History: specific events and topics Books

Book SynopsisThe landmark study of world myth and cultureDraws on myths, rituals, totems and taboos of ancient European and primitive cultures throughout the world. The third edition of this monumental study of folklore, magic, and religion was abridged by the authour into this single volume in 1922.For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.Table of ContentsIntroduction: Outcast from the Islands: Frazer, The Golden Bough and Modern AnthropologyPreface to the 1922 abridgementI. The King of the Wood1. Diana and Virbius2. Artemis and Hippolytus3. RecapitulationII. Priestly KingsIII. Sympathetic Magic1. The Principles of Magic2. Homoeopathic or Imitative Magic3. Contagious Magic4. The Magician's ProgressIV. Magic and ReligionV. The Magical Control of the Weather1. The Public Magician2. The Magical Control of Rain3. The Magical Control of the Sun4. The Magical Control of the WindVI. Magicians as KingsVII. Incarnate Human GodsVIII. Departmental Kings of NatureIX. The Worship of Trees1. Tree-spirits2. Beneficent Powers of Tree-spiritsX. Relics of Tree-worship in Modern EuropeXI. The Influence of the Sexes on VegetationXII. The Sacred Marriage1. Diana as a Goddess of Fertility2. The Marriage of the GodsXIII. The Kings of Rome and Alba1. Numa and Egeria2. The King as JupiterXIV. The Succession to the Kingdom in Ancient LatiumXV. The Worship of the OakXVI.Dianus and DianaXVII. The Burden of Royalty1. Royal and Priestly Taboos2. Divorce of the Spiritual from the Temporal PowerXVIII. The Perils of the Soul1. The Soul as a Mannikin2. Absence and Recall of the Soul3. The Soul as a Shadow and a ReflectionXIX. Tabooed Acts1. Taboos on Intercourse with Strangers2. Taboos on Eating and Drinking3. Taboos on Showing the Face4. Taboos on Quitting the House5. Taboos on Leaving Food OverXX. Tabooed Persons1. Chiefs and Kings Tabooed2. Mourners Tabooed3. Women Tabooed at Menstruation and Childbirth4. Warriors Tabooed5. Manslayers Tabooed6. Hunters and Fishers TabooedXXI. Tabooed Things1. The Meaning of Taboo2. Iron Tabooed3. Sharp Weapons Tabooed4. Blood Tabooed5. The Head Tabooed6. Hair Tabooed7. Ceremonies at Hair-cutting8. Disposal of Cut Hair and Nails9. Spittle Tabooed10. Foods Tabooed11. Knots and Rings TabooedXXII. Tabooed Words1. Personal Names Tabooed2. Names of Relations Tabooed3. Names of the Dead Tabooed4. Names of Kings and Other Sacred Persons Tabooed5. Names of Gods TabooedXXIII. Our Debt to the SavageXXIV. The Killing of the Divine King1. The Mortality of the Gods2. Kings Killed When Their Strength Fails3. Kings Killed at the End of a Fixed TermXXV. Temporary KingsXXVI. Sacrifice of the King's SonXXVII. Succession to the SoulXXVIII. The Killing of the Tree-spirit1. The Whitsuntide Mummers2. Burying the Carnival3. Carrying out Death4. Bringing in Summer5. Battle of Summer and Winter6. Death and Resurrection of Kostrubonko7. Death and Revival of Vegetation8. Analogous Rites in India9. The Magic SpringXXIX. The Myth of AdonisXXX. Adonis in SyriaXXXI. Adonis in CyprusXXXII. The Ritual of AdonisXXXIII. The Gardens of AdonisXXXIV. The Myth and Ritual of AttisXXXV. Attis as a God of VegetationXXXVI. Human Representatives of AttisXXXVII. Oriental Religions in the WestXXXVIII. The Myth of OsirisXXXIX. The Ritual of Osiris1. The Popular Rites2. The Official RitesXL. The Nature of Osiris1. Osiris a Corn-god2. Osiris a Tree-spirit3. Osiris a God of Fertility4. Osiris a God of the DeadXLI. IsisXLII. Osiris and the SunXLIII. DionysusXLIV. Demeter and PersephoneXLV. The Corn-mother and the Corn-maiden in Northern EuropeXLVI. The Corn-mother in Many Lands1. The Corn-mother in America2. The Rice-mother in the East Indies3. The Spirit of the Corn Embodied in Human Beings4. The Double Personification of the Corn as Mother and DaughterXLVII. Lityerses1. Songs of the Corn-reapers2. Killing the Corn-spirit3. Human Sacrifices for the Crops4. The Corn-spirit Slain in his Human RepresentativesXLVIII. The Corn-spirit as an Animal1. Animal Embodiments of the Corn-spirit2. The Corn-spirit as a Wolf or a Dog3. The Corn-spirit as a Cock4. The Corn-spirit as a Hare5. The Corn-spirit as a Cat6. The Corn-spirit as a Goat7. The Corn-spirit as a Bull, Cow, or Ox8. The Corn-spirit as a Horse or Mare9. The Corn-spirit as a Pig (Boar or Sow)10. On the Animal Embodiments of the Corn-spiritXLIX. Ancient Deities of Vegetation as Animals1. Dionysus, the Goat and the Bull2. Demeter, the Pig and the Horse3. Attis, Adonis, and the Pig4. Osiris, the Pig and the Bull5. Virbius and the HorseL. Eating the God1. The Sacrament of First-fruits2. Eating the God among the Aztecs3. Many Manii at AriciaLI. Homoeopathic Magic of a Flesh DietLII. Killing the Divine Animal1. Killing the Sacred Buzzard2. Killing the Sacred Ram3. Killing the Sacred Serpent4. Killing the Sacred Turtles5. Killing the Sacred BearLIII. The Propitiation of Wild Animals by HuntersLIV. Types of Animal Sacrament1. The Egyptian and the Aino Types of Sacrament2. Processions with Sacred AnimalsLV. The Transference of Evil1. The Transference to Inanimate Objects2. The Transference to Animals3. The Transference to Men4. The Transference of Evil in EuropeLVI. The Public Expulsion of Evils1. The Omnipresence of Demons2. The Occasional Expulsion of Evils3. The Periodic Expulsion of EvilsLVII. Public Scapegoats1. The Expulsion of Embodied Evils2. The Occasional Expulsion of Evils in a Material Vehicle3. The Periodic Expulsion of Evils in a Material Vehicle4. On Scapegoats in GeneralLVIII. Human Scapegoats in Classical Antiquity1. The Human Scapegoat in Ancient Rome2. The Human Scapegoat in Ancient Greece3. The Roman SaturnaliaLIX. Killing the God in MexicoLX. Between Heaven and Earth1. Not to Touch the Earth2. Not to See the Sun3. The Seclusion of Girls at Puberty4. Reasons for the Seclusion of Girls at PubertyLXI. The Myth of BalderLXII. The Fire-festivals of Europe1. The Fire-festivals in General2. The Lenten Fires3. The Easter Fires4. The Beltane Fires5. The Midsummer Fires6. The Hallowe'en Fires7. The Midwinter Fires8. The Need-fireLXIII. The Interpretation of the Fire-festivals1. On the Fire-festivals in General2. The Solar Theory of the Fire-festivals3. The Purifactory Theory of the Fire-festivalsLXIV. The Burning of Human Beings in the Fires1. The Burning of Effigies in the Fires2. The Burning of Men and Animals in the FiresLXV. Balder and the MistletoeLXVI. The External Soul in Folk-talesLXVII. The External Soul in Folk-custom1. The External Soul in Inanimate Things2. The External Soul in Plants3. The External Soul in Animals4. The Ritual of Death and ResurrectionLXVIII. The Golden BoughLXIX. Farewell to NemiIndex

