History and Archaeology Books

Book SynopsisThe tumultuous reign of Henry III, England's forgotten king. Henry was handed a monarchy in peril, a crown that was cracked and tarnished.

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Book SynopsisNew paperback edition - The woman expected to succeed the Virgin Queen. Jill Armitage revitalises Arbellaâs tale, focusing on her lineage, her life and her legacy.Trade Review‘Excellent... puts Arbella’s life in the context of the times’ -- European Royal History Journal

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Book SynopsisExplores how Hatlepool reacted to the outbreak of the First World War.

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Book SynopsisA provocative new account of Scotland's history across a century of revolution and political instability

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Book Synopsis** Selected as a Book of the Year in The Times, Sunday Times and Observer **''Compulsively readable - the pages seem to turn themselves'' John Carey, Sunday Times ''Brings one of the very greatest [artists] vividly to life'' Literary ReviewThomas Gainsborough lived as if electricity shot through his sinews and crackled at his finger ends. He was a gentle and empathetic family man, but had a shockingly loose, libidinous manner and a volatility that could lead him to slash his paintings. James Hamilton reveals the artist in his many contexts: the talented Suffolk lad, transported to the heights of fashion; the rake-on-the-make in London, learning his craft in the shadow of Hogarth; the society-portrait painter in Bath and London who earned huge sums by charming the right people into his studio. With fresh insights into original sources, Gainsborough: A Portrait transforms our understandinTrade ReviewWith great imaginative verve [Hamilton recreates] the social atmosphere of the places where the artist and his family settled ... [Hamilton] is constantly fascinating about the paintings ... His book is gorgeously illustrated and compulsively readable - the pages seem to turn themselves. Almost as good as owning a Gainsborough -- John Carey * Sunday Times *A shrewd and entertaining biography ... Hamilton's approach is influenced by his perception that Gainsborough owed much to Hogarth ... This valuable insight informs both Hamilton's exploration of Gainsborough's art and his thorough and imaginative interpretation of the life ... Hamilton's book brings one of the very greatest [artists] vividly to life -- Robin Simon * Literary Review *Colourful and thoughtful ... What Hamilton's vivid book makes clear is just how lucky some of his sitters were; what they got for their guineas was not simply a likeness of imperishable glamour, but the company of a man who was every bit as lively and engaging as his paintings -- Michael Prodger * The Times Book of the Week *Although [Hamilton's] primary focus is the life rather than the work ... the vivid descriptions of Gainsborough's studio practice breathe an authentic whiff of turps and linseed oil into the story ... Highly readable and brilliantly reconstructed -- Michael Bird * Daily Telegraph *Hamilton is a first-rate art historian ... He gives us deft explanations of mysterious artistic effects - Gainsborough's use of ground glass in the medium, and how he might have learnt about it, and what it does to the surface. But the question of money is Hamilton's core expertise: how much Gainsborough earned and how much of it went on necessary display, such as grand houses in Bath and Pall Mall. And fascinating it is, too ... Gainsborough is one of the most lovable of great artists, and his personality shines through. This is an enjoyable biography by a writer who understands him -- Philip Hensher * The Spectator *[A] richly humane biography of the artist ... [An] astute yet generous book -- Kathryn Hughes * Guardian *[A] wonderful new biography ... Hamilton is fascinating on Gainsborough's experimental and innovative technique, how he moved from what he calls the 'dabbing' of the artist's early paintings, with their more doll-like figures and outlines, to the characteristic loose sweeps, the 'brushing' style of his later work -- Lucy Lethbridge * Financial Times *James Hamilton's wholly absorbing biography is very different from the usual kind of art historical study that often surrounds such a major figure as Thomas Gainsborough (1727-88). Hamilton is positively in love with his subject, and writes with verve and enthusiasm, yet grounds it on vast research with primary and secondary sources, all impeccably noted -- Marina Vaizey * The Arts Desk *Hamilton's Gainsborough is a 'Jack-the-Lad', a 'swigging, gigging, kissing, drinking, fighting' good-time city boy in London and Bath ... [Hamilton] is strong both on the Gainsborough who is stirred by harvest gleaners and woodland cottages, and the Gainsborough who frets about his framing fees and boasts about the musical instruments he has bought ... [The book] gallops along at highwayman's pace -- Laura Freeman * Apollo Magazine *Spendthrift, talking nineteen to the dozen, laddish, musical and often resentful of the sitters that he had to paint in order to earn a living ("confounded ugly creatures"), [Gainsborough] is brought to lively and likeable life in Gainsborough: A Portrait by James Hamilton. The painter was, Hamilton says, more serious about his art than he let on, but it is those trace elements of his personality that give his pictures their sparkle -- Michael Prodger * Sunday Times Art Books of the Year 2017 *This affectionate and intricately researched biography is a memorable account of Gainsborough as 'one of the most joyous eccentrics' of his time -- Jane Shilling * Daily Mail Must Reads *Were Mr and Mrs Andrews complete pricks? In his delightfully racy portrait of one of our most renowned British portraitists, the art historian James Hamilton suggests that Thomas Gainsborough's wedding picture of a pair of snooty Suffolk landowners is adorned with more pictures of penises than the wall of a public loo. This is just one of many new lights cast on Gainsborough, a "swigging, gigging, kissing, drinking, fighting" Jack-the-lad who, with his gift of the gab and his canny eye on the main chance, cavorts through Georgian England -- Rachel Campbell-Johnston * The Times Art Books of the Year 2017 *This account of the Georgian portrait painter's life is set against a backdrop of dirt and highwaymen and skeletons on gibbets on Hounslow Heath. An 18th-century Scottish sex therapist even makes an appearance. But for all the fun the author has with the painter's penchant for drink and sex, the writing really takes off when Hamilton engages with Gainsborough's paintings themselves in all their swimmy, silken sheen -- Teddy Jamieson * Sunday Herald Books of the Year *Glitters from beginning to end -- Jonathan Wright * Catholic Herald Books of the Year *A fine and empathetic portrait [of] a man who was as lively as his brushwork -- Michael Prodger * RA Magazine *[Gainsborough's] tetchiness animates this enjoyable biography, which also shows how his techniques were ahead of their time * Daily Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisFrom the moment it began in 1936, the Spanish Civil War became the political question of the age. Hitler and Mussolini quickly sent aircraft, troops and supplies to the right-wing generals bent on overthrowing Spain's elected government. Millions of people around the world felt passionately that rapidly advancing fascism must be halted in Spain; if not there, where? More than 35,000 volunteers from dozens of other countries went to help defend the Spanish Republic.Adam Hochschild, the acclaimed author of King Leopold's Ghost, evokes this tumultuous period mainly through the lives of Americans involved in the war. A few are famous, such as Ernest Hemingway, but others are less familiar. They include a nineteen-year-old Kentucky woman, a fiery leftist who came to wartime Spain on her honeymoon; a young man who ran away from his Pennsylvania college and became the first American casualty in the battle for Madrid; and a swashbuckling Texas oilman who covertly violated US law and sold Generalissimo Francisco Franco most of the fuel for his army. Two New York Times reporters, fierce rivals, covered the war from opposite sides, with opposite sympathies. There are Britons in Hochschild's cast of characters as well: one, a London sculptor, fought with the American battalion; another, who had just gone down from Cambridge, joined Franco's army and found himself fighting against the Americans; and a third is someone whose experience of combat in Spain had a profound effect on his life, George Orwell.Trade ReviewHochschild’s contribution lies in the storytelling, his sure command of military history, and his beautiful sense of private hurt, which together yield original insight. An astute observer of contrasts, he navigates the hairpin turns between intimacy and barbarism, euphoria and despair, naivety and cynicism. The book effortlessly hopscotches from global history to individual – and emotional – experience. -- Rich Benjamin * Guardian *While Hochschild focuses on volunteers such as Berg, he doesn't ignore the war's local dynamic and global dimensions. What makes the book so effective, however, is his decision to explore these complexities through a set of interwoven biographies . . . Hochschild tells nuanced tales of political awakenings and disillusionment, but also steadfast ethical commitment. He never descends into easy moralising. * BBC History Magazine *Beautifully written with a hawk-eye for the telling anecdote, Spain in Our Hearts constitutes an endlessly fascinating and utterly unputdownable survey of the war to defend democracy in Spain that was not only the first act of the Second World War but also, for many across the world, the last great cause. -- Paul Preston, author of The Spanish Civil War: Reaction, Revolution, and RevengeSpain in Our Hearts is narrative non-fiction at its very best. Hochschild's achievement is to make this trial-by-combat story come alive, as if it were happening now. It is impossible for a reader not to identify and feel compassion for those sons and daughters of America who risked and often gave their lives for a cause that could not ultimately prevail against the darker forces of Franco, Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin - and Texaco. A seamlessly-woven, unputdownable tapestry of war in Europe; intensely, unforgettably moving. -- Nigel Hamilton, author of The Mantle of CommandAdam Hochschild weaves a brilliant tapestry of colorful characters into a story that includes the young Ernest Hemmingway, the charismatic Robert Merriman, the scotch-drinking Milly Bennett, the glamorous reporter Virginia Cowles, and dozens of other Americans whose lives were dramatically altered by the Spanish Civil War. Hochschild's poignant narrative evokes E.L. Doctorow's great historical novel Ragtime-but Spain in Our Hearts is no novel but a tragic true story about a critical tipping point in the 20th century's slide into total warfare. Passionate, evocative, and gracefully written -- Kai Bird, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Good SpyGeorge Orwell once explained that going to Spain, in 1936, 'seemed the only conceivable thing to do.' As soon as he got there, the right thing to do got a lot less clear. And how to write about it was immediately difficult, too. The twenty-eight hundred Americans who fought in the Spanish Civil War felt the same way, as Adam Hochschild recounts in this rich and fascinating book. Few writers grapple so powerfully with the painful moral and ethical choices of past actors as does Hochschild, who brings to Spain in Our Hearts his exceptional talents - and his moral seriousness - as a reporter, as a historian, and as a writer. -- Jill Lepore, author of The Secret History of Wonder WomanIn this beautifully written portrait of Americans caught up in the Spanish Civil War, Adam Hochschild brings to brilliant life the heroism and horror of that fratricidal conflict. His account of the David-and-Goliath fight between the ragtag army of idealistic, pro-democracy volunteers and the mechanized, murderous forces of Franco, Hitler, and Mussolini is one of the most powerful narratives I have ever read. -- Lynne Olson, author of Citizens of London[An] excellent portrait of the war and of the men and women drawn to Spain ... It is Hochschild's vivid account of what these people witnessed that gives his book its edge. Many other writers have described the Americans who went to Spain, but few have brought to their accounts such an enjoyable and balanced mixture of history and personal narrative ... Hochschild is good at conveying the barbarity on both sides without letting it swamp the story ... fascinating. -- Caroline Moorehead * Literary Review *Table of ContentsSection - i: List of Maps Section - ii: Author's Note Introduction - iii: Prologue: Far from Home Chapter - 1: Chasing Moneychangers from the Temple Chapter - 2: Promised Land, Black Wings Chapter - 3: "Those Who Do Not Think as We Do" Chapter - 4: A New Heaven and Earth Chapter - 5: "I Will Destroy Madrid" Chapter - 6: "Don't Try to Catch Me" Chapter - 7: Rifles from the 1860s Chapter - 8: Over the Mountains Chapter - 9: Civil War at the Times Chapter - 10: The Man Who Loved Dictators Chapter - 11: Devil's Bargain Chapter - 12: "I Don't Think I Would Write about That If I Were You" Chapter - 13: "As Good a Method of Getting Married as Any Other" Chapter - 14: Texaco Goes to War Chapter - 15: "In My Book You'll Be an American" Chapter - 16: "A Letter to My Novia" Chapter - 17: "Only a Few Grains of Sand Left in the Hourglass" Chapter - 18: At the River's Edge Chapter - 19: A Change of Heart? Chapter - 20: Gambling for Time Chapter - 21: The Taste of Tears Chapter - 22: Kaddish Acknowledgements - iv: Acknowledgements Section - iv: Notes Section - v: Bibliography Section - vi: Photo Credits Index - vii: Index Acknowledgements - viii: Permissions Acknowledgements

