History Books
Manchester University Press Ideas of Monarchical Reform: FéNelon, Jacobitism,
Book SynopsisThis book examines the political works of Andrew Michael Ramsay (1683–1743) within the context of early eighteenth-century British and French political thought. In the first monograph on Ramsay in English for over sixty years, the author uses Ramsay to engage in a broader evaluation of the political theory in the two countries and the exchange between them. At the beginning of the eighteenth century, Britain and France were on divergent political paths. Yet in the first three decades of that century, the growing impetus of mixed government in Britain influenced the political theory of its long-standing enemy. Shaped by experiences and ideologies of the seventeenth century, thinkers in both states exhibited a desire to produce great change by integrating past wisdom with modern knowledge.Trade Review‘Mansfield’s book enriches and complicates our understanding of a vibrant culture of intellectual exchange between Britain and France in the early modern era. It is a welcome contribution to this topic in that it balances the prevalent focus on the wave of Anglomania that swept over France especially after the conclusion of the War of the Spanish Succession in 1713.’Doohwan Ahn, Seoul National University, Northern Scotland‘Ideas of Monarchical Reform is an interesting and informative first book that casts important light on thought in both Britain and France in the decades before and after 1700.’Johann Sommerville, University of Wisconsin-Madison, American Historical Review‘This is a constructive endeavour to explore the philosophy of a spiritual and intellectual adventurer, Andrew Michael Ramsay, a Scottish émigré in France whose commitment to Jacobitism was surpassed only by that to European freemasonry.’Allan I. Macinnes, University of Strathclyde, EHR, CXXXlll, 562 (June 2018)‘Ideas of Monarchical Reform is a[n] highly engaging and significant study in the history of ideas. It certainly offers a richer religious and political context for Jacobitism, as a movement capable of embracing far more heterogeneous and creative viewpoints, than is often acknowledged in many of the modern apologias for the exiled Stuarts.’John Callow, University of Suffolk, The Seventeenth Century‘Mansfield’s work on Ramsay constitutes not only one of the rare contributions to understanding the Chevalier’s oeuvre but also a deft analysis of the complex strands of political thought in Britain and France in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries.’Minchul Kim, School of History, University of St Andrews, History of European Ideas -- .Table of ContentsIntroduction1 Division and unity I: revolution and settlement2 Division and unity II: fear and corruption3 Liberty and the public good: the political principles of Archbishop Fénelon4 The reign of Louis XIV: absolute monarchy5 Confronting the legacy of Louis XIV: government reform and Britain6 Ramsay and his associations7 A mythical conversation: an Essay and a Vie8 A mythical education: Ramsay’s Cyrus and PlanConclusionIndex
£999.99
Casemate Publishers Arctic Front: The Advance of Mountain Corps
Book SynopsisIn 1941, military operations were conducted by large formations along the northern coast of Scandinavia – for the first time in history of warfare. A modern army suddenly swept into that isolated and inhospitable region that was yet to possess the level of importance it would later assume in Cold War polar strategy.The Arctic Front was the northernmost theatre in the war waged by Germany against Russia. For a period of four years, German troops from all branches of the Wehrmacht fought side by side with Finnish border guard units. The high point of the war on the Arctic Front was the assembly and advance of Germany’s Mountain Corps Norway in the summer and autumn of 1941. Commanded by general of the mountain troops, Eduard Dietl, and composed of the 2nd and 3rd Mountain Divisions, the Mountain Corps advanced out of occupied North Norway, assembled in the Petsamo Corridor in North Finland, and struck into Russian territory in an attempt to seize Murmansk. It did not reach its objective.This account of the operation was written by Wilhelm Hess, quartermaster of the Mountain Corps Norway. He draws upon his personal experience of the conditions and actions on the Arctic Front in order to describe and analyse the environment, the sequence of events, and the reasons behind certain decisions. In addition to describing how operations conducted by the Mountain Corps unfolded, Hess provides insight as to how the terrain, the flow of supplies, and the war at sea impacted those operations.Trade Review...if you have any kind of interest in understanding what it entails to wage warfare in the Arctic Circle or an interest in military logistics - then this book is a must read. * Misc US Reviewer *This is a serious, thoughtful book about war "on the right wing of the Western Front and the left wing of the Eastern Front" in conditions hardly conducive to survival, let alone combat. Definitely recommended. * Stone & Stone Second World War Books *Table of Contents1. The Mountain Corps Norway 2. Fennoscandia and Kola 3. The threat from the west 4. Assembly of forces in the east 5. Operational plans 6. Petsamo 7. Cutting off Rybachy Peninsula 8. Overcoming the border fortifications 9. Meeting engagements 10. The first attack over the Litsa River 11. The second attack over the Litsa River 12. The operations of the 6th Destroyer Flotilla 13. Mopping up the Duchy 14. The last days of summer 15. The third attack over the Litsa River 16. The reasons for failure 17. Upheaval and relief 18. Positional warfare and the line of security 19. On the Luttojoki River 20. The supply of the mountain corps
£28.00
Manchester University Press The War on the Uyghurs: China's Campaign Against
Book SynopsisThe first account of one of the world’s most pressing humanitarian catastrophes.This eye-opening book reveals how China has used the US-led Global War on Terror as cover for its increasingly brutal suppression of the Uyghur people. China’s actions, it argues, have emboldened states around the globe to persecute ethnic minorities and severely repress domestic opposition in the name of combatting terrorism.Within weeks of the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington, the Chinese government announced that it faced a serious terrorist threat from its largely Muslim Uyghur ethnic minority. Nearly two decades later, of the 11 million Uyghurs living in China today, more than 1 million have been detained in so-called re-education camps, victims of what has become the largest program of mass incarceration and surveillance in the world.Drawing on extensive interviews with Uyghurs in Xinjiang, as well as refugee communities and exiles, Sean Roberts tells a story that is not just about state policies, but about Uyghur responses to these devastating government programs. Providing a lucid and far-reaching analysis of China’s cultural genocide, The War on the Uyghurs allows the voices of those caught up in the human tragedy to be heard for the first time.Trade Review‘This book should act as a wake-up call for policy-makers worldwide. Armed with the piercing and detailed analysis of the recent past in East Turkistan, and the graphic accounts of the present, no one has any further excuse for failing to grasp the full reality of the human tragedy that is taking place. Roberts de-mystifies the background, debunks the false excuses of the Chinese state, and presents the reality of the persecution unfolding before our eyes. None of us can afford to look away.’ Ben Emmerson QC, Former UN Special Rapporteur on Counter-Terrorism ‘Sean Roberts has done an immense service for all those who need to put headlines about Chinese repression of Uyghurs in recent years in proper context. Describing how the rhetoric and practices of the “Global War on Terror” since 2001 have led to the mass internment, persecution, and surveillance of the population, Sean Roberts shows that the Chinese campaign has chillingly aimed at nothing less than the destruction of Uyghur identity. This account is masterful, educational, and enraging by turns.’ Samuel Moyn, Professor of Law and History, Yale University, and author of Not Enough: Human Rights in an Unequal World ‘This is the back story behind one of the biggest stories in China – the incarceration of more than one million Uyghurs in a dystopian network of what are claimed to be reeducation camps. Who the Uyghurs are and how they came to be classified as terrorists is a story authoritatively told by Sean Roberts, who has spent three decades studying the Uyghurs and speaks the language. The publication of The War on the Uyghurs could not be more timely.’ Barbara Demick, former Beijing bureau chief, Los Angeles Times, and author of Nothing to Envy ‘In this highly readable account, Sean Roberts provides essential historical background to the Chinese Communist Party’s “Cultural Revolution” against the Uyghurs. Distinguished by his ability to read and speak the Uyghur language, Roberts challenges global terrorism experts, who failed to interrogate the Chinese government assertion that it was combating an international terrorism threat not an anti-colonial struggle.’ Lindsey Hilsum, Channel 4 News, author of In Extremis: the Life of War Correspondent Marie Colvin ‘I first came across the Uyghurs in Guantanamo Bay, where they were guilty of no more than fleeing Chinese repression across the closest border into Afghanistan. It is a sad truth that our American “War on Terror” has given licence to repressive regimes around the world to behave even worse, as Sean Roberts lucidly describes in detailing the tragedy of the Uyghurs.’ Clive Stafford Smith, Human Rights lawyer and founder of the charity Reprieve ‘Sophisticated, nuanced, and deeply informed. Sean Roberts offers broad insights into the ways the “Global War on Terror” has enabled authoritarian regimes around the world to repress minority populations.’ Michael Clarke, Associate Professor, National Security College, ANU College of Asia and the Pacific, and author of Xinjiang and China’s Rise in Central Asia: A History ‘Sean Roberts provides a comprehensive explanation for the current arbitrary mass detention of Uyghurs in China, an issue of global geopolitical significance. His book will likely become a standard reference for students on this topic.’ Max Oidtmann, author of Forging the Golden Urn: The Qing Empire and the Politics of Reincarnation in Tibet ‘A detailed, well-researched study of the ways in which the Xinjiang region in contemporary China has been linked with global terrorism by the central government, justifying extensive repressive measures. Sean Roberts offers a critique, and an indictment, of Beijing’s approach. Sobering and thought-provoking.’ Kerry Brown, Professor of Chinese Studies and Director, Lau China Institute, King’s College London ‘Giving voice to the Uyghurs themselves and drawing attention to this crisis, The War on the Uyghurs is striking, empathetic and deeply informative. Providing detail that only an expert can offer, Roberts documents what is perhaps today’s worst tragedy. Ultimately, Roberts’s contribution serves as a vital testament to the Chinese government’s strategic brutality in Xinjiang, the Uyghurs’ perilous position and the world’s failure to live up to its promise of ‘never again.’’ LSE Review of Books ‘Timely and important.’ The Times Literary Supplement ‘Roberts provides fascinating new details…revealing that organized Uighur militancy is almost entirely illusory.’ Foreign Affairs ‘Roberts’s analysis of the interaction between China’s settler colonialism and indigenous Uyghur resistance over the past ten years is far richer than what has been offered anywhere else. This is an extremely timely book, and badly needed.’ Rian Thum, author of The Sacred Routes of Uyghur History ‘A carefully researched study of Beijing’s repression in Xinjiang.’ Financial Times -- .Table of ContentsMap: Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous RegionForeword by Ben EmmersonPrefaceIntroduction1 Colonialism, 1759-20012 How the Uyghurs became a 'terrorist threat'3 Myths and realities of the alleged 'terrorist threat' associated with Uyghurs4 Colonialism meets counterterrorism, 2002-20125 The self-fulfilling prophecy and the ‘People’s War on Terror,’ 2013-20166 Cultural genocide, 2017-2020ConclusionA note on methodologyTransliteration and place namesList of figuresList of abbreviationsAcknowledgmentsNotesIndex
£23.84
Manchester University Press The Debate on Black Civil Rights in America
Book SynopsisThis book examines the historiography of the African American freedom struggle from the 1890s to the present. It considers how, and why, the study of African American history developed from being a marginalized subject in American universities and colleges at the start of the twentieth century to become one of the most extensively researched fields in American history today.There is analysis of the changing scholarly interpretations of African American leaders from Booker T. Washington through to Barack Obama. The impact and significance of the leading civil rights organizations are assessed, as well as the white segregationists who opposed them and the civil rights policies of presidential administrations from Woodrow Wilson to Donald Trump.The civil rights struggle is also discussed in the context of wider, political, social and economic changes in the United States and developments in popular culture.Table of ContentsIntroduction1 Segregation and accommodation, 1895-19152 The Great Migration and the ‘New Negro’, 1915-19303 The Great Depression and the Second World War, 1930-19454 The post-war civil rights movement, 1945-19655 Malcolm X and black power, 1960-19806 The new conservatism, 1980-20087 ‘An insubstantial pageant faded’: Obama and Trump, 2008-2020ConclusionIndex
