History Books

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Book SynopsisTable of ContentsSeries Editor's Foreword Acknowledgments Introductions 1. Urban Spectatorship 2. Contested Terrain: New Social Actors 3. "The Maiden Tribute of Modern Babylon" 4. "The Maiden Tribute": Cultural Consequences 5. The Men and Women's Club 6. Science and the Seance: Transgressions of Gender and Genre 7. Jack the Ripper Epilogue: The Yorkshire Ripper Notes Selected Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisWhen first published in 1970, Stations of the Lost won the C. Wright Mills Award for Best Book in the Area of Social Problems. The study considers the Skid Row alcoholic from two points of view, that of the alcoholic himself and that of the agents of social control who treat him. A major discovery of Wiseman's research was that Skid Row men spend only about one third of the year on Skid Row. The rest of the time is spent making the loopgoing from Skid Row to city jail, to county jail, to the state mental hospital, to the missions, and back to Skid Row. While these facilities are designed to handle or rehabilitate Skid Row men, they are actually used by these men as a means of survival.

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Book SynopsisAn innovative analysis of the role of the Church in the political disputes of Queen Anne's reignTrade ReviewRender Unto Caesar is a remarkable study of the religious politics of the reign of Queen Anne, rooted in a profound knowledge of manuscript sources. Barry Levis has revealed how central the Church was to the period of 'the rage of Party'. It is further evidence that the Church was a source of passionate controversy in the early eighteenth century. William Gibson, Professor of Ecclesiastical History, Oxford Brookes University. Using an impressive range of archival and printed sources, Levis details the high politics of ecclesiastical policy politics in the early eighteenth century. Render Unto Caesar offers a reliable guide to the complex debates about the relationship between church and state in post-revolutionary England. Brian Cowan, Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair in Early Modern British History, McGill University'. R.B. Levis grounds this first deep-dive regnal analytical narrative of Queen Anne's struggle to rule with moderation in a thorough exploitation of the extant sources, making especially effective use of the surviving fragments of the diary and correspondence of Anne's figurative confessor, the embattled Anglican moderate John Sharp, Archbishop of York. The result is a definitive study of Church-State politics for Anne's reign for our times and, one anticipates, for many years to come. R.O. Bucholz, Professor of History, Loyola University ChicagoTable of ContentsList of Illustrations Introduction 1. Prologue, 1698-1702 2. The Tory Ascendancy, 1702-4 3. The Shifting Balance of Power, 1705-6 4. Strife in the North: A Case Study of Local Ecclesiastical Politics 5. The Whig Supremacy, 1706-9 6. The Sacheverell Trial, 1709-10 7. The Return of the Tories, 1710-14 8. Epilogue Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisAn exploration into how the Orthodox Church adapted to survive and flourish under Ottoman rule.

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Book SynopsisPenal Servitude is the first comprehensive study of the convict prison system that housed all those who were sentenced to penal servitude between 1853 and 1948, detailing the administration and evolution of the system, its creation, the building of the prison estate, and the experiences of prisoners and staff within it.Trade Review“There is no other comprehensive study of the convict prison system in England and Wales during this period. Helen Johnston, Barry Godfrey, and David Cox have played a leading role in linking government records with other primary sources to understand a system as a whole, and they put this approach to good use here. Penal Servitude makes a major contribution to the field and is sure to become the standard work on the subject.” Neil Davie, Université Lumière, Lyon, and author of The Penitentiary Ten: The Transformation of the English Prison, 1770–1850"This ambitious work aims to explain the origins, design and evolution of the convict prison system, how it worked and how it was experienced by the incarcerated. In this, it blends institutional and social history." Family & Community History“Penal Servitude is the first book-length treatment of the penal servitude sanction [that] foregrounds convicts’ lives and the creation of ‘whole-life’ histories. Drawing on innovative archival approaches to tell the story from above and below … the authors take pains to lay bare the nature of penal shift and its evolution through the years of the convict system, demonstrating the messiness and contingency inherent in its existence.” Labour / Le Travail

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Book SynopsisLongtemps considérée comme une rébellion mineure, la tentative de révolution de 1837 a en réalité secoué l'ensemble de l'Amérique du Nord, menaçant de renvoyer le pouvoir britannique hors du continent, mais également d'inaugurer une expérience républicaine différente. La révolution a échoué, mais les idées qu'elle a véhiculées - tant progressistes qu'élitistes - résonnent encore aujourd'hui.L'auteur se penche sur les réseaux des patriotes canadiens en exil aux États-Unis en s'appuyant sur des sources canadiennes et étasuniennes. En sollicitant le soutien de leurs frères au sud de la frontière, les rebelles ont poussé les autorités des États-Unis à coopérer activement avec l'Empire britannique, dans un dénigrement surprenant de leurs racines révolutionnaires et antibritanniques. Initialement favorables à l'annexion des Canadas aux États-Unis, les patriotes ont dû repenser leur avenir en dehors d'une république qui affichait ses faiblesses. Ils ont envisagé de fonder leur propTrade Review«Écrit dans une langue agile et élégante, l’ouvrage ne peut que stimuler les débats sur les Rébellions et devenir un incontournable de l’historiographie nord-américaine pour comprendre cette période phare. Le jury souhaite féliciter chaleureusement Julien Mauduit pour son livre remarquable qui atteint tous les objectifs du prix de l’Assemblée nationale en renouvelant et en élargissant notre compréhension des Rébellions et ce, de manière accessible, pour combler tant un lectorat d’universitaires que de passionnés d’histoire politique.» Le jury du Prix de l’Assemblée nationale du Québec

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Book SynopsisWhen strange signs appeared in the sky over Québec in 1660, people grew worried about the arrival of evil forces. Barbe Hallay, a teenaged servant, started to act as if possessed, and a miller accused of using dark arts to torment her was executed. Mairi Cowan explores this case of demonic infestation to understand the everyday experiences and deep anxieties of people in New France.Trade Review“This outstanding account of how colonization, demonology, martyrology, and hagiography became intertwined in New France is both fascinating and instructive, providing a textured view of the beliefs and life conditions of Europeans and Indigenous people. In skilfully presenting arresting or amusing material without fanfare, Mairi Cowan takes readers on an emotional as well as an intellectual journey. Most historians cannot achieve this. The Possession of Barbe Hallay is a refreshing and engaging read.” Sarah Ferber, University of Wollongong and author of Demonic Possession and Exorcism in Early Modern France“The Possession of Barbe Hallay is structured around five concise chapters, which mirror the stages of the subject’s life. Only a small portion of this woman’s fifty-year life was affected by demonic possession, which is presented here with integrity, reverence, and page-turning vigour.” Literary Review of Canada

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Book SynopsisFirst paperback edition of the illustrated reference to the identity, kinships, locations, populations and cultural characteristics of some 400 separately identifiable peoples native to the north American continent.

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Book SynopsisOffering a fresh history centred on the reactions and experiences of ordinary readers and writers, Lyons deals with key turning points that occurred throughout the centuries, such as the invention of the codex, the transition from scribal to print culture, the reading revolution and the industrialisation of the book.

