History Books

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Book SynopsisThe Old English History of the World, produced around the year 900, is an anonymous translation and adaptation of Paulus Orosius’s immensely popular Latin history known as the Seven Books of History against the Pagans. This volume offers a new edition and modern translation of an Anglo-Saxon perspective on the ancient world.Trade ReviewThe greatest virtue of this volume is that it takes this important account of the history of world—a vital text to those scholars who work in the field of Anglo-Saxon studies, but which until now has remained relatively obscure to students and the wider public—and makes it far more accessible than it has been for more than a century. -- Benjamin A. Saltzman * Speculum *

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Book SynopsisAldus Manutius (c. 1451–1515) was the most important scholarly publisher of the Renaissance. His Aldine Press was responsible for more first editions of classical literature, philosophy, and science than any other publisher before or since. This volume presents Aldus’s prefaces to Latin classics and modern humanist writers, translated into English.Trade ReviewThis priceless I Tatti volume collects and translates into English, many for the first time (although with the I Tatti Library, that almost goes without saying), the prefaces Manutius wrote for the volumes that came off his presses, the allurements intended for potential customers, the introductions to often complex subject matters, and, delightfully, some of that extensive correspondence, which lays bare both the artful flattery that comes with the territory when doing business in Venice and the knowingly public confidentiality in which every arriviste revels when they find themselves hob-nobbing with household names…Humanism and the Latin Classics makes the perfect bookend with the earlier Aldus Manutius volume The Greek Classics, and taken together or separately, they bring to the reader the whirring and clacking of the printer’s shop, the wheeling and wheedling of the time’s book industry, and most of all the burbling and rumorous and striving intellectual atmosphere of the Renaissance in its full flower, when books and learning and reading and writing seemed to awake from centuries of slumber and begin ferociously multiplying again in every town and city and seat of learning from London to Baghdad. Aldine books were everywhere during that explosion, carried in pockets, bought and traded, discussed by all, and these I Tatti volumes take readers inside the tornado and introduce them to the man in the eye of it all. -- Steve Donoghue * Open Letters Monthly *

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Book SynopsisDo democratic citizens have equal right to rule? Is it enough that they have equal standing before the law, or must there also be economic and social equality? Aldo Schiavone traces these questions and their diverse answers from the ancient world to the present and urges a new course to rescue democracies now suffering from excesses of inequality.Trade ReviewSchiavone has written a considered and considerable monograph, which is worthy of the magnitude of its subject-matter: equality. His knowledge of political thought is both deep and broad…and his combining of historical inquiry with conceptual work successful. -- Andreas Avgousti * Bryn Mawr Classical Review *A bold, original book—learned without ever being pedantic, engaging without being frivolous, highly personal without ever being self-referential. It takes the reader through a vast body of European literature without ever losing its way. In the end, the reader will come away with far deeper, more nuanced understanding of what ‘equality’ has come to mean over the centuries, what it should mean for us today, and what its possible future might be. -- Anthony Pagden, author of The Pursuit of EuropeSchiavone displays here extraordinary historic, legal, and philosophical knowledge, enabling him to cover the full span of Western history with great erudition. -- Roberto Esposito, author of Politics and NegationThe Pursuit of Equality in the West is one of the most richly detailed, original, and thought-provoking books I have ever read. Only Aldo Schiavone could have given us such a lucid and cogent study. -- Massimo Ciavolella, University of California, Los Angeles

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Book SynopsisThe post–WWI crisis of statelessness induced creative legal thinking, as officials and jurists debated cosmopolitan citizenship beyond the borders of sovereigns. But by midcentury the state won out as the lone site of citizenship. Mira Siegelberg uncovers the ideological roots of this transformation and its impact on the international order.Trade ReviewIlluminating and rich…Over 10 million people are stateless today, and governments seem hell-bent on increasing their numbers…Siegelberg’s account offers a sober corrective to dewy-eyed stories in which the formation of postwar international institutions like the U.N. curtailed state-inflicted cruelties. -- Udi Greenberg * New Republic *Siegelberg’s book is the first to consider the evolution of statelessness as a legal, humanitarian, and philosophical matter. It’s an essential contribution to scholarship on the subject, and it could not appear at a more fitting time. -- Atossa Araxia Abrahamian * New York Review of Books *Drawing on a wide variety of archival sources…she documents how the problem of statelessness informed theories of human rights and sovereignty…A comprehensive overview of international perspectives and experiences concerning statelessness and the modern state’s power to exclude. -- Laura van Waas and Natalie Brinham * Project Syndicate *Demonstrate[s] just how late the conceptual and legal borders of our political world map were drawn…Statelessness concerns the ways in which international lawyers and political scientists have responded to the modern phenomenon of exclusion and displacement that characterized much of the twentieth century and that forced new ways of thinking about the role of borders and boundaries of membership. -- Ruth Balint * Australian Book Review *Compelling…This is an impressive work that shows the impact of legal thought on social reality and the significance of possessing a (legal) identity—both at the beginning of the twentieth century and today…Siegelberg’s text is an important contribution, as she makes the understudied topic of statelessness intelligible and, on top of that, demonstrates how it intertwines with other foundational political concepts, such as sovereignty, citizenship, and human rights. -- Isadora Dullaert * LSE Review of Books *A necessary exploration of the development of statelessness as a Western philosophical and jurisprudential concept in the early and mid-twentieth century…A must-read for scholars and legal professionals studying citizenship and/or working on immigration, political theory, and human rights as it provides a needed engagement with statelessness as a contentious concept…A fascinating and important read. -- Brittany Lehman * EuropeNow *Mira Siegelberg demonstrates that the question of statelessness, now a relatively minor aspect of a larger refugee crisis, in fact lies at the heart of the transformations in legal consciousness that produced the fragile and often ambiguous postwar international rights regime. Statelessness is an important book and a magnificent achievement. -- Mark Mazower, author of Dark Continent: Europe’s Twentieth CenturyA book equal parts compelling and sobering, Statelessness lives up to the importance of its topic. Siegelberg writes conceptual history for our twenty-first-century world. -- Stefan-Ludwig Hoffmann, University of California, BerkeleyMira Siegelberg’s relentless and imaginative exploration of statelessness in the twentieth century ranges across several disciplines, languages, and legal traditions. Along the way, she manages to recast core episodes in the history of modern political and legal thought. And, even more, she models an ambitious approach to a critical history of international law. -- Hendrik Hartog, Princeton UniversityThis insightful and well-written work opens up a new perspective on the formation of our present international order and the place of individuals within it. With mass migration caused by wars and, in the future, by climate change, the problem of statelessness is not going to go away. In a moment when we need to think again about the relationship between states and individuals, this book is a good place from which to start. -- Martti Koskenniemi, author of The Gentle Civilizer of Nations: The Rise and Fall of International Law, 1870–1960[An] important study. -- Francis Wade * The Baffler *A fine-grained history of statelessness. -- James H. McDonald * New York Journal of Books *

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Book SynopsisThis book explores the role of popular forms of social mobilization during Spain's process of transition to democracy. It focuses on the nature of citizenship that was forged during the period of conflict and mobilisation that characterised Spain from the late 1950s until the late 1980s. It offers a two-pronged exploration of social movements at the time. On the one hand, it provides a detailed analysis of four very different cases of social mobilisation: among Catholics, residents, farmers and teachers. It discerns processes of organisation, repertoires of action, collective meaning, and interactions with communities and local political actors. On the other hand, it reflects on how the fight over specific issues and the use of similar tactics generated shared interpretations of what it meant to be a citizen in a democracy.Trade Review“Julia Preece’s book is an exciting and very important book for the community engagement field—not just in South Africa and the global south where many of her case studies are located, but for the field more broadly too. … this is an excellent book and an essential read for SL and CE practitioners and students in both the global South and North.” (Janice McMillan, International Journal of Lifelong Education, Vol. 37 (6), 2018)​Table of ContentsChapter 1: Introduction.- Chapter 2: Catholicism and Citizenship under the Franco Dictatorship.- Chapter 3: The Right to the City and the Right to the State: Neighbourhood Associations and the Negotiation of Citizenship.- Chapter 4: Professional Citizenship in the Workplace: Teachers’ Civic Initiatives.- Chapter 5: Citizenship and democracy in the Spanish countryside.- Chapter 6: Citizen building during the Spanish Transition to Democracy: Between the Spanish Debate and the Social Movements Debate.