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Book SynopsisExam board: OCRLevel: A LevelSubject: History First teaching: September 2015First exams: AS: Summer 2016, A Level: Summer 2017An OCR endorsed resourceSuccessfully cover Unit Group 2 with the right amount of depth and pace; this bespoke series from the leading History publisher follows our proven and popular approach for OCR A Level, blending clear course coverage with focused activities and comprehensive assessment support.- Develops understanding of the period through an accessible narrative that is tailored to the specification content and structured around key questions for each topic- Builds the skills required for Unit Group 2, from explanation, assessment and analysis to the ability to make substantiated judgements- Enables students to consolidate and extend their topic knowledge with a range of activities suitable for classwork or homework- Helps students achieve their best by providing step-by-step assessment guidance and practice questions- Facilitates revision with useful summaries at the start and end of each chapter- Ensures that students understand key historical terms and concepts by defining them in the glossaryTrade ReviewThe book is clear and teacher/student friendly. It follows the order of the specification, which makes it much more accessible. The activities in the textbook are also useful and the end-of-chapter summaries and study skills are hugely beneficial to students. -- History and Politics Teacher, The Corsham School Academy

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Book SynopsisBuild, reinforce and assess students' knowledge throughout their course; tailored to the 2016 CCEA specification and brought to you by the leading History publisher, this study and revision guide combines clear content coverage with practice questions and sample answers.- Ensure understanding of the period with concise coverage of all Unit content, broken down into manageable chunks- Develop the analytical and evaluative skills that students need to succeed in A-level History- Consolidate understanding with exam tips and knowledge-check questions- Practise exam-style questions matched to the CCEA assessment requirements for every question type- Improve students' exam technique and show them how to reach the next grade with sample student answers and commentary for each exam-style question- Use flexibly in class or at home, for knowledge acquisition during the course or focused revision and exam preparation

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Book SynopsisExam Board: EdexcelLevel: AS/A-levelSubject: HistoryFirst teaching: September 2015First exams: Summer 2016 (AS), Summer 2017 (A-level)Give your students the best chance of success with this tried and tested series, combining in-depth analysis, engaging narrative and accessibility. Access to History is the most popular, trusted and wide-ranging series for A-level History students.This title:- Supports the content and assessment requirements of the 2015 A-level History specifications- Contains authoritative and engaging content- Includes thought-provoking key debates that examine the opposing views and approaches of historians- Provides exam-style questions and guidance for each relevant specification to help students understand how to apply what they have learntThis title is suitable for a variety of courses including:- Edexcel: Option 1F: In Search of the American Dream: the USA, c1917-96

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Book SynopsisThe struggle in projects, ideas and symbols between the strongest Communist Party in the West and an anti-communist and pro-Western government coalition was the most peculiar founding element of Italian democratic political system after World War II. Communism and anti-Communism in early Cold War Italy enlightens new aspects of and players of the anti-Communist ‘front’. It takes into account the role of cultural associations, newspapers and the popular press in the selection and diffusion of critical judgements and images of Communism, highlighting a dimension that explains the force and the diffusion of anti-communist opinions in Italy after 1989 and the crisis of traditional parties. The author also places the case of Italian cold-war anti-communism in an international context for the first time.Table of ContentsIntroduction1. Systems and methods for political communication in post-war Italy2. Religious and moral values3. Freedom and democracy4. The fatherland, the Italian nation and its role in the world5. Towards a legitimation of prosperity?Index

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Book SynopsisThis book examines the political works of Andrew Michael Ramsay (1683–1743) within the context of early eighteenth-century British and French political thought. In the first monograph on Ramsay in English for over sixty years, the author uses Ramsay to engage in a broader evaluation of the political theory in the two countries and the exchange between them. At the beginning of the eighteenth century, Britain and France were on divergent political paths. Yet in the first three decades of that century, the growing impetus of mixed government in Britain influenced the political theory of its long-standing enemy. Shaped by experiences and ideologies of the seventeenth century, thinkers in both states exhibited a desire to produce great change by integrating past wisdom with modern knowledge.Trade Review‘Mansfield’s book enriches and complicates our understanding of a vibrant culture of intellectual exchange between Britain and France in the early modern era. It is a welcome contribution to this topic in that it balances the prevalent focus on the wave of Anglomania that swept over France especially after the conclusion of the War of the Spanish Succession in 1713.’Doohwan Ahn, Seoul National University, Northern Scotland‘Ideas of Monarchical Reform is an interesting and informative first book that casts important light on thought in both Britain and France in the decades before and after 1700.’Johann Sommerville, University of Wisconsin-Madison, American Historical Review‘This is a constructive endeavour to explore the philosophy of a spiritual and intellectual adventurer, Andrew Michael Ramsay, a Scottish émigré in France whose commitment to Jacobitism was surpassed only by that to European freemasonry.’Allan I. Macinnes, University of Strathclyde, EHR, CXXXlll, 562 (June 2018)‘Ideas of Monarchical Reform is a[n] highly engaging and significant study in the history of ideas. It certainly offers a richer religious and political context for Jacobitism, as a movement capable of embracing far more heterogeneous and creative viewpoints, than is often acknowledged in many of the modern apologias for the exiled Stuarts.’John Callow, University of Suffolk, The Seventeenth Century‘Mansfield’s work on Ramsay constitutes not only one of the rare contributions to understanding the Chevalier’s oeuvre but also a deft analysis of the complex strands of political thought in Britain and France in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries.’Minchul Kim, School of History, University of St Andrews, History of European Ideas -- .Table of ContentsIntroduction1 Division and unity I: revolution and settlement2 Division and unity II: fear and corruption3 Liberty and the public good: the political principles of Archbishop Fénelon4 The reign of Louis XIV: absolute monarchy5 Confronting the legacy of Louis XIV: government reform and Britain6 Ramsay and his associations7 A mythical conversation: an Essay and a Vie8 A mythical education: Ramsay’s Cyrus and PlanConclusionIndex

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Book SynopsisThe traumatic surreal is the first major study to examine the ground-breaking role played by Germanophone women artists working in surrealist traditions in responding to the traumatic events and legacies of the Second World War. Analysing works in a variety of media by leading artists and writers, the book redefines the post-war trajectories of surrealism and recalibrates critical understandings of the movement’s relations to historical trauma. Chapters address artworks, writings and compositions by the Swiss Meret Oppenheim, the German Unica Zürn, the Austrian Birgit Jürgenssen, the Luxembourg-Austrian Bady Minck and the Austrian Olga Neuwirth and her collaboration with fellow Austrian Nobel-prize winning novelist Elfriede Jelinek. Locating each artist in their historical context, the book traces the development of the traumatic surreal through the wartime and post-war period.Trade Review‘…a welcome addition to recent scholarship on both the women of, and inspired by, Surrealism, and the role of trauma in contemporary art.’ The Burlington Magazine'...a groundbreaking book that offers new perspectives on female positions and lineages in the history of surrealism.' Woman's Art Journal -- .Table of ContentsIntroduction1 Meret Oppenheim’s hauntologies2 Unica Zürn’s pathographies3 Birgit Jürgenssen’s abjections4 Bady Minck’s tourist imaginaries5 Olga Neuwirth / Elfriede Jelinek: temporality and traumaIndex

