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Book SynopsisIf there is one dominant myth about the world, one huge mistake we all make it is that we all go around assuming the world is much more of a planned place than it is.'From the industrial revolution and the rise of China, to urbanisation and the birth of bitcoin, Matt Ridley demolishes conventional assumptions that the great events and trends of our day are dictated by those on high. On the contrary, our most important achievements develop from the ground up. In this wide-ranging and erudite book, Matt Ridley brilliantly makes the case for evolution as the force that has shaped much of our culture, our minds, and that even now is shaping our future.As compelling as it is controversial, as authoritative as it is ambitious, Ridley's deeply thought-provoking book will change the way we think about the world and how it works.Trade Review‘He argues we live in a bottom-up world…a compelling argument and in this fascinating work, an evolution from Ridley’s other books, such as The Rational Optimist of The Origins of Virtue, he takes it to all realms of knowledge and how new ideas emerge… Ridley has amassed such a weight of fascinating evidence and anecdote that the pages fly by’ Ed Conway, The Times ‘Intriguing and artfully argued’ Ian Critchly, The Sunday Times ‘This is a book of remarkable scope (when Ridley says everything, he isn’t exaggerating), clearly written by a polymath who reads whatever is interesting, old and new. What’s more, it does not have the feel of a book written on commission so much as one that has been slowly assembling its own emergent thesis over time, tentatively testing and sometimes rejecting ideas along the way. As so often in nature, something wonderful has thereby come about’ Literary Review ‘The book displays his wide and deep knowledge of many different fields. It is fast paced and elegantly written. Few readers will come away without fresh information and a challenge to their preconceptions’ Prospect ‘Readable, provocative and infuriating’ New Statesman Praise for Matt Ridley: ‘What a superb writer he is, and he seems to get better and better.' Richard Dawkins, author of ‘The Selfish Gene’ Praise for ‘The Rational Optimist’: ‘A triumphant blast on the vuvuzela of common sense’ Boris Johnson ‘A glorious defence of our species… a devastating rebuke to humanity's self-haters’ Sunday Times ‘No other book has argued with such brilliance against the automatic pessimism that prevails’ Ian McEwan ‘His theory is, in a way, the glorious offspring that would result if Charles Darwin’s ideas were mated with those of Adam Smith’ The Economist ‘As a work of bold historical positivity it is to be welcomed. At every point cheerfulness keeps breaking through’ The Times

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Book SynopsisA groundbreaking historical study, Norman Stone''s The Eastern Front 1914-1917 was the very first authoritative account of the Russian Front in the First World War to be published in the West. In this now-classic history he dispels the myths surrounding a still relatively little-known aspect of the war, showing how inefficiency rather than economic shortage led to Russia''s desperate privations and eventual retreat. He also interprets the connection between the war and the chaos that followed, arguing that although fighting had almost ceased by the end of 1916, Russia was still in turmoil - undergoing a period of change that would inexorably lead towards revolution. ''A landmark in its field ... it is still the best book on the eastern front''  Orlando Figes ''A classic account ... that even after thirty years remains essential reading''  Sunday Times ''Without question one of the classics of poTable of ContentsThe army and the state in Tsarist Russia; the military imperative, July 1914; the opening round - East Prussia; the opening round -Galicia; the first war-winter, 1914-1915; the Austro-Hungarian emergency; the shell-shortage, 1915; the retreat, 1915; the political war-economy, 1916-1917; the second war-winter, 1915-1916; summer 1916; the Romanian campaign, 1916-1917; war and revolution, 1917.

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Book SynopsisThis new edition of Brogan''s superb one-volume history - from early British colonisation to the Reagan years - captures an array of dynamic personalities and events. In a broad sweep of America''s triumphant progress. Brogan explores the period leading to Independence from both the American and the British points of view, touching on permanent features of ''the American character'' - both the good and the bad. He provides a masterly synthesis of all the latest research illustrating America''s rapid growth from humble beginnings to global dominance.Table of ContentsThe Penguin History of the USA - Hugh Brogan A Note of ThanksNote for the Revised EditionAcknowledgmentsBook One: The Settlement1. Prelude c. 30,000 BC-C. AD 16002. The Roots of English Colonization3. The Planting of Virginia 1607-764. The Planting of New England 1604-c.16755. Indians 1492-1920Book Two: The Old Order and the American Revolution6. Imperial Britain 1660-17637. Thirteen Colonies c. 1675-17638. The Waking of the Revolution 1759-669. The Road to Ruin 1766-7510. The War of the Revolution 1775-8311. The Peace and the Constitution 1783-9Book Three: The Age of Equality12. The Planting of the West13. The Development of a Democracy 1789-184114. Slavery and its Consequences 1800-186115. The War About Slavery 1861-516. Reconstruction 1865-77Book Four: The Age of Gold17. The Billion-Dollar Country 1865-190018. Congressional Government and its Critics 1869-9619. The Progressive Adventure 1897-191420. The Education of Woodrow Wilson 1914-2121. Irresponsibility 1921-33Book Five: The Superpower22. The Era of Franklin Roosevelt 1933-823. The Reluctant Giant 1933-4524. Cold War Abroad and at Home 1945-6125. Unfinished Business 1954-6826. The Crisis of the New Order 1963-7427. A World Restored? 1977-89A Note on Further ReadingIndex

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Book SynopsisA wave of internal conquest, settlement and economic growth took place in Europe during the High Middle Ages, which transformed it from a world of small separate communities into a network of powerful kingdoms with distinctive cultures. In this vivid and provocative book Robert Bartlett vividly shows how Europe was itself a product of colonization, as much as it was later a colonizer, and what this did to shape the continent and the world today.

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Book SynopsisFor six centuries the Republic of Venice was a maritime empire, its sovereign power extending throughout much of the eastern Mediterranean an empire of coasts, islands and isolated fortresses by which, as Wordsworth wrote, the mercantile Venetians ''held the gorgeous east in fee''. Jan Morris reconstructs the whole of this glittering dominion in the form of a sea-voyage, travelling along the historic Venetian trade routes from Venice itself to Greece, Crete and Cyprus. It is a traveller''s book, geographically arranged but wandering at will from the past to the present, evoking not only contemporary landscapes and sensations but also the characters, the emotions and the tumultuous events of the past. The first such work ever written about the Venetian Stato da Mar', it is an invaluable historical companion for visitors to Venice itself and for travellers through the lands the Doges once ruled.

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Book SynopsisThe city of Rome is the largest archaeological site in the world, capital and showcase of the Roman Empire and the centre of Christian Europe.This guide provides: Coverage of all the important sites in the city from 800 BC to AD 600 and the start of the early middle ages, drawing on the latest discoveries and the best of recent scholarship Over 220 high-quality maps, site plans, diagrams and photographs Sites divided into fourteen main areas, with star ratings to help you plan and prioritize your visit: Roman Forum; Upper Via Sacra; Palatine; Imperial Forums; Campus Martius; Capitoline Hill; Circus Flaminius to Circus Maximus; Colosseum and Esquiline hill; Caelian hill and the inner via Appia; Lateran to Porta Maggiore; Viminal hill; Pyramid to Testaccio; the outer via Appia; other outlying sites; Museums and Catacombs. Introduction offering essential background to the history and culture of ancient Rome, placing the city in the context of the development of the empire, highlighting the nature of Roman achievement, and explaining how Rome came to be the largest city in the ancient world. Comprehensive glossaries of Rome''s building materials, techniques and building types, a chronological table of kings, emperors, and the early popes, information about opening times, references and suggestions for further reading and a detailed user-friendly index. For this new edition the original text has been extensively revised, adding over 20 more sites and illustrations, the itineraries have been re-organized and expanded to suit the many changes that have taken place in the past decade, and the practical information and references have been fully updated.Table of ContentsIntroduction ; Historical Overview ; Documentary Sources ; Glossary ; The Roman Forum ; The Upper Via Sacra ; The Palatine ; Imperial Forums ; Field of Mars (Campus Martius) ; Capitoline Hill ; Circus Flaminius to Circus Maximus ; Colosseum Valley and Esquiline Hill ; Caelian Hill and the inner Via Appia ; Lateran-Porta Maggiore ; The Viminal ; Pyramid-Testaccio ; Across the Tiber ; Parks of the Appia Antica ; Other Sites outside the Walls ; Museums ; Catacombs ; Chronological Table ; Opening Times and Charges ; References and Further Reading ; Index

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Book SynopsisAs a giant of 20th century history, Mao Zedong played many roles: peasant revolutionary, patriotic leader against the Japanese occupation, Marxist theoretician, modernizer, and visionary despot. This Very Short Introduction chronicles Mao''s journey from peasant child to ruler of the most populous nation on Earth. He was a founder of both the Chinese Communist Party and the Red Army, and for many years he fought on two fronts, for control of the Party and in an armed struggle for the Party''s control of the country. His revolution unified China and began its rise to world power status. He was the architect of the Great Leap Forward that he hoped would make China both prosperous and egalitarian, but instead ended in economic disaster resulting in millions of deaths. It was Mao''s growing suspicion of his fellow leaders that led him to launch the Cultural Revolution, and his last years were dogged by ill-health and his despairing attempts to find a successor whom he trusted. Delia Davin provides an invaluable introduction to Mao, showing him in all his complexity; ruthless, brutal, and ambitious, a man of enormous talent and perception, yet a leader who is still detested by some and venerated by others. 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 Review[A] tautly argued, plainly told, luminous story that does full justice to all sides of the argument * The China Journal *Table of Contents1. Formative years ; 2. Marxist Labour organizer to Peasant Revolutionary ; 3. Achieving pre-eminence 1934-1949 ; 4. The revolution institutionalized: first years of the People's Republic ; 5. The Great Leap Forward and its Aftershocks ; 6. The Cultural Revolution ; 7. Decline and death ; 8. Assessments and legacies ; References and further reading