£17.09
Casemate Publishers General Erich Hoepner: Portrait of a Panzer
Book SynopsisThis volume in the Die Wehrmacht im Kampf series examines Erich Hoepner's leadership of panzer formations in Poland in 1939, France in 1940, and Russia in 1941. It is written by Walter Chales de Beaulieu, a general staff officer who fought alongside Hoepner. Erich Hoepner was one of the most competent tank commanders of World War II, playing a significant role in Germany’s early successes. As the commander of the XVI Panzer Corps at the outbreak of war in 1939, Hoepner carried out the main thrust towards Warsaw. The panzer corps covered 250 kilometres and reached the outskirts of the city in only eight days.In 1940, commanding the same formation, Hoepner fought the French Cavalry Corps in Belgium, partook in the encirclement of Allied forces near Dunkirk, and advanced southwards over the Weygand Line deep into French territory. In 1941, Hoepner became the commander of Panzer Group 4, which was the main attack formation for the advance on Leningrad. It made rapid progress to begin with, but an increasingly wide and exposed front meant that the attack gradually ground to a halt. After one final attempt to capture the city in the middle of September failed, the panzer group was redeployed to the central sector of the Eastern Front. It was there that the panzer group was to help with the push towards Moscow. In conjunction with Panzer Group 3, Hoepner’s Panzer Group 4 completed and eliminated the Vyazma pocket. Hoepner frequently felt that he was not allowed to advance on Moscow quickly enough by his superiors, yet his decision to conduct a withdrawal in January 1942 led to his dismissal.In this book, Walter Chales de Beaulieu provides insight into Erich Hoepner’s ability as a panzer commander, painting a picture of a man who was committed to the military profession, who possessed a strong sense of responsibility, and who was confident enough to exercise his own will.Trade ReviewThis is an excellent military biography of one of the chief Panzer commanders of the early part of World War II. The author shows us the thoughts and writings of Hoepner during these campaigns. It is a window into the inner workings of the Panzer forces early in the war. * A Wargamer's Needful Things 28/09/2022 *Table of ContentsDuring the campaign in Poland 1939 Mission of 14th Panzerkorps Breakthrough of14th Panzerkorps in direction of Warsaw The 14th Panzerkorps in a blocking positionwest of Warsaw Decision at river Buzra Observations on Leadership. The campaign in France 1940 Time for preparations The push on to Belgium The main effort at Flanders The offensive against the Weygand line Over river Marne toriver Rhone. The push on to Leningrad 1941 Preparations and operational intents A quick push toriver Düna Through Lettland to the Stalin line The setting for the offensive against the city of Leningrad The Panzergruppe is stopped for the first time Restructuring measures Attack from the river Luga bridge head Armour in front of Leningrad. The attack on to Moscow Deployment of forces and intentions The “Kessel” of Wjasma The Deployment for Moscow The “general” order The dismissal of Colonel General Hoepner Conclusion
£28.00
Manchester University Press Post-Everything: An Intellectual History of
Book SynopsisPostmodern, postcolonial and post-truth are broadly used terms. But where do they come from? When and why did the habit of interpreting the world in post-terms emerge? And who exactly were the ‘post boys’ responsible for this?Post-everything examines why post-Christian, post-industrial and post-bourgeois were terms that resonated, not only among academics, but also in the popular press. It delves into the historical roots of postmodern and poststructuralist, while also subjecting more recent post-constructions (posthumanist, postfeminist) to critical scrutiny.This study is the first to offer a comprehensive history of post-concepts. In tracing how these concepts found their way into a broad range of genres and disciplines, Post-everything contributes to a rapprochement between the history of the humanities and the history of the social sciences.Table of ContentsIntroduction: post-concepts in historical perspective – Herman PaulPart I: The emergence of a prefix (1930s–60s)1 ‘Our post-Christian age’: historicist-inspired diagnoses of modernity, 1935–70 – Herman Paul2 The post-secular in post-war American religious history – K. Healan Gaston3 Defining the old, creating the new: post-ideology and the politics of periodisation – Adriaan van Veldhuizen4 The death and rebirth of ‘postcapitalist society’ – Howard BrickPart II: Post rising to prominence (1970s–90s)5 Post-Keynesian: a rare example of a post-concept in economics – Roger E. Backhouse6 Lost in the post: (post-)structuralism between France and the United States – Edward Baring7 The ‘post’ in literary postmodernism: a history – Hans Bertens8 From political reference to self-narration: ‘postcolonial’ as periodiser – Andrew Sartori9 The tradition of post-tradition – Stephen TurnerPart III: Contemporary post-constructions (2000s–present)10 Busting the ‘post’? Postfeminist genealogies in millennial culture – Stéphanie Genz11 Posthumanism and the ‘posterising impulse’ – Yolande Jansen, Jasmijn Leeuwenkamp and Leire UrricelquiEpilogue: lessons for future posts – Adriaan van VeldhuizenIndex
£25.00
Casemate Publishers Nanjing 1937: Battle for a Doomed City
Book SynopsisThe infamous Rape of Nanjing looms like a dark shadow over the history of Asia in the 20th century, and is among the most widely recognized chapters of World War II in China. By contrast, the story of the month-long campaign before this notorious massacre has never been told in its entirety. Nanjing 1937 by Peter Harmsen fills this gap. This is the follow-up to Harmsen's best-selling Shanghai 1937: Stalingrad on the Yangtze, and begins where that book left off. In stirring prose, it describes how the Japanese Army, having invaded the mainland and emerging victorious from the Battle of Shanghai, pushed on toward the capital Nanjing in a crushing advance that confirmed its reputation for bravery and savagery in equal measure. While much of the struggle over Shanghai had carried echoes of the grueling war in the trenches two decades earlier, the Nanjing campaign was a fast-paced mobile operation in which armor and air power played mayor roles. It was blitzkrieg two years before Hitler's invasion of Poland. Facing the full might of modern, mechanized warfare, China's resistance was heroic, but ultimately futile. As in Shanghai, the battle for Nanjing was more than a clash between Chinese and Japanese. Soldiers and citizens of a variety of nations witnessed or took part in the hostilities. German advisors, American journalists and British diplomats all played important parts in this vast drama. And a new power appeared on the scene: Soviet pilots dispatched by Stalin to challenge Japan's control of the skies. This epic tale is told with verve and attention to detail by Harmsen, a veteran East Asia correspondent who consolidates his status as the foremost chronicler of World War II in China with this path-breaking work of narrative history.Trade ReviewYou certainly get a feel for the pace and nature of the campaign, and the tensions between politicians and generals. […] a useful foray into a rare topic, with a 14-page bibliography demonstrating considerable research effort. * Miniature Wargames 19/07/2021 *The author has obviously researched both widely and deeply. That, combined, provides a really good overview of what was a particularly cataclysmic event in comparatively recent military history. * Baird Maritime 13/09/2021 *
£17.09
Manchester University Press The Traumatic Surreal: Germanophone Women Artists
Book SynopsisThe traumatic surreal is the first major study to examine the ground-breaking role played by Germanophone women artists working in surrealist traditions in responding to the traumatic events and legacies of the Second World War. Analysing works in a variety of media by leading artists and writers, the book redefines the post-war trajectories of surrealism and recalibrates critical understandings of the movement’s relations to historical trauma. Chapters address artworks, writings and compositions by the Swiss Meret Oppenheim, the German Unica Zürn, the Austrian Birgit Jürgenssen, the Luxembourg-Austrian Bady Minck and the Austrian Olga Neuwirth and her collaboration with fellow Austrian Nobel-prize winning novelist Elfriede Jelinek. Locating each artist in their historical context, the book traces the development of the traumatic surreal through the wartime and post-war period.Trade Review‘…a welcome addition to recent scholarship on both the women of, and inspired by, Surrealism, and the role of trauma in contemporary art.’ The Burlington Magazine'...a groundbreaking book that offers new perspectives on female positions and lineages in the history of surrealism.' Woman's Art Journal -- .Table of ContentsIntroduction1 Meret Oppenheim’s hauntologies2 Unica Zürn’s pathographies3 Birgit Jürgenssen’s abjections4 Bady Minck’s tourist imaginaries5 Olga Neuwirth / Elfriede Jelinek: temporality and traumaIndex
£73.34
Manchester University Press Bog Bodies: Face to Face with the Past
Book SynopsisThe ‘bog bodies’ of north-western Europe have captured the imaginations of poets and archaeologists alike, allowing us to come face-to-face with individuals from the past. Their exceptional preservation permits us to examine minute details of their lives and deaths, making us reflect poignantly on our own mortality. But, as this book argues, the bodies must be resituated within a turbulent world of endemic violence and change. Reinterpreting the latest continental research and new discoveries, and featuring a ground-breaking ‘cold case’ forensic study of Worsley Man, Manchester Museum’s ‘bog head’, it brings the bogs to life through both natural history and folklore, revealing them as places that were rich and fertile yet dangerous. The book also argues that these remains do not just pose practical conservation problems but also philosophical dilemmas, compounded by the critical debate on if – and how – they should be displayed.Trade Review'[...] this book is so much more than just an archaeological text setting out what we know about these fascinating remains. Giles takes us on a journey that is poignant, moving and often deeply personal. I have so much empathy in how Giles relates her work to her own sense of bereavement, having lost my own mother recently, that I am left saying, “Hell yes – this is archaeology”. Archaeology of the very best kind – the kind that helps you explore what it is to be human.'British Archaeology, Neil Redfern'Bog Bodies is an exhaustive study of human remains extracted from bogs in northern Europe where conditions amenable to preservation have resulted in the recovery of largely complete bodies. Giles (Univ. of Manchester, UK) explores the natural context of the bogs and how they interacted with the "bog bodies" found within them, delving deeply into the bodies' recovery. She deals with how historians and the public have viewed the bodies, pointing out that shaky assumptions have often driven interpretation. Treatment of the subject raises questions relating to death, from well-known examples to the more general occurrence of the dead, both in past and present cultural contexts and in relation to the bogs' natural environment. Giles's survey of finds, as well as public presentations in museums and written reconstructions, suggests to her that the dead offer a way for everyone to richly connect with and understand the lives of the past. Well-illustrated, with a current bibliography, this book is an obvious acquisition for colleges and universities with appropriate departments. The author's sensitive treatment will also interest a wider audience.--R. B. Clay, emeritus, University of KentuckySumming Up: Recommended. General readers through graduate students.Reprinted with permission from Choice Reviews. All rights reserved. Copyright by the American Library Association. -- .Table of Contents1 Introduction 2 Discovering bog bodies 3 Preserving the dead 4 Crossing the bog 5 Exquisite things and everyday treasures: interpreting deposition in the bog6 Violent ends7 Worsley Man: Manchester’s bog head 8 Disquieting exhibits9 Conclusion: creative legaciesIndex
£26.00
Naval Inst PR Patton and the Battle for Sicily
£27.75
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Sex and Sexuality in Georgian Britain
Book SynopsisPeek beneath the bedsheets of eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century Britain in this affectionate, informative and fascinating look at sex and sexuality during the reigns of Georges I-IV. It examines the prevailing attitudes towards male and female sexual behaviour, and the ways in which these attitudes were often determined by those in positions of power and authority. It also explores our ancestors' ingenious, surprising, bizarre and often entertaining solutions to the challenges associated with maintaining a healthy sex life. Did the people in Georgian Britain live up to their stereotypes when it came to sexual behaviour? This book will answer this question, as well as looking at fashion, food, science, art, medicine, magic, literature, love, politics, faith and superstition through a new lens, leaving the reader enlightened and with a new regard for the ingenuity and character of our ancestors.