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Book SynopsisConsiders the misappropriation of African American popular culture through various genres, largely Hip Hop, to argue that while such cultural creations have the potential to be healing agents, they are still exploited -often with the complicity of African Americans- for commercial purposes and to maintain white ruling class hegemony.Trade Review“Soul Thieves is a collection of essays that critically weighs the consequences of appropriating black culture. … The volume has broad appeal and informs academics how black material culture is conversant with many of the same discourses as conventional historical narratives. … Soul Thieves is a welcomed addition to interdisciplinary fields, African American studies in particular.” (Kameelah L. Martin, Journal of American Culture, Vol. 102 (3), December, 2015)"This ground breaking interdisciplinary publication is long overdue and offers deep insight into the efficacy of African American popular culture and it's critical impact on shaping artistic cultural production on a global scale. The contributors, leading scholars in their respective research areas, set the record straight through their thought provoking and accessible historical research." - Melanye White Dixon, Associate Professor, Department of Dance, The Ohio State University, USATable of ContentsPreface; Tamara Brown PART I: ENTERTAINMENT AND FASHION 1. 'So You Think You Can Dance'; Tamara Brown 2. 'Foraging Fashion'; Abena Lewis-Mhoon 3. 'In the Eye of the Beholder: Definitions of Beauty in Popular Black Magazines'; Kimberly Brown PART II: BLACK POWER STUDIES 4. 'Neutering the Black Power Movement: The Hijacking of Protest Symbolism'; James B. Stewart 5. 'Silent Protest: The Appropriation of Black Athletic Power'; Jamal Ratchford 6. Black Comic Book Characters; David T. Terry PART III: MUSIC AND TECHNOLOGY 7. Soul Thieves: White America and the Appropriation of Hip Hop and Black Culture; Baruti Kopano 8. I'm Hip: An Exploration of Rap Music's Creative Guise; Kawachi Clemmons 9. 'Cash Rules Everything Around Me! Appropriation, Commodification and the Politics of Hip Hop and Contemporary Protest Music'; Diarra Osei Robinson 10. 'The Appropriation of Blackness in Ego Trip's The (White) Rapper Show'; Carlos D. Morrison and Ronald L. Jackson, Jr.

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Book SynopsisBarbara Watson Andaya is Professor of Asian Studies at the University of Hawai'i, USA.Leonard Y. Andaya is Professor of Southeast Asian History at the University of Hawai'i, USA.Trade ReviewFor many years the authoritative resource for students and the general reader, this third edition brings the Malaysia narrative right up to the present, and reviews the entire history of this extraordinary country in the light of recent research. The Andayas show that historical knowledge is absolutely essential to understand the dynamics of Malaysia today. * Anthony Milner, Australian National University, Australia *The history of Malaysia was a fine example of objective scholarship about the country's multifaceted development when it was first published over 30 years ago. The new edition brings that tangled story up to the present, confirming how truly remarkable the Andayas' achievement has been. * Wang Gungwu, National University of Singapore, Singapore *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Preface to the Third Edition Note on Spelling Abbreviations Maps Introduction: The Environment and Peoples of Malaysia 1. The Heritage of the Past 2. Melaka's Legacy in a Changing Malay World, 1400-1699 3. The Demise of the Malay Entrepôt State, 1699-1819 4. 'A New World is Created', 1819-74 5. The Making of 'British' Malaya, 1874-1919 6. The Functioning of a Colonial Society, 1900-1941 7. Negotiating a New Nation, 1942-1969 8. Restructuring Malaysia, 1969-1999 9. Malaysia at a Cross-Roads, 1999-2015 Conclusion Notes Further Reading Glossary Index.

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Book SynopsisThe text provides an introduction to the intricate web of contemporary Chinese politics - and China's changing place in the global system. It discusses China and democracy, human rights issues, and the move to integrate China into the international economy.Trade ReviewReading this excellent work by Andrew Nathan on the potential for a Chinese transition to democracy compels one to probe one's own unexamined presuppositions and unconscious cultural prejudices. -- Edward Friedman, University of Wisconsin-Madison Philosophy East & West Such rich, thoughtful, and rigorous analysis makes China's Transition an important book in the study of contemporary Chinese politics. It represents a remarkable methodological achievement that should be the envy of all students of Chinese politics. -- Minxin Pei, Princeton University Political Science Quarterly [A] deeply perceptive and eloquent collection of essays... What distinguishes Nathan's approach is that he takes up the political question of how to negotiate with Beijing about human rights. New York Review of Books Glitters with refreshing analyses on a wide range of literary, political, and ideological issues in recent PRC history... Packed with great insights and excellent analyses, it should be considered indispensable reading for any serious student of contemporary Chinese politics. Journal of Oriental StudiesTable of Contents1. China Bites Back 2. A History of Cruelty 3. Mao and His Court 4. Maoist Institutions and Post-Mao Reform 5. Chinese Democracy: The Lessons of Failure 6. The Democratic Vision 7. The Decision for Reform in Taiwan 8. Electing Taiwan's Legislature (written with with Helena V.S. Ho) 9. The Struggle for Hong Kong's Future 10. Is Chinese Culture Distinctive? 11. Cultural Requisites for Democracy in China (written with Tianjian Shi) 12. Left and Right in Deng's China (written with Tianjian Shi) 13. The Place of Values in Cross-Cultural Studies 14. The Chinese Volcano 15. The Constitutionalist Option 16. Human Rights and American China Policy

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Book SynopsisA disturbing account of the Vichy period, demonstrating how in the interests of stability, French national feeling favored collboration with the German-controlled regime.Trade ReviewTells us as much of the truth about Vichy as we are likely to have for a long time... Paxton answers all the basic questions... in an even tone, with a vigorous style, allowing the devastating documents... to speak for themselves. New York Times Book Review

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Book SynopsisThough the “two Wests,” Europe and the United States, differ in crucial respects, they share a common history of social rights. In Democracy and the Welfare State, leading historians and social scientists rethink this history in light of global transformations of the economic order and the onslaught of neoliberalism and right-wing populism.Trade ReviewLinking questions of democracy to those of social provision through the generative concept of the "Two Wests," Kessler-Harris, Vaudagna, and their contributors offer a primer on the crisis of the welfare state, the grip of austerity politics, and the rise of right-wing nationalism that mark our times. An important contribution! -- Eileen Boris, University of California, Santa BarbaraTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction: The Uneasy Promise of the Welfare State, by Alice Kessler-Harris 1. Historians Interpret the Welfare State, 1975-1995, by Maurizio Vaudagna Part I. Democracy and the Welfare State in Europe and the United States 2. Reconciling European Integration and the National Welfare State: A Neo-Weberian Perspective, by Maurizio Ferrera 3. Democracy After the Welfare State: An Interview, by Ira Katznelson Part II. Varieties of Retrenchment 4. Privatization and Self-Responsibility: Patterns of Welfare-State Development in Europe and the United States Since the 1990s, by Christian Lammert 5. Paradise Lost? Social Citizenship in Norway and Sweden, by Gro Hagemann 6. Social Citizenship in the U.S. Affordable Care Act, by Beatrix Hoffman 7. In the Shadow of Employment Precarity: Informal Protection and Risk Transfers in Low-End Temporary Staffing, by Sebastien Chauvin 8. From the Welfare State to the Carceral State: Whither Social Reproduction?, by Mimi Abramovitz Part III. Gender, the Family, and Social Provision 9. Family Matters: Social Policy, an Overlooked Constraint on the Development of European Citizenship, by Chiara Saraceno 10. Transforming Gendered Labor Policies in Sweden and the United States, 1960s-2000s, by Ann Shola Orloff 11. Breadwinner Liberalism and Its Discontents in the American Welfare State, by Robert O. Self Part IV. Possibilities of Resistance 12. Nationalism's Challenge to European Citizenship, Democracy, and Equality: Potential for Resistance from Transnational Civil Society, by Birte Siim 13. Poor-People Power: The State, Social Provision, and American Experiments in Democratic Engagement, by Marisa Chappell 14. Grassroots Challenges to Capitalism: An Interview, by Frances Fox Piven Selected Bibliography Contributors Index