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Book SynopsisWhy is the heart of Delhi named after an obscure British scion? How is South Delhi''s Saket related toord Rama''s birthplace Ayodhya? Shaheen Bagh is the seat of Muslim resistance. But what does Shaheen mean to the Indian Muslim? To tell us the story of Delhi, journalist Adrija Roychowdhury takes a deep dive into theegends behind the names of its many streets. Delhi, in Thy Name is a compelling account of the many emotions, aspirations, desires, identities, histories and memories that went behind the naming of places in the national capital of India. From the crevices of Chandni Chowk to the arcades of Connaught Place and the quarters of CR Park, the book delves into theittle secrets that went behind naming Delhi, as recounted by the people of the city. Exhaustively researched and passionately told, the book is an attempt to decode what the act of naming and renaming means both to those in power and to those being governed. The book provides a key to Delhi, opening its doors to the readers in the very way that the cityikes to think of itselfas alluring, energetic, infuriating,yrical, nostalgic, frustrating, unforgettable, magical.

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Book SynopsisIt is commonly believed that international law originated in respectful relations among free and equal European states. But as Jennifer Pitts shows, international law was forged as much through Europeans’ domineering relations with non-European states and empires, leaving a legacy visible in the unequal structures of today’s international order.Trade ReviewIlluminat[es] the ways in which international law was an artifact of empire, a system for organizing the world so as to perpetuate Western dominance. -- G. John Ikenberry * Foreign Affairs *Boundaries of the International adds much nuance to existing literature, and challenges some of the past analytics through which the history of international legal thought has been written. A first-class book by a recognized leader in the field of history of international political and legal thought. -- Martti Koskenniemi, University of HelsinkiAn outstanding history of international law and its entanglement with empire from one of the leading historians of political thought in the world today. -- Andrew Fitzmaurice, University of SydneyIn this masterful study, Jennifer Pitts examines universalist claims about the law of nations alongside rising European global power, uncovering a set of linked contradictions within eighteenth- and nineteenth-century political thought. A tour de force of interpretation and historical analysis, this subtle and persuasive book places the problem of empire at the very center of the history of international law—where it will now surely stay. -- Lauren Benton, Vanderbilt University

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Book SynopsisThe book The Mormon Menace written by John Doyle Lee and Alfred Henry Lewis. John Doyle Lee become a contentious man or woman in Mormon history, most known for his function inside the 1857 Mountain Meadows Massacre. Some stories are fascinating and first rate, while others trap you off protect and draw you in. This version of The Mormon Menace is each cutting-edge and understandable, with an eye-catching new cowl and nicely typeset cloth. This historical book is a brilliant compilation of thoughts compacted right into an unmarried draft for readers of any age to peruse. Lee later left the religion and penned his memoirs, taking part with Alfred Henry Lewis to create The Mormon Menace. The paintings of literature are a harsh critique of Mormonism, depicting it as a dangerous and corrupt spiritual motion. It digs into the early history of the LDS Church, its creation with the aid of Joseph Smith, and its arguable polygamy practice. Lee and Lewis additionally discuss religious extremism and church violence. The Mormon Menace illustrates anti-Mormon feelings in a diffusion of settings during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

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Book SynopsisMemoirs of an Enchanted Bridge, Arup K. Chatterjee brings this fabled structure to life, weaving together sacred lore, colonial history, cutting-edge science and the voices of coastal communities who live in.

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Book SynopsisAn authoritative biography of Jozef Pilsudski, a key figure in interwar Europe regarded as the founding hero of a pluralistic and democratic modern Poland. After the first elected president was assassinated, Pilsudski lost faith in Poles’ commitment to democracy, led a military coup, and ruled as a strongman, leaving a complicated legacy.Trade ReviewThe ultimate Pilsudski biography for our era. Deeply researched, authoritative, and very well written, it fearlessly faces the great mystery of the man. For how can the Father of Modern Poland, a soldier and statesman of genius and the savior of his country in 1920, be the same man who ruthlessly discarded democracy in a military coup only six years later? Zimmerman’s portrayal of Pilsudski in the courageous Polish Legions days will come alive for readers, but the complexity of the authoritarian period under the ‘Napoleon of Poland’ will give them pause for thought. -- Andrew Roberts, author of Churchill: Walking with DestinyCompelling…Zimmerman narrates Pilsudski’s life with authority, clarity and verve…The book is an important achievement in its introduction of the English-language reader to a key figure in the historical contest between Russian imperial ambition and the smaller nations that resist it. -- Stanley Bill * Times Literary Supplement *Excellent…a detailed, absorbing book that peels back the complexities of histories to reclaim the figure of Jozef Pilsudski for a new generation. -- Colin Shindler * Jewish Chronicle *A well-timed book…This well-researched and clearly written biography sheds light on the emergence of an independent Poland, which without Pilsudski might never have existed. It is also a meditation on the confluence of ethnic, religious, national, and imperial history that is Eastern Europe. -- Michael Kimmage * The National Interest *Zimmerman has made Pilsudski’s mostly supportive dealings with the Jewish community, and its experience of antisemitism, a central theme of his book. This tends to crowd out his treatment of other topics or minorities, but it’s good that Pilsudski’s long alliance with Jewish and other non-Polish parties should be more widely known. Necessary, too, though shocking, is Zimmerman’s detailed account of the pogroms that broke out as Poland regained independence, crimes Pilsudski condemned but was curiously slow to halt. -- Neal Ascherson * London Review of Books *Piłsudski’s story, complete with flaws, accomplishments and echoes of today’s war in Ukraine, is brought to life in [this] recent biography. -- John Daniszewski * Associated Press *Zimmerman’s biography is long overdue. Balanced, meticulously researched and very well written, it provides a panoramic portrait of the man who towers over modern Poland, warts and all. * History Today *Joshua Zimmerman’s masterful new biography, based on Polish and English sources, explores the controversy that surrounded this contradictory man in his own lifetime and thereafter…This deeply researched study brings to life a restless Polish soul. -- Mark Cornwall * Literary Review *Clearly written, detailed, and absorbing…Zimmerman presents Pilsudski as a classical hero, masterfully balancing the description of events that showcase his hubris and tragedy. -- Magdalena Bogacz * H-Net Reviews *This well-researched and balanced biography of Józef Piłsudski seems destined to become the standard English-language work on the ‘father of modern Poland.’ It is a significant achievement and deserves a wide readership. -- Michael Fleming * Israel Journal of Foreign Affairs *Likely to be the definitive biography of the Polish political conspirator, military commander, and statesman Józef Piłsudski…Zimmerman’s book is sure to find a wide and admiring readership. -- Jesse Kauffman * Austrian History Yearbook *I much enjoyed Joshua Zimmerman’s biography Jozef Pilsudski: Founding Father of Modern Poland…Will be heartily welcomed by the history buff in your life. -- Roger Moorhouse * Aspects of History *Perfectly timed…[Zimmerman’s] even-handedness gives Pilsudski’s history a nuance that was not allowed by Poland’s post-WWII communist authorities, who portrayed him as a proto-fascist and cracked down on his legacy…Impressively documented…Ultimately, Pilsudski’s life was that of a classical hero, replete with both hubris and tragedy. -- James Jackson * Notes from Poland *Magisterial…Zimmerman, in his splendid book, paints a balanced and thoughtful portrait of an eminent Polish leader who devoted body and soul to reestablishing a state that had been swept away by the tides of fate. -- Sheldon Kirschner * Times of Israel *A masterful biography…This book should be ready widely by historians of modern Europe, and not just historians of Poland. Zimmerman’s account of Piłsudski’s life and legacy helps make sense of modern Poland, to be sure, but it also makes a case for his relevance far beyond Poland’s borders. -- Eva Plach * Slavic Review *A work on the life and motivations of Jozef Pilsudski in the English language has been long overdue. … Zimmerman has not taken the easy route of either producing a hagiography or a diatribe. Instead, he produced a well-written and thoughtful account of Pilsudski and how he shaped the Second Polish Republic. …[He] should be commended for his diligence in executing this excellent biography of a great, if neglected, European leader. -- Evan McGilvray * Journal of Slavic Military Studies *Zimmerman’s book can be read not only as a historical monograph, but also as a fascinating account of how Western ideas found their way to Europe’s peripheries and what their implementation in political activism and state-building looked like in that part of the world…A must-read for scholars interested in Eastern Europe. -- Tadeusz Koczanowicz * Studies in East European Thought *Pilsudski had a profound influence on the politics of twentieth-century Europe, and his legacy is discernible to this day. Yet this extraordinary man—an idealistic political activist turned terrorist, military commander, statesman and finally virtual dictator—has been sorely neglected by historians outside Poland. This well-researched, balanced, and highly readable account of the truly Napoleonic trajectory of his life and complex political evolution is timely and very welcome. -- Adam Zamoyski, author of Napoleon: A LifeHere is the ‘founder of modern Poland’ for twenty-first-century eyes. This fascinating portrait of Pilsudski, one of the most important political figures of twentieth-century Europe, is full of vivid details and incisive observations. Zimmerman has drawn from a huge body of material, much from newly available sources, and turned it into a critical yet brilliantly balanced analysis of a man and statesman. -- Andrzej Nowak, Jagiellonian UniversityA thorough, nuanced biography of Pilsudski, whose extraordinary life sheds so much light on his era and the Poland of his dreams and of his making. Zimmerman highlights Pilsudski’s pluralist and federalist inclinations without downplaying his later authoritarianism. Pilsudski’s attitude toward Polish Jews in particular serves as a bellwether of his cultural pluralism and respect for minority rights. A much-needed, comprehensive account essential for readers seeking to understand this complex, important figure. -- Patrice M. Dabrowski, author of Poland: The First Thousand YearsThe personality and policies of Jozef Pilsudski have long been obscured by both ideological attacks and mindless adulation. This welcome new portrait places the marshal in his rightful position, not just as a military leader whose plans worked out and a would-be democrat whose plans went awry, but as a statesman with a broad, tolerant vision. Zimmerman’s emphasis on Pilsudski’s hopes for a multinational Poland, where all could live in harmony—including the country’s huge Jewish community—is spot on. -- Norman Davies, author of God’s Playground: A History of PolandPilsudski was a central figure not only in the emergence and development of an independent Polish state but also in the larger history of interwar Europe. Zimmerman clearly portrays the complex, multifaceted nature of the man and his political legacy. While Pilsudski sought to create a multiethnic Poland in which all citizens would feel at home, his understanding of how a constitutional system should function was flawed, and he used brutal, extra-legal methods to suppress the opposition after he seized power in a coup. This welcome book will become the definitive treatment in English of Pilsudski, and I enthusiastically recommend it. -- Antony Polonsky, author of The Jews in Poland and Russia

