History Books

Book SynopsisSpans archaic Greece to the Late Roman Empire, and no more than two standard scales (1:500,000 and 1:1,000,000) are used to represent most regions. This title brings the ancient past back to life in an unforgettably vivid and inspiring way.Trade ReviewWinner of the 2000 Award for Best Professional/Scholarly Multivolume Reference Work in the Humanities, Association of American Publishers "[The Barrington Atlas] is the best geography of the ancient world ever achieved... [I]t reveals the world inhabited or reached by the Greeks and Romans from 1000 B.C. to A.D. 640 in thrilling detail, and a color code lets us track changes through 16 centuries. The collective learning poured into this project is almost intimidating to contemplate, and the fact that it could be completed testifies to extraordinary planning, dedication and courage... [T]he cartography is luminous, the printing superb and the binding strong and supple... [T]his magnificent book is likely to become a powerful engine of learning and discovery for many years."--D.J.R. Bruckner, New York Times Book Review "I doubt that it will ever be superseded... [T]he clarity and sheer beauty of the maps in the Barrington Atlas, for which Princeton University Press and the printers in Palladio's Vicenza deserve the highest credit and praise, make the main volume a joy to handle. The fold-out of the entire ancient Mediterranean world, Map 1 'Mare Internum,' is to die for... [T]his remarkable atlas ... has made a major contribution to re-establishing cartography as one of the basic sub-disciplines within classical studies."--Paul Cartledge, Times Higher Education Supplement "This atlas is an indispensable tool for historians concerned with ancient times. But it is also a source of great pleasure for the amateur, the lover of literature."--Bernard Knox, Los Angeles Times Book Review "Beautifully produced with an exquisite combination of scholarly precision and the highest level of cartographic art, this atlas is one of the greatest achievements in 20th-century Greek and Roman scholarship--and it probably will never be superseded."--Publishers Weekly "[An] essential tool for anyone interested in classical antiquity... It provides, for the first time in recent history, a single bound volume that maps the entire classical world... Superbly edited."--Library Journal ("Best Reference Sources, 2000") "[A] wonderful guide to the wordless lessons of antiquity. Everyone who studies Greece and Rome owes [the makers of the Barrington Atlas] a personal debt."--Peter Stothard, editor of the Times Literary Supplement, naming the Barrington Atlas "My Book of the Decade" in the Globe and Mail (2009) "[A] remarkable achievement... This unique resource is the most comprehensive atlas published on ancient Greece and Rome."--Booklist "[A] vast achievement... Richard Talbert can be proud of his editorship: the collective effort, academic and technical, that has gone into the realisation of this gigantic project ... almost defies the imagination. It is even more impressive in that his teams had to work virtually from scratch. Their chief goal was to fill a notorious gap, and they have done so with exemplary skill."--Peter Green, London Review of Books "The Barrington Atlas is a major contribution to scholarship, extensive in scale, reliable and up to date, and so laid out as to be really helpful to the user."--Jasper Griffin, New York Review of Books "[N]o decent academic or public library should be without this marvelous work... [A] magnificent achievement."--Guy Halsall, New Scientist "[A] definitive work."--Peter Jones, BBC History "This atlas will be indispensable to scholars in classical studies. My only caution is that, at eight pounds, a sturdy coffee table is required for its use."--Judith A. Tyner, Geographical Review

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Book SynopsisA stunning history of Lebanon over five centuriesTrade Review'Puts Lebanon's long war into a context that makes it comprehensible and, perhaps, inevitable. Everyone who is curious about that beautiful and tormented country should read his history, one of the best yet' -- Charles Glass, author of The Northern Front and The Tribes Triumphant'Skillfully weaving together social, political, cultural and economic history, this deeply informed and penetrating study provides a rich understanding of the vibrant, tragic, but ever hopeful Lebanese 'door to East and West'' -- Noam Chomsky'This is a unique work. Fawwaz Traboulsi provides a compelling account of Lebanon's emergence as a state, a critical appraisal of its autonomy, a pathbreaking analysis of its social origins in the intimate and ever changing relationship of caste and class' -- Irene Gendzier, Professor of History, Boston University'Traboulsi writes what has eluded us for a long time, a history of modern lebanon that includes the civil war and post civil war periods' -- Maya Mikdashi, JadaliyyaTable of ContentsIntroduction Acknowledgements Chronology Glossary Section One: Ottoman Lebanon 1. The Emirate of Mount Lebanon (1523--1842) 2. The Bloody Death of the Muqata`ji System (1842--1861) 3. Grandeur and Misery of the Mutasarrifiya (1861--1915) 4. Beirut, Capital of Trade and Culture (1820--1918) Section Two: State and Society 5. Dialectics of Attachment and Detachment (1915--1920) 6. From Mandate to Independence (1920--1943) 7. The Merchant Republic (1943--1952) 8. The Pro-Western Authoritarianism of Kamil Chamoun (1952--1958) 9. Shihabism and the Difficult Autonomy of the State (1958--1970) 10. The Pre-War Crises (1968--1975) Section Three: the Wars of Lebanon 11. Reform by Arms (1975--1976) 12. The Longest Coup d’Etat (1977--1982) 13. The War Order (1983--1990) 14. Ambiguities and Contradictions of the Taif Agreement Bibliography Notes Index

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Book Synopsis''The First World War from a refreshingly unfamiliar angle . . . masterly'' Dominic Sandbrook, Sunday Times ''Compelling . . . The Eastern Front is essential reading'' Margaret Macmillan, Financial TimesA masterwork . . . This is the history of the Eastern Front I've waited all my life to read' Simon Sebag MontefioreThe definitive history of the Eastern Front in the First World War, from the acclaimed military historian and author of Passchendaele and The Western Front***********In the second volume of his landmark First World War trilogy, Professor Nick Lloyd tells the story for the first time of what Winston Churchill once called the ''unknown war'': the vast conflict in Eastern Europe and the Balkans that brought about the collapse of three empires.Much has been written about the fighting in France and Belgium, yet the Eastern Front was no less bloody. Between 1914 and 1917, huge numbers of people - perhaps as many as 16 million soldiers and two million civilians - were killed, wounded or maimed in enormous battles that sometimes ranged across a front of 100 km in length. Through intimate eyewitness reports, diary entries and memoirs - many of which have never been translated into English before - Lloyd reconstructs the full story of a war that began in the Balkans as a local struggle between Austria-Hungary and Serbia, and which sucked in Russia, Germany and Italy, right through to the final collapse of the Habsburg Empire in 1918.The Eastern Front paints a vivid and authoritative picture of a conflict that shook the world, and that remains central to understanding the tragic, blood-soaked trajectory of the twentieth century, and the current war in Ukraine.

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Book SynopsisTHE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERIn his ground-breaking new book, Sathnam Sanghera traces the legacies of British empire around the world. A wonderful book' Rory StewartNuanced and deeply researched' Financial TimesNot just a welcome corrective but a book for our times' Peter Frankopan_____________________________________________________The British empire was built on slavery, but it also pioneered abolition. It spread democracy, but it also seeded geopolitical instability. It devastated nature but it also gave birth to modern notions of environmentalism. In this urgent sequel to Empireland, award-winning author and journalist Sathnam Sanghera extends his examination of British imperial legacies beyond Britain to the wider world. Travelling across outposts of the former empire from Barbados and Mauritius to India and Nigeria and beyond, Sanghera puts to bed the conventional balance-sheet view of imperial history where the good is merely weighed up against the bad. In Empireworld, Sanghera instead seeks out nuance to reveal how contradictory forces of the British empire have shaped our world and what they mean for our place within it today. _____________________________________________________An absolute masterpiece' James O'BrienPuts Sanghera in the firmament of great imperial historians' Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, i Profoundly moving' Elizabeth Day

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Book SynopsisThe Archaeology of Disease shows how the latest scientific and archaeological techniques can be used to identify the common illnesses and injuries that humans suffered from in antiquity. In order to give a vivid picture of ancient disease and trauma the authors present the results of the latest scientific research and incorporate information gathered from documents, from other areas of archaeology and from art and ethnography. This comprehensive approach to the subject throws fresh light on the health of our ancestors and on the conditions in which they lived, and it gives us an intriguing insight into the ways in which they coped with the pain and discomfort of their existence.