£13.49
Austin Macauley Publishers Aliens on Earth
Book Synopsis
£8.54
New Village Press Root Shock: How Tearing Up City Neighborhoods
Book SynopsisRoot Shock examines 3 different U.S. cities to unmask the crippling results of decades-old disinvestment in communities of color and the urban renewal practices that ultimately destroyed these neighborhoods for the advantage of developers and the elite. Like a sequel to the prescient warnings of urbanist Jane Jacobs, Dr. Mindy Thompson Fullilove reveals the disturbing effects of decades of insensitive urban renewal projects on communities of color. For those whose homes and neighborhoods were bulldozed, the urban modernization projects that swept America starting in 1949 were nothing short of an assault. Vibrant city blocks - places rich in culture - were torn apart by freeways and other invasive development, devastating the lives of poor residents. Fullilove passionately describes the profound traumatic stress- the "root shock"that results when a neighborhood is demolished. She estimates that federal and state urban renewal programs, spearheaded by business and real estate interests, destroyed 1,600 African American districts in cities across the United States. But urban renewal didn't just disrupt black communities: it ruined their economic health and social cohesion, stripping displaced residents of their sense of place as well. It also left big gashes in the centers of cities that are only now slowly being repaired. Focusing on the Hill District of Pittsburgh, the Central Ward in Newark, and the small Virginia city of Roanoke, Dr. Fullilove argues powerfully against policies of displacement. Understanding the damage caused by root shock is crucial to coping with its human toll and helping cities become whole. Mindy Thompson Fullilove, MD, is a research psychiatrist at New York State Psychiatric Institute and professor of clinical psychiatry and public health at Columbia University. She is the author of five books, including Urban Alchemy.Trade Review"“By practicing good science in a fallow field, Fullilove illuminates her chosen subject and also transcends it”" -- Jane Jacobs * author of The Death and Life of Great American Cities *"“Fullilove puts forth an aesthetic of true ‘urban renewal’ from which urban planners and thinking citizens can draw inspiration” " * Booklist *"“Engagingly written”" * Publisher’s Weekly *""This powerfully imaginative work by a leading social psychiatrist offers original ideas that sponsor not just a critique but ways to respond and prevent a major source of social and health problems in our time. A book of real importance.” " -- Arthur Kleinman * Professor of Anthropology, Harvard University *""[Fullilove throws] light on the problem...with authority and passion”" * The Washington Post *"“Fullilove...will open eyes"" * The New York Times *
£17.99
Ebury Publishing Thorns Lust and Glory
Book SynopsisA queen on the edge.Anne Boleyn has mesmerised the English public for centuries. Her tragic execution, orchestrated by her own husband, never ceases to intrigue. How did this courtier''s daughter become the queen of England, and what was it that really tore apart this illustrious marriage, making her the whore of England, an abandoned woman executed on the scaffold? While many stories of Anne Boleyn''s downfall have been told, few have truly traced the origins of her tragic fate.In Thorns, Lust and Glory, Estelle Paranque takes us back to where it all started: to France, where Anne learned the lessons that would set her on the path to becoming one of England''s most infamous queens. At the court of the French king as a resourceful teenage girl, Anne''s journey to infamy began, and this landmark biography explores the world that shaped her, and how these loyalties would leave her vulnerable, leading to her ruin at the court of Henry VIII.A fascin
£22.50
Prometheus Books Proving History: Bayes's Theorem and the Quest
Book SynopsisThis in-depth discussion of New Testament scholarship and the challenges of history as a whole proposes Bayes's Theorem, which deals with probabilities under conditions of uncertainty, as a solution to the problem of establishing reliable historical criteria. The author demonstrates that valid historical methods-not only in the study of Christian origins but in any historical study-can be described by, and reduced to, the logic of Bayes's Theorem. Conversely, he argues that any method that cannot be reduced to this theorem is invalid and should be abandoned. Writing with thoroughness and clarity, the author explains Bayes's Theorem in terms that are easily understandable to professional historians and laypeople alike, employing nothing more than well-known primary school math. He then explores precisely how the theorem can be applied to history and addresses numerous challenges to and criticisms of its use in testing or justifying the conclusions that historians make about the important persons and events of the past. The traditional and established methods of historians are analyzed using the theorem, as well as all the major "historicity criteria" employed in the latest quest to establish the historicity of Jesus. The author demonstrates not only the deficiencies of these approaches but also ways to rehabilitate them using Bayes's Theorem. Anyone with an interest in historical methods, how historical knowledge can be justified, new applications of Bayes's Theorem, or the study of the historical Jesus will find this book to be essential reading.
£17.99
Bristol University Press Modern Slavery in Global Context
Book SynopsisThis collection brings together academics from a range of disciplines to examine modern slavery. Providing a platform to critique the legal, ideological and political responses to the issue, experts interrogate the construct of modern slavery and the anti-trafficking discourse which have dominated contemporary responses to exploitation.
£81.89
Hodder & Stoughton Borough Market: Edible Histories: Epic tales of
Book SynopsisOne of The Times Books of the Year 2020Shortlisted for The Fortnum & Mason Food & Drink Awards 2021, Debut Food Book_____________'Fascinating and entertaining - a pleasure to read.' Claudia RodenHave you ever stopped to wonder how our most beloved foods came to be the way they are now? As a nation of food-lovers we have been munching on fruit and veg, drinking tea and coffee and adorning our dishes with oils and spices for generations, but how did this happen? What is the history of our favourite foodstuffs?In this series of enlightening and highly entertaining essays, award-winning food writer Mark Riddaway travels back through the centuries to tell the fascinating, surprising and often downright bizarre stories of some of the everyday ingredients found at London's Borough Market.Discover how the strawberries we eat today had their roots in a clandestine trip to South America by a French spy whose surname happened to be Strawberry, why three-quarters of Britain's late-18th-century intake of tea was sold on the black market, and what Sigmund Freud found so fascinating about eel genitalia.From the humble apples and onions that we've grown on these shores for centuries, to more exotic ingredients like cinnamon and bananas that travel from across the world to finesse our food, Borough Market: Edible Histories offers a chance to digest the charming stories behind every last morsel.Trade ReviewThe story of Borough Market mirrors the British food revolution. This book tells that story; deliciously, ingredient by ingredient. -- William SitwellThis is the perfect book for those moments when you find yourself in the kitchen wondering about how a particular ingredient found its way into our everyday culinary lives. It's as enticing as Borough Market always is, as witty as Mark Riddaway always is, and packed with the kind of knowledge I love. -- Angela CluttonFascinating and entertaining - a pleasure to read. -- Claudia RodenIt's so important that Borough and the food community are supported, and what better way of spreading the word than through the stories and histories of a most historic market that has become a unique beacon of good things. -- Jeremy LeeThis book is for lovers of food and markets and history. It's also a book that everyone who eats should read. It is fascinating, informative and entertaining. Mark Riddaway effortlessly guides us though Borough, telling the story of the market and its produce with ease and grace. -- Kay Plunkett-HoggeMark Riddaway's Edible Histories is thoroughly researched and engagingly written and belongs on the shelf of anyone interested in food history. Even if you are not interested, this is the book that will get you started. -- Mark Kurlansky
£10.44
Prometheus Books The Mob and the City: The Hidden History of How
Book SynopsisForget what you think you know about the Mafia. After reading this book, even life-long mob aficionados will have a new perspective on organized crime. Informative, authoritative, and eye-opening, this is the first full-length book devoted exclusively to uncovering the hidden history of how the Mafia came to dominate organized crime in New York City during the 1930s through 1950s. Based on exhaustive research of archives and secret files obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, author and attorney C. Alexander Hortis draws on the deepest collection of primary sources, many newly discovered, of any history of the modern mob. Shattering myths, Hortis reveals how Cosa Nostra actually obtained power at the inception. The author goes beyond conventional who-shot-who mob stories, providing answers to fresh questions such as: * Why did the Sicilian gangs come out on top of the criminal underworld? * Can economics explain how the Mafia families operated? * What was the Mafia's real role in the drug trade? * Why was Cosa Nostra involved in gay bars in New York since the 1930s? Drawing on an unprecedented array of primary sources, The Mob and the City is the most thorough and authentic history of the Mafia's rise to power in the early-to-mid twentieth century.