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Book SynopsisPresents the history of the bicycle, an invention that precipitated nothing short of a social revolution. This book recounts a story replete with disputed patents, brilliant inventions, and missed opportunities. It shows us why the bicycle captured the public's imagination and the myriad ways it has reshaped our world.Trade Review"Profusely and charmingly illustrated."—Richard Eder, Boston Sunday Globe"[A] wonderful new book. . . . Herlihy combines the thoroughness of a scholar with the dogged investigative skills of a newspaper reporter and presents his finding with a literary flair not normally found in authors who possess thoroughness or doggedness. The result is a fine read sure to be of great interest, if not to 87 million once-a-year riders, then certainly to the 8 million core cyclists."—Stephen Madden, New York Post"A fascinating historical account of the bicycle, from its conception in the 19th century to the present day, lavishly illustrated, too."—Sara Nelson, New York Post (Required Reading)"A prodigious researcher vividly recounts the development of a great machine that wasn’t fully practical till the 1870’s."—The New York Times Book Review"Immensely absorbing. . . . Herlihy’s prodigious research is always entertaining, as are the period illustrations that copiously grace the volume. . . . While reading Bicycle, I was all too often overcome with the desire to jump on my own machine. I would relish having David V. Herlihy as my cycling companion any day."—Edward Koren, New York Times Book Review"This is a book that ought to fascinate any reader who cares about well-researched, well-written, beautifully illustrated history. . . . Yet to call the book a traditional history is misleading. Herlihy uses brief boxed asides, artwork, photographs, cartoons, technical drawings and other tools to dazzle. . . . Bicycle . . . is compulsively readable."—Steve Weinberg, San Francisco Chronicle"Herlihy’s book gives a history of the bicycle from its painful beginnings right through to the amazingly technical machines available now."—Toby Clements, The Telegraph"A definitive look at the bicycle."—Craig Wilson, USA Today"Mr. Herlihy concentrates on [the bicycle’s] social history, especially its manufacturers and riders. Culling from the popular press, he builds a very readable account of the public perception of the bicycle as it moved from one stage to another. The book is also one of the best-illustrated histories I have ever seen. It is a delight to leaf through."—Robert Messenger, Wall Street Journal"The reader is taken on a joy ride of stories, fact and anecdotes. . . . Herlihy deserves praise for his exhaustive research. . . . I’m glad he invited us along for the ride."—Colman McCarthy, Washington Post & Chicago Sun Times"This extraordinarily researched work is not just for those interested in the history of the bicycle but for anyone who wants to follow the international history of an idea or invention. . . . Dozens of attractive images enrich the story and could be issued as a worthwhile book of their own. Highly recommended for all academic collections."—Library Journal"A comprehensive genealogy of the two-wheeled savior of mass transit. . . . The author’s vivid account of this story could not be more detailed if Herlihy himself had personally lived through every experience he recounts. . . . Herlihy takes what could have been just another history book and makes it a story worth telling your friends about."—Publishers Weekly"An instant classic."—Simon Withers, Cycling Plus"A fascinating history of an engineering marvel."—Forecast"Bicycle is the preeminent research document concerning the invention and early development of the bicycle, but most interesting is its analysis of the bicycle’s role within societal development."—Velo News"This is an excellent history… It is definitely a book for the cyclists in the family and even if you haven’t ridden a bike for years the author’s enthusiasm might even tempt you on two wheels."—Model EngineerWinner of the 2004 Award for Excellence in the History of Science sponsored by the Professional and Scholarly Publishing Division of the Association of American PublishersWinner of the 2005 Sally Hacker Prize sponsored by the Society for the History of Technology"If you could only own one book on bicycle history, Bicycle is it. David's account is not only thorough and accurate, but offers a great read to both the aficionado and those new to the bicycle world. A great addition to anyone's library."—Jill DiMauro, Owner Proteus Bicycles, "Bicycles through the Ages" hands on mobile bicycle exhibit "The bicycle's history is rife with confusion and myth, so it's wonderful to have David Herlihy's thoroughly researched and delightfully written account to set the record of this remarkable and important invention straight."—Jim Langley, Cycling Writer"David Herlihy is a widely recognized expert on the history of the bicycle, and this book offers the most comprehensive account to date of the bicycle and its development from a novelty for the elite to transportation for the masses. Frequently wry and always intelligent, Herlihy takes us on a marvelous tour of the bicycle's fascinating history."—Peter Joffre Nye, U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame and co-author of The Lance Armstrong Performance Program"Bicycle is a fascinating book. David Herlihy is a true historian, and he has uncovered a stunning amount of new material about the history of the bicycle—at times it reads like a detective story."—David Gordon Wilson, professor, MIT and co-author, Bicycling Science, and Human-Powered Vehicles

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Book SynopsisA well-rounded, well-informed critique of the Pacific island nation of Japan, its society, economy, demography, and politics

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisSince Devolution in 1999 Scotland has become a focus of intense interest both within Britain and throughout the wider world. In this Very Short Introduction, Rab Houston explores how an independent Scottish nation emerged in the Middle Ages, how it was irrevocably altered by Reformation, links with England and economic change, and how Scotland influenced the development of the modern world. Examining politics, law, society, religion, education, migration, and culture, he examines how the nation''s history has made it distinct from England, both before and after Union, how it overcame internal tensions between Highland and Lowland society, and how it has today arrived at a political, social and culture watershed. Authoritative, lucid, and ranging widely over issues of environment, people, and identity, this is Scotland''s story without myths: an ideal introduction for those interested in the Scots, but also a balanced yet refreshing challenge to those who already feel at home in Scotland past and present. 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 ReviewHouston's survey is clear and certainly concise. * Clare Beck, The Scotsman *A whistle-stop tour through the history of Scotland's politics, religion, education, economy and culture...both complex and rich. * Clare Beck, The Scotsman *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; 1. Politics and Government ; 2. Religion ; 3. Education ; 4. Society ; 5. Economy and Environment ; 6. Scotland and the Wider World ; 7. Culture ; Conclusions

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Book SynopsisAlmost twenty years after the Soviet Unions'' end, what are we to make of its existence? Was it a heroic experiment, an unmitigated disaster, or a viable if flawed response to the modern world?Taking a fresh approach to the study of the Soviet Union, this Very Short Introduction blends political history with an investigation into the society and culture at the time. Stephen Lovell examines aspects of patriotism, political violence, poverty, and ideology; and provides answers to some of the big questions about the Soviet experience. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Table of Contents1. Future and past ; 2. Coercion and participation ; 3. Poverty and wealth ; 4. Elite and masses ; 5. Patriotism and multinationalism ; 6. West and East ; Conclusion

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Book SynopsisThe peace treaties represented an almost impossible attempt to solve the problems caused by a murderous world war. In The Lights that Failed: European International History 1919-1933, part of the Oxford History of Modern Europe series, Steiner challenges the common assumption that the Treaty of Versailles led to the opening of a second European war. In a radically original way, this book characterizes the 1920s not as a frustrated prelude to a second global conflict but as a fascinating decade in its own right, when politicians and diplomats strove to re-assemble a viable European order. Steiner examines the efforts that failed but also those which gave hope for future promise, many of which are usually underestimated, if not ignored. She shows that an equilibrium was achieved, attained between a partial American withdrawal from Europe and the self-imposed constraints which the Soviet system imposed on exporting revolution. The stabilization painfully achieved in Europe reached it fragile limits after 1925, even prior to the financial crises that engulfed the continent. The hinge years between the great crash of 1929 and Hitler''s achievement of power in 1933 devastatingly altered the balance between nationalism and internationalism. This wide-ranging study helps us grasp the decisive stages in this process. In a second volume, The Triumph of the Night Steiner will examine the immediate lead up to the Second World War and its early years.Trade Review...indisputably the most detailed and authoritative single-volume account of European international history in the fifteen years following the end of the First World War...[the work] affirms Zara Steiner's status as the pre-eminent historian of inter-war international affairs. * Martin Conway, EHR 494 *Zara Steiner has produced a splendid volume, chock full of detail and with many thought-provoking insights. It will remain a classic for many years to come. For those studying international business history it will serve as an excellent background reference manual to the period...If one were to ask for more it would be the second volume in the same vein. * Derek H. Aldcroft, Business History *Table of ContentsPART I: THE RECONSTRUCTION OF EUROPE, 1918-1929; PART II: THE HINGE YEARS, 1930-1933

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Book SynopsisWhy do people go to war? Is it rooted in human nature or is it a late cultural invention? How does war relate to the other fundamental developments in the history of human civilization? And what of war today - is it a declining phenomenon or simply changing its shape? In this truly global study of war and civilization, Azar Gat sets out to find definitive answers to these questions in an attempt to unravel the ''riddle of war'' throughout human history, from the early hunter-gatherers right through to the unconventional terrorism of the twenty-first century. In the process, the book generates an astonishing wealth of original and fascinating insights on all major aspects of humankind''s remarkable journey through the ages, engaging a wide range of disciplines, from anthropology and evolutionary psychology to sociology and political science. Written with remarkable verve and clarity and wholly free from jargon, it will be of interest to anyone who has ever pondered the puzzle of war.Trade ReviewAn immensely ambitious work covering not only history but archaeology, anthropology, ethnography, demography and economics, to name but a few... its weight of learning is borne aloft by the author's enthusiasm for his subject and takes his readers with it. If only there were more scholars like this! * Michael Howard, TLS Books of the Year *There's any amount of fascinating insight to be found in this big and enormously ambitious interdisciplinary study. * The Scotsman *A book of extraordinary ambition, erudition and range... Every student of war will be obliged to engage with this remarkable piece of scholarship. * Professor Sir Lawrence Freedman, King's College, London *A work of extraordinary scope and formidable erudition... Gat definitively unravels the riddle of civilization and war. * Professor Robert J. Lieber, Georgetown University *A towering and triumphant achievement... acute, scholarly, and wide-ranging: it is certainly one of the most important works on the subject written since 1945. Gat is at the top of his brilliant form, linking a variety of disciplines in a rich and comprehensive study of this most pertinent of issues. * Professor Richard Holmes *Table of ContentsPART 1: WARFARE IN THE FIRST TWO MILLION YEARS: ENVIRONMENT, GENES, AND CULTURE ; 1. Introduction: The Human 'State of Nature' ; 2. Peaceful or War-like: Did Hunter-Gatherers Fight? ; 3. Why Fighting? The Evolutionary Perspective ; 4. Motivation: Food and Sex ; 5. Motivation: the Web of Desire ; 6. 'Primitive Warfare': How Was It Done? ; 7. Conclusion: Fighting in the Evolutionary State of Nature ; PART 2: AGRICULTURE, CIVILIZATION, AND WAR ; 8. Introduction: Evolving Cultural Complexity ; 9. Tribal Warfare in Agraria and Pastoralia ; 10. Armed Force in the Emergence of the State ; 11. The Eurasian Spearhead: East, West, and the Steppe ; 12. Conclusion: War, the Leviathan, and the Pleasures and Miseries of Civilization ; PART 3: MODERNITY: THE DUAL FACE OF JANUS ; 13. Introduction: the Explosion of Wealth and Power ; 14. Guns and Markets: the New European States and a Global World ; 15. Unbound and Bound Prometheus: Machine Age War ; 16. Affluent Liberal Democracies, Ultimate Weapons, and the World ; 17. Conclusion: Unravelling the Riddle of War ; Endnotes ; Index