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Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE AMERICAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION''S JOHN K. FAIRBANK PRIZESHORTLISTED FOR THE CUNDHILL HISTORY PRIZE 2017''This is the finest single-volume history of Vietnam in English. It challenges myths, and raises questions about the socialist republic''s political future'' Guardian''Powerful and compelling. Vietnam will be of growing importance in the twenty-first-century world, particularly as China and the US rethink their roles in Asia. Christopher Goscha''s book is a brilliant account of that country''s history.'' - Rana Mitter''A vigorous, eye-opening account of a country of great importance to the world, past and future'' - Kirkus ReviewsOver the centuries the Vietnamese have beenboth colonizers themselves and the victims of colonization by others. Their country expanded, shrunk, split and sometimes disappeared, often under circumstances far beyond their control. Despite these often overwhelming pressures,Trade ReviewChallenges myths, and raises questions about the socialist republic's political future... groundbreaking... Goscha manages the (not easy) task of showing Vietnam's complexity without losing the reader with too much detail... quite simply the finest, most readable single-volume history of Vietnam in English' -- Joshua Kurlantzick * Guardian *A vigorous, eye-opening account of a country of great importance to the world, past and future. * Kirkus Reviews *For those who have wanted a distinct and comprehensive overview of Vietnam's history, this is it. Christopher Goscha has an eye for how history connects through generations and how a country can rise from disasters in a new form, without losing sight of its past -- Odd Arne Westad, author of Restless Empire: China and the World Since 1750A splendid achievement. Christopher Goscha is one of our leading historians of modern Vietnam, and he shows it in this nuanced, fair-minded, deeply humane book. Destined to be a standard work on the subject -- Fredrik Logevall, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Embers of War: The Fall of an Empire and the Making of America’s VietnamPowerful and compelling. Vietnam will be of growing importance in the twenty-first-century world, particularly as China and the US rethink their roles in Asia. Christopher Goscha's book is a brilliant account of that country's history. Paying careful attention to Vietnamese voices as well as those of colonizers, he constructs a narrative that sets Vietnam in context, and makes it for western readers so much more than a half-remembered event in the Cold War -- Rana MitterA perceptive and much needed contribution to our understanding of Vietnam. Christopher Goscha's prodigious research is equaled only by his intimate understanding of Vietnamese culture, people, and history -- Larry Berman, author of Perfect Spy: The Incredible Double Life of Pham Xuan An, Time Magazine Reporter and Vietnamese Communist Agent

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Book SynopsisIn January 1928 Stalin, the ruler of the largest country in the world, boarded a train bound for Siberia where he would embark upon the greatest gamble of his political life. He was about to begin uprooting and collectivization of agriculture and industry across the entire Soviet Union. Millions would die, and many more would suffer. Where did such great, monstrous power come from? The first of three volumes, the product of a decade of intrepid research, this landmark book offers the most convincing explanation yet of Stalin''s power.Trade ReviewIn its size, sweep, sensitivity, and surprises, Stephen Kotkin's first volume on Stalin is a monumental achievement: the early life of a man we thought we knew, set against the world - no less - that he inhabited. It's biography on an epic scale. Only Tolstoy might have matched it -- John Lewis Gaddis (author of THE COLD WAR)Stalin has had more than his fair share of biographies. But Stephen Kotkin's wonderfully broad-gauged work surpasses them all in both breadth and depth, showing brilliantly how the man, the time, the place, its history, and especially Russian/Soviet political culture, combined to produce one of history's greatest evil geniuses -- William Taubman (author of KHRUSHCHEV: THE MAN AND HIS ERA)Stephen Kotkin's first volume on Stalin is ambitious in conception and masterly in execution ... combines biography with historical analysis in a way that brings out clearly Stalin's great political talents as well as the ruthlessness with which he applied them and the impact his policies had on Russia and the world. This is a magisterial work on the grandest scale -- David Holloway (author of STALIN AND THE BOMB)Stephen Kotkin's biography of Stalin, of which this but the first of three volumes, is a most impressive achievement. Based on both archival and printed sources, it treats in meticulous detail the early years of a tyrant who was destined to become one of the most influential political figures of the twentieth century -- Richard Pipes (author of RUSSIA UNDER THE BOLSHEVIK REGIME)

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Book SynopsisThe forest primeval, the river of life, the sacred mount read Landscape and Memory' to have these explainedLandscape and Memory' is a history book unlike any other. In a series of journeys through space and time, it examines our relationship with the landscape around us rivers, mountains, forests the impact each of them has had on our culture and imaginations, and the way in which we, in turn, have shaped them to answer our needs.This is not a conventional history book, but a book that builds up its argument by a series of poetic stories and impressions which cumulatively have the effect of a great novel. The forest primeval, the river of life, the sacred mount at the end of this wonderful book we understand where these ideas have come from, why they are so compelling and how they still lie all around us.Trade Review‘One of the most intelligent, original, stimulating, self-indulgent, perverse and irresistibly enjoyable books I have ever read.’ Philip Ziegler ‘This is a tour de force of vivid historical writing…It is astonishingly learned, and yet offered with verve, humour and an unflagging sense of delight.’ Michael Ignatieff, IOS ‘Simon Schama is a giant, a great thinking machine and a golden lyricist as well. He takes us beyond geololgy and vegetation into myth and memory, to unravel the ancient connections which bring mountain, forest and river into our soul.’ Brian Masters, MoS ‘Schama long ago established himself as one of the most learned, original and provocative historians in the English speaking world…Unclassifiable, inimitable, fascinating, “Landscape and Memory” will inform and haunt, chasten and enrage. It is that rarest of commodities in our cultural marketplace – a work of genuine originality.’ Anthony Grafton, New Republic

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Book SynopsisA renowned historian eludes the pitfalls of partisanship and tackles one of the world’s most perplexing and divisive issuesTrade Review"Gloomy, concise, and spot-on."—Commentary“I urge you, in the strongest terms, to read One State, Two States. . . I very much hope that it will ignite a freer, more honest, radically different conversation on the left, one informed by historical knowledge and current realities rather than the fantasies—alternately sentimental, infantile and grandiose—for which such a high price has been paid by all sides.”—Susie Linfield, TruthDig.com“Morris is one of the most authoritative historians of the Israeli-Arab conflict. In his new book, he presents and up-to-date interpretation and suggestions for its solution.”—Walter Laqueur“What is so striking about Morris’s work as a historian is that it does not flatter anyone’s prejudices, least of all his own.”—David Remnick, New Yorker"Gloomy, concise, and spot-on."—Commentary * Commentary *“I urge you, in the strongest terms, to read One State, Two States. . . I very much hope that it will ignite a freer, more honest, radically different conversation on the left, one informed by historical knowledge and current realities rather than the fantasies—alternately sentimental, infantile and grandiose—for which such a high price has been paid by all sides.”—Susie Linfield, TruthDig.com -- Susie Linfield * TruthDig.com *“Morris details the various proposals for a ‘one-state’ or ‘two-state’ solution to the conflict that should have followed the UN General Assembly division of the territory and termination of the [British Mandate]. In a final chapter, he considers correctly that neither solution is practical or realistic. The best option, he feels, would be a West Bank-Gaza-Jordan confederation with Israel. . . . Recommended.”—W. Spencer, Choice -- W. Spencer * Choice *“Morris is one of the most authoritative historians of the Israeli-Arab conflict. In his new book, he presents and up-to-date interpretation and suggestions for its solution.”—Walter Laqueur -- Walter Laqueur“What is so striking about Morris’s work as a historian is that it does not flatter anyone’s prejudices, least of all his own.”—David Remnick, New Yorker -- David Remnick * New Yorker *"A rich and persuasive account of just how deep-seated and historically rooted the antagonism is between Israelis and Palestinians."--Ira Smolensky, Magill's Literary Annual 2010 -- Ira Smolensky * Magill's Literary Annual 2010 *