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Book SynopsisMagnificent history of the common British soldier from 1700 to 1900 by one of Britain's best-known and accomplished military writers and broadcasters. Red Coat is non-fiction Sharpe, filled with anecdote and humour as well as historical analysis.Redcoat is a wonderful book. It is not just a work of history but one of enthusiasm and unparalleled knowledge.'' BERNARD CORNWELLRedcoat is the story of the British soldier from c.1760 until c.1860 surely one of the most enduring and magnetic subjects of the British past. Solidly based on the letters and diaries of the men who served and the women who followed them, the book is rich in the history of the period. It charts Wolfe''s victory and death at Quebec, the American War of Independence, the Duke of York''s campaign in Flanders, Wellington''s Peninsular War, Waterloo,the retreat from Kabul, the Sikh wars in 1845-9, the Crimean war and the Indian Mutiny.The focus of Redcoat, however, is the individual recollection and experience of the oTrade Review'I have never met Richard Holmes, but I am deeply jealous of him for Redcoat opens with the re-enactment of a Napoleonic battle that I wish I had written myself… The redcoat and his family were never appreciated, but Richard Holmes has written them a marvellous memorial. Redcoat is a wonderful book, full of anecdote and good sense. Anyone who has enjoyed a Sharpe story will love it, anyone who likes history will want to own it and anyone who cherishes good writing will read it with pleasure.' BERNARD CORNWELL, Daily Mail

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Book SynopsisTHE DEFINITIVE, CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED BOOK ABOUT FOOTBALL ''Football conquered the world with its capacity to astonish, and this is its definitive history'' The IndependentThere may be no cultural practice more global than soccer. Rites of birth and marriage are infinitely diverse, but the rules of soccer are universal. No world religion can match its geographical scope. The single greatest simultaneous human collective experience is the World Cup final. In this extraordinary tour de force, David Goldblatt tells the full story of football''s rise from chaotic folk ritual to the world''s most popular sport. The Ball Is Round illuminates football''s role in the political and social histories of modern societies, but never loses sight of the beauty, joy, and excitement of the game. ___________________________________''Goldblatt writes with authority, humour, and passion, not least in the accounts of famous or significant matches scattered throughout the book'' Times Literary Supplement''Since it became a worldwide phenomenon, nobody has attempted to write an overall history of the game. Now David Goldblatt''s stunning book will be the measure against which all other such volumes are judged'' The Guardian ''Goldblatt''s magnum opus . . . Anyone with a brain and an interest in football will enjoy this book'' The Daily Telegraph (London)

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewWhat Salvatore Lupo captures particularly well, against all the stereotypes, is the Mafioso as a modern character: the pure distillate of entrepreneurial and criminal intelligence that illuminates the history of both Italy and contemporary Europe. If we can truly break ourselves of the habit of thinking of the Mafia as a belated survival of Sicilian feudalism and the product of underdevelopment, we will have taken a major step forward, and perhaps even be on the road toward a solution. -- Roberto Saviano, author of Gomorrah: A Personal Journey into the Violent International Empire of Naples' Organized Crime System History of the Mafia is a tour de force bringing Salvatore Lupo's virtually unequaled expertise about the Mafia, Sicilian history, and Italian politics into play. The book is essential reading for anyone who hopes to be well informed about the Mafia. -- Nelson Moe, Columbia University, and author of The View from Vesuvius: Italian Culture and the Southern Question For anyone who has grown weary of the fond treatment of the Mafia in American popular culture this book is a tonic. The New Yorker This is not a book of dramatic shoot-outs or even one that lingers long on individual characters. It is a sober assessment of the history of a movement. -- Hugh MacDonald Scotland Sunday Herald With Lupo's History, you become a lot more knowledgeable about the phenomenon. -- Lee Lamothe Toronto Globe & Mail [Lupo] provides a useful spectrum of first-hand historic sources. -- Guy Dinmore Financial Times Lupo carefully indicates and assesses the many ways in which the mafia has been understood...Recommended Choice Well-researched... compellingly argued book, -- Richard Drake H-Italy Lupo... is the preeminent scholar of the nineteenth- and twentieth- century Sicilian Mafia whose research is widely respected for its theoretical analysis thoroughly grounded in original archival sources...but newcomers to the field will nonetheless treasure his brilliant introduction. Italian American Review

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Book SynopsisThis authoritative reference work examines literary and artistic responses to the war's upheavals across a wide range of media and genres, from poetry to pamphlets, sculpture to television documentary, and requiems to war reporting.

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Book SynopsisA survey of the history of the French Foreign Legion that outlines the Legion's vicissitudes, victorious campaigns, marches, dirtiest combats and dramatic defeats. This book discusses the Legion in the historical background of France and also describes its development, organization, uniforms, equipments and weapons.

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Book Synopsis@font-face { font-family: Times New Roman ; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman ; }table.MsoNormalTable { font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman ; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; } In Dates, Nawal Nasrallah draws on her experience of growing up in the lands of ancient Mesopotamia, where the date palm was first cultivated, to explore the history behind the fruit. Dates have an important role in their arid homeland of the Middle East, where they are a dietary staple, consumed fresh or dried, as a snack or a dessert. They are even thought to have aphrodisiac qualities. The ancients said that the date palm had 360 uses: its seeds can be burned for charcoal, its trunk used as an irrigation pipe in fields, its leaves are woven into baskets and its sap can be turned into wine. It is no wonder, then, that it has played such a central role in the economy - and the culture - of the Middle East. The date palm's story follows its journey from its land of origin to the far-flung regions where it is cultivated today, such as Australia, California and Spain. Along the way, Nasrallah weaves many fascinating and humorous anecdotes that explore the etymology, history, culture, religion, myths and legends surrounding dates. She explains how the tree came to be a symbol of the Tree of Life; how it is associated with the fiery phoenix bird, the famous ancient goddess Ishtar and the moon; and lifts the veil on the curious sex life of the date palm. This delightful and unusual book gives a new perspective on the 'bread of the desert', the fruit from this most beautiful and useful of trees.Trade Review'These are food memoirs, salacious and exotic, colourful, powdered, sweet, greasy and globe-trotting ... sharp and speedy little reads, spotted with off-kilter illustrations' - Chicago Tribune 'Nasrallah's epic food memoir offers a smorgasbord of date history and fascinating facts topped with a dash of culture and a sprinkling of Arabic myth. Spicy and exotic, Dates: A Global History is also jam-packed with scrumptious date recipes for every occasion. After one read of this book, you'll feel like an honorary member of Nasrallah's huge family: armed and ready to prepare your own Middle Eastern date banquet.' - Etihad In-flight

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Book SynopsisThis popular text has now been revised to ensure that it continues to meet the needs of the growing number of people interested in all the main philosophical traditions of the world. Introduces all the main philosophical systems of the world, from ancient times to the present day. Now includes new sections on Indian and Persian thought and on feminist and environmental philosophy. The preface and bibliography have also been updated. Written by a highly successful textbook author. Trade Review‘A multicultural feast of ideas and arguments! In language that is expressive, clear and often humorous, David Cooper has written a compelling history of philosophy, covering as it does not only the major figures in Western thought but also the main trends in non-Western philosophy.' Robert L. Arrington, Georgia State University ‘By opening the door to cross-cultural comparison, Cooper has let in a draught that may blow away the whole house of cards, and uncover the parts of philosophy that the histories never reached.' Jonathan Rée, Times Higher Education SupplementTable of ContentsPreface to second edition vii 1 Introduction 1 Part I: Ancient Philosophies 9 2 India 13 3 China 58 4 Greece 92 Part II: Middle Period and 'Modern' Philosophies: 147 5 Medieval Philosophies 151 6 Developments in Asian Philosophy 203 7 From Renaissance to Enlightenment 241 Part III: Recent Philosophies: 307 8 Kant and the Nineteenth Century 311 9 Recent Non-Western Philosophies 377 10 Twentieth-Century Western Philosophies 426 Bibliography 505 Index 527

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Book SynopsisA first history of mediation and arbitration in England before the Common Law. This book shows how natural and widespread mediation and arbitration have been in England since history began. It includes an appendix which deals with the many unsettled questions of the languages of the period, British, Latin, Anglo-Saxon and Anglo-Norman.