£18.04
Rowman & Littlefield Slaves among Us: The Hidden World of Human
Book SynopsisThe horrific world of modern slavery is exposed in this book based on the first-hand experiences of victims of human trafficking. Through the stories of three remarkable individuals who share how they fell victim to traffickers and how their bodies and souls resisted an enterprise of total destruction, Monique Villa takes us around the world—from Ohio to Tokyo, London to India, Qatar to Colombia—to uncover a parallel world where men, women, and children are dehumanized and reduced to obedient machines. Written by a global leader in the fight against human trafficking, this powerful book uncovers the hidden world of slaves—no longer physically in chains—who walk among us, trapped in a cycle of exploitation. Despite significant progress in the fight for human rights, slavery continues to flourish. In fact, there are more slaves today, in countries rich and poor, than at any point in the past.By giving voice to survivors of this horrific trade, Villa vividly illustrates dire situations we can do something about. Her call to action outlines concrete steps to safeguard the vulnerable among us and to eliminate slavery in our time.Trade ReviewAs a survivor myself, I know firsthand how Monique’s fierce and relentless drive in fighting modern slavery and empowering those who have endured it has been transformative. Her knowledge and expertise, strengthened over many years of being at the frontline of this fight, is stamped on every page of this book, a real page turner. -- Evelyne Chumbow, survivor of forced laborI discovered sex trafficking through filming SOLD, and Monique Villa’s book is an eye opener on the human experience of slavery. She keeps the survivors’ voices and weaves them with a global insight into modern slavery. I don’t usually feel hopeful when I read about the issue, but this book had that effect on me. A tour de force. -- Gillian Anderson, award-winning actressMonique Villa’s years of experience as an esteemed journalist, along with her tenacity and passion to protect those who suffer in modern slavery, is so clearly demonstrated in this book. She has led the way in the fight against slavery, bringing so many along with her. -- Kevin Hyland, former UK Independent Anti-Slavery CommissionerTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Preface: Why? 1 Who Are the Modern Slaves? 2 The Most Despicable Crime: Techniques of the Human-Trafficking Business Model 3 From Nepal to Qatar: Debt Bondage 4 A Tattoo on Your Soul: Corruption and Impunity 5 The Psychological Impact of Enslavement 6 The Children of Bal Ashram 7 In the Mind of a Trafficker 8 Limited Options 9 Business Is Key—To the Problem and the Solution 10 Solutions: From Individuals to Cross-Sector Engagement, Worldwide 11 My Heroes Index
£15.19
Basic Books The Age of Revolutions
Book SynopsisA panoramic, 'persuasive and inspiring' (New Yorker) new history of the revolutionary decades between 1760 and 1825, from North America and Europe to Haiti and Spanish America, showing how progress and reaction went hand in hand The revolutions that raged across Europe and the Americas over seven decades, from 1760 to 1825, created the modern world. Revolutionaries shattered empires, toppled social hierarchies, and birthed a world of republics. But old injustices lingered on and the powerful engines of revolutionary change created new and insidious forms of inequality. In The Age of Revolutions, historian Nathan Perl-Rosenthal offers the first narrative history of this entire era. Through a kaleidoscope of lives both familiar and unknown—from John Adams, Toussaint Louverture, and Napoleon to an ambitious French naturalist and a seditious Peruvian nun—he retells the revolutionary epic as a generational story. The
£25.50
Prometheus Books Thomas Jefferson: Uncovering His Unique
Book SynopsisThis is the first book to systematize the philosophical content of Thomas Jefferson's writings. Sifting through Jefferson's many addresses, messages, and letters, philosopher M. Andrew Holowchak uncovers an intensely curious Enlightenment thinker with a well-constructed, people-sympathetic, and consistent philosophy. As the author shows, Jefferson's philosophical views encompassed human nature, the cosmos, politics, morality, and education. Beginning with his understanding of the cosmos, part one considers Jefferson's philosophical naturalism and the influence on him of Francis Bacon, Isaac Newton, and John Locke. The next section critically examines his political viewpoints, specifically his republicanism, liberalism, and progressivism. The third part, "Jefferson on Morality," analyzes Jefferson's thoughts on human nature, his moral-sense theory, and his notion of "natural aristoi" (best or most virtuous citizens). Finally, "Jefferson on Education" reviews his ideas on properly educating the people of the new nation for responsible, participatory citizenry. Jefferson conceived of the United States as a "great experiment"-embodying a vision of a government responsibly representative of its people and functioning for the sake of them. This book will help readers understand the philosophical perspective that sustained this audacious, innovative, and people-first experiment.
£18.99
Basic Books Birchers: How the John Birch Society Radicalized
Book SynopsisHow a notorious far right organization set the Republican Party on a long march toward extremismAt the height of the John Birch Society's activity in the 1960s, critics dismissed its members as a paranoid fringe. After all, "Birchers" believed that a vast communist conspiracy existed in America and posed an existential threat to Christianity, capitalism, and freedom. But as historian Matthew Dallek reveals, the Birch Society's extremism remade American conservatism. Most Birchers were white professionals who were radicalized as growing calls for racial and gender equality appeared to upend American life. Conservative leaders recognized that these affluent voters were needed to win elections, and for decades the GOP courted Birchers and their extremist successors. The far right steadily gained power, finally toppling the Republican establishment and electing Donald Trump.Birchers is a deeply researched and indispensable new account of the rise of extremism in the United States.
£25.50
Akashic Books,U.S. We Are The Clash: Reagan, Thatcher, and the Last
Book SynopsisAn impassioned history of the final, turbulent years of The Clash under the dark shadow of Reagan and Thatcher.
£17.06
PublicAffairs,U.S. The Peking Express: The Bandits Who Stole a
Book SynopsisIn May 1923, when Shanghai publisher and reporter John Benjamin Powell bought a first-class ticket for the Peking Express, he pictured an idyllic overnight journey on a brand-new train of unprecedented luxury-exactly what the advertisements promised. Seeing his fellow passengers, including mysterious Italian lawyer Giuseppe Musso, a confidante of Mussolini and lawyer for the opium trade, and American heiress Lucy Aldrich, sister-in-law of John D. Rockefeller Jr., he knew it would be an unforgettable trip.Charismatic bandit leader and populist rabble rouser Sun Mei-yao had also taken notice of the new train from Shanghai to Peking. On the night of Powell's trip of a lifetime, Sun launched his plan to make a brazen political statement: he and a thousand fellow bandits descended on the train, capturing dozens of hostages.Aided by local proxy authorities, the humiliated Peking government soon furiously gave chase. At the bandits' mountain stronghold, a five-week siege began.Brilliantly written, with new and original research, The Peking Express tells the incredible true story of a clash that shocked the world-becoming so celebrated it inspired several Hollywood movies-and set the course for China's two-decade civil war.
£22.50
Harbour Publishing Hollywood in the Klondike: Dawson City’s Great
Book SynopsisIn this exciting first-hand account of an unexpected cinematic discovery, Michael Gates delves into the history behind a hoard of silent films found buried beneath the permafrost of an Arctic gold rush town. In 1978, hundreds of reels of silent films were unearthed from beneath the demolished site of an old hockey arena in Dawson City, Yukon. Author Michael Gates witnessed the cinematic discovery of these once-lost films?and in this book excavates and illuminates the history of a gold rush town like no other.An event in the most unlikely of places and circumstances, the Klondike gold rush was unique in the history of Canada and the development of the North. Dawson City, the ?Paris of the North,? was the hub of the Klondike gold rush 125 years ago. There were more saloons, gambling halls and theatres than there were places serving food, and the live theatre was at the centre of it all. Discover the icons who went from the Klondike to Hollywood: Robert Service, Jack London, Charlie Chaplin, Alexander Pantages, Sid Grauman, Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, Marjorie Rambeau and more.Join Gates on this cinematic journey as he ponders the question: Did the Klondike help make Hollywood, or did Hollywood make the Klondike? Crafted from Gates?s first-hand experience and extensive research, Hollywood in the Klondike casts a spotlight on an exciting piece of Canadian history.
£17.99
Bloomsbury Publishing USA The African Lookbook: A Visual History of 100
Book SynopsisWinner of the African Photobook of the Year AwardA Choice Outstanding Title of the YearA USA Today "Must-Read for Black History Month"An NPR "Goats and Soda" Editors'' PickA BookRiot Favorite Nonfiction Book of the YearAn unprecedented visual history of African women told in striking and subversive historical photographsfeaturing an Introduction by Edwidge Danticat and a Foreword by Jacqueline Woodson.Most of us grew up with images of African women that were purely anthropologicalbright displays of exotica where the deeper personhood seemed tucked away. Or they were chronicles of war and povertypoverty porn. But now, curator Catherine E. McKinley draws on her extensive collection of historical and contemporary photos to present a visual history spanning a hundred-year arc (18701970) of what is among the earliest photography on the continent. These images tell a different story of African women: how deeply cosmopolitan and modern they are in their style; how they were able to reclaim the tools of the colonial oppression that threatened their selfhood and livelihoods.Featuring works by celebrated African masters, African studios of local legend, and anonymous artists, The African Lookbook captures the dignity, playfulness, austerity, grandeur, and fantasy-making of African women across centuries. McKinley also features photos by Europeansmost starkly, striking nudesrevealing the relationships between white men and the Black female sitters where, at best, a grave power imbalance lies. It's a bittersweet truth that when there is exploitation there can also be profound resistance expressed in unexpected wayseven if it's only in gazing back. These photos tell the story of how the sewing machine and the camera became powerful tools for women's self-expression, revealing a truly glorious display of everyday beauty.