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Book SynopsisTable of ContentsUnit I: FROM HUMAN ORIGINS TO AGRARIAN COMMUNITIES, c. 100,000�����500 B.C.E. 1. The Earliest Human Societies. 2. Mesopotamia. 3. Early Africa and Egypt. 4. Central Asia and India's Beginnings. 5. Ancient China to 221 B.C.E. 6. Settlement of the Americas and the Pacific Island. Worldview I: From Human Origins to Agrarian Communities, 100,000���500 B.C.E. Unit II: CLASSICAL CIVILIZATIONS OF THE WORLD, 500 B.C.E.���800 C.E. 7. New Civilizations and Empires in Western and Central Asia. 8. The Greek Adventure. 9. Greek Humanism, 800���100 B.C.E. 10. Rome: From City-State to Empire. 11. The Roman Empire and the Rise of Christianity in the West, 31 B.C.E.���800 C.E. 12. Iran, India, and Global" Trade. 13. Imperial China in Its Golden Age. Worldview II: Classical Civilizations of the World, 500 B.C.E.���800 C.E. Unit III: THE POST-CLASSICAL ERA, c. 650���1500 C.E. 14. The Americas to the Fifteenth Century. 15. Islam. 16. Mature Islamic Civilization and the First Global Civilization. 17. Africa from Axum to 1400. 18. The Mongols Unify Eurasia. 19. Japan and Southeast Asia. 20. The European Middle Ages, c. 800���1500. 21. The Late European Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Worldview III: The Post-Classical Era, 800���1400 C.E. Unit IV: EXPANDING WEBS OF INTERACTION, c. 1400���1800. 22. A Larger World Opens. 23. Religious Division and Political Consolidation in Europe. 24. The Gunpowder Empires of Western and Southern Asia. 25. Africa in the Era of Expansion. 26. China from the Ming Through the Early Qing Dynasty. 27. Japan and Southeast Asia in the Era of European Expansion. 28. From Conquest to Colonies in Hispanic America. Worldview IV: Expanding Webs of Interaction, 1400���1700 C.E. Unit V: REVOLUTIONS, IDEOLOGY, THE NEW IMPERIALISM, AND THE AGE OF EMPIRE, 1700���1920. 29. The Scientific Revolution and Its Enlightened Aftermath. 30. Liberalism and the Challenge to Absolute Monarchy. 31. The Early Industrial Revolution. 32. Europe: New Ideas and New Nations. 33. Advanced Industrial Society. 34. The Islamic World, 1600���1917. 35. India and Southeast Asia Under Colonial Rule. 36. European Imperialism and Africa During the Age of Industry. 37. China in the Age of Imperialism. 38. Latin America from Independence to Dependent States. 39. Modern Science and Its Implications. Worldview V: Revolutions and the Age of Empire, 1600���1914. Unit VI: TOWARD A GLOBALIZED WORLD, 1916���Present. 40. World War I and Its Disputed Settlement. 41. A Fragile Balance: Europe in the Twenties. 42. The Soviet Experiment to World War II. 43. Totalitarianism Refined: The Nazi State. 44. East Asia in a Century of Change. 45. World War II. 46. The Cold World War. 47. Decolonization of the Non-Western World. 48. The New Asia. 49. Africa's Decolonization and Independence. 50. Latin America in the Twentieth Century. 51. The Reemergence of the Muslim World. 52. Collapse and Reemergence in Communist Europe. 53. A New Millennium. Glossary. Index."

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Book SynopsisSovereignty and Struggle: Africa and Africans in the Era of the Cold War, 1945-1994 provides students with a deeper insight into African history during the period of decolonization and the Cold War.Trade ReviewThis is a fantastic little book. It is smart, engaging, and thought-provoking in its coverage of sovereignty * and its many possibilities and variationsin Cold War era Africa. I particularly appreciate its efforts to move beyond well-trodden discussions of political and economic developments and to look at the various ways in which sovereignty was marketed, performed, defined, and embraced in 'unofficial' realms like the stage, newspapers, and airplanes. It is very well-conceived and carried out.Nate Plageman, Wake Forest University *The focus on decolonization, the debt crisis, and new cultural expressions and music will help students to appreciate the complex nature of Africa's relation with the external world. Reynolds is able to maintain a strong balance between the impact of the Cold War on Africa and how Africans responded. * Saheed Aderinto, Western Carolina University *Jonathan Reynolds has created another fine work relating to Africa and its peoples. He does an outstanding job exploring the relationship between Africa and the Cold War, and brings Pan-Africanism, women, and music effectively into the conversation. * Kenneth Wilburn, East Carolina University *Table of ContentsMaps and Figures ; Acknowledgments ; About the Author ; Series Introduction ; Introduction ; Chapter 1. A World Set Free? African Decolonization In The Era of Liberation ; Chapter 2. Development and Debt ; Chapter 3. A Tropical Cold War ; Chapter 4. Cultural Epicureanism: Music, Morality, and the African Nation ; Chapter 5. The Decolonization of Distance: Ghana Enters the Jet Age ; Index

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Book SynopsisA collection of English-language readings on Japan. Containing materials on history, society, politics, education, philosophy, and religion, this book features an introduction to Japanese civilization. It covers the Tokugawa period to 1868 and addresses the spread of neo-Confucianism and Buddhism and the initial encounters of Japan and the West.Table of ContentsPreface Explanatory Note Chronology Contributors Part V. Japan, Asia, and the West 35. The Meiji Restoration, by Fred G. Notehelfer 36. Civilization and Enlightenment, by Albert Craig 37. Popular Rights and Constitutionalism, by James Huffman 38. Education in Meiji Japan, by Richard Rubinger 39. Nationalism and Pan-Asianism 40. The High Tide of Prewar Liberalism, by Arthur E. Tiedemann 41. Socialism and the Left, by Andrew Barshay 42. The Rise of Revolutionary Nationalism, by Marius Jansen 43. Empire and War, by Peter Duus Part VI. Postwar Japan 44. The Occupation Years, 1945-1952, by Marlene Mayo 45. Democracy and High Growth, by Andrew Gordon Part VII. Aspects of the Modern Experience 46. The New Religions, by Helen Hardacre 47. Japan and the World in Cultural Debate 49. Thinking with the Past: History Writing in Modern Japan, by Carol Gluck Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE SAMUEL JOHNSON PRIZESHORTLISTED FOR THE WAINWRIGHT PRIZEFrom the bestselling author of UNDERLAND, THE OLD WAYS and THE LOST WORDS''Few books give such a sense of enchantment; it is a book to give to many, and to return to repeatedly'' Independent Words are grained into our landscapes, and landscapes are grained into our words. Landmarks is about the power of language to shape our sense of place. It is a field guide to the literature of nature, and a glossary containing thousands of remarkable words used in England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales to describe land, nature and weather.Travelling from Cumbria to the Cairngorms, and exploring the landscapes of Roger Deakin, J. A. Baker, Nan Shepherd and others, Robert Macfarlane shows that language, well used, is a keen way of knowing landscape, and a vital means of coming to love it.''Enormously pleasurable, deeply moving. A bid to save our rich hoard of landscape language, and a blow struck for the power of a deep creative relationship to place'' Financial Times''A book that ought to be read by policymakers, educators, armchair environmentalists and active conservationists the world over'' GuardianTrade ReviewPublisher's description. The number one bestselling book from the author of The Old Ways. This is a celebration of the unique relationship between language and place; a field guide to nature writers from Roger Deakin to Nan Shepherd; and a glossary containing thousands of remarkable, poetic, funny, peculiar and endangered words to describe the natural world. * Penguin *Thoughtful and lyrical writing . . . It's gorgeous -- Katy Guest * Independent on Sunday *Enormously pleasurable, deeply moving . . . Landmarks is both a bid to save our rich hoard of landscape language, and a blow struck for the power of a deep creative relationship to place * Financial Times *His writing has a confidence and enjoyment, a passionate purpose . . . he celebrates our vast, but evaporating, vocabulary for the landscape * Daily Telegraph *A story like this is salutary...Landmarks is a book that ought to be read by policymakers, educators, armchair environmentalists and active conservationists the world over. * Guardian *The writing is full of clarity and internal reflections and the chapters ripple over into each other like a linked chain of mountain pools.... What is remarkable about these words is how precise they are, and how deeply local. They feel as if they somehow grew out of the land itself. A delight. * Sunday Times Magazine *The mood is one of celebration... [Landmarks is] the product of an active academic intelligence and emotional generosity, irradiated by a profound sense of wonder... Few books give such a sense of enchantment; it is a book to give to many, and to return to repeatedly * Independent *

