History Books

Book Synopsis***A Waterstones Best Books of 2022 pick***The story of the pioneering anthropologists and their adventures among civilisations that were first thought of as being primitive and savage. What they discovered, however, would change the way we think about ourselves.In the late nineteenth century, when non-European societies were seen as 'living fossils' offering an insight into how Western civilisation had evolved, anthropology was a thrilling new discipline which attracted the brightest minds of the academic world. But, by the middle of the twentieth century, colonialism was recognised as being inextricably linked to exploitation and outdated labels like 'savage' were inconceivable when so-called 'civilised' man had wreaked such devastation across two world wars.Focusing on twelve key European and American anthropologists working in the field, from Franz Boas on Baffin Island in the 1880s to Claude Lévi-Strauss in Brazil fifty years later, Lucy Moore explores the brief flowering of anthropology as a quasi-scientific area of study with all its insights and ambivalence. In Search of Us tells the story of the men and women whose observations of the 'other' would transform attitudes about race, gender equality, sexual liberation, parenting and tolerance in ways they had never anticipated. In an enthralling, perceptive narrative, Moore shows how these radical anthropologists were inspired by their time in the furthest-flung reaches of the known world, becoming pioneers of a new way of thinking. In the end, their legacy is less about understanding foreign cultures and more about their attempts to persuade human beings to look at one another with eyes washed free from prejudice. Their intention may have been to explain what they saw as the primitive world to the civilised one but they ended up changing the way people viewed themselves - at least for a time.Trade ReviewIn this skilful summary of the early years of anthropology between 1880 and 1939, Lucy Moore reveals a veritable tangle of turf wars, power scrambles and sexual bad behaviour... Moore's fluent account confirms that there is always room for a new view, especially when it is as well done as this one. * Sunday Times *Moore doesn't sugar-coat her protagonists' many prejudices, their cavalier treatment of their indigenous subjects, or the problematic history of their discipline. But though she summarises their scholarly views, the main pleasure of her book lies in its celebration of a dozen colourful, unconventional, free-thinking lives. * Guardian *The story of anthropology's early pioneers lies at the heart of this joyfully narrated history of a scientific field that, at its best, opens our minds to the rich kaleidoscope of human experience... [A] gripping collection of life stories. * Literary Review *Entertaining... Told with a novelistic eye for the character-revealing anecdote. * Spectator *Moore's biographical approach makes for compelling and informative reading * Philosophy Now *Table of Contents1: The Pioneer: Franz Boas on Baffin Island, 1883 2: The Mentors: Alfred Haddon and William Rivers in the Torres Strait, 1898 3: The Philosopher: Edvard Westermarck in Morocco, 1898 4: The Magi: Daisy Bates and Alfred Radcliffe-Brown in Western Australia, 1910 -1912 5: The Hero: Bronislaw Malinowski in the Trobriand Islands, 1915-1917 6: The Academy: Franz Boas at Columbia University, 1899-1942 7: The Maiden: Ruth Benedict in the American Southwest, 1920s 8: The Child: Margaret Mead in Samoa, 1925 9: Insider/Outsider: Zora Neale Hurston in NewOrleans, 1928 10: The Bluestocking: Audrey Richards in Zambia, 1930-1931 11: The Trickster: Claude Lévi-Strauss in Brazil, 1938-1939

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Book SynopsisAdrian Tinniswood is professorial research fellow in history at the University of Buckingham, adjunct professor of history at Maynooth University and the author of many books on British history, including the Sunday Times bestseller The Long Weekend. He was awarded an OBE for services to heritage, and lives in the west of Ireland.

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Book SynopsisAn Irish TImes Book of the Year'The beauty of this book is in the telling: The Irish Difference lays out its themes and chronologies with impeccable clarity, and is full of fascinating detail... Exemplary.' Irish IndependentFor hundreds of years, the islands and their constituent tribes that make up the British Isles have lived next door to each other in a manner that, over time, suggested some movement towards political union. It was an uneven, stop-start business and it worked better in some places than in others. Still, England, Wales and Scotland have hung together through thick and thin, despite internal divisions of language, religion, law, culture and disposition that might have broken up a less resilient polity. And, for a long time, it seemed that something similar might have been said about the smaller island to the west: Ireland.Ireland was always a more awkward fit in the London-centric mini-imperium but no one imagined that it might detach itself altogether, until the moment came for rupture, quite suddenly and dramatically, in the fall-out from World War I. So, what was it - is it - about Ireland that is so different? Different enough to sever historical ties of centuries with such sudden violence and unapologetic efficiency. Wherein lies the Irish difference, a difference sufficient to have caused a rupture of that nature?In a wide-ranging and witty narrative, historian Fergal Tobin looks into Ireland's past, taking in everything from religion and politics to sports and literature, and traces the roots of her journey towards independence.Trade Review[Tobin's] a beautiful writer, with a graceful prose style, and he takes a contemplative and nuanced approach to an incredibly tangled story... The beauty of this book is in the telling: The Irish Difference lays out its themes and chronologies with impeccable clarity, and is full of fascinating detail... Exemplary. * Irish Independent *Witty, thought-provoking, wide-ranging and highly readable. * Irish Times *The Irish Difference marshals its arguments with a light touch and many witty asides, making for a consistently lively read. * Sunday Business Post *A witty and entertaining gallop over Irish history. * The Irish Catholic *You may not agree with everything Fergal Tobin says; you may not even agree with any of it. But the book is so entertaining, so well-written, and so thought-provoking that you are certainly likely to enjoy it. * RTÉ Online *This elegantly written history delineates how Ireland never acquiesced to English rule in the way other countries did.... Many drolleries help the tangled history go down smoothly. * 'Books of the Year', Irish Times *Table of Contents1: Faith and Fatherland 2: It's a Long Way to Tipperary 3: Half In and Half Out 4: Jackie Goes to Ballybay 5: Gallant Allies in Europe? 6: The Empty Centre 7: Looking Down on Inistioge 8: Encumbered Estates 9: Disestablishment 10: Of Man's First Disobedience 11: The Association 12: The Necessity for De-Anglicising the Irish People 13: The Death of Cromwell 14: Cyclops 15: We Don't Want to Fight.

