moments in Czech history from the ninth century to the twenty-first. Covering such a broad span of time allowed them to look into the past and question how Czechs have viewed their history at different points--and what that means for the Czech present and future. As contemporary politics drift closer towards totalitarianism, historiography from scholars and thinkers who experienced twentieth-century totalitarian regimes is more important than ever. In their spirited dialogue, Hv zdala and Prib n raise and explore these crucial issues, sharing subjects normally reserved for university seminars with the broader public.Trade Review"This contemplation by two Czech intellectuals of Czech history . . . should be mandatory reading for understanding the deeper context of our current crisis."--Jacques Rupnik, Sciences Po "Two men who are as European as they are Czech raise a question--Where are we headed? In answering, they deliver a solid classic. What an inspiring dialogue!"--Petr Pithart, Czech politician and signatory of Charter 77 "It's an interesting book because simply by considering the ideas the authors of In Quest of History put forth, the reader loses his certainty of what is true and what is the common consensus--he becomes an individual."--Milan Kundera, author of "The Unbearable Lightness of Being"

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“[Enriches] the existing literature by providing a fresh and convincing argument about the importance of domestic politics in international conflict.”—Konstantinos Xypolytos, Strife JournalWinner of the 2019 Stratfor Book Award for Geopolitical Analysis, sponsored by the Mackinder Forum“Rahe has written a clear and thorough history of the Pentecontaetia. His profound command of the sources and prose, supported by clear and well placed maps, makes this book a must for the general reader as well as scholars.”—Bob Strassler, founder and series editor, Landmark Ancient Histories

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Book SynopsisSir Walter Ralegh was the favourite of Queen Elizabeth, who showered him estates, jewels, monopolies, and political appointments earning him the reputation of "the most hated man in England." A man of many talents, he helped convince Elizabeth she should be empress of a great empire, on the condition that he be the one to shape her realm from the first. In Walter Ralegh, eminent historian Alan Gallay tells the fascinating story of how Ralegh helped create the largest empire the world has ever seen.A courtier, buccaneer, soldier, explorer, and statesman -- as well as a poet, historian, naval strategist, and scientist -- Ralegh is best known in the US for trying, and failing, to found Roanoke, the first English colony in America. But that event does not even begin to suggest the world-historical import of his adventures. Inspired by the mystical religious philosophy of hermeticism, Ralegh (popularly, and mistakenly, spelt "Raleigh") believed that England could build an empire without the conquest of native peoples, an empire in which English settlers and American Indians would live together, or, alternatively, where natives became allies and England would not interfere with their way of life. Playing a lead role in England's simultaneous attempt to colonise North America, South America, and Ireland, Ralegh shaped the English Empire at its birth, motivated by the wild idealism that the answer to English fears of national decline resided in the Americas, where natives blessed by God would reveal the mysteries of the universe.In the end, colonialism left a legacy of brutal exploitation far different from Ralegh's idealisations. Examining Ralegh's life, Gallay reveals that Elizabethans had complex and often contrary views on colonisation, seeing it as a means of achieving transcendence or, just as often, of achieving wealth and glory through war and subjugation. From Ralegh's introduction of the potato to Ireland to his creation of the most famous medicine of seventeenth-century England, from his failed colonial experiment on Roanoke island to his search for El Dorado, Gallay chronicles Ralegh's legendary life and offers a new origin story for the English Empire.

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Book Synopsis Greek Religion: A Sourcebook provides an introduction to the fundamentals of ancient Greek religious beliefs and rituals through a rich collection of ancient source readings. The translations draw from the Focus Classical Library sources as well as new translations by the author and other outstanding scholars. Chapters cover such topics as ancient magic, mystery cults, divination, and festivals. Illustrated throughout with photos and maps, this book is designed as a companion to Valerie Warrior''s Roman Religion: A Sourcebook.