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Book SynopsisThis book is the authoritative account of the place that would become Central Park. From the first Dutch family to settle on the land through the political crusade to create America’s first major urban park, Sara Cedar Miller chronicles two and a half centuries of history.Trade ReviewCentral Park is the most important and influential urban public space in the world. But what did its 843 acres look like before Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux performed their magic? Sara Cedar Miller has given us the answer and so much more. The illustrations are beautiful, the prose rolling and imaginative, the research thorough, and the result, splendiferous. -- Kenneth T. Jackson, editor in chief of The Encyclopedia of New York CityWandering through the green heart of the city, Central Park, who hasn’t wondered: What have these rocks seen? What do the trees know? Who came before? Thank goodness for the charming, curious, careful historian, Sara Cedar Miller, who labored thirty years to bring us their surprising stories. Highly recommended. -- Eric W. Sanderson, author of Mannahatta: A Natural History of New York CityA stunning display of historical sleuthing. Brilliantly researched and superbly illustrated, Sara Cedar Miller’s book unravels the story of the 843 acres that became Central Park. Anyone interested in New York City’s past will find Before Central Park indispensable. -- Shane White, author of Prince of Darkness: The Untold Story of Jeremiah G. Hamilton, Wall Street’s First Black MillionaireSara Cedar Miller sets out to tell the landscape history of Central Park that often goes untold. She expertly uses the historical record to analyze the cultural processes responsible for shaping the landscape prior to the construction of the park. In doing so, she unearths the layers of the landscape to highlight the cultural attitudes embedded in the landscape. -- Phil Birge-Liberman, University of ConnecticutBefore Central Park is distinctive in its combination of Miller’s photography, her expert understanding of the park’s geography and archeology, and her meticulous real estate history of parkland from the 17th through the 19th centuries...an invaluable resource. -- Kara Murphy Schlichting * The Gotham Center for New York City History *Miller masterfully combines historical photographs, sketches, plans, designs, and contemporary images to create a rich tapestry. * Journal of Urban Affairs *Table of ContentsPrefaceIntroductionPart I: Topography1. The First Settlers, 1625–16642. Along the Kingsbridge Road, 1683–18453. The Other Bensons, 1754–18464. The War at McGowan’s Pass, 1776–17845. Valentine Nutter, 1760–18146. The War of 1812Part II: Real Estate7. Dividing Bloomingdale, 1667–1790s8. Dividing Bloomingdale, 1790–18249. Dividing Bloomingdale, Seneca Village: The Residents, 1825–185710. Dividing Bloomingdale, Seneca Village: The Black Leaders, 1825–185711. Dividing Harlem, 1825–184312. Dividing Yorkville, 1785–183513. The Receiving Reservoir, 1835–184214. A Changing Land, 1845–1853Part III: The Idea of a Park15. The Battle of the Parks, 1844–185216. Becoming Central Park, 1853–185617. The First Commission, 1855–185718. Designing Central Park, 1857–185819. Extending the Park, 1859–1863EpilogueAfterword by Elizabeth W. Smith, President and CEO of the Central Park ConservancyAcknowledgmentsNotesSelected BibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisWho are the millions of people marching against the Trump administration? American Resistance traces activists from the streets back to the communities and congressional districts around the country where they live, work, and vote. Using innovative data, Dana R. Fisher analyzes how resistance groups have channeled outrage into activism.Trade ReviewAmerican Resistance is an important book, not only as a portrait of our moment but also as a challenge to traditional understandings of protest politics. Dana R. Fisher shows how wrong it is—especially in the Trump era—to draw sharp lines between protest and electoral action. She details what drove millions to come out in revolt against Trump, explains who they are, and demonstrates how the early marches translated into the unprecedented political engagement of 2018. There are lessons here for 2020 and beyond. -- E. J. Dionne, Jr., coauthor of One Nation After Trump: A Guide for the Perplexed, the Disillusioned, the Desperate, and the Not-Yet DeportedAmerican Resistance charts the course of the anti-Trump surge in activism and organizing, shedding light on crucial realities and busting myths along the way. This is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the people-powered movements that are changing American politics in the Trump era. -- Leah Greenberg, co-executive director, IndivisibleAfter the shocking 2016 election, millions of Americans took to streets and meeting halls to fight President Trump’s agenda and revitalize U.S. democracy. Using interviews with the leaders of national political groups and surveys of thousands of participants in D.C. protest marches, Dana R. Fisher offers a window into their passionate, loosely coordinated efforts to boost 2018 Democratic fortunes in Congress and the states while proclaiming a very un-Trumpian vision for the country’s future. -- Theda Skocpol, director, Scholars Strategy Network, and Victor S. Thomas Professor of Government and Sociology, Harvard UniversityExactly what happened between the 2016 election of Donald Trump and the 2018 takeover of the House of Representatives by Democrats, and how did it happen? While conventional wisdom lazily suggested a pendulum swing, Dana R. Fisher, using survey data of participants in the two-year-long Resistance, gets under the skin of this movement to help us understand how it initially came together and then was able to sustain itself through the 2018 elections. More than just a fascinating piece of sociological research, Fisher's study will be a valuable resource for movement activists, helping them better understand the inner dynamics of their organizing work. -- James Zogby, founder of the Arab American Institute and board member of Our RevolutionTerrific. -- Micah L. Sifry * The New Republic *The comprehensive guide to the Resistance: the backlash to the 2016 elections, the Blue Wave of 2018, and the enthusiasm leading to 2020. -- Ian Silverii * Colorado Politics *The book accomplishes the challenging task of informing a general audience with an interest in social movements while bringing original data and a wealth of political science and sociological research to bear on the study of “the Resistance.” * Perspectives on Politics *American Resistance will appeal to social movement scholars as well as anyone interested in understanding contemporary social change efforts. * Mobilization *Fisher’s work is unapologetically descriptive, drawing from a unique series of surveys of protestors in Washington, DC in 2017 and 2018...The data that resulted from these surveys are the most important contribution of Fisher’s book, as measuring the attitudes of protestors is a fraught business. * Contemporary Sociology *Recommended. * Choice *For anyone concerned about the state of civic engagement, Fisher presents a treasure trove of new evidence, some of it interesting and encouraging * Social Forces *Interestingly, although American Resistance focuses on protests and protesters, the book may be most effective at illustrating how a lot of people are working hard to change society even when—and perhaps especially when—they are not visible in the streets. * American Journal of Sociology *Table of ContentsPrefaceAcknowledgments1. How Did We Get Here?2. Resistance in the Streets3. Organizing the Resistance in the Districts4. Resistance in the Districts5. Looking Back While Marching Forward Methodological AppendixNotesIndex

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Book SynopsisAll the Nations Under Heaven is an unparalleled chronicle of the role of immigrants and migrants in shaping the history and culture of New York City. This updated edition of a classic text brings the story of the immigrant experience up to the present with vital new material on the city’s revival with deeply rooted racial and economic inequalities.Trade Review[A] briskly paced volume. * The Gotham Center for NYC History *A new cohort of students and readers more generally will now be made aware of a classic work, All the Nations Under Heaven, a profoundly humane and exciting panorama of the linked histories of New York City and immigrants. The flow of women and men from around the world has done no less than shape them, the city, the nation, and the world. This book sweeps across time, connecting past and present with scrupulous research, clear thinking, rich detail, and fine writing. -- Hasia Diner, New York UniversityUpdated throughout and extended to the present through the latest scholarship, this enduring classic demonstrates once again how central the growth of immigrant-origin communities has been to the neighborhoods, collective life, politics, and economy of New York City. All the Nations Under Heaven brings to life the great and ongoing saga of immigrants helping a great city to reinvent itself. -- John Mollenkopf, coeditor of Unsettled Americans: Metropolitan Context and Civic Leadership for Immigrant IntegrationAll the Nations Under Heaven reveals the powerful social, political, economic, and religious influence of immigrants on New York City since the colonial era. Expanding on current scholarship, the authors make immigration history and the broader history of New York City accessible for both students and scholars. -- Deborah Dash Moore, author of Jewish New York: The Remarkable Story of a City and a PeopleTable of ContentsPreface1. A Seaport in the Atlantic World: 1624–18202. Becoming a City of the World: 1820–18603. Progress and Poverty: 1861–19004. Slums, Sweatshops, and Reform: 1880–19175. New Times and New Neighborhoods: 1917–19286. Times of Trial: 1929–19457. City of Hope, City of Fear: 1945–19978. Immigrants in a City Reborn: 1980–presentAfterwordAcknowledgmentsNotesIndex