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Book SynopsisWhat are the origins of the hostile environment against immigrants in the UK? Patel retells Britain's recent history in an often shocking account of state racism that still resonates today. In a series of post-war immigration laws from 1948 to 1971, arrivals from the Caribbean, Asia and Africa to Britain went from being citizens to being renamed immigrants. In the late 1960s, British officials drew upon an imperial vision of the world to contain what it saw as a vast immigration 'crisis' involving British citizens, passing legislation to block their entry. As a result, British citizenship itself was redefined along racial lines, fatally compromising the Commonwealth and exposing the limits of Britain's influence in world politics. Combining voices of so-called immigrants trying to make a home in Britain and the politicians, diplomats and commentators who were rethinking the nation, Ian Sanjay Patel excavates the reasons why Britain failed to create a post-imperial national identity.Chosen as a BBC History Magazine Book of the Year 2021 and shortlisted for the PEN Hessell-Tiltman Prize 2022Trade ReviewThe contemporary politics of belonging and immigration - Ian Sanjay Patel shows in this stunning history - make no sense except against the backdrop of centuries of empire, and the decades at its messy end when British identity was refashioned. We're Here Because You Were There expertly revisits how the claim and incentive to move beyond empire followed only upon the erection of colonial hierarchy and racialized exclusion, factors which were strengthened in forgotten eras of imperial citizenship and Commonwealth unity. This book boldly and convincingly lays down a new starting point for debate today. -- Samuel Moyn, author of Not Enough: Human Rights in an Unequal WorldThis is an extraordinary and important book. It is powerful, principled and courageous, a necessary and vital disquisition on the continuing legacies of colonialism and the mindset of its making and perpetuation in the modern, brutish Britain we seem to inhabit. -- Philippe Sands, author of East West StreetCombining startling new research with a clear and convincing argument, this shows just how essential the history of migration and race is to understanding Britain today. -- Daniel Trilling, author of Lights in the DistanceMany studies of immigration suffer from two weaknesses. They discuss it in isolation from a discussion of national identity, and treat it as a domestic issue that can be analysed and explained in terms of domestic constraints and compulsions. Patel's new book is happily free from these, and offers a historically rich and conceptually rigorous study of post-1945 immigration to the U.K., especially that of East African Asians. He locates it in Britain's imperial context and traces with great skill the debate on Britain's self-understanding that it sprang from and influenced. This is a first-rate book and deserves to be widely read. -- Bhikhu Parekh, author of Rethinking Multiculturalism: Cultural Diversity and Political TheoryPatel provides some much-needed context for one of the world's most contentious and vexed subjects of debate: immigration. From the legal architecture designed to make life impossible for foreigners both a century ago and today, to the hypocrisies of British officials bent on shutting out those forced from their homes, Patel succinctly and eloquently explains the long-lasting consequences of empire: how countless lives were irrevocably altered by mandarins in Whitehall offices, and the related suffering that continues into the present day. -- Dr Shashi Tharoor, author of Inglorious EmpirePatel provides an indispensable and urgently relevant account of immigration and the end of empire that reveals the mirage-like quality of the very concepts through which we typically understand postwar Britain. Situating the arrival of nonwhite people in Britain in an intra-imperial context, this bravely and innovatively wide-ranging account shows that neither were they immigrants, nor was Britain ending empire. Their arrival was a phenomenon of continuity rather than a dramatic break with the past. With a compassionate authorial voice, Patel captures the trauma of unbelonging and of racist gatekeeping of the planet against a backdrop of continuous, untrammeled British emigration. This carefully researched book is testimony to history's astonishing power to change how we understand the world we inhabit by dispelling the myths that obscure truth. -- Priya Satia, Raymond A. Spruance Professor of International History at Stanford University and author of Time's MonsterDebates about immigration in the immediate post-war decades, argues Ian Sanjay Patel in his provocative and important new book, were really about Britain's relation to changes in the outside world and to itself. He tells a story rooted both in the experience of migrants and in the archives of officials and politicians, at home, in the UN, and in the new postcolonial states. An idea of empire rooted in white power and colonial subjection was rearticulated for global times. Both Conservative and Labour governments utilized the law to establish a race-based set of rights for contemporary Britain. -- Catherine Hall, author of Civilising SubjectsIan Sanjay Patel's meticulously researched book shows how vital it is to understand the effects of the legacies of empire on the history of migration, and our understanding of race and belonging in modern Britain. It is an essential book for our times. -- Kavita Puri, author of Partition VoicesA book of rare importance. Ian Sanjay Patel masterfully traces the long shadow cast by Empire over Britain's recent history, and its present. -- Amia Srinivasan, Chichele Professor of Social and Political Theory, All Souls College, OxfordGroundbreaking...undoubtedly a landmark contribution. -- David Wearing * Tribune *Deeply impressed by this book. Expands upon many of the observations I make about multiculturalism in Empireland with real authority. Wish I'd been given it at school -- Sathnam Sanghera, author of Empireland[Patel] reminds us that the British Empire and imperial thinking lasted much longer than is generally understood...insightful -- Rohan Venkataramakrishnan * Scroll *

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Book SynopsisWhat happened to the Roman Empire? Why was the Magna Carta so important? What led to the First World War? Why did the USSR collapse? World History in Minutes provides succinct answers to these questions - and many more - in 200 simple and accessible essays. From the 100 Years War to the Gulf Wars, and from the wisdom of Aristotle to the Civil Rights movement, this book distils the major events in human history into easily digestible chunks. Each essay is accompanied by an image - or a clear diagram to illustrate complex ideas - and will plug the gaps in your knowledge of the most important eras, movements and events in the history of humankind. World History in Minutes is the perfect introduction to this expansive subject. Contents include: Neanderthals, Babylonians, Attilla the Hun, Abyssinian Empire, Magna Carta, Black Death, Inca, Henry VIII Reformation, Ulster Plantations, Rousseau and the Enlightenment, Declaration of Independence, French Revolution, Tonga Civil War, Universal Suffrage, Spanish Influenza, Great Depression, Pearl Harbour, The Space Age, Civil Rights, Environmentalism, Oligarchs and Tiger Economies.

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Book SynopsisThe extraordinary character and career of Saladin are the keys to understanding the Battle of Hattin, the fall of Jerusalem and the failure of the Third Crusade. He united warring Muslim lands, reconquered the bulk of Crusader states and faced the Richard the Lion Heart, king of England, in one of the most famous confrontations in medieval warfare. Geoffrey Hindley's sympathetic and highly readable study of the life and times of this remarkable, many-sided man, who dominated the Middle East in his day, gives a fascinating insight into his achievements and into the Muslim world of his contemporaries. Geoffrey Hindley is a distinguished medieval historian who has written widely on many aspects of the period. He has made a special study of medieval warfare and of sieges in particular. His previous books include Castles of Europe, Medieval Warfare, England in the Age of Caxton, Under Siege, Tourists, Travellers and Pilgrims, The Book of Magna Carta and The Crusades. His most recent publications are is A Brief History of the Anglo-Saxons and Medieval Siege and Siegecraft.

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Book SynopsisThe Holy Mountain of Athos is a self governing monastic republic on a peninsula in Northern Greece. Standing on the shores of the Aegean Sea is one of the twenty ruling monasteries that comprise the republic, that of St Panteleimon, known in Greek as the Rossikon. It's building, fully restored in recent years, can accommodate up to 5,000 men, reflecting the scale of the settlement at its apogee in the nineteenth century and prior to the Bolshevik revolution in Russia. Since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 it has experienced a strong revival and is now one of the most numerous of the twenty.But the vast buildings that can be seen today are really only a reflection of the history of the past two centuries. Much less well known is the fact that the history of a Russian presence on Athos goes back more than one thousand years. This is the first comprehensive account of this in the English language. The author has been able to draw from previously inaccessible archival materials in gathering the wealth of information he shares in this work. The history of the community is not described in geographical isolation but shown as interacting with the much wider worlds of the Byzantine and Ottoman empires and the modern nation state of Greece, together with that of the Russian homeland whose political character is constantly evolving. There are shown to be three distinct phases in this history: From the tenth to the twelfth centuries when Russian Athonites inhabited the ancient Russian Lavra of the Mother of God, also known as Xylourgou. Then the six hundred years from the mid-twelth to the mid-eighteenth century when the ancient Monastery of St Panteleimon was the Russian house on Athos, more commonly referred to as Nagorny or Stary Rusik. Finally the most recent 250 years, that are naturally covered in greater depth thanks to the wider availability of sources.Amongst the themes explored in the book are ethnic relations, the Pan-Orthodox ideal, the role of money and political pressure, sanctity and heroism in adversity, and the importance of historical memory and precedent. The author seeks to arbitrate fairly between often strongly opposing ethnic viewpoints.It examines in detail the fluctuating fortunes of the monastic community of St Panteleimon during the past 250 years when its ethnic identity was frequently questioned. It is a history that has been blighted by Greek-Russian quarrels, mass deportation of dissenting brethren, troubles in the Caucasus, and even tangential implication in the present-day dispute between the Ecumenical and Moscow Patriarchates over Ukraine.This text will be invaluable to both academic historians and the general educated reader who does not possess specialist knowledge. It is complimented by a timeline, glossary, comprehensive bibliography, index, full colour illustrations and photographs.Table of ContentsIntroduction 1 - The Monastery’s Early History: from Xylourgou to the Old Mountain Rusik 2 - From Savvas to Gerasim 3 - The Return of the Russians in the Reign of Abbot Gerasimos 4 - The New Spiritual Father and Leader of the Russian Brotherhood is Chosen 5 - The Crimean War 6 - The Greek and Russian Brotherhoods at Loggerheads 7 - The Reign of Archimandrite Makary 8 - Makary’s Successors, Abbots Andrey and Nifont 1889–1905 9 - Archimandrite Misail 10- The Name of God Dispute 11 - From 1913 to Abbot Misail’s Death in 1940 12- The Next Four Abbots: from Iustin to Avel´ (1940–1978) 13 - From Ieremiya to Evlogy Afterword Timeline Notes Glossary Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisA fascinating social history of the guitar, reasserting its long-forgotten importance in Romantic EnglandTrade Review“It was puzzling that the guitar’s rich history during that period had been so largely neglected in scholarly research. Page’s new book not only fills this gap admirably...but also adds a novel dimension to the discussion of the guitar by investigating its multifaceted impact within the sociocultural and intellectual context of a revolutionary era...The Guitar in Georgian England will certainly inspire and shape future studies of the guitar.”—Panagiotis Poulopoulos, Galpin Society Journal “Page touches on many factors that impact on the life story of a musical instrument, and presents a social and musical history that will be of interest and use to readers well beyond the sphere of musicology.”—Jenny Nex, Journal for Eighteenth-Century Studies

