History and Archaeology Books

Book SynopsisAmalar of Metz's On the Liturgyone of the most widely circulated texts of the Carolingian eraaddresses Christian worship from prayers to vestments to bodily gestures of celebrants. This volume adapts the text of Jean-Michel Hanssens's 1948 edition and provides the first complete translation into a modern language.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis first English translation of lectures Claude Lévi-Strauss delivered in Tokyo in 1986 synthesizes his ideas about structural anthropology, critiques his earlier writings on civilization, and assesses the dilemmas of cultural and moral relativism, including economic inequality, religious fundamentalism, and genetic and reproductive engineering.Trade ReviewLévi-Strauss was certainly not the only French intellectual to develop a fascination for Japan. Indeed, Japan’s sculptured landscapes, highly stylized rituals and philosophies of self-denial struck a particular chord with his structuralist contemporaries, Roland Barthes and Michel Foucault. But the impressions gathered here are distinctively his, and indeed sometimes read as if they were lifted straight from the Mythologiques… There is much to admire [here]… Still fizzing with ideas as he approached eighty, Claude Lévi-Strauss never relented on his increasingly lonely structuralist quest. His fascination for Japanese traditions, similar to his lifelong obsession with ethnography in general, stemmed in part from his feeling of alienation from modernity. -- Patrick Wilcken * Times Literary Supplement *This new translation provides an accessible gloss on the unique special contributions of a dynamic thinker who forever altered the course of anthropology. * Publishers Weekly *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis is the rollicking, never-before-published memoir of a fascinating African American woman with an uncanny knack for being in the right place in the most interesting times. Actress, dancer, model, literary critic, psychologist, and free-spirited provocateur, Anita Reynolds was, as her Parisian friends nicknamed her, an American cocktail.Trade Review[This] memoir breezily recount[s] the Zelig-like adventures of a woman who had starred in some of the first black films made in Hollywood, mingled with the Harlem Renaissance elite, been drawn by Man Ray and Matisse in Paris and touched down in Spain during its Civil War, before packing up her Chanel dresses and heading home to a more conventional life as a psychologist… It’s a striking addition, scholars say, to the still-small shelf of published memoirs by African-American women of the early 20th century. -- Jennifer Schuessler * New York Times *Contemporary It girls have nothing on the free spirits of the 1920s, who danced the Charleston, turned cartwheels on the sidewalk, and drank gin blossoms till dawn. (Just imagine if they’d had Instagram.) But few crashed the party with the verve, elegance, and wit of Anita Reynolds, whose impossibly seductive memoir, American Cocktail: A “Colored Girl” in the World, recently uncovered by a Cornell professor, captures the Jazz Age from her sexually candid, devil-may-care perspective. Reynolds was born into a politically engaged, mixed race family in Los Angeles—Langston Hughes was a cousin; Booker T. Washington was a friend; W. E .B. du Bois a likely first lover—and starred in some of the first films produced by blacks in Hollywood before moving on to New York, where she hobnobbed with Harlem Renaissance elite, and then, absconding with her college tuition, sailed to Paris in 1928. Coining the term ‘American cocktail’ to describe her ‘red, white, and black’ ancestry, Reynolds made a splash amid the Left Bank art scene, attracting the likes of Matisse, who sketched her, and Man Ray, who became a friend and mentor. With a mordant lightness of touch, Reynolds retells her Zelig-like escapades, from modeling for Chanel to a breakfast with Madame Petain—just before a mad dash to the last boat from Lisbon, panicked refugees and couture dresses in tow, as Nazi panzers closed in on Paris. -- Megan O’Grady * Vogue *Reynolds’s story gives us, first, an unvarnished look into the lives of politically active, upper-middle-class African-Americans at the dawn of the Harlem Renaissance. Replete with rich interior portraits and abundant material details, it illuminates the inner life of a young woman who was, in different settings, brown, black, and colored. As an arc, it covers her coming of age in the United States, her clever escape to Paris, her life as a fixture of the Left Bank, and, finally, her forced departure from Europe as the Nazis advanced… Judged merely as a piece of history, American Cocktail is a critical missing piece. There is more, though. Describing a life not defined by the color line, it is also written against dominant social conventions, legal categories, and popular formulations. Its emphasis on ‘fun’ sets it apart—in tone and spirit—from more dystopian, ‘tragic’ accounts of mixture. American Cocktail reminds us, too, of the lure of the larger world as an escape from the brutal demands of American racism… In this moment of racial complexity, we have a new history of racial mixture and a renewed appreciation for the lives of those who (like Reynolds) recognized that resistance to racism didn’t just mean organized revolution along the color line. It could also mean an individual rejection of the very terms of the struggle. -- Matthew Pratt Guterl * Chronicle of Higher Education *American Cocktail: A “Colored Girl” in the World is the recently discovered memoir of Anita Reynolds, an irrepressible chameleon who rubbed shoulders with Harlem Renaissance literati, modeled for Coco Chanel and so much more. * Essence *Anita Reynolds was African American but could ‘pass’ for a variety of backgrounds, and the French called her an ‘American cocktail.’ This biography highlights her forgotten, extraordinary life, from life as a silent film star with Rudolph Valentino to falling in with the Left Bank intellectuals and artists like Pablo Picasso. Fascinating. -- Elisabeth Donnelly * Flavorwire *[This is] the Zelig-like memoirs of Anita Reynolds, an African-American actress, model and dancer who crossed paths with many writers and cultural figures of the time, such as Booker T. Washington, James Joyce and Larsen herself… American Cocktail is a welcome addition to the sparse collection of twentieth-century memoirs written by African American women. -- Douglas Field * Times Literary Supplement *[Reynolds’s] exuberant and inclusive cosmopolitanism is one of the great strengths of this singular memoir… If there has long been a scarcity of insight and gossip about friends, acquaintances, and colleagues in most early black life-stories, if one looks in vain for details and private opinions about encounters with the famous and infamous, with household names in politics, the arts, commercial enterprise, and sports, Reynolds all but single handedly makes up for it. Famous names are not simply dropped here and there, they are scattered about like handfuls of confetti, from the first chapter to the last. Reynolds readily shares brusque evaluations and anecdotes about Gertrude Stein, e.e. cummings, Paul Robeson, Salvador Dali, Constantin Brancusi, Tristan Tzara, Jean Patou, and dozens more. She tells about modeling for Coco Chanel and wearing the designer’s castoffs; about writing for spicy French journals; and as the war escalated, about being a Red Cross nurse securing safe passage for refugees… Reynolds carries the reader along with a lively tale brimming with places, eras, family history, political movements, art, music, literature, and the people who created them, while throughout, Hutchinson provides discreet endnotes with his wonderfully researched and beautifully wrought amplification. Some of the notes are brief nuggets of clarification, while others are elegant miniature essays. All answer questions and expand upon things that Reynolds, in sketching her vivid self-portrait, does not stop to explain. More than endnotes, Hutchinson has crafted a running commentary, available to consult as one wishes, often pulling the reader into a bit of collusion with the editor. -- Marilyn Richardson * Women’s Review of Books *Beautiful, vivacious, stylish, and free-spirited, Reynolds (1901–80) was asked about her ‘racially ambiguous appearance’ so often that she came up with ‘American cocktail’ to describe her ‘red, white, and black’ legacy. A dancer, actor, psychologist, and teacher, Reynolds recorded this archly witty, sexually frank, nonchalantly confident, yet curiously humble memoir in the mid-1970s, and it is published now for the first time, thanks to its discovery by Cornell professor George Hutchinson. Reynolds jauntily describes her lively, privileged childhood in Chicago and Los Angeles among her extended multiracial family, which included her cousin, Langston Hughes… Dizzying tales of famous artists and writers, escapades and affairs, sojourns in Tangiers and London, and harrowing moments as WWII begins are punctuated by confrontations with prejudice and hate. Kudos to Hutchinson for bringing this independent and intrepid citizen of the world back to shimmer and shine among us, carrying forward her ‘guiding passion to try to improve racial relationships, to get people of different nationalities, colors and religions to understand and appreciate each other.’ -- Donna Seaman * Booklist (starred review) *Reynolds’s memoir of her adventures in 1930s Paris and Europe, before World War II drove her back to the United States, was written in the 1970s but was never published. After a brief silent movie career and an ‘uptown/downtown’ period hobnobbing with Harlem’s intelligentsia as well as Greenwich Village’s bohemians, the racially mixed author decamped to Europe at just the right time to meet such luminaries as Man Ray, Antonin Artaud, Louise Bryant, and many others. She lived the Left Bank life, with many forays into respectability (or something like it), traveling between the two worlds effortlessly… Her lavish descriptions of the clothes she wore, the men she loved, and the places where she dined and danced enchant, and her frank discussion of sex is refreshing. Hutchinson’s detailed chapter notes provide invaluable biographical and cultural info… This title is essential for those who enjoy reading about the African American expat experience, as well as fans of Paris memoirs. -- Liz French * Library Journal *