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Book Synopsis“Information” has become a core concept across the disciplines, yet it is still often seen as a unique feature of the Western world or the digital age. Leading experts turn to China’s textual tradition to show the significance of information for reconceptualizing the work of literary history, from its beginnings to the present moment.Trade ReviewThis impressive volume provides a comprehensive and wonderfully detailed account of the mechanisms of textual organization, replication, proliferation, and dissemination from ancient China to the age of the internet. From the zi and graphs to the making of anthologies, encyclopedias, archives, histories, and so on, the authors collectively bring the enduring infrastructure of the literary (wen) to light. -- Lydia H. Liu, author of The Freudian Robot: Digital Media and the Future of the UnconsciousThis is a wonderful and magisterial effort of editing, writing, and thinking—astonishing in the breadth of its coverage and in the depth of its scholarship. Together these essays provide an enormous step forward in our understanding of the ways information, literature, and culture work together to create the landscape of our communicative lives. -- Eric Hayot, author of Humanist Reason: A History. An Argument. A PlanThis extensive collection of first-rate essays is an impressive exploration of the history, range, and significance of Chinese literary production. From the beginnings of the complex Chinese writing system to contemporary methods and forms of textual composition and preservation, contributors present a scholarly tour de force: unmissable reading for anyone interested in one of the world’s most important textual traditions. -- Elaine Treharne, author of Text Technologies: A HistoryLiterary Information in China breaks new ground in Chinese studies. This book is bound to generate new dialogues between Chinese cultural history and linguistics, library science, museum studies, digital humanities, and big data. The collection will become an indispensable reference for scholars of Chinese studies. -- Ning Ma, author of The Age of Silver: The Rise of the Novel East and WestThis compilation richly deserves wide attention; it seems destined to inspire, or perhaps to provoke, a wave of new research using its insights. -- Robert E. Hegel * Journal of Chinese Studies *An ambitious undertaking. It amounts to no less than an attempt to reconstruct Sinology from the ground up. -- Victor H. Mair * Modern Chinese Literature and Culture *An important contribution and recommended to all with an interest in historicizing contemporary politics of information. -- Laura Skouvig * Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology *Table of ContentsA Note to ReadersChronologyForeword by Ann M. BlairIntroduction by Jack W. Chen, Anatoly Detwyler, Xiao Liu, Christopher M. B. Nugent, and Bruce RuskPart I: Information Management at the Level of the WordSection A: Graphs, edited by Christopher M. B. Nugent1. Graphs, by Zev Handel2. Script Reform and Alphabetization, by Yurou Zhong3. Indexing Systems, by Uluğ Kuzuoğlu4. Character Input, by Thomas S. MullaneySection B: Lexicons, edited by Bruce Rusk5. Early Lexicons, by Zev Handel6. Rime Tables, by David Prager Branner7. Later Imperial Lexicons, by Nathan Vedal8. Early Twentieth-Century Dictionaries, by Yue Meng and Xi Chen9. Post-1949 Dictionaries, by Jennifer Altehenger10. App-Based and Online Dictionaries, by Michael LoveSection C: Text and Textual Divisions, edited by Jack W. Chen11. Sentences, Paragraphs, and Sections, by Dirk Meyer and Lisa Indraccolo12. Lines, Couplets, and Stanzas, by Jack W. Chen13. Premodern Punctuation and Layout, by Imre Galambos14. Modern Punctuation and Layout, by John Christopher HammSection D: Commentaries, edited by Bruce Rusk15. Early to Middle Period Classical Commentaries, by Michael Nylan and Bruce Rusk16. Poetry Commentaries, by Michael A. Fuller17. Fiction Commentaries, by Martin W. Huang18. Drama Commentaries, by Yuming He19. Reader’s Guides, by Maria Franca SibauPart II: Information Management at the Level of the DocumentSection A: Anthologies, edited by Jack W. Chen20. Early Anthologies, by Michael Hunter21. Medieval Literary Anthologies, by Xiaofei Tian22. Later Imperial Poetry Anthologies, by Gregory Patterson23. Later Imperial Prose Anthologies, by Timothy Clifford24. Religious Literary Anthologies, by Natasha Heller25. Premodern Fiction and Fiction Collections, by Ling Hon Lam26. Premodern Drama Anthologies, by Ariel Fox27. Modern Literary Anthologies, by Charles A. Laughlin28. Modern Drama Scripts Anthologies, by Tarryn Li-Min Chun29. Textbook Anthologies, by Michael Gibbs HillSection B: Encyclopedias, edited by Christopher M. B. Nugent30. Medieval Encyclopedias, by Christopher M. B. Nugent31. Middle Period Imperial Encyclopedias, by Sarah M. Allen32. Later Imperial Vernacular Encyclopedias, by Cynthia Brokaw33. Qing Dynasty Imperial Encyclopedias, by Stefano Gandolfo34. Twentieth-Century Vernacular Encyclopedias, by Joan Judge35. Online Encyclopedias and Wikis, by Shaohua GuoSection C: Histories, edited by Anatoly Detwyler36. Early Histories, by Griet Vankeerberghen37. Early Medieval Histories, by Zeb Raft38. Dynastic Histories from Tang to Song, by Anna M. Shields39. Late Imperial Histories, by Devin Fitzgerald40. Literary Histories, by Theodore D. HutersPart III: Information Management at the Level of the CollectionSection A: Libraries, Museums, and Archives, edited by Xiao Liu41. Libraries from the Early Period to the Tang, by Michael Nylan42. Libraries from Song to Qing, by Ronald C. Egan43. Late Imperial Literary Archives, by Kaijun Chen44. Modern Libraries, by Jidong Yang45. Modern Literature Museums and Archives, by Kirk A. Denton46. Document Services, by Xiao Liu47. Thematic Research Collections, by Donald SturgeonSection B: Bibliographies and Indices, edited by Bruce Rusk and Xiao Liu48. Early Bibliographies, by Michael Nylan49. Medieval Bibliographies, by Evan Nicoll-Johnson50. Later Imperial Bibliographies, by Stefano Gandolfo51. Twentieth-Century Bibliographies, by Anatoly Detwyler52. Indices and Concordances, by Donald SturgeonSection C: Serial Publications, edited by Anatoly Detwyler and Xiao Liu53. Premodern Literary Collectanea, by Suyoung Son54. Modern Literary Collectanea, by Robert J. Culp55. Literary Newspapers and Tabloids, by Alexander Des Forges56. Literary Journals, by Jianli Li57. Overseas Chinese Newspapers, by Carlos Rojas58. Internet Literature, by Jin FengBibliographyContributorsIndex of People and Select InstitutionsIndex of Documents, Publications, and Electronic Resources

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Book SynopsisThomas Doherty offers a lively and comprehensive cultural history of the media coverage of the abduction of the child of Charles and Anne Lindbergh and its aftermath. He traces how newspapers, radio, and newsreels reported on what was dubbed the crime of the century.Trade ReviewRecommended as a top 5 true crime read for the month of November 2020. * CrimeReads *Little Lindy Is Kidnapped is a spellbinding rollercoaster of a read. It adds significantly to our understanding of how commercial media developed in the United States, exploring the roles of technological change, cultural imperatives, petty rivalries, coincidence, capitalism, and the things we most fear. -- Kathryn Fuller-Seeley, author of Jack Benny and the Golden Age of American Radio ComedyDoherty locates, summarizes, and critiques an impressive array of long-forgotten and fascinating media. His writing style is fluid and almost conversational, making Little Lindy Is Kidnapped both rigorous scholarship and an enjoyable read. Doherty's book teaches us that 'ripped from the headlines' media and twenty-four hour broadcast news started a long time before Law and Order and CNN. -- Michael J. Socolow, author of Six Minutes in Berlin: Broadcast Spectacle and Rowing Gold at the Nazi OlympicsLittle Lindy Is Kidnapped takes the famous baby’s abduction as a case study in the reach of journalism, radio, and newsreels in the mid-twentieth century. In genial, erudite prose, Doherty explains the mechanics of contemporary news production and dissemination and reveals how this heartbreaking affair reached the American public. In doing so, he highlights the work of beat reporters, pressmen, radio broadcasters, and newsreel cameramen that kept the country mesmerized by the police investigation and the trial that followed. Little Lindy Is Kidnapped is a gripping account of the story behind the story. -- Mikita Brottman, author of An Unexplained Death: The True Story of a Body at the BelvedereLindbergh kidnapping buffs, media scholars, and those interested in media history will be intrigued. * Library Journal *With scrupulous research and thrilling insight, Little Lindy Is Kidnapped reveals that the news coverage surrounding the kidnapping of Little Lindy is just as historically significant as the crime itself. * Los Angeles Review of Books *A well-researched and readable book that provides a good overview of how media covered and presented the kidnapping and the trial. * Criminal Law and Criminal Justice Books *Think there’s nothing more to be said about the Lindbergh case? Think again, and read this book. * Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine *This book should command the attention of a variety of interested readers, particularly scholars of New Jersey history, media history, and the never dull Lindbergh saga. * New Jersey Studies *Table of ContentsA Prefatory NotePrologue: The Sky God1. The Crime of the Century2. A Story That Penetrated the Thickest Skin3. A Medium of Audible Journalism4. Nobody Ever Walked Out on a Newsreel5. Get the Lindbergh Killers!6. Hollywood and the Lindbergh Kidnapping7. The Greatest Murder Trial the World Has Ever Known8. Into the Ether9. The Eye and Ear of Millions10. The Verdict11. Death WatchEpilogue: The Legacies of the Crime of the CenturyThanks and AcknowledgmentsNotesIndex