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Book SynopsisAn account of wartime Greece, exploring the impact of Nazi Occupation upon the lives and values of ordinary people. It seeks to offer a vividly human picture of resistance fighters and black marketeers, teenage German conscripts and Gestapo officers, Jews and starving villagers.Trade Review"Fascinating. . . . [Mazower] succeeds in getting under the skin of the occupation. . . . [This book] conjures up, in vivid detail, life under an occupation that had shattered old certainties and replaced them with painful choices, cynical compromises and hopes undercut by the daily death toll."—Mark Almond, The Times"[An] important book . . . sharply focused."—C.M. Woodhouse, Times Literary Supplement"Mark Mazower's account of the Italo-German seizure of Greece . . . should make sense to anyone with a feel for truthful documentation. . . . An objective study."—Nigel Spivey, Financial Times"Fascinating. . . . [Mazower] succeeds in getting under the skin of the occupation. . . . [This book] conjures up, in vivid detail, life under an occupation that had shattered old certainties and replaced them with painful choices, cynical compromises and hopes undercut by the daily death toll."—Mark Almond, The Times"This is the first thorough account in English of almost every aspect of life in Axis-occupied Greece. It draws on a mass of material, including Greek wartime newspapers and German military archives. All of this is absorbed into a highly readable narrative and illustrated with sometimes heartbreaking contemporary photographs."—Noel Malcolm, The Sunday Telegraph"Scholarly in its use of sources, yet rich in feeling and full of vivid descriptions. The account of tens of thousands of people starving to death is harrowing and appalling; the civil insurrection which followed and the ensuing acts of brutality on both sides are presented with equal pathos."—Max Davidson, Daily Telegraph"[A] notable study . . . the first of its kind in English."—Publishers Weekly"[Mazower's] elegant prose and meticulous eye for detail cut to the heart of the nature and effects of the occupation on Greek society and political life. . . . With its rich historical detail, vivid accounts, its sheer scope and perceptiveness, it is a must for the professional historian, and an eye-opener for the interested general reader."—Spyros Economides, The European"One is glad to have [this book]. Mazower writes without fuss and takes analysis easily in the stride of his narrative."—Colin Richmond, Jane's Intelligence Review"A vivid and penetrating insight into the political and military confusion of the period. . . . [Mazower's] understanding and grasp of this often contentious area of history has been well served by the fluency with which he relates it. It is a very well-written, readable and often moving book."—Imogen Grundon, Literary Review"[A] sensitive, illuminating and richly textured account of painful, complex experience."—Richard Overy, The Observer "A stupendous feat of personal and original research. . . . He has digested this heterogeneous material so thoroughly that his book is eminently readable. . . . A masterpiece of exposition."—N. G. L. Hammond, Anglo-Hellenic Review"Mazower's book is a stupendous achievement and a work of immaculate scholarship."—History Today"The book's focus on the experiences of everyday life in extreme circumstances gives it an immediacy and emotional impact that few readers will be able to ignore to forget. Mazower wears his scholarship lightly and writes without jargon, with detachment and yet with passion; readers will find themselves responding similarly."—Margaret E. Kenna, Ethnic & Racial Studies"Mazower's work is to be highly commended. . . . This is a book which deserves the widest readership possible."—Martyn Housden, British Journal of Holocaust Education"A book of great interest and originality. . . . Altogether this volume provides us with a refreshing exercise in revisionist history."—M.R.D. Foot, Slavonic ReviewJoint Winner of the 1993 Fraenkel Prize in Contemporary History "One of the very best books in any language, to have been written on wartime Greece. Indeed . . . one of the most significant books to have been written on modern Greece as a whole."—Richard Clogg"Mark Mazower's compelling and scholarly account of the occupation of Greece by the axis is doubly invaluable . . . Dr. Mazower's study of occupied Greece is based on an impressive range of archival and secondary sources in several languages. It is not only both comprehensive and readable but also topical."—Tim Kirk"Mazower's crisp, dramatic presentation of all aspects of life in occupied Greece is a model of clarity and compactness. The politics of occupation, collaboration, resistance, and plain survival are elaborated in vivid detail. There is a brightness of vision in this work, which is as unyielding and unsentimental as the craggy beauty of Greece."—Ivo Banac

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Book SynopsisHistory tells us that the Second World War broke Britain as a great power, diminishing its military strength, ruining its economy, and precipitating a striking wave of decolonization. Nationalists and new superpowers dominated the post-war landscape, and the country was on the slide. But no one knew this in 1945 - the leading politicians, the top civil servants, and the most knowledgeable experts, all expected the British Empire to remain intact long into the future. There was no hint of imminent collapse, and the governing elite and key opinion-shapers weren''t considering decline and decolonization, evincing instead a new zeal for imperial renovation and a belief that an empire which had just survived another global conflict was vital for the peace and security of all humankind. They were even looking to expansion, securing the spoils of victory as they had done at the end of the First World War. Fully expecting to continue leading a great empire as well as a bloc of European nations recovering from war, the British had their own vision of the new world order. Furthermore, and astonishingly given what actually happened, British leaders were convinced that parity could be gained with the Americans and the Soviets: Britain was to remain a superpower in its own right. What actually happened differed radically from these expectations. The question is, how do we account for the difference between what it was thought would happen and the actual course of events? Superpower Britain is the first book to focus in depth on this fascinating counterpoint and to fully integrate the history of Britain and the effects of the Second World War with the history of the British Empire. It explains what the British planned to do in the post-war world, why they thought their plans for regeneration and the future world order were viable, and what the war had actually done to British world power and its imperial foundations.

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Book SynopsisA masterful history of the American Civil War and its reverberations across the continent by a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner

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Presenting the grand sweep of Indian history from antiquity to the present, A History of India is a detailed and authoritative account of the major political, economic, social and cultural forces that have shaped the history of the Indian subcontinent. Hermann Kulke and Dietmar Rothermund provide a comprehensive overview of the structural pattern of Indian history, covering each historical period in equal depth. Fully revised throughout, the sixth edition of this highly accessible book has been brought up to date with analysis of recent events such as the 2014 election and its consequences, and includes more discussion of subjects such as caste and gender, Islam, foreign relations, partition, and the press and television.This new edition contains an updated chronology of key events and a useful glossary of Indian terms, and is highly illustrated with maps and photographs. Supplemented by a companion website (www.routledge.com/cw/kulke), it is a valuable resour

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Book SynopsisAn accessible and entertaining narrative history of the establishment, development and unravelling of the British Welfare State now fully revised to cover Blair's first term. Lively writing in the style of Peter Hennessy.Giant Want. Giant Disease. Giant Ignorance. Giant Squalor. And the insidious Giant Idleness, which destroys wealth and corrupts men. These were evils to be vanquished by the postwar reconstruction of Britain. Timmins' book recaptures brilliantly the high hopes of the period in which the Welfare State began to be created, and conveys the cranky zeal of its inventor, William Beveridge. The onslaught on the five Giants was the work of five gargantuan programmes that made up the core of Beveridge's Welfare State. These were social security, health, education, housing and a policy of full employment. It is notoriously difficult to write about such subjects and keep the reader reading, but Timmins performs wonders of narrative clarity, anecdote and human detail in a book thTrade Review‘A splendid book – knowledgeable, readable and fair.’ Sunday Telegraph ‘A tour de force – thoroughly researched and vividly written…a masterpiece.’ Sunday Times ‘Extraordinarily comprehensive without ever being incomprehensible.’ Roy Hattersley, Independent

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Book SynopsisA History of Jerusalem should be read, not only by travellers and potential travellers in Jerusalem, but by all of us.' Stephen Tummin, Daily TelegraphJerusalem has probably cast more of a spell over the human imagination than any other city in the world.Held by believers to contain the site where Abraham offered up Isaac, the place of the crucifixion of Christ and the rock from which the prophet Muhammed ascended to heaven, Jerusalem has been celebrated and revered for centuries by Jews, Christians and Muslims. Such is the symbolic power of this ancient city that its future status poses a major obstacle to a comprehensive regional peace in the Middle East.In this comprehensive and elegantly written work, Karen Armstrong traces the turbulent history of the city from the prehistoric era to the present day.Trade Review‘A wonderful book: wise and compassionate, lucid and intelligent, balanced and fair.’William Dalrymple ‘A triumph’Ian Gilmour, London Review of Books ‘Splendid … essential reading for Jews, Christians and Muslims alike.’ John Ash, Washington Post ‘Deftly told … Armstrong is a knowledgable guide, and this is a sober and articulate tour of a complex subject and a city where, as she puts it, history is a dimension of the present.’ James Owen, Literary Review

