Genealogy, heraldry, names and honours Books

Book SynopsisCorrect Form Formal Address Professions Letters after the Name Formal Events Dress Codes Rites of Passage Births Christenings Coming of Age Engagements Weddings Divorce Death Modern Manners Correspondence Social Graces Table Manners At Home: How to Entertain Guests Public Manners Appendix Sample Letters The British Social Season Wearing Orders and Decorations Order of Precedence Surname Pronunciation

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Book SynopsisAn illustrated exploration of the design, meaning and symbolism of world football club crests.Why is there a devil shown on the crest of Manchester United? Which club's crest motto is To Dare Is To Do'? And whose emblem depicts a bear and a strawberry tree?From the seahorses of Newcastle United to the royal crown of Real Madrid, via the riveting hammers of West Ham United, Valencia's famous bat design and German club St Pauli's unofficial skull-and-crossbones emblem, there is a story behind every crest, a tale of identity.Covering more than 200 clubs from 20 different leagues, World Football Club Crests explores the design, meaning and symbolism of the game's most famous club crests to reveal why the badges look as they do.This carefully curated collection charts the continuing evolution of the designs and describes the changing styles, varied influences and remarkable controversies that have shaped football's most iconic crests. These important symbols of football heraldTrade ReviewExplores the meaning behind the badges of 200 clubs from across the world. * Daily Mail *Uncovers badges through the ages of football teams from around the world. * Daily Star *This is lovely -- Miguel Delaney * The Independent *a masterpiece for people interested in design and who are passionate about football... [a] must for football and design lovers. * SvD (Swedish Newspaper) *One of the best sports books of the year... A nerdy book made with a lot of love and knowledge * SVT 1 (Swedish television) *Table of ContentsForeword Introduction England Scotland Spain Italy Germany France Sweden Australia USA Rest of the World

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Book SynopsisIf you are trying to find yours ancestors, especially before 1837, then this book is a vital source. The first section has a detailed topographical map together with a map showing the parishes for each county in alphabetical order. The second section gives details of the parish registers and indexes available for each parish and where they can be located. It may seem expensive but it can save many hours of research. The third edition of this index features the addition of a map of the whole UK that shows the county boundaries before 1830 and a shift to reliance on census indexes rather than marriage indexes, which are now summarized in a paragraph.

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Book SynopsisAt its height Renaissance Florence was a centre of enormous wealth, power and influence. A republican city-state funded by trade and banking, its often bloody political scene was dominated by rich mercantile families, the most famous of which were the Medici. This enthralling book charts the family's huge influence on the political, economic and cultural history of Florence. Beginning in the early 1430s with the rise of the dynasty under the near-legendary Cosimo de Medici, it moves through their golden era as patrons of some of the most remarkable artists and architects of the Renaissance, to the era of the Medici Popes and Grand Dukes, Florence's slide into decay and bankruptcy, and the end, in 1737, of the Medici line.

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Book SynopsisIf you want to learn to read and know about old handwriting, this is the only book you will need.Trade Review“This educational guide will help you master the reading of old handwriting from the 19th Century back to the court hands of the 16th. It covers the terminology used when transcribing, but the main emphasis is on practical learning in order to decipher old documents, on the importance of ‘having a go’ and persisting." * Family Tree magazine *

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Book SynopsisTells what really happened in history rather than simply what obviously happened.Trade Review"[Kann] has created an overview that is sweeping enough for undergraduate students and substantial enough for graduate students and their preceptors. His narrative reflects on dynastic, diplomatic, and martial policies and perturbations as well as cultural and social conditions and movements. His biographic essay will become a standard instrument." * CHOICE *"Goes beyond the traditional Vienne-centered narrative narrative of the fortunes of the Habsburg family and gives us a history of the numerous people who lived under the scepter of this historic ruling house. . . . Will serve as a basic history and reference for many years to come." * American Historical Review *"The most striking and novel feature of this book is its attempt to survey the Habsburg Empire as a multinational entity. . . . The institutions, internal divisions, and cultural achievements of each group are expounded and related to those of other groups. This staggering achievement marks a worthy capstone to Professor Kann's career. . . . For any topic in the political and social history of Austria between 1526 and 1918, this ought to become the volume of first resort." * Modern Austrian Literature *"Well-organized and based upon an extensive and, in many cases, exhaustive knowledge of sources . . . a useful addition to the literature in English on the Habsburg monarchy; indeed, it is the most extensive account we have for the period covered." * Slavic Review *"A book such as this is very welcome and will no doubt be read by many thousands of students." * Slavonic and East European Review *Table of ContentsPreface I. Toward the Union of the Habsburg Lands II. Turks and Protestants (1526-1648) III. An Empire Evolves and Asserts Itself (1648-1748) IV. Late Renaissance and Baroque Age in the Habsburg Lands (1526-1740) V. An Empire Reasserts Itself (1740-1815) VI. Standstill, Decline and Stabilization (1815-1879) VII. Cultural Trends from Late Englightenment to Liberalism (from mid-eighteenth century to the 1860's) VIII. Decline and Discord (1879-1914) IX. World War and Dissolution (1914-1918) X. New Beginnings: Cultural Trends from the 1860's to 1918 XI. Bibliographical Essay Appendix Index