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Book SynopsisWas there ever such a thing as Byzantium? Certainly no emperor ever called himself Byzantine. While the identities of eastern minorities were clear, that of the ruling majority remains obscured behind a name made up by later generations. Anthony Kaldellis says it is time for the Romanness of these so-called Byzantines to be taken seriously.Trade ReviewRomanland is brilliant. With great lucidity, Anthony Kaldellis challenges us to set aside an immense tradition of misdirection. He excavates the conceits by which the West created ‘Byzantium’—and itself—and then demolishes them. Only then do we see what was in fact there all along: a community of Romans, and a polity of remarkable creativity and endurance. This is tremendous scholarship. -- Clifford Ando, author of Roman Social ImaginariesEthnicity in the later Roman empire has been highly contested and immensely controversial, from medieval times to the present. Like a Hercules cleaning the Augean stables, Kaldellis is purging the field of the nationalistic contentions and prejudices that have beset scholarship, starting with the artificial name ‘Byzantium.’ This blockbuster of a book performs for ‘Byzantine’ Studies the service that Edward Said’s Orientalism did for Arabic and Islamic Studies. Romanland offers a clean slate for serious and sophisticated study, with love and empathy, of the history of these societies. -- Dimitri Gutas, author of Greek Thought, Arabic CultureIn his most persuasive work to date, Kaldellis calls an astonishing number of medieval witnesses to testify that they were Romans, rather than the ‘Byzantines’ scholars have wanted them to be. This extraordinary book should shift the ground under Byzantine studies. -- Leonora Neville, author of Guide to Byzantine Historical WritingFascinating…Kaldellis’s scholarship is always learned, but also fiercely iconoclastic, tearing down orthodoxies that have stood for centuries…[An] innovative and eye-opening book by one of the most important Byzantinists working today. -- Thomas F. Madden * New Criterion *

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Book SynopsisThis volume presents translations from the Greek of two crucial primary sources published together for the first time—Michael Panaretos’s On the Emperors of Trebizond and Bessarion’s Encomium on Trebizond—providing enlightening perspectives on Byzantine identity and illuminating views of this major trading hub along the Silk Road.

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Book SynopsisEstablished to calm intracolonial tensions, the Mason-Dixon Line first marked a region of breakneck development and Native American resistance, then the boundary between pro- and antislavery regimes. Edward Gray’s is the first comprehensive history of the line and its dynamic role in the US from the colonial period to the Civil War—and beyond.Trade ReviewA magisterial yet highly nuanced account that ventures back and forth across Mason and Dixon’s fabled demarcation line as audaciously as 18th-century raiding parties once did. -- Harold Holzer * Wall Street Journal *Deeply researched and highly readable. -- Eric Foner * Times Literary Supplement *A rich history of regional distinctions, especially as they shaped the antebellum Republic. * Kirkus Reviews *Erudite, gripping, and highly significant. Gray puts his talents as a historian of the American Revolution and the early republic to excellent use, persuasively arguing that the Mason-Dixon Line is worth seeing as a geopolitical border—a place where the layered sovereignties of colonies, empires, states, Native powers, and the US government often clashed. -- Kathleen DuVal, author of Independence Lost: Lives on the Edge of the American RevolutionA splendid book. The Mason-Dixon Line has always been much more than a boundary, and Gray gives us a richly researched, elegantly written history, exploring all of the twists and turns of a cartographic projection that was never quite as straight or simple as the surveyors hoped it would be. -- Edward L. Widmer, author of Lincoln on the Verge: Thirteen Days to WashingtonAn ambitious, engrossing book by one of our most prolific scholars of early America. This inspired history of the Mason-Dixon Line reveals that America’s most notorious borderland was also deeply representative of the broader national experience. Long before the region became synonymous with the frontier between slavery and freedom, its history was forged in imperial intrigue, Native dispossession, and rural resentment against coastal elites. -- Brian DeLay, author of War of a Thousand Deserts: Indian Raids and the U.S.–Mexican WarThis impressive book expertly excavates the meaning of the iconic Mason-Dixon Line, bringing into view its territorial, economic, legal, political, ethnic, religious, and cultural layers. With precision and flair, Gray reveals a profound irony: while ‘the Line’ was meant to quell dissension in the volatile Maryland-Pennsylvania borderlands, it became an enduring metaphor for a divided nation. -- Elizabeth R. Varon, author of Armies of Deliverance: A New History of the Civil WarA fresh and illuminating reframing of Anglo-American and US history through the Civil War. Gray’s great achievement is to center our attention on a neglected region—neglected precisely because the Mason-Dixon Line divides it, distinguishing the two great sections that have dominated our national narrative, North and South. -- Peter S. Onuf, author of Jefferson and the Virginians: Democracy, Constitutions, and Empire

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Book SynopsisPresents an English translation of the famous Chinese handbook, the "Chieh Tzu Yuan Hua Chuan" (original, 1679-1701). This title includes annotations of the texts of instructions, discussions of the fundamentals of painting, notes on the preparation of colors, and chief editorial prefaces.Trade Review"The Mustard Seed Garden will always be one of the greatest manuals of the most marvellous painting the world has ever known, and one cannot be too grateful for having it, with its commentary, available in English."--Journal of the Royal Central Asian SocietyTable of Contents*Frontmatter, pg. i*Publisher's Note, pg. v*Contents, pg. vii*Traditional Chronology, pg. viii*Introduction, pg. ix*Preface to the Shanghai (1887-88) Edition, pg. 1*Preface to the First (1679) Edition, pg. 11*The Fundamentals of Painting, pg. 15*Book of Trees, pg. 51*Book of Rocks, pg. 127*Book of Jen-wu, pg. 219*Preface to Parts II and III of the First Complete Edition (1701), pg. 317*Book of the Orchid, pg. 321*Book of the Bamboo, pg. 359*Book of the Plum, pg. 397*Book of the Chrysanthemum, pg. 433*Book of Grasses, Insects, and Flowering Plants, pg. 465*Book of Feathers-and-Fur and Flowering Plants, pg. 523*Concluding Notes on the Preparation of Colors, pg. 579*Summary of the Chieh TAUzu Yuan Hua Chuan, pg. 589*Appendix: Analysis of Basic Terms, pg. 609*Index, pg. 623