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Book SynopsisEdward Gibbon's six-volume History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (1776-88) is among the most magnificent and ambitious narratives in European literature. Its subject is the fate of one of the world's greatest civilizations over thirteen centuries - its rulers, wars and society, and the events that led to its disastrous collapse. Here, in volumes three and four, Gibbon vividly recounts the waves of barbarian invaders under commanders such as Alaric and Attila, who overran and eventually destroyed the West. He then turns his gaze to events in the East, where even the achievements of the Byzantine emperor Justinian and the campaigns of the brilliant military leader Belisarius could not conceal the fundamental weaknesses of their empire.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 ContentsThe History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire Volume IIChapter XXVIIDeath of Gratian—Ruin of Arianism.—St. Ambrose.—First civil War againt Maximus.—Character, Administration and Pennance of Theodosius.—Death of Valentinian II.—Second civil War, againt Eugenius.—Death of Theodosius.A.D.379-383. Character and Conduct of the Emperor Gratian. His Defects383 Discontent of the Roman Troops. Revolt of Maximus in Britain. Flight and Death of Gratian383-387. Treaty of Peace between Maximus and Theodosius380 Baptism and orthodox Edicts of Theodosius340-380. Arianism of Constantinople378 Gregory Nazianzen accepts the mission of Constantinople380 Ruin of Arianism at Constantinople381 In the East. The Council of Constantinople. Retreat of Gregory Nazianzen380-394. Edicts of Theodosius against the Heretics385 Execution of Priscillian and his Associates375-397. Ambrose, Archbishop of Milan385 His successful Opposition to the Empress Justina387 Maximus invades Italy. Flight of Valentinian. Theodosius takes Arms in the Cause of Valentinian388 Defeat and Death of Maximus. Virtues of Theodosius. Faults of Theodosius387 The Sedition of Antioch. Clemency of Theodosius390 Sedition and Massacre of Thessalonica388 Influence and Conduct of Ambrose390 Pennance of Theodosius388-391. Generosity of Theodosius391 Character of Valentinian392 His Death392-394. Usurpation of Eugenius. Theodosius prepares for War394 His Victory over Eugenius395 Death of Theodosius. Corruption of the Times. The Infantry lay aside their ArmourChapter XXVIIFinal Destruction of Paganism.—Introduction of the Worship of Saints, and Relics, among the Christians.A.D.378-395. The Destruction of the Pagan Religion. State of Paganism at Rome.384 Petition of the Senate for the Altar of Victory388 Conversion of Rome381 Destruction of the Temples in the Provinces. The Temple of Serapis at Alexandria389 Its final Destruction390 The Pagan Religion is prohibited. Oppressed390-420. Finally extinguished. The Worship of the Christian Martyrs. General ReflectionsI. Fabulous Martyrs and RelicsII. MiraclesIII. Revival of PolytheismIV. Introduction of Pagan CeremoniesChapter XXIXFinal Division of the Roman Empire between the Sons of Theodosius—Reign of Arcadius and Honorius—Administration of Rufinus and Stilicho.—Revolt and Defeat of Gildo in Africa.A.D.395 Division of the Empire between Arcadius and Honorius386-395. Character and Administration of Rufinus395 He oppresses the East. He is disappointed, by the Marriage of Arcadius. Character of Stilicho, the Minister, and General of the Western Empire385-408. His Military Command395 The Fall and Death of Rufinus396 Discord of the two Empires386-398. Revolt of Gildo in Africa397 He is condemned by the Roman Senate398 The African War398 Defeat and Death of Gildo398 Marriage, and Character of HonoriusChapter XXXRevolt of the Goths.—They plunder Greece. Two great Invasions of Italy by Alaric and Radagaisus.—They are repulsed by Stilicho.—The Germans over-run Gaul.—Usurpation of Constantine in the West.—Disgrace and Death of Stilicho.A.D.395 Revolt of the Goths396 Alaric marches into Greece397 He is attacked by Stilicho. Escapes to Epirus398 Alaric is declared Master-general of the eastern Illyricum. Is proclaimed King of the Visigoths400-403. He invades Italy403 Honorius flies from Milan. He is pursued and besieged by the Goths. Battle of Pollentia. Boldness and Retreat of Alaric404 The Triumph of Honorius at Rome. The Gladiators abolished. Honorius fixes his Residence at Ravenna400 The Revolutions of Scythia405 Emigration of the northern Germans406 Radagaisus invades Italy. Besieges Florence. Threatens Rome. Defeat and Destruction of his Army by Stilicho. The Remainder of the Germans invade Gaul407 Desolation of Gaul. Revolt of the British Army. Constantine is acknowledged in Britain and Gaul408 He reduces Spain404-408. Negociation of Alaric and Stilicho408 Debates of the Roman Senate. Intrigues of the Palace. Disgrace and Death of Stilicho. His Memory persecuted. The Poet Claudian among the Train of Stilicho's DependentsChapter XXXIInvasion of Italy by Alaric.—Manners of the Roman Senate and People.—Rome is thrice besieged, and at length pillaged by the Goths.—Death of Alaric.—The Goths evacuate Italy.—Fall of Constantine.—Gaul and Spain are occupied by the Barbarians.—Independence of Britain.A.D.408 Weakness of the Court of Ravenna. Alaric marches to Rome. Hannibal at the Gates of Rome. Genealogy of the Senators. The Anician Family. Wealth of the Roman Nobles. Their Manners. Character of the Roman Nobles, by Ammianus Marcellinus. State and Character of the People of Rome. Public Distribution of Bread, Bacon, Oil, Wine, &c. Use of the public Baths. Games and Spectacles. Populousness of Rome. First Siege of Rome by the Goths. Famine. Plague. Superstition409 Alaric accepts a Ransom, and raises the Siege. Fruitless Negociations for Peace. Change and Succession of Ministers. Second Siege of Rome by the Goths. Attalus is created Emperor by the Goths and Romans410 He is degraded by Alaric. Third Siege and Sack of Rome by the Goths. Respect of the Goths for the Christian Religion. Pillage and Fire of Rome. Captives and Fugitives. Sack of Rome by the Troops of Charles V. Alaric evacuates Rome and ravages Italy408-412. Possession of Italy by the Goths410 Death of Alaric412 Adolphus, King of the Goths, concludes a Peace with the Empire, and marches into Gaul414 His Marriage with Placidia. The Gothic Treasures410-417. Laws for the Relief of Italy and Rome413 Revolt and Defeat of Heraclian, Count of Africa409-413. Revolutions of Gaul and Spain. Character and Victories of the General Constantius411 Death of the Usurper Constantine411-416. Fall of the Usurpers, Jovinus, Sebastian, and Attalus409 Invasion of Spain by the Suevi, Vandals, Alani, &c.414 Adolphus, King of Goths, marches into Spain415 His Death415-418. The Goths conquer and restore Spain419 Their Establishment in Aquitain. The Burgundians420, &c. State of the Barbarians in Gaul409 Revolt of Britain and Armorica409-449. State of Britain418 Assembly of the Seven Provinces of GaulChapter XXXIIArcadius Emperor of the East.—Administration and Disgrace of Eutropius.—Revolt of Gainas.—Persecution of St. John Chrysostom.—Theodosius II. Emperor of the East.—His Sister Pulcheria.—His Wife Eudocia.—The Persian War, and Division of Armenia.A.D.395-1453. The Empire of the East395-408. Reign of Arcadius395-399. Administration and Character of Eutropius. His Venality and Injustice. Ruin of Abundantius. Destruction of Timasius397 A cruel and unjust Law of Treason399 Rebellion of Tribigild. Fall of Eutropius400 Conspiracy and Fall of Gainas398 Election and Merit of St. John Chrysostom398-403. His Administration and Defects403 Chrysostom is persecuted by the Empress Eudocia. Popular Tumults at Constantinople404 Exile of Chrysostom407 His Death438 His Relics transported to Constantinople408 Death of Arcadius. His supposed Testament408-415. Administration of Anthemius414-453. Character and Administration of Pulcheria. Education and Character of Theodosius the Younger421-460. Character and Adventures of the Empress Eudocia422 The Persian War431-440. Armenia divided between the Persians and the RomansChapter XXXIIIDeath of Honorius.—Valentinian III. Emperor of the West.—Administration of his Mother Placidia.—Ætius and Boniface.—Conquest of Africa by the Vandals.A.D.423 Last Years and Death of Honorius423-425. Elevation and Fall of the Usurper John425-455. Valentinian III. Emperor of the West425-450. Administration of his Mother Placidia. Her two Generals, #&198;tius and Boniface427 Error and Revolt of Boniface in Africa428 He invites the Vandals. Genseric king of the Vandals429 He lands in Africa. Reviews his Army. The Moors. The Donatists430 Tardy Repentance of Boniface. Desolation of Africa. Siege of Hippo. Death of St. Augustin431 Defeat and Retreat of Boniface432 His Death431-439. Progress of the Vandals in Africa439 They surprise Carthage. African Exiles and Captives. Fable of the Seven SleepersChapter XXXIVThe Character, Conquests, and Court of Attila, King of the Huns.—Death of Theodosius the Younger.—Elevation of Marcian to the Empire of the East.A.D.376-433. The Huns. Their Establishment in modern Hungary433-453. Reign of Attila. His Figure and Character. He discovers the Sword of Mars. Acquires the Empire of Scythia and Germany430-440. The Huns invade Persia441, &c. They attack the Eastern Empire. Ravage Europe, as far as Constantinople. The Scythian, or Tartar Wars. State of the Captives446 Treaty of Peace between Attila, and the Eastern Empire. Spirit of the Azimuntines. Embassies from Attila to Constantinople448 The Embassy of Maximin to Attila. The royal Village and Palace. The Behaviour of Attila to the Roman Ambassadors. The royal Feasts. Conspiracy of the Romans against the Life of Attila. He reprimands, and forgives the Emperor450 Theodosius the Younger dies. Is succeeded by MarcianChapter XXXVInvasion of Gaul by Attila.—He is repulsed by Ætius and the Visigoths.—Attila invades and evacuates Italy.—The Deaths of Attila, Ætius, and Valentinian the ThirdA.D.450 Attila threatens both Empires, and prepares to invade Gaul433-454. Character and Administration of Ætius. His Connection with the Huns and Alani419-451. The Visigoths in Gaul under the Reign of Theodoric435-439. The Goths besiege Narbonne, &c.420-451. The Franks in Gaul under the Merovingian Kings. The Adventures of the Princess Honoria451 Attila invades Gaul and besieges Orleans. Alliance of the Romans and Visigoths. Attila retires to the Plains of Champagne. Battle of Châlons. Retreat of Attila452 Invasion of Italy by Attila. Foundation of the Republic of Venice. Attila gives Peace to the Romans453 The Death of Attila. Destruction of his Empire454 Valentinian murders the Patrician Ætius. ravishes the Wife of Maximus455 Death of Valentinian. Symptoms of the Decay and Ruin of the Roman GovernmentChapter XXXVISack of Rome by Genseric, King of the Vandals.—His naval Depredations.—Succession of the last Emperors of the West, Maximus, Avitus, Majorian, Severus, Anthemius, Olybrius, Glycerius, Nepos, Augustulus.—Total Extinction of the Western Empire.—Reign of Odoacer, the first Barbarian King of Italy.A.D.439-445. Naval Power of the Vandals455 The Character and Reign of the Emperor Maximus. His Death. Sack of Rome by the Vandals. The Emperor Avitus453-466. Character of Theodoric, King of the Visigoths456 His Expedition into Spain. Avitus is deposed457 Character and Elevation of Majorian457-461. His Salutary Laws. The Edifices of Rome457 Majorian prepares to invade Africa. The Loss of his Fleet461 His Death461-467. Ricimer reigns under the Name of Severus. Revolt of Marcellinus in Dalmatia. of Ætius, in Gaul361-467. Naval War of the Vandals462, &C. Negocations with the Eastern Empire457-474. Leo, Emperor of the East467-472. Anthemius, Emperor of the West. The Festival of the Lupercalia468 Preparations against the Vandals of Africa. Failure of the Expedition462-472. Conquests of the Visigoths in Spain and Gaul468 Trial of Arvandus471 Discord of Anthemius and Ricimer472 Olybrius, Emperor of the West. Sack of Rome, and Death of Anthemius. Death of Ricimer. of Olybrius472-475. Julius Nepos and Glycerius, Emperors of the West475 The Patrician Orestes476 His Son Augustulus, the last Emperor of the West476-490. Odoacer, King of Italy476 or 479. Extinction of the Western Empire. Augustus is banished to the Lucullan Villa. Decay of the Roman Spirit476-490. Character and Reign of Odoacer. Miserable State of ItalyChapter XXXVIIOrigin, Progress, and Effects of the monastic Life.—Conversion of the Barbarians to Christianity and Arianism.—Persecution of the Vandals in Africa.—Extinction of Arianism among the Barbarians.A.D.I. Institution of the Monastic LifeOrigin of the Monks305 Antony, and the Monks of Egypt341 Propagation of the monastic Life at Rome328 Hilarion in Palestine360 Basil in Pontus370 Martin in Gaul. Causes of the rapid Progress of the monastic Life. Obedience of the Monks. Their Dress and Habitations. Their Diet. Their manual Labour. Their Riches. Their Solitude. Their Devotion and Visions. The Coenobites and Anachorets395-451. Simeon Stylites. Miracles and Worship of the Monks. Superstition of the AgeII. Conversion of the Barbarians360, &c. Ulphilas, Apostle of the Goths400, &c.The Goths, Vandals, Burgundians, &c. embrace Christianity. Motives of their Faith. Effects of their Conversion. They are involved in the Arian Heresy. General Toleration. Arian Persecution of the Vandals429-477. Genseric477 Hunneric484 Gundamund496 Thorismund523 Hilderic530 Gelimer. A general View of the Persecution in Africa. Catholic Frauds. Miracles500-700. The Ruin of Arianism among the Barbarians577-584. Revolt and Martyrdom of Hermenegild in Spain586-589. Conversion of Recared and the Visigoths of Spain600, &c. Conversion of the Lombards of Italy612-712. Persecution of the Jews in Spain. ConclusionChapter XXXVIIIReign and Conversion of Clovis.—His Victories over the Alemanni, Burgundians, and Visigoths.—Establishment of the French Monarchy in Gaul.—Laws of the Barbarians.—State of the Romans.—The Visigoths of Spain.—Conquest of Britain by the Saxons.A.D.The Revolution of Gaul476-485. Euric, King of the Visigoths481-511. Clovis, King of the Franks486 His Victory over Syagrius496 Defeat and Submission of the Alemanni. Conversion of Clovis497, &c. Submission of the Armoricans and the Roman Troops499 The Burgundian War500 Victory of Clovis532 Final Conquest of Burgundy by the Franks507 The Gothic War. Victory of Clovis508 Conquest of Aquitain by the Franks510 Consulship of Clovis536 Final Establishment of the French Monarchy in Gaul. Political Controversy. Laws of the Barbarians. Pecuniary Fines for Homicide. Judgments of God. Judicial Combats. Division of Land by the Barbarians. Domain and Benefices of the Merovingians. Private Usurpations. Personal Servitude. Example of Auvergne. Story of Attalus. Privileges of the Romans of Gaul. Anarchy of the Franks. The Visigoths of Spain. Legislative Assemblies of Spain. Code of the Visigoths. Revolution of Britain449 Descent of the Saxons455-582. Establishment of the Saxon Heptarchy. State of the Britons. Their Resistance. Their Flight. The Fame of Arthur. Desolation of Britain. Servitude of the Britons. Manners of the Britons. Obscure or fabulous State of Britain. Fall of the Roman Empire in the WestGeneral Observations on the Fall of the Roman Empire in the WestChapter XXXIXZeno and Anastasius, Emperors of the East.