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Book SynopsisBeginning with the dim prehistory of the mythical gods and their descendants, Heimskringla recounts the history of the kings of Norway through the reign of Olaf Haraldsson, who became Norway's patron saint.Trade Review[Snorri Sturluson] speaks—as almost no other historian ever has spoken—with the authority of a man whose masterful skills would have made him one of the formidable, foremost in any of the events he records. So he saturates even remotely past happenings with a gripping first-hand quality...Hollander's translation is very good, fresh on every page ...Wherever you open the book, the life grips you and you read on.... -- Ted Hughes * New York Review of Books *Among the many contibutions to world literature that ancient Iceland has given us, Heimskringla stands out as one of the truly monumental works. Among medieval European histories in the vernacular it has no equal. * Modern Philology *Table of Contents Introduction Snorri's Foreword The Saga of the Ynglings/Ynglinga saga The Saga of Hálfdan the Black/Hálfdanar saga Svarta The Saga of Harald Fairhair/Haralds saga Hárfagra The Saga of Hikon the Good/Hákonar saga Góða The Saga of Harald Graycloak/Haralds saga Gráfeldar The Saga of Óláf Tryggvason/Óláfs saga Tryggvasonar Saint Óláf's Saga/Óláfs saga Helga The Saga of Magnús the Good/Magnús saga ins Góða The Saga of Harald Sigurtharson (Hardruler)/Haralds saga Sigurðarsonar The Saga of Óláf the Gentle/Óláfs saga Kyrra The Saga of Magnús Barelegs/Magnúss saga Berfoetts The Saga of the Sons of Magnús/Magnússona saga The Saga of Magnús the Blind and Harald Gilli/Magnúss saga Blinda ok Harald Gilla The Saga of the Sons of Harald/Haraldssona saga The Saga of Hákon the Broadshouldered/Hákønar saga Herthibreiths The Saga of Magnús Erlingsson/Magnús saga Erlingssonar Index

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Book SynopsisHe argues that religionis a construction of European modernity, a construction that authorizes-for Westerners and non-Westerners alike-particular forms of history making.Trade ReviewThis eloquent, lucid, and complex work is the product of remarkable intelligence and erudition; it is a profound contribution to the understanding of the cultural hegemony of the West. -- Ralph M. Coury Religious Studies Review All articles are extremely well written, exhibit impressive scholarship, and are thoughtful and are thoughtful and stimulating. Asad's criticisms are neither judgmental nor self-righteous but are generally driven by the will to understand. -- James R. Wood Contemporary SociologyTable of ContentsPart 1 Genealogies: the construction of religion as an anthropological category; toward a genealogy of the concept of ritual. Part 2 Archaisms: pain and truth in medieval Christian ritual; on discipline and humility in medieval Christian monasticism. Part 3 Translations: the concept of cultural translation in British social anthropology; the limits of religious criticism in the Middle East. Part 4 Polemics: multiculturalism and British identity in the wake of the Rushdie affair; ethnography, literature and politics - some readings and uses of Salmon Rushdie's "Satanic Verses".