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Book SynopsisTransnational solidarity excavates the forgotten histories of solidarity that were vital to radical political imaginaries during the ‘long’ 1960s. It decentres the conventional Western focus of this critical historical moment by foregrounding transnational solidarity with, and across, anticolonial and anti-imperialist liberation struggles. The book traces the ways in which solidarity was conceived, imagined and enacted in the border crossings — of nation, race and class — made by grassroots activists.This diverse collection draws links between exiled revolutionaries in Uruguay, post-colonial immigrants in Britain, and Greek communist refugees in East Germany who campaigned for their respective causes from afar while identifying and linking up with wider liberation struggles. Meanwhile, Arab immigrants in France, Pakistani volunteers and Iraqi artists found myriad ways to express solidarity with the Palestinian cause. Neglected archives also reveal Tricontinental Cuban-based genealogies of artistic militancy, as well as transnational activist networks against Portuguese colonial rule in Africa.Bringing together original research with contributions from veteran activists and artists, this interdisciplinary volume explores how transnational solidarity was expressed in and carried through the itineraries of migrants and revolutionaries, film and print cultures, art and sport, political campaigns and armed struggle. It presents a novel perspective on radical politics of the global sixties which remains crucial to understanding anti-racist solidarity today.With a foreword by Vijay Prashad.Trade Review'This valuable collection of essays casts fresh light on a very significant period of anticolonial resistance and connected struggles across national borders. Its global scope decentres the geopolitical West without obscuring the links between various movements in the ‘long sixties’. Textured histories of transnational solidarity, at all times a demanding practice, are particularly welcome at a time when anti-imperialism too often devolves into a simplistic campism.'Priyamvada Gopal, author of Insurgent Empire, University of Cambridge'This is an important and politically timely collection which foregrounds the agency of activists from the Middle East, Latin America, Africa and South Asia in shaping the left internationalisms that defined the ‘Global Sixties’. It also reinscribes the centrality of anticolonial solidarity to events such as '1968' in Paris and the emergence of the anti-apartheid movement. Through doing so it provides necessary resources for thinking about left futures and global transnational solidarities.'David Featherstone, author of Solidarity, University of Glasgow -- .Table of ContentsForeword – Vijay PrashadIntroduction: Transnational solidarity in the long sixties – Zeina Maasri, Cathy Bergin and Francesca Burke 1 ‘We took the notion’ – Bernadette Devlin McAliskey 2 The voice of the immigrant worker and the rise and fall of France’s long 1968 – Matt Myers 3 Comités Palestine (1970-72): on the origins of solidarity with the Palestinian cause in France – Abdellali Hajjat 4 Cultural guerrilla: tricontinental genealogies of 1968 – Paula Barreiro López Manifesto: For the cultural congress of Havana (1967) 5 New left encounters in Latin America: transnational revolutionaries, exiles and the formation of the Tupamaros in early 1960s Montevideo – Marina Cardozo 6 Connected struggles, anticolonial solidarity and liberation movements in the Portuguese colonies in Africa – Víctor Barros7 ‘Action needed’: the American Committee on Africa and solidarity with Angola – Aurora Almada e Santos 8 On transnational feminist solidarity: the case of Angela Davis in Egypt Sara Salem 9 ‘Don’t play with apartheid’: anti-racist solidarity in Britain with South African sports Christian Høgsbjerg 10 The Gulf Committee: Interview with Helen Lackner 11 ‘The brilliant sun of revolt’ rising in the East: solidarity in Britain with the uprising in Pakistan of 1968-69 – Talat Ahmed 12 Palestine through the prism of Pakistani cinema: imagining sameness and solidarity through Zerqa (1969) – Sabah Haider 13 The long sixties and Islamist activism: radical transregional solidarities – Claudia Derichs 14 A witness of our time (1972): Selected drawings by Dia al-Azzawi 15 Greece in the Third World: solidarity through metonymy in a refugee magazine from the GDR – Mary Ikoniadou 16 Solidarity as an absence: the productive limits of Adorno’s thought – Patricia McManus Index

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Book SynopsisThe bloody eight-year Iran-Iraq war is now almost forgotten, overshadowed by the subsequent Gulf War and Iraq War. However, it is best remembered for the unique so-called 'Tanker War' which threatened to strangle the world's oil supplies. At the time Tucker-Jones as a defence analyst wrote extensively on the war and now brings his expertise to bear with this account of a conflict fuelled by festering regional rivalries, the Cold War and the emerging threat posed by militant Shia Islam. Fought on land, at sea and in the air using some of the most modern weapons money could buy, Western-backed Saddam Hussein's Sunni Iraq and Shia Iran under the ayatollahs fought themselves to a standstill. Once Saddam's armoured blitzkrieg had been halted and Iran's human-wave counterattacks fought off, it became a war of attrition with major battles fought for the possession of Khorramshahr and Basra. Both sides resorted to chemical weapons and bombarding each other with missiles. When the war spilled over into the waters of the Gulf it sparked open Western intervention. Escalating attacks on oil tankers finally culminated in a ceasefire.

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Book SynopsisCrammed into cattle trucks and deported to camps, shot and buried in mass graves, or force-marched to death, over 1.5 million Armenians were murdered by the Turkish state, twenty years before the start of Hitler's Holocaust. The United States' government called it a crime against humanity and Turkey was condemned by Russia, France and Great Britain. But two decades later the genocide had been conveniently forgotten. Hitler justified his Polish death squads by asking in 1939: 'Who after all is today speaking about the destruction of the Armenians?' Armenian Genocide is a new, gripping account that tells the story of the 'Megh Yeghern' - the Great Crime - against the Armenians through the stories of the men and women who died, the few who survived, and the diplomats who tried to intervene.

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Book SynopsisOne of the great tragedies of Africa is not only the fact that a million people-mostly civilians and a large proportion of them children-died in one of Africa's first post-independence wars, but that until it happened the world thought Nigeria was immune from the wasting disease of tribalism. It certainly was not because the Biafran War is still the most expansive tribal conflagration that the continent has experienced-barring perhaps the ongoing Great Lakes conflict-involving the forces of East and West, only this time, with the British siding with the Soviets. Worse, some of the religious differences that emerged before and after that dreadful carnage are still with us today. During the course of hostilities that lasted almost four years, a lot of other shortcomings surfaced in Africa's most populous nation, including the kind of corruption that, until then, had always been linked to countries rich in oil. Disunity, incompetence and instability-from which Nigeria never really recovered-also emerged. Two bloody army coups followed after the rebels capitulated, together with an appalling series of massacres, mostly of southern Christians by Muslim northerners. Half a century later the slaughter continues.

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Book SynopsisWhen Count Henry of Anjou and his formidable wife Eleanor of Aquitaine became king and queen of England, they amassed an empire stretching 1,000 miles from the Pyrenees to the Scottish border, including half of France. Henry's grandmother Empress (of Germany) Mathilda had taught him that ruling is like venery: show the hawk the reward, but take it away at the last moment, to keep the bird eager to please. To sons and vassals alike, Henry promised everything but gave nothing, keeping the three adult princes hating him and the other siblings all their lives. Plantagenet Princes traces the lives and infamous webs of mistrust and intrigue among them. What sons they were! Henry (b. 1155), 'the Young king' was entitled to succeed his father, yet was a rich playboy who died crippled by debt before his thirtieth birthday, after living the life of a robber baron. Richard (b. 1157), 'the Lionheart' was lord of his mother's duchy of Aquitaine and became, thanks to her, England's most popular king despite bankrupting the Empire twice in his disastrous 10-year reign. Geoffrey (b. 1158), count of Brittany, was the cleverest, but was trampled to death by horses aged 32 in a pointless melee at Paris, leaving his wife Constance to act as regent for their son Arthur in a long power struggle between Philip Augustus, king of France, and the Plantagenets. The runt of the litter, John (b. 1166) was nicknamed Lackland, since no inheritance was initially promised him. He proved the longest-lived by far, dying at the age of fifty after signing Magna Carta, losing the key duchy of Normandy and most of the other continental possessions - also murdering his nephew Arthur, imprisoning Arthur's sister for life and waging war against his barons, continued by Henry III. The Plantagenet line continued with Richard of Cornwall, Edward I conquering Wales, gay Edward II, Edward III, Edward the Black Prince and Richard II, who died in prison while his usurper sat on the throne.

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Book SynopsisAlthough the worlds of science and philosophy took giant strides away from the medieval view of the world, attitudes to women did not change from those that had pertained for centuries. Girls were largely barred from education - only around 14% of women could read and write by 1700 - and the few educated women were not permitted to enter the professions. The social turbulence of the first half of the seventeenth century afforded women new opportunities and new religious freedoms and women were attracted into the many new sects where they were afforded a voice in preaching and teaching. This reaction often found expression in the violent and brutal treatment of women who were seen to have stepped out of line, whether legally, socially or domestically. Often beaten and abused at home by husbands exercising their legal right, they were whipped, branded, exiled and burnt alive by the courts, from which their sex had no recourse to protection, justice or restitution. This work records the many kinds of violent physical and verbal abuse perpetrated against women in Britain and her colonies, both domestically and under the law, during two centuries when huge strides in human knowledge and civilisation were being made in every other sphere of human activity.

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Book SynopsisThe Ismaili Assassins were an underground group of political killers who were ready to kill Christians and Muslims alike with complete disregard for their own lives. These devoted murderers were under the powerful control of a grand master who used assassination as part of a grand strategic vision that embraced Egypt, the Levant and Persia and even reached the court of the Mongol Khans in far away Qaraqorum. The Assassins were often slayed their victims in public, cultivating their terrifying reputation. They assumed disguises and their weapon of choice was a dagger. The dagger was blessed by the grand master and killing with it was a holy and sanctified act poison or other methods of murder were forbidden to the followers of the sect. Surviving a mission was considered a deep dishonour and mothers rejoiced when they heard that their Assassin sons had died having completed their deadly acts. Their formidable reputation spread far and wide. In 1253, the Mongol chiefs were so fearful of them that they massacred and enslaved the Assassins women and children in an attempt to liquidate the sect. The English monarch, Edward I, was nearly dispatched by their blades and Richard the Lionhearts reputation was sullied by his association with the Assassins murder of Conrad of Montferrat. The Ismaili Assassins explores the origins, actions and legacy of this notorious sect. Enriched with eyewitness accounts from Islamic and Western sources, this important book unlocks the history of the Crusades and the early Islamic period, giving the reader entry into a historical epoch that is thrilling and pertinent.Trade Review" ...weaves the Assassin's history, their political ideology, and their determined, deadly tactics into a broader tapestry of the region's history from their origination to the height of their influence to their fading historical force."--Midwest Book Review

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Book SynopsisThe opening years of the fifteenth century saw one of the most bitterly contested political and military convulsions in the history of the British Isles, a conflict that is too-often overlooked by military historians. Henry IV, who had overthrown and probably murdered his predecessor Richard II, fought a protracted and bloody campaign against the most powerful nobles in the land. This war is the subject of John Barratts gripping study. The Percy family, the Kings of the North, and their most famous leader Sir Henry Percy Hotspur,whose fiery nature and military prowess were immortalized by Shakespeare stood out against Henrys rule. And the beleagured king also had to contend with a range of other unrelenting opponents, among them Owain Glyn Dwr, who led the Welsh revolt against English supremacy. In this graphic account of the first, deeply troubled years of Henry IVs reign, John Barratt concentrates on the warfare, in particular on the setpiece pitched battles fought at Homildon Hill, Pilleth and Shrewsbury.Trade Review"a fresh look at the conflict, delving into the contemporary accounts and describing in detail the fighting methods and tactics..."-- "Shropshire Star"

