History Books

Book SynopsisA panoramic view of global history from the end of World War Two to the dawn of the new millennium, and a portrait of an age of unprecedented transformation.In this ambitious, groundbreaking, and sweeping work, Jonathan Sperber guides readers through six decades of global history, from the end of World War Two to the onset of the new millennium. As Sperber''s immersive and propulsive book reveals, the defining quality of these decades involved the rising and unstoppable flow of people, goods, capital, and ideas across boundaries, continents, and oceans, creating prosperity in some parts of the world, destitution in others, increasing a sense of collective responsibility while also reinforcing nationalism and xenophobia. It was an age of transformation in every realm of human existence: from relations with nature to relations between and among nations, superpowers to emerging states; from the forms of production to the foundations of religious faith. These changes took place on an unpreTrade ReviewThe book, most exclusively based on western materials, gives more space to developments in western Europe and America than to those in other parts of the world...Jonathan Sperber has written a landmark study of the twentieth century. A monumental work of scholarship, it will shape our thinking about the most global era in human history. * David Motadel, Times Literary Supplement *Jonathan Sperber has provided the first genuinely global history of the late twentieth century. It is a work of massive intelligence and erudition, beautifully rendered in eloquent and moving prose. Sperber really shows how interconnections work, and how apparently unrelated trends or events fit in with each other. A must-read for anyone interested in global order, and in the precarious legacy the twentieth century left for the new millennium. * Harold James, author The War of Words: A Glossary of Globalization *A preeminent historian of the nineteenth century has turned his attention to the second half of the twentieth, with spectacular results. Jonathan Sperber tackles the largest and most important themes head-on, with intellectual energy and a remarkable command of telling detail. The Age of Interconnection is bold, original, imaginatively organized, and exceptionally well written. This is a deeply serious book that is also exciting to read, a true tour de force. * David Blackbourn, author of The Conquest of Nature and the forthcoming Germany in the World, 1500-2000: A Global History *A truly brilliant, gripping, and readable history of the 1945-2001 world, making a very persuasive case that globalization is the main thread for economics, politics, and sociology in moving toward not utopia but at least a world in which a smaller proportion of us are in dire want and desperate fear. * J. Bradford DeLong, author of Slouching to Utopia: An Economic History of the Twentieth Century *An excellent volume, particularly given Sperber's apparent ability to remain optimistic through it all. * Choice *Table of ContentsIntroduction Part 1: The Material World Chapter 1: Nature Chapter 2: Disease Chapter 3: Technologies Part 2: Interactions Chapter 4: Markets Chapter 5: Migrations Chapter 6: The Powers Part 3: Varieties of the Social Chapter 7: Societies Chapter 8: Labor Chapter 9: Leisure Chapter 10: Consumers Part 4: Dreams and Nightmares Chapter 11: Beliefs Chapter 12: Murder Chapter 13: Utopias Epilogue: The Zeroes Conclusions Select Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisSince the colonization of the Philippines by Spain in the sixteenth century, the island chain has been at the center of global trade flows, imperial rivalries, and the globalization process. From its role as the main base of Spain''s Pacific Galleon trade to its conquest centuries later by the United States and Japan, the Philippines has been a focal point of economic and military rivalry. Decolonized in 1946, the Philippines is growing economically after years of stagnation, is ruled today by a modern populist, President Rodrigo Duterte, and is embroiled in disputes with the East Asia region''s rising superpower, China.In The Philippines: What Everyone Needs to Know, Steven Rood draws from more than 30 years of residence in and study of the Philippines in order to provide a concise overview of the nation. Arranged in a question-and-answer format, this guide shares concise, nuanced analysis and helps readers find exactly what they seek to learn about Filipino geography and geology, hisTable of Contents1. Geography, Demography, and Climate 2. History 3. Economy 4. Society, Culture, and Religion 5. Government and Governance 6. Geopolitical--the Philippines in the World 7. Prospects for the Future

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Book SynopsisRevised and updated throughout, the fourth edition of A Brief History of Ancient Greece presents the political, social, cultural, and economic history and civilization of ancient Greece in all its complexity and variety. Written by six leading ancient Greek historians, this captivating study covers Greek history from the Bronze Age into the Roman period.Trade ReviewPomeroy's A Brief History of Ancient Greece continues to be the best and most comprehensive textbook for those interested in ancient Greek history and culture. The new edition stretches from the Bronze Age down through Roman Greece, and makes an effort to include many primary source documents and new archaeological finds. This text is an ideal choice for students and enthusiasts of Greek history (political, social, military, and cultural) and civilization. * Jessica Lamont, Yale University *A Brief History of Ancient Greece is the standard text that I have relied on since I was an undergraduate, providing the best combination of content coverage, lucid explanation, supplemental materials (including pictures), and price. * Joshua Nuddell, University of Missouri *This is the best text on the market at acknowledging recent scholarly trends without cutting out the traditional material. The writing is clear and accessible. The maps and color illustrations add a lot of verve. * Andrew Alwine, College of Charleston *A Brief History of Ancient Greece covers all the major topics in Ancient Greek history via a page-turning chronological narrative. Essentially, this is a finely balanced text, avoiding belabouring topics as well as giving coverage to all the major themes. Its major strengths are its readability, formatting (which fits my course's time frame), cost, and currency. * Montgomery Walker, Yakima Valley College *

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Book SynopsisA comprehensive introduction to Yemen''s current crises, major players, and potential solutions to an ongoing civil war.In 2014, a tribal alliance from Yemen''s northern regions seized the capital city of Sana''a and overthrew a republic that had ruled since 1962. Known as the Houthi Movement, these rebels are today vying for control, sparring with southern separatist movements and former President Ali Abdullah Saleh''s political party. Indeed, Yemen--located in the southwest corner of the Arabian peninsula--has become synonymous with civil unrest, sectarian conflict, famine, and rampant disease in recent years. Yet the country has a much deeper history--one that stretches back centuries.In Yemen: What Everyone Needs to Know, Asher Orkaby provides a broad-ranging, historical overview of the country and its peoples that focuses in particular on the contemporary situation. He covers the country''s major political figures and ethnic groups, explaining the origins of each and their impact on contemporary national politics. Throughout, he focuses on tribalism, religious dynamics, regional identities, Yemen''s African and Jewish minorities, and the social impact of the Arab Spring on the country''s women and youth. Orkaby also offers readers a window into Yemen''s rich past: its archaeological treasures, its ancient economic prosperity, and its tribal and religious history. He also looks to Yemen''s future, identifying potential avenues through which Yemen can use its promising geographic location, natural resources, and economic potential to achieve stability.Trade ReviewThis broad survey is organized according to a series of questions with answers that would yield excellent grades in any course on Yemen * C.M. Henry, Choice *Yemen has much to teach the non-specialist. ... Orkaby proves a reliable guide to its complexities, pointing out important but little-known facts. ... [T]he volume leaves the reader with a sense of Yemen's history and culture, one of the world's more insulated and interesting. * Middle East Quarterly *Turning to the current civil war and the desperate humanitarian situation accompanying it, Orkaby proves a reliable guide to [Yemen's] complexities, pointing out important but little-known facts... reading through the volume leaves the reader with a sense of Yemen's history and culture, one of the world's more insulated and interesting. * Middle East Forum *Table of ContentsIntroduction Chapter 1: Regions, Sects, and Tribes Chapter 2: Arabia Felix - An Early History of Yemen Chapter 3: Imperial Yemen - Ottoman and British Empires Chapter 4: An Era of Modernization - the Formation of the Yemeni Republic Chapter 5: Ali Abdullah Saleh's Regime, Unification, and al-Qaeda Chapter 6: The Houthi Wars (2004-2010) Chapter 7: Agriculture and Economy Chapter 8: Arabian Minorities Chapter 9: Education and Society Chapter 10: The Arab Spring in Yemen Chapter 11: Yemen's Modern Civil War