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Book SynopsisPrinted first in 1666, this source is both an instruction manual and plea for reform, comparing the positive potential of mediation and arbitration with the chicanery of contemporary litigation. It describes in detail some arbitrations of the period.

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisThis book explores the revival under Edward VII of the ceremonial state visit by British monarchs, showing the impact and importance of active royal diplomacy during his reign. Using the Royal Archives, memoirs and newspapers, it reveals the contribution made by the use of ceremony and public display to popular appreciation of the monarchy.Trade Review“This absorbing book reveals much of a lesser-appreciated facet of the public life of King Edward VII … . This book confirms the relevance of this area of scholarship to those interested in British diplomacy and royal visits, and invites further comparative research into overseas journeys undertaken by subsequent monarchs.” (Laura Cook, Royal Studies Journal, Vol. 3 (2), 2016) Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. The Modern Revival of Royal Diplomacy 2. The First Royal Visits 3. A Difficult Host: Edward VII's Visit to Italy 4. Edward's Gift to Diplomacy? 1903 Visit to Paris 5. A Virtual Royal Occasion: Edward VII's 1907 Visit to Spain 6. The Diplomatic Margins: State Visits to Scandinavia 7. Dealing with the Great Bear: Edward VII's Visit to Russia 8. 'The Most Powerful and Influential Diplomat of his Day': Edward VII's Final State Visits Epilogue

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Book SynopsisThe Habsburgs are the most famous dynasty in continental Europe. From the thirteenth to the twentieth centuries, they ruled much of Central Europe, and for two centuries were also rulers of Spain. Through the Spanish connection, they acquired lands around the Mediterranean and a chunk of the New World, spreading eastwards to include the Philippines. Reaching from South-East Asia to what is now Ukraine, the Habsburg Empire was truly global. In this Very Short Introduction Martin Rady looks at the history of the Habsburgs, from their tenth-century origins in Switzerland, to the dissolution of the Habsburg Empire in 1918. He introduces the pantheon of Habsburg rulers, which included adventurers, lunatics, and at least one monarch who was so malformed that his true portrait could never be exhibited. He also discusses the lands and kingdoms that made up the Habsburg Empire, and the decisive moments that shaped their history. Dynasty, Europe, global power, and the idea of the multi-national state all converge on the history of the Habsburg Empire. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Trade ReviewA master of compression and lively anecdote, Rady combines his sprightly account of Europe's most enduring and important ruling house with an illuminating commentary on the changing nature and efficacy of dynastic governance. * R.J.W. Evans, Regius Professor of History Emeritus, Oxford University *Table of ContentsREFERENCES; FURTHER READING; INDEX

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Book Synopsis''The most comprehensive narrative of intelligence compiled ... unrivalled'' Max Hastings, Sunday Times''Captivating, insightful and masterly'' Edward Lucas, The TimesThe history of espionage is far older than any of today''s intelligence agencies, yet the long history of intelligence operations has been largely forgotten. The first mention of espionage in world literature is in the Book of Exodus.''God sent out spies into the land of Canaan''. From there, Christopher Andrew traces the shift in the ancient world from divination to what we would recognize as attempts to gather real intelligence in the conduct of military operations, and considers how far ahead of the West - at that time - China and India were. He charts the development of intelligence and security operations and capacity through, amongst others, Renaissance Venice, Elizabethan England, Revolutionary America, Napoleonic France, right up to sophisticated moTrade ReviewTo write a world history of intelligence, from the dawn of recorded history to the present day, is a daunting task. To make such a work accurate, comprehensive, digestible and startling, and all in a single volume, is a stellar achievement. But that is what Christopher Andrew has done in The Secret World. -- Edward Lucas * The Times *Brilliant in its sweep and near-miraculous in the detail and confident judgements provided on two and a half millennia of spying ... The book is a crowning triumph of one of the most adventurous scholars of the security world -- John Lloyd * Financial Times *Christopher Andrew delivers a stunning secret archaeology of a subject that he himself helped to create -- Richard J. Aldrich * Times Literary Supplement *

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Book SynopsisExploding the myth that Marco Polo discovered pasta in China and brought it back to Italy, this volume shows that pasta has existed in various forms throughout Middle Eastern, Asian, and even North African culinary cultures long before its appearance in the West.Trade ReviewServenti and Sabban's remarkable tracing of pasta's history and development makes this a central addition to the history of food. -- Mark Knoblauch Booklist [Pasta] is stuffed as tight as cannelloni with facts, numbers and quotes...an excellent study not only of pasta but of the way a single product can mutate and influence various economies over time...no doubt the exhaustive new authority on its subject. Publishers Weekly A feast for the mind. Guardian Offers more in the way of pasta history than most readers have even begun to imagine. Kirkus Reviews There are countless books on pasta, but none before has really explained how noodles took over the world, from the two great civilizations of China and Italy... [Pasta] is rich with stories. -- Bee Wilson London Times You might think that a 400-plus-page book about pasta wouldn't be much of a page turner, but you'd be wrong...Serventi & Sabban have written an engrossing book. -- Dan Santow Chicago Tribune [A]nyone who cares about pasta (which is to say, anyone who eats) will find a great deal of fascinating material to savor. This book is catnip for history buffs. -- Fred Plotkin Gastronomica Pasta shows how much is to be gained by looking at historical change through the lens provided by... food. -- Priscilla Ferguson Journal of Modern HistoryTable of ContentsSeries Editor's Preface Preface Note Concerning a Definition of Pasta Products Acknowledgments Introduction: In the Beginning Was Wheat 1. The Infancy of an Art 2. The Time of the Pioneers 3. From the Hand to the Extrusion Press 4. The Golden Age of the Pasta Manufactory 5. The Industrial Age 6. Pasta Without Borders 7. The Time of Plenty 8. The Taste for Pasta 9. China: Pasta's Other Homeland 10. The Words of Pasta