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Book SynopsisAn intensely moving account of George III's doomed attempt to create a happy, harmonious family, written with astonishing emotional force by a stunning new history writer.George III came to the throne in 1760 as a man with a mission. He was determined to break with the extraordinarily dysfunctional home lives of his Hanoverian predecessors. He was sure that as a faithful husband and a loving father, he would be not just a happier man but a better ruler as well.During the early part of his reign it seemed as if, against all the odds, his great family project was succeeding. His wife, Queen Charlotte, shared his sense of moral purpose, and together they raised their fifteen children in a climate of loving attention. But as the children grew older, and their wishes and desires developed away from those of their father, it became harder to maintain the illusion of domestic harmony.The Strangest Family' is an epic, sprawling family drama, filled with intensely realised characters who leap off the page as we are led deep inside the private lives of the Hanoverians. Written with astonishing emotional force by a stunning new voice in history writing, it is both a window on another world and a universal story that will resonate powerfully with modern readers.Trade Review‘A masterpiece. Beautifully written, impeccably researched, this heartbreaking narrative of family dysfunction and royal sacrifice is an absolute page-turner’ Amanda Foreman, author of ‘Georgiana’ ‘Enthralling … you know you are in the hands of a master narrator as well as a profoundly perceptive historian. And like all great historical writing, the book transcends its immediate story – gripping and moving though that is – to be a timeless reflection on the human condition’ Simon Schama ‘Colourful and brilliantly narrated … excellent both in her narrative skill and her scholarship … Hadlow has produced a perceptive, lively and wonderfully enjoyable book’ Miranda Seymour, Sunday Times ‘Fascinating … in this densely detailed yet fast-paced book, as drama follows drama, the interest never flags … Hadlow is adept at the telling phrase and makes splendid use of the period's vivid letters, diaries and memoirs’ Jenny Uglow, Guardian ‘Engrossing … Hadlow, an accomplished storyteller, assembles a picture full of emotional colour and drama which still resonates today’ Lucy Hughes-Hallett, The Times ‘Truly engrossing. George III and his relatives give us the ultimate family saga, and it almost defies belief that these events really happened. A real-life period drama to lose yourself in’ Lucy Worsley ‘Hadlow's achievement is to unite in a single volume an overview of one family's squabbling, thwarted good intentions and petty vindictiveness … in readable prose, with a welter of detail Hadlow succeeds in her considerable task … This is a discursive, leisurely account, enlivened by Hadlow's infectious enthusiasm’ Sunday Telegraph ‘Hadlow’s energetic, richly detailed debut combines personal sympathy for her subjects with a shrewd alertness to wider significances’ Independent on Sunday

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Book SynopsisSurvey of the activities of one of the most important cross-Border families, the ancestors of Robert the Bruce. Robert de Brus, the "conquisitor of Cleveland, Hartness and Annandale", who came into England among the followers of Henry I, was also a close companion and mentor of David I, king of Scots. The lands he acquired from bothkings were divided between his sons, from whom two lines descended: the lords of Skelton, influential Northerners who played an active part during the baronial troubles in the reigns of John and Henry III, and the prominent cross-Border lords of Annandale, co-heirs of the substantial Chester and Huntingdon estates and progenitors of King Robert Bruce. This study takes a fresh approach to the Brus family by assessing the achievements of the two lines in parallel while examining the extent of their power and the development of their lordships; it highlights the inter-relations between the barons of England and Scotland during two hundred years of comparative peace between the kingdoms. Of additional interest is the appendix of an extensive handlist of charters of the Brus family of both lines. It will be a welcome addition to the existing body of works on English baronial families and on Anglo-Scottish cross-Border lords of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries.Trade ReviewAs a further contribution to the literature on those individuals and their kinsmen who operated in the multiple kingdoms of the British Isles, the book does its job with clarity and concision, offering a sensible and unglamorous survey of its principal themes. As the first monograph devoted to Robert de Brus and his descendants, it will rightly serve as the new point of reference for the Bruses and their lands. * EHR *Does an admirable job of uncovering the origins and development of the Brus clan. [...] A well-written, detailed and valuable book, and deserves to be read by anyone either with an interest in Border life and politics, or the larger Anglo-Scottish situation in the later Middle Ages. * YORKSHIRE ARCHAEOLOGICAL JOURNAL *A rewarding illumination of a specific medieval baronial family. * THE AMERICAN GENEALOGIST *A highly impressive monograph on the neglected history of the Brus family. [...] Dr Blakely's remarkable success in creating an intelligible narrative from some highly complex charter evidence makes this perhaps the most persuasive and enjoyable of all dynastic histories of the North. * NORTHERN HISTORY *Magisterial. [...] All those interested in King Robert I of Scotland will regard this book as the definitive study of the family which produced him. * TRANSACTIONS of the DUMFRIESSHIRE AND GALLOWAY NATURAL HISTORY AND ANTIQUARIAN SOCIETY *This impressive book is a welcome exception to the well-rehearsed claim of historians (and their publishers) that their research 'fills an important gap' in current scholarship. * HISTORY *