£24.00
Black Rose Books The Forgotten Revolution The 1919 Hungarian
Book Synopsis
£17.10
Surrey Books,U.S. Working in the 21st Century
Book SynopsisFrom nurses and teachers to wildland firefighters and funeral directors—an intimate, honest, and illuminating collection of interviews that reveal what it’s like to work in America at this historic and volatile moment in time. Author Mark Larson sits down with more than one hundred workers from across the socioeconomic spectrum as they share their experiences with work and what it has meant in their lives—the good, the bad, the mundane, and the profound. Doulas, firefighters, chefs, hairstylists, executives, actors, stay-at-home parents, and so many more talk about what they do all day and how it aligns (or doesn''t) with what they want to be doing with their lives. The pandemic, the ensuing “Great Resignation,” and the current reckonings with racial justice are among the forces that are now upending and reshaping our longstanding relationships with work. Larson’s interviews display how these forces collide in the lives of avera
£22.49
Inner Traditions Bear and Company Occult Paris: The Lost Magic of the Belle Époque
Book SynopsisDuring Paris’s Belle Époque (1871-1914), many cultural movements and artistic styles flourished--Symbolism, Impressionism, Art Nouveau, the Decadents--all of which profoundly shaped modern culture. Inseparable from this cultural advancement was the explosion of occult activity taking place in the City of Light at the same time. Exploring the magical, artistic, and intellectual world of the Belle Époque, Tobias Churton shows how a wide variety of Theosophists, Rosicrucians, Martinists, Freemasons, Gnostics, and neo-Cathars called fin-de-siècle Paris home. He examines the precise interplay of occultists Joséphin Peladan, Papus, Stanislas de Guaïta, and founder of the modern Gnostic Church Jules Doinel, along with lesser known figures such as Saint-Yves d’Alveydre, Paul Sédir, Charles Barlet, Edmond Bailly, Albert Jounet, Abbé Lacuria, and Lady Caithness. He reveals how the work of many masters of modern culture such as composers Claude Debussy and Erik Satie, writers Arthur Rimbaud and Charles Baudelaire, and painters Georges Seurat and Alphonse Osbert bear signs of immersion in the esoteric circles that were thriving in Paris at the time. The author demonstrates how the creative hermetic ferment that animated the City of Light in the decades leading up to World War I remains an enduring presence and powerful influence today. Where, he asks, would Aleister Crowley and all the magicians of today be without the Parisian source of so much creativity in this field?Trade Review". . . a massive, focused exploration of the relationship between the mystical and the creative. . .This entertaining volume will please fans of esoterica and the City of Light." * Publishers Weekly *“With Tobias Churton as the cicerone--or dare I say psychopomp?--the reader is expertly guided in the labyrinthine world of the Occult Paris of the Belle Époque (1871-1914). This is the best introduction to the French occult revival ever written in English.” * Henrik Bogdan, professor of religious studies at the University of Gothenburg *“Music, art, literature, mysticism--fin-de-siècle Paris had it all in great abundance, and in Tobias Churton’s latest tome he uncovers the hidden and not-so-hidden connections between Satie, Debussy, Redon, Rops, Khnopff, Gauguin, Crowley, Lévi, Papus, Mathers, Péladan, Michelet, Blavatsky, Reuss, Huysmans, Breton, and countless others. . . . Eminently readable and filled with meticulous historical details, this is a fabulous depiction of one of the most exciting and fervent periods of creativity in modern times.” * John Zorn, composer-performer *“A tour de force. A stunning account of fin-de-siècle Occult Paris and its lasting influence on the counterculture. . . . Churton gives comprehensive portrayals of such occult luminaries as Péladan, Papus, and de Guaita as well as a portrayal of their movements and a seminal analysis of esoteric art--in particular the ‘Rosicrucian’ art of the salons--locating its place in the intellectual, cultural, and political milieu of the Belle Époque. Tobias is as erudite as he is excited and exciting. His scholarship is alive with passion, imagination, humor, and, most of all, humanity. A must-read for students of European history, Art Nouveau, Symbolism, Idealism, Surrealism, and the Decadents as well as for neo-Rosicrucian, Templar and Gnostic esotericists, and modern-day alchemists and magicians.” * Stephen J. King (Shiva X°), Grand Master, Ordo Templi Orientis *“No one can evoke the feel of a place and an era like Tobias Churton! This is Paris in the Belle Époque, but behind the city of the can-can, Toulouse-Lautrec, and the Moulin Rouge, Churton shows us a Paris of seekers in mysterious worlds--magic, Hermeticism, Kabbalah, alchemy--and of artists, writers, and composers who were also drawn to those realms. The spirit of their compelling quest is stamped on every page of this book.” * Christopher McIntosh, Ph.D., author of Eliphas Lévi *“Tobias Churton brings this amazing era to life. Gnostics, Free Masons, Rosicrucians, Hermetics…The echos of Paris’ Belle Epoque is still heard in cultural and spiritual movements today.” * The Echo *Table of ContentsPreface Acknowledgments ONE "Memories Weigh More than Stone": Edmond Bailly's Bookshop 1888 Victor-Emile Michelet at Bailly's Bookshop TWO The Build Up Politics and Power Decadence Recovering Lost Powers THREE Meetings with Remarkable Men St. Martin Fabre d'Olivet Eliphas Levi FOUR Theosophy and the Tradition Lady Caithness Saint-Yves d'Alveydre Agarttha FIVE Stanislas de Guaita Abbe Lacuria SIX The Sar The Peladans SEVEN The Kabbalistic Order of the Rose-Cross Vicomte Louis Charles Edouard de Lapasse and the Rose-Croix of Toulouse Peladan and the Templars De Guaita and Boullan The Order Paul Adam Barlet EIGHT Papus Paul Sedir and Marc Haven NINE Rosicrucial Differences The Order of the Catholic Rose-Croix, the Temple and the Graal TEN The Salon of the Century The Manifestation ELEVEN The Boullan Affair TWELVE Satie and Debussy: Moved by the Gnosis Gnossiennes--Erik's Gnostic Twist The Way Out The Esoteric Debussy The Magic in Music THIRTEEN The Gnostic Church Jules Doinel Leonce-Eugene Joseph Fabre des Essarts (1848-1917) Developments within the Gnostic Church--the Palladium Controversy FOURTEEN How to Become a Magus: The Rose-Croix Salons 1893-1897 The Salon of 1893 The Rose-Croix Salons of 1894 and 1895 FIFTEEN The Martinist Order SIXTEEN The Boys Move In Joanny Bricaud (1881-1934) Deodat Roche The Ancient & Primitive Rites of Memphis and Misraim Theodor Reuss, Ancient & Primitive, and the Universal Gnostic Church SEVENTEEN To the End with Papus EIGHTEEN The Legacy: A Forgotten Dream Extramural Synarchy Notes Bibliography
£22.50
Visible Ink Press The American Women's Almanac: 500 Years of Making
Book SynopsisThe most complete and affordable single-volume reference on women's history available today, this almanac is a unique and valuable resource devoted to illustrating the moving and often lost history of women in America. It will be of interest to history buffs, students, and teachers, as well as general readers. It is a fascinating mix of biographies, little-known or misunderstood historical facts, enlightening essays on significant legislation and movements, and numerous photographs and illustrations.Trade Review“2021 Outstanding Reference Source. A woman just got voted into the Vice President’s office, do you know some other hurdles that happened along the way? This book tells those stories, covering from the passage of the XIX Amendment to stories of women both famous and not. Includes pictures and a bibliography.” – American Library Association★ Starred Review "… honors the contributions of American women throughout the nation’s history … A welcome counter to textbooks and encyclopedias that favor the achievements of men … an essential addition to reference or history collections …" Library Journal"A treasury of influential artists, activists, businesswomen, and historical figures … valuable and affordable resource … will strengthen studies of women’s and American history." Booklist"Deborah G. Felder does an amazing job of chronicling women in the United States in the past five hundred years … well-research, well-organized volume …" Catholic Library World“If you're the type of person who likes light, short reading, try "The American Women's Almanac: 500 Years of Making History" by Deborah G. Felder. This book is full of short biographies of women who changed history, and how they did it. Read it yourself — and share it with your teenager.” Bookworm Sez“… more than 350 biographies, revealing their influence and legacies, from indigenous women to the present, and from the illustrious to lesser lights. …” Protoview Book NewsTable of ContentsIntroduction Acknowledgments 1. The Arrival of Women in America 2. The First Women’s Rights Movement 3. Women at Work 4. The Second Women’s Rights Movement 5. Literature 6. Art and Applied Arts 7. Media and the Performing Arts 8. Sports Figures 9. Science, Medicine, and Technology 10. Politics, Government, and the Law 11. Religion 12. Activists for Social Change 13. Education 14. Business Leaders and Entrepreneurs 15. The Military 16. Explorers Bibliography Index
£32.39
Inner Traditions Bear and Company The Mystery of Skara Brae: Neolithic Scotland and
Book SynopsisIn 3200 BC, Orkney Island off the coast of Northern Scotland was home to a small farming village called Skara Brae. For reasons unknown, after nearly six centuries of continuous habitation, the village was abandoned around 2600 BC and its stone structures covered over--perhaps deliberately, like the structures at Gobekli Tepe. Although now well-excavated, very little is known about the peaceful people who lived at Skara Brae or their origins. Who were they and where did they go? Drawing on his in-depth knowledge of the connections between the cosmology and linguistics of Egyptian, Dogon, Chinese, and Vedic traditions, Laird Scranton reveals the striking similarities between Skara Brae and the Dogon of Mali, who still practice the same cosmology and traditions they once shared with pre-dynastic Egypt. He shows how the earliest Skara Brae houses match the typical Dogon stone house as well as Schwaller de Lubicz’s intrepretation of the Egyptian Temple of Man at Luxor. He explains how megalithic stone sites near Skara Brae conform to Dogon cosmology, each representing sequential stages of creation as described by Dogon priests, and he details how the houses at Skara Brae also represent a concept of creation. Citing a linguistic phenomenon known as “ultraconserved words,” the author compares words of the Faroese language at Skara Brae, a language with no known origin, with important cosmological words from Dogon and ancient Egyptian traditions, finding obvious connections and similarities.Trade Review“Antiquarian scholar Laird Scranton has done it again. In his latest book, The Mystery of Skara Brae, he takes the reader to one of the most remote locations in the British Isles, then proceeds to lay out the heretofore unknown story of a well-organized yet mysterious culture that flourished off the western coast of Scotland, only to decamp forever around 2600 BCE. Who were the inhabitants of Skara Brae, and what connection did they have with the peoples who went on to create ancient Egypt? What knowledge did they share with the ancient African tribe the Dogon? Where did they come from, and to where did they disappear? Scranton guides us through time and tradition in an account that both novices and scholars will embrace. . . . marvelous and highly educational. I would recommend it unhesitatingly to anyone interested in ancient mysteries.” * Peter Robbins, coauthor of Left at East Gate *“If you are interested in ancient mysteries, then you must read the writings of Laird Scranton. . . . The Mystery of Skara Brae is a welcome addition to his amazing library of work. Connections between ancient cultures that would not seem to be related at first glance have long fascinated me, and no one explores these connections better than Laird, both in his scholarship and level of detail. If you want to explore the evidence on the eerie similarities between ancient civilizations, get your copy of The Mystery of Skara Brae today.” * Jim Harold, host of The Paranormal Podcast *Table of ContentsIntroduction Some Thoughts on Comparative Cosmology 1 A Brief History of Skara Brae 2 Footholds to a Theory of Origin for Skara Brae 3 Reexamining Skara Brae in Overview 4 Comparing Skara Brae and Dogon Structures 5 Dogon, Egyptian, and Faroese Words of Cosmology 6 Cosmological Sites of the Orkney Region 7 The Dogon Field of Arou 8 The Field of Arou and the Elysian Fields 9 Further Correlations to Faroese Words 10 Argat: An Ancient Name for Orkney Island 11 Orkney Island as an Archaic Sanctuary 12 The Overthrown Boat 13 Reconsidering Possible Roles for Orkney Island 14 The Emergence of Dynastic Egypt 15 The Advent of the Egyptian Hieroglyphs 16 Correlating Regional Kingships at 3000 BCE 17 Seshat and the Egyptian House of Life 18 Views on the Papae and the Peti 19 Words of the Scottish-Gaelic Language 20 The Druids and Other Pieces of the Puzzle 21 The Hindu Parable of the Seven Houses 22 The Egyptian Tale of the “Seven Houses in the Other World” 23 Conclusions and Observations Notes Bibliography Index
£12.34
Medieval Institute Publications The York Corpus Christi Plays