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Book SynopsisWinner of the Pulitzer Prize • New York Times Bestseller • Over Two Million Copies Sold “One of the most significant projects embarked upon by any intellectual of our generation” (Gregg Easterbrook, New York Times), Guns, Germs, and Steel presents a groundbreaking, unified narrative of human history.Trade Review"Artful, informative, and delightful.... There is nothing like a radically new angle of vision for bringing out unsuspected dimensions of a subject, and that is what Jared Diamond has done." -- William H. McNeil - New York Review of Books"An ambitious, highly important book." -- James Shreeve - New York Times Book Review"A book of remarkable scope, a history of the world in less than 500 pages which succeeds admirably, where so many others have failed, in analyzing some of the basic workings of culture process.... One of the most important and readable works on the human past published in recent years." -- Colin Renfrew - Nature"The scope and the explanatory power of this book are astounding." -- The New Yorker"No scientist brings more experience from the laboratory and field, none thinks more deeply about social issues or addresses them with greater clarity, than Jared Diamond as illustrated by Guns, Germs, and Steel. In this remarkably readable book he shows how history and biology can enrich one another to produce a deeper understanding of the human condition." -- Edward O. Wilson, Pellegrino University Professor, Harvard University"Serious, groundbreaking biological studies of human history only seem to come along once every generation or so. . . . Now [Guns, Germs, and Steel] must be added to their select number. . . . Diamond meshes technological mastery with historical sweep, anecdotal delight with broad conceptual vision, and command of sources with creative leaps. No finer work of its kind has been published this year, or for many past." -- Martin Sieff - Washington Times"[Diamond] is broadly erudite, writes in a style that pleasantly expresses scientific concepts in vernacular American English, and deals almost exclusively in questions that should interest everyone concerned about how humanity has developed. . . . [He] has done us all a great favor by supplying a rock-solid alternative to the racist answer. . . . A wonderfully interesting book." -- Alfred W. Crosby - Los Angeles Times"An epochal work. Diamond has written a summary of human history that can be accounted, for the time being, as Darwinian in its authority." -- Thomas M. Disch - The New Leader

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Book Synopsis“It has the power to wrench familiar aspects of history into new and surprising shapes.”—Laura Miller, SalonTrade Review"An impressively cohesive story that is full of delightful characters and fascinating details." -- Austin Chronicle"An inspiring read." -- New Scientist"A sprightly, stimulating and surprising study." -- The Scotsman"A magnificent overview of the history of knowledge production in the West." -- Times Higher Education

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Book SynopsisThis biography of Atatürk aims to strip away the myth to show the complexities of the man beneath. Born plain Mustafa in Ottoman Salonica in 1881, he trained as an army officer but was virtually unknown until 1919, when he took the lead in thwarting the victorious Allies'' plan to partition the Turkish core of the Ottoman Empire. He divided the Allies, defeated the last Sultan and secured the territory of the Turkish national state, becoming the first president of the new republic in 1923. He imposed coherence, order and mordernity and in the process, created his own legend and his own cult.Trade ReviewSurely definitive ... I enjoyed every page and recommend this book highly * Simon Sebag Montifiore, Mail on Sunday *A fluent, thorough and enjoyable biography, which for comprehensiveness, balance and deftness of touch outclasses all the alternatives for the English reader * Mark Mazower, New Statesman *The best concise account I have ever seen of the decline of the Ottoman Empire. The narrative is gripping. It does not merely present all the facts of Ataturk's career but paints a credible picture of the whole man * Geoffrey Lewis *The profundity of Mango's analysis and his empathy with the years of national regeneration lift Ataturk to a higher level of biography than any previous account * Alan Palmer, Literary Review *Takes its place at the top * Norman Stone, Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisThe Tang dynasty is often called China’s “golden age.” Mark Lewis captures a dynamic era in which the empire reached its greatest geographical extent under Chinese rule, painting and ceramic arts flourished, women played a major role both as rulers and in the economy, and China produced its finest lyric poets in Wang Wei, Li Bo, and Du Fu.Trade ReviewThis is an impressive survey history of the Tang dynasty, concise and accessible. China's Cosmopolitan Empire is written so succinctly and clearly that it provides, to my knowledge, the best summary of the Tang period yet available in English. It will make an excellent source for the general student of Chinese or East Asian history. -- David L. McMullen, University of Cambridge[A] readable introduction to the Tang Dynasty. -- J. K. Skaff * Choice *This series on China, brilliantly overseen by Timothy Brook, is a credit to Harvard University Press. Above all, it encourages us to think of China in different ways. -- Jonathan Mirsky * Literary Review *In China's Cosmopolitan Empire: The Tang Dynasty, Mark Edward Lewis has done a superb job of synthesizing the scholarship on the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and rendering it into a readable account. Professor Lewis's general narrative of Tang history, chapters two and three of the book, is the best overview of Tang history in any language, and would be a good starting point for anyone interested in the dynasty...There is a large corpus of scholarship in English on Tang dynasty history and culture. China's Cosmopolitan Empire is an admirable addition to that corpus. It will undoubtedly become the standard survey in English for the foreseeable future. -- Peter Lorge * Journal of Military History *With clarity and rich details, sustained by quotes, anecdotes, poems, and visual images, Lewis brings to life the vitality of a transforming China in geography, politics, urban life, rural society, the outer world, kinship, religion, and writing, all in comparison with previous times...Lewis's nuanced details of a changing Tang are direct challenges to the dated but still influential views of China as an unchanging Sinocentric empire, uninterested in commerce and foreign contact. -- Yihong Pan * China Review International *Lewis' book will be of great interest and utility to general readers as well as students who are looking for a lucid overview of Tang history and culture. -- Michael R. Drompp * Journal of Asian History *Mark Edward Lewis has produced an impressive volume on the history of the Tang dynasty...Its greatest contribution is its integration of the latest secondary scholarship into interesting arguments about the evolution of Chinese society between the seventh and tenth centuries...This book remains an excellent place to see the latest insights into Tang history. It is a thought-provoking effort to synthesize that work and reflect on the significance of the Tang for China's history. If it inspires the next generation of students to pursue Tang history seriously, Lewis will have made a real contribution to Tang studies. -- Anthony DeBlasi * Journal of Asian Studies *Table of Contents* Introduction * The Geography of Empire * From Foundation to Rebellion * Warlords and Monopolists * Urban Life * Rural Society * The Outer World * Kinship * Religion * Writing * Conclusion * Dates and Dynasties * Pronunciation Guide * Notes * Bibliography * Acknowledgments * Index

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Book SynopsisCharts world history from the dawn of civilisation to the modern culture we live in today. From the origins of homo-sapiens to the release of Nelson Mandela, from the French Revolution to the Space Race, this book presents an exploration of the human timeline up to and including modern Islam, the world wide web, and the global financial crisis.

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Book SynopsisA sparkling new translation of the most famous travel book ever writtenMarco Poloâ??s voyages began in 1271 with a visit to China. Afterward, he served Kublai Khan on numerous diplomatic missions in the Far East. His subsequent account of his travels offers a fascinating glimpse of what he encountered abroad: unfamiliar religions; new customs and societies; the spices and silks of the East; the precious gems, exotic vegetation, and wild beasts of faraway lands. Evoking a remote and long-vanished world with color and immediacy, Marco Poloâ??s book revolutionized Western ideas about the then-unknown East and remains one of the greatest travel accounts of all time. Nigel Cliffâ??s new translation, based on the original medieval sources, is a fresh, authoritative rendering, with a lively introduction and notes.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 CTrade ReviewThe translation is excellent. The English is clear and modern, but preserves the flavour of the original ... It will doubtless become a standard work and will deservedly take its place as one of the best English translations of Marco Polo's account of his travels -- Stephen G. Haw

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Book SynopsisTacitus (ca. AD 55–120) is an essential historian of the early Roman empire. Agricola narrates its subject's career in Britain. Germania is a description of German tribes as known to the Romans. Dialogus concerns the decline of oratory and education.