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Book SynopsisPiano Makers in Russia in the Nineteenth Century is a richly detailed thematic study of the history of the piano in Russian society from its beginnings with the European artisans who settled in St. Petersburg in the early decades of the century through the transition to Russian-owned family firms. The piano played a defining role in the shaping of Russia’s musical culture in the nineteenth century, as artisans and entrepreneurs provided the foundation for the great tradition of the Russian virtuoso in the performance and the composition of piano music. It also helped bring about a transformative change in the material culture as the piano expanded its reach from the court and the nobility to include music enthusiasts from all social classes and Russian families in their homes. This historical study brings to light the impact of neglected piano artisans in nineteenth-century Russia, and presents a fresh view of the social and economic ties between the state and the piano-manufacturing artisans in an era largely defined by handcrafting and entrepreneurship. It contributes significantly to current issues surrounding the role of the piano and the entrepreneur-artisans in the urban centers of imperial Russia and represents an expansion of what is currently known about the piano builders who established workshops in Russia beginning in the late 1830s and 1840s, well before the heyday of the virtuoso in that country. Rare documents, including letters, memoirs, gazettes, exhibition catalogs, music journals, and administrative reports, form the nucleus of this book and provide fascinating insights about state and private patronage and the class/economic issues related to the affordability and prestige of the piano in Russia. Issues surrounding the transformation of the music industry in Russia, the role of women as patrons and performers, the exportation of instruments to the Russian Far East, and the complex system of tariffs and trade protection that benefited domestic piano manufacturers provide this book’s thematic links. Conclusions indicate that while favorable tariff laws and state-imposed economic policies benefited the family-owned firms in the nineteenth century, they remained in effect in the decades after the nationalization of the piano industry in 1917.Trade ReviewAnne Swartz's Piano Makers in Russia in the Nineteenth Century comprehensively fills a massive gap in the history of the piano. Her extensive research has opened a hitherto closed door and revealed the makers, the performers, the critical relationship of the piano industry and music education with the Russian throne, and its role across the socio-economic levels of the population, as well as its relationship to the rest of Europe. This book is a necessary component in the library of any serious scholar of the piano. -- Anne Beetem Acker, independent historic keyboard specialist; area and contributing editor to the Grove Dictionary of Musical Instruments"As with so many features of nineteenth-century cultural life, Russia first borrowed, then assimilated, and finally re-exported the piano to Western Europe, and in Piano Makers in Russia in the Nineteenth Century, Anne Swartz deftly traces the story of how domestic uprights and concert grands became the chosen instruments of the Russian state. Whether in girls’ schools and later conservatories in Moscow and St. Petersburg, in provincial drawing rooms as far away as Siberia and Central Asia, or in concert halls throughout the empire, the piano did much to foster modern Russia’s sense of itself as an artistic nation. At the same time, Swartz never underestimates the role played by a vast serf and worker community in supporting cultural production in Imperial Russia. Swartz’s study will be obligatory reading for anybody interested not just in Russian music and society but also in how innovative methods of economic analysis can shed new light on the arts in the nineteenth century." -- Philip Ross Bullock, university lecturer, and fellow and tutor in Russian, Wadham College, University of OxfordThe history of the piano has long centered on the familiar network of Vienna, Paris, London, and the plethora of German makers. Russia has been a footnote. In this remarkably comprehensive and riveting narrative, Swartz uses the lens of the piano to illuminate countless fresh facets of Russian culture, going far beyond the author’s overly modest title. Among scores of delectable revelations, who knew the favored piano of both Anton Rubinstein and Tchaikovsky was a Becker? -- Robert Winter, Distinguished Professor of Music, Presidential Chair in Music and Interactive Arts, UCLAAnne Swartz's Piano Makers in Russia in the Nineteenth Century comprehensively fills a massive gap in the history of the piano. Her extensive research has opened a hitherto closed door and revealed the makers, the performers, the critical relationship of the piano industry and music education with the Russian throne, and its role across the socio-economic levels of the population, as well as its relationship to the rest of Europe. This book is a necessary component in the library of any serious scholar of the piano. -- Anne Beetem Acker, independent historic keyboard specialist; area and contributing editor to the Grove Dictionary of Musical Instruments"As with so many features of nineteenth-century cultural life, Russia first borrowed, then assimilated, and finally re-exported the piano to Western Europe, and in Piano Makers in Russia in the Nineteenth Century, Anne Swartz deftly traces the story of how domestic uprights and concert grands became the chosen instruments of the Russian state. Whether in girls’ schools and later conservatories in Moscow and St. Petersburg, in provincial drawing rooms as far away as Siberia and Central Asia, or in concert halls throughout the empire, the piano did much to foster modern Russia’s sense of itself as an artistic nation. At the same time, Swartz never underestimates the role played by a vast serf and worker community in supporting cultural production in Imperial Russia. Swartz’s study will be obligatory reading for anybody interested not just in Russian music and society but also in how innovative methods of economic analysis can shed new light on the arts in the nineteenth century." -- Philip Ross Bullock, university lecturer, and fellow and tutor in Russian, Wadham College, University of OxfordThe history of the piano has long centered on the familiar network of Vienna, Paris, London, and the plethora of German makers. Russia has been a footnote. In this remarkably comprehensive and riveting narrative, Swartz uses the lens of the piano to illuminate countless fresh facets of Russian culture, going far beyond the author’s overly modest title. Among scores of delectable revelations, who knew the favored piano of both Anton Rubinstein and Tchaikovsky was a Becker? -- Robert Winter, Distinguished Professor of Music, Presidential Chair in Music and Interactive Arts, UCLA"With monumental performers such as Shostakovich, Yudina, Rachmaninoff, Horowitz, Prokofiev, Scriabin, and Richter it is clear that Russia has served as a cradle for extraordinary pianists. Anne Swartz’s brilliant book sheds new light on how it got that way. Focusing on issues of technology, gender, material culture, and industry, and ranging from Moscow to the Far East, Swartz's important work illustrates the process through which the piano came to occupy center stage in the Russian imagination." -- Michael Beckerman, Carroll and Milton Petrie Professor of Music, New York UniversityTable of ContentsACKNOWLEDGMENTS INTRODUCTION 1. THE PIANO AS AN INSTRUMENT OF THE STATE 2. MARIA FEODOROVNA, THE PIANO AND THE ROLE OF WOMEN 3. ENTREPRENEURS AND ARTISANS: DIEDERICHS AND HIS COMPETITORS PLATE NO. 1 PLATE NO. 2 PLATE NO. 3 4. AN INDUSTRY MATURES AND EXPANDS 5. PIANOS, PATRONS, PERFORMERS AND COMPOSERS 6. THE PIANO AND SOCIETY BY MID-CENTURY 7. THE PIANO AND THE RUSSIAN FAR EAST 8. RUSSIAN PIANO ARTISANS IN THE CLOSING DECADES OF THE CENTURY PLATE NO. 4 PLATE NO. 5 9. THE PIANO IN RUSSIA AFTER 1917 10. A LEGACY APPENDIX BIBLIOGRAPHY ENDNOTES INDEX

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Book SynopsisThis is an outstandingly useful edition of Prometheus Bound. The translation is both faithful and graceful, and the introduction to this difficult play is a model of clarity, intelligence, and a profound familiarity with the workings of Greek myth, Greek literature, and literature in general. --Rachel Hadas, Department of English, Rutgers UniversityTrade ReviewThis is the best Prometheus Bound in English. Deborah Roberts' translation is accurate, readable, and true to the original in idiom, imagery, and the combination of a high style with occasional colloquialism. The informative notes and perceptive Introduction will help readers to experience the play with heightened pleasure and understanding. --Seth L. Schein, Professor of Comparative Literature, University of California, Davis

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Book SynopsisAs a passionate Londoner, Ken Livingstone has seen London change dramatically over the last 60 years. From playing on bomb sites in an era where St Pauls was the tallest building in the city, to 2019 where the gleaming towers of the Shard and Walkie Talkie dominate the skyline, thanks to new building rules introduced by his administration. With a witty and worldly eye he takes a look at his home town; the people, places and the politics that have shaped the landscape. On this personal journey he shares his views on every aspect of the city from his favourite restaurants and most loved buildings to anecdotes on fellow politicians and the triumphs, and disasters, encountered running the largest metropolis in Europe.