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Book Synopsis'A gripping story about the personalities who initiated the mapping of Britain and their extraordinary skill and endurance' Max Hastings, Sunday Times The Ordnance Survey is a much beloved British institution, but in our modern map-obsessed world how much do we know about its curious origins and extraordinary challenges? Here at last is the remarkable story of the creation of the first complete, accurate, affordable map of the British Isles. What it reveals is a colourful and engrossing secret history of the Ordnance Survey and the obsessive and ambitious men who dreamt and delivered it. The Ordnance Survey's story is one of political revolutions, rebellions and regional unions that altered the shape and identity of the United Kingdom over the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. It makes for an engaging and page-turning account of one of the great untold British adventure stories, following those intrepid individuals who lugged brass theodolites up mountains to make the country visible to itself for the first time. 'This is a brilliant book, and it's astonishing that no one has thought of writing it before... History at its best' A N Wilson, Reader's Digest 'Endlessly absorbing... In her lively and informative narrative, Hewitt highlights the Ordnance project's legion of draughtsmen, surveyors, dreamers and eccentrics' Ian Thomson, ObserverTrade ReviewThis is a brilliant book, and it's astonishing that no one has thought of writing it before ... History at its best -- A N Wilson * Reader's Digest *Gripping [story] about the remarkable personalities who initiated the scientific mapping of Britain and their extraordinary feats of skill and endurance ... this is the first book of a young historian of whom more will be heard -- Max Hastings * Sunday Times *Hewitt tackles the subject exuberantly ... the book won me over. The sweep of its history has true grandeur, and the incidentals of the tale are like desirables found in a cluttered antique shop -- Jan Morris * The Times *In this endlessly absorbing history, Rachel Hewitt narrates the history of our printed maps from King George II's "Scotophobic" cartographies to the three-dimensional computerised elevations of today ... In her lively and informative narrative, Hewitt highlights the Ordnance project's legion of draughtsmen, surveyors, dreamers and eccentrics -- Ian Thomson * Observer *An extremely handsome and scholarly account of the genesis of the OS map ... The next time I am in the Public House (wherever it is) I shall raise a pint to Rachel Hewitt and her band of map-makers -- Tom Fort * Sunday Telegraph *This is a solid account of how Britain's national mapping agency came into being ... she is good on the military, scientific and ideological impulses behind the OS and on its enormous appeal to the general public * Sunday Times *A diligent and very detailed book ... she has done justice to a neglected subject and to neglected but worthy men -- Peter Lewis * Daily Mail *The enthralling story of the creation of the Ordnance Survey map ... with wonderful tales of the intrepid individuals who lugged brass theodolites over hill and dale in order to make the country visible for the first time -- Caroline Sanderson * Bookseller *An exhaustively detailed study of the life and times of Ordnance Survey maps ... there are frequent nuggets of enjoyably recondite information -- Gillian Tindall * Literary Review *Tells the intriguing story of how the early productions of the theodolite-lugging surveyors who began the project in the 1790s developed into the digitalised OS of our own times -- Giles Foden * Conde Nast Traveller *A remarkable story of human endeavour in the name of Enlightenment values -- Claire Allfree * Metro *A fascinating account of British cartography ... In a compelling overview, Hewitt discusses how developments in scientific thinking, technological advances and an important dose of Anglo-French collaboration eventually led, in 1870, to the creation of the Ordnance Survey's First Series, a landmark as significant as The Oxford English Dictionary in shaping how the country thought about itself and its 'physical and intellectual' landscapes * Lady *An erudite, meticulously researched and fascinating history * Waterstone's Books Quarterly *A fascinating narrative... illuminates the process by which our nation redrew itself over a century -- Celia Brayfield * The Times *Hewitt's tale of cartography is pacy and - like the best historical writing - focused on human endeavour rather than dry facts -- Sarah Warwick * Liverpool Daily Post, the Yorkshire Evening Post, East Anglian Daily Times, Eastern Daily Press, Newsletter *More hugely impressive historical studies from 2010 which celebrate peaceful pursuits rather than blood and bigotry include Rachel Hewitt's great study of the British Ordnance Survey, Map of a Nation -- Stephen Howe * Independent *A lively, well-written and carefully researched evocation of how the landscapes of Britain (and Ireland) came to be revealed with such dramatic precision -- William J Smyth * Irish Times *In this lively overview, Hewitt explains how over the course of a century developments in scientific thinking, technological advances and a critical dose of Anglo-French collaboration eventually led to the creation of the OS's First Series in 1870 -- Emma Hagestadt * Independent *A scholarly account of the genesis of the OS map, and a route into the national psyche * Daily Telegraph *Hewitt tells a gripping story about the personalities who initiated the mapping of Britain and their extraordinary skill and endurance -- Max Hastings * Sunday Times *this description of the origins of mapping in the UK covers lots of ground ... anyone who has used a map and a compass to puzzle their way out after getting lot on Britain's foggy moorland has cause to thank the painstaking work of the original pioneers -- Maggie Hartford * Oxford Times *Within the first few paragraphs the open and engaging nature of Rachel Hewitt's writing had me captured ... How the men of those early years observed that first triangulation and achieved such accurate results will never cease to amaze and this beautifully crafted book is a fitting tribute and long overdue recognition of their achievements ... Such authoritative books are rare things and I would recommend to all who have feelings for maps and our UK landscape to take time to read Map of a Nation -- John Levell * Caught by the River *Anyone whose world has been shaped by the familiar OS maps seriously needs to read this book -- Margaret Elphinstone * Sunday Herald *Erudite and compelling ... One of Map of a Nation's many accomplishments is to show how adventurous and imaginative engineering and mapmaking could - and still can - be. It is readable, informative and its content often unexpected * History Today *

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Book SynopsisPresents an argument that the research university developed in response to market forces and bureaucracy, producing a academic whose goal was to establish originality and achieve fame through publication. This book investigates the origins and evolving fixtures of academic life: the lecture catalog, the library catalog, and the grading system.Trade Review"In almost any way that one can imagine, Academic Charisma and the Origins of the Research University is an astonishing book.... Many times the prose is purposefully funny and anything but dry-as-dust academic writing. No summary can do justice to a book so relentless in analysis and so rich in original source material.... This is a brilliant book. The styles and methods may be recognizable, but the whole is daringly new, exciting, and disturbing." - Sheldon Rothblatt, American Scientist "[Clark] makes his case with analytic shrewdness, an exuberant love of archival anecdote, and a wry sense of humor. It's hard to resist a writer who begins by noting, 'Befitting the subject, this is an odd book.'" - Anthony Grafton, New Yorker"

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Book SynopsisThe Phantom was developed for the US Navy as a long range all-weather fighter and first flew in May 1958. Phantoms have been used in combat in many conflicts throughout its long service history. This text provides a history of this craft.

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Book SynopsisThis is an authoritative and comprehensive guide to the history of theatre, ranging from Ancient Egyptian festivals to contemporary performance arts. Lavishly illustrated in black and white and colour throughout, this is the perfect book for theatre goer and student alikeTrade Reviewtellingly charts the impact not just of exceptional individuals but of social and economic factors and technological change on theatre. A spread of deftly selected illustrations informatively and handsomely embellishes the text. * TLS *Table of Contents1. THE FIRST THEATRES; 4. ITALIAN RENAISSANCE THEATRE; 8. EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY THEATRE; 12. ORIENTAL THEATRES

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Book SynopsisA half-century of Wall Street history as seen through the lives of its most illustrious family This compelling new narrative from bestselling author John Rothchild tells the story of three generations of the legendary Davis family, who rank among the most successful investors in the history of the Street.Trade Review"...Rothchild's book is a combination of entertaining biography and successful investment philosophy..." (Lloyd's List, 28 September, 2001) "...well-researched, solidly written book..." (Institutional Investor, 1 October, 2001)Table of ContentsIntroduction. Davis Meets His Bankroll. From the Great Depression To the Hitler Crisis. Beyond the Rear-View Mirror. A Last Hurrah for Bonds. A Crib Course in Coverage. From Bureaucrat to Investor. The Bullish 1950s. Davis Shops Abroad. Wall Street a Go-Go. Shelby Gets Funded. The Inheritance Flap. Cool Trio Runs Hot Fund. The Worst Decline Since 1929. Davis on the Rebound. Shelby Buys Banks--Davis Buys Everything. The Grandsons Get in the Game. The Family Joins Forces. Chris Inherits Venture. Investing à la Davis. Source Notes. Index.

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Book SynopsisThe Monarch History of the Church is an eight-volume series by world-renowned historians and theologians. Each volume offers an even-handed, comprehensive and readable assessment of the main strands of Christianity within its period. The first volume covers the period AD 30-312. During this time, the church experienced major challenges politically, culturally and intellectually, yet grew and defined itself in remarkable ways. Here is the story of Christianity's earliest shapers - men and women whose influence is still felt today.Trade Review`A telling account of early Christianity from Bible times down to the conversion of Constantine that is clear, readable and informed by recent scholarship.’ -- David Bebbington, Professor of History, University of Stirling`An account of the early church that is both readable and informative, without being simplistic’ -- Gerald Bray, Anglican Professor of Divinity, Beeson Divinity School

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Book SynopsisThis title explores the ideas of African American musicians, analyzing them on the context of meanings circulating around jazz. The text shows how much black musicians have struggled against the definations of racial authenticity and racism in the dominant culture.Trade Review"Among the many books on the history of jazz, most document the interpretations of white critics....But now, Eric Porter's brilliant book seeks to trace the ways in which black jazz musicians have made verbal sense of their accomplishments, demonstrating the profound self-awareness of the artists themselves as they engaged in discourse about their enterprise." - Susan McClary, author of Conventional Wisdom: The Content of Musical FormTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction 1 "A Marvel of Paradox": Jazz and African American Modernity 2 "Dizzy Atmosphere": The Challenge of Bebop 3 "Passions of a Man": The Poetics and Politics of Charles Mingus 4 "Straight Ahead": Abbey Lincoln and the Challenge of Jazz Singing 5 Practicing "Creative Music": The Black Arts Imperative in the Jazz Community 6 Writing "Creative Music": Theorizing the Art and Politics of Improvisation 7 "The Majesty of the Blues": Wynton Marsalis's Jazz Canon Epilogue Notes Acknowledgments of Permissions Index

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Book SynopsisThis volume is part one of a two-volume set. Volume I: From the Puritans through Transcendentalism. Volume I: From the St. Louis Hegelians through C. I. Lewis

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Book SynopsisIncludes such contents as: The Absolute Immigrates to America - The St Louis Hegelians; The Evolutionary Controversy; Charles Sanders Peirce; William James, the Tough-Minded - An Appraisal; Josiah Royce; George Santayana - The Exile at Home; Dewey - Battling Against Dualisms; C I Lewis: Conceptualistic Pragmatism; Epilogue; and, Index.