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“The Lonely Crowd . . . was published more than half a century ago. It remains not only the best-selling book by a professional sociologist in American history, but arguably one that has had the widest influence on the nation at large. The work . . . inevitably raises questions about the claims and limitations of academic sociology today.”—Orlando Patterson, New York Times“One of the most important books of the twentieth century.”—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker“As accessible as it is acute, The Lonely Crowd is indispensable reading for anyone who wishes to understand American society. After half a century, this book has lost none of its capacity to make sense of how we live.”—Todd Gitlin

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Book SynopsisA comprehensive history of the Georgians, comparing past views of these exciting, turbulent, and controversial times with our attitudes today

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Book SynopsisA must-read for anyone interested in the history of drag performance.?Publishers WeeklyA rich and provocative history of drag's importance in modern British culture. Drag: A British History is a groundbreaking study of the sustained popularity and changing forms of male drag performance in modern Britain. With this book, Jacob Bloomfield provides fresh perspectives on drag and recovers previously neglected episodes in the history of the art form. Despite its transgressive associations, drag has persisted as an intrinsic, and common, part of British popular culturedrag artists have consistently asserted themselves as some of the most renowned and significant entertainers of their day. As Bloomfield demonstrates, drag was also at the center of public discussions around gender and sexuality in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, from Victorian sex scandals to the permissive society of the 1960s. This compelling new history demythologizes drag, stressing its ordinariness while affirming its important place in British cultural heritage.Trade Review"A must-read for anyone interested in the history of drag performance." * Publishers Weekly *"An excellent examination of the complexities of various forms of stage drag and its mainstay role in British popular culture." * Library Journal *"A new look at the history of drag. . . . Bloomfield illustrates how drag has long been a complex yet ‘ordinary’ artform, historically straddling queer radicalism and mass entertainment along the way." * ArtReview *"A thoughtful and fascinating read." * Everything Theater *"A fascinating overview of the story of British drag artists." * Alex Sierz *Table of ContentsContents List of Illustrations Acknowledgments Introduction 1 Old Mother Riley and the Modern Dame 2 Splinters: Cross-Dressing Ex-Servicemen on the Interwar Stage 3 Danny La Rue: Conservative Drag in the “Permissive Society” 4 Skirting the Censor: Drag and the Censorship of the British Theater, 1939–1968 Epilogue: How Queer Is Drag? Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisGive and Take offers a new history of government in Tokugawa Japan (1600–1868), one that focuses on ordinary subjects: merchants, artisans, villagers, and people at the margins of society. Maren Ehlers explores how high and low people negotiated and collaborated with each other as they addressed the problem of poverty in early modern Japan.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Winner of the Alice Davis Hitchcock Medallion, Society of Architectural Historians of Great Britain""Winner of the President’s Award for Research in History and Theory, Royal Institute of British Architects""One of the Financial Times' Summer Books of 2020: Architecture""Winner of the First Book Prize, International Planning History Society""Highly commended for the inaugural Architectural Book of the Year Award, History Category""This is one of those books that turns a discipline upside down – the cold war, state socialism, eastern Europe and 20th-century architecture all look different in the light of its findings . . . [it is] a pioneering work of revisionist history that ought to be read far beyond the those already interested in architecture . . . what [Stanek] achieves here is enormous: a book that rewrites not only the history of the cold war, but also the history of globalisation and global urbanization."---Owen Hatherly, The Guardian"A fascinating snapshot of a historic moment in which the future was in flux."---Edwin Heathcote, Financial Times"Architecture in Global Socialism strikes a generally successful balance between theoretical exposition and historical analysis, liberally illustrated, suitably informed but accessible to the general reader."---Alexander Adams, The Critic"This incisive book presents a new understanding of global urbanization and its architecture through the lens of socialist internationalism, challenging long held notions about modernization and development in the global South."---Georgina Johnston, World Architecture News"An epic, revisionist study many years in the making, centering on how Non-Aligned countries in the post-war era employed professionals from Eastern and Central Europe to plan and build their post-colonial urban spaces."---Owen Hatherley, Tribune"[Stanek’s] omniscience is impressive."---Jonathan Meades, Literary Review"[Architecture in Global Socialism] challenges cold-war preconceptions of the roles played by those from Eastern European socialist countries who worked collectively to urbanise and develop the Global South during the Soviet era."---Michael Boncza, Morning Star"Rather than describing global urbanisation as a process that was visited upon societies in the developing world by western consultants, Stanek’s history reveals the role played by socialist architects in constructing a negotiated future in which local rulers, authorities and communities took an active interest in shaping their own destinies. Free from big-name architects and landmarks, Architecture in Global Socialism also gives voice to a largely forgotten body of professionals who travelled to the non-aligned world – neither communist nor pro-West – during the Cold War and whose lives and careers were enriched and globalised in the process."---Nick Leech, The National"Architecture in Global Socialism is not only a book that successfully lifts the curtain on the importance of the “forgotten” socialist network with its backdrop and real effects on the life and environment of millions of people. It is also a refreshing point of view that allows you to look with valid optimism at the complex reality that surrounds us and the possibilities of understanding and describing it."---Alicja Gzowska, Polish History"Stanek’s book is extraordinarily well researched, clearly written and convincing in its conclusions. Being the first comprehensive presentation of an important chapter in recent architectural history, there is no doubt that it will soon become a classic in the field."---Florian Urban, Planning Perspectives"An important correction to architectural history’s neglect of detailed studies into West Africa and the Middle East."---Ben Tosland, Architectural Histories"Beautifully illustrated, extremely well researched, and extensively documented, this is a fascinating examination of the role played by architects, planners, and sometimes builders from the communist countries of Eastern Europe in the architecture of newly independent countries in Africa and the Middle East in the post–WW II era. . . . The large format of the volume does justice to the numerous illustrations, including drawings and buildings, a great many in color; these are accompanied by Stanek's perceptive comments, a host of endnotes, and an extensive bibliography. The result is an impressive investigation of an overlooked topic in 20th-century architectural history." * Choice *"The book will be a milestone, not just because of the almost encyclopaedic completeness of the contents but because it offers a repeatable research methodology, capable of communicating multiple dialogues between different cultures and identities."---Fabrizio Gallanti, Arbitare"Architecture in Global Socialism provides important lessons on many levels. It is not only groundbreaking in terms of filling an enormous “blind spot” in historiography, or through its development of a methodology that is not simply postulated but works in practice – it also proves to be relevant in discussions about the current urban condition."---Alicja Gzowska, View: Theories and Practices of Visual Culture"Architecture in Global Socialism is a much needed revisionist account of architectural practice and urbanism in the second half of the twentieth century."---Hannah Neate, Eurasian Geography and Economics"A welcome addition to the growing body of scholarship reassessing socialist architecture and urban design within the Cold War’s myriad economic and diplomatic networks . . . this book sets an undoubtedly strong precedent for further research on socialist architecture in a global context. . . . Architecture in Global Socialism [is] a truly compelling study."---Holly Bushman, Art Margins"A book about architecture, modernity and the world system of 'actually existing socialism' in the Soviet bloc and its allies. With rare photographs and designs, Stanek takes a tour through the forgotten world of the future society and cities architects planned and built."---Gerry Hassan, Scottish Review"Architecture in Global Socialism constitutes a significant contribution to the historiography of modern architecture in Eastern Europe, West Africa, and the Middle East. It is the kind of book we need more of: expansive in scope, specific in analysis, and rigorous in argumentation. It recognizes the pluralism of actors and contexts in the Global South, which further dismantles the myth of a monolithic modernism and demands additional scholarship that both revises and builds. Stanek’s book promises to remain an essential reference for scholars and students well into the future."---David Rifkind, Art Bulletin"[In Architecture in Global Socialisms,] Łukasz Stanek shifts the lens to the so-called weak actors of Eastern European socialist states, as well as to professional groups that ‘built’ modernity—architects, but also contractors, building supervisors, and foreign trade representatives. This excellent study thus shows, convincingly, that global processes—in this case urbanization—were not monolithic and one cannot talk of exceptions to an existing rule of ‘globalization.’ —Victor Petrov, H-Net Reviews""Architecture in Global Socialism is an indispensable contribution to our understanding of the multifaceted process of globalization. . . . [The book is] the first study of its kind in architectural history. Ambitious in scope and breadth, it compellingly conveys the sheer scale and magnitude of the presence and work of architects from the socialist bloc in West Africa and the Middle East from 1957 (the year of Ghana’s independence) to the end of the Cold War. . . . The importance of [this book] cannot be overestimated."---Ayala Levin, Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians"Architectural historians have recently discovered the outsize role that the former socialist world played in the Global South in the postwar decolonization process. Łukasz Stanek’s book Architecture in Global Socialism . . . was a signal achievement in this respect, as it mapped for the first time the astonishing extent of architectural exports from Eastern Europe to Africa and the Middle East."---Vladimir Kulić, The Architect’s Newspaper "Architecture in Global Socialism provides much-needed cornerstones to advance spatial political economy."---Franklin Obeng-Odoom, Housing Studies