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Book SynopsisFor better or worse, what we are is often determined by our family; the events that occurred many years before we were born, and the choices that were made by our forebears are our inheritance - we are the inexorable product of family history. So it is with nations. The history of Great Britain has been largely defined by powerful and influential families, many of whose names have come down to us from Celtic, Danish, Saxon or Norman ancestors. Their family names fill the pages of our history books; they are indelibly written into the events which we learned about at school. Iconic family names like Wellington, Nelson, Shakespeare, Cromwell, Constable, De Montfort and Montgomery... there are innumerable others. They reflect the long chequered history of Britain, and demonstrate the assimilation of the many cultures and languages which have migrated to these islands over the centuries, and which have resulted in the emergence of our language. This book is a snapshot of several hundred such family names and delves into their beginnings and derivations, making extensive use of old sources, including translations of The Domesday Book and The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles, as well as tracing many through the centuries to the present day.

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Book SynopsisThis is the most comprehensive guide ever compiled and comprises over 2,000 Welsh first names. This third edition contains over 100 additional names. Welsh is a Celtic language and is spoken by over a million people world-wide. It is the oldest living language in Europe and has a rich, diverse and distinctive collection of personal names, of which several, such as Dylan, Megan, Arthur and Sian, are internationally recognised. More and more parents are making a positive choice and giving a Welsh name to their children and in doing so handing down their Welsh heritage to the next generation. This book is the complete guide to making that choice. Names are arranged according to the English alphabet and, in many instances, an explanation of the name's meaning and a brief word about illustrious bearers of the name are also provided. For those not familiar with the Welsh language, the book also has a section on pronunciation.

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Book SynopsisOrganize your ancestry research while creating a beautiful keepsake to pass on to future generations with Our Family Tree. Find your way through your family history and record your results with this beautiful keepsake. Whether as a gift to a relative or for yourself, this modern family tree allows for multi-generations and their activities to be included. Customizable and inclusive, make this truly your own through: this charming guide to your ancestry includes: Ancestral charts for you, your partner, and your family members Records for citizenship and immigration Places to record your and your families' favorite things A place for chosen family, including pets Blank pages for pasting in photographs and mementos And more! An introduction from renowned genealogist and author of Finding your Family Tree Sharon Leslie Morgan helps guide you on your journey with helpful tips and a research checklist to set you on your course of discovery. No matter how thorny your family tree may be, discovering your ancestry can connect you to an essential part of your identity. Get this easy-to-use, beautifully illustrated keepsake to remember your family history and try your hand at genealogy.

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Book SynopsisIn the mid-1920s, Iran abolished honorary titles and honorifics and required people to adopt family names. H. E. Chehabi describes the public debates surrounding what was an important state-building effort. He traces the legislative measures and decrees that constituted the reform and explores the surnames Iranians chose or invented for themselves.Trade ReviewIn this concise and stimulating study of personal names in modern Iran, Chehabi provides an excellent manual of contemporary Persian onomastics while also shedding light on the complex relations between individuals and political society. Through reforms of their personal names, citizens became clearly identified as taxpayers, voters, and soldiers. Anthropologists and historians will find here a wealth of examples to help them understand how, thanks to their new civil status, Iranians looked at themselves, wishing to be perceived as part of the ‘civilized’ (i.e. Westernized) world. -- Yann RichardThe project of imposing permanent patronyms on its populations is surely one of the earliest examples of state standardization. And, as Houchang Chehabi realizes in this luminous volume on Iran, it is a perfect lens for understanding modern state making. Deeply researched, bristling with thought-provoking aperçus, humor, and international comparisons, it enlarges our intellectual horizon. -- James C. Scott

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Book Synopsis Collins Gem Babies Names is number one in the best-selling stakes. Meet its Irish cousin! This detailed guide to more than 2,000 of the most popular Irish first names is the ideal gift for anyone wishing to choose an Irish name for their child, or interested in finding out a bit more about their own name. Irish names are spreading across the world. As well as being more common in Ireland, they now feature in most English-speaking countries of the world. The reason for this spread is not hard to find. Massive emigration, especially during the 19th century famines, left many people of Irish descent in Britain, the U. S., Canada, and Australia. These emigrants often had to give up the Irish language in favor of English, but they took their names with them, gave them to their children, and spread them in the new countries. Indeed some, such as Brian, are now so well-established that they are no longer considered Irish. Others have developed strong associations with their new countries, so that Oscar is sometimes thought of as Scandinavian, Barry and Sheila are associated with Australia, and for most people Darren is American. What then is an Irish name? In this book a very broad view is taken, with special attention paid to what has happened to names after they left Ireland. The names come from Gaelic (and are given in Gaelic and in an anglicized form), from translations from Irish forms of non-Irish names and from Irish surnames and words.