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Book SynopsisTo some it''s antisocial anathema, to others it is a harmless way to relax, or provides relief from crippling pain. Some fear it is a dangerous drug that leads to ''reefer madness'' and addiction; to others still it is a legal anomaly and should be decriminalized. Whatever the viewpoint, and by whatever name it is known, cannabis - or marijuana, hashish, pot, dope, kif, weed, dagga, grass, ganja - incites debate at every level. In this definitive study, Martin Booth - author of the acclaimed OPIUM: A HISTORY - charts the history of cannabis from the Neolithic period to the present day. It is a fascinating, colourful tale of medical advance, religious enlightenment, political subterfuge and human rights; of law enforcement and customs officers, smugglers, street pushers, gang warfare, writers, artists, musicians, hippies and pot-heads.Booth chronicles the remarkable and often mystifying process through which cannabis, a relatively harmless substance, became outlawed tTrade ReviewEnlightening...a very engaging history. * Daily Telegraph *Booth tells this story with admirable restraint...this book should be on the shelf of anyone interested in human freedoms and bad laws. * Independent *So good no one will need to do another for at least fifty years...mesmerizing detail, fantastical digressions, lots of jokes and wry asides. -- James Delingpole * Literary Review *A testament to the late Booth that he could make such a boring subject so interesting. * Sunday Times *A colourful tale ... Chronicles the remarkable and often mystifying process through which cannabis became outlawed throughout the Western world, and the devastating effect such legislation has had on the global economy. * Sunday Telegraph *Table of ContentsTo some it's anathema, to others it provides relief from crippling pain: to others still, it is a legal anomaly and should be decriminalized. Whatever the viewpoint, and by whatever name it is known, cannabis - or marijuana, hashish, dope, kif, weed, dagga, grass, ganga - incites debate at every level and its impact on the world's cultures and economies is undeniable. Dating back to the Neolithic period, the history of cannabis is a tale of medical advance, religious enlightenment, political subterfuge and human rights; of law enforcement and customs officers, cunning smugglers, street pushers, gang warfare, writers, artists, musicians and happy-go-lucky hipples and pot-heads.

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Book SynopsisExploring recent political efforts to rectify injustices handed down from the past, John Torpey argues that there are major differences between reparations for the living victims of past wrongdoing and reparations for the descendants of such victims. This reprint edition contains a new preface by the author.Trade Review"History is written by the winners, it is commonly said. But heritage—history shaped to present purposes—is increasingly fashioned by the losers. Ex-colonial peoples, minorities, tribal indigenes everywhere demand reparations—atonement for the suffering of those deprived of autonomy and agency, repatriation of treasures purloined or pillaged or purchased, compensation for past injustices… Among millions maltreated by history, John Torpey notes, an unseemly contest for the status of worst-victimized often ensues. Torpey's short and scintillating book, Making Whole What Has Been Smashed, explores reparation demands ranging from official apologies and admissions of wrongdoing to memorials, cash payments, health and welfare aid, and property return to groups and individuals. Chapters on post-apartheid Namibia and South Africa, on Japanese-American and Japanese-Canadian Second World War internees, and on legacies of slavery that still disable African Americans suggest his topical scope. But the book's greatest merit is its profound and lucid critique of the causes and political, legal, economic, and symbolic implications of reparation claims. Compassionate erudition, deft demolition of holier-than-thou posturing, and clarity of expression make this a minor classic reminiscent of Paul Bator's 1983 The International Trade in Art. Torpey rightly links current campaigns to redress wrongs with the broader trend, consequent on widespread public pessimism, refocusing attention from the future to the past." -- David Lowenthal * The Times Literary Supplement *"Torpey has written on reparations politics in a manner that is both informed by scholarship and usefully oriented toward influencing relevant thinking." * American Journal of Sociology *"After reading this book, I am struck with the question of to whom to give reparations for the past injustices. In a country where the victims of abuses do not live, and persons or groups who ask for reparations are not merely the descendant of the victims, is it evenhanded to give reparations? Torpey puts forth this quandary in exemplifying the case of reparations for Black Americans, Japanese-Americans and Japanese-Canadians. This analysis of trans-generational justice is one of the precious contributions of this book that all researchers of transitional justice as well as students of political science, sociology, history and philosophy must consider. His invaluable analysis of the reparations movements, drawn from an interdisciplinary perspective, calls to a wide range of readers." * International Journal on World Peace *"Anyone interested in the history, politics, sociology or philosophy of reparations should read John Torpey's brilliant analysis of global reparations politics. Torpey uses a superb blend of historical sociology and philosophy to offer his readers an informed, skeptical, yet not entirely unsympathetic look at the reparations movement." * Canadian Journal of Sociology Online *"While the reader might not share Torpey’s dissatisfaction with past-oriented politics, his analytical insights into the rise of the past as an object of politics are fresh and perceptive… Theorists and practitioners of past-oriented politics would be well advised to take on Torpey's challenge and ask themselves why they pursue past-oriented politics, and how these politics relate to projects of the future." * Ethics & International Affairs *"Torpey’s book, both theoretical and empirical in its analysis, is unquestionably the most clear-headed work available on the several international campaigns to redress past injustices. Keenly insightful and analytical, Torpey is no polemicist favoring or opposing reparations. Rather, he is a smart social scientist who unravels the persistent human concern of reckoning with the past and righting history’s wrongs." * North Carolina Historical Review *"'When the future collapses, the past rushes in.' With this formidable insight, John Torpey launches his penetrating study of the many varieties of reparations politics around the world. In exemplary fashion, Torpey clarifies what is at stake in a global movement seeking recompense and apology for the past's insulted and injured in an era inhospitable to ideals for future reconstruction. This reflective work is a splendid starting point for thinking through not only reparation ideas but some of the other large quandaries of reform thought today." -- Todd Gitlin * author of The Intellectuals and the Flag *"Making Whole What Has Been Smashed: On Reparations Politics is comprehensive, thoughtful, and almost compulsively readable. John Torpey's willingness to query the unquestioned pieties of our era's therapeutic politics is a tribute to the rigorousness of his approach. The tone of the work is consistently cool, analytical, and tactfully skeptical, no small achievement given the highly charged nature of these debates." -- Michael Brown * author of Who Owns Native Culture? *"Why do we so regularly hear admonishments to 'come to terms with the past?' In reply, John Torpey identifies momentous trends in a splendid, far-ranging inquiry: the collapse of transformative politics and the end of the Cold War, the emergence of the Holocaust as a template for the rectification of historic wrongs, the mobilization of the historically victimized, and the mix of human rights commitments with the juridification of politics. Critical, yet balanced and humane, Torpey presents a savvy, deeply-informed analysis that should be contemplated by all who seek a better global future. I couldn't recommend him more enthusiastically." -- Michael R. Marrus * author of The Holocaust in History *"The German campaign of 1904 to end Herero resistance in the northern part of the colony of South-West Africa culminated in the forced movement of the Herero into the Kalahari Desert, or capturing these people and herding them into concentration camps. Torpey does an excellent job of explaining how this massacre of the Herero, considered by many to have been a dress rehearsal by the Germans for the Holocaust, engendered reparations initiatives in Namibia that focused primarily on monetary compensation, rather than on an apology by the German government" -- Lamont DeHaven King * JSTOR: Association for the Study of African-American Life and History *"A seminal study that is impressively informative and thought-provoking, "Making Whole What Has Been Smashed: On Reparations Politics..." [is] unreservedly recommended" -- Micah Andrew * Midwestern Book Review *Table of ContentsPreface to the Paperback Edition Acknowledgments Introduction 1 The Surfacing of Subterranean History 2 An Anatomy of Reparations Politics 3 Commemoration, Redress, and Reconciliation: The Cases of Japanese-Americans and Japanese-Canadians 4 Forty Acres: The Case of Reparations for Black Americans 5 Post-Colonial Reparations: Reparations Politics in Post-Apartheid Namibia and South Africa Conclusion Notes Index