Book SynopsisThe feast of Corpus Christi, celebrated annually on Thursday after Trinity Sunday, was devoted to the Eucharist, and the normal practice was to have solemn processions through the city with the Host, the consecrated wafer that was believed to have been transformed into the true body and blood of Jesus. In this way the "cultus Dei" thus celebrated allowed the people to venerate the Eucharistic bread in order that they might be stimulated to devotion and brought symbolically, even mystically into a relationship with the central moments of salvation history. Perhaps it is logical, therefore, that pageants and plays were introduced in order to access yet another way of visualizing and participating in those events. Thus the "invisible things" of the divine order "from the creation of the world" might be displayed. The York Corpus Christi Plays, contained in London, British Library, MS. Add. 35290 and comprising more than thirteen thousand lines of verse, actually represent a unique survival of medieval theater. They form the only complete play cycle verifiably associated with the feast of Corpus Christi that is extant and was performed at a specific location in England.Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction The York Corpus Christi Plays 1. The Creation of the Angels and the Fall of Lucifer 2. The Creation through the Fifth Day 3. The Creation of Adam and Eve 4. The Prohibition of the Tree of Knowledge 5. The Fall 6. The Expulsion from the Garden 7. Sacrificium Cayme et Abell 8. The Building of Noah's Ark 9. The Flood 10. Abraham and Isaac 11. Pharaoh and Moses 12. The Annunciation to Mary and the Visitation 13. Joseph's Troubles about Mary 14. The Nativity 15. The Offering of the Shepherds 16. Herod Questioning the Three Kings and the Offering of the Magi 17. The Purification of the Virgin 18. The Flight to Egypt 19. The Massacre of the Innocents 20. Christ and the Doctors 21. The Baptism of Christ 22. The Temptation in the Wilderness 22A. The Marriage in Cana 23. The Transfiguration 23A. The Feast in Simon's House 24. The Woman Taken in Adultery and the Raising of Lazarus 25. The Entry into Jerusalem 26. The Conspiracy 27. The Last Supper 28. The Agony and Betrayal 29. The Trial before Cayphas and Anna 30. The First Trial before Pilate 31. The Trial before Herod 32. The Remorse of Judas 33. The Second Trial before Pilate 34. The Road to Calvary 35. Crucifixio Christi 36. Mortificacio Christi 37. The Harrowing of Hell 38. The Resurrection 39. The Appearance of Christ to Mary Magdalen 40. The Travelers to Emmaus 41. Doubting Thomas 42. The Ascension 43. Pentecost 44. The Death of Mary 44A. The Funeral of the Virgin ("Fergus") 45. The Assumption of the Virgin (Thomas Apostolus) 46. The Coronation of the Virgin 47. Doomsday Explanatory Notes Textual Notes Appendix: Notes on the Dialect of the York Corpus Christi Plays by Paul A. Johnston, Jr. Bibliography Glossary
£25.17
Monthly Review Press,U.S. Reconstructing Lenin: An Intellectual Biography
Book Synopsis
£22.50
The New Press A Peoples History Of The American Revolution
Book SynopsisThe best single-volume history of the Revolution I have read. Howard Zinn Upon its initial publication, Ray Raphael's magisterialA People's History of the American Revolutionwas hailed byNPR's Fresh Airas relentlessly aggressive and unsentimental. With impeccable skill, Raphael presented a wide array of fascinating scholarship within a single volume, employing a bottom-up approach that has served as a revelation. A People's History of the American Revolutiondraws upon diaries, personal letters, and other Revolutionary-era treasures, weaving a thrilling you are there narrativea tapestry that uses individual experiences to illustrate the larger stories. Raphael shifts the focus away from George Washington and Thomas Jefferson to the slaves they owned, the Indians they displaced, and the men and boys who did the fighting (Los Angeles Times Book Review). This remarkable perspective on a familiar part of American history helps us
£26.09
Monthly Review Press,U.S. Cuban Health Care: The Ongoing Revolution
Book SynopsisQuiet as it’s kept inside the United States, the Cuban Revolution has achieved some phenomenal goals, reclaiming Cuba’s agriculture, advancing its literacy rate to nearly 100 percent—and remaking its medical system. Cuba has transformed its health care to the extent that this “third-world” country has been able to maintain a first-world medical system, whose health indicators surpass those of the United States at a fraction of the cost. Don Fitz combines his deep knowledge of Cuban history with his decades of on-the-ground experience in Cuba to bring us the story of how Cuba’s health care system evolved and how Cuba is tackling the daunting challenges to its revolution in this century. Fitz weaves together complex themes in Cuban history, moving the reader from one fascinating story to another. He describes how Cuba was able to create a unified system of clinics, and evolved the family doctor-nurse teams that became a model for poor countries throughout the world. How, in the 1980s and ‘90s, Cuba survived the encroachment of AIDS and increasing suffering that came with the collapse of the Soviet Union, and then went on to establish the Latin American School of Medicine, which still brings thousands of international students to the island. Deeply researched, recounted with compassion, Cuban Health Care tells a story you won’t find anywhere else, of how, in terms of caring for everyday people, Cuba’s revolution continues.Trade Review“This is the best written and most accurate work published in years about the history and recent achievements of Cuban health care. The book gives inspiration for people around the world concerned about the future of health care and health itself.”—Howard Waitzkin, Coordinating Editor, Health Care Under The Knife: Moving Beyond Capitalism For Our Health
£17.09
Monthly Review Press,U.S. Marx, Dead and Alive: Reading Capital in
Book SynopsisKarl Marx saw the ruling class as a sorcerer, no longer able to control the ominous powers it has summoned from the netherworld. Today, in an age spawning the likes of Donald Trump and Boris Johnson, our society has never before been governed by so many conjuring tricks, with collusions and conspiracies, fake news and endless sleights of the economic and political hand. And yet, contends Andy Merrifield, as our modern lives become ever more mist-enveloped, the works of Marx can help us penetrate the fog. In Marx, Dead and Alive – a book that begins and ends beside Marx’s recently violated London graveside – Merrifield makes a spirited case for a critical thinker who can still offer people a route toward personal and social authenticity. Bolstering his argument with fascinating examples of literature and history, from Shakespeare and Beckett, to the Luddites and the Black Panthers, Merrifield demonstrates how Marx can reveal our individual lives to us within a collective perspective – and within a historical continuum. Who we are now hinges on who we once were – and who we might become. This, at a time when our value-system is undergoing core “post-truth” meltdown.Trade Review“This enchanting portrait of Marx at work, with his legendary overcoat and shuffling ways, is brilliant, informative, and beautifully written. Merrifield then puts the insights he derives from reconnecting with Marx's writing to work to illuminate everything from the writings of Gogol and Dickens to the architectural disaster of New York's Hudson Yards.” —David Harvey, author, A Companion to Marx’s Capital and Marx, Capital and the Madness of Economic Reason
£56.25
Monthly Review Press,U.S. Marx, Dead and Alive: Reading Capital in
Book SynopsisKarl Marx saw the ruling class as a sorcerer, no longer able to control the ominous powers it has summoned from the netherworld. Today, in an age spawning the likes of Donald Trump and Boris Johnson, our society has never before been governed by so many conjuring tricks, with collusions and conspiracies, fake news and endless sleights of the economic and political hand. And yet, contends Andy Merrifield, as our modern lives become ever more mist-enveloped, the works of Marx can help us penetrate the fog. In Marx, Dead and Alive – a book that begins and ends beside Marx’s recently violated London graveside – Merrifield makes a spirited case for a critical thinker who can still offer people a route toward personal and social authenticity. Bolstering his argument with fascinating examples of literature and history, from Shakespeare and Beckett, to the Luddites and the Black Panthers, Merrifield demonstrates how Marx can reveal our individual lives to us within a collective perspective – and within a historical continuum. Who we are now hinges on who we once were – and who we might become. This, at a time when our value-system is undergoing core “post-truth” meltdown.Trade Review“This enchanting portrait of Marx at work, with his legendary overcoat and shuffling ways, is brilliant, informative, and beautifully written. Merrifield then puts the insights he derives from reconnecting with Marx's writing to work to illuminate everything from the writings of Gogol and Dickens to the architectural disaster of New York's Hudson Yards.” —David Harvey, author, A Companion to Marx’s Capital and Marx, Capital and the Madness of Economic Reason
£17.09
The New Press Except for Palestine: The Limits of Progressive
Book SynopsisA bold call for the American Left to extend their politics to the issues of Israel-Palestine, from a New York Times bestselling author and an expert on U.S. policy in the region In this major work of daring criticism and analysis, scholar and political commentator Marc Lamont Hill and Israel-Palestine expert Mitchell Plitnick spotlight how holding fast to one-sided and unwaveringly pro-Israel policies reflects the truth-bending grip of authoritarianism on both Israel and the United States. Except for Palestine deftly argues that progressives and liberals who oppose regressive policies on immigration, racial justice, gender equality, LGBTQ rights, and other issues must extend these core principles to the oppression of Palestinians. In doing so, the authors take seriously the political concerns and well-being of both Israelis and Palestinians, demonstrating the extent to which U.S. policy has made peace harder to attain. They also unravel the conflation of advocacy for Palestinian rights with anti-Semitism and hatred of Israel. Hill and Plitnick provide a timely and essential intervention by examining multiple dimensions of the Israeli-Palestinian conversation, including Israel's growing disdain for democracy, the effects of occupation on Palestine, the siege of Gaza, diminishing American funding for Palestinian relief, and the campaign to stigmatize any critique of Israeli occupation. Except for Palestine is a searing polemic and a cri de coeur for elected officials, activists, and everyday citizens alike to align their beliefs and politics with their values.Trade ReviewPraise for Except for Palestine:Winner of the Palestine Book Awards” Counter Current Award“A remarkable little book. . . . Except for Palestine should be read by anyone interested in events in Israel/Palestine—and obviously in particular, anyone claiming to be progressive and liberal.”—Palestine Chronicle “[A] principled cri de coeur to progressives everywhere. . . . Except for Palestine is a crucial and ultimately hopeful tool that better equips progressives to combat injustices within their own political circles.”—Mondoweiss“For too long, many have championed the rights and liberties of oppressed peoples here and abroad, but remained silent on Palestinian freedom, or even worse, supported U.S. policies that render Palestinian humanity and suffering invisible. This clear and courageous book is a clarion call for moral integrity and political consistency.”—Cornel West, Union Theological Seminary“Hill and Plitnick deliver a thoughtful and incisive analysis of how progressive commitments to racial and social justice are undermined by the ‘Palestinian exception.’ Building the civil rights movement for the twenty-first century in America requires an international intersectionality that necessarily includes advocating for the rights and dignity of Palestinians and Israelis alike. Except for Palestine is timely and vital.”—Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, Michigan’s 13th Congressional District“Except for Palestine calls on progressives to apply the same principles to Israel-Palestine that they apply to the U.S. It’s a simple, radical, and deeply important argument, which anyone who cherishes justice should not ignore.”—Peter Beinart, author of The Crisis of Zionism “Hill and Plitnick have produced a timely and powerful indictment of decades of U.S. policy exceptionalizing Israel at the expense of progressive values. Their thorough examination of American progressives’ intellectual and moral hypocrisy when it comes to defending Palestinians’ human rights, civil rights, and right to challenge Israeli occupation is a valuable resource.”—Lara Friedman, president of the Foundation for Middle East Peace“This book explores some of the most fundamental contradictions confronting liberal spaces in the U.S. and makes a powerful case for the progressive core values of humanity, justice, and dignity to finally include the Palestinian people.”—Ahmad Abuznaid, executive director of the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights“Except for Palestine cogently explores the reasons for the silence of so many progressives and liberals when it comes to the unceasing violations of the rights of the Palestinian people. Hill and Plitnick dismantle one by one the arguments used to justify this shameful silence, and in doing so provide an eloquent, balanced, and hard-hitting analysis of why ending an egregious exception to accepted norms of justice and equality is so imperative.”—Rashid Khalidi, author of Brokers of Deceit: How the U.S. Has Undermined Peace in the Middle East“A timely and compelling treatise on the moral failings of U.S. policy and American politics in relation to Israel/Palestine.”—Khaled Elgindy, Responsible Statecraft “An accessible, in-depth analysis that takes U.S. politics to task for normalising both Israel’s colonial violence and, as a result, the oppression of the Palestinian people.”—Middle East Monitor
£18.04
Nilgiri Press Gandhi the Man: How One Man Changed Himself to
Book SynopsisThis is the moving story of a nonviolent hero, illustrated with more than 70 photographs, and told by a highly respected author who grew up in Gandhi's India. Gandhi's life continues to inspire and baffle readers today. How did an unsuccessful young lawyer become the Mahatma, the "great soul" who led 400 million Indians in their struggle for independence from the British Empire? What is nonviolence, and how does it work? Easwaran answers these questions and gives a vivid account of the turning points and choices in Gandhi's life that made him an icon of nonviolence. Easwaran witnessed at firsthand how Gandhi inspired ordinary people to turn fear into fearlessness, and anger into love. He visited Gandhi in his ashram to find out more about this human alchemy, and during the prayer meeting watched the Mahatma absorbed in meditation on the Bhagavad Gita, the scripture that was the wellspring of his spiritual power. Quotations highlight Gandhi's teachings in his own words, and sidebar notes and a chronology, new to this updated edition, provide historical context. This book conveys the spirit and soul of Gandhi -- the only way he can be truly understood.