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Book SynopsisBy the authors of Cool Names for Babies, and with over 50,000 hugely imaginative entries from around the world, this is the ultimate book of baby names.Way more than just a standard list of names and their meanings, Baby Names offers witty and insightful opinions. Here are unisex names, names that are good for middle names (but not first names), names that should be avoided at all costs, celebrity baby names, names that are trendier than you'd think and much more.With creatively-titled lists such as Music Names, Names for Blond Babies, and Names That Are Classic But Not Boring, parents will have plenty of fun as they make the choice of what name is right for their baby.Trade Review‘A must-have for all parents-to-be!’Maternity & Infants, December 07

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Book SynopsisA must-have guide for parents-to-be everywhere. Whether you’re Irish, of Irish heritage or you simply love Celtic-inspired names, this book is packed full of the most popular, unusual and creative names around.

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Book SynopsisAdam Nicolson tells the story of England through the history of fourteen gentry families from the 15th century to the present day. This sparkling work of history reads like a real-life Downton Abbey, as the loves, hatreds and many times of grief of his chosen cast illuminate the grand events of history.We may well be a nation of shopkeepers', but for generations England was a country dominated by its middling families, rooted on their land, in their locality, with a healthy interest in turning a profit from their property and a deep distrust of the centralised state. The virtues we may all believe to be part of the English culture honesty, affability, courtesy, liberality each of these has their source in gentry life cultivated over five hundred years. These folk were the backbone of England.Adam Nicolson's riveting new book concentrates on fourteen families, from 1400 to the present day. From the medieval gung-ho of the Plumpton family to the high-seas adventures of the Lascelles iTrade Review“Dazzling…..there is an exhilarating narrative sweep that takes the story across the centuries, but above all there is a unity of theme and place that roots it in English history and the English landscape….This is an enviably good book” THE SPECTATOR “Clever, moving and put together with expert craftsmanship, THE GENTRY is the most enjoyable book I’ve read this year” FINANCIAL TIMES “Masterly….. a wonderfully evocative work of historical rehabilitation” SUNDAY TELEGRAPH “A consummate writer and keen-eyed reader of landscape, Nicolson gives us mouth-watering descriptions…a fantastic book”. TIME OUT “[Nicolson] paints a fascinating picture of forced marriages, violent deaths, corruption, loyalties, betrayals and, ultimately, a lost way of life… the book has flashes of insight and empathy to remind us that each family had its own individual dramas as well as being symbols of their time.” DAILY MAIL “Nicolson’s fascinating and brilliantly written examination of the gentry across seven centuries….creates a vivid portrait gallery of a class at the heart of English society …..wonderfully readable” SUNDAY TIMES

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Book SynopsisA study of Elizabeth I which focuses on her difficulty in building up power in a patriarchal society. The author uses literary and historical examination of three crises in her reign to trace the queen's struggle to retain control over the iconography of both her physical self and her political domain.Trade Review`impressively researched ... a book with many good things in it, and the introduction especially is a lucid critique of and response to work in the field' Times Literary Supplement

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Book SynopsisNeurology abounds with eponyms. This book brings together 55 eponyms related to neurological examination, neuroanatomy and neurological diseases. For each it provides a short biography, a discussion of the original publication, and a discussion of the evolution and significance of the eponym.Trade Review"...a beautiful book describing the origin and clinical neurosciences...The editors' goal for this book was education and entertainment. They have succeeded quite admirably."--New England Journal of Medicine Noted in Nature "This book opens a valuable window on interesting people...Neurologists, neurosurgeons, neuroscientists, internists, and other generalists with an interest in the history of neurology would probably enjoy it."--JAMA2001 "The editors' goal for this book was education and entertainment. They have succeeded quite admirably."--New England Journal of MedicineAugust 2001 "...both educational and entertaining...By any account, this book is a success and can be warmly recommended."--Ian McDonald in BRAINTable of ContentsPART I STRUCTURES AND PROCESSES; PART II SYMPTOMS AND SIGNS; PART III REFLEXES AND OTHER TESTS; PART IV SYNDROMES; PART V DISEASES AND DEFECTS