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Book SynopsisIn Chronos, a leading French historian ranges from Western antiquity to the Anthropocene, pinpointing the crucial turning points in our relationship to time. François Hartog considers the genealogy of Western temporalities, examining the order of times and the divisions of time into epochs.Trade ReviewWith characteristic elegance, wit, and erudition, Hartog, the master thinker of historical time, offers a panoramic view of the past to show how a temporal order (re)fashioned by Christianity endures to this day and shapes our crisis-ridden sense of the present. This is a longue-durée perspective on the Anthropocene that only someone with Hartog's learning and brilliance could have provided. An indispensable guide to the present. -- Dipesh Chakrabarty, author of Provincializing Europe: Postcolonial Thought and Historical DifferenceChronos is a magisterial book, breathtaking in scope and precision. I cannot think of another historian who could have written this book in this way. François Hartog uniquely possesses the intellectual expertise and range to lead the reader through a sweeping history of the concept of time in the “West,” beginning with the Greeks in antiquity and ending with our current periodization of the Anthropocene. It is an important work on one of the most pressing topics of our day. -- Ethan Kleinberg, author of Haunting History: For a Deconstructive Approach to the PastThis book, masterfully translated by S. R. Gilbert, will undoubtedly become a classic. A Christian “revolution in time” led from Greek Chronos, to Augustine’s self, to modern change, and to the Anthropocene. Beautifully written, this is a book for everyone who wants to know why our time is what it is. -- Nitzan Lebovic, Apter Chair of Holocaust Studies and Ethical Values, Lehigh UniversityIn this brilliant, original, and profound book, François Hartog takes further his critical analyses of the sources and legacies of modern Western assumptions about time. He brings to light their urgent relevance to us today as we face challenges such as climate change, the Anthropocene, and potential global geopolitical catastrophe. -- Sir Geoffrey Lloyd, University of CambridgeMagisterial yet accessible, Chronos can make the rare claim to encompass all of recorded time in a relatively slim [book]. * New York Sun *Hartog's book offers necessary elucidation of how Westerners’ relationships with time brought us to this current moment. * Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute *For those seeking insight into past conceptions of time or questioning how we arrived at our current presentist temporality, Chronos serves as a clear and concise starting point. * H-Sci-Med-Tech, H-Net Reviews *Hartog is a superbly gifted writer who wears his learning lightly and without recourse to jargon, and translator S .R. Gilbert has served his author’s conversational style well in rendering it into eloquent English. . . . An enjoyable tour and a welcome synthesis of current thought on the human experience of temporality. * The Philosopher *Table of ContentsTo Readers of the English EditionPreface: The Undeducible PresentIntroduction: From the Greeks to the Christians1. The Christian Regime of Historicity: Chronos Between Kairos and Krisis2. The Christian Order of Time and Its Spread3. Negotiating with Chronos4. Dissonance and Fissures5. In the Thrall of Chronos6. Chronos Destituted, Chronos RestoredConclusion: The Anthropocene and HistoryNotesIndex

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisA compact and graphic account of the long-running global drama: The Cold War.Table of ContentsA Failed Peace • The Iron Curtain • The Truman Doctrine, Marshall Plan, NATO • The Berlin Airlift • China and De-Colonization • McCarthyism • Korea: The Cold War Becomes a Military Struggle • Why The War Never Became Hot: The Bomb • Explosions in Europe: Poland & the GDR Uprising • Explosions in Europe: The Hungarian Uprising • Secret Services: East • Secret Services: West • Missiles, Sputnik, and the H-Bomb • Cuba: Bay of Pigs • The Berlin Wall • Cuban Missile Crisis • Vietnam • The Prague Spring • Detente: The Peak of Soviet Power • Afghanistan • Dissidents • Poland • President Reagan's Offensive • Living with the Bomb • Gorbachev: A Man to Do Business With • The Wall Comes Down • Revolutions in Eastern Europe • Fall of the Soviet Union.

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Book SynopsisAn examination of world history, told through 50 key documents. Table of ContentsCode of Hammurabi • Tutankhamun wishing cup • I Ching • Mahabharata • Homer's Odyssey • Greek ostraka • Rosetta Stone • Dead Sea Scrolls • Res Gestae • Koran • Book of Kells • Magna Carta • Da Vinci notebooks • Treaty of Tordesillas • Codex Mendoza • Copernicus, On the Revolution of the Heavenly Spheres • Shakespeare First Folio • Treaty of Westphalia • Declaration of Independence • Tennis Court Oath • Wollstonecraft, Vindication of the Rights of Women • Beethoven's Fifth Symphony • Key, 'O Say Can You See' • Napoleon 1 March 1815 proclamation • Brunel letter on propulsion • Communist Manifesto • Soccer Rules • Darwin, On the Origin of Species • Gettysburg Address • British North America Act • Congress of Berlin • New Zealand Suffrage Petition • Wright brothers telegram • Tubb Gallipoli diary • Einstein, General Relativity paper • Wilson, Fourteen Points • Coco Chanel sketch • Anne Frank diary • Einstein, Manhattan Project latter • D-Day map • Churchill-Stalin 'percentages' paper • UN Charter • 'A Structure for DNA' • Treaty of Rome • Beatles itinerary • Mandela courtroom speech • Tickets to Woodstock 1969 • Apollo 11 report • Tim Berners-Lee Web memo • Map of the universe.

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Book SynopsisKing of Britain for sixty years and the last king of what would become the United States, George III inspired both hatred and loyalty and is now best known for two reasons: as a villainous tyrant for America''s Founding Fathers, and for his madness, both of which have been portrayed on stage and screen.In this concise and penetrating biography, Jeremy Black turns away from the image-making and back to the archives, and instead locates George''s life within his age: as a king who faced the loss of key colonies, rebellion in Ireland, insurrection in London, constitutional crisis in Britain and an existential threat from Revolutionary France as part of modern Britain''s longest period of war.Black shows how George III rose to these challenges with fortitude and helped settle parliamentary monarchy as an effective governmental system, eventually becoming the most popular monarch for well over a century. He also shows us a talented and curious individual, committed to musTrade ReviewThis volume forms part of the Penguin Monarchs series, an impressive collection of short biographies written by renowned historians ... Their aim is not simply to summarise, but to offer genuine insights in accessible format. Black's analysis of George III is a welcome addition. [He] ... manages to pepper his trim narrative with lovely frills. The mark of a good short book is its ability to inspire curiosity and further investigation. Black achieves just that. -- Gerard DeGroot * The Times *Black brilliantly demolishes the paranoiac Whig view of George as trying to accrete powers to himself unconstitutionally. The George who emerges is a far more attractive figure than the Whig historians depicted, let alone Thomas Jefferson with his 28 histrionic and inaccurate accusations against George in the Declaration of Independence, and especially Lin-Manuel Miranda's hilarious but profoundly historically incorrect caricature. -- Andrew Roberts * The Critic *