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Book SynopsisLeo Lyon Zagami uses the internal documents of the Illuminati to reveal confidential and top-secret events. His book contends that the presence of numerous Illuminati brotherhoods and secret societies—just as those inside the most prestigious U.S. universities such as Yale or Harvard—have always been guides to the occult. From the Ordo Templi Orientis (OTO)'s infiltration of Freemasonry to the real Priory of Sion, this book exposes not only the hidden structure of the New World Order and the occult practices, but also their connections to the intelligence community and the infamous Ur-Lodges.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“If until now the Georgian home has been like a monochrome engraving, Vickery has made it three dimensional and vibrantly colored. Behind Closed Doors demonstrates that rigorous academic work can also be nosy, gossipy, and utterly engaging.”—Andrea Wulf, New York Times Book Review"Vickery's great skill lies in combining a sharp forensic eye with the ability to spot and tell stories, moving between different scales so smoothly that you can't see the joins. And then there is the wit of the thing. Few academic historians manage to be so funny without compromising the seriousness of their work. She did it 10 years ago in The Gentleman's Daughter and she has done it again here. It was worth the wait."—Kathryn Hughes, The Guardian"We see the Georgians at home as we have never seen them before in this ground-breaking book. Vickery can make a young wife’s arrangement of china into an event of thrilling social and psychological tension. Behind Closed Doors is both scholarly and terrifically good fun. Worth staying at home for."—Frances Wilson, Sunday Times “[Behind Closed Doors] stands out … [It] not only revels in the details of domestic life, it offers a very funny way of looking at otherwise familiar historical characters. Whoever would have guessed that the Duke of Cumberland, the Butcher of Culloden, had such an eye for a well-turned vase?” — Dominic Sandbrook, Daily Telegraph “An evocative account of life in Georgian England … How much we owe historians who trawl through the illegible and scattered archives for us to assemble these alternative accounts of history.” — Margaret Drabble, The Guardian'This history of house interiors in Georgian England is a sparkling and erudite work from one of our best historians.' — Daily Telegraph"Professor Vickery is a thorough and disciplined academic who has trawled through many often obscure archives and tapped unusual or long neglected reservoirs of information. But not for a moment is she overwhelmed by the mighty volume of her research. She weaves it all into a compelling narrative packed with anecdote, strange characters and all manner of weird and wonderful details about Georgian home life."—Dan Cruickshank, Country Life"Vickery is that rare thing an academic historian who writes like a novelist... an enthralling slice of domestic history."—Jane Shilling, Daily Mail"[Vickery] describes Enlightenment domesticity and the growth of elegant taste with wonderful aplomb and infectious enthusiasm ... [Behind Closed Doors] is especially gorgeous in unusual and telling illustrations.”—Christina Hardyment, History Today"Comparison between Vickery and Jane Austen is irresistible. . . This book is almost too pleasurable, in that Vickery's style and delicious nosiness conceal some seriously weighty scholarship."—Lisa Hilton, The Independent ‘In history… the study if homes and home life has undergone a revolution in the past few decades. One of the leading figures in that revolution is Amanda Vickery. Who can resist a book that describes one diarist as a confirmed grumbletonian. One would have to be a confirmed grumbletonian indeed not to find enlightenment – and pleasure – on every page of this book.’ — Judith Flanders, The Sunday Telegraph ‘[Vickery] opens resolutely shut doors and peeps into the private lives of servants, aristocrats and the “polite and middling sorts” – merchants, clergy members, doctors and lawyers…Ms. Vickery’s greatest achievement is to upend the notion that the home was divided into separate spheres in which men were responsible for brick and stone while women ruled over domestic life. Instead, she brilliantly shows that these boundaries were fluid and mutable…Few writers have such a talent for transforming the driest historical source into a gripping narrative.’ — Andrea Wulf, International Herald Tribune ‘What Vickery illuminates, often brilliantly, always entertainingly and through a myriad of examples from many different people, are the ways in which family and gender relations were played out in Georgian England.’ — Stella Tillyard. Times Literary Supplement ‘Amanda Vickery’s beautifully textured exploration of domestic life.’ — Michael Kerrigan, The Scotsman ‘Relying on documents such as account books, journals, letters, inventories and wills, Vickery paints pictures for her readers…Vickery discusses not only the appearance in everyday life in Georgian England but also the nature of the relationships within it…Behind Closed Doors is a fascinating contribution to our understanding of the Georgian period.’ — Jocelyn Anderson, The Georgian “A perfect balance between academic and popular history … In a sense, this is history on the scale of the famous square of ivory on which [Jane] Austen claimed the ideal novel should be created: graceful, delicate, sparkling with sprezzatura … This book is almost too pleasurable.” — Lisa Hilton, Independent on Sunday “A deeply moving investigation into the domestic lives of our 18th-century ancestors. A scholar of the highest order, Vickery has scoured over 60 archives and … has unearthed wonderful sources … In supple, elegant prose she repeatedly shows that domestic routines and choices were intertwined with political and public participation … A book full of fascinating discoveries – and radically important conclusions.” — Kate Williams, History Today ‘A nuanced and often shocking portrait of the Georgian home … Vickery builds up [her] conclusions carefully from the evidence and writes wit verve and wit. Her book is strengthened by its confinement to respectable society, where her arguments about solitude and substance ring true.’ — Sarah Bakewell, The Independent “This book takes an unstarchy look at domestic life in Georgian England and is full of delicious detail.” — House and Garden “Some of the considerable achievements of this important book are Vickery’s sheer mastery of the sources, the originality of her materials and methodology, and the provocations contained in her seductive prose.” — Helen Berry, Reviews in History 'This is social history as it should be written…Yale has allowed a wealth of illustrations - over 100 - which adds to the book's enjoyment.' — E.B, Contemporary Review 'In Behind Closed Doors her sparkling, richly detailed investigation of what she calls 'the hazy background' to the Georgian household … Vickery finds a great deal of information about everyday life, much of it previously hidden." — Gillian Darley, London Review of Books'Amanda Vickery breathes new life into 18th century society.' — KO, Sunday Telegraph“Vickery's Behind Closed Doors once again displays the expert scholarship, interpretive nuance, and deft writing that makes her work a pleasure to read.” —Jason Kelly, Economic History Review "On every page, she includes a reference to a novel or play, a religious tract, legal statute or similar. By the conclusion the reader is more knowledgeable about the Georgian world as well as having glimpsed the private life of the Georgian home, but Vickery presents her material with such a light touch that the reader is thoroughly entertained along the way. It is quite simply a ‘good read’."—Margaret Ponsonby, Journal of Design History Vol. 23, No. 1Shortlisted for the 2009 Hessell-Tiltman Prize for History: Behind Closed Doors was highly commended by the judges of the Hessell-Tiltman prize and described as "outstanding in every way.""Amanda Vickery has uncovered wonderful stories and characters, and written a book that is amusing as it is scholarly. You can hear her voice on every page."—John Mullan"How many academic books make readers laugh out loud? My guess is that I won’t be alone in having that experience of Behind Closed Doors ... [Behind Closed Doors] reveals in a fundamentally novel way how the language of taste actually functioned for those outside of the well-known literary and philosophical elite in this period. Indeed, as someone who imagined they knew the scholarship on interiors, I learned something on almost every page; and it’s also not a small thing to say that unlike almost all the other published books on interiors available, I got the strongest possible sense that Vickery had lived in an interior, and understood how interiors work on a day to day level." - Dr. Jason Edwards, University of York"Vickery is rare as an author who can speculate as to how certain events might actually have felt to those involved, whilst keeping the discussion firmly rooted in the sources and not seeming overfanciful. This is a beautifully written book. It includes important research and thorough engagement with current debates, whilst managing to tell a whole series of cracking good stories."—Dr. Kate Retford, Birkbeck College, University of LondonBehind Closed Doors was highly commended by the judges of the Hessell-Tiltman prize for history and described as "outstanding in every way."