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Book SynopsisThe Bronze Age came to a close early in the twelfth century bc with one of the worst calamities in history: over a period of several decades, destruction descended upon key cities throughout the Eastern Mediterranean. This title rejects the traditional explanations and proposes a military one instead.Trade Review"[The End of the Bronze Age] provides a concise overview of the problem and the present state of our knowledge... Drews has produced a thought-provoking work with an intriguing thesis, informative and thorough in its scholarship, sound and imaginative in its arguments."--J. P. Karras, The Journal of Military History "[Drews] has differentiated between evidence and speculation so that those who will continue to debate the Catastrophe can use the book effectively. What is more important is that he has laid to rest some archaeological factoids which in their turn were based on no more than guesswork."--David W. J. Gill, Bryn Mawr Classical Review "Unusually sophisticated... Well argued and learned."--A. M. Snodgrass, The Times Literary SupplementTable of ContentsList of IllustrationsAcknowledgmentsAbbreviationsPt. 1IntroductionCh. 1The Catastrophe and Its Chronology3Ch. 2The Catastrophe Surveyed8Pt. 2Alternative Explanations of the CatastropheCh. 3Earthquakes33Ch. 4Migrations48Ch. 5Ironworking73Ch. 6Drought77Ch. 7Systems Collapse85Ch. 8Raiders91Pt. 3A Military Explanation of the CatastropheCh. 9Preface to a Military Explanation of the Catastrophe97Ch. 10The Chariot Warfare of the Late Bronze Age104Ch. 11Footsoldiers in the Late Bronze Age135Ch. 12Infantry and Horse Troops in the Early Iron Age164Ch. 13Changes in Armor and Weapons at the End of the Bronze Age174Ch. 14The End of Chariot Warfare in the Catastrophe209Bibliography227Index245

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Book SynopsisDuring the spring of 1933, Stalin's police rounded up nearly one hundred thousand people as part of the Soviet regime's "cleansing" of Moscow and Leningrad and deported them to Siberia. This work weaves this episode into a broader story about the Soviet frenzy in the 1930s to purge society of all those deemed to be unfit.Trade ReviewReview of the original French edition: "The mind-blowing story of a bureaucratic utopia that turned into carnage. A 'micro-history' that forms a representative example in a country where the inconceivable became the norm."--Thomas Wieder, Le Monde "[An] absorbing new book... After detailing the lead-up to the deportation of the 'socially harmful elements' and the political situation surrounding it, Mr. Werth zeroes in on the Nazino affair to illustrate the policy's devastating effect."--Martha Mercer, New York Sun "Few books have captured the human tragedy of Stalin's bloody reign so succinctly or with such force."--Douglas Smith, Seattle Times "Cannibal Island is a grim tale of ten thousand 'anti-social elements' deposited on an empty Siberian island in the Ob river in the 1930s. But, more than that, it is a story of how the brutal purge machinery was oiled and run at its lowest level."--Paul E. Richardson, Russian Life Magazine "Nicolas Werth's excellent history of the Nazino gulag is a portrait of a place that went from terrible to unimaginable... In a strong field, Cannibal Island is one of the grisliest and most unpleasant accounts of gulag life... This one ranks as one of the more memorable exhibits in the gallery of horrors."--Graeme Wood, Weekly Standard "This is an utterly harrowing account of the 'bloody implementation of a utopia' and an exemplary analysis of the Soviet state, with its 'number culture' and 'pseudocategorizations' -- all of this underpinned, of course, by the most spectacular cruelty."--Richard King, Sydney Morning Herald "Often the details in a single instance sear more deeply than the most gruesome tally of large numbers...Werth describes in rich detail the transformation of the vast western Siberian wilderness into the dumping ground for millions of 'de-kulakized' peasants, minority groups from the borderlands, the socially marginal, criminals, and the utterly innocent...These 'special settlements' are a part of the gulag's least-known history. Werth corrects that in plain and clear language, leaving the story to convey its own excruciating eloquence."--Robert Levgold, Foreign Affairs "Nicolas Werth's book is the stuff of nightmares. It recounts the fate of 6,000 'special settlers', rounded up in Moscow and Leningrad in 1933 and sent to the island of Nazino in the Ob River in Western Siberia."--Carla King, Irish Times "[A] chilling piece of historical reconstruction"--London Review Bookshop "The author demonstrates encyclopedic erudition and provides nuanced explanations. Ample quotations from reports and letters of government officials give the book its sense of immediacy. In other words, the volume is both scholarly and absorbing, which is a rare combination."--Michael Jakobson, Slavic Review "In short, this remarkable case study of dysfunction and terror makes a valuable contribution to our understanding of Stalinism."--JeffreyS.Hardy, H-Net Reviews "[This book] mark[s] a quantitative leap forward in data now available in English on these important and complex problems that had previously been much neglected."-- Stephen G. Wheatcroft, American Historical Review "Werth's meticulous approach to the study of social order and administrative norms in the Stalin era is likely to be of real interest to specialists in GULAG studies, camp memoirs, and Soviet culture in general. Clearly and forcefully argued, Cannibal Island does an excellent job of reconstructing the way in which Soviet officials and institutions operated in the 1930s. Readable enough to serve as a good source for undergraduates working on research papers in Soviet history and culture, this volume would make a good addition to even the most modest university library collections."--Emily D. Johnson, Slavic and East European Journal "Cannibal Island is a valuable addition to emerging Gulag scholarship in so far as it demonstrates how, in the early 1930s, this network of labour camps and settlements also began serving as a dumping ground for those elderly, destitute, and physically and mentally disabled 'elements' the regime expunged from urban centres."--Andrew A. Gentes, European History Quarterly "This short yet extraordinarily rich account of Stalinist politics and Soviet life should be read widely."--Hiroaki Kuromiya, Slavonic and East European ReviewTable of ContentsForeword by Jan T. Gross ix Preface xiii Glossary xxi CHAPTER 1: A "grandiose plan" 1 CHAPTER 2: Western Siberia, a Land of Deportation 23 CHAPTER 3: Negotiations and Preparations 59 CHAPTER 4: In the Tomsk Transit Camp 86 CHAPTER 5: Nazino 121 Conclusion 171 Epilogue, 1933-37 181 Acknowledgments 194 Notes 195

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Book SynopsisBetween the early 1930s and his death in 1953, Joseph Stalin had more than a million of his own citizens executed. Millions more fell victim to forced labor, deportation, famine, bloody massacres, and detention and interrogation by Stalin's henchmen. This book tells the story of these crimes.Trade Review"Naimark's short book is a polemical contribution to this debate. Though he acknowledges the dubious political history of the UN convention, he goes on to argue that even under the current definition, Stalin's attack on the kulaks and on the Ukrainian peasants should count as genocide... Perhaps we need a new word, one that is broader than the current definition of genocide and means, simply, 'mass murder carried out for political reasons.'"--Anne Applebaum, New York Review of Books "Stalin's Genocides is compellingly written, nuanced and powerfully argued."--Times Literary Supplement "This is a small book that places a large exclamation point on the most incriminatingly tragic dimension of Soviet history."--Robert Levgold, Foreign Affairs "Norman Naimark's extended essay Stalin's Genocides is both controversial and provocative... Naimark's daring effort to redefine several of the crimes committed by Stalin's regime in the 1930s and 1940s as acts of genocide is admirable. His study is also particularly timely."--Zbysek Brezina, History Today "Norman Naimark gives us here in a very condensed form a fine piece of scholarship... After closing the cover of this well-written and powerfully-argued monograph, more than one reader will be left wondering how Stalin was able to achieve such ghastly results."--J. Guy Lalande, Canadian Journal of History "Written elegantly and researched impeccably, this volume will be of interest to academic and non-academic audiences alike. It will hopefully prompt other authors to re-evaluate Stalin's mass terror and name it for what it was."--Lavinia Stan, European Legacy "Naimark deserves great credit not only for having written a crisp, concise book but also for sparking a discussion that historians far too often are reluctant to have."--Mark Kramer, Journal of Cold War StudiesTable of ContentsAcknowledgments vii Introduction 1 Chapter 1: The Genocide Issue 15 Chapter 2: The Making of a Genocidaire 30 Chapter 3: Dekulakization 51 Chapter 4: The Holodomor 70 Chapter 5: Removing Nations 80 Chapter 6: The Great Terror 99 Chapter 7: The Crimes of Stalin and Hitler 121 Conclusions 131 Notes 139 Index 155