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Book SynopsisThe U.S. Senate recently proposed the U.S.-China Cultural Engagement Act, a $1.3 billion initiative to provide Chinese language and culture instruction in American schoolsTrade Review"A brief introduction to the main characteristics of Chinese, written to be accessible to beginning students as well as anyone with a general interest in Chinese language and culture. Provides a demystifying overview of Chinese from a linguistic, historical and social perspective." --Omniglot.com blog"Excellent overview of the Chinese language. It's perfect for a reader with some knowledge of linguistic terms, but it's definitely written for a layman. It has tons of examples and really whetted my appetite to learn more." —Goodreads

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Book Synopsis80th anniversary of the Battle of Monte CassinoThe six-month battle for Monte Cassino was Britain''s bitterest and bloodiest encounter with the German army on any front in World War Two.At the beginning of 1944 Italy was the western Allies'' only active front against Nazi-controlled Europe, and their only route to the capital was through the Liri valley. Towering over the entrance to the valley was the medieval monastery of Monte Cassino, a seemingly impenetrable fortress high up in the ''bleak and sinister'' mountains. This was where the German commander, Kesselring, made his stand.MONTE CASSINO tells the extraordinary story of ordinary soldiers tested to the limits under conditions reminiscent of the bloodbaths of World War One. In a battle that became increasingly political, symbolic and personal as it progressed, more and more men were asked to throw themselves at the virtually impregnable German defences. It is a story of incompetence, hubris

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Book SynopsisThis work collects, analyzes, and systematically presents in over 160 examples a magnificent tradition to future generations of cantors, scholars of Jewish music, and music enthusiasts worldwide. It reacquaints acculturated Jews with a largely unknown part of their heritage.

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Book SynopsisA vast social gap separated Simon Bolivar from people of African descent; however, John Charles Chasteen's research shows that popular culture could bridge the gap. Fast-paced and often funny, this book explores the history of Latin American popular dance before the twentieth century. The relationship between Latin American dance and nationalism, it turns out, is very deep, indeed.

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Book SynopsisThe time is right to learn what really happened on 9/11. The time is right to unearth what has been deliberately withheld from the public. Nearly twenty years ago, on 11 September 2001, four passenger aircraft were hijacked and flown into the World Trade Center in New York, the Pentagon near Washington, and a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Nearly three thousand people were killed. The narrative in the weeks and months that followed seemed straightforward: the attacks had been masterminded by al Qaeda leader, Osama bin Laden, an embittered terrorist with an abiding hatred of the West. But, as the twenty-year anniversary approaches, that neat explanation still fails to answer some important questions surrounding that fateful day. How did World Trade Center Building 7 - 100 yards from the Twin Towers - collapse so quickly and symmetrically when it had not been hit?How could two rogue aircraft bring down three towers?Did the US government help orchestrate the attacks as an 'inside job'? 9/11: The Conspiracy Theories seeks the truth - not only of what we do know about 9/11, but also what has been intentionally hidden from us. Researching these stories with the help of strong first-person reporting and an in-depth examination of documentation released under freedom-of-information protocols, this book sheds new light on one of history's most tragic and troubling episodes, which shattered for ever the myth of America as a country immune to international terrorism.

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Book SynopsisOprah''s book club has declared The Feminist Revolution a must-read for Women''s History Month.The Feminist Revolution offers an overview of women''s struggle for equal rights in the late twentieth century. Beginning with the auspicious founding of the National Organization for Women in 1966, at a time when women across the world were mobilizing individually and collectively in the fight to assert their independence and establish their rights in society, the book traces a path through political campaigns, protests, the formation of women''s publishing houses and groundbreaking magazines, and other events that shaped women''s history. It examines women''s determination to free themselves from definition by male culture, wanting not only to ''take back the night'' but also to reclaim their bodies, their minds, and their cultural identity. It demonstrates as well that the feminist revolution was enacted by women from all backgrounds, of every color, and of

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Book SynopsisTHERE IS NO SUCH THING AS AN ORDINARY ANIMAL. EVERY ONE HAS A HEROIC STORY TO TELL. Discover how . . . Able Seacat Simon rescued the crew of HMS Amethyst Bobby the Wonder Dog crossed a continent to find his family Galipolli Murphy carried 250 wounded soldiers to safety Pickles tracked down the stolen World Cup And the Tamworth Two managed to save their baconClare Balding's stories of daring, courageous, remarkable creatures who changed our world for the better: from the dog that inspired Lassie to the bear that fought the Nazis.Trade ReviewAnimal magic * Sunday Telegraph *Extraordinary * Daily Mail *Riveting * Daily Telegraph *Wonderful * Women's Weekly *An inspiring fireside read * Horse & Hound *Perfect for animal lovers everywhere! * People's Friend *Heart warming and at times very funny . . . her love of animals shines through in these accounts, which bring to life the amazing moments and special bonds between humans and animals * Radio Times *Inspiring * Daily Mirror *Heartwarming * Yours *Incredible stories * Woman & Home *Some stories are awe-inspiring, some are moving, while others are simply laugh-out-loud funny * BBC *Heartwarming * Woman *Moving * Sunday Express *The perfect book to read on a cold winter's day with your dog snuggled up beside you * Your Dog *

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Book SynopsisInvestigates the period from the 1890s until the 1930s, when prostitution was legal in Argentina. At the same time, pogroms and anti-Semitic discrimination left thousands of Eastern European Jewish people displaced. For many Jewish women, participation in prostitution was one few ways they could escape the limited options in their home countries.Trade Review"Recommended."— Choice "Yarfitz has approached the delicate subject deftly and with sophistication."— H-Net “A fascinating account of Jewish participation in sexual commerce in Buenos Aires…Impure Migration deepens our knowledge of the relation between prostitution and migration.”— Cristiana Schettini, National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET) / University of San Martín, Argentina “A tour de force. It transcends conventional accounts of victimized prostitutes and malevolent pimps with an intellectually bold exploration of sexual and racialized public anxieties. An important contribution to the history of international mobility, immigrant sociability, gendered labor, and multi-ethnic cities.”— José Moya, professor of history, Barnard College “Impure Migration presents a fascinating chapter in the history of Jewish immigration to the Americas... it is important that this story be made available.”— Adriana M. Brodsky, professor, St. Mary's College of Maryland "Wyklęta Varsovia. Sutenerski szlak "Napoleona" ze Smoczej," by Wojtek Rodak— Weekend Gazeta "If you want to read just one of the very many books on Jewish white slavery, this is the one you should choose. Both specialists and the general public will find this volume engaging and insightful."— Raanan Rein, vice president, Tel Aviv University "This book provides us with exciting ways in which the perspectives of the subaltern can be narrated into a transnational history of elites who dominated the talk about them. Impure Migration is a brilliant piece of history writing which will speak loudly and inspirationally to global and transnational historians. Its findings will equally be of immense help to activists and academics engaged in debates on contemporary sex work and trafficking."— ConnectionsTable of ContentsContents Note on Translation and Transliteration Acronyms and Abbreviations Introduction: White Slave Wives on the Road to Buenos Aires 1 White Slaves and Dark Masters 2 Jewish Traffic in Women 3 Marriage as Ruse, or Migration Strategy 4 Immigrant Mutual Aid among Pimps 5 The Impure Shape Jewish Buenos Aires Conclusion: After the Varsovia Society Acknowledgments Notes Index