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Book SynopsisThis volume offers the fruits of Peter Meineck and Paul Woodruff''s dynamic collaboration on the plays of Sophocles'' Theban cycle, presenting the translators'' Oedipus Tyrannus (2000) along with Woodruff''s Antigone (2001) and a muscular new Oedipus at Colonus by Meineck. Grippingly readable, all three translations combine fidelity to the Greek with concision, clarity, and powerful, hard-edged speech. Each play features foot-of-the-page notes, stage directions, and line numbers to the Greek. Woodruff''s Introduction discusses the playwright, Athenian theatre and performance, the composition of the plays, and the plots and characters of each; it also offers thoughtful reflections on major critical interpretations of these plays.

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Book SynopsisDespite all the thousands of studies of the Holocaust and the rise of Nazi Germany, we still have no satisfactory explanation of why this tragedy occurred in one of the most "civilized" of Western nations. John Weiss's Ideology of Death is the first book to explore the unique nature of German history, showing how it rejected the liberal ideals of the Enlightenment, and to trace the culture of racism and anti-Semitism among powerful elites and ordinary Germans over a long period of German history. In a stunningly lucid narrative, Weiss describes exactly how and why Christian anti-Semitism, in its unique form among German Protestants and Austrian Catholics, reinforced modern secular racism to create an explosive mix. Using the latest research, he details how the Nazis, building on traditional German anti-Semitism, were able to adjust it so as to appeal to a wide variety of social groups–crucial to their electoral success. And he explains the specific complicities of various German groups and institutions in the Holocaust, and why they voluntarily cooperated with the Nazis. In its clarity and compelling argument, Ideology of Death is certain to be one of the most important books for many years to come on the reasons behind the Holocaust.Trade ReviewEffective. * Booklist *Illuminating...deserves a permanent place on bookshelves. * Publishers Weekly *An extremely stimulating and informative work...Weiss has produced a detailed, clearly written account. * Kirkus *For many readers this book can safely take the place of an entire history. -- Raul Hilberg, author of The Destruction of the European JewsTable of ContentsPart 1 Preface vii Part 2 The Christian Legacy 3 Part 3 Luther and the Reformation 20 Part 4 The Enlightenment 36 Part 5 The Liberation of the Jews in France 50 Part 6 The Nationalist Reaction: Germany, 1815-1848 64 Part 7 Anti-Semitism in the Bismarck Era 80 Part 8 The Rise of Populist Anti-Semitism 97 Part 9 Anti-Semitism Among the Elites, 1890-1914 112 Part 10 Anti-Semitism, Academics, and Intellectuals, 1890-1914 128 Part 11 Opposing Anti-Semitism 143 Part 12 Catholic Anti-Semitism in the Austrian Empire 156 Part 13 Racial Nationalism in Austria 173 Part 14 Hitler in Austria 191 Part 15 The Great War and Racism 206 Part 16 The Seedbed: The Postwar Wave of Anti-Semitism 222 Part 17 The Battle for Culture 239 Part 18 Organizing the Nazis, 1924-1930 19 Anti-Semitism and the Nazi Vote 271 Part 20 Hitler and the Elites 288 Part 21 Hitler in Power 306 Part 22 Toward a Racial Empire 317 Part 23 The Ideology of Death 325 Part 24 Complicities 342 Part 25 Resistance, Public Opinion, Knowledge 362 Part 26 Aftermath: Judgment and Innocence 380 Part 27 Notes 399 Part 28 Index 413

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Book SynopsisIn January of 1649, after years of civil war, King Charles I stood trial in a specially convened English court on charges of treason, murder, and other high crimes against his people. Not only did the revolutionary tribunal fi nd him guilty and order his death, but its masters then abolished monarchy itself and embarked on a bold (though short-lived) republican experiment. The event was a landmark in legal history. The trial and execution of King Charles marked a watershed in English politics and political theory, and thus also affected subsequent developments in those parts of the world colonized by the British.This book presents a selection of contemporaries’ accounts of the king’s trial and their reactions to it, as well as a report of the trial of the king’s own judges once the wheel of fortune turned and monarchy was restored. It uses the words of people directly involved to offer insight into the causes and consequences of these momentous events.Trade Review“The trial of Charles I is one of the most important events in British history, and the documentary evidence surrounding it is thrilling and evocative. This wonderful new edition offers not just the colour but also the complexity of the surviving sources; it reveals the contested nature of the events themselves, as well as ongoing debates about their meaning and significance. In addition to the amazing record of the trial itself, we are presented with neglected evidence about how profoundly the king’s death affected even the most radical of contemporary commentators. As such, the book casts new and genuinely thought-provoking light on these momentous events.” — Jason Peacey, University College London“This compendium of primary sources provides an indispensable teaching resource for studying the trial of Charles I. Kesselring’s contextual introduction guides the reader through recent controversies among historians over how to interpret the trial, while providing a list of penetrating questions to stimulate enquiry and debate. The volume’s strength lies in the different perspectives offered by its selected texts; its inclusion of an account of the regicide Thomas Harrison’s trial invites readers to explore further comparative dimensions.” — Andrew Hopper, University of LeicesterTable of ContentsAcknowledgementsIntroductionChronologyQuestions to ConsiderPart 1: Trying the King Title page and Extracts from John Nalson, A True Copy of the Journal of the High Court of Justice for the Tryal of K. Charles I (London, 1684) Lord President Bradshaw’s Speech: Extract from Gilbert Mabbott, A Perfect Narrative of the Whole Proceedings of the High Court of Justice (London, 1649) The Death Warrant of Charles I Part 2: Reactions and Aftermath Acts Establishing a Republic Extracts from “An Act for the abolishing the Kingly Office in England and Ireland, and the Dominions thereunto belonging” (1649) Extracts from “An Act for the Abolishing the House of Peers” (1649) “An Act Declaring and Constituting the People of England to be a Commonwealth and Free State” (1649) A Contemporary Depiction of the King’s Execution A “Martyr” Speaks from the Grave: The King’s Eikon Basilike (London, 1649): Extracts and Frontispiece to the Eikon Basilike A Soldier’s Doubts: Extracts from Francis White, The copies of several letters contrary to the opinion of the present powers (London, 1649) Principles and Pragmatism: Extracts from John Lilburne, The legal fundamental liberties of the people of england revived, asserted, and vindicated (London, 1649) Overthrowing “Kingly Power” as well as Kings: Extracts from Gerrard Winstanley, A New Year’s Gift for the Parliament and Army (London, 1650) Part 3: Trying the King-Killers A Contemporary Depiction of the Executions of the King and of His Judges The Trial of Major General Harrison: Extracts from Heneage Finch, An Exact and most Impartial Accompt of the Indictment, Arraignment, Trial, and Judgment (according to Law) of Twenty Nine Regicides (London, 1660) Glossary of Key Figures and TermsSelect Bibliography