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn 1834 Harvard dropout Richard Henry Dana Jr. became a common seaman, and soon his Two Years Before the Mast became a classic. Literary acclaim did not erase the young lawyer’s memory of floggings he witnessed aboard ship or undermine his vow to combat injustice. Jeffrey Amestoy tells the story of Dana’s determination to keep that vow.Trade ReviewSlavish Shore is the first new biography of Richard Henry Dana in over fifty years, and rigorous attention to Dana is long overdue. Amestoy is an excellent writer who takes us gracefully through Dana’s fascinating life, providing much new insight into his defense of fugitive slaves and his work on the treason case against Jefferson Davis. It is an important story, very well told. -- Steven Lubet, author of Fugitive Justice: Runaways, Rescuers, and Slavery on TrialBoth a richly detailed biography of Richard Henry Dana and a snapshot of American life at the end of the age of sail, Amestoy’s Slavish Shore is the perfect companion volume for anyone who has been captivated by Two Years Before the Mast. Amestoy’s book follows Dana as he carries home the lessons he learned at sea and shocks the hidebound world of upper-crust Boston by standing up for the rights of seamen and fugitive slaves. But Slavish Shore also gives us the story of a private man caught in the sometimes suffocating atmosphere of family life, charting a haphazard course between independence and duty, ambition and disappointment. -- Wes Davis, editor of An Anthology of Modern Irish PoetryThe strongest element of Amestoy’s treatment in Slavish Shore is his dramatization of the intricacies and personalities of the growing Abolitionist fervor of Boston in the years of Dana’s flourishing…A fine new biography. -- Steve Donoghue * Open Letters Monthly *Excellently reveals how Dana wrested from the text of the U.S. Constitution the acknowledgment that the African-American slave, a kind of property as far as the traditional reading went, also had rights. -- Carol Bundy * Wall Street Journal *[Slavish Shore] is a meticulous, engaging, and informative study of Dana’s life, which unequivocally defends its portrait of this significant American man of letters as an equally significant man of the law that will be of particular interest to both literary scholars and historians concerned with the intersections of maritime law, slavery, and aristocratic New England culture in the turbulent decades leading up to the Civil War. -- Dan Walden * American Literary History *Slavish Shore, Jeffrey Amestoy’s superb new biography of Dana—the first in more than 50 years—should make many more people familiar with him…Slavish Shore presents an insightful portrait of Dana as a man as well as a lawyer…An excellent book—never tedious and often gripping—and Dana deserves our renewed attention. -- Henry Cohen * Federal Lawyer *Amestoy’s biography is excellent: well written, comprehensive, empathetic, and well researched…Amestoy is at his best, better than any other biographer, when narrating Dana’s role in several of America’s crucial cases in which human rights were at risk and a moral compass was needed. -- Rick Kennedy * New England Quarterly *How appropriate that the year 2015, the bicentennial of Richard Henry Dana Jr.’s birth, ushered in the publication of what will be considered for quite some time the definitive biography of the famed sailor, author, lawyer, and activist. -- Brian Rouleau * Journal of the Early Republic *How appropriate that the year 2015, the bicentennial of Richard Henry Dana Jr.’s birth, ushered in the publication of what will be considered for quite some time the definitive biography of the famed sailor, author, lawyer, and activist. -- Brian Rouleau * Journal of the Early Republic *

Read more less

Book SynopsisGregory of Tours, acclaimed as “the father” of French history, also wrote extensively about holy men and women, and about wondrous events—miracles. The conversational stories in Lives and Miracles relate what Gregory viewed as the visible results of holy power, direct or mediated, at work in the world.

Read more less

Book SynopsisGiannozzo Manetti’s Apologeticus was a defense of the study of Hebrew and of the need for a new translation. It constituted the most extensive treatise on the art of translation of the Renaissance. This ITRL edition contains the first complete translation of the work into English.Trade ReviewRenders accessible a valuable document that testifies to the ambition and the breadth of learning of a major Florentine humanist. * Renaissance Quarterly *A key document in the field of early modern translation theory. * Seventeenth-Century News *This edition of the I Tatti Renaissance library is laudable, for it has for the first time presented the complete English translation of Manetti, allowing readers not only to acquaint themselves with the text but also somehow to denude the author’s persona and his treatise of any unnecessary mystery. * Manuscripta Orientalia *

Read more less

Book SynopsisGreil Marcus delves into three distinct episodes in the history of American commonplace song and shows how each one manages to convey the uncanny sense that it was written by no one. In these seemingly anonymous productions, we discover three different ways of talking about the United States, and three separate nations within its borders.Trade Review[This] volume find[s] Marcus doing what he does best: hearing what you didn’t hear or nailing precisely what you did. -- David Cantwell * New Yorker *[Marcus’s] book is a prose poem describing American popular culture’s embodiment in the media. -- Nigel Smith * Times Literary Supplement *[Three Songs, Three Singers, Three Nations is] wonderful: emblematic of Marcus’s interest in how words and melodies find truths that survive the centuries, or appear likely to… He just makes your spine tingle with the feeling he has for music and the things he can perceive in it. -- Danny Eccleston * Mojo *Superb. -- Rob Sheffield * Rolling Stone *Greil Marcus may be the single most influential American music critic of the past half century. A compelling stylist and seemingly omnivorous listener, reader, and viewer of Americana, he teases out echoes of American art and of U.S. history’s spiritual dimensions to find a depth in pop forms that few others seek as seriously… Brisk and brilliant. -- Josh Garrett-Davis * Los Angeles Review of Books *Three Songs, Three Singers, Three Nations is elegant and focused… [It] examines the commonplace as a subject and a way of being, as a language anyone might use and a way of listening that’s true to ordinary life and all its plainness, order, customs, and moments of the unexpected. The ordinary begins with performance, the singer’s work, and in Three Songs, Three Singers, Three Nations, Marcus is keenly attuned to the details of that work—to words but also to sounds, the way notes drop off, rhythms shift, the way a guitar (Wiley’s) can be ‘round, heavy, a stone that in an instant sinks to the bottom of a lake.’ …Few risk writing this way about music anymore; it’s alien, almost obscene to give inflection the weight of meaning it receives here. -- Robert Loss * Los Angeles Review of Books *Wildly, lyrically, Marcus writes in Three Songs of seemingly ‘authorless’ compositions—songs by no one that belong to everyone, that change as they appear and reappear with new interpreters… In this alluring mystico-musicology, songs bend singers to their disembodied will, not vice versa. -- Sara Marcus * New Republic *Greil Marcus walks a fine line between grand, romantic, almost dreamy poetic prose and analysis. The enterprise could easily have turned purple, but he does it with consummate skill: distinctive and readable, capturing the sense of a nation haunted by its songs. And the notion that the ultimate accolade might be an artist’s work acquiring anonymity is all the more resonant in an age of cheap fame. -- Steven Carroll * Sydney Morning Herald *Three Songs, Three Singers, Three Nations is a beautiful and hypnotic treatise about how songs journey from origin to ether, from nowhere to everywhere, from a single voice to a common one. As always, Marcus writes with an exhilarating musicality that posits the reader inside the notes, directly upon the sonic road itself, at once both visceral and transcendent. -- Carrie BrownsteinGreil Marcus remains pop’s most visionary writer, following the thread that flows like the ghostly Mississippi beneath America’s musical traditions. He’s always essential reading. -- Bruce Springsteen

Read more less

Book SynopsisSaints of Ninth- and Tenth-Century Greece collects a variety of funeral orations, encomia, and narrative hagiography that illuminate the roles of holy men during one of the most obscure periods of Greek history. This volume presents Byzantine Greek texts written by locals in the provinces and translated here into English for the first time.Trade ReviewThis volume offers an essential selection of texts. Kaldellis and Polemis need to be commended not only for their enterprise to put them together and provide information on their importance and topics that emerge through these compositions and the intertextual sources that seem to be present in these works, but also for their translation from Medieval Greek given their various styles. -- Michail Kitsos * Medieval Review *

Read more less

Book SynopsisJohn of Garland’s Parisiana poetria, first published about 1220, expounds medieval poetic theory and summarizes contemporary thought about writing. The long account of rhymed poetry included here is the most complete that has survived. This volume presents the most authoritative edition of the Latin text alongside a fresh English translation.

Read more less

Book SynopsisWorlds of Knowledge rediscovers the works of authors from the eighteenth to the twentieth century and challenges the frequent focus in travel studies on English-language texts. Written by experts in a wide range of fields, this interdisciplinary volume sheds new light on the range, innovation, and erudition of travel narratives by women.