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Book SynopsisProvides a detailed picture of late fourteenth-century England. This title contains the poll tax records of 1377, 1379 and 1381, containing information about the individuals, their occupations, and their relationships.Trade ReviewThis is a volume of great value, and no historian of fourteenth-century Yorkshire should fail to use it. * D.M. Palliser, Northern History *

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Book SynopsisIn the 16th century, commoners were told to fear God and honour the King. But what if the King ordered one thing and God's law said another? In this study, the author examines the dilemma by focusing on the Scottish response to monarchial government during this period.Trade Reviewa significant and thoughtful result of many years of research and writing devoted to the history and development of Scottish speculation on the nature of monarchy ... contributes to a significant change in the historiographical outlook toward early modern Scottish history that has characterized the scholarly work of the past generation of Scottish academic writers ... a learned pioneering study. * Sidney A. Burrell, Albion *A subtle and thought-provoking account of a difficult problem and a fascinating period. * The Scotsman *

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Book SynopsisFor thousands of years bloodlines have been held as virtually unassailable credentials for leadership, with supreme political power perceived as a family affair across the globe and throughout history. At the heart of royal dynasties, kings were inflated to superhuman proportions, yet their status came at a price: whilst they may have reigned, they were very often ruled by others who sheltered behind the ruler''s proclaimed omnipotence. Descent through the female line also occurred, subverting our common view of dynasty as built on father-son succession. Everywhere, women were important as mothers of boy-kings, and could even rule in their own right in some places.In this Very Short Introduction Jeroen Duindam connects the earliest history of kings and queens to contemporary examples of family-based leadership. His sweeping overview of five millennia of dynastic rule brings to light recurring predicaments of families on the throne. Examining persistent family conflict and the dilemmas of leadership, he shows how the challenge of governing the family was balanced by the necessity of family scions, close or distant, for the survival of dynasties. Tensions between ageing fathers and eager sons can be found among ancient kings as well as in modern business empires. Guidebooks for rulers throughout history provided counsel that will appear strikingly familiar to contemporary leaders. The thoughts and confessions of rulers added a more personal touch to these rules of thumb. Throughout, Duindam sheds light not only on similarities, but also on divergence and change in dynastic practice. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Table of Contents1: Dynasties past and present 2: Shaping the family 3: Paterfamilias: its hard to be the boss 4: Women and dynastic power 5: Embedding the family 6: Persistence and change 7: The dynastic impulse in the modern world 8: Epilogue All in the family: conclusions Further reading Index

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Book SynopsisIn this fascinating new book, Malcolm Vale sets out to recapture the splendour of the court culture of western Europe in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. Exploring the century or so between the death of St Louis and the rise of Burgundian power in the Low Countries, he illuminates a period in the history of princes and court life previously overshadowed by that of the courts of the dukes of Burgundy. Taking in subjects as diverse as art patronage and gambling, hunting and devotional religion, Malcolm Vale rediscovers a richness and abundance of artistic, literary, and musical life. He shows how, despite the pressures of political fragmentation, unrest, and a nascent awareness of national identity, a common culture emerged in English, French, and Dutch court societies at this time. The result is a ground-breaking re-evaluation of the nature and role of the court in European history and a celebration of a forgotten age.Trade ReviewReview from previous edition The Princely Court is an important book...Sophisticated, vividly illustrated and rigorously researched...It is abrim with original ideas and perceptions which look to have significant implications for students of other periods too. * Maurice Keen -English Historical Review *Useful to anyone who seeks to understand the intricate network of affinities and exchanges within which princely courts operate. Vale knows this territory well, perhaps better than anyone...And he is very generous to his readers, both in his provision of raw data and its analysis...An essential contribution to the study of court life. * The Medieval Review *Remarkable new book, which will be the point of departure for studies of the late medieval court for a long time to come...Refreshing views on the subject of definitions of culture. * Nigel Saul, Times Literary Supplement *It is his vivid and illuminating reconstructions of court life in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries that will be of inestimable use both to medievalists and to all those with a serious interest in court culture. * American Historical Review *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; THE MATERIAL FOUNDATION OF COURT LIFE ; 1. Court and Household ; 2. Organization and Structures ; 3. Consumption and Expenditure ; 4. The Travelling Court ; CULTURE ; 5. Court Life and Court Culture ; 6. Art at Court: Investment in Culture? ; Conclusion ; Appendices ; Maps ; Bibliography