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Book SynopsisStrategy of Empire dispels the myth that Romans were incapable of longterm strategic thinking or maintaining any enunciated strategy for more than a brief period, acting as a welcome counternarrative to Edward Luttwak's The Grand Strategy of the Roman Empire: From the First Century A.D. to the Third.Trade ReviewAs an argument about the Roman Empire's ability to conceptualize and maintain an ongoing imperial strategy, the book succeeds and is highly recommended. It reinvigorates and reshapes the debate. * Law & Liberty *A military history of the Roman Empire with a twist. Using his expertise in strategic operations, [Lacey] makes a compelling argument that the Romans did think and plan strategically in governing.... Highly recommended. * CHOICE *This well-argued and exhaustively researched book will no doubt reopen the debate as to whether the Romans really were capable of strategic thought. * Military History Matters *...he[Lacey] writes honest, straightforward English, tells a good story, makes his disagreements with other scholars fairly and clearly and, even if one disagrees with some of his conclusions, the weight of his experience brings a sense of authority to what he writes. His reflections on the modern military world are especially valuable. * Peter Jones, Classics for All *Engagingly written and logically structured, this is an invaluable contribution to knowledge which moves the discussion far beyond the Luttwak/Isaac debate. The author's practical experience of military planning is brilliantly deployed throughout, and the fact that staff officers effectively use the modern equivalent of Roman itineraries to plan campaign moves is worth a whole book in itself. * Peter Heather, King's College London *Jim Lacey has already established himself as a major historian of politics and strategy in the twenty-first century. He has now brought his focus to Roman strategy and done so with the critical mind of a first rate strategist. This brilliant work replaces all other examinations of Roman strategy. * Williamson Murray, The Ohio State University *Drawing on a wealth of ancient and modern material, Lacey succeeds in bringing a fresh perspective to the question of grand strategy in the Roman empire. This book should become mandatory reading for anyone interested in the development of strategic military thought in any age. * David Potter, University of Michigan *Lacey... concludes that the western empire managed to survive for five centuries despite numerous enemies and environmental challenges because it remained committed to three strategic elements: securing the economic foundations of the empire, maintaining a military force second to none, and having a seemingly inexhaustible supply of soldiers. * New Testament Abstracts *Lacey also emphasizes the importance of economics to the Roman military machine. * Jesse Russell, The European Conservative *The facts presented are faultlessly accurate, and the story is told with a warm, almost conversational (albeit completely academic) tone that is insightful, often witty, and completely free of jargon, which allows the story it conveys to be easily understood by the widest possible audience. It contains enough food for thought to satisfy the most strait-laced academic while providing an easily absorbed and engrossing narrative that will be more than palatable to an amateur history enthusiast. It could as easily serve as summer beach reading as for a textbook for a college survey class. It is thus a worthy addition to any library devoted to ancient military history, or to history in general. * Journal of Military History *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Standing on the Shoulders of Giants 1. Could the Romans Do Strategy? 2. How Dangerous Were the Barbarians? 3. Paying for a Strategy 4. The True Sinews of Strategy 5. The Core of Roman Strategy 6. Strategy at the Strate of Empire 7. Strategy after Augustus 8. The Year of the Four Emperors 9. The Infrastructure of Empire 10. An Army for Empire 11. Rome's Fleets 12. The Empire at High Tide 13. The Severan Interlude 14. New Threats 15. The Third Century Crisis 16. Diocletain, Constantine, and a New Empire 17. The Late Imperial Army and Strategy 18. Four Battles and a Divorce 19. The Gothic Challenge 20. The Aftermath of Adrianople 21. Denouement

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Book SynopsisA major new history of one of the world''s holiest of cities, based on the most recent archaeological discoveries First settled five thousand years ago by a mountain spring between the Mediterranean and Dead Sea, Jerusalem was named for the god (Shalem) that was worshipped there. When David reportedly conquered the city, ca. 1000 BCE, he transferred the Ark of the Covenant--and with it, the presence of the God of Israel--to this rocky outcrop. Here, David''s son Solomon built a permanent house for the God of Israel called the first temple, and since then this spot has been known as the Temple Mount. After Babylonians destroyed Solomon''s temple in 586 BCE, it was replaced by the second temple, which is the setting for many of the events described in the Gospel accounts. In 70 CE, the Romans destroyed Jerusalem, leaving the Temple Mount in ruins. Two hundred and fifty years later, the emperor Constantine constructed the Church of the Holy Sepulcher around the spots where Jesus is believ

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Book SynopsisIn 431 BC, the long simmering rivalry between the city-states of Athens and Sparta erupted into open warfare, and for more than a generation the two were locked in a life-and-death struggle. The war embroiled the entire Greek world, provoking years of butchery previously unparalleled in ancient Greece. Whole cities were exterminated, their men killed, their women and children enslaved. While the war is commonly believed to have ended with the capture of the Athenian navy in 405 and the subsequent starvation of Athens, fighting in Greece would continue for several decades. Sparta''s authority was challenged in the so-called Corinthian War (395-387) when Persian gold helped unite Athens with Sparta''s former allies. The war did not truly end until, in 371, Thebes'' crack infantry resoundingly defeated Sparta at Leuctra, forever shattering the myth of Spartan military supremacy.Jennifer Roberts'' rich narrative of this famous conflict is the first general history to tell the whole story, from the war''s origins down to Sparta''s defeat at Leuctra. In her masterful account, this long and bloody war affected every area of life in Athens, exacerbated divisions between rich and poor in Sparta, and sparked civil strife throughout the Greek world. Yet despite the biting sorrows the fighting occasioned, it remains a gripping saga of plots and counter-plots, murders and lies, thrilling sea chases and desperate overland marches, missed opportunities and last-minute reprieves, and, as the war''s first historian Thucydides had hoped, lessons for a less bellicose future. In addition, Roberts considers the impact of the war on Greece''s cultural life, including the great masterworks of tragedy and comedy performed at this time and, most infamously, the trial and execution of Socrates. A fast-paced narrative of one of antiquity''s most famous clashes, The Plague of War is a must-read for history enthusiasts of all ages.Trade ReviewA narrative that is readable and worth reading for Greek history novice and junkie alike. The affordable paperback, furthermore, is suitable for undergraduate classroom use. Roberts is an engaging and entertaining story-teller with a sense of humor. * Classical Journal-Online *She illuminates every complex situation, having the essential but often obscure details at her fingertips; she uses her sources as old friends, responsibly but critically.... You are in good hands with Roberts; this is a sad tale, excellently told. * The Heythrop Journal *A welcome contrast from traditional studies of the war ... Impressive * Journal of Hellenic Studies *Roberts presents the reader with a clear, straightforward and chronological narrative of events from the background to and origins of the war through to its grim conclusion and inconclusive war-torn aftermath... this is a good read and a good overview of the events that shaped the Classical Age. The events it describes will long continue to invite debate. * Mathew Trundle, H Soz Kult *This work is based on impressive scholarship. Roberts maintains a smooth, highly readable narrative flow. In addition to a careful analysis of Thucydides, the author interweaves discussions of fifth- and fourth-century drama, philosophy, architecture, and art. ... Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels/libraries. * A. J. Papalas, CHOICE *An impressively informed and informative work of exceptionally detailed and documented scholarship, "The Plague of War: Athens, Sparta, and the Struggle fro Ancient Greece" reads from beginning to end with an inherently engaging narrative that reads with the smoothness of a well tuned novel. While very highly recommended for both community and academic library World History collections in general, and Hellenic History supplemental studies reading lists in particular, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of students and non-specialist general readres with an interest in the subject that "The Plague of War" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.39). * Margaret Lane, The Midwest Book Review *[Roberts's] in-depth knowledge of the period's players, locations, and events are all woven expertly into the narrative, providing the reader with a broad, expansive view of the war and its consequences for Greek culture and the future of Western civilization." -Military HeritageJennifer Roberts brings her accustomed cool expertise to bear on this hottest of hot topics: not just any old war, but one that in ancient Greek terms counted as a world war and, like those of the last century, produced almost equally as ghastly and irredeemably nasty consequences. Worst of all, in some ways, this was in her concluding epitaph 'War Without Victory'. * Paul Cartledge, author of Democracy: A Life *In this riveting narrative, Jennifer Roberts breaks new ground with a full-length portrait of the classical Greek world as viewed through a dramatic account of the Peloponnesian War. Roberts breathes new life into the familiar succession of campaigns and battles through the scope of her vision, which gives equal attention to the war's many impacts on the home-front in both Athens and Sparta. In The Plague of War, we see how social upheavals, economic crises, family life, and even philosophy and drama were drawn inexorably into the war-zone. * John R. Hale, author of Lords of the Sea *Jennifer Roberts recreates the agony of Athens and Sparta with a deft hand and a knowing eye. She tells the story of the war that ruined Greece in all its power and pathos. This is a learned, sympathetic and readable account. * Barry Strauss, author of The Death of Caesar *Table of ContentsList of Maps and Images A Note on Sources Introduction Chapter 1: Setting the Stage Chapter 2: The Greek States at War and Peace Chapter 3: Sparta Provoked, Athens Intransigent Chapter 4: The War Begins Chapter 5: The Plague of War Chapter 6: New Challenges and New Leaders Chapter 7: The Fortunes of War Chapter 8: War Throughout the Mainland, and the Call of the West Chapter 9: Moving Towards Peace Chapter 10: The Peace that Was Not Peace Chapter 11: An Invitation and Two Scandals Chapter 12: Deliverance for Syracuse Chapter 13: The Empire Strikes Back Chapter 14: Dramatic Developments for the Athenians Chapter 15: Alcibiades, Cyrus, and Lysander Chapter 16: A Seeming Victory Chapter 17: Athens After the Amnesty Chapter 18: The Greek States in a Changing World Chapter 19: Continuing Warfare in an Age of Reflection Chapter 20: The End for Sparta Chapter 21: War Without Victory Cast of Characters Bibliography