Read more less

Book SynopsisTo convey modern China's history and the forces driving its economic success, rail has no equal. From warlordism to Cultural Revolution, railroads suffered the country's ills but persisted because they were exemplary institutions. Elisabeth Köll shows why they remain essential to the PRC's technocratic economic model for China's future.Trade ReviewKöll…has done a rare thing, and done it magnificently. She has written a book that will inform historians and economists of China, but also curious new readers, who will get a brainful of China’s development from the last emperors to the current president-for-life, Xi Jinping… She is adept at showing the impact of railways on all aspects of Chinese life. -- Jonathan Mirsky * Times Higher Education *Köll’s book could lead to the emergence of a field of Chinese railroad studies just as the First Transcontinental Railroad led to the spatial magnification of America… Many topics we thought we knew—gender, machines, space, capitalism, social stratification—are connected and expanded through the fresh lens of railroad history. -- Elya J. Zhang * Business History Review *A sweeping account of the railways themselves as well as the impact of railway expansion on multiple dimensions of Chinese life…Wide-ranging and insightful. -- Thomas G. Rawski * China Quarterly *Required reading. It is an exhaustively sourced analysis of how geopolitics, business organization, and social relations influenced the development of one of China’s most important industries. -- Matthew Lowenstein * PRC History Review *Offers a powerful lens for understanding twentieth-century China…Köll’s work offers an important new perspective on the development of China’s rail network. The conclusions that she draws from the case of the Jin-Pu line speak broadly to scholars interested in infrastructure, technology, economy, and the power of the modern state. -- Judd C. Kinzley * Journal of Asian Studies *As the first comprehensive history of China’s railroad development in any language, Elisabeth Köll’s well-researched account addresses issues of interest to historians of technology…Not only offers perspectives from the non-Western world, underrepresented in the histories of transportation and mobility; it also highlights the deep history behind the managerial innovation and adaptability that prompted policy makers to place railroads at the heart of China’s One Belt, One Road initiative. -- Ying Jia Tan * Technology and Culture *Fills a long-standing gap… Valuing the railroads as one of the most important transportation tools, the Chinese are continuing to build their high-speed train networks. Thus, Köll’s book is a timely contribution to our understanding of modern China through the lens of the ongoing railway expansion. * Choice *So far the most comprehensive survey of China’s railroad history…The detailed studies relying on primary sources and in-depth discussions on how China’s railroads as institutions with wide social, economic, cultural, and political functions make this book the most reliable reference for anyone who is interested in understanding China in the modern times. -- Xiansheng Tian * Frontiers of History in China *Köll is clearly a master of archival diplomacy, for she has over time found materials accessible to no other foreign scholar, resulting in one of the richest studies in the evolution, management, finances, and labor politics of any Chinese enterprise. It gives nuanced and sustained attention to the intersection of business and politics that remains to this day a critical factor for the success or failure of business in China. -- William C. Kirby, coauthor of Can China Lead? Reaching the Limits of Power and GrowthThe history of Chinese railroads is a topic so important, it is surprising we have had to wait so long for a book like this—the most comprehensive history of Chinese railways in either Chinese or English. Based on previously unused archives and interviews, Elisabeth Köll gives readers a picture of the building and development of what has become one of the largest railway networks in the world. At the same time, Köll provides a new perspective on a broad sweep of Chinese history from the final years of the Qing dynasty, through war and revolution in the twentieth century, and into China’s economic rise since the 1980s. -- Brett Sheehan, author of Industrial Eden: A Chinese Capitalist Vision

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Latin psalms—translated into Old English—figured prominently in the lives of Anglo-Saxons, whether sung by clerics, studied as a textbook for language learning, or recited in private devotion by lay people. The complete text of all 150 prose and verse psalms is available here in contemporary English for the first time.

Read more less

Book SynopsisHenry of Avranches, professional versifier to abbots, bishops, kings, and a pope, displays pyrotechnical verbal skill and playfulness that rivals the Carmina Burana and collections of rhymed secular verse. Yet The Saints' Lives also stands as self-conscious heir to the great classicizing tradition of twelfth-century epic poets.

Read more less

Book SynopsisGiovanni Pontano, the dominant literary figure of quattrocento Naples, wrote two brilliantly original poetical cycles. On Married Love is the first sustained exploration of married love in first-person poetry. Eridanus combines familiar motifs of courtly love with an allusive matrix of classical elegy and Pontano’s distinctive vision.