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Book SynopsisGenealogy has long been one of humanity''s greatest obsessions. But with the rise of genetics, and increasing media attention to it through programs like Who Do You Think You Are? and Faces of America, we are now told that genetic markers can definitively tell us who we are and where we came from.The problem, writes Eviatar Zerubavel, is that biology does not provide us with the full picture. After all, he asks, why do we consider Barack Obama black even though his mother was white? Why did the Nazis believe that unions of Germans and Jews would produce Jews rather than Germans? In this provocative book, he offers a fresh understanding of relatedness, showing that its social logic sometimes overrides the biological reality it supposedly reflects. In fact, rather than just biological facts, social traditions of remembering and classifying shape the way we trace our ancestors, identify our relatives, and delineate families, ethnic groups, nations, and species. Furthermore, genealogies arTrade ReviewAn erudite treatise about how culture drives human cognition about near and remote relatives, Ancestors and Relatives offers lay and academic audiences alike a great read. * Marta Tienda, Science *Table of ContentsList of Figures ; Preface ; The Genealogical Imagination ; Ancestry and Descent ; Co-Descent ; Nature and Culture ; The Politics of Descent ; The Genealogy of the Future ; The Future of Genealogy ; Bibliography

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Book SynopsisThe Oxford Companion to Family and Local History is the most authoritative guide available to all things associated with the family and local history of the British Isles. It provides practical and contextual information for anyone enquiring into their English, Irish, Scottish, or Welsh origins and for anyone working in genealogical research, or the social history of the British Isles. This fully revised and updated edition contains over 2,000 entries from adoption to World War records. Recommended web links for many entries are accessed and updated via the Family and Local History companion website. This edition provides guidance on how to research your family tree using the internet and details the full range of online resources available. Newly structured for ease of use, thematic articles are followed by the A-Z dictionary and detailed appendices, which include further reading. New articles for this edition are: ''A Guide for Beginners'', ''Links between British and American FamiliTrade ReviewThis book provides invaluable guidance on the practicalities and pitfalls of researching your family tree. * Countryman *In our office the book has become our bible. * Penny Law, Family History Monthly *Invaluable to researchers and genealogists, it is also hugely beneficial as a reference point for historians, social historians, or students. * Jill Morris, Your Family History *A companion that will become every researcher's new best friend. * Jill Morris, Your Family History *Table of ContentsPREFACE; CONTRIBUTORS; THEMATIC ESSAYS; A-Z DICTIONARY; APPENDIX

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Book SynopsisAnalyzes the scientific work and social implications of the flourishing field of genetic history. In this book, the author examines genetic history's working assumptions about culture and nature, identity and biology, and the individual and the collective.Trade Review"Abu El-Haj brilliantly describes the intellectual interplay between anthropology, epistemology, popular memes of society and political order, political commitments, ideologies, and how these factors influence cultural imaginations specifically through genetic anthropology." (Metascience)"