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Book SynopsisSix tells the complete story of the service's birth and early years, including the tragic, untold tale of what happened to Britain's extensive networks in Soviet Russia between the wars. It reveals for the first time how the playwright and MI6 agent Harley Granville Barker bribed the Daily News to keep Arthur Ransome in Russia, and the real reason Paul Dukes returned there. It shows development of tradecraftA" and the great personal risk officers and their agents took, far from home and unprotected. In Salonika, for example, Lieutenant Norman Dewhurst realised it was time to leave when he opened his door to find one of his agents hanging dismembered in a sack. This first part of Six takes us up to the eve of the conflict, using hundreds of previously unreleased files and interviews with key players to show how one of the world's most secretive of secret agencies originated and developed into something like the MI6 we know today. The second part, published in Spring 2012, will tell the story from the outbreak of World War Two to the present.Trade ReviewEngrossing... As a rollicking chronicle of demented derringdo, Smith's book is hard to beat. His research is prodigious and his eye for a good story impeccable, and his book, while perfectly scholarly, often reads like a real-life James Bond thriller.A" Dominic Sandbrook, Sunday Times If you want to know every detail of how Mansfield Cumming, the original C, won the fight with the directors of intelligence to establish the independence of his new service... then Smith's is your book.A" Literary Review Michael Smith's book covers events in more depth, features the identity of leading players, and affords readers and researchers an opportunity to seek further information. It is a brilliant work - meticulously researched and presented.A" Eye Spy Magazine

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Book SynopsisThe definitive history of warfare told by Britain's foremost military historian.John Keegan’s masterpiece is a work of breath-taking scope that not only chronicles the history of warfare, but unearths lessons on the nature of humanity. Stretching across centuries and continents, from the Empire of Babylon to the Somme, A History of Warfare studies civilisations, psychology, archaeology, genetics, history and strategy with an expert’s eye. John Keegan’s unmissable and epic journey through military history has been widely acclaimed and remains vital reading today.Trade ReviewJohn Keegan is at once the most readable and the most original of military historians... His book is a work of massive sweep...the most remarkable study of warfare that has yet been written. -- Michael Howard * New York Times Review of Books *Masterpiece...one of those rare books which could still be required reading in its field a hundred years from now. * The New Yorker *Our finest military historian has produced a book of breathtaking scope...A tour de force. -- Niall Ferguson * Daily Mail *The best book I read in 1993 was A History of Warfare...a dazzling display of historical pyrotechnics. -- Paul Johnson * Sunday Times, Books of the Year *Magnificent * Sunday Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisA Country Life 'Best Book of the Year' 2023The Times Book of the Week * * * 'I could read Martin Williams all day. He is a staggeringly communicative historian; this book throws shafts of light on recent history almost repeating itself, giving vivid glimpses into monarchy and the way things were, and are. Compulsory reading.' --- Dame Joanna Lumley'A social historian and gifted storyteller, Williams is by turns moved and amused as he reflects on the poignancy and rituals of a nation united (pretty much) in grief...' --- The Times'adroitly-written...[told by Williams] so skilfully, and with such silken prose, that it's a pleasure to spend the time inside his head' --- The Oldie'delightful details...to rekindle this vanished epoch' --- Country Life'Vivid, panoramic, skilfully written, this gripping book is an insight into a time and an age'. --- Kate Williams'Martin Williams has written a fascinating and absorbing account of the Edwardian era, the demise and funeral of the King, and the iconic Black Ascot that followed it. He has brought a lost age grippingly to light'. --- Hugo Vickers'witty, informative and immensely readable... captures the spirit of the times'. --- Miranda Seymour'A tour de force'. --- Dr Kate Strasdin'We tend to think that Cecil Beaton single-handedly invented the Edwardian Age. Martin Williams shows us succinctly and elegantly that perhaps it was the King himself.' --- Nicky Haslam'... moves with unflagging wit and style. A fresh perspective on a brilliant life and a lost era beautifully evoked, it is impossible not to be swept away by this gem of a book. Pure pleasure.' --- Robin Muir'a must-have... a wonderful and thought-provoking read.' --- The Historian'...a book about a changed and changing world trying to cope with even more change...beautifully written [and] timely' --- The Catholic Herald'...resonates powerfully with our own recent experience of collective mourning...Williams describes the king's gradual demise in evocative detail.' --- Air MailUnforgettable as it was, the public response to the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022 was not without precedent. When her great-grandfather King Edward VII - glamorous, cosmopolitan and extraordinarily popular - died in May 1910, the political, social and cultural anxieties of a nation in turmoil were temporarily set aside during a summer of intense and ritualised mourning.In The King is Dead, Long Live the King! Martin Williams charts a period of tension and transition as one era slipped away and another took shape. Witnessed by a diverse but interconnected cast of characters - crowned heads and Cabinet ministers, debutantes and suffragettes, artists and murderers - here is the swansong of Edwardian Britain. Set against a backdrop of bereavement and parliamentary crisis overshadowed by the gathering clouds of war, we see a people caught between past and future, tradition and modernity, as they unite to bid farewell to a much-loved monarch who had personified his age. From Buckingham Palace to Bloomsbury, and from the lying-in-state in Westminster Hall to a now legendary Royal Ascot enveloped in black, this is a vivid evocation of a world on the brink of seismic upheaval.

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Book Synopsis'We all know about Queen Victoria, Edward VIII and Queen Elizabeth II, but how much do we really know about other monarchs? Yes, we know William the Conqueror beat King Harold at the Battle of Hastings. We know George III was mad, but what else do we know about his 60 year long reign? We know Henry VIII famously had six wives, but do we know much more about him, other than he was very fat?'The British monarchy is one of the oldest in the world - dating so far back that even its origins are the subject of debate. Was William the Conqueror the first king of England, or was it Alfred the Great? In this third instalment of the series that began with The Prime Ministers and The Presidents, Iain Dale charts this long history of the English and British monarchy, with 64 essays by journalists, historians and politicians on every individual to have sat on the throne, as well as some who didn't.From Alfred the Great to Charles III, each essay examines the monarch, their role and what they tell us about British history. Why has the British monarchy, unlike so many others, endured? Kings and Queens will attempt to answer this question, and many others, providing valuable insight into British history and how Britain is ruled today.Trade Review'Entertaining, well-researched and eminently readable.' * Entertainment Focus *

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Book SynopsisTable of Contents1. Introduction. 2. The Ancient World. 3. Rome and the Middle Ages. 4. Renaissance Science and Philosophy. 5. Empiricism, Sensationalism, and Positivism. 6. Rationalism. 7. Romanticism and Existentialism. 8. Physiology and Psychophysics. 9. Early Approaches to Psychology. 10. Evolution and Individual Differences. 11. American Psychology and Functionalism. 12. Behaviorism. 13. Neobehaviorism. 14. Gestalt Psychology. 15. Early Considerations of Mental Illness. 16. Psychoanalysis. 17. Humanistic (Third-Force) Psychology. 18. Psychobiology. 19. Cognitive Psychology. 20. Psychology Today.