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Book SynopsisFormer Director of Central Intelligence R. James Woolsey and former Romanian acting spy chief Lt. General Ion Mihai Pacepa, who was granted political asylum in the U.S. in 1978, describe why Russia remains an extremely dangerous force in the world, and they finally and definitively put to rest the question of who killed President Kennedy on November 22, 1963.All evidence points to the fact that the assassination—carried out by Lee Harvey Oswald—was ordered by Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, acting through what was essentially the Russian leader’s personal army, the KGB (now known as the FSB). This evidence, which is codified as most things in foreign intelligence are, has never before been jointly decoded by a top U.S. foreign intelligence leader and a former Soviet Bloc spy chief familiar with KGB patterns and codes.Meanwhile, dozens of conspiracy theorists have written books about the JFK assassination during the past fifty-six years. Most of these theories blame America and were largely triggered by the KGB disinformation campaign implemented in the intense effort to remove Russia’s own fingerprints that blamed in turn Lyndon Johnson, the CIA, secretive groups of American oilmen, Howard Hughes, Fidel Castro, and the Mafia.Russian propaganda sowed hatred and contempt for the U.S. quite effectively, and its operations have morphed into many forms, including the recruitment of global terror groups and the backing of enemy nation- states. Yet it was the JFK assassination, with its explosive aftermath of false conspiracy theories, that set the model for blaming America first.

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Book SynopsisThe life of Robert Bruce is one of the greatest comeback stories in history. Heir and magnate, shrewd politician, briefly 'king of summer' and then a desperate fugitive who nevertheless returned from exile to recover the kingdom he claimed, Bruce became a gifted military leader and a wise statesman, a leader with vision and energy. Colm McNamee combines the most up to date scholarship on this crucial figure in the history of the British Isles with lucid explanation of the medieval context, so that readers of all backgrounds can appreciate Bruce's enormous contribution to the historical impact not just on Scotland, but on England and Ireland too. It is designed to encourage popular reassessment of Bruce as politician, warrior, monarch and saviour of Scottish identity from extinction at the hands of the Edwardian superstate. Peeling back the layers of misconception and propaganda, the author paints an accurate, sympathetic but balanced portrait of a much beloved national hero who has fallen out of fashion of late for no good reason.

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Book SynopsisJames VI and I, the first monarch to reign over Scotland, England and Ireland, has long endured a mixed reputation. To many, he is simply the homosexual King, the inveterate witch-roaster, the smelly sovereign who never washed, the colourless man behind the authorised Bible bearing his name, or the drooling fool whose speech could barely be understood. For too long, he has paled in comparison to his more celebrated Tudor and Stuart forebears. But who was he really? To what extent have myth, anecdote, and rumour obscured him? In this new and ground-breaking biography, James’s story is laid bare and a welter of scurrilous, outrageous assumptions penned by his political opponents put to rest. What emerges is a portrait of Elizabeth I's successor as his contemporaries knew him: a gregarious, idealistic man obsessed with the idea of family, whose personal and political goals could never match up to reality. With reference to letters, libels and state papers, it casts fresh light on the personal, domestic, international and sexual politics of this misunderstood sovereign. 'A real page-turner for lovers of history' - Philippa GregoryTrade Review'The Wisest Fool is a sensitive portrait of a king who, despite errors of judgement managed to negotiate a period of exceptional political and religious turbulence... this is a probing, wellrounded and very readable account of a king too often over-looked, despite his pivotal role in modern British politics.' -- Rosemary Goring * Herald *'It does not flinch from the flaws of character and errors of rule but makes a fair analysis of James the man as he struggled to become James the king ... a real page-turner for lovers of history' -- Philippa Gregory'Two kingdoms, two very different reputations. Veerapen brings fresh life and acute insight into the conundrum that is the reigns of King James' -- Leanda de Lisle'[James] was derided as "the wisest fool in Christendom" - wise in small things, but a fool when it came to weightier matters. That image has now been punctured. Not for the first time a historical parody emerges on closer inspection to be largely based on manufactured propaganda' -- Magnus Linklater * The Times *'Steven Veerapen's biography of James VI/I is so good that it seems likely to become the definitive work about the life of a much maligned and perhaps poorly understood character.' * Undiscovered Scotland *'He may not always have acted wisely during his reign, but a new biography shows that James VI and I was no fool...this is a very engaging book' -- Allan Massie * The Scotsman *'an extremely well-balanced account of James' character... a highly accomplished and well-written work of creative non-fiction' * Country Life *'It takes someone with the scholarship and narrative skills of Steven Veerapen to weave his way with through the evidence to provide a cohesive and plausible story, providing a book that will become essential reading for academics and ordinary history lovers alike' -- Robert Stedall * Amazon Five Stars *'A really interesting biography… a deep dive into the facts and information paints something of a different story… busts some of the false ideas and presents a better picture of this historical person' -- Dr Miranda Melcher * Newbooks Network (British Studies) *'Veerapen weaves a fresh and honest tapestry of James’s character in all its imperfect glory. It is based on scholarly study and achieved with appropriate gravitas . . . Only by examining his time as King of Scotland can later years be fully understood – and this is expertly done' -- Mark Turnbull * GoodReads, FIVE stars *'Steven Veerapen has done a splendid job in bringing this neglected king and the extraordinary life he led so vividly to the page . . . Expertly researched and eminently readable' -- Linda Porter * The Writing Desk blog *

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Book SynopsisConflict in 19th Century Ireland, has been updated and revised to assist teachers and students to meet the requirements of the CCEA GCE History A2 1 Unit 2, `Ireland Under the Union 1800-1900'. This comprehensive account of the birth of the modern era in Irish politics by a highly regarded author explores the development of unionism and nationalism, and the relationship between Ireland and the British government. Covering topics such as Catholic emancipation and the Home Rule movement. Complemented by an index and a photographic section to visually support the study of the period. Contents: Chapter 1 Opposition to the Union Constitutional Nationalism 1800-1845 Revolutionary Nationalism 1800-1900 Constitutional Nationalism 1845-1900 Cultural Nationalism 1800-1900 Opposition to the Union - Conclusion Chapter 2 The Significance of Social and Economic Issues Chapter 3 The British Government's Response to Irish Nationalism Chapter 4 Supporters of the Union Conclusion Table of ContentsContents: Opposition to the Union The Significance of Social and Economic Issues The British Government's Response to Irish Nationalism Supporters of the Union Conclusion

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Book SynopsisPart biography, part cultural history, The Creation of Anne Boleyn is a fascinating reconstruction of Anne’s life and an illuminating look at her afterlife in the popular imagination. Why is Anne so compelling? Why does she inspire such extreme reactions? And what really was the colour of her hair? And perhaps the most provocative question concerns Anne’s death, more than her life: how could Henry order the execution of his once beloved wife? Drawing on scholarship and popular culture, Bordo probes the complexities of one of history’s most infamous relationships and teases out the woman behind the myths.Trade Review'Engrossing… a fascinating discussion.' * New York Times *'Bordo rightly observes that the attempt to erase Anne from history had a different result to the one Henry had intended. Deprived of hard facts about her, Anne was not forgotten but instead became a kind of metaphor for successive generations to vent their idée fixes.' * Independent *'Refreshing, iconoclastic and moving.' -- Suzannah Lipscomb, broadcaster and author of 1536'An interesting and timely reappraisal' * Irish Independent *"By her own confession, philosopher Susan Bordo is obsessed with Anne Boleyn. The very cover of her new book alerts the reader to the fact they are about to experience something more than straightforward history… This isn't just a narrative of the controversies of Anne's life, although Bordo achieves that with clarity and insight, it is an energetic and delightful deconstruction of Anne as an icon, for a post-modern audience… Without question, this book is going to prove controversial. In fact, it already has. Dismissed by some academics on the basis of the cover alone, considered a travesty and insult to the Queen, its tone of irreverent reverence has already irked some readers used to a more traditional narrative approach. This is a shame, as Bordo's style will embrace a whole new readership and strides boldly into new territory… Even for those who come to the text with a background in the period, there are still surprising discoveries to be made in the way that the Victorians perceived Anne and her feisty post-war construction… Perhaps most enjoyable of all is the personal nature of The Creation of Anne Boleyn. Readers are invited to accompany Bordo on her own voyage of discovery, sharing her own experiences in the search for Anne, from being hit by a London bus to her conversations with actress Natalie Dormer… Recent years have seen far too much belittling of popular history and Bordo bravely strides into the no-man's land between serious historical narratives and the perceived "dumbing-down" of shows designed to entertain. The Creation of Anne Boleyn represents a new approach to an old topic, an iconoclastic study of how modern culture has appropriated the sixteenth century for its own purposes. Bordo has reclaimed Anne for a new generation." * Amy Licence, Huffington Post *'Moving, disconcerting and exhilarating… I loved it.' * Literary Review *'Lively… an interesting and timely reappraisal of representations of Anne in the years since her death.' * Sunday Telegraph *'An exposé of Tudor history as tittle-tattle: A jaunty canter through all the wildly differing views of Anne Boleyn across the centuries.' * Mail on Sunday *'With telling quotations and a piquant sense of humour, Susan Bordo offers readers a fascinating and intelligent insight into historical story-telling. Incisive and perceptive.' -- Susan Doran, University of Oxford, author of The Tudor Chronicles'Bearing her scholarship lightly and writing with fire and wit, Susan Bordo asks a profound question: what is real in history? A smashing book.' -- Howard Brenton, author and playwright of Anne Boleyn'Deeply innovative, insightful and multi-layered...turns previously conceived notions on their heads. Highly recommended.' -- Elizabeth Norton, author of The Boleyn Women'If you think you know who Anne Boleyn was, think again. Rigorously argued yet deliciously readable...Bordo knocks it out of the park. Brava!' -- Robin Maxwell, author of The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn and Mademoiselle Boleyn'Meticulous, thoughtful, persuasive – and fun.' -- Margaret George, author of The Autobiography of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I'By turns sassy and serious, playful and profound, Susan Bordo cuts through the layers of legend, fantasy and untruth that history and culture have attached to Anne Boleyn, while proving that the facts about that iconic queen are every bit as intriguing as the fictions.' -- Caroline Weber, author of Queen of Fashion: What Marie Antoinette Wore to the Revolution'Bordo has pulled off an important coup...reminds us that, while history is fascinating, so is the history of history. Enthralling.' -- Derek Wilson, author of A Brief History of Henry VIII'Beautiful, intelligent and true.' -- Geneviève Bujold, actress, Anne Boleyn in Anne of the Thousand Days‘Energetic and delightful...Bordo has reclaimed Anne for a new generation.’ -- Amy Licence, author of In Bed with the Tudors'Eloquent...Strong and discerning.' -- Natalie Dormer, actress, Anne Boleyn in the BBC series ‘The Tudors’‘Absorbing… striking jacket too.' * The Bookseller *One of the top ten royal history books of 2013 * The Royal Historian *'Entertaining [and] provocative.' * Boston Globe *'A great read for Boleyn fans and fanatics alike.' * Kirkus Reviews *'[Bordo does] a superb job of separating fact from fiction in contemporary accounts of Boleyn’s life, before deftly deconstructing the myriad and contradictory portraits of her that have arisen in the centuries since her death.' * Publishers Weekly *'Delightfully cheeky, solidly researched.' * Daily Beast *