£999.99
Adventure Publications, Incorporated Little Washington: A Nostalgic Look at the
Book SynopsisWashington’s Small Towns Have Great Stories. Little Washington presents 100 of the state’s tiniest towns. With populations under 3,500, these charming and unique locations dot the entire state—from Neah Bay along the Northwest coast to LaCrosse, a farming community in the eastern county of Whitman. With full-color photographs, fun facts, and fascinating details about every locale, it’s almost as if you’re walking down Main Street, waving hello to folks who know all of their neighbors. Inside You'll Find Details about 100 small towns—with entries from every county Full-color photographs, fun facts, and fascinating locations Guide to exploring these quaint and historic locations Insights from an author who has lived in various parts of the state The selected locations help readers to appreciate the broader history of small-town life in Washington. Yet each featured town boasts a distinct narrative, as unique as the citizens who call these places home. These residents are innovators, hard workers, and—most of all—good people. The locations range from quaint to historic, and they wonderfully represent the Evergreen State. Little Washington, written by Nicole Hardina, is for anyone who grew up in a small town and for everyone who takes pride in being called a Washingtonian. They may be small towns, but they have huge character!Trade Review“Hardina’s book is part history, part travelogue and all love letter to the Evergreen State.” —Tim Johnson, Cascadia WeeklyTable of ContentsDedication and Acknowledgments Introduction Locator Map Towns Neah Bay Quilcene Cosmopolis Oakville McCleary Harstine Island Port Gamble Long Beach Ilwaco South Bend Cathlamet Pe Ell Napavine Vader Mossyrock Castle Rock Yacolt North Bonneville Stevenson Bucoda Tenino Rainier Roy South Prairie Beaux Arts Village Carnation Skykomish Lopez Village Coupeville Langley Nooksack Sumas LaConner Lyman Hamilton Concrete Darrington Index Bingen Tieton Naches Harrah Roslyn Cle Elum South Cle Elum Kittitas Entiat Winthrop Twisp Pateros Conconully Riverside Tonasket Oroville Nespelem Elmer City Grand Coulee Dam Rock Island Waterville Mansfield George Soap Lake Coulee City Krupp Benton City Mesa Kahlotus Hatton Lind Ritzville Washtucna Prescott Waitsburg Starbuck LaCrosse Lamont St. John Rosalia Oakesdale Tekoa Palouse Uniontown Pomeroy Asotin Odessa Wilbur Davenport Sprague Republic Springdale Kettle Falls Marcus Spangle Waverly Latah Rockford Fairfield Ione Metaline Metaline Falls References Towns by Region and by County About the Author
£11.89
The New Press Blackbirds Singing
Book SynopsisAn uplifting collection of speeches by African American women, curated by the civil and human rights activist, scholar, and author When Mary Ann Shadd Cary—the first Black woman publisher in North America—declared, “break every yoke . . . let the oppressed go free” to congregants in Chatham, Canada, in 1858, she joined a tradition of African American women speaking for their own liberation. Drawing from a rich archive of political speeches, acclaimed activist and author Janet Dewart Bell, the author of Lighting the Fires of Freedom, which was nominated for an NAACP Image Award, explores this tradition in Blackbirds Singing.Gathering an array of recognized names as well as new discoveries, Bell curates two centuries of stirring public addresses by Black women, from Harriet Tubman and Ella Baker to Barbara Lee and Barbara Jordan. These magnificent speakers explore et
£999.99
Santa Monica Press Lost Landmarks of Orange County
Book SynopsisSince forming in 1889, Orange County, California has become famous all over the world for being home to such popular attractions as Disneyland, Knott’s Berry Farm, and some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. But there are also many other places that helped establish the county as not just a popular tourist destination, but also home to countless cultural landmarks that served the local communities for generations. Stretching across the 34 cities that comprise “The OC,” Lost Landmarks of Orange County brings back fabulous memories of music venues, restaurants, theaters, theme parks, attractions, and more. Everybody knows the aforementioned Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm, but Orange County was also home to Lion Country Safari, the California Alligator Farm, the Buffalo Ranch, Japanese Village and Deer Park, Movieland Wax Museum, the Orange County International Raceway, and many other large-scale
£17.09
Aperture Revolution is Love: A Year of Black Trans
Book SynopsisRevolution Is Love: A Year of Black Trans Liberation is the powerful and celebratory visual record of a contemporary activist movement in New York City, and a moving testament to the enduring power of photography in activism, advocacy, and community. In June 2020, after a Black trans woman in Missouri and a Black trans man in Florida were killed just weeks apart, activists Qween Jean and Joela Rivera returned to the historic Stonewall Inn—site of the 1969 riots that launched the modern gay rights movement—where they initiated weekly actions known thereafter as the Stonewall Protests. Brought together by the urgent need to center Black trans and queer lives within the Black Lives Matter movement, a vibrant and radical community emerged. Over the following year, the Stonewall Protests brought together thousands of people across communities and social movements to gather in solidarity, resistance, and communion. Each Thursday was an invitation for protests, healing, and celebration—whether through marches, voguing balls, or vigil—and a living testament to love in revolution. This book gathers twenty-four photographers who participated in these actions to share images and words on the demonstrations and their community at large, preserving this legacy as it unfolded. Through photographs, interviews, and text, Revolution Is Love celebrates the power of shared joy and struggle in trans community and liberation. Featuring images and text by Ramie Ahmed, Lucy Baptiste, Budi, Brandon English, Deb Fong, Snake Garcia, Stas Ginzburg, Katie Godowski, Robert Hamada, Chae Kihn, Zak Krevitt, Erica Lansner, Daniel Lehrhaupt, Caroline Mardok, Ryan McGinley, Josh Pacheco, Jarrett Robertson, Phoenix Robles, Souls of a Movement, Madison Swart, Cindy Trinh, Sean Waltrous, Ruvan Wijesooriya, and David Zung
£31.50
The New Press Empire of Rubber: Firestone’s Scramble for Land
Book Synopsis“A well-rendered and -documented tale of exploitation in the developing world” (Kirkus Reviews) with deep resonance in the present day In a book Paul Farmer called “a gem of a social history linking two countries stuck in uncomfortable embrace for well over a century,” award-winning author and filmmaker Gregg Mitman tells a sweeping story of capitalism, racial exploitation, and environmental devastation, as Firestone transformed Liberia into America’s rubber empire. Scouring remote archives to unearth a story of promises unfulfilled for the vast numbers of Liberians who toiled on rubber plantations built on taken land, Mitman “peppers this history with a wealth of fascinating details and interesting characters” (Foreign Affairs), revealing a system of racial segregation and medical experimentation that reflected Jim Crow America—on African soil. Called “a brilliant, compelling read” by Princeton scholar Rob Nixon, Empire of Rubber, now available in paperback, provides a riveting narrative of ecology and disease, of commerce and science, and of racial politics and political maneuvering—the hidden story of a corporate empire whose tentacles reach into the present.Trade ReviewPraise for Empire of Rubber: Named One of the Best Books of the Fall by Bloomberg “Mitman peppers this history with a wealth of fascinating details and interesting characters.”—Foreign Affairs “A fascinating and enlightening page-turner that uncovers Liberia’s often-overlooked importance in U.S. history.”—Foreign Policy“Calls into question Western ideas of progress, and powerfully traces the results of the Firestone experiment to the war and poverty that would wrack the nation.”—Shelf Awareness“Superbly crafted. . . . Empire of Rubber is primarily a portrait of power as it was and is exercised through American capital.”—Africa Is a Country“Gregg Mitman provides an accessible, compelling, and monumental account of the surprisingly American history of Liberia.”—Science for the People "A well-rendered and -documented tale of exploitation in the developing world." —Kirkus Reviews "[Empire of Rubber] documents the fragile arrangement between Firestone and the Liberian government that has existed for 95 years, surviving civil war and power plays on both sides, proving lucrative for some while causing great devastation with its racism and the depletion of natural resources.”—Booklist “A harrowing and richly detailed account of U.S. tire manufacturer Firestone’s exploitation of Liberian workers in the 20th century . . . Mitman marshals a wealth of material to make his case, which encompasses ecological injustice, racial capitalism, and medical racism. The result is a devastating exposé of the tensions between ‘the interests of white capital and the desire for Black self-determination.’” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) “With the Firestone archives closed to him, Gregg Mitman has to strain for a clear view of how Harvey Firestone transformed a small Liberian rubber plantation into a Goliath that broke a British monopoly on latex. But Mitman’s lack of access to company archives makes Empire of Rubber a better book. He finds plenty of Liberians and Americans, or the archives and accounts left by their predecessors and by dissident scholars, to fill in the blanks. The reader is left with a gem of a social history linking two countries stuck in uncomfortable embrace for well over a century.” —Paul Farmer, Kolokotrones University Professor and chair of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard University, and author of Fevers, Feuds, and Diamonds: Ebola and the Ravages of History “Empire of Rubber is at once an iconic story and utterly unique. In Mitman’s clear, complex, and compelling narrative, he provides privy to the measured and malevolent workings of the U.S. as an imperial formation. Mitman’s account . . . is told with erudition and grace in a powerful narrative that combines the political imaginaries and grounded conditions of racism, capitalism, and visionaries long at the heart of imperial democracies.” —Ann Laura Stoler, Willy Brandt Distinguished University Professor of Anthropology and Historical Studies and director, Institute for Critical Social Inquiry, New School for Social Research, and author of Duress: Imperial Durabilities in Our Times “Gregg Mitman has delivered a brilliant, compelling read. Empire of Rubber draws together the long history of commodity colonialism, the imperial roots of Liberia’s recent civil war, and the fraught relations between American medical institutions and racism at home and abroad. Empire of Rubber dramatizes intersectional thinking at its very best.” —Rob Nixon, Barron Family Professor of Environment and Humanities, Princeton University, and author of Slow Violence and the Environmentalism of the Poor “In this brilliantly rendered, epic tale of American racial capitalism in West Africa, Gregg Mitman details the profound and devastating effects of plantation agriculture. In the process he unearths the political and legal machinations of Firestone rubber in undermining Black sovereignty, and reveals the violence of corporate philanthropy in the guise of development.” —Julie Livingston, professor of history, and social and cultural analysis at New York University, MacArthur fellow, and author of Improvising Medicine“In this brilliant and powerfully moving narrative of the Firestone Tire Company’s activities in Liberia, Gregg Mitman provides an unprecedented account of the destructive power of racial capitalism on colonized bodies and ecologies . . . Empire of Rubber is unique in its exposition of the connection between the Firestone company and elite American universities and unrivaled in its account of the valiant fight Liberians put up to maintain their autonomy.”—Simon Gikandi, Robert Schirmer Professor of English, Princeton University, and author of Slavery and the Culture of Taste