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Book Synopsis''Beware of Small States'' wrote Mikhail Bukanin in 1870. He could have meant Lebanon: a sectarian state no bigger than Wales that has become battleground for one of the defining conflicts of twentieth-century history. Throughout its short existence, it has been attacked, invaded, occupied or interfered with to serve the political interests of foreign powers, resulting a series of devastating wars and crises. To understand Lebanon''s history is to understand the history of the entire region - and, with the rise of Hizbullah, it has come to assume a disproportionate, dangerous power of its own. Iran and Israel now face each other in the hills of south Lebanon.David Hirst, author of The Gun and the Olive Branch, is a hugely respected commentator on the Arab-Israeli crisis. In a masterly narrative, he gives a much-needed, comprehensive history of the country and its conflicts, culminating with the recent war in Gaza and its fallout in Lebanon. Powerful and often moving,

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Book SynopsisAs the rest of the world worries about what a future might look like under Chinese supremacy, Luttwak worries about China’s own future prospects. Applying the logic of strategy for which he is well known, he argues that the world’s second largest economy may be headed for a fall unless China’s leaders check their military ambitions.Trade ReviewNational security strategist Edward Luttwak's provocative and insightful analysis of the 'logic of strategy' provides a well-documented, contrarian assessment of whether China's 'rise' will be peaceful or polarizing. He stresses the paradox that China's economic strength and territorial aggrandizement are inciting opposition by a growing coalition of states determined to weaken Beijing's power and influence. Luttwak asserts that only by maintaining Deng Xiaoping's policy of 'low posture' development, and downplaying military modernization, can China avoid international 'geo-economic resistance' and attain the domestic growth and global stature it seeks. -- Richard H. Solomon, former President of the U.S. Institute of Peace, Senior Fellow at the RAND CorporationLuttwak presents a rich, persuasive, and lucid analysis of the strategic implications of China's rise and of the anxieties it generates. China's foreign policy and military investments are raising concerns that require the sort of well-informed, precise argumentation that Luttwak delivers. Based on a long-term view of China's strategic inclinations and extensive research on current developments, this book offers medium-term predictions of the likely outcomes that the 'logic of strategy' may dictate, and thus explains with great clarity the issues at stake. Luttwak's work is a must-read for laymen and specialists alike, and an essential contribution to the political debate. -- Nicola Di Cosmo, Institute for Advanced Study, PrincetonWith muscular behavior and rhetoric on the uptick and China pouring money into its military, political strategists have begun to consider Chinese military dominance of the Pacific and a concurrent American decline as foregone conclusions. So it is refreshing to see Edward Luttwak take a different tack in The Rise of China vs. the Logic of Strategy and argue that Chinese military dominance in the Pacific is 'the least likely of outcomes.' China can't simultaneously enjoy a burgeoning economy and a rapidly growing military, he contends, because countries will band together to protect themselves, using military coalitions and trade protectionism to counter China's rise. -- Mary Kissel * Wall Street Journal *Most commentators on China focus on its seemingly inexorable rise and the threat that this poses to other world powers. In this well-argued book, Luttwak takes a different view. He questions whether China's rising power is sustainable. China's continued and rapid growth in economic capacity and military strength and regional and global influence cannot persist, he argues, because of the mounting opposition it is evoking. -- Frank Dillon * Irish Times *Luttwak detects a fundamental conflict between China's search for continuing economic growth, which the Communist Party has made its prime claim to rule, and its quest for military expansion combined with increased foreign policy assertiveness...Luttwak's book, which includes a refreshing put-down of the supposed superiority of traditional Chinese statecraft so admired by Henry Kissinger among others, is timely, coming as it does amid the current maritime confrontations in East Asia. -- Jonathan Fenby * Times Higher Education *The Rise of China vs. The Logic of Strategy is a sober book. Staying with the evidence, it avoids flights of fancy but grips readers' attention all the way through. Here, finally, is an expert on China who knows what he's talking about. -- Caleb Nelson * World *Luttwak's contribution to the China debate is to be welcomed. We need informed outsiders to weigh in with their views, and he has spent years visiting the country and talking to the Chinese, including the People's Liberation Army. Written with his customary panache, his vigorous and highly readable contribution will challenge congealed thinking. -- George Walden * Bloomberg.com *Over the past few decades, Edward Luttwak has gained a reputation as the bad boy of strategic theory and historical scholarship. This time, he has outdone himself. He has debunked Sun Tsu, the Clausewitz of the East and much beloved by teachers of military theory for decades...In The Rise of China vs. the Logic of Strategy, Luttwak goes beyond an attack on Sun Tsu. He argues that the dominant strategic and cultural arrogance of the Han people--the largest ethnic group in China--could undermine efforts to lift the Middle Kingdom to the ranks of true superpower status. Luttwak further argues that this assumption of cultural and intellectual superiority is driving China's neighbors into a camp of strategic containment similar to what Germany created for itself in the years leading up to World War I...It will be interesting to see whether the book is read with interest or banned once it is translated and made available on the Chinese mainland. It is a cautionary tale that deserves Chinese attention. -- Gary Anderson * Washington Times *[Luttwak's] thesis is sensible and not to be discounted lightly. * The Economist blog *Edward Luttwak's book on the limitations of China's ascent to power blends careful observation of recent events with an understanding of its past...The explanatory innovation that lifts Luttwak's book above the ruck of recent books on China's rise is his use of geo-economics--an expression he coined in 1980--to explain global resistance to Beijing's march. He argues that countries across the world, without explicit coordination, will resist China's export-oriented strategy to generate wealth and military power. This "invisible hand" explanation is in refreshing contrast to the usual containment and other political explanations about what may happen in East China in the coming years. -- Siddharth Singh * Mint *Entertaining and provocative...A bold book that flatly predicts that China won't successfully rise as a superpower, indeed that it cannot in its current incarnation...If accurate, Luttwak's theory means Americans don't have to worry too much. China will essentially self-destruct, at least diplomatically. And the list of problems facing China make it seem that this could well be happening right now. -- Ian Johnson * New York Review of Books *[A] though-provoking book. -- Jonathan Mirsky * Prospect *

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Book SynopsisRecalls how much of the rebellious queer culture, cheap rents, and a vibrant downtown arts movement vanished almost overnight to be replaced by gay conservative spokespeople and mainstream consumerism.Trade Review"This bracing, powerful, and well-reasoned work reaffirms the author's stature as a distinctive American woman of letters... Highly recommended." -- Richard Drezen Library Journal "The book that's inspired me more than any other this year is Sarah Schulman's Gentrification of the Mind: Witness to a Lost Imagination, a razor-sharp memoir of New York in the heyday of the AIDS crisis." -- Jason King Slate "Teeming with ideas, necessary commentary, refreshing connections and examination of the status quo." Lambda Literary "A brilliant critique of contemporary culture... This is the most important book of the year." -- Jeff Miller Cult MTL "Schulman's personal recollections... are sharp and vivid." Gay & Lesbian Review/Worldwide "This is a very good, very sad book about the aftershock of the AIDS crisis in New York. Schulman is a truly gifted thinker." -- Alex Frank Fader Magazine "The author, a true woman of letters, makes a persuasive case." -- Roberto Friedman Bay Area Reporter "This is why the book is so successful and demands our attention: through a focus on the pulse of the queer community (of the 80s), it touches upon the individual condition (of today)." -- Marcie Bianco Velvetpark "A polemic, a passionate, provocative ... account of disappearance, forgetfulness and untimely death." -- Olivia Laing New Statesman "No book has rocked my world in recent times more than Sarah Schulman's 'The Gentrification of the Mind: Witness to a Lost Imagination' ... [it ranks] among the best alternative histories published in the last 50 years." -- Don Shewey Culturevulture.net "A galvanizing account of the transformation, both external and mental, in New York City life." -- Emily Douglas Los Angeles Review Of Books "The essence of what Schulman calls gentrification is to pretend that privilege and difference do not exist and that any attempt to remember that they do is mere 'political correctness' rather than facing up to the reality to who does what to whom. To forget these things, is to deceive ourselves-and Schulman's harsh, bitter prose is a useful way of waking ourselves up." -- Roz Kaveney Times Literary Supplement (TLS) "It's a beautifully written screed (not a bad word in my books)... Schulman shines when she taps her deep knowledge of the AIDS movement... She can be brilliant." -- Susan G. Cole NowTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction: Making Record from Memory Part I. Understanding the Past 1. The Dynamics of Death and Replacement 2. The Gentrification of AIDS 3. Realizing That They're Gone Part II. The Consequences Of Loss 4. The Gentrification of Creation 5. The Gentrification of Gay Politics 6. The Gentrification of Our Literature Conclusion: Degentrification--The Pleasure of Being Uncomfortable