—Birth, Education, and first Exploits of Theodoric the Ostrogoth.—His Invasion and Conquest of Italy.—The Gothic Kingdom of Italy.—State of the West.—Military and Civil Government.—The Senator Boethius.—Last Acts and Death of Theodoric.A.D.455-475. Birth and Education of Theodoric474-491. The Reign of Zeno491-518. of Anastasius475-488. Service and Revolt of Theodoric489 He undertakes the Conquest of Italy. His march489-490. The three Defeats of Odoacer493 His Capitulation and Death493-526. Reign of Theodoric, King of Italy. Partition of Lands. Separation of the Goths and Italians. Foreign Policy of Theodoric. His defensive Wars509 His Naval Armaments. Civil Government of Italy according to the Roman Laws. Prosperity of Rome500 Visit of Theodoric. Flourishing State of Italy. Theodoric an Arian. His Toleration of the Catholics. Vices of his Government. He is provoked to persecute the Catholics. Character, Studies, and Honours, of Boethius. His Patriotism. He is accused of Treason524 His Imprisonment and Death525 Death of Symmachus526 Remorse and Death of TheodoricChapter XLElevation of Justin the Elder.—Reign of Justinian:—I. The Empress Theodora.—II. Factions of the Circus, and Sedition of Constantinople.—III. Trade and Manufacture of Silk.—IV. Finances and Taxes.—V. Edifices of Justinian.—Church of St. Sophia.—Fortifications and Frontiers of the Eastern Empire.—VI. Abolition of the Schools of Athens, and the Consulship of Rome.A.D.482 or 483. Birth of the Emperor Justinian518-527. Elevation and Reign of his Uncle Justin I.520-527. Adoption and Succession of Justinian527-565. The Reign of Justinian. Character and Histories of Procopius. Division of the Reign of Justinian. Birth and Vices of the Empress Theodora. Her Marriage with Justinian. Her Tyranny. Her Virtues548 And Death. The Factions of the Circus. At Rome. They distract Constantinople and the East. Justinian favours the Blues532 Sedition of Constantinople, surnamed Nika. The Distress of Justinian. Firmness of Theodora. The Sedition is suppressed. Agriculture and Manufactures of the Eastern Empire. The Use of Silk by the Romans. Importation from China by Land and Sea. Introduction of Silk-worms into Greece. State of the Revenue. Avarice and Profusion of Justinian. Pernicious Savings. Remittances. Taxes. Monopolies. Venality. Testaments. The Ministers of Justinian. John of Cappadocia. His Edifices and Architects. Foundation of the Church of St. Sophia. Description. Marbles. Riches. Churches and Palaces. Fortifications of Europe. Security of Asia after the Conquest of Isauria. Fortifications of the Empire, from the Euxine to the Persian Frontier488 Death of Perozes, King of Persia502-505. The Persian War. Fortifications of Dara. The Caspian or Iberian Gates. The Schools of Athens. They are suppressed by Justinian. Proclus485-529. His Successors. The last of the Philosophers541 The Roman Consulship extinguished by JustinianChapter XLIConquests of Justinian in the West.—Character and first Campaigns of Belisarius.—He invades and subdues the Vandal Kingdom of Africa.—His Triumph.—The Gothic War.—He recovers Sicily, Naples, and Rome.—Siege of Rome by the Goths.—Their Retreat and Losses.—Surrender of Ravenna.—Glory of Belisarius.—His domestic Shame and Misfortunes.A.D.533 Justinian resolves to invade Africa523-530. State of the Vandals. Hilderic530-534. Gelimer. Debates on the African War. Character and Choice of Belisarius529-532. His Services in the Persian War533 Preparations for the African War. Departure of the Fleet. Belisarius lands on the Coast of Africa. Defeats the Vandals in a first Battle. Reduction of Carthage. Final Defeat of Gelimer and the Vandals534 Conquest of Africa by Belisarius. Distress and Captivity of Gelimer. Return and Triumph of Belisarius535 His sole Consulship. End of Gelimer and the Vandals. Manners and Defeat of the Moors. Neutrality of the Visigoths550-620. Conquests of the Romans in Spain534 Belisarius threatens the Ostrogoths of Italy522-534. Government and Death of Amalasontha, Queen of Italy535 Her Exile and Death. Belisarius invades and subdues Sicily534-536. Reign and Weakness of Theodatus, the Gothic King of Italy537 Belisarius invades Italy, and reduces Naples536-540. Vitiges, King of Italy536 Belisarius enters Rome537 Siege of Rome by the Goths. Valour of Belisarius. His Defence of Rome. Repulses a general Assault of the Goths. His Sallies. Distress of the City. Exile of Pope Sylverius. Deliverance of the City. Belisarius recovers many Cities of Italy538 The Goths raise the Siege of Rome. Lose Remini. Retire to Ravenna. Jealousy of the Roman Generals. Death of Constantine. The Eunuch Narses. Firmness and Authority of Belisarius538, 539. Invasion of Italy by the Franks. Destruction of Milan. Belisarius besieges Ravenna539 Subdues the Gothic Kingdom of Italy. Captivity of Vitiges540 Return and Glory of Belisarius. Secret History of his Wife Antonina. Her Lover Theodosius. Resentment of Belisarius and her Son Photius. Persecution of her Son. Disgrace and Submission of BelisariusChapter XLIIState of the Barbaric World.—Establishment of the Lombards on the Danube.—Tribes and Inroads of the Sclavonians. Origin, Empire, and Embassies of the Turks.—The Flight of the Avars.—Chosroes I. or Nushirvan King of Persia.—His prosperous Reign and Wars with the Romans.—The Colchian or Lazic War.—The Æthiopians.A.D.527-565. Weakness of the Empire of Justinian. State of the Barbarians. The Gepidæ. The Lombards. The Sclavonians. Their Inroads545 Origin and Monarchy of the Turks in Asia. The Avars fly before the Turks, and approach the Empire558 Their Embassy to Constantinople569-582. Embassies of the Turks and Romans500-530. State of Persia531-579. Reign of Nushirvan, or Chosroes. His Love of Learning533-539. Peace and War with the Romans540 He invades Syria. And ruins Antioch541 Defence of the East by Belisarius. Description of Colchos, Lazica, or Mingrelia. Manners of the Natives. Revolution of Colchos. Under the Persians, before Christ, 500. Under the Romans, before Christ, 60130 Visit of Arrian522 Conversion of the Lazi542-549. Revolt and Repentance of the Colchians549-551. Siege of Petra549-556. The Colchian or Lazic War540-561. Negociations and Treaties between Justinian and Chosroes522 Conquests of the Abyssinians533 Their Alliance with JustinianChapter XLIIIRebellions of Africa.—Restoration of the Gothic Kingdom by Totila.—Loss and Recovery of Rome.—Final Conquest of Italy by Narses.—Extinction of the Ostrogoths.—Defeat of the Franks and Alemanni.—Last Victory, Disgrace and Death of Belisarius.—Death and Character of Justinian.—Comets, Earthquakes, and Plague.A.D.535-545. The Troubles of Africa543-558. Rebellion of the Moors540 Revolt of the Goths541-544. Victories of Totila, King of Italy. Contrast of Greek Vice and Gothic Virtue544-548. Second Command of Belisarius in Italy546 Rome besieged by the Goths. Attempt of Belisarius. Rome taken by the Goths547 Recovered by Belisarius548 Final Recal of Belisarius549 Rome again taken by the Goths.549-551. Preparations of Justinian for the Gothic War552 Character and Expedition of the Eunuch Narses. Defeat and Death of Teias, the last King of the Goths. Invasion of Italy by the Franks and Alamanni554 Defeat of the Franks and Alamanni by Narses554-568. Settlement of Italy559 Invasion of the Bulgarians. Last Victory of Belisarius561 His Disgrace and Death565 Death and Character of Justinian531.539. Comets. Earthquakes542 Plague-its Origin and Nature542-594. Extent and DurationChapter XLIVIdea of the Roman Jurisprudence.—The Laws of the Kings.—The Twelve Tables of the Decemvirs.—The Laws of the People.—The Decrees of the Senate.—The Edicts of the Magistrates and Emperors.—Authority of the Civilians.—Code, Pandects, Novels, and Institutes of Justinian:—I. Rights of Persons.—II. Rights of Things.—III. Private Injuries and Actions.—IV. Crimes and PunishmentsThe Civil or Roman Law. Laws of the Kings of Rome. The Twelve Tables of the Decemvirs. Their Character and Influence. Laws of the People. Decrees of the Senate. Edicts of the Prætors. The perpetual Edict. Constitutions of the Emperors. Their Legislative Power. Their Rescripts. Forms of the Roman Law. Succession of the Civil LawyersA.U.C.303-648. The first Period648-988. Second Period988-1230. Third Period. Their Philosophy. Authority. SectsA.D.527 Reformation of the Roman Law by Justinian527-546.Tribonian528, 529. The Code of Justinian530-533. The Pandects or Digest. Praise and Censure of the Code and Pandects. Loss of the ancient Jurisprudence. Legal Inconstancy of Justinian534 Second Edition of the Code534-565. The Novels533 The InstitutesI. OF PERSONS. Freemen and Slaves. Fathers and Children. Limitations of the paternal Authority. Husbands and Wives. The religious Rites of Marriage. Freedom of the Matrimonial Contract. Liberty and Abuse of Divorce. Limitations of the Liberty of Divorce. Incest, Concubines, and Bastards. Guardians and WardsII. OF THINGS. Right of Property. Of Inheritance and Succession. Civil Degrees of Kindred. Introduction and Liberty of Testaments. Legacies. Codicils and Trusts.III. OF ACTIONS. Promises. Benefits. Interest of Money. InjuriesIV. OF CRIMES AND PUNISHMENTS. Severity of the Twelve Tables. Abolition or Oblivion of penal Laws. Revival of capital Punishments. Measure of Guilt. Unnatural Vice. Rigour of the Christian Emperors. Judgments of the People. Select Judges. Assessors. Voluntary Exile and Death. Abuses of Civil JurisprudenceChapter XLVReign of the younger Justin.—Embassy of the Avars.—Their Settlement on the Danube.—Conquest of Italy by the Lombards.—Adoption and Reign of Tiberius.—Of Maurice.—State of Italy under the Lombards and the Exarchs.—Of Ravenna.—Distress of Rome.—Character and Pontificate of Gregory the First.A.D.565 Death of Justinian565-574. Reign of Justin II. or the Younger566 His Consulship. Embassy of the Avars. Alboin, King of the Lombards—his Valour, Love, and Revenge. The Lombards and Avars destroy the King and Kingdom of the Gepidæ567 Alboin undertakes the Conquest of Italy. Disaffection and Death of Narses568-570. Conquest of a great Part of Italy by the Lombards573 Alboin is murdered by his Wife Rosamond. Her Flight and Death. Clepho, King of the Lombards. Weakness of the Emperor Justin574 Association of Tiberius578 Death of Justin II.578-582. Reign of Tiberius II. His Virtues582-602. The Reign of Maurice. Distress of Italy584-590. Autharis, King of the Lombards. The Exarchate of Ravenna. The Kingdom of the Lombards. Language and Manners of the Lombards. Dress and Marriage. Government643 Laws. Misery of Rome. The Tombs and Relics of the Apostles. Birth and Profession of Gregory the Roman590-604. Pontificate of Gregory the Great, or First. His spiritual Office. And temporal Government. His Estates. And Alms. The Saviour of RomeChapter XLVIRevolutions of Persia after the Death of Chosroes or Nushirvan.—His Son Hormouz, a Tyrant, is deposed.—Usurpation of Baharam.—Flight and Restoration of Chosroes II.-His Gratitude to the Romans.—The Chagan of the Avars.—Revolt of the Army against Maurice.—His Death.—Tyranny of Phocas.—Elevation of Heraclius.—The Persian War.—Chosroes subdues Syria, Egypt, and Asia Minor.—Siege of Constantinople by the Persians and Avars.—Persian Expeditions.—Victories and Triumph of Heraclius.A.D.Contest of Rome and Persia570 Conquest of Yemen by Nushirvan572 His last War with the Romans579 His Death579-590. Tyranny and Vices of his son Hormouz590 Exploits of Bahram. His Rebellion. Hormouz is deposed and imprisoned. Elevation of his Son Chosroes. Death of Hormouz. Chosroes flies to the Romans. His Return, and final Victory. Death of Bahram591-603. Restoration and Policy of Chosroes570-600. Pride, Policy, and the Power of the Chagan of the Avars595-602. Wars of Maurice against the Avars. State of the Roman Armies. Their Discontent. And Rebellion602 Election of Phocas. Revolt of Constantinople. Death of Maurice and his Children602-610. Phocas Emperor. His Character. And Tyranny610 His Fall and Death610-642. Reign of Heraclius603 Chosroes invades the Roman Empire611 His Conquest of Syria614 Of Palestine616 Of Egypt. Of Asia Minor. His Reign and Magnificence610-622. Distress of Heraclius. He solicits Peace621 His Preparations for War622 First Expedition of Heraclius against the Persians623, 624, 625. His second Expedition626 Deliverance of Constantinople from the Persians and Avars. Alliances and Conquests of Heraclius627 His third Expedition. And Victories. Flight of Chosroes628 He is deposed. And murdered by his Son Siroes. Treaty of Peace between the two EmpiresChapter XLVIITheological History of the Doctrine of the Incarnation.—The Human and Divine Nature of Christ.—Enmity of the Patriarchs of Alexandria and Constantinople.—St. Cyril and Nestorius.—Third General Council of Ephesus.—Heresy of Eutyches.—Fourth General Council of Chalcedon.—Civil and Ecclesiastical Discord.— Intolerance of Justinian.—The Three Chapters.—The Monothelite Controversy.—State of the Oriental Sects:—I. The Nestorians.—II. The Jacobites.—III. The Maronites.—IV. The Armenians.—V. The Copts.—VI. The AbyssiniansA.D.The Incarnation of ChristI. A pure Man to the Ebonites. His Birth and ElevationII. A pure God to the Docetes. His incorruptible BodyIII. Double Nature of CerinthusIV. Divine Incarnation of ApollinarisV. Orthodox Consent and verbal Disputes412-444. Cyril, Patriarch of Alexandria413, 414, 415. His Tyranny428 Nestorius, Patriarch of Constantinople429-431. His Heresy431 First Council of Ephesus. Condemnation of Nestorius. Opposition of the Orientals431-435. Victory of Cyril435 Exile of Nestorius448 Heresy of Eutyches449 Second Council of Ephesus451 Council of Chalcedon. Faith of Chalcedon451-482. Discord of the East482 The Henoticon of Zeno508-518. The Trisagion, and religious War, till the Death of Anastasius514 First religious War519-565. Theological Character and Government of Justinian. His Persecution of Heretics. Of Pagans. Of Jews. Of Samaritans. His Orthodoxy532-698. The three Chapters553 Vth general Council: IId of Constantinople564 Heresy of Justinian629 The Monothelite Controversy639 The Ecthesis of Heraclius648 The Type of Constans680, 681. VIth general Council: IIId of Constantinople. Union of the Greek and Latin Churches. Perpetual Separation of the Oriental SectsI. The Nestorians500 Sole Masters of Persia.500-1200 Their Missions in Tartary, India, China, &c.883 The Christians of St. Thomas in IndiaII. The JacobitesIII. The MaronitesIV. The ArmeniansV. The Copts or Egyptians537-568. The Patriarch Theodosius538 Paul551 Apollinaris580 Eulogius609 John. Their Separation and Decay625-661. Benjamin, the Jacobite PatriarchVI. The Abyssinians and Nubians530 Church of Abyssinia1525-1550 The Portuguese in Abyssinia1557 Mission of the Jesuits1626 Conversion of the Emperor1632 Final Expulsion of the Jesuits