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Book Synopsis'Let each know that for each the body, the mind and the soul have been freed to fulfil themselves.' These powerful words, spoken by Nelson Mandela in his inaugural address as the new president of South Africa, are taken from just one of the forty important and thought-provoking speeches in this collection. Ranging from 1945 to the present day, they provide an important insight into the modern world. Inspirational speeches by Winston Churchill, Mikhail Gorbachev, Martin Luther King, Barack Obama and many others are supplemented with biographies of each speaker, as well an exploration of their words' significance and an historical account of the consequences of their oratory. This is a history of the recent and contemporary world told through the speeches that shaped it.Table of ContentsIntroduction. Eamon de Valera: 'It is, indeed, hard for the strong to be just to the weak' - 16 May 1945. Winston Churchill: 'An iron curtain has descended across the Continent' - 5 March 1946. George Marshall: 'Our policy is directed not against any country or doctrine but against hunger, poverty, desperation and chaos' - 5 June 1947. Jawaharlal Nehru: 'A new star rises, the star of freedom in the east' - 14 August 1947. David Ben-Gurion: 'This is our native land, it is not as birds of passage that we return to it' - 2 October 1947. Eleanor Roosevelt: 'The basic problem confronting the world today ... is the preservation of human freedom' - 9 December 1948. Douglas MacArthur: 'Old soldiers never die, they just fade away' - 19 April 1951. Nikita Khrushchev: 'The cult of the individual brought about rude violation of party democracy' - 25 February 1956. Aneurin Bevan: 'The government resorted to epic weapons for squalid and trivial ends' - 5 December 1956. Mao Zedong: 'Let a hundred flowers blossom. Let a hundred schools of thought contend' - 27 February 1957. Harold Macmillan: 'The wind of change is blowing through this continent' - 3 February 1960. John F. Kennedy: 'We stand today on the edge of a New Frontier' - 15 July 1960. John F. Kennedy: 'Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country' - 20 January 1961. John F. Kennedy: 'Mankind must put an end to war - or war will put an end to mankind' - 25 September 1961. Charles de Gaulle: 'There is no independence imaginable for a country that does not have its own nuclear weapon' - 15 February 1963. Martin Luther King: 'I have a dream' - 28 August 1963. Harold Wilson: 'The white heat of the technological revolution' - 1 October 1963. Nelson Mandela: 'An ideal for which I am prepared to die' - 20 April 1964. Barry Goldwater: 'Extremism in the defence of liberty is no vice ... moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue' - 16 July 1964. Martin Luther King Jr: 'The war in Vietnam is but a symptom of a far deeper malady within the American spirit' - 4 April 1967. Julius Nyerere: 'Socialism is an attitude of mind' - 10 April 1967. Gamal Abdel Nasser: 'We are determined that the Palestine question will not be liquidated or forgiven' - 26 May 1967. Gamal Abdel Nasser: 'We are now ready to deal with the entire Palestine question' - 29 May 1967. Richard Nixon: 'North Vietnam cannot defeat or humiliate the United States. Only Americans can do that' - 3 November 1969. Richard Nixon: 'Mistakes, yes. But for personal gain, never' - 9 August 1974. Pierre Trudeau: 'The bringing home of our constitution marks the end of a long winter' - 17 April 1982. Neil Kinnock: 'I warn you that you will have pain' - 7 June 1983. Neil Kinnock: 'We are democratic socialists. We care all the time' - 15 May 1987. Ronald Reagan: 'Isolationism never was and never will be an acceptable response to tyrannical governments' - 6 June 1984. Mario Cuomo: 'For the love of God: Please, make this nation remember how futures are built' - 16 July 1984. Jesse Jackson: 'Suffering breeds character. Character breeds faith. In the end, faith will not disappoint' - 18 July 1984. Richard von Weizsacker: 'Anyone who closes his eyes to the past is blind to the present' - 8 May 1985. Margaret Thatcher: 'Let Europe be a family of nations ... relishing our national identity no less than our common European endeavour' - 20 September 1988. Mikhail Gorbachev: 'Freedom of choice is a universal principle to which there should be no exceptions' - 7 December 1988. Nelson Mandela: 'A rainbow nation at peace with itself and the world' - 10 May 1994. Seamus Heaney: 'The Ireland I now inhabit is one that these Irish contemporaries have helped to imagine' - 7 December 1995. Fidel Castro: 'Socialism or death!' - 1 January 1999. Anita Roddick: 'By putting our money where our heart is ... we will mould the world into a kinder, more loving shape' - 27 November 1999. Tony Blair: 'Our policies only succeed when the realism is as clear as the idealism' - 2 October 2001. Orhan Pamuk: 'Whatever the country, freedom of thought and expression are universal human rights' - 25 April 2006. Kevin Rudd: 'As of today, the time for denial, the time for delay, has at last come to an end' - 13 February 2008. Barack Obama: 'Tonight, more than 200 years after a former colony won the right to determine its own destiny, the task of perfecting our union moves forward' 6 November 2012. Index. Acknowledgements/credits.

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Book SynopsisA reassessment of the Anglo-Dutch wars of the second half of the seventeenth century, demonstrating that the conflict was primarily about trade. This book re-examines the history of Anglo-Dutch conflict during the seventeenth century, of which the three wars of 1652-4, 1665-7 and 1672-4 were the most obvious manifestation. Low-intensity conflict spanned a longer period. From 1618-19 hostilities in Asia between the Dutch and English East India Companies added new elements of tension beyond earlier disputes over the North Sea fisheries, merchant shipping and the cloth trade. The emerging multilateral trades of the Atlantic world added new challenges. This book integrates the European, Asian, American and African dimensions of the Anglo-Dutch Wars in an authentically global view. The role of the state receives special attention during a period in which both countries are best understood as 'fiscal-naval states'. The significance of sea power is reflected in the public history of the Anglo-Dutch wars, acknowledged in the concluding chapters. The book includes important new research findings and imaginative new thinking by leading historians of the subject.Trade Review[C]ontributes a rich layer of new scholarly analysis of the contextual landscape of the Anglo-Dutch aggression between 1652 and 1689. * The Northern Mariner *War, Trade and the State is an important and engaging collection of essays edited by David Ormrod and the late Gijs Rommelse that highlights the global importance of the wars. * INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MARITIME HISTORY *Table of ContentsPart I: Introduction Anglo-Dutch conflict in the North Sea and beyond - David Ormrod and Gijs Rommelse Part II: War in the North Sea 1.The seventeenth-century Anglo-Dutch wars in a European context - Gijs Rommelse and Roger Downing 2. Anglican Royalism and the origins of the Second Anglo-Dutch War - Paul Seaward 3. War, foreign relations and politics in the Netherlands from the Second Anglo-Dutch War to the Revolution of 1688 - Elizabeth Edwards 4. Competing navies: Anglo-Dutch naval rivalry, 1652-1688 - John B. Hattendorf 5. The Dutch and English fiscal-naval states: a comparative overview - Richard J. Blakemore and Pepijn Brandon 6. Dutch and English dockyards and coastal defence, 1652-1689 - Ann Coats and Alan Lemmers Part III: Conflict in the Atlantic world and Asia 7. The Second Anglo-Dutch War in the Atlantic - Nuala Zahedieh 8. Competing claims: international law, diplomacy and Anglo-Dutch rivalry in seventeenth century North America - Jaap Jacobs 9. Merchant companies at war: the Anglo-Dutch wars in Asia - Erik Odegard 10 .Arguing over empire: international law and Anglo-Dutch rivalry in the BandaIslands, 1616-1667 - Martine Julia van Ittersum Part IV: Public History 11. Michiel de Ruyter: a multi-purpose hero - Remmelt Daalder 12. Anglo-Dutch historical commemorations and the public, 1973-2017 - David Ormrod