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Book SynopsisA riveting account of private art collectors' passion from Roman times to the presentTrade Review"Riveting. . . . [A] treasure trove of a book."—Willard Spiegelman, Wall Street Journal"A fine and entertaining account."—Jas Elsner, Times Literary Supplement"In her insightful history of private collectors of Greek and Roman antiquity, Erin Thompson, America’s only full-time professor of crime, explores how collectors’ desires dramatically changed the fate of antiquities, altering their sex, identity and meaning . . . an informed investigation."—Tiffany Jenkins, Literary Review"Thompson concludes that collecting art is an ideal way for individuals to connect to the past and acquire a certain identity and social prestige. Perfect reading for art lovers and ideal for dipping into."—Rebecca Wallersteiner, The LadyAn NPR Best Book of 2016Shortlisted for the 2017 Ralph Waldo Emerson Award from the Phi Beta Kappa Society."With elan and insight, Erin Thompson delves into the fascinating history of the human obsession to personally own physical relics of the past. Possession illuminates the complex psychological and social motives that drive individuals to collect antiquities, from ancient Roman emperors and Renaissance popes to modern connoisseurs and today's looters (and destroyers) of archaeological treasures."—Adrienne Mayor, author of The Amazons and The Poison King"Erin Thompson advances the study of the art world by taking on the hard work: the examination of the motives behind those who take the leap into the world of collecting. Possession is an essential study of collecting throughout the ages, whether the art be precious or illicit, by a leading scholar in the field."—Anthony M. Amore, author of The Art of the Con and Stealing RembrandtsShortlisted for the 2017 Ralph Waldo Emerson Award from the Phi Beta Kappa Society. -- Ralph Waldo Emerson * Phi Beta Kappa Society *

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Book SynopsisAn authoritative and radical rethinking of the history of Ancient Britain and Ancient Ireland, based on remarkable new archaeological finds.British history is traditionally regarded as having started with the Roman Conquest. But this is to ignore half a million years of prehistory that still exert a profound influence. Here Francis Pryor examines the great ceremonial landscapes of Ancient Britain and Ireland Stonehenge, Seahenge, Avebury and the Bend of the Boyne as well as the discarded artefacts of day-to-day life, to create an astonishing portrait of our ancestors.This major re-revaluation of pre-Roman Britain, made possible in part by aerial photography and coastal erosion, reveals a much more sophisticated life in Ancient Britain and Ireland than has previously been supposed.Trade Review‘Written with pace and passion…immensely readable.’ Tom Holland, Daily Telegraph ‘It bounds along, wonderfully enlivened by Pryor’s earthy enthusiasm. If you want to be introduced painlessly to the fascinating debates surrounding our British past, then “Britain BC” is the book for you.’ Barry Cunliffe, New Scientist ‘Francis Pryor is a modern field archaeologist with a reputation second to none. He has written a book as successful and exciting as its ambition is huge…lucid and engaging.’ Alan Garner, The Times ‘There are enough curious facts, contentious theories and bizarre hypotheses here to hold the interest of anyone concerned with the unique and peculiar story of these islands.’ Independent on Sunday ‘Beautifully written, exciting and extremely good…an essential read.’ British Archaeology Praise for Francis Pryor’s television series ‘Britain BC’: ‘Fascinating…the evangelical Pryor paints a vivid portrait of pre-Roman society that tackles received wisdom about what was going on here in the Stone, Bronze and Iron ages.’ Daily Telegraph ‘Pryor leaps about the country at a cracking pace, his big personality making sure we never get bored by the scant and rarefied scraps that are his stock-in-trade.’ Observer

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Book SynopsisA timely and illuminating history of Tibet, from the seventh century to what it means to be Tibetan todayTrade Review"In Tibet: A History Sam van Schaik provides an overview of its past from the seventh century AD to the present, calling into question many preconceptions the general reader may have about Tibet, its religion its society and its politics . . . an entertaining read for a wide audience."—Tom Neuheus, BBC History Magazine"[Sam Van Schaik] successfully portrays a wider historical Tibet in an informed, well-researched, unbiased and readable way. It should appeal to scholars and researchers in Tibetan studies and equally to the more general reader."—Priyanka Singh, Asian Affairs"Succinct, scholarly, and exceptionally well written, van Schaik’s Tibet accomplishes a rare triumph of virtue . . . this volume fills an important gap in the literature about Tibet."—John Schellhase, The Mantle"[W]ell-written and authoritative."—Glyn Ford, Tribune"A marvellous achievement, Tibet: A History provides a brilliant introduction to the ancient and varied culture of Tibet. Van Schaik expertly combines detailed research with compelling storytelling. Rich with details and lively vignettes, his narrative draws the reader into an imaginative universe, a world that will at once fascinate and complicate one's understanding of Tibet. This book will reward long-time students and casual readers alike."—Jacob P. Dalton, author of The Taming of the Demons: Violence and Liberation in Tibetan Buddhism"Tibet: A History is an important and major history of Tibet written in narrative form by a leading scholar, in a style that is accessible, balanced and engaging, yet full of nuance, detail and up-to-date research findings."—Robert J. Barnett, Director of Modern Tibetan Studies, Columbia University

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Book SynopsisThe Making of Mr Gray's Anatomy tells the story of one of the most iconic scientific books ever published: a textbook of anatomy that is still a household name 150 years since its first edition. It is the story of the remarkable and dedicated characters who created it, of poverty, class, and science and society in Victorian London.Trade ReviewFascinating. * Christopher Hirst, The Independent *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; 1. The Words: Mr Gray of Belgravia ; 2. The Pictures: Dr Carter of Scarborough ; 3. The Enterprise: J.W.Parker & Son of West Strand ; 4. The Process of Creation: Person or Persons Unknown ; 5. The Raw Material: The Friendless Poor of London ; 6. The Process of Creation ; 7. The Process of Production ; 8. 1858: The Book Appears ; 9. Calamity ; 10. Futurity ; Acknowledgements ; References ; Bibliography ; Index

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"[Rahe] has an excellent eye for military logistics: His account of the practicalities of Xerxes’ vast invasion of Greece (what did those hundreds of thousands of men eat?) is crisp and persuasive."—Wall Street Journal"There is a wealth of information in this book, covering almost every aspect of the complex situations on both sides that resulted in such a crushing defeat for the Persian Empire."—David Sim, Minerva"Polymath Paul Rahe—classicist, historian, scholar of the European Enlightenment—in this brilliant revisionist study, reminds us how Sparta, not just Athens, saved Western freedom from the Persian aggression—and did so because of its innate courage, political stability, and underappreciated genius."—Victor Davis Hanson, author of The Other Greeks and A War Like No Other"Western civilization owes much to Athens but also, Paul Rahe argues, to Sparta. He shows how Sparta’s militaristic culture enabled it to defeat the massive Persian invasion of 480 BC, and make the flowering of ancient Greece possible."—Michael Barone, Resident Fellow, American Enterprise Institute"The level of learning demonstrated here is high and the mastery of the source material and scholarship impressive."—Thomas Figueira, Rutgers University"The degree of originality in this book is remarkable. Its careful, detailed description and analysis of the Spartan constitution is full of keen understandings that help explain Spartan policy, diplomacy, and strategy."—Donald Kagan, author of The Peloponnesian War

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Book SynopsisThis is the story of the 17-pdr Achilles and the Jagdpanther, two formidable tracked anti-tank guns that clashed in North-West Europe during 194445. Both mounting their country's most effective anti-tank ordnance on a tracked chassis, the 17-pdr Achilles and the Jagdpanther were arguably the best self-propelled anti-tank guns used by the British, Canadian and German forces that fought in North-West Europe during 194445. Featuring specially commissioned artwork and carefully chosen photographs, this is the story of the two types' development, combat use and legacy in the closing stages of World War II in North-West Europe. Based upon the mobile, lightly armoured M10 design originally developed for the US Army, the Achilles had its main armament, the 17-pounder QF anti-tank gun, mounted in a fully revolving turret. Conversely, the low-profile, heavily armoured Jagdpanther had its formidable 8.8cm PaK 43 cannon mounted in a fixed casemate. Both crewed by artillerymen rather than tankers, the Achilles and the Jagdpanther were anti-tank guns, not tanks or assault guns; their main purpose was to knock out enemy tanks, not to engage infantry or lead an assault or pursuit. Sometimes they faced each other, notably in the Reichswald fighting of February 1945. Fully illustrated, this work tells the story of their development and tactical use as well as what happened when these two very different designs met in combat.