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Book SynopsisA new narrative history of the Viking Age, interwoven with exploration of the physical remains and landscapes that the Vikings fashioned and walked: their rune-stones and ship burials, settlements and battlefields.To many, the word Viking' brings to mind red scenes of rape and pillage, of marauders from beyond the sea rampaging around the British coastline in the last gloomy centuries before the Norman Conquest. It is true that Britain in the Viking Age was a turbulent, violent place. The kings and warlords who have impressed their memories on the period revel in names that fire the blood and stir the imagination: Svein Forkbeard and Edmund Ironside, Ivar the Boneless and Alfred the Great, Erik Bloodaxe and Edgar the Pacifier amongst many others. Evidence for their brutality, their dominance, their avarice and their pride is still unearthed from British soil with stunning regularity.But this is not the whole story.In Viking Britain, Thomas Williams has drawn on his experience as projecTrade Review‘Fresh, vivid and impeccably researched … the most rip-roaring work of nonfiction I read this year’ Tom Holland, Observer, Books of the Year ‘Williams’ infectiously enthusiastic book gives you everything you could want from a history of the Vikings’ Dominic Sandbrook, Sunday Times, Books of the Year ‘A debut that pulses with the author’s passion for his subject and his mastery of written sources, archaeology and legend. Williams narrates a complex story in enjoyable, lusty prose’ Dan Jones, Sunday Times ‘Viking Britain [is] an engrossing account … Williams is scrupulous to avoid the easy pub-chat message. He writes fluently and with feeling’ Thomas W. Hodgkinson, Spectator 'Williams is a master at conveying the atmosphere of Viking Britain … We are guests at a sensory feast, at times immersed … and at others guided by the comforting hand of firm historical evaluation. Viking Britain is a giddy ride … a real treat’ Philip Parker, Literary Review ‘Williams evocative prose puts flesh on sturdy academic bones. ‘Viking Britain’ is a pleasure to read… a lively, colourful book that explores in high definition what being a Viking really meant. Williams … succeeds where many have failed: to make the truth about the Vikings as entertaining as the fiction’ Giles Kristian, The Times ‘An exemplary work of popular history, at once full of the most up-to-date archaeology and international scholarly thought, and full of the literary flourishes which bring the past most vividly to life for readers: dramatic reconstruction, physical scene-setting and authorial intervention. It is a great success’ Ronald Hutton ‘A fundamentally new history of the Vikings in Britain: authoritative, at times controversial, and above all a personal journey through the byways of life under Scandinavian military occupation … A real pleasure to read’ Professor Neil Price, University of Uppsala