Read more less

Book SynopsisJoel Cabrita tells the story of Zionism, which began in a utopian community near Chicago in 1900. Its faith-healing spiritualism, uplifting pan-racialism, and missionary zeal resonated with marginalized urban working-class whites and blacks in both the United States and Southern Africa. Today Zionism is Southern Africa’s largest religious movement.Trade ReviewThe People’s Zion is an outstanding book, and the topic it explores—the origins and evolution of so-called ‘Zionist’ churches in South Africa—is important and remarkably under-studied. Original, well researched, conceptually sophisticated, and just very, very smart. -- James T. Campbell, Stanford UniversityCabrita has produced a meticulously researched and engagingly written piece of scholarship. It is to my knowledge the first work to pull together the entire Zion movement from its origins in mid-nineteenth-century Australia to turn-of-the-twentieth-century America to twentieth- and twenty-first-century southern Africa. The People’s Zion promises not only to be an important contribution to Southern African Studies, but to open up new roads of inquiry for scholars and general readers alike. -- Stephen W. Martin, King’s University, Edmonton, CanadaDrawing on archives in South Africa, Swaziland, Sweden, and Illinois, this remarkable book tells an altogether unlikely story. It features an Australian preacher who, in the late nineteenth century, established a Christian utopia in tiny Zion, Illinois, a town which was to be the launching pad for one of southern Africa’s leading Christian movements. The People’s Zion brings to light a whole network of textual, intellectual, and theological exchange that drew American midwesterners into close dialogue with co-travelers in southern Africa. In so doing, Cabrita places African Christians at the center of the history of global Christianity. -- Derek Peterson, University of MichiganOffers an amazing wealth of details on the Zionist movement, covering three continents and several decades…A must-read for all scholars interested in the history of Christianity in South Africa as well as those interested in global networks of Holiness Christianity and nonconformism, their institutional expansion and social adaptation. -- Katharina Wilkens * African Studies Review *Offers several explanations [for Zionism’s popularity in Johannesburg], such as its appeal to the poor, its disavowal of racial and ethnic differences, and its use of faith healing at a time of skepticism towards mainstream medicine. * The Economist *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis Source Book explores a millennium of European scientific thought accompanied by critical commentary and annotation; nearly half the selections appear for the first time in the vernacular. Representing science in the medieval sense, selections include alchemy, astrology, logic, and theology as well as mathematics, physics, and biology.Table of ContentsPART I: EARLY MIDDLE AGES The Latin Encyclopedists 1. On the Quadrivium, or Four Mathematical Sciences Isidore of Seville 2. On Arithmetic Boethius 3. On the Universe and Its Parts Isidore of Seville 4. On the Order of the Planets Macrobius 5. On the Motion of Mercury and Venus Around the Sun a. Chalcidius b. Martianus Capella 6. On Ocean and Tides Macrobius PART II: LATER MIDDLE AGES The Translation of Greek and Arabic Science into Latin 7. A List of Translations Made from Arabic into Latin in the Twelfth Century Gerard of Cremona 8. A List of Translations Made from Greek into Latin in the Thirteenth Century William of Moerbeke The Reaction of the Universities and Theological Authorities to Aristotelian Science and Natural Philosophy 9. The Condemnation of Aristotle's Books on Natural Philosophy in 1210 at Paris 10. The Command to Expurgate Aristotle's Books on Natural Philosophy (1231) 11. The Natural Books of Aristotle in the Arts Curriculum at the University of Paris in 1255 12. Statute of the Faculty of Arts Drastically Curtailing the Discussion of Theological Questions (1272) 13. The Condemnation of 1277: A Selection of Articles Relevant to the History of Medieval Science 14. An Objection to Theological Restrictions in the Discussion of a Scientific Question John Buridan 15. An Assessment of Buridan's Objections Ludovicus (Luis) Coronel Classification of the Sciences Introduction Edward Grant 16. Classification of the Sciences Hugh of St. Victor 17. Classification of the Sciences Domingo Gundisalvo Logic Introduction John E. Murdoch 18. On Terms, "Suppositio," and Consequences William of Ockham Mathematics 19. On the Importance of Studying Mathematics Roger Bacon A. ARITHMETIC 20. Arabic Numerals and Arithmetic Operations in the Most Popular Algorism of the Middle Ages John of Sacrobosco 21. Propositions from a Theoretical Arithmetic Jordanus of Nemore B. ALGEBRA 22. Six Types of Rhetorical Algebraic Equations Al-Khwarizmi 23. Algebraic Propositions from the Treatise On Given Numbers Jordanus of Nemore C. NUMBER THEORY, PROBABILITY, AND INFINITE SERIES 24. Number Theory and Indeterminate Analysis Leonardo of Pisa (Fibonacci) 25. A Proposition on Mathematical Probability Nicole Oresme 26. Infinite Series Nicole Oresme D. PROPORTIONS 27. The Definitions of Book V of Euclid's Elements in a Thirteenth-Century Version, and Commentary Campanus of Novara 28. An Algorism of Ratios: Manipulation of Rational Exponents Nicole Oresme 29. Rational and Irrational Exponents Distinguished Nicole Oresme E. GEOMETRY 30. On the Division of Figures Leonardo of Pisa (Fibonacci) 3l. Two Medieval Versions of Archimedes' Quadrature of the Circle a. The Abbreviated Version of Pseudo-Bradwardine b. The Question of Albert of Saxony on the Quadrature of the Circle 32. The Trisection of an Angle a. Banu Musa b. Jordanus of Nemore 33. Constructions from an Applied Geometry Dominicus de Clavasio F. TRIGONOMETRY 34. Trigonometry of the Sine Richard of Wallingford Typical Scientific Questions Based on Aristotle's Major Physical Treatises Introduction Edward Grant 35. Questions on the Eight Books of Aristotle's Physics Albert of Saxony 36. Questions on the Four Books of Aristotle's On the Heavens (De caelo) John Buridan 37. Questions on the Two Books of Aristotle's On Generation and Corruption Albert of Saxony 38. Questions on The Four Books of Aristotle's Meteorologica Themon, Son of the Jew Physics A. STATICS, OR "THE SCIENCE OF WEIGHTS" Introduction Edward Grant 39. On the Theory of Weight Jordanus of Nemore B. MOTION 40. What is Motion? William of Ockham C. KINEMATICS 41. The Reduction of Curvilinear Velocities to Uniform Rectilinear Velocities Gerard of Brussels 42. Uniform and Nonuniform Motion and the Merton College Mean Speed Theorem William of Heytesbury 43. The Configuration of Qualities and Motions, Including a Geometric Proof of the Mean Speed Theorem Nicole Oresme D. DYNAMICS 44. Does Finite and Temporal Motion Require a Resistant Medium? The Responses of Averroes and Avempace in Comment 71 a. The Text of Aristotle b. Averroes' Expositio on the Text 45. The Mover or Cause in Natural Motion Averroes 46. The Medieval Aristotelian Principle of Motion: "Whatever Is Moved Is Moved by Another" St. Thomas Aquinas 47. External and Internal Resistances to Motion Albert of Saxony 48. The Impetus Theory of Projectile Motion John Buridan 49. On the Cause of Acceleration of Free-falling Bodies John Buridan 50. In Opposition to Aristotle: Contrary Motions Can Be Continuous without an Intervening Moment of Rest a. Marsilius of Inghen b. Galileo Galilei 51. Mathematical Representations of Motion a. Thomas Bradwardine: "Bradwardine's Function" and the Repudiation of Four Opposition Theories on Proportions of Motion b. Nicole Oresme: Extended Application of "Bradwardine's Function" E. ATOMISM 52. The Development and Criticism of Atomism in the Later Middle Ages a. Thomas Bradwardine b. Algazel c. John Duns Scotus d. Henry of Harclay and William of Alnwick F. ON VACUUM 53. Nature Abhors a Vacuum a. Albert of Saxony: A Natural Vacuum Denied b. John Buridan: Experiments Demonstrating that Nature Abhors a Vacuum c. Marsilius of Inghen: Experiments Demonstrating that Nature Abhors a Vacuum d. Galileo Galilei: Experiments Demonstrating that Nature Abhors a Vacuum 54. Nature Does Not Abhor a Vacuum Blaise Pascal 55. Motion in a Hypothetical Void a. St. Thomas Aquinas: A Kinematic Argument for Finite Motion in a Hypothetical Void b. Albert of Saxony: Dynamic Arguments Justifying Motion in a Hypothetical Void c. Galileo Galilei: His Earliest Law of Motion and His Arguments for Finite Velocity in a Void d. Thomas Bradwardine: Unequal Homogeneous Bodies Fall with Equal Velocity in a Vacuum e. Albert of Saxony: Unequal Homogeneous Bodies Fall with Equal Velocity in a Vacuum f. Galileo Galilei: Unequal Homogeneous Bodies Fall with Equal Velocity in a Vacuum 56. On Interstitial Vacua a. Marsilius of Inghen: Explanation of Condensation and Rarefaction, and Denial of Interstitial Vacua b. Nicholas of Autrecourt: The Existence of Interstitial Vacua Affirmed c. Galileo Galilei: The Existence of Interstitial Vacua Affirmed G. MEASUREMENT OF FORCES 57. On Maximum and Minimum Powers John Buridan H. MAGNETISM 58. An Encyclopedist's Description of the Magnet Bartholomew the Englishman 59. The First Systematic Description in Europe of the Properties of the Lodestone Peter Peregrinus I. OPTICS 60. The Encyclopedic Tradition in Optics a. Adelard of Bath: Natural Questions b. Alexander Neckam: Concerning the Natures of Things c. Bartholomew the Englishman: Concerning the Properties of Things 61. Robert Grosseteste and the Revival of Optics in the West 1. Robert Grosseteste: Concerning Lines, Angles, and Figures 2. Robert Grosseteste: On the Rainbow 62. Late Thirteenth-Century Synthesis in Optics a. Roger Bacon: The Nature and Multiplication of Light or Species b. John Pecham: The Nature and Multiplication of Light or Species c. Roger Bacon: The Nature and Multiplication of Light or Species d. Witelo: The Nature and Multiplication of Light or Species e. Witelo: The Speed of Propagation of Light or Species f. Roger Bacon: The Speed of Propagation of Light or Species g. John Pecham: The Structure of the Eye h. Alhazen: The Lens as the Sensitive Organ of the Eye i. Roger Bacon: The Lens as the Sensitive Organ of the Eye j. Witelo: The Lens as the Sensitive Organ of the Eye k. Alhazen: The Act of Sight l. Witelo: The Act of Sight m. John Pecham: The Act of Sight n. Alhazen: The Debate about Visual Rays o. Roger Bacon: The Debate about Visual Rays p. John Pecham: The Debate about Visual Rays q. Witelo: The Debate about Visual Rays r. Roger Bacon: Psychology of Visual Perception s. John Pecham: The Geometry of Reflection t. Witelo: A Problem of Image Formation by Reflection u. Alhazen: Paraboloidal Burning Mirrors v. Witelo: Paraboloidal Burning Mirrors w. Alhazen: Causal Analysis of Reflection x. Roger Bacon: Causal Analysis of Reflection y. Witelo: Causal Analysis of Reflection z. Alhazen: An Instrument for Investigating Refraction aa. Roger Bacon: The Geometry of Refraction bb. Witelo: The Geometry of Refraction cc. John Pecham: Image Formation by Refraction dd. Roger Bacon: Image Formation by Refraction ee. John Pecham: The Burning Glass ff. Roger Bacon: Causal Analysis of Refraction gg. Witelo: Causal Analysis of Refraction 63. Late Medieval Optics a. Henry of Hesse: Questions Concerning Perspective b. Theodoric of Freiberg: On the Rainbow Astronomy, Astrology, and Cosmology A. THE ELEMENTS OF ASTRONOMY 64. The Two Most Popular Medieval Handbooks of the Elements of Astronomy a. John of Sacrobosco: On the Sphere b. Anonymous: The Theory of the Planets 65. Extracts from the Alfonsine Tables and Rules for Their Use John of Saxony B. ASTROLOGY 66. An Attack upon Astrology Nicole Oresme C. COSMOLOGY 67. On the Possible Diurnal Rotation of the Earth a. Introduction Edward Grant b. Ptolemy: The Immobility of the Earth in the Center of the World c. St. Thomas Aquinas: The Immobility of the Earth in the Center of the World d. St. Thomas Aquinas: Heraclides of Pontus and Aristarchus Mentioned as Proponents of the Earth's Diurnal Rotation e. John Buridan: The Compatibility of the Earth's Diurnal Rotation with Astronomical Phenomena f. Nicole Oresme: The Compatibility of the Earth's Diurnal Rotation with Astronomical Phenomena and Terrestrial Physics g. Nicolaus Copernicus: The Compatability of the Earth's Diurnal Rotation with Astronomical Phenomena and Terrestrial Physics 68. On Saving the Phenomena and the Reality or Unreality of Epicycles and Eccentrics a. Moses Maimonides: The Reality of Epicycles and Eccentrics Denied b. Bernard of Verdun: The Reality of Epicycles and Eccentrics Affirmed c. John Buridan: An Intermediate Position--Epicycles Denied, Eccentrics Affirmed 69. On the Commensurability or Incommensurability of Celestial Motions Nicole Oresme 70. On Comets Albertus Magnus 71. The Possibility of a Plurality of Worlds Nicole Oresme 72. On the Existence of an Imaginary Infinite Void Space Beyond the Finite Cosmos a. Hermes Trismegistus to Asclepius: Void Beyond the Cosmos Lacks Matter but Not Spirit 73. On a God-filled Extramundane Infinite Void Space a. Thomas Bradwardine b. Nicole Oresme c. Jesuit Commentators at the College of Coimbra, Portugal d. Otto von Guericke Alchemy and Chemistry 74. On the Formation of Minerals and Metals and the Impossibility of Alchemy Avicenna 75. Twenty-six Arguments against Alchemy and the Responses Thereto Petrus Bonus 76. A Description of Alchemical Operations, Procedures, and Materials Albertus Magnus 77. How Elements Persist in a Compound a. St. Thomas Aquinas b. Albert of Saxony Geology, Geography, and Oceanography A. GEOLOGY 78. On the Formation of Stones and Mountains Avicenna 79. On the Motion of the Earth's Center of Gravity and the Formation of Mountains John Buridan 80. On the Material, Hardness, and Fissility of Stones Albertus Magnus B. GEOGRAPHY 81. The Image or Representation of the World (Ymago Mundi) Pierre d'Ailly, with the Marginal Comments of Christopher Columbus C. OCEANOGRAPHY 82. On the Causes of the Tides Robert Grosseteste Biology A. ZOOLOGY 83. Descriptions of Animals from a Twelfth-Century Bestiary 84. An Attempt at a Scientific Description of Animals Albertus Magnus 85. On the Structure and Habits of Birds Frederick II of Hohenstaufen 86. Philosophical and Theoretical Zoology Albertus Magnus B. BOTANY 87. Philosophical and Theoretical Botany Albertus Magnus 88. An Illustration of Descriptive Botany: The Oak Tree Albertus Magnus Medicine A. THEORY 89. Early Medieval Medicine Isidore of Seville B. PHYSIOLOGY 90. The Galenic System Joannitius (Hunain ibn Ishaq) 91. Canon Avicenna C. SCIENTIFIC METHOD 92. Commentaries on Galen's Tegni Jacopo da Forli and Haly Rodohan D. ANATOMY 93. On Anatomy Isidore of Seville 94. Anatomical Demonstration at Salerno: The Anatomy of the Pig Anonymous 95. A Scholastic Anatomy: The Anatomy of Master Nicholas Master Nicholas (?) 96. Anatomy Based on Human Dissection: The Anatomy of Mundinus Mondino de' Luzzi 97. A Fifteenth-Century Autopsy Bernard Tornius E. PRACTICE 98. General Instructions for the Practitioner Archimatthaeus F. METHODS OF DIAGNOSIS 99. Interpretation of the Pulse Anonymous 100. Interpretation of the Urine a. Giles of Corbeil b. Arnald of Villanova 101. Interpretation of Particular Symptoms a. Gilbert the Englishman: The Symptoms of Leprosy b. Jordan of Turre (?): The Symptoms of Lepers c. John of Mirfeld: Danger Symptoms G. A METHOD OF MEDICAL PRACTICE 102. A Consilium Ugo Benzi H. TREATMENT OF PARTICULAR AILMENTS 103. Gynecology Trotula 104. How to Combat Spells Preventing Intercourse Constantine the African 105. Diseases of the Skin Theodoric, Bishop of Cervia 106. Smallpox John Gaddesden 107. Bubonic Plague Guy de Chauliac I. TOOLS EMPLOYED IN TREATMENT 108. Diet and Regimen Regimen Sanitatis Salernitanum 109. Drugs: Simple Medicines a. Rufinus: Simple Medicines b. Taddeo Alderotti: The Preparation and Medicinal Use of Alcohol 110. Drugs: Compound Medicines a. Matthaeus Platearius: The Rationalization of Pharmacy b. Antidotarium Nicolai: Traditional Empirical Pharmacy c. Bernard of Gordon: Mathematical Pharmacy J. SURGERY 111. History of Surgery Guy de Chauliac 112. Salernitan Surgery Roger of Salerno 113. Definition and Objectives of Surgery Theodoric, Bishop of Cervia 114. Bloodletting Lanfranc 115. The Treatment of Wounds a. Theodoric, Bishop of Cervia b. Henry of Mondevile c. Guy de Chauliac 116. Plastic Surgery Heinrich von Pfolspeundt BRIEF AUTHOR BIOGRAPHIES INDEX