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Book SynopsisThis extraordinary re-creation of the life of a medieval Italian merchant, Francesco di Marco Datini, is one of the greatest historical portraits written in the twentieth century.Drawing on an astonishing cache of letters unearthed centuries after Datini''s death, it reveals to us a shrewd, enterprising, anxious man, as he makes deals, furnishes his sumptuous house, buys silks for his outspoken young wife and broods on his legacy. It is an unequalled source of knowledge about the texture of daily life in the small, earthy, violent, striving world of fourteenth-century Tuscany.''Datini has now probably become most intimately accessible figure of the later Middle Ages ... brilliant and intricate'' The Times''As a picture of Tuscany before the dawn of the Renaissance it is a complement to The Decameron'' Sunday TimesTrade ReviewFrancesco di Marco Datini, the fourteenth-century Tuscan merchant who forms the subject of Origo's brilliant study, has now probably become the most intimately accessible figures of the later Middle Ages ... paints, in brilliant and intricate detail, a picture of Italian domestic life on the eve of the Renaissance * The Times *As a picture of the daily round in Tuscany before the dawn of the Renaissance it is a complement to The Decameron * Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisIn this culmination of five decades of acclaimed studies in presidential history, Doris Kearns Goodwin offers an illuminating exploration of the origin, uncertain growth, and finally, the exercise of fully developed leadership.Are leaders born or made? Where does ambition come from? How does adversity affect the growth of leadership? Does the man make the times or does the times make the man?In Leadership Goodwin draws upon four of the presidents she has studied - Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Lyndon B. Johnson - to show how they first recognized leadership qualities within themselves, and were recognized as leaders by others. By looking back to their first entry into public life, when their paths were filled with confusion, hope, and fear, we can share their struggles and follow their development into leaders.Leadership tells the story of how they all collided with dramatic reversals that disrupted their lives and threatened to forever shatter their ambitions. Nonetheless, they all emerged fitted to confront the contours and dilemmas of their times. No common pattern describes the trajectory of leadership. Although set apart in background, abilities and temperament, they shared a fierce ambition, a hunger to succeed beyond expectations. All four, at their best, were guided by a sense of moral purpose that led them at moments of great challenge to summon their talents to enlarge the opportunities and lives of others.This seminal work provides a roadmap for aspiring and established leaders. In today''s polarized world, these stories of authentic leadership in time of surpassing fracture and fear take on a singular urgency.(Previously published as: ''Leadership: Lessons from the Presidents for Turbulent Times'')Trade ReviewA masterwork on how good leaders become great leaders. A culminating work of a true intellectual artist -- Jim Collins, author Good to Great, co-author Built to LastA marvelous banquet with four leaders whose lives provide lessons for all. Pull up a chair -- Warren BuffettTeam of Rivals was a huge bestseller . . . this book may do even better. It is a safe bet that Leadership will soon sit on the nightstand of every chief executive officer in the land and will be avidly read by the legion of ambitious young people who want their jobs -- Niall Ferguson * Sunday Times *Colourful, fun and illuminating...a master storyteller -- Daniel Finkelstein * The Times *I have not enjoyed a history book as much for years -- Robert Harris, on 'Team of Rivals'What Doris Kearns Goodwin brings to this book -- above all her other attributes -- is a true sense of wisdom. A lifetime of writing important and thought-provoking books means that she has thought deeply on the crucial subject of leadership, and about the way that lessons learned in the political and military spheres might translate into the business and social ones. The profundity of her thought on these issues is evident on every well-researched and well-written page. Superb. -- Professor Andrew Roberts, author, Churchill: Walking with DestinyThis is a wonderful book, which illuminates and entertains. In analysing the leadership qualities of four very different presidents, Doris Kearns Goodwin underlines how these attributes are almost wholly missing from the political equipment of the present incumbent of the Oval Office. -- Sir Christopher Meyer, former British Ambassador to the United StatesBusiness students invariably ask me: 'With what historical figure would you like to have lunch?' Doris Kearns Goodwin has prepared a marvelous banquet with four great presidents who provide lessons for all. Pull up a chair -- Warren BuffettDoris Goodwin is the grand master of presidential biography. Now, in this marvelous synthesis, Goodwin deploys her deep knowledge of four towering individuals-Lincoln, TR, FDR, and LBJ-to create a masterwork on how good leaders become great leaders. She shows how burning personal ambition can be elevated into driving ambition for a cause greater than self, how egotism can be transformed into humility born of crushing setbacks, and how fierce individual resolve can be transferred into collective will to do what must be done. Riveting, uplifting, and incisive, Leadership is a culminating work of a true intellectual artist -- Jim Collins, author Good to Great, co-author Built to LastIt is to Goodwin's credit that she teases out the variety and peculiarities among the four presidents . . . she renders her characters with a depth and intricacy that not all academic historians seek to attain. We can only hope that a few of Goodwin's many readers will find in her subjects' examples a margin of inspiration -- David Greenberg * New York Times *A timely study of what makes a great President . . . Few are better placed to explain the current vacuum, and predict what might fill it, than Doris Kearns Goodwin. The 75-year-old swam with Lyndon Johnson at his ranch, worked with Steven Spielberg on Lincoln and dined with Barack Obama at the White House. It is not, as the title implies, an opportunistic entry into the ever-expanding Trump canon. She began work on it five years ago . . . She considers what lessons they offer for transformational crisis management, turnaround and visionary leadership, but sugars the pill with telling details and funny anecdotes -- David Smith * The Guardian *Pulitzer- and Carnegie Medal-winning historian Goodwin draws on 50 years of scholarship in this strong and resonant addition to the literature of the presidency . . . extremely relevant * Booklist *Remarkable ... comprehensive, human, and engaging, clearly the results of long study. * Publishers Weekly, starred review *An inspiring guide to the very best of human endeavour - a book filled with well-told stories and lessons * Henry Mance, Political correspondent, Financial Times *Pulitzer Prize-winning author Doris Kearns Goodwin demonstrates how leaders are made, not born, as she thoughtfully explores the highs and lows of four U.S. presidents who faced moments of horrific national crisis. Goodwin's clean, assured sentences set the stage as each future president discovers within himself the desire to enter politics, the calamitous blows that knocked each one down, and how they tackled the struggles that tore at the sinews of the country. Most fascinating is Goodwin's revelations about how very differently Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Lyndon B. Johnson approached not only their political careers but how they developed the character traits that helped them see-or make-a path toward a critical response that many others disagreed with. Lincoln's delivery of the Emancipation Proclamation, Theodore Roosevelt's handling of labor strikes, FDR's battle against the Great Depression in his first 100 days, and Johnson's prioritization of civil rights while a nation mourned were actions that could have ripped the country further apart but eventually bound it together and strengthened its democratic foundations. The rare weakness within Leadership: In Turbulent Times is the outlining of specific qualities, such as "Take the measure of the man" and "Set a deadline and drive full-bore to meet it," that are meant to distill leadership wisdom into bullet points, like contemporary business books. Goodwin's strength is in the rich context she provides as she shows that great leaders develop in dissimilar ways but ultimately have a vision they reach for and rely on when times are at their most turbulent. * Adrian Liang, Amazon Book Review (An Amazon.com Best Book of September 2018) *Leadership should help us raise our expectations of our national leaders, our country and ourselves -- Tim Kaine * The Washington Post *She writes easily and attractively; the reader is carried along effortlessly with the narrative sweep of her prose . . . engrossing . . . it is impossible not to admire the skill with which Goodwin tells four absolutely riveting stories -- Alan Ryan * New Statesman *She is the most fluent, most wide-ranging of modern presidential chroniclers . . . compelling. There is much in Leadership that offers lessons, even consolations that apply universally. Kearns Goodwin shows they offer lessons that can be embraced by the businessman, the aspiring politician and the striving individual * The Herald *Riveting . . . Goodwin appraises in illuminating detail -- Hettie OBrien * Prospect Magazine *Full of life and colour * Sunday Times Best Politics Books of 2018 *A fabulously engrossing, exciting narrative in the grand old style ... overflowing with colour and character -- Dominic Sandbrook on 'Team of Rivals'