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewDavid Mwambari offers a powerful revisionary account of the memory of the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda. His book works simultaneously on two levels: it illuminates and challenges what he calls the hegemonic master narrative of the genocide memory while offering an account of the plurality of memories of multiple violence in Rwanda's history; and it models how the study of collective remembrance can take inspiration from decolonial methodologies and move beyond its Eurocentric origins. This is an important contribution to a variety of fields, including genocide studies, African studies, and memory studies. Highly recommended!"-Michael Rothberg, author of The Implicated Subject: Beyond Victims and Perpetrators.David Mwambari's nuanced study explores the lived experiences of the 1994 genocide and its commemoration, over twenty years, recentring a wide range of Rwandan voices, and examining the powerful dominant narrative of the 1994 Rwandan Genocide Against the Tutsi. Mwambari has a unique positionality as one of the few Rwandan international scholars to carry out such complex scholarly work. This is a scholarly journey which is both restorative and productive, and one in which the humanity of the author is fully engaged."-Molly Andrews, Honorary Professor of Political Psychology, University College LondonThis innovative study explores how Rwanda's master narrative about the 1994 genocide became hegemonic through a process spanning several years and involving multiple actors. Particularly noteworthy are profiles of how three Rwandan artists contributed to commemoration events-yet the celebrated musician Kizito Mihigo was punished when he dared diverge from the dominant narrative; several years later he died in police custody. Despite its extensive research, the cautious tone of Mwambari's book will likely stimulate spirited debates on a central political issue today-that of creating a hegemonic ideology in the wake of massive social violence."-Catharine Newbury, Professor of Government, Smith CollegeThis book has evolved both as a biographical excavation and intellectual inquiry into what memory and memorialization can do for societies disrupted by genocide. In focusing on memory and how remembering is the subject of ever-changing dynamics, this study advances our understanding of knowledge, of how we know and what we know. This is the reason the intellectual contribution of this book is urgent and valuable. The book reminds us that lived experiences, coded in memory, give intellectual work authenticity. In daring to write this book, and in doing it so well, David Mwambari has taken memory studies a notch higher and invited us to accept the fluidity of memory without denying its very value in society. The book is an indispensable contribution to a growing interdisciplinary field of memory studies."-Godwin R. Murunga, CODESRIA Executive SecretaryTable of ContentsForeword Preface Acknowledgements Introduction Chapter 1: Commemorating the Past and the Evolution of Concepts in Memory Studies Chapter 2: Rwandan Narratives and Rwandan Pasts Chapter 3: Shaping the Emergence and Evolution of the Genocide Master Narrative Chapter 4: Imprinting the Land with the Materials of Memory Chapter 5: Localizing Commemoration and Individual Responses to the Master Narrative Chapter 6: Expressing Memory after Genocide: The Art of Commemoration Chapter 7: The Media, Commemoration, and the Enforcement of the Master Narrative Conclusion: The Malleability of Memory and Reflections on the Future of Knowledge Production on Rwanda and in Memory Studies References

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Book SynopsisThe image of Poland has once again been impressed on European consciousness. Norman Davies provides a key to understanding the modern Polish crisis in this lucid and authoritative description of the nation''s history. Beginning with the period since 1945, he travels back in time to highlight the long-term themes and traditions which have influenced present attitudes.His evocative account reveals Poland as the heart of Europe in more than the geographical sense. It is a country where Europe''s ideological conflicts are played out in their most acute form: as recent events have emphasized, Poland''s fate is of vital concern to European civilization as a whole.This revised and updated edition tackles and analyses the issues arising from the fall of the Eastern Block, and looks at Poland''s future within a political climate of democracy and free market.Trade Reviewanother masterpiece. Heart of Europe has sweep, a rare analytical depth and a courageous display of the author's personal convictions. The book begins and ends with Solidarity; the unique labour movement thus serves as a frame for the nation's history. * New York Times Book Review *Table of Contents(TO BE CONFIRMED)

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Book SynopsisAn utterly splendid book, quite the most brilliantly written, balanced, and explanative general work on the Vikings ever to appear in English or in any language.'' Scandinavian StudiesThe subject of this book is the Viking realms, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, their civilization and culture, and their many sided achievements at home and abroad. A highly readable narrative follows the development of these Northern peoples - the Nordmenn - from their origins and the legendary pre-history to the military triumphs of Canute and the defeat of Harald Hardrádi at Stamford Bridge in 1066, which symbolically ended the Viking age. The book recounts the Vikings'' exploits in war, trade, and colonization: the assault on Western Christendom; the trading and military ventures to the Slav and Muslim worlds and to Byzantium; and the western voyages of discovery and settlement to Greenland, Iceland, and America. Numerous photographs, maps, and drawings contribute to Gwyn Jones''s rounded portrait of Viking civilization and vividly evoke the importance in their culture of religion, art, and seafaring.Trade ReviewWhat a superb book this is! Wise, well-informed, judicious and infinitely readable. * Magnus Magnusson, Scotsman *an utterly splendid book, quite the most brilliantly written, balanced and explanative general work on the Vikings ever to appear in English or...in any language. * Erik Wahlgren, Scandinavian Studies *A highly readable history. * Oxford Time *no better book on the Vikings has ever been written, and it is one which every educated person with any interest in history should know about ... Readers will be delighted to discover the eloquent and sparkling prose of a natural Welsh bard and storyteller who was one of the shining lights of University College, Cardiff. The man writes beautifully. There are not many history books one can pick up and start reading anywhere just for the sheer enjoyment of literary craftsmanship and even fewer as authoritative as this. * Lloyds List 13/04/1994 *Table of ContentsPART 1 - THE NORTHERN PEOPLES TO AD 700; 1. THE SCANDINAVIAN COMMUNITY, I: DIVERSITY AND UNITY; PART 3 - THE VIKING MOVEMENT OVERSEAS; PART 4 - THE VIKING AGE ENDS

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Book Synopsis''One could not ask for a more meticulous or scholarly assessment of what Britain meant to the Romans, or Rome to Britons, than Peter Salway''s Monumental Study''Frederick Raphael, Sunday Times From the invasions of Julius Caesar to the unexpected end of Roman rule in the early fifth century AD and the subsequent collapse of society in Britain, this book is the most authoritative and comprehensive account of Roman Britain ever published for the general reader. Peter Salway''s narrative takes into account the latest research including exciting discoveries of recent years, and will be welcomed by anyone interested in Roman Britain.Trade ReviewThere will be new discoveries; but this is a book that will surely stand the test of time. * TLS *Table of ContentsI. The First Roman Contacts ; II. The Roman Conquest ; III. Imperial Crisis and Recovery ; IV. The End of Roman Britain ; V. Britain Under Roman Rule ; Further Reading ; List of Roman Emperors ; Index

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Book Synopsis''You will be made an outlaw, forced always to live in the wilds and to live alone.''A sweeping epic of the Viking Age, Grettir''s Saga follows the life of the outlaw Grettir the Strong as he battles against sorcery, bad luck, and the vengefulness of his enemies. Feared by many, Grettir is a warrior and also a poet and a lover, who is afraid of the dark. Unable to resolve the dispute that has outlawed him, he lives outside the bounds of family life and he roams the countryside, ridding Iceland and Norway of berserker warriors, trolls, and the walking dead. The saga presents a poignant story of medieval Icelandic society, combining details of everyday legal disputes with folklore and legend. Written in the fourteenth century, but based on earlier oral and written sources, Grettir''s Saga, with its scathing humour, explicit verses, and fantastic monsters, is among the most famous and widely read of Iceland''s sagas.This new translation features extensive illustrative material to elucidate the story. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World''s Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford''s commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

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Book SynopsisThe Norman Conquest in 1066 was the last time England was successfully invaded, and was one of the most profound turning points in English history, cataclysmically transforming a disparate collection of small nations into a European state. But what actually happened? How was the invasion viewed by those who witnessed it? And how has its legacy been seen by generations since? This fascinating Very Short Introduction reveals how dramatically English life was changed, from its language to its law, and focuses on the differing ways the conquest has been viewed by historians and in folklore ever since. 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.

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Book SynopsisFew twentieth-century political leaders enjoyed greated popularity among their own people than Hitler in the 1930s and 1940s. This remarkable study of the myth that sustained one of the most notorious dictators, and delves into Hitler''s extraordinarily powerful hold over the German people. In this ''major contribution to the study of the Third Reich'' (Times Literary Supplement), Ian Kershaw argues that it lay not so much in Hitler''s personality or his bizarre Nazi ideology, as in the social and political values of the people themselves. In charting the creation, rise, and fall of the `Hitler Myth'', he demonstrates the importance of the manufactured ''Führer cult'' to the attainment of Nazi political ends, and how the Nazis used the new techniques of propaganda to exploit and build on the beliefs, phobias, and prejudices of the day.Trade ReviewReview from previous edition a book which should be read by everyone interested in the history of 20th-century Europe ... perhaps the most revealing study available of popular opinion in Nazi Germany * Times Higher Education Supplement *Table of Contents1. 'FUHRER OF THE COMING GERMANY': THE HITLER IMAGE IN THE WEIMAR ERA; 6. BLITZKRIEG TRIUMPH: HIGH PEAK OF POPULARITY, 1940-1941; 9. HITLER'S POPULAR IMAGE AND THE 'JEWISH QUESTION'