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Book SynopsisNew and Updated EditionWho owns Scotland? How did they get it? What happened to all the common land in Scotland? Has the Scottish Parliament made any difference? Can we get our common good land back? In this book, Andy Wightman updates the statistics of landownership in Scotland and explores how and why landowners got their hands on the millions of acres of land that were once held in common.He tells the untold story of how Scotland''s legal establishment and politicians managed to appropriate land through legal fixes. Have attempts to redistribute this power more equitably made any difference, and what are the full implications of the recent debt-fuelled housing bubble, the Smith Commission and the new Scottish Government''s proposals on land reform? For all those with an interest in urban and rural land in Scotland, this updated edition of The Poor Had No Lawyers provides a fascinating analysis of one the most important political questions in Scotland.

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Book SynopsisThe New York Times bestseller, from the author of Powers and Thrones, that tells the story of Britain’s greatest and worst dynasty—“a real-life Game of Thrones” (The Wall Street Journal)The first Plantagenet kings inherited a blood-soaked realm from the Normans and transformed it into an empire that stretched at its peak from Scotland to Jerusalem. In this epic narrative history of courage, treachery, ambition, and deception, Dan Jones resurrects the unruly royal dynasty that preceded the Tudors. They produced England’s best and worst kings: Henry II and his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine, twice a queen and the most famous woman in Christendom; their son Richard the Lionheart, who fought Saladin in the Third Crusade; and his conniving brother King John, who was forced to grant his people new rights under the Magna Carta, the basis for our own bill of rights. Combining the latest academic research with a gift

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Book SynopsisThe largest, most luxurious ship in the world, wrecked on her maiden voyage after colliding with an iceberg mid-Atlantic, has become the stuff of legends. While everyone knows the new White Star liner was glamorous, full of millionaires when she sank, few appreciate just how luxurious she was. Even in Third Class, the accommodation was better than on First Class on many older ships. For the first time, Bruce Beveridge, Steve Hall, Scott Andrews and Daniel Klistorner look at the construction and exterior of the ship itself, and at her interior design and fittings. From cobalt blue Spode china and Elkington plate silverware in the à la carte restaurant to the design of the boilers and fixtures and fittings on board the world's most luxurious vessel, they tell the story of a liner built at the peak of the race between the British, French and Germans to build bigger and better ships.

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Book SynopsisFlint Knapping is a journey of archaeological discovery through the Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic and Bronze Ages.

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Book SynopsisShortlisted for the Duff Cooper PrizeAs the Napoleonic wars raged, what was life really like for those left at home? Award-winning social historian Jenny Uglow reveals the colourful and turbulent everyday life of Georgian Britain through the diaries, letters and records of farmers, bankers, aristocrats and mill-workers. Here, lost voices of ordinary people are combined with those of figures we know, from Austen and Byron to Turner and Constable. In These Times movingly tells the story of how people really lived in one of the most momentous and exciting periods in history.

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Book SynopsisApollonius Rhodius's Argonautica, composed in the third century BC, is the Greek epic account of Jason’s quest for the golden fleece. It greatly influenced Roman authors such as Catullus, Virgil, and Ovid, and was imitated by Valerius Flaccus.

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Book SynopsisHeroic epic of the eighth to the fifth century BCE includes poems about Hercules and Theseus, as well as the Theban Cycle and the Trojan Cycle. Genealogical epic of that archaic era includes poems that create prehistories for Corinth and Samos. These works are an important source of mythological record.Trade ReviewA magnificent achievement...As one would expect of a scholar of West's distinction these are accurate, keenly alive to each nuance of the Greek...Scholars owe a considerable debt of gratitude to West for [this] new Loeb. -- Richard Whitaker * Scholia Reviews *

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewA perfect Lysistrata for the new millennium: rich apparatus and a sparkling, metrical, accurate translation of this inexhaustible treasure of a play. --Rachel Hadas, Rutgers UniversityPresents a readable, clear translation with the assistance students will need to understand this play and the society that produced it. . . . A worthy addition to Hackett's growing series of translations of classical literature in accessible editions. --Anne Mahoney, New England Classical Journal

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Book SynopsisJames Madison’s record of the Constitutional Convention traces day by day the debates held from May to September 1787 and presents the only complete picture we have of the strategy, interests, and ideas of the Founders at the convention itself.Trade Review“The one invaluable source for the Federal Convention is, of course, James Madison’s Notes of Debates…. essential for all libraries.” * Harvard Law Review *“An important book…. Certainly this volume should be added to the collection of every library.” * Choice *“In our day when the constitution is often interpreted out of context, or even in an alien context, all who truly revere the Constitution should be conversant with Madison’s Notes, in which are set forth the purposes of the Founding Fathers.” * Journal of Southern History *

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Book SynopsisJames Ferguson examines the rise of social welfare programs in southern Africa in which states give cash payments to their low income citizens. These programs, Ferguson argues, offer new opportunities for political mobilization and inspire new ways to think about issues of production, distribution, markets, labor and unemployment.Trade Review“Half comparative ethnography, half political pamphlet, Ferguson’s impressive narrative is a tour de force questioning, deconstructing and reconstructing classic and contemporary notions of poverty, development and the welfare state in the region and beyond. … With his creative and flexible analysis, he provokes thinking for action beyond narrow ideological boundaries. One could imagine enthusiastic endorsements of his work by Marxist campaigners, World Bank technocrats and traditional leaders alike. This highly original book is likely to leave a lasting mark not only on contemporary anthropological debates around poverty and development, but also policy and activist thinking in southern Africa and beyond.” -- Vito Laterza * Anthropology Book Forum *"The book offers an exciting challenge to many of the default ways of thinking in development and social policy. ... Give a Man a Fish is a remarkable combination of scholarly breadth, intellectual challenge and grounded reflection on the realities of people living with hardship. Avoiding the easy characterisations of left or right, it is a thoughtful, stimulating and ultimately hopeful book, which deserves to be widely read, discussed and acted on." -- Sarah C. White * Journal of Development Studies *"Overall, this is an ambitious, imaginative, and hopeful book. Although the notion that distributive processes must be understood and appreciated is already widely accepted in African studies, Ferguson's achievement is in analyzing the dynamism and implications of these claims and relations within his chosen region’s shifting political economy." -- A. Peter Castro * Journal of International and Global Studies *"[T]he book is beautifully written, and a pleasure to read. Ferguson seamlessly weaves together data, a wide range of social science literature, anecdotes, historical details, and a sprinkling of anthropological theory.... Ferguson’s book is an erudite, enjoyable, and important synthesis of facts, stories and ideas, bridging a wide range of topics around the rise of social grants in Southern Africa." -- E. Fouksman * Basic Income Studies *"James Ferguson’s latest book makes an important contribution to the basic income literature. The book draws its empirical ballast from cash transfer programs in southern Africa, but this is not an ethnographic text; rather, Ferguson leverages the idea of cash transfers and basic income to launch a theoretical meditation on the nature of money, value, society, welfare, justice, and the state. The end product is reflective, thought-provoking, and beautifully written. One is left with the distinct impression that Ferguson is feeling his way into a social theory of the future." -- Jason Hickel * Anthropological Forum *"Like the best kind of anthropology, James Ferguson’s latest book, Give a Man a Fish, invites readers to see the world differently, questions taken-for-granted truisms, and reasserts the significance of lives considered peripheral to the concerns of powerful elites.... In a world of radical inequality and chronic unemployment, few development agents are willing to spend time 'translating' anthropology into action. Ferguson has done this work with the sensibility of an anthropologist." -- Ilana van Wyk * American Anthropologist *Table of ContentsForeword / Thomas Gibson vii Preface and Acknowledgments xi Introduction. Cash Transfers and the New Welfare States: From Neoliberalism to the Politics of Distribution 1 1. Give a Man a Fish: From Patriarchal Productionism to the Revalorization of Distribution 35 2. What Comes after the Social? Historicizing the Future of Social Protection in Africa 63 3. Distributed Livelihoods: Dependence and the Labor of Distribution in the Lives of the Southern African Poor (and Not-So-Poor) 89 4. The Social Life of Cash Payments: Money, Markets, and the Mutualities of Poverty 119 5. Declaration of Dependence: Labor, Pesonhood, and Welfare in Southern Africa 141 6. A Rightful Share: Distribution beyond Gift and Market 165 Conclusion. What Next for Distributive Politics? 191 Notes 217 References 237 Index 259