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Book SynopsisA fresh look at William of Malmesbury which not only demonstrates his real greatness as a historian and his European vision, but also the breadth of his learning across a number of other disciplines. In the past William of Malmesbury (1090-1143) has been seen as first and foremost a historian of England, and little else. This volume reveals not only William's real greatness as a historian and his European vision, but also the breadth and depth of his learning across a number of other fields. Areas that receive particular attention are William's historical writings, his historical vision and interpretation of England's past; William and kingship; William's language; William's medical knowledge; the influence of Bede and other ancient writers on William's historiography; William and chronology; William, Anselm of Canterbury and reform of the English Church; William and the Latin Classics; William and the Jews; and William as hagiographer. Overall, the volume offers a broad coverage of William's learning, wide-ranging interests and significance as revealed in his writings.Trade ReviewA rewarding book for scholars of twelfth-century England. The book lives up to its title, the innovative approaches to William's life and works it contains proposing new discoveries, even for those already familiar with William's legacy. * PARERGON *The editors of this volume and its contributors deserve significant praise for assembling a collection of thought-provoking chapters, which not only help us to understand better the life and writings of William of Malmesbury, but which should also find relevance within the wider field of Anglo-Norman studies, the study and writing of history during the Middle Ages, and numerous additional topics besides. * REVIEWS IN HISTORY *[A] thought-provoking collection which makes a significant contribution to our understanding not only of William of Malmesbury's life and works, but also of twelfth-century historical writing and intellectual history, as well as broader aspects of the Anglo-Norman world such as national identity and kingship. * History *Table of ContentsDiscovering William of Malmesbury: The Man and his Works - Emily Dolmans and Emily A. Winkler Gesta Pontificum Anglorum: History or Hagiography? - Anne E. Bailey William of Malmesbury and Civic Virtue - Daniel Gerrard The Ironies of History: William of Malmesbury's Views of William II and Henry I - John B Gillingham William of Malmesbury and the Jews - Kati Ihnat Advising the King: Kingship, Bishops and Saints in the Works of William of Malmesbury - Ryan Kemp Roman Identity in William of Malmesbury's Historical Writings - William of Malmesbury and the Chronological Controversy - Anne Lawrence-Mathers William of Malmesbury and Durham: the Circulation of Historical Knowledge in Early Twelfth-Century England - Stanislav Mereminskiy William of Malmesbury as Librarian: The Evidence of his Autographs - Samu Niskanen William of Malmesbury: Medical Historian of the Crusades - Joanna Phillips German Emperors as Exemplary Rulers in William of Malmesbury and Otto of Freising - Alheydis Plassmann Lector amice: Reading as Friendship in William of Malmesbury - Sigbjorn Olsen Sonnesyn William of Malmesbury's Historical Vision - R. M. Thomson Verax historicus Beda: William of Malmesbury, Bede and historia - Emily Ward William of Malmesbury and the Britons - Emily A. Winkler Words, Words, Words, ... - Michael Winterbottom Epilogue: The Rediscovery of William of Malmesbury - R. M. Thomson

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Book Synopsis"This series [pushes] the boundaries of knowledge and [develops] new trends in approach and understanding." ENGLISH HISTORICAL REVIEW The essays in this volume explore relationships in all their different guises and expressions. Hostility between England and France cast a long shadow over the fifteenth century and beyond. While warfare at sea and the composition of the army which invaded Normandy in 1417 left extensive administrative records, sources of a different nature highlight the experiences of the French and Burgundians. The experience of the incursion of Henry VIII's forces in 1513 found expression in widely-distributed poems; while verses celebrating the births of heirs to the Hapsburg duke of Burgundy sought to allay fears over a change of regime by stressing the benefits of their multinational heritage. Portraits of rulers of Italian states emphasised the emergence of a shared courtly culture between England and Italy by commemorating their election as Knights of the Garter, while the records of Bishop's Lynn testify to the harmonious integration of immigrants from the Low Countries and Baltic regions. The Magna Carta of 1215 - intended to place the relationship between ruler and ruled on a new footing - had a long after-life, providing a blue-print for practices adopted by the Appellants of 1388 and being cited at the deposition of Richard II, only to be eclipsed in the late fifteenth century when depositions focused instead on challenges to the monarch's title. Poor records of the meetings of convocations have led to undue emphasis on their role in granting subsidies, but a register at Canterbury presents a different picture by revealing business of the southern convocation of 1462.Table of ContentsEngland and Europe, c.1450-1520: Nostalgia or New Opportunities? - MALCOLM VALE Mariners and Marauders: A Case Study of Fowey during the Hundred Years' War, c.1400-c.1453 - S.J. DRAKE Henry V's Army of 1417 - ANNE CURRY and DAVID CLEVERLY 'Get out of our land, Englishmen'. French Reactions to the English Invasion of 1512-13 - CHARLES GIRY-DELOISON Encountering the 'Duche' in Margery Kempe's Lynn - SUSAN MADDOCK 'C'est le Beaulté de Castille et d'Espaigne, qui le Soleil cler d'Austrice accompaigne': Jean Molinet makes the Habsburgs Burgundian - CATHERINE EMERSON Magna Carta in the Late Middle Ages, c.1320-c.1520 - NIGEL SAUL The Business of the Southern Convocation in 1462 - PAUL CAVILL

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Book SynopsisSheds new light on European and regional book markets, the development of a public sphere and the impact of new media on intellectual, social, religious and political change. How do you become a citizen? Ever since printing was introduced, being a member of society increasingly involved reading and writing: for sociability and belonging, instruction and entertainment, profit and charity, spiritual awakening and political debate. Literary practices shaped and changed identities and the organisation of society during the Long Eighteenth Century. In Scandinavia, this happened locally, as well as transnationally - reading, writing and producing texts involved entanglements within and beyond the borders of the Northern European periphery of Norway, Denmark and Sweden. Focusing on 'literary citizenship', this volume uncovers the different ways in which engagements with print have mediated and established networks and communities, identities and agencies of multiple sorts in an interconnected media landscape. The result is a complex and intriguing history of the book in the Scandinavian region. This history is, on the one hand, influenced by a European market and tradition. On the other hand, it offers an important and different case of regional and local adaptation, marked by what has been termed a 'Northern Enlightenment'. This book will be of interest to scholars of European enlightenment studies and to those who are interested in the continuing debates surrounding print culture and history. This book is available in digital format as Open Access under the Creative Commons license CC-BY-NC. This book and the research upon which it is based was supported by funds from The Research Council of Norway and the National Library of Norway. CONTRIBUTORS: Jens Bjerring-Hansen, Jon Haarberg, Ruth Hemstad, Thor Inge Rørvik, Ellen Krefting, Karin Kukkonen, Ulrik Langen, Aina Nøding, Jonas Nordin, James Raven, Janicke S. Kaasa, Karen Skovgaard-Petersen, Frederik Stjernfelt, Iver Tangen Stensrud and Jonas Thorup Thomsen.Table of ContentsIntroduction - Ruth Hemstad, Janicke S. Kaasa, Ellen Krefting and Aina Nøding 1. Early Print and Northern Exploration in the Service of the Church: On Archbishop Erik Valkendorf's Activities as Writer and Editor - Karen Skovgaard-Petersen 2. The Case of the Norwegian Catechism - Jon Haarberg 3. Possessed by a Book: Cultural Scripts for Demonic Possession in Early Modern Denmark - Jonas Thorup Thomsen 4. A Northern Republic of Letters? Transnational Periodical Cultures around 1700, 1800 and 1900 - Jens Bjerring-Hansen 5. Implementing Freedom of the Press in Eighteenth-Century Scandinavia: Perspectives on a Surprising Lack of Transnationalism - Ulrik Langen, Jonas Nordin and Frederik Stjernfelt 6. Multilingual Citizens of the World: Literary Fiction in Norwegian Book Collections in the Eighteenth Century - Karin Kukkonen 7. Stolen Fruit, Moral Fiction: Marmontel's Contes moraux in Denmark-Norway - Aina Nøding 8. Secret Springs and Naked Truths: Scandalous Political Literature in Eighteenth-Century Denmark-Norway - Ellen Krefting 9. From the Dictated Lecture to the Printed Textbook: The Circulation of Notes in the Teaching of Philosophy in Denmark-Norway, 1790-1850 -Thor Inge Rørvik 10. An Inspiring Model from the Periphery: The Transnational Circulation of the Norwegian 1814 Constitution - Ruth Hemstad 11. Heavenly Citizens of the World: Child Readers and the Missionary Cause - Janicke S. Kaasa 12. Diffusing Useful Knowledge: Skilling-Magazin, Transnational Images and Local Communities - Iver Tangen Stensrud Afterword - James Raven

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Book SynopsisSymbolism was endemic in the ancient world as a visual language, with its interpretation one of the most important challenges, especially in the realm of the divine and sacred, to today’s cognitive archaeology and Classical Studies. This study is focussed on circular solar/cosmic symbolism which has endured for seven millennia in the European and Mediterranean worlds. The potency of the solar/cosmic circle should not be understated, as this study will demonstrate, with its worldwide affiliation. For all humankind is aware of the sun’s benefits of light and warmth, and of the seasons which needed in the ancient world to be sustained by heavenly harmony through ritual, sacrifice and worship; hence the introduction of sympatheia, i.e. ‘as above so below’ thus satisfying society’s need for a relationship with the natural world of the universe/sun. To that end, Bronze Age people created circular landscapes such as Stonehenge with circular henges and burial monuments (barrows). In the Classical Greco-Roman world, kingship required emperors to play a cosmocrator role acting as a beneficial solar/cosmic earthly filter for their people. Thus Augustus adopted the primary solar Greek god Apollo as his patron, for he commanded prophecy and divination integral in the ancient world. Divination and fate belonged to the Gods, with ancient astrology not just fortune telling but projecting the divine will and workings of the circular living orderly universe with the Sun the centre of Divine intelligence. The pagan world inter-religious toleration was exchanged for Christian universalist monotheism which needed the solarisation of Christ by early Christian fathers to gain followers and permanent converts. Such was the strength of solar tradition that the Emperor Constantine remained loyal nearly unto death, and up to medieval times Christ in Europe was still known as Sol Resurrectionus.Trade Review'The breadth of material presented in this book is extraordinary, and Hobley’s passion for this project is apparent on every page. It raises intriguing research questions and connects with a long history of studies that have sought a connection between the sun and circular monuments…' Robert Witcher (2016): AntiquityTable of ContentsPart One: The Circle as a Symbol ; Chapter One: The Nature of Symbolism ; Chapter Two: Symbolism in the Greco - Roman World ; Chapter Three: Imaging the Gods ; Part Two: The Sun as a Universal Symbol ; Chapter Four: Solar Symbols in the Middle East ; Chapter Five: Solar Symbols in Megalithic Europe ; Chapter Six: The Sun and the Celts ; Chapter Seven: Sun - symbols in Mycenae and Crete ; Chapter Eight: The Greco - Roman Sun ; Chapter Nine: The Celestial Sphere ; Chapter Ten: The Advent of Apollo ; Chapter Eleven: Circularity and Centrality in Greek Thought ; Chapter Twelve: The Celestial Axis ; Part Three: Neolithic and Bronze Age Circular Structures ; Chapter Thirteen: The Neolithic/Bronze Age Circular World-View ; Chapter Fourteen: Stonehenge, Henges and Round Barrow ; Part Four: An Introduction to Greco - Roman Circular Structures ; Chapter Fifteen: Round Altars, Mundus /Offering Pits and Heröons ; Chapter Sixteen: Ancient Circular Town Planning ; Chapter Seventeen: The Tholus ; Chapter Eighteen: The Symbolic Meaning of Tholi ; Part Five: Circularity at Rome ; Chapter Nineteen: The Roman Circus ; Chapter Twenty: The Roman Theatre ; Chapter Twenty One: Circularity in the Forum Romanum ; Part Six: Rome and the New Architecture ; Chapter Twenty Two: The Dome in Roman Monumental Architecture ; Chapter Twenty Three: Arches, Vaults and Sacred Gateways ; Chapter Twenty Four: Apses and Hemicycles ; Chapter Twenty Five: Circularity in Sacred Palaces ; Chapter Twenty Six: Circularity at Roman Military Sites ; Part Seven: Roman Celestial Iconography ; Chapter Twenty Seven: The Apollonian Solar Family at Rome ; Chapter Twenty Eight: The Circle of the Zodiac ; Part Eight: The Cosmic Master - Builders ; Chapter Twenty Nine: Augustus and the Sun - god ; Chapter Thirty: Augustus’ Circular Mausoleum ; Chapter Thirty One: Apollo Palatinus and other Augustan Structures ; Chapter Thirty Two: Agrippa’s Pantheon ; Chapter Thirty Three: Hadrian’s Celestial Pantheon ; Chapter Thirty Four: Hadrian’s Circles and Squares ; Part Nine: Circular Symbolism in Roman Life ; Chapter Thirty Five: Circles of Death and the Afterlife ; Chapter Thirty Six: Solar Discs and Sacred Sun - cakes ; Chapter Thirty Seven: The Rosette ; Chapter Thirty Eight: Solar Headwear, star, zodiac & rosette garments ; Chapter Thirty Nine: Cosmic and Celestial Shields ; Part Ten: The Solar World of Christianity ; Chapter Forty: Pagan Monotheism and Early Christianity ; Chapter Forty One: Constantine the Great and the Triumph of Apollo ; Chapter Forty Two: The Solar Cycle and the Christian Year ; Chapter Forty Three: Circular Symbolism in Early Christian Structures ; Chapter Forty Four: The Cross ; Chapter Forty Five: The Unconquered Sun ; Conclusion