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Book SynopsisAn intriguing portrait of the life and court career of the Sun King's secret wife, Françoise d'Aubigné.Trade Review"Queen of Versailles thoroughly explores the roles Madame de Maintenon played in the reign of Louis XIV. Mark Bryant follows Maintenon through the morass of seventeenth-century politics, religious controversies, and court factions to produce a truly impressive work of scholarship, demonstrating a confident command of a vast array of sources." Kathleen Wellman, Southern Methodist University and author of Queens and Mistresses of Renaissance France"This is first rate research. Byrant is among the first people to bear insights drawn from modern gender history on Maintenon, who was one of the most powerful women in early modern Europe. Every scholar interested in the history of Louis XIV's Europe will read this book and it will be a vitally important addition to early modern women’s history." James Collins, Georgetown University and author of The State in Early Modern France

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Book SynopsisFor the first time, Bonnie Prince Charlie's arduous escape of 1746 has been recreated in a single journey. The author, along with his faithful border collie Meg, retraces the Prince's epic 530 mile walk through remote wilderness, hidden glens, modern day roads and uninhabited islands.Gregor Ewing tells the Prince's story alongside the trials of his own present day journey, whilst reflecting on the plight of the highlanders who, despite everything, loyally protected their rightful prince. The author's love of history and the landscape in which he travels shines through in this modern day adventure.Trade ReviewIn classic, and accomplished, travel-writing style, Ewing nourishes the reader (the armchair walker) all along the way with titbits of history and hearsay, or lore and legend, of introspection and insight. NORTHWORDS NOW

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Book SynopsisLord Cockburn, Victorian defender of Edinburgh’s beauties, describes Calton Hill as ‘the Glory of Edinburgh’. ‘It presents us,’ enthused Cockburn, ‘with the finest prospects both of its vicinity and the city… it is adorned by beautiful buildings dedicated to science and to the memory of distinguished men.’Following on from the success of Arthur’s Seat, the Journeys and Evocations series continues with a look at the events and folklore surrounding Edinburgh’s iconic Calton Hill. Standing only 338 ft (103m) high, this small hill offers a fascinating view of Edinburgh both literally and historically. The book brings together prose, poetry and photographic images to explore the Calton Hill’s role in radical and nationalist politics through the centuries, as well as taking a look at the buildings, philosophy and intrigue of a central part of Edinburgh’s landscape.

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Book SynopsisExperience the scenery and folklore of Edinburgh's iconic Old Town through new eyes in the latest installment in the Journeys and Evocations series. This blend of prose, poetry, photography and history is the perfect gift for any visitor to Scotland's capital city.Trade ReviewEdinburgh Old Town; Journeys and Evocations is a welcome addition to the seemingly endless explorations in print of a city which continues to fascinate and inspire citizens and visitor alike, and which will doubtless appeal to both. - EDINBURGH GUIDE

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Book SynopsisThis book takes 100 objects and explores their significance in shaping Ireland. Photographs are accompanied by a concise and insightful story that shows the social, political and artistic vitality of each object. Beginning with Mesolithic Ireland and ending in 2005, ornamental treasures such as the Book of Kells, the magnificent 8th century Ardagh Chalice and a chair by modernist furniture designer Eileen Gray are given equal importance as pieces such as the bloodstained shirt of Irish revolutionary James Connolly, a 1950s washing machine and the letters from the Anglo Irish Bank sign which were dismantled in 2011. The concept for this book came from a series in the Irish Times by columnist, writer and literary editor Fintan O’Toole, who also writes the robust introduction to the book.