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Book SynopsisCharting the rise and development of Christianity, Carter Lindberg has succeeded in writing a concise and compelling history of the world''s largest religion. He spans over 2,000 years of colorful incident to give an authoritative history of Christianity for both the general reader and the beginning student. Ranges from the missionary journeys of the apostles to the tele-evangelism of the twenty-first century. Demonstrates how the Christian community received and forged its identity from its development of the Bible to the present day. Covers topics fundamental to understanding the course of Western Christianity, including the growth of the papacy, heresy and schism, reformation and counter-reformation. Includes an introduction to the historiography of Christianity, a note on the problems of periodization, an appendix on theological terms, and a useful bibliography. An authoritative yet succinct history, written to appeal to a Trade Review"There is much to praise here. Lindberg manages to explore many key events, issues, people and developments in a very concise manner. The text is very strong on theology and institutions with helpful historical context. I particularly appreciated the attention to Roman Catholicism as well as Protestantism in the modern period. The book is brief, but the history of Christianity is vividly portrayed here in all of its drama and complexity." Jeff Tyler, Hope College "This is a wonderful book: accessible, concise, clearly written, and thoroughly absorbing. Lindberg has chosen to present the Christian tradition through the history of its principal ideas, but these ideas are grounded in the flesh-and-blood reality of persons, their struggles for faith and for power, and the social and political worlds they inhabited. Reflecting the author’s erudition and wit, this cogent distillation of a complex past will serve beginners as an ideal introduction and old hands as a thought-provoking synthesis." Christopher Elwood, Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary Table of ContentsPreface x 1 The Responsibility to Remember: An Introduction to the Historiography of Christianity 1 Tradition and Confession 4 2 The Law of Praying is the Law of Believing 6 The Roman Empire and its Political Achievements 10 Hellenization and its Cultural Achievements 10 Development of the Biblical Canon 12 3 Sibling Rivalry: Heresy, Orthodoxy, and Ecumenical Councils 17 The Structure of Tradition: Confession and Doctrine 18 Doctrine as a Key to Christian Memory and Identity 19 Heresy 21 Jesus’ Relationship to God: The Doctrine of the Trinity 22 From the Council of Nicaea to the Council of Constantinople 26 Jesus and Humankind: Christology 28 4 The Heavenly City: The Augustinian Synthesis of Biblical Religion and Hellenism 35 Augustine’s Path to Conversion 40 Augustine’s Theological Contributions 41 Augustine and Donatism 44 The Pelagian Controversy 47 5 The Development of Medieval Christendom 51 Monasticism to Mission 52 The Emergence of the Papacy 54 Papacy and Empire 59 The Gregorian Reform 61 The Investiture Conflict 66 The Crusades 68 6 Faith in Search of Understanding: Anselm, Abelard, and the Beginnings of Scholasticism 71 Universities and Scholasticism 73 Contributions of Early Scholastic Theology 79 7 The Medieval Church 84 The Cultural and Theological Development of the Sacraments 84 The Rise of the Mendicant Orders 89 The Rise and Decline of Papal Authority 95 The Decline of the Papacy 97 Conciliarism 99 8 The Reformations of the Sixteenth Century 104 Context 105 The Reformation in Germany 108 The Reformation in Switzerland 112 The Reformation in France 116 The Reformation in England 117 Scandinavia and Eastern Europe 120 Early Modern Catholicism 121 The Reformations’ Aftermath 122 9 Pietism and the Enlightenment 125 The Enlightenment 135 The Catholic Church and the Enlightenment 141 10 Challenge and Response: The Church in the Nineteenth Century 143 The Churches and the French Revolution 144 From the French Revolution to the Congress of Vienna 145 Church Reform in Germany: The Prussian Union and its Consequences 146 Inner Mission and the Social Question 147 The Catholic Church in the Nineteenth Century 152 Pope Pius IX and Vatican I 153 From Kulturkampf to the Anti-Modernist Oath 154 Nineteenth-Century Theology 155 The Awakening 157 Theological Currents 158 Liberal Theology 160 11 The Christian Churches since World War I 163 New Formulations in Protestant Theology 164 The Churches during National Socialism 167 Developments in the Catholic Church after World War I 171 The Ecumenical Movement 173 Back to the Future: Christianity in Global Context 179 Appendix: Periodization 181 Glossary 189 Further Reading 195 Index 204

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Book SynopsisThe eighth edition of the hugely successful American Civilization offers students the perfect background and introductory information on contemporary American life, examining the central dimensions of American society from geography and the environment to government and politics, religion, education, sports, media and the arts.Fully and comprehensively updated throughout with regard to events, processes, attitudes and major figures in society, culture and politics in the United States, this new edition brings the book up to date through: coverage of recent events including the 2020 US election and 2021 presidential inauguration; revised chapters on geography, women and minorities, and the media that incorporate more information on such themes as environmental legislation, the LGBTQ+ community, social media and people, all key themes in the study of American culture and society; the introduction of topical studies that connect small case studies to apposite illustrations to highlight key subjects within the field; and the inclusion of more discussion questions that require analysis and the use of evidence to substantiate argumentation to enable students to develop their own essay responses to typical questions that they may be asked. Supported by exercises and suggestions for further reading at the end of each chapter, a substantial chronology that covers key events in the history of the United States and a fully integrated companion website (www.routledge.com/cw/mauk), the textbook remains an essential introduction to American civilization, culture and society for American Studies students.Table of Contents1. The American Context 2. The Country 3. The People: Settlement and Immigration 4. The People: Women and Minorities 5. Religious Culture 6. Political Institutions: The Federal Government 7. Political Institutions: State and Local Government 8. Foreign Policy 9. The Legal System 10. The Economy 11. Social Services 12. Education 13. The Media 14. Arts, Sports and Leisure Cultures

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Book SynopsisCanals of Britain is the most comprehensive and absorbing survey of Britain''s canal network ever published.It provides a fascinating insight into the linked up waterways as well as the isolated cuts and quiet waters which may not be fully navigable by larger craft. Infinitely varied, it passes picturesque open countryside, wild moorland, coastal harbours, historic industrial buildings, modern city centres, canalside public houses and abundant wildlife.Stuart Fisher looks at every aspect of the canals - their construction, rich history, stunning scenery, heritage, incredible engineering, impressive architecture and even their associated folklore, wildlife and art. Enticing photographs give a flavour of each place and places of interest close to the canals are included. Each canal is intricately mapped.For those who are keen to explore that little bit further, the book goes to points beyond which others usually turn back, with information on little-known parts of the systeTrade ReviewA must for any waterway user's bookcase * Towpath Talk *Author Stuart Fisher... has meticulously researched every canal included here from his trusty kayak - no mean achievement. But this is no mere travelogue, history, heritages, engineering, folklore and wildlife being among the topics covered. * Waterways World *Everything you will ever need to know about the canal network of the British Isles. * Britain magazine *Comprehensive, absorbing and fascinating. * All at Sea *Stuart Fisher looks at every aspect of our intricate network of waterways. Stunning scenery. Enticing photos. Popular with anyone wanting to get the most out of Britain's canals. * People's Friend *There's no denying its diligent authority. It deserves a place in every enthusiast's home library. * Waterways World *Lavishly illustrated with superb colour photographs ... this book is not one to be devoured in one long session but to be dipped into and enjoyed. * Towpath Talk *

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