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn John Adams’s last 28 months as a diplomat in Europe, he petitioned to halt British impressment of American sailors, salvaged U.S. credit by contracting two Dutch loans, and finished A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America. He retired to his home but later resumed office as the first vice president of the U.S.

Read more less

Book SynopsisAs a didactic explanation of pagan ancient Greek culture to Orthodox Christians, John Tzetzes’s Allegories of the Iliad is deeply rooted in the mid-twelfth-century circumstances of the cosmopolitan Comnenian court. As a critical reworking of the Iliad, it is part of the millennia-long global tradition of Homeric adaptation.Trade ReviewGoldwyn and Kokkini have provided English-speakers with a wonderful edition of Ioannes (John) Tzetzes’s Allegories of the Iliad… The poem itself is beautiful and can be appreciated on its own. Scholars, however, will take a special interest in the translators’ faithful yet fluid rendering of the Greek… Many thanks are due the translators and Harvard University Press for making this less-known, fascinating work available to modern audiences. The elegant presentation is a bonus. -- F. A. Grabowski * Choice *

Read more less

Book SynopsisAnalyzing left-leaning parties in the U.S., Sweden, Germany, and the United Kingdom, Stephanie Mudge shows that the left lost voters’ loyalty in part because of the changing worldview of party experts. Keynesian economists in the 1960s who spoke for managing the economy gave way in the 1980s to economists advocating the advancement of markets.Trade ReviewHow were the parties of the center-left converted from Keynesian technocracy to third-way neoliberalism? Stephanie Mudge presents a highly original account featuring changes in the economics profession leading to the displacement of economic experts in government policy and party politics by political consultants and spin doctors. Covering the United States and four European countries, the book adds importantly to our understanding of recent political history, the transformation of left-wing political parties, and today’s crisis of democratic politics. -- Wolfgang Streeck, Max Planck Institute for the Study of SocietiesWhy is the Left failing everywhere? Because back in the 1990s, left-wing parties gave up on growing their core constituencies, turning instead to a cadre of technicians. Mudge argues that success of center-left parties rested upon their ability to ‘win, represent, and shape how people think.’ This latter goal used to be the province of ‘economist theoreticians’ who embraced a ‘Keynesian ethic.’ But as economics changed, so did the visions of the economists who guided left parties. Why the Left is dying owes much to their interventions. -- Mark Blyth, Watson Institute of International and Public Affairs, Brown UniversityStephanie L. Mudge has written a magisterial account explaining how neoliberalism came to be a dominant way of thinking among the European and American Left. Through a detailed and rich sociological account, she explains that leftist parties changed their way of seeing and wanting to shape the social world because of their shifting relationship to economic knowledge. Economic experts, far from the original organic intellectuals of labor movements, became the mediators of ideological transformation, shaping party positions and confirming neoliberalism as the current version of progressive politics. This is a necessary book for everyone with an interest in progressive politics. -- Jenny Andersson, Co-Director, Max Planck Sciences Po Center on Coping with Instability in Market Societies (MaxPo)Leftism Reinvented provides a wealth of information, and very few scholars exhibit Mudge’s mastery of the economic policies across so many parties over such a stretch of time…It is necessary reading for anyone seeking to understand our current political predicament. -- Edwin Amenta * American Journal of Sociology *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Battle of Waterloo was just the beginning of a long transition to peace. Christine Haynes offers the first comprehensive history of the post-Napoleonic occupation of France. Transforming former European enemies into allies, the mission established Paris as a cosmopolitan capital and foreshadowed postwar reconstruction in the twentieth century.Trade ReviewWhile warfare tends to get more attention, how wars end and how societies are rebuilt afterwards is often just as important. In this deeply researched, elegantly written book, Haynes offers a compelling and insightful account of the Allied occupation of France after the wars against Napoleon. She gives a visceral sense of what the experience was like for all parties and shows how the occupation enabled the making of a lasting peace and the reconstruction of French society and politics. -- Brian E. Vick, author of The Congress of ViennaA very good book, written with verve and attention to archival detail, in a manner reminiscent of the great historian of France Richard Cobb. In addition to being the first serious English-language treatment of an important subject, it is an exemplary blend of social, cultural, financial, and economic (as well as military and diplomatic) history. -- Rafe Blaufarb, author of The Great DemarcationHaynes draws on a wealth of evidence to weave a rich history of the occupation that provided a key moment of reflection over the political idea of ‘Europe.’ This is an impressive contribution to the literature on the French Restoration, liberalism in nineteenth-century Europe, occupation and peacemaking. -- Rachel Chrastil, author of The Siege of Strasbourg

Read more less

Book SynopsisSarah Kinkel shows that the rise of British naval power was neither inevitable nor unquestioned: it was the outcome of fierce battles over the shape of Britain's empire and the bonds of political authority. The Navy was one of many battlefields where British subjects debated whether the empire would be ruled from Parliament down or the people up.Trade ReviewDisciplining the Empire is a piece of superb research. Kinkel fills a historiographical gap that many scholars, even those working in the field, probably have no idea exists. There is no comparable work on the British navy. -- Denver Brunsman, author of The Evil Necessity: British Naval Impressment in the Eighteenth-Century Atlantic WorldImpressively researched and well-written, Disciplining the Empire is an important, compelling book, not least because it emphasizes very clearly just how integrated the Royal Navy was into broader political discussions. It successfully contextualizes military concerns into a larger imperial framework, which had global implications as Britain became a world power in the eighteenth century. -- Abigail Swingen, author of Competing Visions of Empire: Labor, Slavery, and the Origins of the British Atlantic EmpireA highly original approach to an important topic, this well-researched study throws fresh light on the emergence of British naval hegemony. Disciplining the Empire offers a skillful blending of power politics ideology and naval and imperial history that is significant for American colonial as well as British history. -- Jeremy Black, author of Naval Power: A History of Warfare and the Sea from 1500 onwardsKinkel’s exciting and savvy account of the Royal Navy gives flesh to its status as the long arm of the pugnacious British state, while also making clear that it was an arm that punched back, shaping that state’s global designs and domestic strategies for rule. An impressive professional debut! -- Kathleen Wilson, author of The Sense of the People: Politics, Culture and Imperialism in England, 1715–1785

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Italian Enlightenment, no less than the Scottish, was central to the emergence of political economy and creation of market societies. Sophus Reinert turns to Milan in the late 1700s to recover early socialists’ preoccupations with the often lethal tension among states, markets, and human welfare, and the policies these ideas informed.Trade ReviewIn this erudite and engaging intellectual history, Reinert makes the case for the critical role played by a pioneering group of Italian political economists [in the Enlightenment]. -- Andrew Moravcsik * Foreign Affairs *A tour de force through economic history and thought. With staggering scholarly depth, The Academy of Fisticuffs is a rare work that will set the standard for economic and political history. Reinert is a prodigy. -- Jacob Soll, University of Southern CaliforniaThe Academy of Fisticuffs is a tremendous achievement. Reinert has created a study of the Milanese enlightenment which is entirely unique—he builds on the work of previous historians and gathers together a range of archival and printed sources, but he also explores and challenges current themes in cultural history and therefore places the Milanese enlightenment within a much broader historiographical framework. -- Melissa Calaresu, University of CambridgeIn a captivating book with unexpected connections at every turn, Sophus Reinert reveals that the Enlightenment science of political economy was about much more than money and markets. It was a fraught effort to understand the conditions of human coexistence, to figure out what it would take for neighbors and nations to get along. A dramatic and deeply human tale about coffeehouses and prisons, romantic entanglements and roadside bandits, mathematical models and modern warfare, The Academy of Fisticuffs challenges us to rethink the boundaries and aspirations of economic thought—both in the past and today. Truly transformative scholarship. -- William Deringer, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyA milestone in the deep renewal of the history of political economy, The Academy of Fisticuffs is ambitiously and imaginatively conceived, creatively and rigorously researched, robustly and cogently argued, and gracefully written. With erudition and ingenuity, Reinert offers a bold and original reading of political economy with sweeping implications for our understanding of the Economic Enlightenment everywhere in Europe and across the Atlantic. -- Steven Kaplan, Cornell UniversityMagisterial…Both impeccably and exhaustively researched, as well as splendidly written: it synthesizes a tremendous amount of material about its protagonists; brims with aptly chosen evidence from their texts, both published and archival; and relates numerous details about their lives, from the strictly institutional to the deeply personal, with the greatest eloquence, brio, and flair, making its intellectual biographies not only tremendously informative but also a great pleasure to read. This erudite study will therefore make an important contribution to the anglophone field of Italian studies, and it will doubtless enrich our picture of the European Enlightenment. -- Barbara Naddeo * Journal of Modern History *