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Finalist for the Award for Excellence in the Study of Religion, Historical Studies, American Academy of Religion""Winner of the Jerome E. Singerman Prize, Medieval Academy of America""[Byzantine Intersectionality] quotes Monica Lewinsky in its epigraph and brings an activist’s zeal to its queer-theory close readings of texts and images from the Eastern Roman Empire between the fourth and fifteenth centuries. By scouring legal, medical, and religious sources, and reading misogynist invectives against the grain, Betancourt builds a fascinating picture of more fluid attitudes and practices around sexuality than have been suggested in the mainstream historical record. . . . The details Betancourt excavates can be as illuminating as they are juicy."---Lidija Haas, Harper's Magazine"[Byzantine Intersectionality] raises timely and pressing questions about gender, sexuality, marginalized groups, and diversity in the medieval Roman Empire. . . . This indispensable book makes clear that the study of Byzantine art is relevant and pressing today."---Armin Bergmeier, Art Bulletin"This book is for the outcast and for those who inhabit the margins of the past and present. . . . Byzantine Intersectionality provides art historians, archaeologists, and historians with a better theoretical basis for reconstructing the complex lived reality of queerness, sexual violence, consent, and racial profiling. The marginalized biblical figures and saints examined together serve as a new testament to how engrained systematic oppression functions in society."---Sarah E. Bond, Hyperallergic"[The book’s title] refers to the interaction between gender, sexuality and race, how the intersections between these three separate things were understood in Byzantine society and how these understandings endured or shifted across the period of the Empire’s history from (roughly) the fourth century to the 15th. . . . The book is rooted in a huge number of meticulously studied late antique and medieval sources. Importantly, Betancourt allows them the freedom to speak for themselves."---Adele Curness, History Today"[Byzantine Intersectionality] is an insightful and powerful new addition to not only Medieval Studies, but also History of Art, Critical Race Studies, Gender and Sexuality Studies and Queer Studies. . . . An exciting and radical new project with an ethical dimension and urgency, this text challenges the ways scholars have viewed Byzantine society and culture. . . . [This] innovative text provokes from the epigraph by Lewinsky to the final sentence with its ethical imperative for social and racial justice."---Meaghan Allen, LSE Review of Books"A major accomplishment of [Byzantine Intersectionality] is its interdisciplinarity. As opposed to other scholars of the middle ages whose focus is narrowed to a specific discipline, Betancourt’s text covers the large disciplinary gaps between literary studies, art history, and historical studies, to create a wide-ranging view of the period and allowing scholars to create thematic connections previously unknown across the disciplines. . . . Another important aspect of this text is the potential implications for the field moving forward. Betancourt’s recalibration of the definitions of sexuality, gender, and race has opened countless doors for other medievalists to analyze literature, historical documents, and art for the sole purpose of expanding known histories of sex, gender, and race."---Morgan Connor, Pennsylvania Literary Review"Every Byzantinist needs to read this book. . . . A highly stimulating and thought-provoking book. It is also a beautifully produced book."---Shaun Tougher, Medieval Encounters

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Book SynopsisBetween 1968 and 1975, there was a subtle thawing of relations between East and West, for which Brezhnev coined the name Détente, and perhaps a chance to end the Cold War. The leaders of the United States and the Soviet Union, Richard Nixon and Leonid Brezhnev, hoped to forge a new relationship between East and West. Yet, the greatest changes of the era took place outside the sphere of international diplomacy. The 1960s brought social collision across the world, from the anti-war protests in America to the student demonstrations on the streets of Paris, and Mao Zedong''s Red Guards in China. A new generation, whom advertising executives dubbed the baby-boomers, brought new attitudes to towards sex, gender, race, the environment and religion. In this book, Richard Crowder explores the years of Détente, and introduces us to the key players of the era, whose stories form the narrative of this book.Trade ReviewA sweeping and evocative account of the Cold War’s thaw… It’s fast-moving, engaging and authoritative in equal measure. 5 stars. * All About History *Richard Crowder’s broad-ranging account of ‘détente’, the comparative relaxation of Cold War tension which lasted from the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968 to the American withdrawal from Vietnam in 1975, shows in colourful, lively and meticulous detail how Nixon and Brezhnev constructed fragile barriers against mutual annihilation, even while one was coping with a violently divided America and the other with an increasingly dysfunctional Soviet Union. * Rodric Braithwaite *Richard Crowder has managed to write about these turbulent years in vivid detail in a way that combines serious research and readability. * Richard Harries, Baron Harries of Pentregarth *Richard Crowder possesses a rich array of gifts which carry his fascinating story with zest and insight—a mix of his sense of moment, character and context all enhanced by his insider’s feel for diplomacy and statecraft. Roll on volume three of this fascinating cold war narrative. * Peter Hennessy, Baron Hennessy of Nympsfield *Table of ContentsIntroduction Chapter One: Seeing Glory Chapter Two: Time Ending Chapter Three: Coming Darkness Chapter Four: The Cock Crows Chapter Five: Courage to Change Chapter Six: The Topmost Branch Chapter Seven: Hurting Each Other Chapter Eight: Sweet Rain Chapter Nine: Monster Rising Chapter Ten: The Humiliated Men Chapter Eleven: Awful Wisdom Chapter Twelve: Horizon of Dreams