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Book SynopsisThis is a compact but comprehensive and absorbing history of the Second World War. It examines the causes of the war, how it was won and lost, and its far-reaching consequences for humanity.Trade ReviewReview from previous edition Based on a matchless knowledge of the documents, he provides an authoritative treatment of military, diplomatic, and economic aspects, written with great force and insight. As a one-volume survey, it is unlikely to be surpassed... a magnificent achievement, a tour de force. * Kenneth O. Morgan, New Statesman and Society *a miracle of compression compared with the rest of the horde of general histories. * Guardian *Parker alights unerringly on the salient campaigns and issues, and considers them with consistent style and insight. * Times Educational Supplement *The most balanced view of the causes and courses of the Second World War. * Field Marshal Lord Carver, Times Literary Supplement *written in clear and elegant English ... a masterful account of the Second World War in all its different spheres. It is scrupulously fair, illuminated by an engaging sense of humour ... and gives an entirely balanced view of the varying contributions of the different powers engaged. * Richard Cobb, The Spectator *Faced with volume after volume of books about the Second World War, R.A.C. Parker's Short History comes as a breath of fresh air ... it is refreshing to read such a modest-sized yet absorbing history of the years between 1939 and 1945 and what happened before and afer. A Short History is both concise and absorbing - an "introduction" to anyone wanting to know more about the war and an example of how a taut history book can be captivating. * Madeleine Burton, Herts Adverstiser (St Albans Edition) *Table of ContentsPreface ; Contents ; List of Plates ; List of Maps ; 1. Hitler, Germany, and the origins of the European war ; 2. German conquest of Poland, Norway, the Low Countries, and France ; 3. Britain alone ; 4. Operation BARBAROSSA: the German attack on the Soviet Union ; 5. The United States enters the war: the origins of the Japanese attack ; 6. Japanese victories and disappointments: December 1941 to August 1942 ; 7. The end of German expansion: the Atlantic, North Africa, and Russia, 1942-1943 ; 8. Anglo-American strategies for victory ; 9. Economies at war ; 10. Strategic bombing ; 11. Morale ; 12. Driving back the Germans: North Africa, Italy, and Russia ; 13. D-Day and victory in Europe ; 14. The defeat of Japan and the atom bomb ; 15. From war to peace: Anglo-American relations ; 16. From alliance to Cold War: the Soviet Union and the West ; 17. The impact of war: the murder of the European Jews ; 18. The impact of war: casualties, crisis, and change ; Note on quotations ; Book list ; Index

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Book Synopsis''A trained scout will see little signs and tracks, he puts them together in his mind and quickly reads a meaning from them such as an untrained man would never arrive at.'' A startling amalgam of Zulu war-cry and imperial and urban myth, of borrowed tips on health and hygiene, and object lessons in woodcraft, Robert Baden-Powell''s Scouting for Boys (1908) is the original blueprint and ''self-instructor'' of the Boy Scout Movement. An all-time bestseller in the English-speaking world, second only to the Bible, this primer of ''yarns and pictures'' constitutes probably the most influential manual for youth ever published. Yet the book is at the same time a roughly composed hodge-podge of jingoist lore and tracker legend, padded with lengthy quotations from adventure fiction and B-P''s own autobiography, and seamed through with the multiple anxieties of its time: fears of degeneration, concerns about masculinity and self-restraint, invasion paranoia. Elleke Boehmer''s edition of ScoutinTrade ReviewBaden-Powell's work is well worth reading and re-reading, and that researchers with various interests and theoretical persuasions may find in its pages a great deal of interesting and rewarding material. * Thomas Kullman, Archiv für das Studium der neueren Sprachen und Literaturen *

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Book SynopsisEssential reading for anyone interested in the African continent and the diversity of human history, this Very Short Introduction looks at Africa''s past and reflects on the changing ways it has been imagined and represented. Key themes in current thinking about Africa''s history are illustrated with a range of fascinating historical examples, drawn from over 5 millennia across this vast continent.ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Trade ReviewA very well informed and sharply stated historiography... should be in every historiography student's kitbag. A tour de force... it made me think a great deal. * Terence Ranger, The Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies *You will finish this book better informed, with a better understanding of Africa and a clearer idea of the questions. * Robert Giddings, Tribune *This small book is a smart and stimulating essay exploring issues of history, sources and methods, Africa in the world, colonialism and postcolonialism, and the past in the present as a means of introducing students and others to academic thinking about African history. * Tom Spear, Journal of African History *Table of Contents1. The idea of Africa ; 2. Africans: diversity and unity ; 3. Africa's past: historical sources ; 4. Africa in the world ; 5. Colonialism in Africa ; 6. Imagining the future, rebuilding the past ; 7. Memory and forgetting, past and present

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Book SynopsisKarl von Clausewitz''s study On War was described by the American strategic thinker Bernard Brodie as ''not simply the greatest, but the only great book about war''. It is hard to disagree. Even though he wrote his only major work at a time when the range of firearms was fifty yards, much of what he had to say remains relevant today. Michael Howard explains Clausewitz''s ideas in terms both of his experiences as a professional soldier in the Napoleonic Wars, and of the intellectual background of his time. 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 ReviewReview from previous edition 'as a synthesis of Clausewitz scholarship this study can hardly be faulted' * English Historical Review *'a delightful introduction to the paradoxes and insights of this passionate rationalist.' * London Review of Books *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; 1. Clausewitz in his time ; 2. Theory and practice in war ; 3. Ends and means in war ; 4. Limited and absolute war ; 5. The legacy of Clausewitz ; Further Reading ; Index

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Book SynopsisHieroglyphs were far more than a language. They were an omnipresent and all-powerful force in communicating the messages of ancient Egyptian culture for over three thousand years; used as monumental art, as a means of identifying Egyptianness, and for rarefied communication with the gods.In this exciting new study, Penelope Wilson explores the cultural significance of the script with an emphasis on previously neglected areas such as cryptography, the continuing decipherment into modern times, and examines the powerful fascination hieroglyphs still hold for us today. 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. The origins of writing in Egypt ; 2. Hieroglyphic script and the Egyptian language ; 3. Hieroglyphs and art ; 4. 'I Know You, I Know Your Names' ; 5. Scribes and everyday writing ; 6. The decipherment of Egyptian ; 7. Hieroglyphs in the modern world ; Notes ; Chronology ; Further Reading ; Index

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Book SynopsisThe British experience in India began in earnest over four hundred years ago, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. For many years the English interlopers and traders who made contact with the subcontinent were viewed by Indians as little more than pirates and potentially troublesome conquering barbarians. After a series of titanic struggles against the French and various local rulers during the eighteenth century, by the end of the Napoleonic Wars Britain had gained mastery of the subcontinent. This period, and the century and a half that followed, saw two powerful cultures locked in an often bloody battle over political control, land, trade, and a way of life.Denis Judd tells the fascinating story of the remarkable British impact upon India. All aspects of this long and controversial relationship are discussed, such as the first tentative contacts between East and West, the foundation of the East India Company in 1600, the Victorian Raj in all its pomp and splendour, Gandhi''s revolTable of ContentsEPILOGUE; CHRONOLOGY; SOURCES FOR QUOTATIONS; BIBLIOGRAPHY; INDEX

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Book Synopsis''A nation without a national government is an awful spectacle.''In the winter of 1787-8 a series of eighty-five essays appeared in the New York press; the purpose of the essays was to persuade the citizens of New York State to ratify the Constitution of the United States. The three authors - Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay - were respectively the first Secretary of the Treasury, the fourth President, and the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court in American history. Each had played a crucial role in the events of the American Revolution; together they were convinced of the need to weld thirteen disparate and newly-independent states into a union. Their essays make the case for a new and united nation, governed under a written Constitution that endures to this day.The Federalist Papers are an indispensable guide to the intentions of the founding fathers who created the United States, and a canonical text in the development of western political thought. This new edition pays full attention to the classical learning of their authors and the historical examples they deploy. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World''s Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford''s commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.Trade ReviewAdmirable introduction...Oxford University Press is to be congratulated on adding it to its collection of World's Classics. * Howard Temperley, TLS *

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Book SynopsisChina is now poised to take a key role on the world stage, but in the early twentieth century the situation could not have been more different. Rana Mitter goes back to this pivotal moment in Chinese history to uncover the origins of the painful transition from a premodern past into a modern world. By the 1920s the seemingly civilized world shaped over the last two thousand years by the legacy of the great philosopher Confucius was falling apart in the face of western imperialism and internal warfare. Chinese cities still bore the imprints of its ancient past with narrow, lanes and temples to long-worshipped gods, but these were starting to change with the influx of foreign traders, teachers, and missionaries, all eager to shape China''s ancient past into a modern present. Mitter takes us through the resulting social turmoil and political promise, the devastating war against Japan in the 1940s, Communism and the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s, and the new era of hope in the 1980s endTrade ReviewReview from previous edition Breathtaking and authoritative * Graham Hutchings, former China Correspondent, Daily Telegraph *An impressive and inventively researched book * Financial Times *With compelling prose and insightful analysis, Rana Mitter paints a brilliant, lively portrait critical to understanding the soul of modern China * Iris Chang, New York Times best-selling author of The Rape of Nanking *Table of ContentsPART I: SHOCK; PART II: AFTERSHOCK