£13.29
PublicAffairs,U.S. Lisbon: War in the Shadows of the City of Light,
Book SynopsisLisbon had a pivotal role in the history of World War II, though not a gun was fired there. The only European city in which both the Allies and the Axis power operated openly, it was temporary home to much of Europe's exiled royalty, over one million refugees seeking passage to the U.S., and a host of spies, secret police, captains of industry, bankers, prominent Jews, writers and artists, escaped POWs, and black marketeers. An operations officer writing in 1944 described the daily scene at Lisbon's airport as being like the movie Casablanca," times twenty. In this riveting narrative, renowned historian Neill Lochery draws on his relationships with high-level Portuguese contacts, access to records recently uncovered from Portuguese secret police and banking archives, and other unpublished documents to offer a revelatory portrait of the War's back stage. And he tells the story of how Portugal, a relatively poor European country trying frantically to remain neutral amidst extraordinary pressures, survived the war not only physically intact but significantly wealthier. The country's emergence as a prosperous European Union nation would be financed in part, it turns out, by a cache of Nazi gold.Trade ReviewPublishers Weekly "Lochery tells the gripping story of the city known as 'Casablanca II'...engrossing and rewarding." Booklist, September 20, 2011"Lochery recounts wartime happenings in the Portuguese capital of Lisbon, where the Allies and the Axis conducted the war through espionage, propaganda, and diplomatic pressure on Salazar to relinquish Portugal's neutrality. A cloak-and-dagger atmosphere accordingly suffuses Lochery's account... A productive archival sleuth, [he] makes original contributions to the literature of neutrality in WWII." Shelf Awareness"A lively, accessible and hair-raising history revealing every sordid detail of Lisbon during World War II--a time and place that many have chosen to forget in order to save face." Wall Street Journal"Evocative... [Lochery] skillfully documents the experiences of the rich and glamorous as well as the less fortunate and even sinister of the city's war time arrivals... Distilling an enormous quantity of research, he has rendered a fascinating and readable account of this small country's role in World War II, protected, as it was, by its wily champion." Seattle Times "'Lisbon' is a valuable source of information about an astonishing time and place." Columbia Daily Newsfeatured in roundup of history books: "A fascinating account of one of the back stages of the War. Lisbon was a hotbed of intrigue and espionage while remaining neutral as the world fought around it."\ Macleans"Like Casablanca, only 20 times more." Express Milwaukee"Fascinating." The Scotsman, four-star review"Intrigue, betrayal, opportunism and double dealing' Lochery promises us - and his engrossing book delivers all those things and more." Literary Review "The twists and turns of Salazar's tight-rope diplomacy form the central thread of Neill Lochery's impressive account of wartime Lisbon and its leader... The personalities, plots and counterplots within that tale are absorbing... The book's principal worth lies in its illumination of Salazar, who emerges from Lochery's pages as a fascinating, tireless and single-minded figure." Jill Jolliffe,
£14.39
The New Press As Public as Possible
Book SynopsisA witty and provocative treatise on the policies we’ll need to make our public schools work for all children From the anti-CRT panic to efforts to divert tax dollars to charter schools, the right-wing attack on education has cut deep. In response, millions of Americans have rallied to defend their cherished public schools. But this incisive book asks whether choosing between our embattled status quo and the stingy privatized vision of the right is the only path forward. In As Public as Possible, education expert David I. Backer argues for going on the offensive by radically expanding the very notion of the “public” in our public schools.Helping us to imagine a more just and equitable future, As Public as Possible proposes a concrete set of policies aimed at providing a high-quality and truly public education for all Americans, regardless of wealth and race. With witty and provocative prose, Backer takes the reader on an enlightening tour of radical policy alternatives. He shows how we can decouple school funding from property tax revenue, evening out inequalities across districts by distributing resources according to need. He argues for direct federal grants instead of the predations of municipal debt markets. And he offers eye-opening examples spanning the past and present, from the former Yugoslavia to contemporary Philadelphia, which help us to imagine a radically different way of educating all of our children.
£18.99
PublicAffairs,U.S. Champagne, Uncorked: The House of Krug and the
Book SynopsisThe epitome of effervescence and centrepiece of celebration, Champagne has become a universal emblem of good fortune, and few can resist its sparkleIn Champagne, Uncorked , Alan Tardi journeys into the heartland of the world's most beloved wine. Anchored by the year he spent inside the prestigious and secretive Krug winery in Reims, the story follows the creation of the superlative Krug Grande Cuvée.Tardi also investigates the evocative history, quirky origins, and cultural significance of Champagne. He reveals how it became the essential celebratory toast ( merci Napoleon Bonaparte!), and introduces a cast of colourful characters, including Eugène Mercier, who in 1889 transported his Cathedral of Champagne," the largest wine cask in the world, to Paris by a team of white horses and oxen, and Joseph Krug, the reserved son of a German butcher who wound up in France, fell head over heels for Champagne, and risked everything to start up his own eponymous house.In the vineyards of Champagne, Tardi discovers how finicky grapes in an unstable climate can lead to a nerve-racking season for growers and winemakers alike. And he ventures deep into the caves , where the delicate and painstaking alchemy of blending takes place,all of which culminates in the glass we raise to toast life's finer moments.Trade Review"Knowledgeable and meticulously researched...[Tardi] takes the reader through the whole process, from picking and pressing the grapes--the vendange--through the storing, tasting and blending of the wine to its bottling and aging...A colorful history of Champagne." --Moira Hodgson, Wall Street Journal "Sparkles with information about the beverage of celebration and specifically the making of Krug Grande Cuvee, a great Champagne from arguably the greatest producer. History, harvesting, tasting, blending, marketing, presented with easy going style. You'll want to make a pilgrimage to Le Mesnil-sur-Oger." --Peter Gianotti, Newsday "In Tardi's fabulous new book, he explains the history of the Champagne region and why the land produces the grapes it does...while weaving together a rich cultural overview of the sparkling elixir's wild rise to becoming the world's symbol of celebration. When people try [Krug] for the first time, they talk about it effusively like love-struck Romeos. Don't believe me? Try it for yourself. But first read Tardi's book." --San Antonio Express-News "A book as effervescent and fascinating as the product it describes. Readers gain insight into a world as complex as the blending of a fine bottle of Champagne." --Galveston County Daily News "Champagne, Uncorked is a page-turner that offers up the wine's history, the characters who made it and, with appealing intimacy, those of the House of Krug from top to bottom. It is a must read for any Champagne lover and of course for 'Krugistes.'" --Stephen Spurrier, consulting editor of Decanter "A fascinating account of the making of one of the world's great wines, and one that will thrill both novice and connoisseur alike. This is one of the best books to ever be written about champagne, and it should be on the reading list of anyone interested in wine." --Peter Liem, senior correspondent for Wine & Spirits and founder of Champagneguide.net "Alan Tardi's background as a restaurateur, chef, and wine writer makes him uniquely qualified to write this exceptional book on Champagne. Throughout, he integrates the history of Champagne, the making of Champagne, along with the production of Krug's Grande Cuvee, one of the world's greatest Champagnes. Alan is a truly gifted writer, not only teaching us, but weaving a story that is fascinating and illuminating." --Ed McCarthy, author of Champagne For Dummies "The fascinating story of the most loved wine." --The Washington Book Review "Tardi chronicles his time following a tense year in the life cycle of champagne, from harvest to bottling, at the renowned Krug house, expertly balancing his personal experiences with extensive historical research of the development and sophistication of champagne as well as the establishment of the Krug winery. Part memoir and part history, Tardi's love letter to champagne can inspire the reader to delve deeper into viticulture." --Booklist, Starred Review "Champagne, Uncorked packs an enormous amount of detail and complexity (historical, chemical, biological, emotional) into a rather small package--a fitting tribute to the nuance and complexity found in every glass of champagne Krug has produced...A fascinating and detailed history." --Shelf Awareness "An unprecedented look into the process of crushing grapes, fermenting, tasting, blending, bottling, and aging that leads to the Krug Grande Cuvee, one of the most prestigious non-vintage champagnes on the market...Compelling and interesting...[Champagne, Uncorked] carries a wealth of information for a reader at any level of wine expertise." --Publishers Weekly
£19.80
Island Press Bike Boom: The Unexpected Resurgence of Cycling
Book SynopsisCycling advocates envisage a future in which bikes are a widespread daily form of transportation. While many global cities are seeing the number of bike commuters increase, this future is still far away; at times, urban cycling seems to be fighting for its very survival. Will we ever witness a true "bike boom" in cities? What can we learn from past successes and failures to make cycling safer, easier, and more accessible? Use of bicycles in Britain and America fell off a cliff in the 1950s and 1960s thanks to the rapid rise in car ownership. Urban planners and politicians predicted that cycling would wither to nothing, and they did their level best to bring about this extinction by catering to only motorists. But in the 1970s, something strange happened, cycling bounced back, first in America and then in Britain. In Bike Boom, journalist Carlton Reid uses history to shine a spotlight on the present and demonstrates how cycling has the potential to grow even further, if the right measures are put in place by the politicians and planners of today and tomorrow.He explores the benefits and challenges of cycling, the roles of infrastructure and advocacy, and what we can learn from cities that have successfully supported and encouraged bike booms, including London; Davis, California; Montreal; Stevenage; Amsterdam; New York; and Copenhagen. Given that today's global cycling "boom" has its roots in the early 1970s, Reid draws lessons from that period. At that time, the Dutch were investing in bike infrastructure and advocacy, the US and the UK had the choice to follow the Dutch example, but didn't. Reid sets out to discover what we can learn from the history of bike "booms" in this entertaining and thought-provoking book.
£22.99