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Book SynopsisOne of the key ways in which the traditional Jewish world of eastern Europe responded to the challenges of modernity in the nineteenth century was to change the system for educating young men so as to reinforce time-honoured, conservative values. The yeshivas established at that time in Lithuania became models for an educational system that has persisted to this day, transmitting the talmudic underpinnings of the traditional Jewish way of life. To understand how that system works, one needs to go back to the institutions they are patterned on: why they were established, how they were organized, and how they operated. This is the first properly documented, systematic study of the Lithuanian yeshiva as it existed from 1802 to 1914. It is based on the judicious use of contemporary sources—documents, articles in the press, and memoirs—with a view to presenting the yeshiva in its social and cultural context. Three key institutions are considered. Pride of place in the first part of the book is given to the yeshiva of Volozhin, which was founded in 1802 according to an entirely new concept—total independence from the local community—and was in that sense the model for everything that followed. Chapters in the second part focus on the yeshiva of Slobodka, famed for introducing the study of musar (ethics); the yeshiva of Telz, with its structural and organizational innovations; and the kollel system, introduced so that married men could continue their yeshiva education. Topics covered include the leadership and changes in leadership; management and administration; the yeshiva as a place of study; and daily life. This English edition is based on the second Hebrew edition, which was revised to include information that became available with the opening of archives in eastern Europe after the fall of communism.Trade Review'Stampfer sifts through mountains of documentation, searching for versions that ring true and painting an extraordinarily detailed account of every aspect of life in the famous yeshivot. His book is vital to the students of Orthodox Jewish history and of Jewish culture in eastern Europe.'Pinchas Roth, Association of Jewish Libraries Reviews'One of the foremost experts on eastern European Jewry... He has a well-deserved reputation for being one of the nicest people in Israeli academia; but he seems to revel in challenging common assumptions, tweaking conventional wisdom, and making eastern European Jewry look very different from what everyone seems to think. He does all of these things in [this book], an expanded translation of his masterful 1995 Hebrew book on the subject. Its publication should change the way English-speaking Jews think about what a yeshiva is and ought to be.'Yoel Finkelman, Jewish Ideas Daily'Those with an interest in modern Talmudic study will find the book, as I did, a spellbinding overview of the development of the modern yeshiva. Stampfer’s impeccable research changes the way one will look at the reasons for the creation of and the development of these yeshivas in Lithuania. The book is like a riveting documentary, full of fascinating insights.'Ben Rothke, The Times of IsraelTable of ContentsIntroductionPart I The Volozhin Yeshiva1 The Beginnings of the Volozhin YeshivaR. Hayim of Volozhin • The Foundation of the Volozhin Yeshiva • The Establishment of the Yeshiva in Volozhin • Setting Up the Yeshiva and Organizing Financial Support • Curriculum and Students • Areas of Study • The Position of the Rosh Yeshiva • Yeshivas Modelled on Volozhin2 The Beginning of the Yeshiva - Succession, Conflicts, and ChangeR. Yitshak of Volozhin as Rosh Yeshiva • Change and Continuity at the Yeshiva • The Role of the Yeshiva in Society • R. Eliezer Fried as successor to R. Yitshak • R. Naftali Berlin and the Question of Authority at the Yeshiva • The Conflict with R. Yehoshua Heschel Levin • The Conflict with R. Yosef Dov Soloveitchik • The Restoration of Order to the Staff and the Yeshiva3 The Yeshiva as a Place of StudyThe Yeshiva as a Torah Study Centre • The Framework of Study • The Yeshiva Staff and their Functions • The Yeshiva’s Functions4 The Yeshiva AdministrationSupervision of Studies and Examinations • The Shiur and Student Participation • The Importance of the New Mode of Study • Staff–Student Relations: Financial Support and Discipline • The Status of the Yeshiva in the Jewish World5 Students at the Volozhin YeshivaThe Decision to Study at the Yeshiva • Admission to the Yeshiva • Absorption at the Yeshiva • Integration at the Yeshiva • Student Activity and the Yeshiva’s Response • The Individual Student and the Yeshiva • Students and the Local Community6 Life at the Volozhin YeshivaDaily Routine • Study Arrangements • The Yeshiva Year • Sabbaths and Festivals • Extra-Curricular Activity • The Haskalah: Interest among Students• The Haskalah: The Yeshiva’s Response • Leisure Activities7 The Final Years of the Volozhin YeshivaCharity and Aid Associations • Zionist Organizations • Other Associations • Student Newspapers • Political Activity at the Yeshiva • The Financial State of the Yeshiva in its Final Years8 The Closure of the Volozhin YeshivaRelations between the Yeshiva and the Authorities • Secular Studies at the Yeshiva • Background to the Controversy over the Successor to R. Berlin • The Struggle over the Succession • The Factors in the Closure of the Yeshiva • Appendix to Chapter 8: Official Documents about the Volozhin YeshivaPart II Slobodka, Telz, and the Kolel9 The Slobodka YeshivaThe Musar Movement • R. Yisrael Salanter • The Slobodka Yeshiva • The Yeshiva’s Students • Talmud Study at the ‘Musar Yeshiva’ • Internal Problems and External Expansion • Controversy and Conflict at the Yeshiva10 The Telz YeshivaThe Foundation of the Yeshiva • R. Eliezer Gordon • The Aims of the Yeshiva • Study at the Yeshiva • Admission of Students • Basic Support for the Yeshiva Students • Conflicts at the Yeshiva • Factors in the Disruptions at the Yeshiva • R. Eliezer Gordon’s Attitude towards the Haskalah and Zionism • R. Gordon’s Confrontation with the Social Crisis11 The Kolel Haperushim of Kovno and the ‘Kolel’ InstitutionThe Foundation of the Kolel and its Early History • The Kolel’s Mode of Operation • Opposition and Conflicts • The Kolel of BrodskyConclusionBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisIran and a French Empire of Trade examines the understudied topic of Franco-Persian relations in the long eighteenth century to highlight how rising tensions among Eurasian empires and revolutions in the Atlantic world were profoundly intertwined. Conflicts between Persia, Turkey, India and Russia, and European weapons-dealing with these empires occurred against a backdrop of climate change and food insecurities that destabilized markets. Takeda shows how the French state relied on “entrepreneurial imperialism” to extend commercial activities eastwards beyond the Mediterranean during this time, from Louis XIV’s reign to Napoleon Bonaparte’s First Empire. Organized as a collection of microhistories, her study showcases a colourful set of characters—rogue merchants from Marseille, a gambling house madam, a naturalized Greek-French drogman, and a bi-cultural Genevan-Persian consul, among others—to demonstrate how individuals on the fringes of French society spearheaded projects to foster ties between France and Persia. Considering the Enlightenment as a product of a connected world, Takeda investigates how trans-imperial adventurers, merchants, consuls, and informants negotiated treaties, traded commodities and arms, transferred knowledge, and introduced industrial practices from Asia to Europe. And she shows the surprising ways in which Enlightenment debates about regime changes from the Safavid to Qajar dynasties and Persia’s borderland wars shaped French ideas about revolution and policies related to empire-building.Trade Review'[Iran and a French empire of trade's] innovative approach, accessible style, and unique cast of characters make it a valuable resource for students and scholars working on French and Iranian history in a global context.'Julia Caterina Hartley, French Studies‘Iran and a French empire of trade is not only of interest to specialists in the history of French-Persian exchange or orientalism more broadly, but also an important contribution to our understanding of how early modern empire worked. Takeda's study captures the nuance and complexity of its formal and informal dynamics, spaces, and competing stakeholders with writing that is erudite, clear, and concise, and with an eye to interesting historical detail that pulls at the strands of the larger story through engaging digressions.’ Paul Babinski, Iranian Studies‘This book is highly readable and appealing, combining early-modern Iranian history with intellectual trends of the French Enlightenment.’ Mehdi Mousavi, British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies

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Book SynopsisOn 18 July 1754, William Crichton Dalrymple, the 5th Earl of Dumfries, laid the foundation stone of Dumfries House. It was the first country house built by Robert, John and James Adam - the brothers whose architectural practice was to become the most famous in Britain.Dumfries House lies within its historic landscape in rolling farmland to the west of Cumnock. Completed in 1760, the house was adapted and altered over the years - most significantly and sympathetically by Robert Weir Schultz, a leading figure in the Arts and Crafts movement. Dumfries House is not only significant architecturally, it also contains one of the most spectacular collections of eighteenth century furniture in Britain, with works by Thomas Chippendale, and pieces by three renowned Edinburgh furniture-makers, Francis Brodie, Alexander Peter and William Mathie. In June 2007, HRH The Prince of Wales headed a consortium of charities and heritage bodies to buy the house, its contents and its estate, with the express aim of preserving it in its entirety and making it more accessible to the public. In this landmark book, author Simon Green draws on previously unpublished documents from the extensive archives of the Bute family, who lived in the house from the early nineteenth century until the death of Lady Bute in 1993, along with a wealth of photographs, plans and drawings from the National Trust for Scotland and the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. Exploring the people and the ideas behind a unique building, Dumfries House is the story of the survival of a treasured eighteenth century family residence - at once the 'homliest' of homes and 'a great undertaking, more bold than wise'.Trade Review'This handsomely produced history of a national treasure is a fitting tribute to a fascinating house' * Country Life *