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Book Synopsis"First published in German as Dekolonisation by Jan C. Jansen and Jeurgen Osterhammel, A Verlag C.H. Beck oHG, Meunchen 2013"--Title page verso.Trade Review"This clear, concise, and new interpretation will be welcomed by students, scholars, and general readers interested in one of the most defining and consequential developments of the 20th century."--Publishers Weekly "This is a work not only valuable for its discussion of the topic, but for placing it in a context sorely needed in today's hydra-headed discussions of the term and the word from which it is derived... Perhaps this book's greatest virtue is reminding us of what a global phenomenon it was by concentrating on the vast French colonial empire, as well as the Portuguese, German, Japanese and, yes, American realms."--Martin Rubin, Washington TimesTable of ContentsPreface vii 1 Decolonization as Moment and Process 1 2 Nationalism, Late Colonialism, World Wars 35 3 Paths to Sovereignty 71 4 Economy 119 5 World Politics 139 6 Ideas and Programs 156 7 Legacies and Memories 171 Notes 193 Select Readings 225 Index 237

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Book SynopsisEurope and the Islamic World sheds much-needed light on the shared roots of Islamic and Western cultures and on the richness of their inextricably intertwined histories, refuting once and for all the misguided notion of a "clash of civilizations" between the Muslim world and Europe. In this landmark book, three eminent historians bring to life theTrade ReviewOne of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 2013 "[T]his is serious history and, as such, seriously worthwhile."--Robert Irwin, Literary Review "[Europe and the Islamic World] is an important contribution to an ever more urgent debate. By providing a wealth of inconvenient detail that fails to fit in to the simplistic stereotypes, it challenges the very notion that humanity can be divided into separate 'civilisations', however bitter at times the conflict between them."--Jonathan Harris, History Today "The comprehensive coverage of the subject matter makes this work the new standard in the field."--Choice "Europe and the Islamic World is a major antidote of this dangerous myopic worldview, offering a critical and balanced assessment of a historic encounter marked not only by religious competition and conflict but also by coexistence and cooperation in domestic politics and foreign relations, trade and commerce, science and culture."--Lisa Kaaki, Arab News "As provocative as it is groundbreaking, this book describes this shared history in all its richness and diversity, revealing how ongoing encounters between Europe and Islam have profoundly shaped both."--World Book Industry "This book is a solid scholarly work on the current and ongoing debate on the relations between Europe and the Islamic world. It differs from previous works on two major grounds: it offers a detailed narrative of key neglected aspects of this history and it refutes the notion of the 'clash of civilizations.'"--Adel Manai, Canadian Journal of History "Tolan clearly shows how to approach the history of Islam and Christianity during the medieval era in a much more sensitive manner, paying respect to here to fore often suppressed or muted voices on both sides."--Albrecht Classen, Mediaevistik "The status of non-Muslims in Muslim lands is a major theme in the book and it is dealt with effectively by each author... [T]his book achieves its purpose well."--David Abulafia, English Historical Review "[T]his book is an extremely detailed, learned and informative account of the history of the two regions."--Alex Mallett, Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations "[G]randly ambitious ... [R]eaders will come away from the book profoundly suspicious of simplistic narratives about Muslim aggression and endless jihad."--Philip Jenkin, The Christian CenturyTable of ContentsForeword by John L. Esposito vii General Introduction 1 Part I: Saracens and Ifranj: Rivalries,Emulation, and Convergences By John Tolan *1. The Geographers' World: From Arabia Felix to the Balad al-Ifranj (Land of the Franks) 11 *2. Conquest and Its Justifications: Jihad, Crusade, Reconquista 27 *3. The Social Inferiority of Religious Minorities: Dhimmis and Mudejars 49 *4. In Search of Egyptian Gold: Traders in the Mediterranean 70 *5. On the Shoulders of Giants: Transmission and Exchange of Knowledge 87 Part II: The Great Turk and Europe By Gilles Veinstein *Introduction to Part II: Continuity and Change in Geopolitics 111 *6. The Ottoman Conquest in Europe 120 *7. Ottoman Europe: An Ancient Fracture 149 *8. Antagonistic Figures 163 *9. The Islamic-Christian Border in Europe 186 *10. Breaches in the Conflict 206 Part III: Europe and the Muslim World in the Contemporary Period By Henry Laurens *Introduction to Part III 257 *11. The Eighteenth Century as Turning Point 259 *12. Civilization or Conquest? 277 *13. The Age of Reform 295 *14. The Age of Empire 322 *15. The First Blows to European Domination 338 *16. The Great War and the Beginning of Emancipation 360 *17. Contemporary Issues 387 Notes 405 Selected Bibliography 439 Index 445