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Book SynopsisBrian R. Dott explores how the non-native chile went from obscurity to ubiquity in China, influencing not just cuisine but also medicine, language, and cultural identity. The Chile Pepper in China sheds new light on the piquant cultural impact of a potent plant and raises broader questions regarding notions of authenticity in cuisine.Trade ReviewExtensive source materials in both Chinese and English form the bedrock for this impressive study into how a relatively unassuming American import so radically changed one country’s cuisines and traditional pharmacopoeia. The history of the humble chile in China is a fascinating one, especially as viewed through Brian R. Dott’s affectionate yet scholarly lens. -- Carolyn Phillips, author of All Under Heaven: Recipes from the 35 Cuisines of ChinaA learned as well as lively book with many surprises. How chile peppers came to China from the New World just starts a story involving taste, regionalism, adaptation, and folklore. Chiles were key to Chinese cuisine’s subtlety and variety, and not just in Sichuan and Hunan either. -- Paul Freedman, author of Food: The History of Taste and Ten Restaurants That Changed AmericaThis is an absolutely wonderful book. It combines scholarship and good food writing—the enormous amount of effort in compiling the databases is duly and modestly cloaked in good prose. -- Eugene Anderson, author of The Food of ChinaA valuable resource for anyone interested in Chinese culinary culture or the global history of the chilli as symbol — ‘vitamin, vegetable, preservative and spice’. Dott’s research is extensive, while his writing is entertaining, digestible and peppered with much fascinating information. -- Fuchsia Dunlop * Spectator *It reminds us to look for culinary innovation not only where we often do, in the flashy kitchens of professional chefs, but also in the long-term historical processes of everyday life, the contributions to which, like the chile in China, may be ‘found everywhere.’ * Gastronomica *A book that can be easily understood and enjoyed by casual readers, something not all academic non-fiction books can say. -- Jason Flatt * But Why Tho? *There is much to praise about the book: its painstaking research, its sensitivity to the diversities of regional and historical contexts within China, and the top-notch storytelling. On the last point, Dott deserves special mention. The Chile Pepper in China will be one of the few books that will be read and savored by academics and civilians alike. * Twentieth-Century China *With its lucid, lively style, copious illustrations, and recipes this book could be a model for studies of the assimilation of other New World ingredients, especially in India and China. It will be of great value to students and academics and anyone with an interest [in] Chinese cuisine and culture. * Food, Culture, and Society *A satisfying history to [chiles] origins as well as their cultural significance in China. * Asian Review of Books *The definitive English-language study of how the pepper arrived in China, how it became part of local cuisine and medical practice, and how it even established itself as a core part of identity formation in southwest China. But one of its most provocative contributions has little to do with China and everything do with the chili pepper's unique relationship to globalization. * The Cleaver and the Butterfly *It all adds up to a compelling case for how a foreign plant became a national spice. * Economic Times *Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsChinese Dynasties and RegimesIntroduction1. Names and Places: How the Chile Found Its Way “Home” to China2. Spicing Up the Palate3. Spicing Up the Pharmacopeia4. Too Hot for Words: Elite Reticence Toward Chile Peppers 5. Chiles as Beautiful Objects and Literary Emblems6. Mao’s Little Red Spice: Chiles and Regional Identity ConclusionAppendix A. Late Imperial Recipe CollectionsAppendix B. Medical Texts ConsultedNotesBibliographyIndexColor Plates

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Book SynopsisCodes of Modernity explores the global history of Chinese script reforms—efforts to alphabetize or simplify the writing system—from the 1890s to the 1980s.Trade ReviewA brilliant book on the political economy of script reforms in modern China. For the first time, Uluğ Kuzuoğlu clarifies how the technologies of writing, such as the making of new or simplified scripts to manage labor, information flow, and so on, became increasingly central to the political struggles over the future of China and its place in the world. This rich and well-researched study is a major contribution to the fields of Chinese history and global history. -- Lydia H. Liu, author of The Freudian RobotKuzuoğlu’s achievements in Codes of Modernity are unmatched. Analyzing a dazzling array of transnational historical, linguistic, and communications phenomena, he presents nothing less than the ascendancy of China’s twentieth-century political economy of information. Kuzuoğlu proves convincingly that it both shared features with and departed from global labor regimes of economy and efficiency. -- Christopher A. Reed, author of Gutenberg in Shanghai: Chinese Print Capitalism, 1876-1937Uluğ Kuzuoğlu's Codes of Modernity is not only one of the most rigorous and fascinating histories of Chinese scripts ever written, it is also a story of media, of the conditions of thought and language, and of the technological mythologies structuring the goals of 'modernity' that were central to China's ongoing transformations during the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. This is a field-defining book, as rich in analysis as it is in archival insights. Kuzuoğlu brilliantly reframes the history of China's efforts at language and script reform as part of a much larger economy of information and knowledge work. Codes of Modernity brings questions about the evolving conditions of Chinese orthography into conversation with the rise of information capitalism, computation, and global politics. Codes of Modernity will be indispensable to scholars of Chinese writing, but it also deserves a much wider readership—a book of archival treasures and powerful synthesis for anyone interested in the evolution of information technologies over the past two centuries. -- R. John Williams, author of The Buddha in the Machine: Art, Technology, and the Meeting of East and West Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction1. Alphabetic Labor Time: Scripts, Wires, and Brains in the Late Qing2. The National Phonetic Alphabet: Scripts and the Birth of Language Politics3. Basic Chinese: Cognitive Management and Mass Literacy4. Simplification of Chinese Characters: Mining, Counting, Seeing5. The New Dunganese Alphabet: Latinization Across Eurasia6. The Chinese Latin Alphabet: A Revolutionary Script7. The Empire of PinyinEpilogue: A New Age of CodesNotesBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisThe veteran journalist Sandy Gall reported from Afghanistan at length through the 1980s and â90s, spending months with Massoud and his forces.

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Book SynopsisSunset, 8 June 1982, East Falkland. Eight specially trained Royal Marines infiltrate Goat Ridge, a long rocky hilltop between Mount Harriet and Two Sisters which are occupied by a battalion of 600 Argentine infantry. The next day, from their hiding place just metres away from the enemy, they note and sketch the Argentine positions, then withdraw as stealthily as they had come. Their daring patrol provides essential intelligence that guided the British assault which overwhelmed the Argentine defences two days later.This was just one example of the missions undertaken by the Royal Marines Mountain and Arctic Warfare Cadre during the Falklands War, all of which are described in graphic detail in Rod Boswell's eyewitness account. Using his own recollections and those of his comrades, he describes their operations in the Falklands the observation posts set up in the no man's land between San Carlos and Port Stanley, their role in the raid at Top Malo House, and the reconnaissance patrols t

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Book SynopsisWinner of the Pushkin House Book Prize 2023*A Telegraph Book of the Year* A Times Best Book of Summer 2023*Shortlisted for the Parliamentary Book Awards*An astonishing investigation into the start of the Russo-Ukrainian war from the corridors of the Kremlin to the trenches of Mariupol.The Russo-Ukrainian War is the most serious geopolitical crisis since the Second World War and yet at the heart of the conflict is a mystery. Vladimir Putin apparently lurched from a calculating, subtle master of opportunity to a reckless gambler, putting his regime and Russia itself at risk of destruction. Why?Drawing on over 25 years' experience as a correspondent in Moscow, as well as his own family ties to Russia and Ukraine, journalist Owen Matthews takes us through the poisoned historical roots of the conflict, into the Covid bubble where Putin conceived his invasion plans in a fog of paranoia about Western threats, and finally into the inner circle around Ukrainian president and unexpected war Trade Review‘Not merely the first full account of the war in Ukraine, but may set the standard for some time to come … a remarkable achievement, with Matthews’s expert eye like an all-seeing drone, buzzing from one side of the conflict to the other’ 5* Telegraph ‘A vivid and revealing first draft of history … The strength of his account lies in his ability to tell the story from many angles, weaving them into a single, fast-paced narrative … fascinating’ Financial Times ‘The best current analysis of the countdown to war’ Serhii Plokhy, TLS ‘There will be many more books on Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, but Owen Matthews’ extraordinary perspective has produced an interim account of special value.’ Daily Mail ‘A wave of hurriedly written books about the Russo-Ukrainian war is about to crash over our bookshops and overburdened shelves, but it is hard not to feel sorry for most of their authors. Owen Matthews has already come out with what is not only one of the fastest, but also likely to be the best, setting a painfully high benchmark for those who follow.’ Times ‘The best new book on Russia … a classic as enduring as Orwell’s Homage to Catalonia’ Literary Review ‘Superb … a true page-turner’ Andrew Roberts, BBC History

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