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Book SynopsisThe family register holds a distinctive place in American visual culture. Used to record marriages and offspring within a family through several generations, it also incorporates hand-illuminated decorative art. This study explores Pennsylvania German family registers and their place in American social, religious, and cultural traditions.Trade Review“Corinne and Russell Earnest, experts on fraktur, have produced a lovely book filled with color and black and white examples of family registers, both hand-drawn and printed.”—Jack Brubaker Lancaster New Era“The numerous illustrations with substantive captions, a grouping of which appears in color, add significantly to creating an understanding and appreciation for the registers. An appendix of artists and scriveners who worked in the family register format, a short chronology of dates associated with the development of registers, and a glossary of terms both used in describing and found upon the registers are all welcome resources included in the book.”—Michael S. Showalter Pennsylvania Mennonite Heritage“To the Latest Posterity possesses broad appeal because it combines the interests of the art enthusiast, the calligrapher, the genealogist, and the historian.”—Pennsylvania Heritage“This comprehensive study explores the world of printed family registers beginning with roots in Europe where information was almost solely limited to baptismal and other records of state church, and extending through several centuries in Pennsylvania to the present day Amish community in which family registers continue to be designed. . . . The volume contains an exceptional array of thirty-seven color plates, illustrating the six forms of Pennsylvania-German family registers. Also included are twenty-nine black and white illustrations. . . . This publication is an important and well-researched addition to Pennsylvania German studies. . . . The publication of this instructive and colorful volume, the first comprehensive documentation of this previously unappreciated Pennsylvania-German family register tradition, splendidly culminates their years of dedicated research.”—Mary Jane Ledarach Hershey Mennonite Quarterly Review“This volume is well illustrated with sixty-seven black-and-white or color examples. Each illustration is well captioned and sourced and includes an additional paragraph of explanatory information. . . . This book can be enjoyed by anyone interested in Pennsylvania German culture, folk art, or family history.”—June Lloyd Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography“To the Latest Posterity offers an impressive and well-documented display of a long-standing but rarely considered vernacular expressive form; as such, it will both prompt and aid future investigations.”—Danille Christensen Lindquist Journal of Folklore ResearchTable of ContentsContents List of Illustrations Acknowledgments Prologue 1. Perspectives on Family Registers 2. Pennsylvania-German Family Registers and the Fraktur Tradition 3. Comparisons of Pennsylvania-German and New England Family Registers 4. Texts on Pennsylvania-German Family Registers 5. Forms of Pennsylvania-German Family Registers Preprinted Broadside-type Family Registers with Printed Infill Freehand Broadside-type Family Registers Preprinted Broadside-type Family Registers with Added, Handwritten Infill Preprinted Family Registers Bound into Bibles Freehand Family Registers Written on Blank Pages of Bibles Freehand Family Registers in Booklet Form Epilogue Appendixes Notes Selected References Index

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Book SynopsisThe money spent by the French government on the public image of Louis XIV was extensive and succeeded in making him into a god like figure. In this book the author gives an account of the contemporary representations of Louis XIV and illustrates the relationship between art and power.Table of ContentsIntroducing Louis XIV; persuasion; sunrise; the construction of the system; self-assertion; the years of victory; the reconstruction of the system; sunset; the crisis of representations; the reverse of the medal; the reception of Louis XIV; Louis in perspective.

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Book SynopsisIn the 18th century, the Russian Empress Catherine the Great and some of her courtiers developed a taste for British art, and collected some spectacular items. This study tells the story of the acquisition of these treasures and of the cultural relations between Russia and Britain at that time.

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Book SynopsisAn exploration of the profound shift in the way European kings and queens were regarded by their subjects between the Reformation and the Enlightenment. The author offers insights into the relations between kings and their subjects and the interplay between monarchy and religion.Trade Review"An unusually broad canvas. Besides the emperors and monarchs of England, France and Spain, he examines the Scandinavian sovereigns and the rulers of Russia and Poland, demonstrating the manner in which they did or did not conform to the contemporary trends... Highly informative." Alastair Hamilton, Times Literary Supplement "A learned, lucid book. All treatments of Monod's subject will in the future have to begin with the progressions of ideas and policies that he has so carefully laid out." Theodore K. Rabb, Sixteenth Century Journal "Insightful, far-ranging, and... lyrical. An exceedingly wise book." Teofilo F. Ruiz, American Historical Review "Much fascinating detail about religion and politics in early modern times." Johann P. Sommerville, Journal of Interdisciplinary History

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Book SynopsisFinding Oprah’s Roots will not only endow readers with a new appreciation for the key contributions made by history’s unsung but also equip them with the tools to connect to pivotal figures in their own past. A roadmap through the intricacies of public documents and online databases, the book also highlights genetic testing resources that can make it possible to know one’s distant tribal roots in Africa.For Oprah, the path back to the past was emotion-filled and profoundly illuminating, connecting the narrative of her family to the larger American narrative and “anchoring” her in a way not previously possible. For the reader, Finding Oprah’s Roots offers the possibility of an equally rewarding experience.

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Book SynopsisSkillful, sophisticated translations of two of Nietzsche's essential works about the conflict between the moral and aesthetic approaches to life, the impact of Christianity on human values, the meaning of science, the contrast between the Apollonian and Dionysian spirits, and other themes central to his thinking.The Birth of Tragedy (1872) was Nietzsche's first book, The Geneology of Morals  (1887) one of his last.  Though they span the career of this controversial genius, both address the problems such as the conflict between the moral versus aesthetic approaches to life, the effect of Christianity on human values, the meaning of science, and the famous dichotomy between the Apollonian and Dionysian spirits, among many themes which Nietzsche struggled throughout his tortured life.

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