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Book SynopsisThe Expulsion of the Jews from Spain is a detailed study of the events surrounding this infamous chapter in Spanish history. Based on hundreds of documents discovered, deciphered, and analyzed during decades of intensive archival research, this work focuses on the practical consequences of the expulsion both for those expelled and those remaining behind. It responds to basic questions such as: What became of property owned by Jewish individuals and communities? What became of outstanding debts between Jews and Christians? How was the edict of expulsion implemented? Who was in charge? How did they operate? What happened to those who converted to Christianity in order to remain in Spain or return to that country? The material summarized and analyzed in this study also sheds light on Jewish life in Spain preceding the expulsion. For example, Jews are shown to have been present in remote villages where they were not hitherto known to have lived, and documents detailing lawsuits between Christians related to debts left behind by Jews reveal much about business and financial relations between Jews and Christians. By focusing on the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in such detail - for example, by naming the magistrates who presided over the confiscation of Jewish communal property - Professor Beinart takes history out of the realm of abstraction and gives it concrete reality.Trade Review‘Magisterial . . . provides insights, descriptions, and interpretations built on an impregnable base of scholarship . . This sine qua non for any study and understanding of the vents leading up to 1492 deserves an honoured place in all serious libraries.’ Stephen D. Benin, Choice‘Haim Beinart justifiably has been hailed as the foremost historian of medieval Sepharad . . . the data uncovered [here] will remain a source for many future generations of historians of the Jews of medieval Iberia. For that alone, we are indebted to this monumental contribution.’ Benjamin R. Gampel, AJS Review‘The most comprehensive study of the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492. It summarizes and synthesizes the author’s decades-long work in Spanish archives . . . indispensable for the study of Spanish Jewry and is a valuable addition to any university library.’ Morris M. Faierstein, Religious Studies Review‘An in-depth analysis of one of the most dramatic events in the history of the Jews . . . an extremely useful repository of detailed information that can be found nowhere else in English.’ Yvonne Petry, Renaissance StudiesReview for the Hebrew Edition of the book:‘The importance of this new book lies in its methodical and detailed portrayal of the expulsion from Spain in 1492 in all its aspects—political, social, economic, legal, and also human. It presents wide-ranging descriptions of the problems and the dilemmas facing families and individuals in both large and small communities . . . and of how events actually unfolded, day by day and hour by hour. The thoroughness of the presentation, documented in every detail, is the product of decades of methodical and comprehensive historiographic research covering all the areas in which Jews lived in the entire period over which the expulsion took place . . . Beinart's historiographic reconstruction gives the contemporary reader a palpable understanding of what actually happened.’ Ben-Ami Feingold, Yediot AharonotTable of ContentsList of tablesList of illustrationsAbbreviations1 Introduction: Ferdinand and Isabella, King and Queen of SpainThe Situation of Spanish Jewry Forced Segregation The Inquisition Financing the Reconquista Propaganda against Jews and Conversos The Fall of Granada2 The Edict of ExpulsionPromulgation Analysis of the Structure Drafting The Views of the Catholics Monarchs Text and Translation of the Edict of Expulsion3 The Fate of Jewish Communal PropertyLand and Buildings Loans Synagogues, Houses of Study, and Ritual Baths Abattoirs and Baking Ovens Cemeteries4 Jewish–Christian Credit and its LiquidationThe Kingdom of Castile: Attempts to Settle Accounts before Departure Public Debts to Jews Private Debts of Christians to Jews Collection of Christians’ Debts to Jews after the Expulsion Debts of Jews to Christians and the Payment of these Debts The Kingdom of Aragon5 Implementation of the Edict of ExpulsionThe Road to Implementation Organizing the Departure: The Role of the Genoese Implementation of the edict in the Kingdom of Aragon: Departure by Land; Departure by Sea Implementation of the Edict in the Kingdom of Castile: Conversion instead of Exile or Prison; Tribulations of Departure; Exploitation on the Border: Ciudad Rodrigo; The Passage from Castile into Portugal; Departure by Sea Implementation of the Edict in Sardinia and Sicily Navarre: Asylum and Expulsion The Number of Jews Expelled6 Smuggling7 Return and ConversionReturn and Conversion among Jews of Castile Return and Conversion among Jews of Aragon8 The Senior DynastyThe Origins of the Family and its First Steps in Government The Case of Juan de Talavera Abraham Senior’s Public Service before Conversion Abraham Senior’s Property Abraham Senior as Tax-Farmer and Tax-Collector Abraham Senior as Chairman of the Hermandad Expulsion and Conversion Fernán Núñez Coronel's General Financial Activity Rabbi Meir Melamed and his Sons Solomon Senior, the Sons of Abraham Senior, and Other Family Members10 The House of Abravanel, 1483–149211 Contemporaries Describe the ExpulsionAppendix: Other Activities of Some Royal OfficialsBibliographyIndex of PeopleIndex of PlacesGeneral Index

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Book Synopsis From the line of succession to the Queen's corgis, this charming book is a perfect primer on the fascinating world of British royalty. Full of fun facts and surprising stories to delight longtime enthusiasts and new fans alike, This Is a Book for People Who Love the Royals digs into all of the aspects of everyone's favorite monarchy. Uncover the history of British royalty and answers to common questions -- like how royal titles work, who is in the line of succession, and why the guards at Buckingham Palace never smile -- as well as deep dives into fashion, jewelry, and other palace perks. Profiles of popular family members, including Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Diana, Prince William and Kate Middleton, and more, add personality to this irresistible celebration of the crown.