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Book SynopsisA NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERWINNER OF THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON MEDAL FOR MILITARY HISTORYSHORTLISTED FOR THE GILDER LEHRMAN PRIZE FOR MILITARY HISTORY''A masterpiece. It puts all previous single-volume works of the conflict in the shade'' Saul David, The TimesA bold new approach to the Second World War from one of Britain''s foremost military historiansRichard Overy sets out in Blood and Ruins to recast the way in which we view the Second World War and its origins and aftermath. He argues that this was the ''great imperial war'', a violent end to almost a century of global imperial expansion which reached its peak in the ambitions of Italy, Germany and Japan in the 1930s and early 1940s, before descending into the largest and costliest war in human history and the end, after 1945, of all territorial empires.How war on a huge scale was fought, supplied, paid for, supported by mass mobilization and mTrade ReviewMajestic and original ... Overy has written many fine books, but Blood and Ruins is his masterpiece. At almost 1,000 pages, it puts all previous single-volume works of the conflict in the shade. -- Saul David * The Times *This book is Richard Overy's magnum opus (in every sense of the phrase) ... It would be difficult to overstate the brilliance with which argument and insight are interwoven in a fast-paced narrative ... Extraordinarily compelling, and written with remarkable fluency. -- John Darwin * Times Literary Supplement *Monumental... [A] vast and detailed study that is surely the finest single-volume history of World War Two. * Wall Street Journal *This is a magnificent book that reflects the deep scholarship and humane judgment of a magisterial historian. * The Economist *Let's praise Overy's stupendous achievement. Anybody interested in the why and how of boundless violence in the 20th century should make space for Blood and Ruins on his or her shelf. It will help you to grasp and revisit the carnage of 1931-45 as the largest event in human history. This book is not Eurocentric, but truly geocentric ... it is history at its best. -- Josef Joffe * New York Times *Richard Overy has produced one of the most stunning accounts of the Second World War and the events that led up to it. -- Simon Heffer * Daily Telegraph Books of the Year 2021 *A magisterial new history ... remarkable in span, depth and scholarship, impressive in sweep and vision, that rightly sees WW2 as starting in China in 1931 and recasts the conflict as a distorted sequel to an earlier epoch. -- Simon Sebag Montefiore * Aspects of History *A truly global view of World War II ... perhaps the single most comprehensive account of the Second World War yet to appear in one volume. You might think that by reading extensively, you could construct a book like this one. You could not ... Richard Overy has done a signal service with this compellingly written, impressively researched book. -- Rana Mitter * The Critic *Recasting World War Two as the logical continuation of decades of imperial growth and territorial ambition, this new exploration of the conflict is expansive in its geographical and chronological scope. Yet it never loses sight of the very human cost of that ambition ... A weighty, important take from a leading author in the field. * History Revealed *His masterly synthesis of the war's vast literature and sources has never been bettered. ... it is unflagging and consistently illuminating. -- Geoffrey Roberts * Irish Times *Dazzling ... Overy's reframing of WWII as the last gasp of imperialism is astute and incisive. WWII buffs should consider this a must-read. * Publishers Weekly *A whopping, fact-packed grand overview. * The Times *In this impressively detailed and innovative account of the 1930s and the Second World War, Overy frames the events leading up to the conflict as a last-ditch attempt to shore up or remake empires. * Daily Telegraph *

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Book Synopsis''Grayling brings satisfying order to daunting subjects'' Steven Pinker_________________________In very recent times humanity has learnt a vast amount about the universe, the past, and itself. But through our remarkable successes in acquiring knowledge we have learned how much we have yet to learn: the science we have, for example, addresses just 5 per cent of the universe; pre-history is still being revealed, with thousands of historical sites yet to be explored; and the new neurosciences of mind and brain are just beginning. What do we know, and how do we know it? What do we now know that we don''t know? And what have we learnt about the obstacles to knowing more? In a time of deepening battles over what knowledge and truth mean, these questions matter more than ever. Bestselling polymath and philosopher A. C. Grayling seeks to answer them in three crucial areas at the frontiers of knowledge: science, history and psychology. A remarkTrade ReviewGrayling brings satisfying order to daunting subjects -- Steven PinkerRemarkable, readable and authoritative. How he has mastered so much, so thoroughly, is nothing short of amazing -- Lawrence M. Krauss, author of A Universe from NothingThis book hums with the excitement of the great human project of discovery -- Adam Zeman, author of AphantasiaProf. Grayling interweaves the recent scientific and archaeological advances into a compelling narrative of how much progress humans have made in the understanding of their place in the natural, social and cognitive worlds. And how ignorant we still remain providing strong motivation to further this understanding by new empirical evidence -- Tejidner Virdee FRSAC Grayling tackles the questions science can't answer... a breathtaking book... Scholarly, lucid and accessible without being patronising or diluting, Grayling offers a masterly exegesis of current knowledge in three disciplines, as well as an analysis of what both opens and obstructs our access to such knowledge - in effect, four books in one -- Jane O'Grady * The Telegraph *An enthusiastic thinker who embraces humour, common sense and lucidity * Independent *

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Book SynopsisLe Carré''s post-Cold War masterpiece, filled with suspense, betrayal, desire and dramaThe Cold War is over and retired secret servant Tim Cranmer has been put out to pasture, spending his days making wine on his Somerset estate. But then he discovers that his former double agent Larry - dreamer, dissolute, philanderer and disloyal friend - has vanished, along with Tim''s mistress. As their trail takes him to the lawless wilds of Russia and the North Caucasus, he is forced to question everything he stood for.Set in a fragmented, uncertain post-Soviet world, le Carré''s brutal story of falsehoods and betrayal shows men playing dangerous games beyond their control.Trade ReviewA wonderful book, absolutely in tune with the le Carré canon. I cannot think of a more compelling read. * The Financial Times *

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Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER AND OFFICIAL TIE-IN TO THE AWARD-WINNING MOTION PICTURE STARRING GARY OLDMAN, WHO TOOK HOME BEST ACTOR AT THE OSCARS FOR HIS SUBLIME TURN AS WINSTON CHURCHILL.From the prize-winning screenwriter of The Theory of Everything, this is a cinematic, behind-the-scenes account of a crucial moment which takes us inside the mind of one of the world''s greatest leaders - and provides a revisionist, more rounded portrait of his leadership.May, 1940. Britain is at war, European democracies are falling rapidly and the public are unaware of this dangerous new world. Just days after his unlikely succession to Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, faces this horror - and a sceptical King and a party plotting against him. He wonders how he can capture the public mood and does so, magnificently, before leading the country to victory.It is this fascinating period that Anthony McCarten captures in this deeply researched, gTrade ReviewI learned things from the script I didn't know. I just thought, "Can that be right? Were we that perilously close?" And so it just grabbed me. -- Gary OldmanThis is history written with the verve of a novel. Compelling and provocative -- Piers Brendon, former Director, The Churchill ArchivesPacy, refreshing, intimate and clear-eyed -- Sonia Purnell, author of 'Clementine'Impeccably researched, provocative and absolutely thrilling. I couldn't put it down. -- Henry Hemming, author of Churchill's IcemanEngrossing... a bold and hugely readable story about doubts, decision and the power of words that vividly conveys the man and the moment. -- Clare Mulley, author of The Woman Who Saved the ChildrenDarkest Hour has the panache, pace, wit and authenticity of its place and time...a concise and convincing distillation of the events of May 1940. -- Lawrence James [on the film]It is quite simply brilliantly well done. Gary Oldman's performance is nothing short of a masterpiece and Kristin Scott Thomas is remarkable. At one moment in the film I closed my eyes and I thought it was my grandmother speaking. It is also extremely moving - what my mother used to call a "two-handkerchief film" -- Nicholas Soames [on the film]

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewThese pocket-sized guides are ideal gifts for anyone whose thirst for knowledge knows no bounds * How It Works *