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Book SynopsisA thrilling narrative history of how one rap battle in New York transformed American culture forever. July 3, 1981, was a pivotal night for the future of America's newest art form: hip hop. In New York's Harlem World Club, the Fantastic Romantic Five and the Cold Crush Brothers competed, with an unprecedented $1,000and their reputationson the line in a highly anticipated rap battle. The show drew hundreds of fans to settle a question that still dominates hip hop circles: Who's the best? In Harlem World, journalist Jonathan Mael chronicles this fateful night of hip hop rivalry and shares a new look at how Harlem helped ignite a musical revolution. Since hip hop first emerged in New York in the early 1970s, artists like Theodore Livingston (DJ Grand Wizzard Theodore) and Curtis Brown (Grandmaster Caz) sought to elevate this uniquely American musical genre by pushing the limits of record-playing techniques and lyricism. The two crews they assembled put on the best shows in a world whereTrade Review"Journalist Mael chronicles hip-hop's emergence in late 1970s and '80s New York City in his rollicking debut. . . . Readers curious about the genre's roots will want to take it for a spin."—Publishers WeeklyTable of ContentsIntroduction: The Crispy Crust Pizzeria1. The Sound Room2. Routines3. New York, New York4. Hip Hop's Great Poet5. Harlem World6. Collision Course7. Tough-Ass Four Emcees8. Somebody, and Anybody, and Everybody Scream9. Traveling Tapes10. Wild StyleEpilogue: "The Message"

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Book SynopsisFrom the deep forests of the Canadian Northwest to the red-rock deserts of the American Southwest, North America offers a myriad of opportunities for hiking, camping, trekking, and simply enjoying the abundance of the natural world. This opulent volume highlights 41 of those wilderness locations.Filled with authoritative maps, data-driven graphics, awe-inspiring photographs, and thoughtful essays, this vivid book will feed the soul of everyone who loves wild places. Six lush chapters take readers from the eastern woodlands to the central plains, from the northern wilderness to southwestern desert lands—including key wilderness areas in Canada and Mexico. You’ll discover the fascinating history of the High Peaks of the Adirondacks, learn about fossil remains on the Upper Missouri River, gaze through the rainforest canopy of Alaska’s Tongass National Forest, and experience Grand Canyon Parashat’s Dark Sky Park. A special section rich inTrade Review"For on-the-go vacationers aswell as armchair travelers,…National Geographic: Atlas of Wild America...provides a picturesque super-dive into spectacular horizons. Written by Jon Waterman, a former park ranger and veteran guide, with a foreword by environmental historian Roderick F. Nash, this hefty tome, with 308 photos and 262 maps, applauds both well-known majestic favorites and off-the-beaten-path intimate finds, unveiling intricate details and data galore. Be awed by nature-loving secrets and surprises."—Laura Manske, Forbes"This gorgeous coffee table book chronicles 41 of the most spectacular public lands across North America from wilderness areas to state parks, seashores to trails. Filled with stunning National Geographic photography, essays, graphics and maps you’ll discover new places to add to your bucket list." —Outside's Yosemite National Park Trips

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Book SynopsisThis agenda-setting text has been fully revised in its second edition, with coverage extended into the Christian era. It remains the most comprehensive and engaging introduction to the sexual cultures of ancient Greece and Rome.Table of ContentsList of Illustrations and Maps xi Preface to the Second Edition xiii Preface to the First Edition xv Acknowledgments xviii Abbreviations xix Chronological Charts xxvii Maps xxxii Introduction: Why Ancient Sexuality? Issues and Approaches 1 Thinking about Sexuality 3 Sex Changes 4 Checking the Right Box 8 Davidson and his Critics 12 The Language and Ethos of Boy-love 13 Foul Mouths 19 Conclusion 23 Discussion Prompts 24 Notes 24 References 25 Further Reading 27 1 The Homeric Age: Epic Sexuality 29 The Golden Goddess 30 Dynamics of Desire 35 The Baneful Race of Women 37 Love under Siege 40 Receptions of Helen 43 The Beguilement of Zeus 45 Alternatives to Penelope 46 Achilles in the Closet? 51 Conclusion 53 Discussion Prompts 54 Notes 55 References 55 Further Reading 57 2 The Archaic Age: Symposium and Initiation 58 When the Cups are Placed 59 Fields of Erotic Dreams 62 Singing as a Man … 67 … and Singing as a Woman 71 Boys into Men 74 Girls into Women 84 Sappho on the Lips of Men 89 Conclusion 91 Discussion Prompts 92 Notes 93 References 96 Further Reading 99 3 Late Archaic Athens: More than Meets the Eye 101 Out of Etruria 102 Lines of Sight 106 Birds of a Different Feather 108 Flirtation at the Gym 109 Party Girls 118 In the Boudoir 127 Bride of Quietness 129 Conclusion 131 Discussion Prompts 133 Notes 134 References 136 Further Reading 138 4 Classical Athens: The Politics of Sex 139 More Equal than Others 141 Pederasty and Class 146 Interview with the Kinaidos 154 In the Grandest Families 161 What the Neighbors Might Think 166 Criminal Proceedings 167 His and Hers (or His) 170 Conclusion 176 Discussion Prompts 177 Notes 177 References 179 Further Reading 182 5 The Early Hellenistic Period: Turning Inwards 184 Court Intrigues 188 Who Is Buried in Philip’s Tomb? 192 Medicine and the Sexes 194 From Croton to Crete 198 Safe Sex 203 Athenian Idol 208 Conclusion 214 Discussion Prompts 215 Notes 215 References 217 Further Reading 220 6 The Later Hellenistic Period: The Feminine Mystique 221 Disrobing Aphrodite 222 Hellenes in Egypt 226 Love among the Pyramids 230 New Gods for Old 236 To Colchis and Back 238 Desiring Women – and their Detractors 241 Conclusion 245 Discussion Prompts 247 Notes 247 References 249 Further Reading 252 7 Early Rome: A Tale of Three Cultures 253 The Pecking Order 256 Imported Vices 259 Bringing Women under Control 261 Butchery for Fun 269 What a Piece of Work is a Man! 270 Conclusion 274 Discussion Prompts 274 Notes 275 References 277 Further Reading 279 8 Republican and Augustan Rome: The Soft Embrace of Venus 280 Only Joking 282 Young Men(?) in Love 286 Sulpicia unveils Herself 291 Mother of All Empires 293 Domestic Visibility 303 Going too Far 306 Conclusion 309 Discussion Prompts 310 Notes 311 References 312 Further Reading 314 9 Elites in the Empire: Self and Others 315 Risky Business 317 Boys named Sue 322 Them 324 Roads to Romance 329 Rock-star Rhetoric 329 ‘Greek Love’ under Rome 334 Roads to Nowhere 338 Conclusion 344 Discussion Prompts 345 Notes 345 References 347 Further Reading 349 10 The Imperial Populace: Toward Salvation? 350 The 99% 353 Gravestones and Walls 355 In the Eye of the Beholder 361 The Warren Cup 368 “O Isis und Osiris …” 370 Christian Continence 377 Things Fall Apart 380 Conclusion 383 Discussion Prompts 385 Notes 386 References 389 Further Reading 392 Afterword: The Use of Antiquity 393 Glossary of Terms 398 Index 411

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Book SynopsisThe 1931 murder of 'Broadway Butterfly' Vivian Gordon exposed an explosive story of graft, corruption and entrapment that went all the way to the top of the state. Wolraich brings a journalist's eye and a novelist's elegance to this story of Jazz Age New York.New York Times Vivian Gordon went out before midnight in a velvet dress and mink coat. Her body turned up the next morning in a desolate Bronx park, a dirty clothesline wrapped around her neck. At her stylish Manhattan apartment, detectives discovered notebooks full of namesbusinessmen, socialites, gangsters. And something else: a letter from an anti-corruption commission established by Governor Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Led by the imperious Judge Samuel Seabury, the commission had uncovered a police conspiracy to frame women as prostitutes. Had Vivian Gordon been executed to bury her secrets? As FDR pressed the police to solve her murder, Judge Seabury pursued the trail of corruption to the top of Gotham's powerful political mac

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Book SynopsisThese thoughtfully selected quotations have been taken from throughout history, and from a variety of voices, celebrating everything the LGBTQIA+ community has achieved. Containing words of courage, hope, and pride, they focus on inclusivity and remind us that love is one of the world's greatest powers.