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Book SynopsisEphemeral city explores the rapid rise of cheap print and how it permeated Venetian urban culture in the Renaissance. It offers the first view of one of the city's most productive and creative industries from the bottom up and a new and unexpected vision of Renaissance culture, characterised by the fluid mobility and dynamic intermingling of texts, ideas, goods and people.Closely intertwined with oral culture and often peddled in the streets, cheap printed texts helped to open up new audiences for literature, providing information and entertainment to a diverse public and transforming the city into an epicentre of vernacular literature and performance. Examining the ways in which the production and dissemination of cheap print infiltrated Venice's urban environment and changed the course of its cultural life, the book also traces how local authorities responded by escalating censorship and control over the course of the sixteenth century.Ephemeral city will be of interest to scholars and students of early modern European and Italian Renaissance culture and society and the history of the book and communication.Trade Review'This vivid study gives for the first time solid form to an elusive topic, viewing this thriving and distinctive sector of the city's commerce both from street level and from the perspective of the state and the Roman Church as they struggled to control it.'Emeritus Professor Brian Richardson, University of Leeds'It is only very occasionally that a book comes along that opens up an entirely new field, but this is certainly the case with this sparklingly original study. Rosa Salzberg brings this forgotten world vividly to life in a work of great charm and outstanding forensic skill.'Professor Andrew Pettegree, University of St Andrews'A hugely impressive work that throws new light on the less known aspects of the Renaissance's largest publishing centre... This is a brilliant example of the most beautifully written, and entertaining, scholarship.'Filippo De Vivo, Birkbeck College, London|This book derives its value primarily from its close description of a dynamic process in one specific, but important, city. In doing so, Salzberg has produced an excellent, well-written, and informative introduction into the early modern world of cheap print culture., Jeroen Salman, Utrecht University, Humanities and Social Sciences Online, 5 March 2015|Studying the ephemeral presents serious challenges to historians, but Salzberg is able to weave fragmentary evidence together into a compelling narrative of how cheap print became omnipresent in the lives of most Venetians during the early sixteenth century. This well-written and researched work is an excellent example of the new scholarship on communication media and practices; it certainly will impact on future research agendas on this topic., Nina Lamal, University of St Andrews and University of Leuven, Library & Information History, 1 April 2015|...surely one of the most significant and impressive works on early modern European print culture to have been published in recent years. Its author, Rosa Salzberg, is an Assistant Professor of Italian Renaissance History at the University of Warwick. That this is a first monograph, emerging from the author's doctoral research, makes it a truly breathtaking accomplishment....this is certainly one of the best and most original works on book history to appear in recent years. Ephemeral City is an outstanding piece of scholarship, and beautifully written. It is essential reading for anyone interested in European print culture, and will almost certainly shape the field for a long time to come., Dr Alexander S. Wilkinson, University College Dublin, Reviews in History, 1 April 2015'Salzberg offers a valuable and innovative study that takes us out of the libraries of the learned and into the streets to see how the printed word gradually wound its way into the lives of ordinary Venetians.'Dennis Romano, Syracuse University, Renaissance Quarterly -- .Table of ContentsIntroduction1. ‘Every piece of rubbish given to the press’: defining and debating cheap print2. ‘Through the piazzas and on the Rialto Bridge’: the landscape of the ephemeral city 3. ‘A trade open to any mortal man’: mobility and versatility in the Venetian printing industry4. ‘In the mouths of charlatans’: pamphlets from print shop to piazza5. ‘Extreme disorder and confusion’: policing the ephemeral cityConclusion BibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisThe death of JFK, Jr., - accident or assassination? Exploding the Truth: The JFK, Jr. Assassination presents evidence of a conspiracy to assassinate the only surviving son of President John F. Kennedy and considers the motives that many powerful forces had, to make sure he never set foot in the White House. Divided into two parts, Part One examines the potential motives the Bush family, the C.I.A., and perhaps even Israeli intelligence, had to eliminate JFK, Jr. Part Two systematically dismantles the official version of events, that JFK, Jr., crashed his plane due to pilot error, and examines both the evidence of a government cover-up at the crime scene, and the extensive eyewitness reports of an explosion that brought the aircraft down.

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Book SynopsisAnne of Cleves left her homeland in 1539 to marry the king of England. She was not brought up to be a queen, yet out of many possible choices she was the bride Henry VIII chose as his fourth wife. But, from their first meeting the king decided he liked her not and sought an immediate divorce. After just six months their marriage was annulled, leaving Anne one of the wealthiest women in England. This is the story of Anne's marriage to Henry, how the daughter of Cleves survived him and her life afterwards. The latest in the series of popular Tudor biographies from Sarah-Beth Watkins, author of Lady Katherine Knollys: The Unacknowledged Daughter of King Henry VIII

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Book Synopsis'A riveting read ... a dark story of murder and deceit with verve and insight' John Woolf, author of The Wonders THE LIFE AND DEATH OF A 19TH-CENTURY CIRCUS LEGENDOn 28 November 1911 a retired showman died violently at his home in North London. Known to the world as Lord George Sanger, he was once the biggest name in show business, and was venerated as a national institution.The death of Britain's wealthiest showman read like a popular crime thriller: a merciless killer; a famous victim; sensational media headlines; a desperate manhunt laced with police incompetencies and a dramatic denouement few could have anticipated. But for over a century, questions have persisted about the murder.Weaving in the story of George's rise to fame and the history of Britain's entertainment industry, The Killing of Lord George uses previously unpublished archive material to reconstruct the events leading up to the death and reveal the true story behind the brutal crime that shocked Edwardian England.Trade ReviewKarl Shaw's enjoyable book takes us into the often tawdry sawdust rings of Victorian showmanship ... compelling. * Literary Review *Karl Shaw has delivered a riveting read, weaving together the extraordinary biography of George Sanger - Britain's answer to PT Barnum - alongside the Edwardian investigation into his tragic and violent demise. With twists and turns along the way, and providing a unique insight into Victorian and Edwardian Britain, Shaw takes us into a dark story of murder and deceit with verve and insight backed with thorough research. -- John Woolf, author of The Wonders: Lifting the Curtain on the Freak Show, Circus and Victorian AgeFascinating * Newbury Today *

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Book SynopsisAfter outlining conventional accounts of Wales in the High Middle Ages, this book moves to more radical approaches to its subject. Rather than discussing the emergence of the March of Wales from the usual perspective of the ‘intrusive’ marcher lords, for instance, it is considered from a Welsh standpoint explaining the lure of the March to Welsh princes and its contribution to the fall of the native principality of Wales. Analysis of the achievements of the princes of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries focuses on the paradoxical process by which increasingly sophisticated political structures and a changing political culture supported an autonomous native principality, but also facilitated eventual assimilation of much of Wales into an English ‘empire’. The Edwardian conquest is examined and it is argued that, alongside the resultant hardship and oppression suffered by many, the rising class of Welsh administrators and community leaders who were essential to the governance of Wales enjoyed an age of opportunity. This is a book that introduces the reader to the celebrated and the less well-known men and women who shaped medieval Wales.Trade Review`David Stephenson's latest book is a bold commentary on historians' writings about the political and "socio-political" history of medieval Wales over the past fifty years. A deliberate challenge to traditional interpretations, it is supported, as befits an accomplished historian of Gwynedd and Powys, by a depth of scholarship reflected in annotations and bibliographies that amount to a quarter of the book.' - Emeritus Professor Ralph A. Griffiths, Swansea University ; `This is an invaluable contribution to the historiography of medieval Wales. Stephenson successfully challenges the enduring paradigm of the Gwynedd-led evolution of one Wales, and paints a more complex, multi-dimensional picture. An essential read for scholars and students of medieval Welsh history!' Dr Emma Cavell, Swansea UniversityTable of ContentsAcknowledgements Abbreviations Maps Genealogical tables Introduction CHAPTER 1- An outline survey of Welsh political history, c.1050–1332 CHAPTER 2 - The Age of the Princes: shifting political cultures and structures CHAPTER 3 - The other Wales: the March CHAPTER 4 - The limits to princely power CHAPTER 5 - New ascendancies Envoi Notes Select bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThe numbers that tell the story of humanity 'Vital ... If you're thinking about setting up a giant land empire in Asia, you cannot do so without this book ... If only the last Song emperor had had this book by his side, he might have avoided his appalling fate' Dan Snow What was history's biggest empire? Or the tallest building of the ancient world? What was the average life expectancy in medieval Byzantium? The average wage in Old Kingdom Egypt? Where did scientific writing first emerge? What was the bloodiest ritual human sacrifice ever? We are used to thinking about history in terms of stories. Yet we understand our own world through data: vast arrays of statistics that reveal the workings of our societies. So, join the radical historians Peter Turchin and Dan Hoyer for a dive into the numbers that reveal the true shape of the past. Drawing on their own Seshat project, a staggeringly ambitious attempt to log each piece of demographic and econometric information that can be reliably estimated for every society that has ever existed, Figuring Out The Past does more than tell the story of the past: it shows you the large-scale patterns.Trade ReviewVital ... If you're thinking about setting up a giant land empire in Asia, you cannot do so without this book ... If only the last Song emperor had had this book by his side, he might have avoided his appalling fate -- Dan Snow

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Book SynopsisDublin and the Viking World is a unique blend of the familiar and the unfamiliar, the broad generalisation and the rarefied detail, the well-known historical character and the ordinary Dubliner.