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Book SynopsisThe Viking reputation is of bloodthirsty seafaring warriors, repeatedly plundering the British Isles and the North Atlantic throughout the early Middle Ages. Yet Vikings were also traders, settlers, and farmers, with a complex artistic and linguistic culture, whose expansion overseas led them to cross the Atlantic for the first time in European history. Highlighting the latest archaeological evidence, Julian Richards reveals the whole Viking world: their history, society and culture, and their expansion overseas for trade, colonization, and plunder. We also look at the Viking identity, through their artistic expression, rune stones, their ships, and their religion. The Viking story is also brought up to date, by examining their legacy from the medieval Icelandic sagas to 19th Century nationalism, Wagner, and the Nazis.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 ContentsList of illustrations ; 1. Vikings then and now ; 2. Early Scandinavian kingdoms ; 3. Pagans and Christians ; 4. Changes in the countryside ; 5. Towns and trade ; 6. Across the ocean: ships and seafaring ; 7. Expansion overseas ; 8. Vikings in England ; 9. Raiders and settlers around the Irish Sea ; 10. Vikings and Picts: genocide or assimilation? ; 11. Landnam in the North Atlantic ; 12. The edge of the world: Greenland and North America ; 13. Re-inventing the Vikings ; Further reading ; Index

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Book SynopsisThe amazing discovery of the ''first European civilization'' in Crete, Greece and the Aegean islands during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries was beyond what anyone had imagined. Beginning with the Neolithic period, before 3000 BCE, and ending at the close of the Bronze Age and the transition to the Iron Age of Hellenic Greece (c.1000 BCE), this is the first comprehensive introduction to the visual arts and architecture of this extraordinary era. This book introduces the reader to the historical and social contexts within which the arts - pottery, gold, silver, and ivory objects, gravestone reliefs, frescoes, and architecture - of the Aegean area developed. It examines the functions they served, and the ways in which they can be read as evidence for the interactions of many different peoples and societies in the eastern Mediterranean. It also provides an up-to-date critical historiography of the field in its relationship to the growth of ancient art history, archaeology, and museology in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, giving a contemporary audience a clear appreciation of what has been at stake in the uncovering and reconstruction of this ancient society.Trade Reviewa compact and attractive introduction to the subject * John Bennet, THES, 9/6/00 *This powerful account of 2,000 years of Aegean culture is a must for pilgrims and sun-worshippers * The Observer, 24.10.99 *Table of Contents1. Introduction: Aegean Art and Architecture ; The environment; Discovering the Aegean World; Art and art history; Objectives; Organization. ; 2. The Neolithic Period and the Prepalatial Early Bronze Age ; Settlements; Burial practices. ; 3. The First Palace Period ; Middle Bronze Age palaces and villas; The vernacular tradition in Greece and Crete; Ritual practices; Summary. ; 4. The Second Palace Period ; Public art, private art, and the palatial architectural style; The Second Palaces: Knossos, Phaistos, Gournia, and Kato Zakro; Minoan villas: function and design; The terminology and typology of Minoan palatial buildings; The Minoan and Mycenaean spheres of influence; Religious practices; Burial practices. ; 5. Mycenaean Domination and the Minoan Tradition ; The Mycenaean palace at Pylos; The Mycenaean palace at Knossos; Haghia Triadha and Kommos; The continuation of Minoan building techniques in the Third Palace Period; Burial practices; The Mycenaean shrine at Phylakopi; The circuit walls at Mycenae and Tiryns. ; 6. Conclusion: Disruptions, (Dis)Continuities, and the Bronze Age ; The eastward migration of Aegean traditions; The international style; Cyprus, Palestine, and the Peoples of the Sea; Tradition and transformation; What goes around comes around: Daedalus returns to Crete. ; Notes; List of Illustrations; Bibliographic Essay; Timeline; Index

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Book SynopsisThis refreshing new look at Medieval art conveys a very real sense of the impact of art on everyday life in Europe from 1000 to 1500. It examines the importance of art in the expression and spread of knowledge and ideas, including notions of the heroism and justice of war, and the dominant view of Christianity.Table of ContentsIntroduction ; 1. A Sense of Place ; 2. Artists ; 3. Art and Power in the Church 1000-1200 ; 4. Design and devotion 1200-1500 ; 5. Image and Learning ; 6. War ; 7. Pleasures ; Notes ; Timeline ; Bibliographic Essay ; Museums and Websites ; List of Illustrations ; Index

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Book SynopsisJust days into the miners'' strike of 1984-1985, a few women in coalfield communities around Britain began to meet to consider how they could support the strike, a clash with the Thatcher government over the future of the coal industry. Women ultimately formed a national network of groups that some observers saw as an ''alternative welfare state'', helping to keep the strike going for just under a year. This book is the first study of this national movement, illuminating its achievements, but also telling the less well-known story of arguments and divisions with men in the National Union of Mineworkers and feminists in the women''s liberation movement. Many women in the movement, despite their activism, resolutely denied that they were ''political'' at all, defining themselves as ''ordinary'' women, housewives, mothers, and workers; and, despite some claims that women activists had been transformed for ever by their experiences, most of those involved felt they had been changed only inTable of Contents1: Introduction 2: Before the strike 3: Early days: Spring 1984 4: High noon: Summer 1984 5: Crisis and drift: Autumn 1984 6: Flood back to defeat: Winter 1984-1985 7: Aftermath 8: Remembering the strike Appendix I: Details of project interviewees Appendix II: Details of key sociological studies of the strike and aftermath Appendix III: Chronology

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Book SynopsisA polished and masterly work of historical narrative, The Marshall Plan is an instant classic of Cold War literature.With Britain''s empire collapsing and Stalin''s ascendant, U.S. officials under new Secretary of State George C. Marshall set out to reconstruct western Europe as a bulwark against communist authoritarianism. Their massive, costly, and ambitious undertaking would confront Europeans and Americans alike with a vision at odds with their history and self-conceptions. In the process, they would drive the creation of NATO, the European Union, and a Western identity that continues to shape world events.This is the story behind the birth of the Cold War, and the U.S.-led liberal global order, told with verve, insight, and resonance for today. Bringing to bear fascinating new material from American, Russian, German, and other European archives, Benn Steil''s book will forever change how we see the Marshall Plan.Focusing on the critical years 1947 to 1949, Steil''s gripping narratTable of Contents1: Prologue 2: Crisis 3: Rupture 4: Plan 5: Trap 6: Unity 7: Persuasion 8: Sausage 9: Subversion 10: Passage 11: Showdown 12: Division 13: Success? 14: Echoes Cast of Characters Appendices Notes

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Book SynopsisDoes Counter-Terrorism Work? offers an historically-grounded, systematic, and expert interrogation of the effectiveness of state responses to terrorist violence from one of the world''s leading experts on terrorism.State responses to terrorism have shaped politics and society globally. But how far, and in what precise ways, has counter-terrorism actually succeeded? Based on the author''s experience of studying terrorism and counter-terrorism for over three decades, Does Counter-Terrorism Work? offers an historically-grounded, systematic, and expert interrogation of the effectiveness of state responses to terrorist violence. Previous analyses have too often tended to be polarized, simplistic, and short-termist; they have also lacked a comprehensive framework against which properly to assess the (in)efficacy of counter-terrorist efforts over time.Richard English''s pioneering book carefully defines what effective counter-terrorism would involve, and then tests that layered framework thro

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Book SynopsisModernity and the Victorians lays out in sweeping terms an alternative conception of the political and social dynamics of the period, centred on the past, morality, and community. It offers a deliberately bracing challenge to a swathe of received wisdoms which, it asserts, have fatally misled students of modern Britain.