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Book SynopsisA collection of essays that contests diehard Africanist and nativist perspectives as well as some of the key assumptions of post colonial theory. It is suitable for an interdisciplinary arena of scholarship on colonial and post colonial discourse, history, anthropology, philosophy, political science, psychoanalysis, and literary criticism.Trade Review"Chillingly realistic yet also poetic, On the Postcolony offers the reader a brilliant and visionary tour of postcolonial Africa. . . . Packed with illuminating insights and innovative theoretical approaches to familiar problems, this work not only redraws the boundaries of African studies and postcolonial studies, but also offers a significant contribution to political theory and philosophy." * International Journal of African Historical Studies *"Brilliantly written." * International Affairs *"Mbembe is an essayist of fitful brilliance." * African Affairs *"Together, the essays demonstrate the consistent evolution of Mbembe's innovative and unique postcolonial theory. . . . Fueled by his signature notion of the political imaginary, Mbembe sculpts a new language for Africa, one liberated from the confines of the Western "universalist" scholarly tradition." * Canadian Journal of African Studies *

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Book SynopsisChapter 1: Introduction: Locating K-Pop in K-Wave and Organization.- Part I: K-Pop: A Historical Analysis.- Chapter 2: A Short History of K-pop: Five Generations.- Chapter 3: The Glocalization of K-Pop: Hybridizing the Global and the Local.- Part II: BTS: A Literary Analysis.- Chapter 4: BTS, the Outsiders: They Had a Blog.- Chapter 5: BTS, the Outliers: They Had a Message.- Chapter 6: They Had an Army: Reimagining Fan Culture.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"This is a very much needed book: on Africa, on intellectual artisanship and on engagement in emancipatory projects. Drawing on his enormous erudition in colonial history, Cooper brings together an intellectual and a moral-political argument against a series of linked developments that privilege 'taking a stance' and in favor of studying processes of struggle through engaged scholarship." - Jane I. Guyer, author of Marginal Gains"Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Acknowledgments PART I. COLONIAL STUDIES AND INTERDISCIPLINARY SCHOLARSHIP 1. Introduction: Colonial Questions, Historical Trajectories 2. The Rise, Fall, and Rise of Colonial Studies, 1951--2001 PART II. CONCEPTS IN QUESTION 3. Identity--With Rogers Brubaker 4. Globalization 5. Modernity PART III. THE POSSIBILITIES OF HISTORY 6. States, Empires, and Political Imagination 7. Labor, Politics, and the End of Empire in French Africa 8. Conclusion: Colonialism, History, Politics Notes Index

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Book SynopsisOffers a portrait of life along the great pre-modern trade routes of Eurasia. This edition tells about the history about this road to reconstruct the route through the personal experiences of travelers.Trade Review"A more completely reconstructed Silk Road and more colorfully depicted stories." -- H. Zhang CHOICE "Whitfield's biographical summaries neatly contextualize a range of social, religious, and geo-political perspectives." Bulletin of the Asia InstituteTable of ContentsList of Illustrations Preface to the Second Edition Note on Transliteration and Names Map Introduction Prologue: The Shipmaster's Tale 1. The Merchant's Tale 2. The Soldier's Tale 3. The Horseman's Tale 4. The Princess's Tale 5. The Courtesan's Tale 6. The Pilgrim's Tale 7. The Writer's Tale 8. The Official's Tale 9. The Nun's Tale 10. The Widow's Tale 11. The Artist's Tale Epilogue Notes References Index

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Book SynopsisPortrays Alexander as both a complex personality and a single-minded general, a man capable of such diverse expediencies as patricide or the massacre of civilians. In this title, the author describes his Alexander as the most brilliant (and ambitious) field commander in history.Trade Review"History leaps off the page in this passionate narrative." * Publisher's Weekly *"[The book] drives forward, clarified by Green's easy command of the material and saturated with his sense of that gorgeous, raging, brilliant time." * Kirkus Reviews *Table of ContentsForeword Preface to the 2013 Reprint Preface to the 1991 Reprint Preface and Acknowledgements List of Maps and Battle Plans Key to Abbreviations Table of Dates 1 Philip of Macedon 2 The Gardens of Midas 3 From a View to a Death 4 The Keys of the Kingdom 5 The Captain-General 6 The Road to lssus 7 Intimations of Immortality 8 The Lord of Asia 9 The Quest for Ocean 10 How Many Miles to Babylon? Appendix: Propaganda at the Granicus Notes and References Sources of Information Genealogical Table Index

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Book SynopsisA work on Alexander the Great. It combines analyses of terrain, climate, and supply requirements that account for Alexander's strategic decision in the light of the options open to him.Table of ContentsList of Tables and Maps Acknowledgments Frequently Abbreviated Works Introduction 1. The Macedonian Army and Its Logistic System 2. Greece and Turkey 3. Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Egypt, and Iraq 4. Iran and Afghanistan 5. Uzbekistan, Tadzhikistan, Turkmenistan, Pakistan, and Southern Iran 6. Conclusion Appendix Note on the Maps Maps Bibliography Index

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Book Synopsis"Quite impressive. I doubt if there has been or will be a more deeply researched and convincing account. " --Evan Connell, author Son of the Morning Star: Custer and the Little Bighorn "The book to end all Earp books--the most complete, and most meticulously researched.Trade Review"Forget what you saw at the movies-this biography of the legend of the Old West shows that the facts are more interesting than the legend."--The New York Times Book Review "The most thoughtful, well-researched, and comprehensive account that has been written about the development and career of an Old-West lawman."--The Tombstone Tumbleweed "The book to end all Earp books--the most complete, and most meticulously researched."--Jack Burrows, author of John Ringo: The Gunfighter Who Never Was "Quite impressive. I doubt if there has been or will be a more deeply researched and convincing account."--Evan Connell, author of The Sun of the Morning StarTable of ContentsCowtown Justice. A New Town, A New Badge. Murder and Madness. A March to Destiny. "I Think We Can Hang Them." Tombstone in Terror. Vendetta. Law versus Order. A Fight for Honor. The Last Frontiers. Long May His Story Be Told. Notes and Sources. Bibliography. Index.

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Book SynopsisCharles I waged civil wars that cost one in ten Englishmen their lives. But in 1649 parliament was hard put to find a lawyer with the skill and daring to prosecute a King who was above the law: in the end the man they briefed was the radical barrister, John Cooke.Cooke was a plebeian, son of a poor farmer, but he had the courage to bring the King''s trial to its dramatic conclusion: the English republic. Cromwell appointed him as a reforming Chief Justice in Ireland, but in 1660 he was dragged back to the Old Bailey, tried and brutally executed.John Cooke was the bravest of barristers, who risked his own life to make tyranny a crime. He originated the right to silence, the ''cab rank'' rule of advocacy and the duty to act free-of-charge for the poor. He conducted the first trial of a Head of State for waging war on his own people - a forerunner of the prosecutions of Pinochet, Miloševic and Saddam Hussein, and a lasting inspiration to the modern world.Trade ReviewRedeems from obscurity an unsung hero of true greatness... Sheds invigorating light on the course of the English civil war * Spectator *Robertson has come up with that desperately rare thing: a subject worthy of biography who has never before been addressed and, to his huge advantage, in his field. The result is a work of literary advocacy as elegant, impassioned and original as any the author can ever have laid before a court -- Anthony Holden * Observer *Robertson tells a spellbinding story. He combines lucid analysis of the legal issues with acute understanding of the various factions. His prose is crisp and he inserts some comments that only a professional advocate, as opposed to an academic historian, would make -- Christopher Silvester * Daily Telegraph *Fascinating... Illuminating... This is a work of great compassion and, at a time when it seems to be fashionable for politicians to denigrate lawyers, it is an essential read for anyone who believes in the fearless independence of the law -- John Cooper * The Times *[Robertson's] forensic intelligence can penetrate where professional historians have not reached -- Blair Worden * Literary Review *

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Book SynopsisVolume Two covers the interior design and fitting out of the ship and presents detailed deck-by-deck information, from the palatial rooms of First Class to areas of the ship seen only by the crew.