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Book Synopsis THE MAKING OF A PRIME MINISTER 'My biography of the year' Michael Crick 'The scariest thing I've read since Silence of the Lambs' Ken Livingstone A brilliant and definitive biography of Boris Johnson, the politician who risked his career to lead the Brexit campaign, won the referendum, and finally became the new prime minister. In Andrew Gimson's acclaimed biography of the most colourful British politician of modern times, we are given a comprehensive portrait of the man. Despite tabloid controversies which led to him being dismissed from Michael Howard's shadow cabinet, Boris bounced back to win two terms as London mayor. It was a remarkable tribute to his huge personal popularity, and he was at the heart of things when London showcased itself during the 2012 Olympics. This updated edition of the book is a comprehensive insight into the dramatic political events of 2016. ATrade Review'My biography of the year' -- Michael Crick'The scariest thing I've read since Silence of the Lambs' -- Ken Livingstone'Boris is a mational treasure, and Gimson has done him proud' * Sunday Times *'It is all rubbish from start to finish - but well-written rubbish' -- Boris Johnson'Excellent' -- Sebastian Payne'A scintillating eulogy' * Daily Telegraph *'A beautifully written biography ... In Gimson, [Boris] has found a generous biographer who has interviewed Johnson's friends and colleagues in journalism and Parliament. The author admits to being a friend but pulls no punches.' -- Michael White * Guardian *'The trick for politicians is to alchemise their abilities into charisma, as Andrew Gimson shows in his rollicking Boris' * Observer *'Richly entertaining' -- John Rentoul * Independent *'Boris, Andrew Gimson's stylish biography of the nation's buffoon, simply shimmers with good will to all men. The result is an effervescent delight' -- Zenga Longmore * Spectator *'Brilliant' -- Simon Carr * Independent *

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Book SynopsisA suspense filled tale of murder on the American frontier—shedding new light on a family of serial killers in Kansas, whose horrifying crimes gripped the attention of a nation still reeling from war.'A carefully researched and horribly compelling examination of unimaginable evil intruding upon everyday life' The ObserverIn 1873 the people of Labette County, Kansas made a grisly discovery. Buried by a trailside cabin beneath an orchard of young apple trees were the remains of countless bodies. Below the cabin itself was a cellar stained with blood. The Benders, the family of four who once resided on the property were nowhere to be found. The discovery sent the local community and national newspapers into a frenzy that continued for decades, sparking an epic manhunt for the Benders. The idea that a family of seemingly respectable homesteaders—one among the thousands relocating farther west in se

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Book SynopsisExam Board: OCRLevel: A-levelSubject: HistoryFirst Teaching: September 2015First Exam: June 2016This is an OCR endorsed resourceBuild strong subject knowledge and skills in A Level History using the in-depth analysis and structured support in this tailor-made series for OCR''s British period studies and enquiries.- Develops the analytical skills required to succeed in the period study by organising the narrative content around the key issues for students to explore- Enhances understanding of the chosen historical period, supplying a wealth of extracts and sources that offer opportunities to practise the evaluative skills needed for the enquiry- Progressively improves study skills through developmental activities and advice on answering practice exam questions- Helps students to review, revise and reflect on the course material through chapter summaries and revision activi

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Book SynopsisExam Board: EdexcelLevel: AS/A-levelSubject: HistoryFirst Teaching: September 2015First Exam: June 2016Endorsed for EdexcelEnable your students to develop high-level skills in their Edexcel A level History breadth and depth studies through expert narrative and extended reading, including bespoke essays from leading academics- Build a strong understanding of the period studied with authoritative, well-researched content written in an accessible and engaging style- Ensure continual improvement in students'' essay writing, interpretation and source analysis skills, using practice questions and trusted guidance on successfully answering exam-style questions- Encourage students to undertake rolling revision and self-assessment by referring to end-of-chapter summaries and diagrams across the years- Help students monitor their progress and consolidate their knowledge through not

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Book SynopsisExam Board: EdexcelLevel: AS/A-levelSubject: HistoryFirst teaching: September 2015First exams: AS: Summer 2016; A-level: Summer 2017Endorsed for EdexcelEnable your students to develop high-level skills in their Edexcel A level History breadth and depth studies through expert narrative and extended reading, including bespoke essays from leading academics- Build a strong understanding of the period studied with authoritative, well-researched content written in an accessible and engaging style- Ensure continual improvement in students'' essay writing, interpretation and source analysis skills, using practice questions and trusted guidance on successfully answering exam-style questions- Encourage students to undertake rolling revision and self-assessment by referring to end-of-chapter summaries and diagrams across the years- Help students monitor their progress and consolidat

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Book SynopsisExam Board: AQA, Edexcel, OCR & WJECLevel: A-levelSubject: HistoryFirst Teaching: September 2015First Exam: June 2016Give your students the best chance of success with this tried and tested series, combining in-depth analysis, engaging narrative and accessibility. Access to History is the most popular, trusted and wide-ranging series for A-level History students.This title:- Supports the content and assessment requirements of the 2015 A-level History specifications- Contains authoritative and engaging content- Includes thought-provoking key debates that examine the opposing views and approaches of historians- Provides exam-style questions and guidance for each relevant specification to help students understand how to apply what they have learntThis title is suitable for a variety of courses including:- AQA: International Relations and Global Conflic

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Book SynopsisA compact guide to 40 of the most iconic ships that have shaped warfare from the Ancient world to today.Since the days of the Ancient Greeks, naval ships of all sizes have revolutionized warfare. From the Viking longship, pirate ships and super dreadnoughts to today's nuclear submarines and aircraft carriers, naval warfare has proved to be an essential component of military forces across the world.The Ship Spotter's Guide provides essential information on 40 iconic ships, using detailed profile artwork to illustrate and aid recognition, as well as specification boxes to provide all the technical details.Table of ContentsIntroduction/ Ancient Warships/ The Norse Longship/ Warships of the Far East/ Tudor Warships/ The Spanish Galleon/ Warships of the Anglo-Dutch War/ Pirate Ships/ Warships of the War of Independence/ Napoleonic Ship-of-the-Line/ Ironclads/ Union Monitors/ River Gunboats/ Commerce Raiders/ British Dreadnoughts/ German Dreadnoughts/ Super Dreadnoughts/ Austro-Hungarian Battleships/ Battlecruisers/ Destroyers/ Submarines/ Kriegsmarine U-boats/ German Battleships/ British Coastal Forces/ German Cruisers/ German Destroyers/ Japanese Carriers/ American Carriers/ Allied Submarines/ Japanese Battleships/ British Battleships/ American Destroyers/ American Fast Battleships/ Japanese Heavy Cruisers/ Italian Battleships/ British Cruisers/ Japanese Destoyers/ Vietnam Riverine Craft/ American Cold War Carriers/ Nuclear Submarines/ American Modern Super Carriers