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Book SynopsisA Question of Standing deals with recognizable events that have shaped the history of the first 75 years of the CIA. Unsparing in its accounts of dirty tricks and their consequences, it values the agency's intelligence and analysis work to offer balanced judgements that avoid both celebration and condemnation of the CIA.Trade ReviewA Question of Standing is an engaging, fluently narrated book. * Scott Lucas, Times Literary Supplement *This book joins a long list of histories of the CIA...A Question of Standing makes a compelling argument about the CIA's relationship with other US institutions and can serve as a good introduction to the history of the agency. * Choice *An engaging, fluently narrated book. * Times Literary Supplement *Jeffreys-Jones, who has been studying the trials and tribulations of the CIA for many years, provides a concise, informed, and thoughtful history of the agency. * Lawrence D. Freedman, Foreign Affairs *The literature on the history of the CIA is vast and will only continue to grow as newer interpretations emerge. Jeffreys-Jones has produced an interesting book on the early origins, development and future of the CIA. Telling the history of an agency that has a global reach is always going to be a tall order, and this book offers an accessible introduction to the CIA. * Dan Lomas, Brunel University London, UK, International Affairs *This concise history of the Central Intelligence Agency manages to include nearly all of the agency's biggest hits and greatest catastrophes. He [Jeffreys-Jones] brings a depth of knowledge that provides innumerable fascinating anecdotes * The Guardian *An excellent primer on the history of the CIA. * Jamie Gaskarth, Engelsberg Ideas *[A] terrific new history ... This book is the best kind of constructively critical history, told with a refreshingly wry and dry sense of humour—qualities that are all too rare in extant accounts. * Timothy J. Lynch, Australian Book Review *A masterful but concise sweep of analysis; all done in just over 200 pages. ... [The] final chapters are a graceful illustration of why professional historians matter so very much. * Richard Lofthouse, QUAD *This is a deep dive into often dark and troubling history. No punches are pulled and if you're interested in foreign policy and the rise of American power, this is well worth a read. * All About History *well-researched...has salient points to make about President Obama's overuse of drone strikes, and how books were cooked to cover the "absurdly low" casualty figures of innocent people who were killed because of inaccurate strikes and false intelligence. * Martin Chilton, The Independent *an excellent history of the CIA - erudite but fluent and accessible. It engages with important issues of interpretation while at the same time driving forward a compelling narrative of events. It is concise yet wide-ranging, tracing the history of US intelligence from its beginnings to the Biden presidency. ... both balanced and compelling. * Mark White, BBC History Magazine *An insightful and disturbing history of an American institution. * Kirkus Reviews *A comprehensive and thoroughly researched history of the CIA ... engaging, fair and thoughtful. * Catherine Yardley, Frost Magazine *A pleasure to read...a simultaneously authoritative and accessible account. * Hugh Wilford, Journal of Military History *Who better to write about the CIA than a Welsh-born Scottish academic who began his career steeped in standard anti-Americanism of the European left? In a clutch of books over nearly a half century, Jeffreys-Jones has answered "no one." Here, his perspective is standing: how does the CIA stand with, above all, the President but also Congress, the American public and even, on occasion, people abroad. That perspective - plus his own standing as a foreigner both detached from and deeply immersed in things American - lets him provide fresh insights on episodes from the Bay of Pigs to the creation of the director of national intelligence, to the dissing of intelligence by Trump. This book is a pleasure. * Greg Treverton, former chair of the US National Intelligence Council under President Obama *Rhodri Jeffreys-Jones has written a thorough, engaging history of the CIA. In this wide-ranging, thoughtful narrative, he takes us from the pre-history of the agency up through the controversies of the twenty-first century. Anyone interested in intelligence history or the current role of the CIA in American politics should read this book. * Kathryn Olmsted, author of Real Enemies: Conspiracy Theories and American Democracy, World War I to 9/11 *A Question of Standing is an accessible and well-written book, which makes a persuasive case that covert actions loom large in perceptions of the CIA - perhaps to the detriment of intelligence work. * Rory Cormac, War in History 31 *Table of ContentsPreface and Acknowledgements 1: The Road to U-1 2: The OSS Model 3: The Founding of the CIA, 1947 4: Covert Action in the 1950s 5: Intelligence in the 1950s 6: Bay of Pigs, 1961 7: Vietnam: The Roles of the CIA 8: From Reformation to Counter Reformation in the 1970s 9: The Collapse of Soviet Communism in the 1980s 10: Iran and Iran-Contra 11: Existential Issues, 1990-97 12: Fateful Terror and 9/11 13: The Great Diminishing Reform Act of 2004 14: Estimating Anew and a Military Turn 15: Battling Al Qaeda with Assassination and Torture 16: Obama's CIA and the Death of bin Laden 17: Fake News Comes Home 18: Back to Work 19: Conclusion Appendix: CIA Directors 1947-2022 Abbreviations in Notes Bibliography

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Book SynopsisFirst published as part of the best-selling The Oxford Illustrated History of Britain, Kenneth Morgan''s Very Short Introduction to Twentieth-Century Britain examines the forces of consensus and of conflict in twentieth-century Britain. The account covers the trauma of the First World War and the social divisions of the twenties; fierce domestic and foreign policy debates in the thirties; the impact of the Second World War for domestic transformation, popular culture and the loss of empire; the transition from the turmoil of the seventies to the aftermath of Thatcherism and the advent of New Labour. Throughout, cultural and artistic themes are woven into the analysis, along with the distinct national experiences of Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. The profound tension that shook the United Kingdom are juxtaposed against equally deep forces for stability, cohesion, and a sense of historic identity.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. The First World War ; 2. The twenties ; 3. The thirties ; 4. The Second World War ; 5. The post-war world ; 6. From the seventies to the nineties ; 7. Towards the millennium ; Further reading ; Chronology ; Prime ministers 1914-2000 ; Index

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Book SynopsisFirst published as part of the best-selling The Oxford Illustrated History of Britain, Christopher Harvie and Colin Matthew''s Very Short Introduction to Nineteenth-Century Britain is a sharp but subtle account of remarkable economic and social change and an even more remarkable political stability. Britain in 1789 was overwhelmingly rural, agrarian, multilingual, and almost half Celtic. By 1914, when it faced its greatest test since the defeat of Napoleon, it was largely urban and English. Christopher Harvie and Colin Matthew show the forces behind Britain''s rise to its imperial zenith, and the continuing tensions within the nations and classes of the ''union state''.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. Reflections on the revolutions ; 2. Industrial development ; 3. Reform and religion ; 4. The wars abroad ; 5. Roads to freedom ; 6. Coping with reform ; 7. Unless the Lord build the city ; 8. The ringing grooves of change ; 9. Politics and diplomacy: Palmerstons years ; 10. Incorporation ; 11. Free trade: an industrial economy rampant ; 12. A shifting population: town and country ; 13. The masses and the classes: the urban worker ; 14. Clerks and commerce: the lower middle class ; 15. The propertied classes ; 16. Pomp and circumstance ; 17. A great change in manners ; 18. Villa Tories: the Conservative resurgence ; 19. Ireland, Scotland, Wales: Home Rule frustrated ; 20. Reluctant imperialists? ; 21. The fin-de-siecle reaction: new views of the State ; 22. Old Liberalism, New Liberalism, Labourism, and tariff reform ; 23. Edwardian years: a crisis of the State contained ; 24. Your English summers done ; Further reading ; Chronology ; Prime ministers 1789-1914 ; Index

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Book SynopsisFirst published as part of the best-selling The Oxford Illustrated History of Britain, Paul Langford''s Very Short Introduction to Eighteenth-Century Britain spans from the aftermath of the Revolution of 1688 to Pitt the Younger''s defeat at attempted parliamentary reform.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. Revolution and its repercussions ; 2. The rise of Robinocracy ; 3. Industry and idleness ; 4. The making of middle England ; 5. The politics of protest ; 6. Rebellion and reform ; Further reading ; Chronology ; Prime ministers 1721-89 ; Index

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Book SynopsisWere the Vikings, as contemporary description had it, a ''valiant, wrathful, foreign, purely pagan people'' who swept in from the sea to plunder and slaughter? Or in the words of a Manx folksong ''ware-wolves keen in hungry quest'', who lived and died by the sea and the sword. Or were they unusually successful merchants, extortionists, and pioneer explorers? This book, by leading international scholars, considers the latest research and presents a compelling picture of the Vikings and their age. Excavations as far apart as Dublin and Newfoundland, York and Kiev, provide fascinating archaeological evidence, expertly interpreted in this extensively illustrated book.Trade Reviewthe volume will indeed be a treasury for pictorial sources, and the illustrations to more off-the-beaten-track chapters (especially Noonan's, on European Russia) are correspondingly unusual. * Guy Halsall, War in History, 8, 3, 2001 *the truest picture yet of the Vikings and their age. * Publishing News *Table of ContentsList of Colour Plates ; List of Maps ; Notes on Contributors ; 1. The Age of the Vikings and Before ; 2. The Frankish Empire ; 3. The Vikings in England, ic./i790-1016 ; 4. Ireland, Wales, Man, and the Hebrides ; 5. The Atlantic Islands ; 6. Scandinavians in European Russia ; 7. The Danish Empire and the End of the Viking Age ; 8. Ships and Seamanship ; 9. Religions Old and New ; 10. The Vikings in History and Legend ; 11. The Viking Legacy ; Further Reading ; Chronology ; Index

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Book SynopsisGandhi (1869-1948) was one of the few men in history to fight simultaneously on moral, religious, political, social, economic, and cultural fronts. During his time as a lawyer in South Africa he developed his strategy of non-violence: the idea of opposing unjust laws by non-violent protest, which he made the basis of his successful struggle against British rule in India.In this Very Short Introduction to Gandhi''s life and thought, Bhikhu Parekh outlines both Gandhi''s major philosophical insights and the limitations of his thought. He looks at Gandhi''s cosmocentric anthropology, his spiritual view of politics, his unique form of liberal communitarianism, and his theories of oppression, non-violent action, and active citizenship. He also considers how the success of Gandhi''s principles was limited by his lack of coherent theories of evil, and of state and power, and how his hostility to modern civilization impeded his appreciation of its complexity.Gandhi''s life and thought has had an enormous impact both within and outside India, and he continues to be widely revered, as one of the greatest moral and political leaders of the twentieth century.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 ContentsList of Illustrations ; 1. Life and Work ; 2. Religious thought ; 3. Human Nature ; 4. Satyagraha ; 5. The Critique of Modernity ; 6. The Vision of a Non-Violent Society ; 7. Critical Appreciation ; Glossary ; Further Reading ; Index