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Book SynopsisVolume IX of the nine-volume Loeb edition of Early Greek Philosophy includes the so-called sophists Antiphon, Lycophron, and Xeniades, along with the Anonymous of Iamblichus, the Dissoi Logoi, a chapter on characterizations of the 'sophists' as a group, and an appendix on philosophy and philosophers in Greek drama.Trade ReviewIn brief, André Laks and Glenn Most give us a brilliant and beautiful reference work that can, at the same time, be easily enough read straight through. And spending a few months doing so gives the reader almost all that she needs (perhaps along with Loeb #258, Greek Elegiac Poetry) to reconstruct for herself the origins of the discipline of philosophy. I should want any graduate student or colleague in ancient philosophy or intellectual history to acquire and make their way through it. -- Christopher Moore * Classical Journal *The publication of the Loeb Classical Library’s nine-volume set, Early Greek Philosophy, gives us a new edition of the original texts, with fresh translations. It is a monumental achievement—the result of many years of dedicated work on the part of the two editors/translators André Laks and Glenn W. Most… We owe a profound debt of gratitude to the editors/translators for their thorough and impeccable scholarship, and to the publishers for their usual high standards of production. If you can afford them, don’t hesitate: you will be all the richer for having these volumes on your shelves. -- Jeremy Naydler * Minerva *André Laks and Glenn W. Most have made available to the world of scholarship in early Greek philosophy a resource of immense value. Every study of a thinker or of an issue within the thematic ambit of Early Greek Philosophy must henceforth start by canvassing and taking into account the appropriate selections in the Loeb set. -- Alexander P. D. Mourelatos * Bryn Mawr Classical Review *The publication of a Loeb Classical Library edition of the evidence for early Greek philosophy is a major event in classical scholarship…The editors and their assistants are to be commended for their exemplary execution of such a vast and difficult task. They have succeeded in producing what is far and away the best available edition of the texts of the early Greek philosophers with accompanying English translation…More than that, their edition effectively supersedes Hermann Diels and Walter Kranz’s Die Fragmente der Vorsokratiker, which has long held sway as the standard edition of the Presocratics, but it only does so because Laks and Most have respectfully taken Diels-Kranz as their model…Laks and Most have set such a high standard with this work that it is hard to imagine that we will see a better general collection on early Greek philosophy in our lifetimes…Laks and Most’s philological acumen, judiciousness as editors, and excellence as translators is evident on every page. -- John Palmer * Arion *

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Book SynopsisWhile pre-modern Europe is often seen as having an 'enchanted' or 'magical' worldview, the full implications of such labels remain inconsistently explored. Witchcraft, demonology, and debates over pious practices have provided the main avenues for treating those themes, but integrating them with other activities and ideas seen as forming an enchanted Europe has proven to be a much more difficult task. This collection offers one method of demystifying this world of everyday magic. Integrating case studies and more theoretical responses to the magical and preternatural, the authors here demonstrate that what we think of as extraordinary was often accepted as legitimate, if unusual, occurrences or practices. In their treatment of and attitudes towards spirit-assisted treasure-hunting, magical recipes, trials for sanctity, and visits by guardian angels, early modern Europeans showed more acceptance of and comfort with the extraordinary than modern scholars frequently acknowledge. Even witc

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Book SynopsisBrilliantly insightful analysis of Hitler's Germany first published in 1940, written by the author of DEFYING HITLERTrade ReviewSebastian Haffner's book is unmatched as a contemporary analysis of the Third Reich. It is quite remarkable that, writing in 1940, he could produce such acute insights into Hitler's character and political hold over Germany * IAN KERSHAW *An alarm call trying to awaken the British to the unique nature of Hitler and the Nazi regime ... Remarkably prescient * J. G. BALLARD *Haffner's clear-sighted analysis annihilates any claim by his contemporaries not to have known about Nazi crimes. Apocryphally, Churchill told his cabinet to read this book so that they would understand the Nazi threat. We should do likewise to understand how close we came to ignoring it * OBSERVER *A powerful and sustained text . . . it explodes with rhetorical fireworks. Haffner produces a convincing picture of the Nazis, their numbers, their power and the destructive nihilism that united them * Giles MacDonogh, BBC HISTORY *

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Book SynopsisThe full story of the south London town that became a byword for everything ugly and banal, but throughout history has always been ahead of the game, from continental air travel through Brutalist architecture to cutting-edge music.

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Book SynopsisThe Life and Death of Mary Wollstonecraft is the acclaimed bestselling biography by Claire TomalinWinner of the Whitbread First Book PrizeWitty, courageous and unconventional, Mary Wollstonecraft was one of the most controversial figures of her day. She published A Vindication of the Rights of Women; travelled to revolutionary France and lived through the Terror and the destruction of the incipient French feminist movement; produced an illegitimate daughter; and married William Godwin before dying in childbed at the age of thirty-eight. Often embattled and bitterly disappointed, she never gave up her radical ideas or her belief that courage and honesty would triumph over convention.''Tomalin is a most intelligent and sympathetic biographer, aware of her impetuous subject''s many failings, yet with the perception to present her greatness fairly. She writes well and wittily'' Daily Telegraph''A vivid evocation not only of what Mary went th

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Book SynopsisCombining readability with authority, this book covers Europe's turbulent history from the French Revolution in the late eighteenth century to the present day. It provides a better understanding of modern Europe, how it came to be what it is, and where it may be going in the future.

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Book SynopsisAn intimate, deeply reported investigation into the battle over identity in China, chronicling the state oppression of those who fail to conform to Xi Jinping''s definition of who is Chinese, from an award-winning NPR correspondent.?Emily Feng?s focus on ordinary people?bravely determined to shape their own lives?captures the mood of the Xi Jinping era more essentially than reams of statistics ever can.??Evan Osnos, National Book Award winner, author of Age of AmbitionThe rise of China and its great power competition with the U.S. will be one of the defining issues of our generation. But to understand modern China, one has to understand the people who live there ? and the way the Chinese state is trying to control them along lines of identity and free expression.In vivid, cinematic detail, Let Only Red Flowers Bloom tells the stories of nearly two dozen people who are pushing back. They include a Uyghur family, separated as China detains hundreds of thousands of their fellow Uyghurs in camps; human rights lawyers fighting to defend civil liberties in the face of mammoth odds; a teacher from Inner Mongolia, forced to make hard choices because of his support of his mother tongue; and a Hong Kong fugitive trying to find a new home and live in freedom. Reporting despite the personal risks, journalist Emily Feng reveals dramatic human stories of resistance and survival in a country that is increasingly closing itself off to the world. Feng illustrates what it is like to run against the grain in China, and the myriad ways people are trying to survive, with dignity.

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Book SynopsisFrom Roman times to the present day, Spain has occupied a significant role in the evolution of our Western world. This book highlights the notable trends, intellectual and social, of each particular era in its history. The imposition of Roman rule created the notion of Hispania as a single entity. Chapters on the Visigoth monarchy, Moorish Spain, the establishment of an empire, the eighteenth-century Enlightenment, all chart the political and economic development of Spain, but also emphasise the extraordinary and diverse artistic and literary achievements of the Spanish people within this one country at these different times. Moving on to the nineteenth century, we read of the rise of liberalism, and of its fall, which ushered in a period of disarray leading to the Civil War and authoritarian rule. Today Spain is a fully integrated and enthusiastic member of the European community. The contributors to this work are all specialists in their field, and provide an authoritative overview of two thousand years of Spanish history for the student and general reader.Trade ReviewThe book, which is nicely illustrated, contains nine essays ... which cover the history of Spain, still unfamliar to most English-speakers, from prehistoric times to the present. The essays are well written by experts in that particular period and show how many of the trends we usually regard as 'post-Franco' have been about for some time in the ebb and flow of Spanish history. * Contemp. Rev. *Table of ContentsPreface ; 1. Prehistoric and Roman Spain ; 2. Visigothic Spain ; 3. The Early Middle Ages ; 4. The Late Middle Ages ; 5. The Improbable Empire ; 6. Vicissitudes of a World Power, 1500-1700 ; 7. Flow and Ebb, 1700-1833 ; 8. 1833-1931 ; 9. Spain from 1931 to the Present

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Book SynopsisThe first history in English for over 100 years of the Crimean Tatars.

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Book SynopsisThe `Dutch Golden Age'', the age of Grotius, Spinoza, Rembrandt, Vermeer, and a host of other renowned artists and writers was also remarkable for its immense impact in the spheres of commerce, finance, shipping, and technology. It was in fact one of the most spectacularly creative episodes in the history of the world. In this book, Jonathan Israel gives the definitive account of the emergence of the United Provinces as a great power, and explains the subsequent decline in the eighteenth century. He places the thought, politics, religion, and social developments of the Golden Age in their broad context, and examines the changing relationship between the northern Netherlands and the south, which was to develop into modern Belgium.One of the principal aims of the book is to counter the oversimplification which characterizes so much history writing today, and to provide a new type of integrated history which draws the different dimensions of the discipline firmly together in strictly non-technical language. The result is a comprehensive and lucid account as useful to the reader primarily interested in artistic and cultural history as to the student who needs a survey of the Republic''s institutions, class structure, and economic development. At the same time it will provide an invaluable aid to scholars interested in new research and new interpretations.Trade ReviewThis is a magnificent doorstop of a book ... As an account of what made possible one of the most dazzling "Golden Ages" in European history it is unlikely to be bettered. * Sunday Telegraph *Israel has produced a classic ... Any scholar would be delighted to write a book of such learning, vigour and confidence. Very few indeed have done so, and no other has matched Israel on his topic. * THES *Table of ContentsPART 1: THE MAKING OF THE REPUBLIC, 1477-1588 ; PART 2: THE EARLY GOLDEN AGE, 1588-1647 ; PART III: THE LATER GOLDEN AGE, 1647-1702 ; PART IV: THE AGE OF DECLINE, 1702-1806

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Book Synopsis During World War II, the United States earned the nickname the arsenal of democracy due to its sheer productive output, which included over 3,000,000 trucks and jeeps, 86,000 tanks, 6,750 naval platforms, 300,000 aircraft of all types. It was also the arsenal of democracy in a second sense, as a large portion of that hardware was supplied to countries fighting fascism. When Franklin D. Roosevelt introduced the Lend-Lease Act, Allied countries of the antifascist coalition were supplied with aid, hardware, and food. Beyond material aid, the United States also hosted and trained over 20,000 foreign pilots and aircrew between 1941 and 1945. This book presents the history of one such training program, where 532 Dutch pilots, crew and other personnel were trained on United States soil over 21 months. With the Japanese army intent on invading the Netherlands East Indies, it was critical that the Dutch army strengthen their air power. When resistance fell on the NEI island of Java and Australia became the new front line, Dutch authorities were forced to relocate their training program to Jackson, Mississippi, where they christened the Royal Netherlands Military Flying School. From there, they trained on bases in over a dozen states, representing a high point for the Dutch air force during a grueling time. After their training, the RNMFS participated in the liberation of NEI from Japanese occupation. This history presents, in full context, the training of Dutch air personnel on U.S. soil under the Lend-Lease Act, their easy rapport with their American hosts, and their efforts to establish the Netherlands as an integral part of the Allied cause.

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