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Book SynopsisIn 1946 many Jewish soldiers returned to their homes in England imagining that they had fought and defeated the forces of fascism in Europe. Yet in London they found a revived fascist movement inspired by Sir Oswald Mosley and stirring up agitation against Jews and communists. Many felt that the government, the police and even the Jewish Board of Deputies were ignoring the threat; so they had to take matters into their own hands, by any means necessary.Forty-three Jewish servicemen met together and set up a group that tirelessly organised, infiltrated meetings, and broke up street demonstrations to stop the rebirth of the far right. The group included returned war heroes; women who went undercover; and young Jews, such as hairdresser Vidal Sassoon, seeking adventure. From 1947, the 43 Group grew into a powerful troop that could muster hundreds of fighters turning meetings into mass street brawls at short notice.The history of the 43 Group is not just a gripping story of a forgotten moment in Britain's postwar history; it is also a timely lesson in how to confront fascism, and how to win.Trade ReviewThrough interviews with veterans, and material from antifascist and Jewish community archives, Sonabend vividly reconstructs this story. It is a story both inspiring and uncomfortable, and the fundamental questions it raises have yet to disappear from our political landscape. -- Daniel Trilling * Guardian *A new, comprehensive history of the group. * The Economist *Brilliant, compelling and very timely. This is the sort of history we should all know about, especially in these troubled times, but were never taught at school. * Keith Lowe, author of The Fear and the Freedom *A great reminder of a post-war resistance to fascism amongst Jewish Londoners. It's a little-known story as it tends to get hidden behind the pre-war appearance of Oswald Mosley and the British Union of Fascists but, as we read here, Mosley wasn't finished with his Jew-baiting. My own grandparents lived two hundred yards from the scene of action of most of this book and reading it brought it all to life for me. * Michael Rosen, author of So They Call You Pisher! *brilliantly chronicles the 43 Group's lightning-fast progress from a homespun organization with a handful of Jewish ex-servicemen...to a surprisingly sophisticated one with up to 2,000 members and intelligence and surveillance branches. * Haaretz *Sonabend combines academic rigour with an easy, readable style, all of which helps to throw into sharp relief the difficult questions the story raises. * New Statesman *This important book is not simply a trip down memory lane, but a warning from history. It should be mandatory for those who do not see themselves as bystanders. * Jewish Chronicle *Thrilling...full of unforgettable characters, clandestine activities, deception, surveillance and more than a few full-blooded street brawls...A must read for all antifascists * Hope Not Hate *

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Book SynopsisThe Italian sculptor known as Donatello helped to forge a new kind of art - one that defines the Renaissance. His work was progressive, innovative, challenging and even controversial. Using a variety of novel sculptural techniques and perspectives, Donatello depicted human sexuality, violence, spirituality and beauty. But to really understand Donatello one needs to understand a changing world, a transition from Medieval to Renaissance and to an art more personal and part of the modern self. Donatello was not just a man of his times, he helped create the spirit of the times he lived in, and those to come. In this beautifully illustrated book, the first monograph on Donatello for 25 years, A. Victor Coonin describes the full extent of Donatello's revolutionary contribution and shows how his work heralded the emergence of modern art.

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Book SynopsisThroughout his controversial life the alchemist, physician and social radical known as Paracelsus combined traditions that were magical and empirical, scholarly and folk, learned and artisanal. He read ancient texts and then burned some of them. He endorsed both Catholic and Reformation beliefs, but believed devoutly in a female deity. He travelled constantly, learning and teaching a new form of medicine based on the experience of miners, bathers, alchemists, midwives, barber-surgeons and executioners. He argued for changes in the way the body was understood, how disease was defined and how treatments were created, but he was also moved by mystical speculations, an alchemical view of nature and an intriguing concept of creation. Bruce T. Moran tells the story of how alchemy refashioned medical practice, and brings to light the ideas, workings and major texts of an important Renaissance figure, showing how his tenacity and endurance changed the medical world for the better, and brought new perspectives to the study of nature.

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Book SynopsisCrafts and Social Networks in Viking Towns explores the interface between craft, communication networks, and urbanisation in Viking-Age northern Europe. Viking-period towns were the hubs of cross-cultural communication of their age, and innovations in specialised crafts provide archaeologists with some of the best evidence for studying this communication. The integrated results presented in these papers have been made possible through the sustained collaboration of a group of experts with complementary insights into individual crafts. Results emerge from recent scholarly advances in the study of artefacts and production: first, the application of new analytical techniques (e.g. metallographic, isotopic, and biomolecular techniques) and second, the shift in interpretative focus from a concern with object function to considerations of processes of production, and of the social agency of technology. Furthermore, the introduction of social network theory and actor-network theory has redirected attention toward the process of communication, and highlighted the significance of material culture in the learning and transmission of cultural knowledge, including technology.The volume brings together leading UK and Scandinavian archaeological specialists to explore crafted products and workshop-assemblages from Viking towns, in order to clarify how such long-range communication worked in pre-modern northern Europe. Contributors assess the implications for our understanding of early towns and the long-term societal change catalysed by them, including the initial steps towards commercial economies. Results are analysed in relation to social network theory, social and economic history, and models of communication, setting an agenda for further research. The volume provides a landmark statement on our knowledge of Viking-Age craft and communication.Trade ReviewHighly relevant to anyone interested in the Viking Age, not just artefact and craft specialists. It sets out the basic research and chronologies, contains a wealth of new data, and importantly places these new results into the wider context of networks, thus adding individuals to the discussion. It's a book I will certainly return to. * Medieval Archaeology *The volume uses thoroughly researched studies of material evidence, underpinned by social network theory, to construct a compelling argument for the interdependence of craft, communication networks and urbanisation in Viking Age Northern Europe. * Antiquity *Table of Contents1. Crafting the urban network Steven P. Ashby and Søren M. Sindbæk 2. Craft: some pragmatic notes on the study of craft production and craftspeople in early medieval northern Europe Johan Callmer 3. Between domestic circles and urban networks Steven P. Ashby and Søren M. Sindbæk 4. The emergence of professional pottery production: York, a case study Ailsa Mainman 5. Textile networks in Viking-Age towns of Britain and Ireland Penelope Walton Rogers 6. Constructing specialism Steven P. Ashby and Søren M. Sindbæk 7. Combmaking in southern and eastern Scandinavia and the Baltic region (c. AD 700–900) Johan Callmer 8. A history of combmaking: biographies of innovation in Britain, Ireland and Scandinavia Steven P. Ashby 9. The archaeology of blacksmithing and the rise of urbanism in England and northern Europe c. 700–1100 Patrick Ottaway 10. Collaboration and expert knowledge Steven P. Ashby and Søren M. Sindbæk 11. From bronze-casting to non-ferrous metalworking: complexity, choices and cooperation in urban Scandinavian Viking-Age workshops Unn Pedersen 12. Non-ferrous metalworking networks in Scandinavian-influenced towns of Britain and Ireland Penelope Walton Rogers List of contributors

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Book SynopsisMary Queen of Scots is perhaps one of the most controversial and divisive monarchs in regal history. Her story reads like a particularly spicy novel, with murder, kidnap, adultery, assassination and execution. To some she is one of the most wronged women in history, a pawn used and abused by her family in the great monarchical marriage game; to others, a murderous adulteress who committed regicide to marry her lover and then spent years in captivity for the crime, endlessly plotting the demise of her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I of England.This book covers the breathtaking scope of her amazing life and examines the immense cultural legacy she left behind, from the Schiller play of the 1800s to The CW teen drama Reign. Temptress, terrorist, or tragic queen, this book will give you the lowdown on one of history’s most misunderstood monarchs.Trade Review'A bright and breezy account of the complex life of Mary Stuart' -- Philippa Gregory

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Book SynopsisThere are few writers about whom opinions diverge so widely as Anthony Powell, whose Dance to the Music of Time sequence is one of the most ambitious literary constructions in the English language. In Different Speeds, Same Furies, Perry Anderson measures Powell's achievement against Marcel Proust's celebrated In Search of Lost Time.The literature on Dance is a drop in the ocean compared to that on Proust. Yet in construction of plot and depiction of character, Anderson ranks Powell above him. How much do particular advantages of this kind matter, and why is Powell an odd man out in English letters? At once so similar and dissimilar, the intricate retrospectives of the two novelists on bohemia and Society, upbringing and mortality, relationships and personality, invite interrelated judgements. The closing chapters of Different Speeds, Same Furies reach beyond their handlings of time to chart the historical novel from Waverley to Underworld, and the breakthrough in epistolatory fiction of Montesquieu's Persian Letters, held together by what its author described as 'a secret chain which remains, as it were, invisible'.Trade ReviewIt is Perry Anderson's achievement that stimulated me to have another go at Proust, even while his original criticism of Anthony Powell was instrumental in provoking yet one more reading of A Dance to the Music of Time. -- William H. Pritchard * Wall Street Journal *

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