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Book SynopsisIn this comprehensive history of the Irish Boundary Commission, Paul Murray looks at British attempts from 1886 on to satisfy the Irish Nationalist demand for Home Rule, Ulster and British Unionist resistance to this demand, the 1920 partition of Ireland and the 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty, where the roots of the establishment of the Commission are to be found. The evidence presented at the Commission and the principles on which it based its decisions are analysed against the background of evolving British views on the dangers posed for British and Unionist interests on both islands by a radical redrawing of the 1920 border. New documentary evidence is brought to bear on the motivation of its Chairman Justice Feetham, his susceptibility to external influences, and the significance of his political background as possible factors in his final decisions. The history of the Irish Boundary Commission is shown to also be part of a larger European narrative. This study is, thus, the first large-scale attempt to consider its significance in its wider international context.Trade Review'This extensive study explores a wide range of issues associated with the Boundary Commission that was established during 1924 - 25 as a consequence of the 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty.' Irish Studies Review, February 2013 'the study in depth of the Commission is original and makes this book a most valuable contribution to our understanding of the Partition' Clogher Record 2011 'Murray unravels the complex story of the Irish Boundary Commission... Highly recommended.' Choice May 2012 'As we embark on a decennium of commemorations, Paul Murray has produced a book that is both timely and relevant - The author has written a constructive and authoritative analysis of events leading up to the establishment of the Commission. His examination of the evidence submitted to the Commission is detailed and comprehensive. He concludes by making comparisons between the Boundary Commission and similar organisations in Europe, thus raising the profile of the Commission from the backwaters of Irish history and placing it in an international context.' Donegal Annual 2012 No. 64 'Taking the story down to its ignominious ending in 1925, Murray offers the fullest account to date of how the Irish Boundary Commission actually worked in practice. Here his examination of the inner-thought world and assumptions of the commission's all-powerful chairman, Richard Feetham ('Feetham-cheat'em!'), to the ever viper-tongued Tim Healy is particularly careful and convincing. - as a contribution to the historiographies of the British state, Northern Ireland, and British-Irish relations Murray's book remains valuable. Indeed, Paul Murray has succeeded in writing what will surely long remain the standard work on the Irish Boundary Commission. In closing a large gap in the literature on Irish partition, he deserves our gratitude.' T. K. Wilson, St. Andrews University, Journal of British Studies, Vol. 51, No. 2 (April 2012)Table of ContentsIntroduction; ONE: The Partition of Ireland: The Forces at Play; TWO The Anglo-Irish Treaty & the Ulster Question; THREE: Anticipating the Boundary Commission; FOUR: The Commission in Session; FIVE: Procedures and Findings; SIX: The Boundary Commission's European Context; SEVEN: The Division of Ireland: Normative Issues; EIGHT: Conclusion; Appendices; Notes; Bibliography; Index.

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Book SynopsisBehind the Iron Curtain, the politics of sexuality and gender were, in many ways, more progressive than the West.While Polish citizens undoubtedly suffered under the oppressive totalitarianism of socialism, abortion was legal, clear laws protected victims of rape, and it was relatively easy to legally change one''s gender. In Gender, Pleasure, and Violence, Agnieszka Koscianska reveals that sexologists-experts such as physicians, therapists, and educators-not only treated patients but also held sex education classes at school, published regular columns in the press, and authored highly popular sex manuals that sold millions of copies. Yet strict gender roles within the home meant that true equality was never fully within reach. Drawing on interviews, participant observation, and archival work, Koscianska shares how professions like sexologists defined the notions of sexual pleasure and sexual violence under these sweeping cultural changes.By tracing the study of sexual human behavior as it was developed and professionalized in Poland since the 1960s, Gender, Pleasure, and Violence explores how the collapse of socialism brought both restrictions in gender rights and new opportunities.Trade ReviewGender, Pleasure, and Violence is one of the most interesting critical works on sexuality published in Poland in recent years. -- Barbara Klich-Kluczewska * Aspasia *In highlighting the patient-centric and holistic approaches that Polish sexology developed in the 1970s and 1980s the book offers an important counternarrative to the presumed historical superiority of Western sexological approaches and more generally a rebuttal of Western representations of state socialism as a non-modern and static system. . . . Capturing the complexities of sexologists and sexological discourses under state-socialism aside, the book is particularly insightful in discussing continuities and changes within sexological approaches to sex and sexuality since 1989. -- Anita Kurimay * Journal of Contemporary Central and Eastern Europe *Kościańska's book is an outstanding example of how to popularize Poland's cultural history and can help readers from a non-(post)socialist background to understand the significance of research done behind the Iron Curtain. For decades, it has been an unquestioned primacy of the West to judge whether post-socialist countries have either failed or succeeded in their transformation – i.e. in terms of culture. Kościańska opposes this self-assumed entitlement of the West by presenting not only a strong, but also a highly nuanced Polish point of view. In doing so, her book is a substantial contribution to overcome orientalization of Central European history and sciences. -- Elisa-Maria Hiemer * H / SOZ / KULT *Gender, Pleasure, and Violence presents a complex and fascinating picture of Polish sexology in the twentieth century. The author's detailed research and nuanced analysis renders palpable the robustness of the community of experts and their output, showing that sexuality was a topic of sustained interest in the medical community. The author sees many Polish sexologists as global pioneers in their approach, which combined psychological and cultural elements earlier than many US counterparts. Embracing a sex-positive perspective early on, Polish sexologists provided both expertise and educational materials for wider consumption that depicted sexual pleasure as a natural component of our humanity, which needed to be understood, nurtured, and valued. -- Maria Bucur * Aspasia *Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsIntroductionPart I: Sexology and Society1. The Development of Sexology and Sexual Rights Activism in Europe and North America2. The Polish School of SexologyPart II. Pleasure: Towards Good Sex3. Sexuality and Scientific Knowledge4. "Civilized" Sex and Gender Relations under Socialism5. Gender and Pleasure in Expert Discourse TodayPart III. Violence: Expert Discourse of Rape6. Rape: Definitions, Legal Understanding and Statistics7. The Provocative Victim and the Male Limits of Self-Restraint: Stereotypes in Expert Literature8. In the Court Room9. Feminism: Changes in Expert Discourse and in the Court RoomConclusionsWorks CitedIndex

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Book SynopsisThe title of this book is taken from Ebenezer Howard's visionary tract To-morrow: A Peaceful Path to Real Reform. Published in 1898 as a manifesto for social reform via the creation of Garden Cities, it proposed a new way of providing cheap and healthy homes, workplaces and green spaces in balance in cohesive new communities, underpinned by radical ideas about collective land ownership. While Howard's vision had international impact, in this book planning historian Stephen Ward largely honors the special place that Hertfordshire occupies on the peaceful path, beginning with the development of Letchworth and Welwyn Garden Cities.Table of Contents1. Ebenezer Howard2. Letchworth Garden City3. Welwyn Garden City4. Finding other paths5. Stevenage6. Hertfordshire's other New Towns7. Wider Perspectives8. Where the path led

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Book SynopsisBetween the 17th and 19th centuries, the sport of hunting was transformed: the principal prey changed from deer to fox, and the methods of pursuit were revolutionized. Questioning the traditional explanation of the hunting transition—namely that change in the landscape led to a decline of the deer population—this book explores the terrain of Northamptonshire during that time period and seeks alternative justifications. Arguing that the many changes that hunting underwent in England were directly related to the transformation of the hunting horse, this in-depth account demonstrates how the near-thoroughbred horse became the mount of choice for those who hunted in the shires. This book shows how, quite literally, the thrill of the chase drove the hunting transition.Table of Contents1 Introduction 2 Early Modern Deer Hunting 3 The Landscape of Deer Hunting 4 Modern Foxhunting 5 The Landscape of Foxhunting 6 Old Hunting in New Conditions 7 Horses and Hunting 8 The Chase goes out of Fashion: Hunting and the Polite Society

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