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Book SynopsisThe Roman Empire rules the civilized world with an iron fist, seemingly all-powerful and limitless. And yet the power of Rome is secured not by its mighty legions but by small bands of warriors and agents fighting a secret war. Tasked by the Emperor to explore ancient temples, forgotten labyrinths, and beast-haunted caverns, they seek out artifacts hidden by the gods themselves, hunt creatures of myth, and face enemies that would use dark magic against the empire. Broken Legions is a set of fantasy skirmish rules for a war unknown to history, fought in the shadows of the Roman Empire. Various factions recruit small warbands to fight in tight, scenario-driven battles that could secure the mystical power to defend--or crush--Rome. A points system allows factions to easily build a warband, and mercenaries and free agents may also be hired to bolster a force. Heroes and leaders may possess a range of skills, traits, and magical abilities, but a henchman''s blade can be juTable of ContentsCore Rules/ Special Rules/ Equipment/ Magic & Miracles/ Scenarios/ Warband Rosters/ Free Agents & Hired Swords/ Monstrous Bestiary/ Campaign Advancement

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Book SynopsisThe revolutionary X-15 remains the fastest manned aircraft ever to fly. Built in in the two decades following World War II, it was the most successful of the high-speed X-planes. The only recently broken ''sound barrier'' was smashed completely by the X-15, which could hit Mach 6.7 and soar to altitudes above 350,000ft, beyond the edge of space. Several pilots qualified as astronauts by flying above 50 miles altitude in the X-15, including Neil Armstrong, the first man on the Moon. The three X-15s made 199 flights, testing new technologies and techniques which greatly eased America''s entry into manned space travel, and made the Apollo missions and Space Shuttle viable propositions. With historical photographs and stunning digital artwork, this is the story of arguably the greatest of the X-Planes.

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Book SynopsisThis title tells the fascinating story of the development and deployment of the mighty Russian fleets, the pride of the Tsar, which went to war against the Japanese and met with all-encompassing destruction.This book examines the major warships of the Imperial Russian Navy which participated in the Russo-Japanese War. The focus is on the battleships, coastal defense warships, and cruisers of the Pacific Squadron and Baltic Squadron that fought during the war. It discusses in detail their design and development between the years of 1885 and 1905, concentrating particularly on battleships and cruisers. The book explores, in depth, the mutually influential relationship between Russian and foreign warship design, as Russia progressed from a reliance on foreign designs and shipyards towards an ability to produce its own influential ships, such as the Novik. The title also outlines the gripping operational history of the Russian warships which participated inTable of ContentsIntroduction /Design and Development /Combat in the Russo-Japanese War /Ship Statistics /Bibliography /Index

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Book SynopsisThis title is highly illustrated account of the Ia Drang campaign of 1965, a key event in the Vietnam War, which was immortalized in the film We Were Soldiers Once and Young.The Pleiku campaign of OctoberNovember 1965 was a major event in the Vietnam War, and it is usually regarded as the first substantial battle between the US Army and the People''s Army of Vietnam. The brigade-sized actions involving elements of the US 1st Cavalry Division at Landing Zones X-Ray and Albany in the valley of the river Drang have become iconic episodes in the military history of the United States. In 1965, in an effort to stem the Communist tide, the Americans began to commit substantial conventional ground forces to the war in Vietnam. Amongst these was the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile), a new type of formation equipped with a large fleet of helicopters. On October 19, North Vietnamese forces besieged a Special Forces camp at Plei Me, and after the base was relieved Table of ContentsThe strategic background Chronology Opposing commanders Opposing forces Opposing plans The campaign Aftermath The battlefields today Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThis is a new history of the US Army Air Force''s pioneering but costly raids on Germany''s Messerschmitt and ball-bearing factories in World War II.In 1943, the USAAF and RAF launched the Combined Bomber Offensive, designed to systematically destroy the industries that the German war machine relied on. At the top of the hit list were aircraft factories and plants making ball-bearings--a component thought to be a critical vulnerability. Schweinfurt in southern Germany was home to much of the ball-bearing industry and, together with the Messerschmitt factory in Regensburg, which built Bf 109 fighters, it was targeted in a huge and innovative strike.Precision required that the targets were hit in daylight, but the raid was beyond the range of any existing escort fighter, so the B-17s would go in unprotected. The solution was to hit the two targets in a coordinated double-strike, with the Regensburg strike hitting first, drawing off the defending Luftwaffe fighteTable of ContentsIntroduction Chronology Attacker's Capabilities Defender's Capabilities Campaign Objectives The Campaign Analysis and Conclusions Index

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Book SynopsisFrom the late Revolutionary Wars and Egyptian campaign, to the battles of Austerlitz, Borodino, Leipzig, and Waterloo, Absolute Emperor is a mass battle wargame that provides all the rules needed to play during this period of grand armies and sweeping campaigns. Players'' armies are composed of multiple corps, with command and control being of the utmost importance, all influenced by the elan of your general. Do you follow in the footsteps of Napoleon and be crowned the Absolute Emperor or stand against tyranny as Wellington and Blücher?

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Book SynopsisAn in-depth look at the struggle between the charismatic rebel commander Ahmad Shah Massoud, The Lion of Panjshir, and the Soviet forces who fought to control the Panjshir Valley in Afghanistan.When the Soviets rolled into Afghanistan in 1979, they believed if they took the cities, the country would follow. They were wrong. The Red Army found itself in a bloody stalemate in the Afghan mountains, in the strategically vital Panjshir Valley, where they faced the most able and charismatic of the rebel commanders: Ahmad Shah Massoud, the Lion of Panjshir.Time and again the Soviets and their Afghan counterparts sought to take control of the Panjshir, and time and again the rebels either rebuffed their clumsy attempts or ambushed and evaded them, only to retake the valley as soon as Moscow''s attention was elsewhere. Over time, the rebels acquired new weapons and developed their own tactics as did the Soviets. The Panjshir was not just a pivotal battlefield, it alsoTable of ContentsORIGINS OF THE CAMPAIGN CHRONOLOGY OPPOSING COMMANDERS - The Rebels - Soviet - The DRA OPPOSING FORCES - Soviet 40th Army - The DRA - The Panjshir Front OPPOSING PLANS - The Soviets/DRA - The Rebels THE CAMPAIGN - Panjshir I, April 1980: first blood - Panjshir II, August 1980: relieving Rukha - Panjshir III, November 1980: returning to Rukha - Panjshir IV, September 1981: a Soviet defeat - Panjshir V, May 1982: taking the valley - Panjshir VI, August–September 1982: the attempted mop-up - Truce, January–August 1983 - Panjshir VII, April–September 1984: back to the war - Panjshir VIII, September 1984: keeping Massoud off-balance - Panjshir IX, June 1985: the reprisal AFTERMATH - Assessment THE BATTLEFIELD TODAY GLOSSARY AND ACRONYMS FURTHER READING INDEX

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Book SynopsisA fascinating study of the EB-66, which from 1965 to 1967 was the US Air Force''s only platform for jamming and escort duties for its strike operations over heavily-defended areas. Without the bravery and skill of EB-66 operators, US losses would undoubtedly have been much higher during the Vietnam War, with large tactical strikes on North Vietnam and Arc Light B-52 raids only available when EB-66 support was possible.Studies of air combat in the Vietnam War inevitably focus on the MiG-killing fighter engagements, B-52 onslaughts or tactical strikes on the Hanoi region. However, underlying all these was the secretive ''electron war'' in which highly-skilled electronic warfare officers dueled with Soviet and North Vietnamese radar operators in the attempt to enable US strike forces to reach their targets with minimal losses. Orbiting at the edge of heavily-defended territory, the vulnerable EB-66s identified and jammed the enemy''s radar frequencies with electroTable of Contents1. Naval Origins 2. Cold War Bomber 3. Yokota and Shaw 4. Into the Fire 5. Thundering On 6. The Final Round 7. Still in Europe Appendices - Colour plates commentary - Index