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Book SynopsisWhen Indonesia's Mount Tambora erupted in 1815, it unleashed the most destructive wave of extreme weather the world has witnessed in thousands of years. The volcano's massive sulfate dust cloud enveloped the Earth, cooling temperatures and disrupting major weather systems for more than three years. Communities worldwide endured famine, disease, andTrade ReviewWinner of the 2015 Michelle Kendrick Memorial Book Prize, Society for Literature, Science, and the Arts Honorable Mention for the 2014 ASLI Choice Award in History, Atmospheric Science Librarians International One of The Times Higher Education Supplement's Books of the Year 2014, chosen by Alison Stokes One of The Guardian's Best Popular Physical Science Books of 2014, chosen by GrrlScientist "This engaging interdisciplinary study links Tambora's disruption of global weather patterns not only to Arctic melting, famine, and cholera but to the landscape paintings of William Turner, the debts that plagued Thomas Jefferson near the end of his life, the elegiac verse of the Chinese poet Li Yuyang, and Mary Shelley's novel 'Frankenstein,' written in 1816, the 'Year without a Summer.' The lessons of Tambora's 'Frankenstein weather'--as Wood is quick to point out--may carry special weight in today's era of climate upheaval."--The New Yorker "Wood, who intends no hyperbole in his subtitle, makes a convincing case for Tambora's role in causing 'the most catastrophic sustained weather crisis of the millennium.'"--Thomas Jones, London Review of Books "Persuasively entertaining... If not the first, Mr. Wood's book is by far the best on the subject, and most comprehensive. What Mr. Wood has achieved in Tambora is to uncover, collect, and collate a great deal of new scientific evidence to bolster his case."--Simon Winchester, Wall Street Journal "The greatest volcanic eruption of modern times occurred in 1815 on the small island of Tambora in the East Indies. It spawned the most extreme weather in thousands of years. In what contemporaries described as the 'year without a summer,' its immense ash cloud encircled and cooled the Earth. While historians have mostly ignored the decades of worldwide misery, starvation, and disease that followed, Wood (The Shock of the Real), professor of English at the University of Illinois, remedies this oversight, combining a scientific introduction to volcanism with a vivid account of the eruption's cultural, political, and economic impact that persisted throughout the century."--Publishers Weekly, starred review "Wood broadens our understanding beyond the 'year without a summer' cliche... Wood's command of the scientific literature is impressive, and more than matched by his knowledge of world history during this horrific episode of catastrophic global climate change. With the mass of information he has assimilated, he skillfully weaves a tale full of human and cultural interest."--Ted Nield, Nature "The book is fluently-written, tightly constructed around a single event and a short time period, filled with interesting anecdotes about both well-known and obscure people, places, and evetns, and connects less-than-obvious dots... [F]ascinating and easy-to-read... Tambora is also interesting as a timely reminder of how interconnected our world is."--Peter Gordon, Asian Review of Books "[Tambora's] portentous lessons on the consequences of global climate disturbances, is told with particular elan and a flair for the dramatic in Gillen D'Arcy Wood's Tambora: The Eruption That Changed the World... Wood uncovers for the reader the worldwide reaches of the eruption and makes it a watershed date in the timeline of human history."--William O'Connor, The Daily Beast "Even Westerners who were aware of the occasional spewings of Italy's Mount Vesuvius (much smaller eruptions that didn't change climate at all) had no idea what a volcano on the other side of the globe was capable of doing. Today, Wood ... can put it into a worldwide context of environmental and social upheaval."--Nancy Szokan, Washington Post "[T]his is a subject worthy of much thought. Tambora is the most far-reaching account of it yet, and D'Arcy Wood deserves a wide and serious readership for his audacious book ... a grand case study... It is a brave literary scholar who taken on volcanology, meteorology, epidemiology, glaciation and global economics. Gillen D'Arcy Wood has done so judiciously and shown the power of literature to work as a guiding principle among them."--Alexandra Harris, Literary Review "Wood's compelling and at times terrifying 'cautionary tale' details the global effects of the April 1815 volcanic eruption of Mount Tambora in Indonesia... This extremely detailed work draws together disparate events in a fascinating way. It's in-depth enough for climate science students and offers something different for those wishing to know more about romantic literature; at the same time the work is accessible for popular-science readers. For large public libraries and academic collections."--Henrietta Verma, Library Journal "Too often, the claim that a book is tackling a subject 'that changed the world' is pure hyperbole. Not in this case, however... Gillen D'Arcy Wood offers up this fascinating story of Tambora as a cautionary tale about what might lie ahead of us--a tale that, like Frankenstein, warns against the consequences of technological hubris."--Fiona Capp, The Age "[A] provocative book that confidently leaps from volcanology to lit crit by way of history... [E]arth-shaking ... told with gusto."--Robbie Millen, The Times "The author's command of the scientific literature is impressive and more than matched by his knowledge of world history during this horrific episode of catastrophic global climate change. Through the mass of information he has assimilated, he skilfully weaves a take full of human and cultural interest... This book is much more than just a piece of brilliant popular science. Drawing together a world of data relating to this epoch-changing eruption, Wood has made a major contribution to volcanology, climatology and cultural history, in a writer's quest that was clearly driven by a deep personal passion and conviction."--Ted Nield, Geoscientist Magazine "Gillen D'Arcy Wood tells this story with skill and convincing research in Tambora: The Eruption that Changed the World, bringing together science, historic records and anecdotes from 200 years ago... Wood delivers an intriguing anecdote of historical science, describing how humans are oblivious to the links to nature all around us."--Matthew Scott, South China Morning Post "In Tambora: The Eruption That Changed the World, Gillen D'Arcy Wood weaves a story that Shelley and Byron could not have told, because they could not have known it. Behind the killing weather and the noonday dark was the largest volcanic eruption in recorded history... Wood makes compelling use of literature as a stand-in for the voiceless throngs crushed in this disaster."--Jenni Laidman, Chicago Tribune "[E]ngagingly written and meticulously researched... [A] thoroughly interesting and engaging read."--Alison Stokes, Times Higher Education "This beautifully written book successfully bridges the divides separating science, the arts and social history, to give us an enthralling illustration of the devastation brought about by alterations in global climate that, in fact, lasted for only three years."--Anthony Toole, Amazon.co.uk "In example of example, Wood expertly explains the volcano's effects on climate and agriculture... Wood leaves no doubt how sensitive and far-reaching Earth's climate system is--and how vulnerable humans are to the natural world."--Science News "His remarkable, even pioneering, book is the first to discuss the Tambora eruption as a global phenomenon afflicting Asia as well as Europe and America."--Andrew Robinson, Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society "Wood does not present this eruption as a case of crude environmentalism but as a case study in the fragile interdependence of human and natural systems."--Wan Lixin, Shanghai Daily "Here, Wood comprehensively looks at all these effects, unearthing much previously ignored historical data from around the world and showing how they were all an outgrowth of this earthshaking eruption. In all, it is a remarkable compilation of formerly unconnected information. The text reads almost like an adventure novel, and yet everything is well documented."--Choice "[A] fascinating account of just how much havoc one volcano can wreak."--Alison Stokes, Times Higher Education "Wood's book is extraordinary in its global scope and interdisciplinarity... Wood not only grapples with climate change's history, but also offers a model for how humanistic scholars can engage with climate change now and in the future."--Scott Hess, ISLE "D'Arcy Wood incorporates material that was previously little known, making it easier to grasp the enormity of the environmental changes that affected the health and well-being of a significant segment of humankind. In a fluent and erudite style, D'Arcy shows clearly how several tragedies resulted from the interaction and convergence of the abysmal weather and preexisting natural (the Little Ice Age), socioeconomic, and/or political conditions. By not oversimplifying but emphasizing the complexity of this global event, he has made this book an important resource for those interested in environmental history."--Jelle Zeilinga de Boer, Environmental History "Wood intricately weaves literary works, scientific data, and anecdotal evidence to create a gripping account of the worldwide event and the 'Year without a Summer' that followed in 1816."--Jonathan Abel, H-Net Reviews "An engrossing study."--Noah Heringman, The Annual Review "This is not the first book to be published on the Tambora eruption of 1815. However, this beautifully written and constructed, engaging and entertaining book is, in my opinion, by far the best on the subject, and I highly recommend it."--Graham Denyer, Weather "Tambora offers at once fine history and important witness: we can ill afford to underestimate the destabilizing potential of climate change... Tambora is clear and well researched, and the book flows well. It is passionate and in places even humorous."--Conevery Bolton Valencius, ISIS ReviewTable of ContentsList of Illustrations xi Note on Measurements xv INTRODUCTION Frankenstein's Weather 1 ONE The Pompeii of the East 12 TWO The Little (Volcanic) Ice Age 33 THREE "This End of the World Weather" 45 FOUR Blue Death in Bengal 72 FIVE The Seven Sorrows of Yunnan 97 SIX The Polar Garden 121 SEVEN Ice Tsunami in the Alps 150 EIGHT The Other Irish Famine 171 NINE Hard Times at Monticello 199 EPILOGUE Et in Extremis Ego 229 Acknowledgments 235 Notes 237 Bibliography 259 Index 281

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Intriguing. . . . A lucid analysis of Nero and the Great Fire, enhanced by Barrett’s clear, engaging style, his obvious love of his subject, and an extensive selection of maps, schematics and photographs. Historically minded visitors to Rome as well as Roman-history enthusiasts will appreciate the erudition and context with which he illuminates one of the great stories—and personalities—of the ancient world."---Diana Preston, Washington Post"Barrett’s central and most timely theme is the role of rumour and conspiracy theory in accelerating political change. . . . What matters for Barrett isn’t so much whether Nero started the fire as what it meant to Rome to believe that he had."---James Romm, London Review of Books"A thorough, high-quality work on Emperor Nero and the fire that destroyed Rome in 64 CE. . . . Sure to be the most enduring treatment of this major historical event for some time." * Kirkus Reviews, starred review *"Anthony Barrett has produced arguably the most comprehensive and detailed treatment of the fiery disaster. . . .Barrett’s work exemplifies the latest, most detailed and generously illustrated narrative about the Great Fire to date, and would be an asset on the shelf of anyone, scholar or enthusiast, interested in the archaeology and history of Rome." * Popular Archaeology *"[Rome Is Burning brings] together wide-ranging and up to date evidence to present the state-of-the-art view of the fire of 64, and its reception down the millennia in film and ballet etc., that will satisfy both scholar and interested layman."---Adrian Spooner, Classics for All"Rome Is Burning is a lucid analysis of Nero and the Great Fire, enhanced by Barrett’s clear, engaging style, his obvious love of his subject, and an extensive selection of maps, schematics and photographs. Any person with even a passing interest in the history of Rome will find this book interesting and illuminating."---Dr. LF Ivings, Journal of Classics Teaching