Read more less

Book SynopsisMichael Hobart locates the great rift between science and religion not in ideological disagreement but in advances in mathematics and symbolic representation that moved past language to open new windows onto the natural world. His work connects the cognitive breakthroughs of the past with intellectual debates ongoing in the twenty-first century.Trade ReviewHobart offers a new twist on a huge old metanarrative: the death of God. Something or other happened in Renaissance Europe, the story goes, and it eventually distanced scientists from religion. Hobart locates this great shift in the field of mathematics…To make [his] argument, Hobart presents a virtuosic array of evidence…The Great Rift contains a huge wealth of historical anecdote, and Hobart marshals it confidently. -- Josephine Livingstone * New Republic *The Great Rift is a rich, original, and constructively provocative book that trumpets the value of history when examining the contrast between science and religion. Hobart presents a persuasive and deeply analytic overarching argument that avoids simplistic framing. Covering a wide range of material, this book is at once groundbreaking, satisfying, and a joy to read. -- Joan Richards, Brown UniversityThe Great Rift offers an innovative interpretation of the rupture between science and religion from the time of Galileo. Rather than new methods of experimental science or new cosmological conceptions as traditional accounts would have it, Hobart argues for a revolution in information technology that triggered new developments in early modern mathematics as the real culprit responsible for the ‘Great Rift.’ Informed by a lifetime of work on the history of mathematics as it relates to the history of information technology and intellectual history, this book is full of provocative arguments and fresh perspectives. -- J. B. Shank, author of The Newton Wars and the Beginning of the French EnlightenmentNumeracy, in fine, is what eventually opened, between religion and science, the rift that would never close again. The momentous story is told with keen insight, meticulous detail, and deep learning. -- Brendan Dooley * Journal of Modern History *The immense scope of the chronicle, the professional scholarship, and the depth of insight manifested in this complex and comprehensive study of the rise of Western science provides a narrative both engrossing and enlightening…This book is a gem. * Choice *A sturdy contribution to the history of science. * Kirkus Reviews *

Read more less

Book SynopsisNo nation was more deeply affected by America’s rise to power than Japan. The price paid to end the most intrusive reconstruction of a nation in modern history was a cold war alliance with the U.S. that ensured American dominance in the region. Kenneth Pyle offers a thoughtful history of this relationship at a time when the alliance is changing.Trade ReviewA brilliant, elegantly written work destined to become one of the essential books on United States–Japan relations. It reflects Pyle’s broad knowledge and lifelong effort to bring coherence to the grand strategy of the United States since its rise as a dominant power in Asia and the consequences of that strategy for both nations. -- Ezra F. Vogel, author of Deng Xiaoping and the Transformation of ChinaThis is a fine book, intelligent and necessary. Pyle, a distinguished historian of modern Japan, writes in a subtle and supple way, with an unerring sense of balance. His careful linking of the unconditional surrender demand by the U.S. to the character of the Japanese postwar settlement is fresh and provocative. I hope those who make American policy toward Japan read what he has to say. -- Andrew Barshay, author of The Gods Left First: The Captivity and Repatriation of Japanese POWs in Northeast Asia, 1945–1956In a book that devotes equal space to the view from Japan and the U.S., [Pyle] shows equal discernment in recounting the ways in which each country came to collide and then cohabit with the other over the last hundred years. On each side Pyle uncovers things missed by a regiment of prior historians. -- Edward Luttwak * London Review of Books *

Read more less

Book SynopsisAround 1800, the English East India Company controlled half of the world's trade and deployed a vast network of political influencers. Yet the story of its 17th-century beginnings has remained largely untold. Rupali Mishra's account of the Company's formative years sheds light on one of the most powerful corporations in the history of the world.Trade ReviewMishra has written an important book. This is not just a book that is extraordinarily well-researched but it also fills a major gap in the literature. The first hundred years of the Company has received very little attention from historians…More importantly, the book demonstrates the close and almost inevitable connection that existed between the English East India Company from its inception and the English state. -- Rudrangshu Mukherjee * The Wire *Original, well-conceptualized, and thoroughly researched, A Business of State is an extremely engaging and important work that offers a much-needed examination of the origins of the East India Company. Mishra reveals just how deeply this history is embedded in the political and commercial history of the early Stuart regime—and vice versa. -- Philip Stern, author of The Company-StateA striking and important work that fills a large gap in our understanding of the early history of the East India Company, one of the major institutions at the heart of the British empire. A Business of State explores the many dimensions of the political life of this important corporate body, throwing fresh light on English domestic politics, corporate and political culture, as well as on an institution crucial in the development of British imperialism. -- Michael Braddick, author of God’s Fury, England’s FireA Business of State is an important work of scholarship. The analysis is imaginative and meticulous, the writing authoritative and compelling. Mishra’s innovative approach to the early history of the English East India Company makes this an essential book in British and imperial history. -- Alison Games, author of The Web of EmpireThis impressive volume deserves wide readership…A Business of State gives readers much to think, both about the early seventeenth century and about today. -- Robert A. Pierce * Sixteenth Century Journal *

Read more less

Book SynopsisBenjamin Cohen tells the dramatic story of Mehdi Hasan and Ellen Donnelly, whose marriage convulsed high society in nineteenth-century India and whose notorious trial reverberated throughout the British Empire, setting the benchmark for Victorian scandals. In the struggle of one couple, he exposes the fault lines that would soon tear a world apart.Trade ReviewA deftly told tale of colonial prejudices, legal skullduggery and dubious justice. -- Sumit Ganguly * India Today *Makes for absorbing reading that is also immediately recognizable in the modern day. In the 21st-century world of ‘cancel culture,’ when rumors and innuendo can spread rapidly from smartphones to laptops and careers can be damaged at the whim of social-media mobs, the fate of Hasan and Donnelly has an appalling relevance. -- Steve Donoghue * The National *The value of the book lies in its angles of vision, its understanding of the social complexity of India under the Raj, and its revelations of unexpected links between people of all races, usually on the fringes of society…[A] fascinating work. -- David Gilmour * The Oldie *Cohen’s meticulous reconstruction of the accusations and counteraccusations at the trial offers a compelling glimpse into the entanglements of race, class, gender, and sexuality during this period…A story that is both thought provoking and well told, and one that will draw in specialist and nonspecialist readers alike. -- Mytheli Sreenivas * American Historical Review *Cohen gives us a detailed description of the trial from both sides, and the story is both riveting and sad…[He] brings the people to life as they lie, connive, exaggerate and, occasionally, try to tell the truth…This isn’t just a salacious sex story, but a revelation of a society plagued by moral ambiguity and political chicanery. -- John Butler * Asian Review of Books *A charming, captivating book. Cohen has a marvelous feel for the doomed couple at the heart of a now-forgotten scandal. The princely state of Hyderabad comes vividly to life within the world of British India. -- Prince Azmet Jah of HyderabadIn this elegantly written book, Cohen shows how a sexual scandal of a relationship between an English woman and a Muslim man in colonial India reveals a surprising story, of many twists and turns, about social mobility, racial uncertainty, and gendered respectability. -- Durba Ghosh, author of Sex and the Family in Colonial IndiaThe time has truly arrived for the Hyderabad pamphlet scandal to be told, not only for readers interested in South Asian history, but also for those interested in the history of race, gender, and colonialism more broadly. Cohen has a gift for cultivating a strong sense of place, often with evocative and perceptive descriptions of a room, a photograph, or a cluster of political actors. -- Chandra Mallampalli, author of Race, Religion, and Law in Colonial IndiaAn engaging narrative of the infamous pamphlet scandal and its revelations about social, cultural, sexual, and political life in the British Raj and princely India. Cohen offers a thoughtful and persuasive analysis on key issues of race, religion, gender, and colonialism. -- Michael Fisher, author of An Environmental History of India

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review"Honorable Mention for the Aldo and Jeanne Scaglione Prize for French and Francophone Studies, Modern Language Association""The Marquis de Sade and the Avant-Garde [is] a book that is a treasure house of information and inspiration, at the same time scholarly and completely engaging. . . . An important work to add to your bookshelf; it will fascinate you, it will inspire you, and it will delight you."---Penelope Rosemont, Rain Taxi Review of Books"Perceptive."---Allan Graubard, Leonardo Reviews"[A] remarkable new book. . . . In this deeply researched study, Mahon moves gracefully from a thorough exposition and analysis of Sade’s life and work to his many critics. . . . She leaves her readers with the urgent reflection that Sade’s function has unceasingly been to provoke an assessment of life’s value. This is a timely and important book and should be widely read."---Katharine Conley, French Forum"A beautifully written and meticulously researched defense of another kind. Mahon deftly narrates the history of Sade the person as well as what she calls the ‘Sadean imagination’. . . . Mahon’s study of Sade and defense of his texts as central to the legacies of the avant-garde are, no doubt, well-argued and deeply researched, and they make for a compelling read; the book is a significant and important contribution."---Angelique Szymanek, CAA Reviews