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Book SynopsisThe incredible and inspirational true story of one young man''s struggle to find peace during war, and the power of music to bring hope to a desperate nation. ''Ahmad has created a moving and visceral account of conflict, hope and the power of music'' Hannah Beckerman, Observer____________ One morning in war-torn Damascus, a starving man drags a piano into a rubbled street. Everything he once knew has been destroyed by war.Amidst ruin and despair, he begins to play. He plays of love and hope, he plays for his family and his fellow Syrians. He plays even though he could be killed for doing so. As word of his defiance spreads around the world, he becomes a beacon of hope and even resistance. Yet he fears for his wife and children - the more he plays, the more he and his family are endangered until, finally, he must make a terrible choice . . . Aeham Ahmad''s spellbinding and uplifting true story tells of the triumph of love and hope, the incredible bonds of family, and the healing power of music in even the very darkest of places.___________''In amongst the wreckage scenes of hope. An amazing man - Ahmad played the piano just to spread love'' Jeremy Vine, BBC Radio 2 ''An extraordinary, beautiful book about a man who in the midst of utter terror wheeled his piano in to the street and played for Yarmouk. He is amazing'' Nihal Arthanayake BBC 5 Live ''The music of Aeham Ahmad became a symbol of resistance'' Today, BBC Radio 4 ''So inspiring'' ITV News''Aeham Ahmad is a talented and brave man of peace. Please read his book and pass it on to anyone who doesn''t know or understand the plight of today''s refugees'' Stanley Tucci BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week Trade ReviewAhmad has created a moving and visceral account of conflict, hope and the power of music * Hannah Beckerman, Observer *An epic story * RTE Guide *Suddenly opened a hidden door to reality * The Sunday Times *Aeham Ahmad is a talented and brave man of peace. Please read his book and pass it on to anyone who doesn't know or understand the plight of today's refugees * Stanley Tucci *If ever confirmation that music and love will always defeat misery and tyranny was needed, Ahmad's testimony delivers it in the humblest and most moving way

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Book SynopsisAn extraordinary history of French lives under occupation in the First and Second World Wars, this is an intimate, unforgettable meditation on the strange mixture of compromise and betrayal, collaboration and resistance that marks defeat, written by one of the greatest historians of France.''A splendid book for comprehending human kind ... Cobb has a strong sense of how ordinary life has to go on, even through disasters, and a sensitivity for what it was like at the time, matched by a gift for the telling phrase'' Economist ''Prophet of the past, Richard Cobb is a visionary'' New York Review of Books''His France - urban, northern, provincial, pedestrian, noisy, unpuritanical, festive - was in contrast to, and predicated upon, another France: bureaucratic, official, suburban, safe'' Julian BarnesTrade ReviewRichard Cobb is a visionary. His books will take you on an extraordinary intellectual and emotional journey. * The New York Review of Books *His France - urban, northern, provincial, pedestrian, noisy, unpuritanical, festive - was in contrast to, and predicated upon, another France: bureaucratic, official, suburban, safe, rule - crazy, scared. -- Julian BarnesCobb was a true historian of life 'from below', using archival evidence to bring alive the reality - and the suffering - of ordinary people's existence. -- Geoffrey Wheatcroft * New Statesman *

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Book SynopsisDeath and taxes are our inevitable fate. We''ve been told this since the beginning of civilisation. But what if we stopped to question our antiquated system? Is it fair? And is it capable of serving the needs of our rapidly-changing, modern society? In Daylight Robbery, Dominic Frisby traces the origins of taxation, from its roots in the ancient world, through to today. He explores the role of tax in the formation of our global religions, the part tax played in wars and revolutions throughout the ages, why, at one stage, we paid tax for daylight or for growing a beard. Ranging from the despotic to the absurd, the tax laws of the past reveal so much about how we got to where we are today and what we can do to build a system fit for the future.Featured on Stepping up with Nigel Farage''An important book for investors in gold and bitcoin'' - Daniela Cambone, Stansberry Research''This entertaining, surprising, contrarian book is a tour de force!'' - Matt Ridley, author of The Evolution of Everything''In this spectacular gallop through history, Frisby shows how taxation has warped, stunted and thwarted human progress'' - Mark Littlewood, Director General, Institute of Economic Affairs''Frisby''s historical interpretation and utopian ideas will outrage Left and Right'' - Steve Baker, MP for Wycombe and Member of the House of Commons Treasury Committee ''Fascinating book which exposes the political and economic basis of tax. A must read for those of us who believe in simpler, lower taxes'' - Rt Hon Liz Truss, MP for South West Norfolk, Secretary of State for International Trade and President of the Board of TradeTrade ReviewWith dazzling clarity, Frisby illuminates just how much of history is explained by arguments over tax, from Magna Carta to the American civil war to today's political debates. This entertaining, surprising, contrarian book is a tour de force * Matt Ridley, author of The Evolution of Everything *An engaging and informative trip through tax history that leads on to some radical suggestions for the future. A must-read for anyone thinking about how our tax system should be structured * Roger Bootle, author of The AI Economy *A real page-turner! Dominic Frisby's historical interpretation and utopian ideas will outrage Left and Right. Both should read this book! * Steve Baker, MP for Wycombe, member of the House of Commons Treasury Committee *In this spectacular gallop through history, Frisby shows how taxation has warped, stunted and thwarted human progress. An absolute must-read for anyone who thinks higher taxes are the answer to our ills. Should be compulsory reading for anyone who aspires to high political office! * Mark Littlewood, Director General, Institute of Economic Affairs *A fascinating book which exposes the political and economic basis of tax. A must read for those of us who believe in simpler, lower taxes * Rt Hon Liz Truss, MP for South West Norfolk, Secretary of State for International Trade and President of the Board of Trade *It has been said that the income tax created more criminals than any other single act of government. Dominic Frisby masterfully delves into the fascinating topic of taxation, vividly bringing it to life * Jon Matonis Monetary Economist *An utterly gripping account of the impact of taxes on the course of civilisation * Simon Evans, Comedian *A fantastic education on the surprising ways tax policies have shaped mankind's past and will impact our future * Roger Ver, Chairman, Bitcoin.com *A brilliant book full of insights into how governments have fleeced us down the ages. This is a must read for anyone interested in how technology might at last tilt things back in favour of the citizen rather than the state * Douglas Carswell, MP for Clacton, Co-founder Vote Leave *How when and where we pay tax affects everything - how and where we work, how we save, when we retire, whether we marry or not, whether we live in houses we own or not and sometimes even how many children we have. Few of us think properly about the way this shapes our lives and societies. With this well-written and hugely engaging book Dominic Frisby might be about to change that * Merryn Somerset Webb, Editor in chief of Moneyweek *A great read * George Galloway, former Member of Parliament, broadcaster and bestselling author of I'm Not the Only One *Both amusing and informative, you'll come away with a much deeper understanding of what taxation is all about * Bill Bonner, bestselling author of Empire of Debt *Whether you think your taxes are fair or unfair, too high or too low, you need to read this book * Greg Moffitt, editor of New Thought *Highly readable * Luke Johnson, British entrepreneur and Sunday Times columnist *A hugely readable, well-researched book about the history, reality and future of tax, which can draw the occasional chuckle! Also an informative tome, which raises important questions about how and why governments are funded * James Roberts, Political Director at the TaxPayers’ Alliance *A book about tax, that is readable, fascinating - and fun! Sounds impossible, I know. But that's what Dominic Frisby has written * Liam Halligan, the Telegraph *This entertaining, easily read book will make you laugh and arm you for debates * Heather McGregor, Mrs Moneypenny, The Sunday Times *Frisby is a moonlighting phenomenon: a finance journalist by day and Edinburgh Fringe comedic star by night, he brings wit to the world of policy-wonkery in a way that is probably unique * Helen Dale, author of The Hand that Signed the Paper *Whatever your political leanings, you will find much to enjoy in this entertaining and educational romp through the history of taxation * Moneyweek *Please let's let Dominic Frisby loose on the Treasury! * Jamie Blackett, The Critic *a fascinating book...educational and fun. You will enjoy it! * Mish Talk, The Street *

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