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Book SynopsisAn informative and visually appealing quiz book covering all aspects of Churchill''s extraordinary life.Do you think you know everything there is to know about Churchill? Have you seen every film and read every book ever produced about this great British statesman? Then delve into The Churchill Quiz Book to find 800 fascinating questions on every aspect of his heroic, colourful and controversial life!With multiple-choice questions, anagrams, truth or fiction sections to baffle and intrigue, picture quizzes from the Imperial War Museums'' archive, and much more, you will find there is still something new to learn about the compelling icon who led Great Britain to ultimate victory in World War II.Trade ReviewIt really is a nice gift for anyone interested in our wartime PM. * The Armourer *Table of ContentsIntroduction Acknowledgments How to Use This Book Questions 1. Beginnings 2. Passion and Politics 3. Politics, Empire and the Road to War 4. War and Wilderness 5. Alone and at War 6. Darkest Hours 7. Adversity and Striking Back 8. Liberating Europe 9. Victory and Defeat 10. Post-war and Legacy Answers Further Reading About the Author Imperial War Museums

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Book SynopsisAn illustrated study of the little-known history of the failed Allied bombing campaign designed to shatter German defenses on D-Day. D-Day is one of the most written-about events in military history. One aspect of the invasion, however, continues to be ignored: the massive pre-assault bombardment by the Allied Expeditionary Air Force (AEAF), reinforced by RAF Bomber Command and the US Eighth Air Force on June 6 which sought to neutralize the German defenses along the Atlantic Wall. Unfortunately, this failed series of attacks resulted in death or injury to hundreds of soldiers, and killed many French civilians. Despite an initial successful attack performed by the Allied forces, the most crucial phase of the operation, which was the assault from the Eighth Air Force against the defenses along the Calvados coast, was disastrous. The bombers missed almost all of their targets, inflicting little damage to the German defenses, which resulted in a high number of casualties among the Table of ContentsINTRODUCTION CHRONOLOGY ATTACKER'S CAPABILITIES - The Allied Expeditionary Air Force (AEAF) - RAF Bomber Command - RAF Second Tactical Air Force and other British commands - US Ninth Air Force - US Eighth Air Force - Ordnance - Navigation and targeting DEFENDER'S CAPABILITIES - Fortifications on the French coast - Passive air defense - Active air defense CAMPAIGN OBJECTIVES - The vital beachhead - The Joint Fire Plan - The “air force” problem THE CAMPAIGN - The invasion begins - Operation Flashlamp - Crisbecq Battery - Eighth Air Force’s tactical assault - Change of plans - Omaha Beach (2nd Bomb Division) - Gold and Juno Beach (1st Bomb Division) - 3rd Bomb Division - Ninth Air Force ANALYSIS AND CONCLUSION FURTHER READING INDEX

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Book SynopsisFully illustrated, this absorbing study assesses the warriors fighting on both sides during the Vikings' attacks on the Frankish realm in the 9th century, as raiding escalated into full-scale siege warfare.On the eve of the 9th century, Vikings first raided the Frankish Empire on the coast of what is now western France. Although this attack ended in disaster for the Scandinavians, Charlemagne reportedly wept, not in fear of his own life, but for the ensuing bloodshed brought upon his successors. Mobile parties of highly skilled Viking warriors would continue to raid Francia for decades; as these attacking contingents grew more numerous they began to assail powerful centres, besieging Paris in 845 and again in 885. To combat the Viking threat, Frankish kings mustered scores of infantrymen, then subsequently transitioned to cavalry-based forces in the 9th century. The dynamic nature of Viking activity in Francia meant that numbers and mobility would determine the fate of CharlemagTable of ContentsIntroduction The Opposing Sides The First Clashes, 799-840 The Great Assault, 840-77 The Later Raids, 877-911 Analysis Aftermath Bibliography Index

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Book Synopsis2023 ENNIE NOMINATED FOR BEST WRITINGA roleplaying game of fantastical inventions and Machiavellian politics in Renaissance Italy.It is the Year of Our Lord 1510, and one has to wonder how differently history could have played out if Niccolò Machiavelli, the military commissioner of the Republic of Florence, had not understood the true scale of Leonardo da Vinci's genius. In such a world, the visionary might simply have wasted his time painting portraits of women and doodling in a sketchbook. Instead, he unleashed a technological revolution where primitive computers, decorated with delicately painted cupids, run on water clocks; spring-powered tanks whir across the battlefield, cannons thundering from their flanks; and gliders flit across perfectly blue Tuscan skies.Gran Meccanismo is a roleplaying game of swashbuckling adventure in a Renaissance Italy where Florence''s winding alleys play host to spies, scholars, and sell-swords alike. Players are nobles, mercenaries, in

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Book SynopsisThe aerial clashes between the iconic Corsair and Zero-sen translated into a contest of speed and altitude for the former, versus the latter's outstanding agility and range.Whilst the F4U Corsair eventually proved to be a superior fighter in Pacific operations, its introduction into combat in this theatre initially demonstrated its weaknesses. Indeed, the Saint Valentine''s Day Massacre' debacle showcased exemplary Zero-sen fighter tactics, and American losses were of sufficient magnitude that further daylight missions toward Bougainville were discontinued until Allied fighter tactics could be improved. As a result, for the next two months the Corsair's combat results were much subdued. Indeed, the F4U only became a superb fighter when both its pilots and their commanders worked out how to deploy the gull-wing design effectively. Optimum circumstances for effective engagement did not always occur, and the Zero-sen remained effective against the Corsair until February 1944 in theTable of ContentsIntroduction Chronology Design and Development Technical Specifications The Strategic Situation The Combatants Combat Statistics and Analysis Aftermath Further Reading Index To illustrate the unique features of the F4U and A6M5 Model 52 Zero-sen, including armament, cockpit details and basic fighter formations, as well as the location they flew from in-theater. Also included will be an engaging the enemy cockpit artwork and a battlescene spread.

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Book SynopsisFeaturing specially commissioned artwork and archive illustrations, this engrossing study describes the US Marine Corps'' early operations and illustrates its evolving uniforms and personal equipment. The US Marine Corps'' uniforms, personal equipment, insignia, and weaponry are all described and illustrated in this book, complemented by a succinct history of the Marines'' military record from their beginnings to the eve of the American Civil War, by which time the US Marine Corps had established itself as a small but vitally important part of the United States'' armed forces. Organized in 1775, the first American Marines distinguished themselves throughout the American Revolutionary War, and even raided mainland Britain before being disbanded in 1783. Reestablished in 1798, the US Marine Corps fought in the Barbary Wars and the War of 1812, both at sea and on land. The years after 1815 saw the Corps involved in a wide variety of conflicts, from the Seminole WTable of ContentsThe American Revolutionary War The Birth of the US Marine Corps The First Barbary War The War of 1812 New Challenges 1815-35 The Second Seminole War The Mexican–American War Expanding Empire Harpers Ferry Select Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisIn this fully illustrated introduction, acclaimed historian Dr Aaron Edwards provides a concise overview of one of the most difficult and controversial actions in recent history. Spanning 38 years of the Troubles', the British Army's deployment in Northern Ireland (codenamed Operation Banner) was one of the most difficult and controversial in its recent history. Over 10,000 troops were on active service during much of the campaign, which saw armoured vehicles, helicopters and special forces deployed onto the streets of Ulster. In this book, Dr Aaron Edwards considers the strategic, operational and tactical aspects of Operation Banner, as the Army's military objectives morphed from high-profile peacekeeping into a covert war against the IRA. Using personal testimony from both sides of the sectarian divide, as well as insights from the soldiers themselves, he presents an authoritative introduction to the Army's role in the Troubles, providing expert analysis of OperaTable of ContentsIntroduction Background to War Warring Sides Outbreak The Fighting The World Around War How the War Ended Conclusion and Consequences Chronology Further Reading Index

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