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review"Winner of the British-Kuwait Friendship Society Book Prize""Winner of the Middle East Medievalists Book Prize""Winner of the Haskins Medal, Medieval Academy of America""Finalist for the National Jewish Book Award in Writing Based on Archival Material""One of the Times Literary Supplement's Books of the Year 2020""[T]hose seeking to ask important questions about the Jewish-Arab dynamic in medieval times will … find much to glean [in this book]."---Dr. Stu Halpern, Jewish Book Council"A handsome volume with compelling illustrations . . . . This magisterial study is a must for anyone interested in the geniza but also for anyone considering how we relate to the texts of our predecessors and what we hope to leave to those who follow."---Elka Weber, Segula Jewish History Magazine"Ferociously thoroughly researched, beautifully written."---Robert Irwin, Times Literary Supplement"A pleasure to read. Rustow writes exceptionally well, approaching her material with an often informal, jocular tone, which makes all the talk of ligatures, tax receipts and bureaucracy go down more smoothly."---Christian Sahner, Times Literary Supplement"[Rustow’s] book under review deserves to be perused and read for generations to come."---Ephraim Nissan, Quaderni di Studi Indo-Mediterranei"A tremendous service to the scientific community. Rustow enthralls her reader with herstyle and her art of telling intricate stories."---Frédéric Bauden, Medieval Encounters

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review"One of Choice Reviews' Outstanding Academic Titles of 2018""Highly readable and accessible. . . . Sabato’s impressive work goes a long way to correcting and updating the master narrative of politics in the nineteenth century."---James E. Sanders, European Review of Latin American and Caribbean Studies"Sabato provides an extraordinarily rich analysis of the political transformations of the newly independent Spanish-American colonies in the 19th century. . . . Sabato’s excellent scholarship provides a fresh look at an often overlooked period of Latin American history, and this book provides a critical foundation for university classes on Latin American political development."---M.F.T. Malone, Choice"It is to be hoped that Republics of the New World will spark debate and competition, that it will spur other historians to also try their hands at the task of panoramic analysis and interpretation. For that endeavor, Sabato’s book now sets a very high standard."---Timo Schaefer, H-Net Reviews"This is a vigorous, intelligent and persuasive book from a distinguished Argentine historian at the peak of her powers."---Guy Thomson, Estudios Interdisciplinarios de America Latina y el Caribe

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review"Ita Mac Carthy uncovers all sorts of connections at a time in Italy concerned with what might be described as the reactivation of aspects of the classical past, drawing on the writings of Tullia d’Aragona, Ariosto, Vittoria Colonna and others, and exploring works by Francesco del Cossa, Michelangelo and Raphael. Throughout, she puts grace at the centre of things, even though it is notoriously difficult to define, endeavouring to show what it signified at the time, and how it permeated style, behaviour and notions concerning society and even salvation."---James Stevens Curl, Times Higher Education"This thoughtful, elegant text offers new and persuasive readings of several well-known figures and their works." * Choice Reviews *"Mac Carthy’s discursive, often meditative style draws us deeply into the complex layers, contradictions, and semantic richness embodied in the idea of grace, one of the most 'beguiling and deceptively powerful of early modern keywords.'"---Frederick J. McGinness, Church History"[An] ambitious and breathtakingly intricate study. . . . Ita Mac Carthy’s Grace of the Italian Renaissance is a rich, insightful, and highly nuanced study. It is an inspiringly erudite work that will appeal to students, scholars, and general readers. It promises to serve them all well."---Sarah Rolfe Prodan, Renaissance Studies"Mac Carthy gives us a rich and perceptive study of grace in word, image, and beyond in sixteenth-century Italy."---Jonathan Locke Hart, Renaissance and Reformation

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisTher provides needed perspective on today's "refugee crisis," demonstrating how Europe has taken in far greater numbers of refugees in earlier periods of its history, in wartime as well as peacetime. His sweeping narrative crosses the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, taking readers from the Middle East to the shores of America.Trade Review"A wide-ranging and detailed history . . . . This stimulating volume is perhaps the most complete history of population movements in Europe’s modern era and will find a place on the shelves of everyone who would understand the world in which we live now."---Derek Hawes, Journal of Contemporary European Studies"Ther is careful to bring the people involved and the societies that receive them into the equation. The numbers are eye-watering and the time period involved staggering. . . . Essential reading." * Survival: Global Politics and Strategy *"An eye-opening and comprehensive account of population movements over the last 500 years." * Paradigm Explorer *

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn this sweeping and incisive work, Lorenzini provides a global history of development, drawing on a wealth of archival evidence to offer a panoramic and multifaceted portrait of a Cold War phenomenon that transformed the modern world.Trade Review"[Sara] Lorenzini . . . presents an in-depth analysis of the process of global development based on national and regional archives and published sources. . . . This well-researched and illuminating book is an essential contribution to the history of postwar global development."---D. A. Chekki, Choice"In this impressive history, Lorenzini traces the journey of development thinking from its nineteenth-century origins through its entanglements in the great geopolitical struggles of the twentieth century."---G. John Ikenberry, Foreign Affairs"As the best global intellectual and political history of development available, Lorenzini’s book should become the standard assignment in classes on the history of development. . . . It deserves wide readership."---Nils Gilman, H-Diplo"Lorenzini . . . not interested in praising or denouncing the development enterprise, but rather in historicizing it, considering its origins, how it has changed over time, and how scholars can go about studying it. That alone makes these volumes welcome and timely."---Artemy M. Kalinovsky, Journal of Contemporary History"[A] smart, concise survey of twentieth-century development ideology and practice."---Thomas C. Field Jr., The Middle Ground Journal"Through its ambitious exploration across time and space, Global Development has performed an extraordinary feat; it is a book that will be of value to scholars and nonspecialists alike."---Giuliana Chamedes, American Historical Review"Sara Lorenzini offers a lucid, well written and often insightful narrative on the main globaldevelopment concepts and policies between 1945 and 1989."---Iris Borowy, Cold War History"Global Development is a thorough and accessible account of a very complex and important topic. It is an essential reading that deserves a wide (both scholarly and general) readership and that should be on the shelves of everyone interested in the topic of international development specifically and of the Cold War more generally."---Bence Kocsev, Comparativ"[Global Development] provides an impressive new account of the history of international development. . . . An evocative book that, given its range and broad coverage of topics, may become the go-to introductory history of the twentieth-century history of development for some time to come.—Igor Logvinenko, Political Science Quarterly"

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review"Theology and the Scientific Imagination should be read by every historian of science. I can also hardly imagine a philosopher of science who would remain indifferent to the roots of modern thinking. The reading of this book gives one a deep intellectual pleasure: to follow adventures in ideas is like experiencing the adventures themselves." —Michael Heller, Review of Metaphysics"A bold study of ideas . . . bristling with insight and perceptive reinterpretation of familiar episodes in the history of natural philosophy." —David C. Lindberg, Journal of the History of Medicine"Powerful. . . . Liberation from naive conceptions of historical continuity gives Funkenstein leave to concentrate on a finely nuanced exegesis of those philosophers who fall within his purview. The result is a work of discernment and distinction." —J. H. Brooke, Times Higher Education Supplement

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review"World's 2018 Books of the Year""Rodgers’ superlative book is an intellectual page-turner—a muscular examination of the culture and theology behind the ‘Model,’ a cogent study of the methods by which a nation gives itself meaning through the inventive interpretation of documents from the past, and a sharp-eyed accounting of how Winthrop’s ‘city on a hill’ phrase came to be used in modern political parlance."---Patrick T. Reardon, Chicago Tribune"In a wonderful new book, As a City on a Hill: The Story of America’s Most Famous Lay Sermon, distinguished intellectual historian Daniel Rodgers recaptures Winthrop’s original meaning and explains why it’s relevant to Americans today. . . . [A] masterful history."---Robert Tracy McKenzie, Christianity Today"[Daniel Rodgers] argues that the comparison of America to a city on a hill that politicians often use, quoting from John Winthrop’s 1630 lay sermon ‘Model of Christian Charity,’ is not true to the sermon’s original sentiment and distorts the historical legacy of the passage. . . . It wasn’t until Cold War–era writers and thinkers revisited the ‘Model’ in search of evidence of America’s universal nature (ignoring the text’s historical context) that it regained popularity. Through a winding, enthralling timeline, Rodgers successfully illuminates the strange history of ‘a text that we think we know so well that we barely know it at all.’" * Publishers Weekly *"As a City on a Hill is a masterful synthesis. Spanning four centuries, the book deftly narrates the intellectual history of ‘America’s most famous lay sermon.’"---Seth Dowland, Reading Religion"Rodgers’s As a City on a Hill is an exceptional piece of scholarship. Eminently readable and sophisticated in its analysis, scholars of nationalism, religion, political history, and the colonial Americas will find much material of interest, as will general audiences seeking to learn more about the shifting contours of American nationalism and about how historians, public officials, and the public work work perpetually to remake both national history and the means by which it is propagated. This is an important book."---William S. Cossen, H-Nationalism"A model of clearly written scholarship."---Marvin Olasky, World (25 Good History Reads)