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Book SynopsisTwo questions guide this seven-year project: First, how can we approach the phenomenon, representation, and interpretation of total solar eclipses? Second, how can we heal the historical divide separating the natural sciences from the humanities, arts, history, and theology? The result of this interdisciplinary investigation into eclipses is an exciting look behind the scenes - into labs, archives, and museums, as well as around fieldwork in astronomy, meteorology, animal behaviour, and ecophysiology.Carefully prepared for readers from all backgrounds, these voices invite us to imagine a liberated mode of discovery, perception, creativity, and knowledge-production across the traditional academic divisions. A uniquely prismatic representation of total solar eclipses emerges, itself rising to a model of communal thinking, together, across disciplinary borders. This book is Tom McLeish''s final project and scholarly testament. Dedicated to him and to astrophysicist Jay M. Pasachoff (contrTrade ReviewWonderful and wonder-full! This splendidly illustrated book explores total solar eclipses and their effect on us through art, music and words. * Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell DBE FRS FRSE FRAS FInstP, Astrophysics, University of Oxford *A courtside seat to watch scientists, scholars, artists, and musicians toss ideas right (awesome!) and wrong (interesting!) back and forth over centuries of wonder. Nothing as real and completely out of human control or influence as the total solar eclipse has been so endlessly fascinating, provocative, and compelling; get your ticket here. * Michael O'Hare, Professor of the Graduate School at the University of California and Goldman School of Public Policy *Superb! This book touched my soul! Fabulous stuff and the first of its kind! So rich in thought with delectable prose on the history, art and science of the ages that surround eclipses. Henrike Lange and Tom McLeish have done something extraordinary: From one momentary cosmic event they virtuously generated lasting inspiration to chase knowledge and wisdom... Even the most experienced eclipse chasers will feel enriched and further enlightened by an eclipse after delving into this book... A true tome on the total solar eclipse. * Mike Kentrianakis, American Astronomical Society 2017 Total Solar Eclipse Project Manager, Amateur Astronomers Association of New York, IAU's Working Group on Solar Eclipses *I enjoyed the book... I emerged with my over 30 eclipse experiences freshly anchored in mysticism, history, and legend while clothed in new garments of art, music and literature. For both the scientist and the artist, Eclipse and Revelation gives view of the "other side"... The work becomes a tapestry that stitches history, passion, nature, weather, art, and music with a thread of mysticism and wonder. This ambitious volume welds so many dissimilar views of a shared experience: One chapter explains the physics behind the glow of the corona; another, Dante's eclipse muse. Ancient and medieval history... blend with the magnificence of art and poetry; animal and atmosphere respond in muted sympathy, all bound by the glory of the total eclipse. * Jay Anderson, Canadian meteorologist and eclipse chaser *A total solar eclipse is a spectacle without equal. Henrike Christiane Lange and Tom McLeish study the human and cultural impact of totality. Every human culture has a mythology about solar eclipses. These stories should be told and this book is an excellent survey of many cultures across the continents and throughout the centuries. I especially enjoyed the excerpts from Tom McLeish's travel diary from August 2017 which capture the thrill of the chase and the allure of the corona in the co-authored Introduction. Chapter 2 by my late friend Jay Pasachoff on the solar corona is a masterclass in science communication. I highly recommend Eclipse & Revelation to anyone interested in solar eclipses and their many interactions with humanity. * Michael Zeiler, Cartographer and Eclipse Chaser *Genius! Truly marvelous and relevant work, beautifully illustrated and delivered: an utterly brilliant new take on interdisciplinary collaborations between the arts, humanities, and sciences exploring a gripping natural phenomenon across human history. Unlike any other, this book includes fascinating perspectives and early science from ancient Asia, Assyria, Babylonia, India, China, Greece and Rome, the scientific revolution to the present... - all topped off with the latest meteorological methods and a conclusion that creates a poetic awareness of the entire cosmos... Lange and McLeish deliver a passionate defence of the liberal arts and a delightful account of the perpetual curiosity, excitement, joy, and enduring love of wisdom at the core of the scientific and scholarly life. * Andrew Stewart, Professor emeritus, History of Art and Classics at the University of California, Berkeley *Table of ContentsHenrike Christiane Lange (University of California, Berkeley) & Tom McLeish (University of York): Preface - "Cosmos" is for Harmony Henrike Christiane Lange (University of California, Berkeley) & Tom McLeish (University of York): Introduction - Chasing the Total Solar Eclipse: On the Road and in the Archive PART I - COSMOS 1: Tom McLeish (University of York) and Mike Frost (British Astronomical Association): The Cosmic Clockwork: The How and When of Total Solar Eclipses 2: Jay Pasachoff (Williams College): The Unveiling of the Corona 3: Philipp Nothaft (All Souls College Oxford): Pre-Modern Astronomies of Eclipses in the Near-East and Europe 4: Mike Frost (British Astronomical Association): From Science to Story: Testimony of an Eclipse Chaser PART II - HISTORY AND RELIGION 5: John Steele (Brown University): Solar Eclipses Across Early Asia 6: Giles Gasper (Durham University): 'The Face of the World Was Wretched, Horrifying, Black, Remarkable: Solar Eclipses in the Middle Ages 7: Anna Marie Roos (University of Lincoln): Annus Tenebrosus: Black Monday, Faith, and Political Fervour in Early Modern England 8: David Bentley Hart (NDIAS): Signs and Portents: Reflections on the History of Solar Eclipses PART III - ARTS AND LITERATURE 9: Alison Cornish (New York University): Dante's Total Eclipses 10: Roberta J.M. Olson (Wheaton College, Massachusetts, and The New-York Historical Society Museum & Library): Eclipsed? The Nineteenth-Century Quest to Capture Solar Eclipses in Art, Science, and Technology 11: Henrike Christiane Lange (University of California, Berkeley): Total Eclipse of the Art: Vision, Occlusion, Representation 12: Elaine Stratton Hild (Universität Würzburg): When Words Fail: Eclipse, Music, and Sound PART IV - ANIMALS, WEATHER, ENVIRONMENT 13: Steven Portugal (Royal Holloway): Animal Behaviour and Eclipse 14: Giles Harrison (Department of Meteorology, University of Reading): Weather and the Solar Eclipse: Nature's Meteorological Experiment Henrike Christiane Lange (University of California, Berkeley) and Tom McLeish (University of York): Conclusion - The Moon and the Sun in the Afternoon Mike Frost (British Astronomical Association): APPENDIX - The Eclipse Chaser's Toolkit

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Book SynopsisIn this book, Gavin Francis writes about the resonance for him as medic in reading the work of early modern polymath Sir Thomas Browne.Trade Review[S]plendid...[an] excellent panegyric. * John Quinn, The Tablet *It always good to read something coming towards Browne from several directions at once. And especially the sympathies of a medical man, writer, and general practitioner. * Iain Sinclair *The biographical material and quotes from his writings accompany the beautifully written analysis, creating a book that reads well and is a fine introduction to the life and work of this remarkable seventeenth century physician. * Arpan K. Banerjee, Solihull, UK, Hektoen International *In Sir Thomas Browne: The opium of time,...autobiography and intellectual history are woven together under the conceptual generosity of eight thematic chapters and two letters to its subject. * Georgina Wilson, Times Literary Supplement *A compelling read ... Gavin Francis's perspective on Browne's life and works ... beautifully encapsulate[s] the complexity of [Browne's] character. * Nick Golding, Church Times *This slim volume forms part of a series of biographies whose authors express deeply rooted ties with their subjects and who share something of themselves and their own experiences to add an autobiographical dimension. The formula works and the result is a compelling read. * Revd Richard Greatrex, Church Times *Table of ContentsChronology An Introductory Letter to Dr Browne 1: Ambiguity 2: Curiosity 3: Vitality 4: Piety 5: Humility 6: Misogyny 7: Mobility 8: Mortality A Concluding Letter to Dr Browne

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Book SynopsisThe history of fair play in Britain from earliest times to the present, asking whether it is in fact a British, or alternatively an English, characteristic at all - and if so, whether fair play still matters today?Trade Reviewwhat Duke-Evans shows with an impressive mass of evidence is that ... 'fair play' really has had a unique influence on how Britons think of themselves * Sam Leith, Sunday Times *a pleasant surprise ... ambitious and wide-ranging * Robert Tombs, The Daily Telegraph *Rigorous and personable, fluently navigating potentially dry or finicky subject matter * Henry Hitchings, The Times *An original, scholarly and extremely readable history of what is often regarded, by the English anyway, as an essential attribute of their national character * Sir Keith Thomas, author ofReligion and the Decline of Magic *The book is leavened throughout with the lightness of touch and wry humour of an escaped academic and career civil servant; it succeeds in every respect. * Patrick Nash, Catholic Herald *Table of ContentsPreface 1: Introduction: The Problem of Fair Play 2: What Do We Mean When We Talk About Fair Play? 3: Fair Play: The History of a Phrase 4: Classical Perspectives 5: Christianity and Chivalry 6: Fair Play in Pre-industrial Britain: Law, Politics, Religion and Class 7: Fair Play - The Popular Strand 8: The Rise of the Gentleman 9: The Realm Beyond England 10: The Great Appropriation 11: The Expanding Circle 12: The Wider World 13: Fair Play in the 20th Century and Beyond 14: Conclusion: Fair Play and the British Appendix 1: Quantifying the Use of 'Fair Play' Appendix 2: Fair Play Quotients for Teams playing 15 or more Matches at World Cup Finals, 1930 to date

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Book SynopsisVery Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, InspiringThe Catholic Reformation: A Very Short Introduction traces the Catholic Reformation from its beginnings in the first half of the sixteenth century, through the years of unrest in Europe, to its global expansion in the Americas, Asia, and Africa, and its continued influence and legacy into the twentieth century. As well as spiritual and religious matters, and how they entwined with the political, James E. Kelly covers the full gamut of experience of what is also known as the Counter-Reformation, particularly its deliberately sensory approach in terms of art, architecture, and music. Combining broad overviews and focused examples, Kelly offers a concise, provocative introduction to a global movement.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.