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewCo-Winner of the 2016 Prime Minister's Literary Award for Non-Fiction, Australian Government Department of Communications and the Arts 2015 Silver Winner in History, ForeWord Reviews' INDIEFAB Book of the Year Awards One of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 2016 Honorable Mention for the 2016 PROSE Award in Government & Politics, Association of American Publishers "Though there have been a number of fine studies of Stalin and his henchmen in the past few years, On Stalin's Team offers new insight into the complex group dynamics that sustained his political power for so long."--Rachel Polonsky, Times Literary Supplement "One of the most novel sections of the book is the chapter on how the ruling group fared without Stalin. Fitzpatrick shows the team managing the post-Stalin transition remarkably well, not only maintaining stability but even launching a raft of reforms. Building on a recent vein of scholarship, she suggests that they were able to do this precisely because they had already consolidated as a group under the dictator."--Yoram Gorlizki, London Review of Books "A superb group portrait of the dictator's closest lieutenants at a pivotal moment in history."--Joshua Rubenstein, Wall Street Journal "[On Stalin's Team is] a well-researched study of the social and political lives of the men who supported, encouraged, and abetted Stalin."--Kirkus "Rich in politics as well as personal intrigue... [W]ell worth reading."--Library Journal, starred review "Impressive ... this is a rare and highly accomplished piece of scholarship... Fitzpatrick shows herself to be a master storyteller as well... [Her] innovative approach situates Stalin firmly in his personal milieu for the first time, helps to elucidate how he actually exercised power through his team, and offers a compelling sense of the personalities and relationships at play in the Soviet elite that will prove invaluable in interpreting party and government records via their human context."--Lara Cook, Times Higher Education "Fitzpatrick's book does not just establish her argument, but also gives a series of wonderful, horrifying and sometimes hilarious insights into what the top Stalinists were actually like."--David Aaronovitch, The Times "Fitzpatrick has written an interesting, accessible, and valuable study of Stalin's 'team,' the men who surrounded and largely survived the Soviet dictator... The book adds new detail and insight on Stalin's personality, political modus operandi, intrigues, and Weltanschauung. It adds immensely to knowledge of Stalin and Russia and is a rich supplement to Simon Montefiore's Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar."--D. J. Dunn, Choice "Compelling and convincing."--Geoffrey Roberts, Literary Review "It might seem strange to describe a book about Joseph Stalin and his entourage as a sheer pleasure, but that's what Fitzpatrick's book is. Simple, honest, and direct, but subtle in tone, it manages to convey what was human and complex about something stark and inhuman... One comes away from this book with a far better sense of what it must have been like within the inner sanctum as it went about its business: sometimes heroic, all too often monstrous."--Robert Legvold, Foreign Affairs "[A] superbly researched, intelligent book."--Donald Rayfield, Guardian "A fascinating look into the lives and work of the Soviet leadership... This is an excellent book. It is written in a way that will appeal to a wide audience of scholars and the broader public. It is both a study of team politics and interpersonal relationships at the top of the Soviet political leadership, as well as an engaging story of the ups and downs experienced by Stalin's closest associates. This is a page turner-a gripping story that will fascinate and enthrall the reader."--Steven Maddox, Russian Review "Thanks in no small measure to this elegantly written book, historians should no longer regard 'Stalin's men' as mere also-rans. Collectively, they played a major role in shaping and managing a vast country from the late 1920s through to the 1960s, in the process helping to transform it into a global superpower."--Kevin McDermott, Journal of Modern HistoryTable of ContentsExplanatory Note vii Glossary ix Introduction 1 ONE The Team Emerges 15 TWO The Great Break 43 THREE In Power 64 FOUR The Team on View 89 FIVE The Great Purges 114 SIX Into War 143 SEVEN Postwar Hopes 171 EIGHT Aging Leader 197 NINE Without Stalin 224 TEN End of the Road 255 Conclusion 269 Acknowledgments 279 Notes 281 Biographies 317 Bibliography of Works Cited 333 Index 349

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"A hugely ambitious book."---Catharine Edwards, Times Literary Supplement"[This book] is an original and subtle treatment of classical art history, full of fresh ideas and new perspectives and is sure to provide a springboard for future advances."---Brian A. Sparkes, Classics for All Reviews"The political, cerebral, aesthetic, ludic and erotic strains within classical reception are all sounded out in this sophisticated and beautifully illustrated book."---Tom Stammers, Classical Art"This is a hugely ambitious book."---Catharine Edwards, Art History"Enlightening and thought-provoking . . . show how Classical Art . . . is – however we look at it – alive and well."---Roger Williams, Minerva"With its detailed notes, extensive bibliography, and appealing visuals, this book will speak to anyone interested in the formation and reception of classical visual traditions."---Michael Squire, Greece and Rome

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Piecing together case studies from the Mediterranean and northern Europe, as well as looking at mining, metal production and alternative forms of currency, this is a rich account of early English numismatic history." * Spear’s *"Making Money in the Early Middle Ages provides a broad portrait of daily life through the lens of currency in the ninth century that makes the book a worthwhile read."---Ryne Clos, Spectrum Culture

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"The case of [Demjanjuk] the death camp guard turned autoworker, related with authority and clarity."--New York Times Book Review "Douglas relates with authority and clarity the story of these complex legal processes... [He] does justice to both the story's factual complexities and its moral and political conundrums...The Right Wrong Man, from its summary title to its thoughtful postscript is an impressive work, as well as a timely one in its demonstration of the power of legal systems to learn from past missteps."--Anthony Julius, New York Times Book Review "A masterful account... Douglas deftly delivers disquisitions on nuanced legal questions as if they were plot points in a thriller, making his demanding book a pleasure."--Wall Street Journal"A tour de force owing to Douglas' piercing analysis of all the legal complexities."--Foreign Affairs"[An] admirable book... Douglas's narrative and analysis of this convoluted legal odyssey [is] extraordinarily impressive."--Christopher R. Browning, Times Literary Supplement "[M]asterful... [D]eftly delivers disquisitions on nuanced legal questions as if they were plot points in a thriller, making his demanding book a pleasure even for readers unschooled in the particulars of international law."--The Wall Street Journal "As Holocaust historian Lawrence Douglas has written, the Eichmann proceedings were the 'Great Holocaust Trial,' an unparalleled reckoning with the universal moral burden of the Nazi regime and its crimes. But what came--what could possibly come--after Eichmann? This is the question that guides Douglas's new book, The Right Wrong Man: John Demjanjuk and the Last Great Nazi War Crimes Trial... By Douglas's account, the Demjanjuk affair was a tumultuous encapsulation of much of the post-Eichmann politics of international justice, shaped as they were by the wax and wane of European communism, the creation of a nascent global architecture of legal accountability for atrocities perpetrated both during the Holocaust and elsewhere, and the global process of coming to terms with Europe's violent past."--Daniel Solomon, The New Republic "An excellent legal-minded elucidation of the long trail toward the conviction of a notorious concentration camp guard."--Kirkus "[A] story that needed telling."--Dominic Lawson, Sunday Times "Sophisticated and suspenseful, the book provides a trenchant analysis of the legal and moral dilemmas surrounding trials for genocidal crimes against humanity."--Glenn Altschuler, Jerusalem Post "[A] tour de force."--Foreign Affairs "The Right Wrong Man is an important read about the accountability those who do wrong ultimately face."--San Francisco Book Review "Formidable ... a thoughtful treatise."--Cleveland Jewish Star "In his indispensable history of the Demjanjuk case, Lawrence Douglas, the James J. Grosfeld Professor of Law, Jurisprudence, and Social Thought at Amherst College, delivers a reader-friendly history of this controversial case that provides a valuable understanding of how German law evolved from eschewing the legal principles established by the Nuremberg Tribunal to the 2011 Demjanjuk case, which marked the first time a German court had ever tried, let alone convicted, 'one of the thousands of auxiliaries who served as foot soldiers of Nazi genocide.'"--Jack Fischel, Jewish Book Council "A perceptive and thought-provoking analysis... The story told by Lawrence Douglas in The Right Wrong Man is a vital part of that narrative of barbarism [and] a remorselessly fascinating account of the longest trial of any defendant accused of Nazi crimes."--Oliver Kamm, Jewish Chronicle "[A] thoughtful treatise."--Arnold Ages, Chicago Jewish Star "Lawrence Douglas's immensely readable book absorbs the reader in the twists and turns of the Demjanjuk saga, helping us understand both why justice required prosecuting Demjanjuk for his 'egregious moral complicity,' and how the job got done."--Kevin P. Spicer, CommonwealTable of ContentsIntroduction 1 1 The Beginning of the End of Something 17 2 John in America 26 3 Ivan in Israel 68 4 Demjanjuk Redux 109 5 Demjanjuk in Munich 137 6 Was damals Recht war ... 161 7 Memory into History 194 8 The Trial by History 216 9 The Right Wrong Man 247 Postscript 258 Acknowledgments 261 Notes 263 Sources 299 Index 321

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"One of CHOICE’s Outstanding Academic Titles for 2017""Winner of the 2018 Nancy Lapp Popular Book Award, American Schools of Oriental Research"

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“The thesis of this unusually interesting book is that the German films of the twenties were filled with premonitions of the German totalitarianism of the thirties.”—Nation“One of the great works of film history, this look at early German cinema, first published in 1947, is still a must-have for cineastes and scholars alike.”—H. J. Kirchhoff, Toronto Globe and Mail“The book is an invaluable guide to a golden period of cinema.”—Christopher Wood, Times