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisIs George Orwell the most influential writer who ever lived? Yes, according to Rodden's provocative book about the transformation of a man into a myth. He charts the astonishing passage of a litterateur into a legend.Trade Review"The range and depth of Rodden’s knowledge and understanding of post-World War II literature and worldwide responses to Orwell are unparalleled. . . . Becoming George Orwell makes for an engrossing and illuminating read."---Norman Bissell, Orwell Society"As a self-described 'recovering utopian' in tune with his subject’s utopian skepticism, Rodden’s outlook on democratic socialism will resonate with our current political environment. . . . Anyone with an interest in Orwell will appreciate Rodden’s insights and reflections."---Thomas Karel, Library Journal"[Becoming George Orwell] is a grab-bag of Orwelliana. . . . The chapters can stand on their own or, taken together, form an idiosyncratic biography of a consequential life. To read them is to sit in the presence of a veteran scholar at the peak of his powers"---John J. Miller, National Review"Rodden’s book keeps alive the spirit of the man and his imagination."---Shelley Walia, The Hindu"John Rodden, arguably the world’s leading scholar on George Orwell . . . claims that Orwell 'is the most important writer since Shakespeare and the most influential writer who ever lived'. . . . It’s a big claim, but he provides enough evidence to keep literature departments arguing for years."---Dennis Glover, Sydney Morning Herald"A terrific book. An absolute must for fans of George Orwell."---David Marx, David Marx Book Reviews

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review"Emergency Chronicles is perhaps the most comprehensive scholarly examination yet of the Emergency. Looking back more than four decades after Indira Gandhi stunned India and the world by suspending demo­cracy, historian Gyan Prakash argues forcefully that this was no momentary distortion in India's democratic record or a nightmare that came from nowhere and vanished without a trace, leaving only its villains and heroes."---Ajoy Bose, India Today"Gyan Prakash’s outstanding new book is the first historical narrative of one of the most important crises of democracy in the modern world. . . . The meticulous detail of Emergency Chronicles exposes a shameful chapter in India’s democratic history."---Rana Mitter, Financial Times"[An] acute analysis of the sudden collapse of democracy in India in the mid-1970s."---Pankaj Mishra, New York Review of Books"The chronicles themselves are fluently and persuasively recounted as a narrative history of the awful excesses inflicted on individuals and communities by and during the Emergency."---Mani Shankar Aiyar, Indian Express"Gyan Prakash’s excellent study . . . offers a genuinely riveting account of the decades leading up to the imposition of the emergency."---Priyamvada Gopal, Times Higher Education"Gyan Prakash’s Emergency Chronicles is perhaps the first work of historical scholarship on the subject, and Prakash, who is a historian at Princeton University, has deftly dealt with the subject, not only bringing out the larger historical context, but also peppering his narrative with some good fictional work and cinema produced during the times." * Financial Express *"[Prakash] puts Emergency in perspective."---Sandeep Sinha, The Tribune"Prakash manages to tell the tale with the charm of a raconteur, and this should make it easy for generations of readers born long after 1975 to get a vivid, sepia-tinted picture of socialist India as well as the nationwide public unrest of those years."---Parsa V. Rao Jr., Gateway House"What sets [Emergency Chronicles] apart is [Prakash’s] effort to take back the cause-and-effect chain right up to the debates in the Constituent Assembly where ‘draconian’ measures were enshrined in the constitution."---Siddharth Singh, Open Magazine"Reading Emergency Chronicles is like entering a beautiful superstructure of ideas created with lucid writing and incisive arguments with a sprinkling of historical anecdotes."---Utpal Kumar, Sunday Guardian"A valuable work."---Ben Margulies, LSE Review of Books"Prakash has written a valuable work, which embodies important lessons and certainly speaks to contemporary issues. Emergency Chronicles reminds us that the horrors of our histories do not emerge from the clear blue sky, but from long traditions of (mis)rule. The book also warns us that democracy is a game played by equals – or else a rigged game, where someone is always threatening to take the ball and go home."---Ben Margulies, Democratic Audit UK"A meticulously researched book which is likely to find a space in the book shelves of scholars and observers of Indian politics."---Ayan Guha, Democratization

Read more less

Book SynopsisFor decades, scholars and public intellectuals have been predicting the demise of religion in the face of secularization. Yet religion is undergoing an unprecedented resurgence in modern life--and secularization no longer appears so inevitable.able.Trade Review"A multifaceted and nuanced approach to the origins of secularist thought." * Paradigm Explorer *"Anyone inserted in the dialectical relations between religion and modernity should consult this thought-provoking volume.—Yontan Glazer-Eytan, Renaissance Quarterly"

Read more less

Book SynopsisMack offers a wide-ranging exploration of the creative power of literary tradition, from the middle ages to the 21st century, revealing in new ways how it helps writers and readers make new works and meanings.Trade Review"Mack treats complicated matters with an easy clarity that makes the book a delight to read. His discussions are at once enthusiastic and well-reasoned—focused on exactly what makes each of the texts so effective."---D.L. Patey, Choice"Lucid, thor­ough case studies."---Faye Hammill, Times Literary Supplement"An idiosyncratic collection of case studies… [attended to] with lucidity, energy, and detail.—Timothy D. Crowley, Renaissance Quarterly"

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review"Honorable Mention for the J. Willard Hurst Book Prize, Law and Society Association""Winner of the Bernard S. Cohn Book Prize, Association for Asian Studies""A powerful critique of how the present-day study of society is entangled with histories of colonial, caste supremacist, and communalist knowledge production. Indian Sex Life is sure to become a classic in the fields of gender and sexuality studies and South Asian history."---Jessica Hinchy, Journal of the History of Sexuality"A great step in the proper understanding and decoding of colonial knowledge structures and as to how and why women’s perceived sexual deviancy functioned as a primary engine for change."---Samuel Bell, The Middle Ground Journal

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review"Honorable Mention for the J. Willard Hurst Book Prize, Law and Society Association""Winner of the Bernard S. Cohn Book Prize, Association for Asian Studies""A powerful critique of how the present-day study of society is entangled with histories of colonial, caste supremacist, and communalist knowledge production. Indian Sex Life is sure to become a classic in the fields of gender and sexuality studies and South Asian history."---Jessica Hinchy, Journal of the History of Sexuality"A great step in the proper understanding and decoding of colonial knowledge structures and as to how and why women’s perceived sexual deviancy functioned as a primary engine for change."---Samuel Bell, The Middle Ground Journal

Read more less

Book SynopsisMack offers a wide-ranging exploration of the creative power of literary tradition, from the middle ages to the 21st century, revealing in new ways how it helps writers and readers make new works and meanings.Trade Review"Mack treats complicated matters with an easy clarity that makes the book a delight to read. His discussions are at once enthusiastic and well-reasoned—focused on exactly what makes each of the texts so effective."---D.L. Patey, Choice"Lucid, thor­ough case studies."---Faye Hammill, Times Literary Supplement"An idiosyncratic collection of case studies… [attended to] with lucidity, energy, and detail.—Timothy D. Crowley, Renaissance Quarterly"

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review"Emergency Chronicles is perhaps the most comprehensive scholarly examination yet of the Emergency. Looking back more than four decades after Indira Gandhi stunned India and the world by suspending demo­cracy, historian Gyan Prakash argues forcefully that this was no momentary distortion in India's democratic record or a nightmare that came from nowhere and vanished without a trace, leaving only its villains and heroes."---Ajoy Bose, India Today"Gyan Prakash’s outstanding new book is the first historical narrative of one of the most important crises of democracy in the modern world. . . . The meticulous detail of Emergency Chronicles exposes a shameful chapter in India’s democratic history."---Rana Mitter, Financial Times"[An] acute analysis of the sudden collapse of democracy in India in the mid-1970s."---Pankaj Mishra, New York Review of Books"The chronicles themselves are fluently and persuasively recounted as a narrative history of the awful excesses inflicted on individuals and communities by and during the Emergency."---Mani Shankar Aiyar, Indian Express"Gyan Prakash’s excellent study . . . offers a genuinely riveting account of the decades leading up to the imposition of the emergency."---Priyamvada Gopal, Times Higher Education"Gyan Prakash’s Emergency Chronicles is perhaps the first work of historical scholarship on the subject, and Prakash, who is a historian at Princeton University, has deftly dealt with the subject, not only bringing out the larger historical context, but also peppering his narrative with some good fictional work and cinema produced during the times." * Financial Express *"[Prakash] puts Emergency in perspective."---Sandeep Sinha, The Tribune"Prakash manages to tell the tale with the charm of a raconteur, and this should make it easy for generations of readers born long after 1975 to get a vivid, sepia-tinted picture of socialist India as well as the nationwide public unrest of those years."---Parsa V. Rao Jr., Gateway House"What sets [Emergency Chronicles] apart is [Prakash’s] effort to take back the cause-and-effect chain right up to the debates in the Constituent Assembly where ‘draconian’ measures were enshrined in the constitution."---Siddharth Singh, Open Magazine"Reading Emergency Chronicles is like entering a beautiful superstructure of ideas created with lucid writing and incisive arguments with a sprinkling of historical anecdotes."---Utpal Kumar, Sunday Guardian"A valuable work."---Ben Margulies, LSE Review of Books"Prakash has written a valuable work, which embodies important lessons and certainly speaks to contemporary issues. Emergency Chronicles reminds us that the horrors of our histories do not emerge from the clear blue sky, but from long traditions of (mis)rule. The book also warns us that democracy is a game played by equals – or else a rigged game, where someone is always threatening to take the ball and go home."---Ben Margulies, Democratic Audit UK"A meticulously researched book which is likely to find a space in the book shelves of scholars and observers of Indian politics."---Ayan Guha, Democratization

Read more less