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Book SynopsisThis is the first fully researched biography of Martin Niemöller (1892-1984). It charts his life from his service in the Imperial German Navy, his work for the Inner Mission and as a Protestant pastor in the Berlin suburb of Dahlem from 1931. Niemöller''s work as a leading figure of the Confessing Church and his contribution to the conflicts over church policy during the Third Reich are analysed and contextualised. Chapters on the post-war period chart Niemöller''s contribution to ecumenism, anti-nuclear pacifism, and his role in rebuilding the West German Protestant Churches.From 1938 to 1945, Martin Niemöller was detained as ''Hitler''s Personal Prisoner'' in Nazi concentration camps. Liberated in April 1945, Niemöller was widely hailed as an icon of Christian resistance against the Nazi dictatorship. For many years, the Niemöller legend masked the problematic aspects of his life: his persistent antisemitism, on display even in the post-war period; his nationalism and support of the German war effort even whilst in concentration camp detention; and his disdain for parliamentary democracy. In his biography of the most important twentieth-century German Protestant, Benjamin Ziemann uncovers the ''historical'' Niemöller behind the legend of the resistance hero. Carefully situating Niemöller''s personal trajectory in his wider social milieu -- from the Imperial Navy to the West German peace movement -- Ziemann probes into core themes of twentieth century German history: militarism, National Socialism, German guilt, and moral reconstruction post-1945.Trade ReviewZiemann has written the definitive biography of Martin Niemöller. He replaces the post-war image of an iconic figure of resistance to Nazism with a compelling, far less flattering, interpretation. This emphasises the fervently held form of nationalist Protestantism, cultural antisemitism and rejection of liberal democracy that provided consistency to the seeming contradictions in Niemöller's thought and actions until well after 1945. * Ian Kershaw, Author of Personality and Power: Builders and Destroyers of Modern Europe *This book is a brilliant reexamination of one of the most obdurate of sacred cows, the myth of Martin Niemöller. Ziemann has done prodigious work in pushing past the postwar narrative so carefully curated by Niemöller's circle of confidants, to do what historians are supposed to do: get to the truth. By deploying a fact-driven methodology concerned with scrutinizing old truth-claims, Ziemann delivers the kind of probing reevaluation of Niemöller that we have waited literally decades to read. * Richard Steigmann-Gall, Author of The Holy Reich: Nazi Conceptions of Christianity, 1919-1945 *

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Book SynopsisSick Note is a history of how the British state asked, 'who is really sick?' Tracing medical certification for absence from work from 1948 to 2010, Gareth Millward shows how the sick note has survived in practice and in the popular imagination - just like the welfare state itself.Trade ReviewBetween the book's deft and attractive opening and its fine conclusion there is much to enjoy. * Druin Burch, Times Literary Supplement *Fascinating * BBC History Magazine *Table of Contents1: Introduction 2: The 'birth' of the sick note 3: Absenteeism and postwar rebuilding 4: Chauvinists and breadwinners in the 'classic welfare state' 5: Privatization? The sick note into the 1980s 6: Chronicity and capacity towards the new millennium 7: The 'death' of the sick note? 8: Conclusion

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Book SynopsisIn early 1618, Anne Cecil (nee Lake), Lady Roos, accused Frances Cecil, countess of Exeter, of having committed adultery and incest with her husband, the countess''s step grandson, William Cecil, Lord Roos. The countess had attempted to poison her twice, first with a poisoned enema, and later with a poisoned syrup of roses. With the help of the countess, Lord Roos secretively fled England for Catholic Italy, leaving his wife and family behind. Now, the murderous countess was again planning to poison Lady Roos, and perhaps also her father, Sir Thomas Lake, the king''s Secretary of State. The countess vehemently denied these sensational charges, fell on her knees before the king, and asked for justice and restoration of her damaged honour. The accusations and the countess''s defence quickly became a public scandal. The king and council investigated and ordered the matter be solved in the Court of Star Chamber. The Lake and Cecil families promptly sued and counter-sued each other for slanTable of ContentsList of Illustrations List of Abbreviations Notes on Dates and Spelling List of Persons Prologue 1: Meet the Families 2: Wedded to Trouble 3: The Riot at Cannons 4: Leaving England 5: Tangled Estates 6: The Tales of the Summer of (Dis)Content 7: The Scandal Breaks 8: Interlude: Lord Roos's End 9: To the Court of Star Chamber 10: The Political Seesaw 11: Trial and Verdict 12: Fallout 13: Submissions and Restoration 14: Aftermath Epilogue Appendix: Lake Family Tree Cecil Family Tree Notes Bibliography Picture Credits Index

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Book SynopsisThe First World War did not end in Central Europe in November 1918. The armistices marked the creation of the Second Polish Republic and the first shot of the Central European Civil War which raged from 1918 to 1921. The fallen German, Russian, and Austrian Empires left in their wake lands with peoples of mixed nationalities and ethnicities. These lands soon became battle grounds and the ethno-political violence that ensued forced those living within them to decide on their national identity. Civil War in Central Europe seeks to challenge previous notions that such conflicts which occurred between the First and Second World Wars were isolated incidents and argues that they should be considered as part of a European war; a war which transformed Poland into a nation.Trade Review...[T]he book is definitely very important and valuable: it shows the formation of the Polish state in a new light that undermines traditional nationalist historiography and popular ideas...The book allows us to go beyond nationalist conventional wisdom. * Krzysztof Jaskulowski, SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Nationalities Papers *[an] intriguing and thought-provoking study ... There is no doubt that this book will find a well-deserved place in the growing body of historical works on East and Central Europe. It challenges the nationally oriented narrative of nation-making, and offers a fresh perspective, which invites us to rethink the role of violence in the creation of nation-states in the post-imperial era. * Tomas Balkelis, Lithuanian Historical Studies *The author regarded it as crucial not to look for new facts, but to find a balance between the facts already presented and to consolidate them. He did it brilliantly. Thanks to the author, the reader is presented with a synthesis of secondary literature, and thus also by a holistic historical narrative, which was hitherto lacking ... The book serves as a signpost, providing the necessary historiographic overview ... By means of source diversity the author is able to sketch a hitherto unpresented picture of violent excesses. The book is written very legibly, which will certainly be welcomed by both the lay and professional public ... The study helps to understand the interbellum and subsequent crimes of the Second World War, the origin of which is often found in the wrongs of the violent period following the First World War. * Jan Kutílek, Slovanský p%rehled [translated] *The last chapter finally deals with "Violence and Crimes Beyond the Battlefields", with Böhler also relying on archive finds and diaries ... In this chapter, Böhler focuses on the regional level, where political goals were often of secondary importance. In the countryside, small paramilitary groups were masters of life and death. As reports from the high command and local authorities show, in 1919 and 1920, crime, corruption and banditry were the order of the day. Pogroms against Jews were particularly perpetrated by soldiers, led by officers with little experience and close ties to the national democracy. With the successful formation of the state, the violence subsided ... Böhler has succeeded in shedding more light on a dark chapter in Polish history. * Detlev Brandes, Historische Zeitschrift [translated] *This book contributes not just to rising scholarship on European paramilitary violence at the war's end, but to wider areas, such as the social history of warfare in twentieth-century Europe, nationalism and "national indifference," border studies, and transnational history, in addition to the interwar history of Poland and Central and Eastern Europe. * Peter Polak-Springer, Qatar University, Journal of Modern History *Böhler's work successfully challenges both established and mythical narratives of Polish nation-building, revealing the contingent and violent nature of Poland's struggle for land and loyalty after World War I. * Brendan Karch, Louisiana State University, Central European History *Jochen Böhler's book is, without a doubt, important. Any scholar of twentieth-century European history will find it worth reading, and particularly useful when considering the question of the reconstruction and re-emergence of Central European nation-states after the Great War. * Pawel Markiewicz, Slavonic and East European Review *According to Böhler, "self-determination" was an unsuitable recipe for structuring a multi-ethnic region. This becomes particularly clear in his fourth chapter "Violence and Crimes Beyond the Battlefields", in which Böhler draws a panorama where anti-Semitic pogroms, skirmishes, violent oppression of the rural population and death blend into each other. Hunger, disease and other hardships plagued the country. [...] Böhler has presented a differentiated description of these violence scenarios, largely reconstructed on the base of a variety of sources. * Jost Dulffer, editor of Peace, War and Gender from Antiquity to the Present. Cross-cultural Perspectives *Table of ContentsList of Illustrations and Maps Introduction 1: Nations, States, and Conflicts in Central Europe 2: How to Mobilize the Polish Nation 3: The Central European Civil War 4: Violence and Crimes Beyond the Battlefields Conclusion Epilogue

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