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“Grafton makes clear that the master forger must also be . . . a scholar . . . as knowledgeable as those whom he is trying to fool. . . . This elegant monograph ranges from Porphyry through Isaac Casaubon . . . on to Scaliger, Chatterton and others, though its focus remains the transmission of classical texts. Or, rather, pseudo-classical texts.”—Washington Post“Forgery is the pornography of erudition; and—combining scandal, deception, and betrayal with tales of virtuoso detective work—it has long exercised romantic attraction for historians, providing illicit pleasures (when it has not provoked scholarly outrage). To this fascinating and controversial aspect of the history of scholarship Grafton’s book is a learned, insightful, and most entertaining introduction.”—Donald R. Kelley, Renaissance Quarterly“A good read. . . . Grafton’s principal theme is the symbiotic relationship between forgers and critics, and the spur provided by the efforts of each to the development of new skills and techniques by the other. . . . Grafton’s notes, as always, are superb . . . providing lesser mortals with plenty of new and essential material for study.”—Julia Haig Gaisser, Bryn Mawr Classical Review

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Winner of the PROSE Award in Biography & Autobiography, Association of American Publishers""A Publishers Weekly Top 10 Art, Architecture, & Photography Book of Fall 2020""One of The Sunday Times' Best Art Books of 2020""An impressive and scrupulous work of scholarship."---Michael Prodger, The Sunday Times"Goya: A Portrait of the Artist [is] a newly informed chance to reflect on an artist of enigmatic mind and permanent significance. . . . Tomlinson addresses, with refreshing clarity, a chronic question of just how independent, not to say subversive, Goya was of the powers that employed him. . . . She admirably keeps the mysteries of Goya’s character distinct from its self-serving machinations."---Peter Schjeldahl, New Yorker"[A] thorough and balanced biography. . . . Tomlinson is an excellent guide."---Robin Simon, Literary Review"According to Janis Tomlinson, the great Spanish painter and etcher was not, as legend has it, a man who turned in on himself and . . . depicted a horror-haunted inner world with demons and witches everywhere, but a social creature who took on the cultural and folkloric currents of his time. Her Goya is no recluse, but shifts alongside his rapidly changing political masters." * Sunday Times *"If ever there was a time that demanded a fuller understanding of Francisco de Goya y Lucientes, that time is now. Goya navigated the tempestuous shoals around being a court painter and an independent humanist during the brutal period of Spain’s Imperial unraveling. In the process he emerged as arguably the first modern artist…[A] superlative study."---Christopher Knight, LA Times"Tomlinson has produced an authoritative, reliable and thoroughly up-to-date biography that includes many insights into Goya’s social and political milieu during a time of unprecedented upheaval in Spain. . . . [The book offers] a detailed account of his life while simultaneously offering insights into the artist’s creative process and providing the reader with the opportunity to distinguish between the legends and the facts concerning many facets of Goya’s life and work."---Simon Lee, Burlington Magazine"In Goya: A Portrait of the Artist, [Janis Tomlinson shows that] the painter was not the loner that he is sometimes imagined to be. . . . One of the pleasures of Tomlinson’s book lies in encountering the unvarnished details of Goya’s life; her delineation of the artist’s remarkably flexible political allegiances is especially engrossing."---Andrew Martin, Harper's Magazine"[Tomlinson] is an expert, evenhanded guide and there is no question we are in the surest hands."---Maxwell Carter, Wall Street Journal"Tomlinson’s detailed account of this long and productive life is discriminating and trustworthy. . . . Tomlinson has supplied a cool and corrective scholarly chronicle."---Julian Bell, New York Review of Books"A passionate and well-researched biography. . . . Tomlinson refutes the common image of Goya as a dark, obsessive artist and attributes his success, instead, to his geniality and initiative. The writing is insightful, with Tomlinson’s pensive, philosophical tone mirroring her deep expertise and knack for critical thinking. This inspired, thoughtful work sheds new light on Goya and will enthrall any lover of fine art." * Publishers Weekly *"Tomlinson’s meticulous distillation of a voluminous number of parish records, drawings, notes, and letters is impressive, and her knowledge of and passion for Goya continually shine through in her writing, making for a fascinating and insightful reading experience. A top-notch biography." * Kirkus starred review *"This well-informed, comprehensive biography would make an excellent gift for an art lover. Tomlinson has fashioned a clear and informative biography that will appeal to Goya researchers and enthusiasts."---Alexander Adams, The Critic"This masterly biography now puts the work into context and breathes life into the legend of the morose recluse."---Bel Mooney, The Daily Mail"The 'portrait of the artist' painted by Tomlinson is that of a man able to adapt to an ever-changing political landscape. Her prose interweaves personal biography and major historical events with brief interludes of artistic description that whet the visual appetite. Reading it is like walking on a frozen lake, aware of the scholarly depth beneath but safe on top of the thick ice. Bite-size chap­ters transform the tome into a digestible and enjoyable read. . . . in a world brimming with books on Goya, this will surely stand as the definitive biography for years to come."---Isabelle Kent, Apollo"Goya [is] a lucid, meticulously researched, and nuanced account of the life of the perennially fascinating Spanish painter, Francisco de Goya…[Janis] Tomlinson’s book is both a meticulous scholarly contribution and a highly accessible biography for the non-specialist reader. . . . Tomlinson’s tour de force is a profoundly sensitive and masterful portrait of one of the towering artists of the modern era."---Catherine M. Jaffe, Dieciocho"Goya takes a fresh look at well-trodden misconceptions about the artist, exhuming details from parish records, court papers, newspapers, and other archives, and investigated how recent discoveries like an early sketchbook and new access to his letters provide insight into his six decades of art."---Allison C. Meier, Fine Books & Collections"Francisco de Goya is often thought of as the reclusive, deaf and delusional artist who depicted drowning dogs, mutilated bodies and Saturn devouring his son…In Goya, the American art historian Janis Tomlinson goes some way to dispelling this perception, scouring primary resources — including the Spaniard’s letters, court papers and sketchbooks — to provide a more nuanced depiction." * Christie's *"Janet Tomlinson’s new biography restores [Goya] to his own times. . . . The pragmatic portrait of the artist offered by Tomlinson is one that makes compelling sense of the surviving textual evidence. . . . Tomlinson has provided the most reliable life of the artist to date."---Tom Stammers, London Review of Books

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"A gleeful new compendium of dastardly highlights from Suetonius' The Lives of Caesars . . . Horribly fascinating." * Minerva *"[How to Be a Bad Emperor is] a look at some of the worst emperors from history and how they failed. I am a big believer in learning from cautionary tales, and while of course many of the stories from ancient Rome are extreme, there is plenty to take note of here."---Ryan Holiday, Reading List Newsletter"How to Be A Bad Emperor deftly demonstrates what tendencies make a poor leader and exposes fatal character flaws along with a good dose of humour. It's a rollicking, funny, and educational eyeopener on Roman leadership, and a great introduction for newcomers to Suetonius' work. A must-read for anyone interested in Roman History."---Sandra Alvarez, Ancient History Magazine"Fun and instructive."---Brook Manville, Forbes.com"[How to Be a Bad Emperor] cleverly reproduces the choicest bits of Suetonius’s writings."---Adrian Woolridge, Bloomberg Opinion"[In How to Be a Bad Emperor], Osgood has provided an important reminder of the delicacy of systems, and how once they are overturned, the citizenry will be eagerly and easily trammeled by power hungry narcissists."---Mary Spencer, New Criterion"A deft introduction to the world and mindset of the Caesars." * Inside Story *"How to Be a Bad Emperor is an exuberant, witty, and incisive critique of four power-hungry egomaniacal Roman emperors. . . . Superbly translated."---Antonio Battagliotti, Open History"An accessible translation. . . .there is no doubt that this volume is a timely product in our era of rising authoritarianism across the globe."---Mallory Monaco Caterine, Polis

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Winner of the George McT. Kahin Prize, Association for Asian Studies""Winner of the Distinguished Book Award in Non-U.S. History, Society for Military History""Winner of the Raphael Lemkin Book Award, Institute for the Study of Genocide""Longlisted for the 2019 ICAS Book Prize in Humanities, International Convention of Asia Scholars""One of the Financial Times' Best Books of 2018: History""One of Foreign Affairs' Picks for Best of Books 2018"

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Book SynopsisIn a radically new account of the importance of early Africa in global history, Gomez traces how Islam's growth in West Africa, along with intensifying commerce that included slaves, resulted in a series of political experiments unique to the region, culminating in the rise of empire.Trade Review"Winner of the ASA Book Prize (Herskovits), African Studies Association""Winner of the Martin A. Klein Prize, American Historical Association""One of Choice Reviews' Outstanding Academic Titles of 2018"

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