History Books

Book SynopsisLike its African neighbours, Eritrea attained colonial statehood under a European power, in this case Italy. Yet, during decolonisation, its people were singularly excluded from the right to self- determination, for external reasons: superpower rivalry over the country's strategic position on the Red Sea; a mistaken notion of irreconcilable sectarian differences within Eritrea's population, invoked in order to brand it a society unfit for statehood; and Ethiopia's imperial claim, based on mythical historical connections. The Ethiopian call for Eritrea's return, supported by the UK and the US, sealed its fate at the international level. First, in the early 1950s, the UN General Assembly federated Eritrea as an autonomous unit under Ethiopian sovereignty; a decade later, Addis Ababa annexed it as a provincein neither case was the population consulted, sparking a liberation war.This vital book traces the genesis of the Eritrean independence struggle through hitherto unexplored local sources, both written and oral, analysed against the rather scanty existing literature on this period. Alemseged Tesfai refocuses the narrative on the actions, reactions and expectations of a relatively small nation, in both size and population, as it set out to right an international wrong, imposed by the Great Powers of the day.

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Book SynopsisThe richly illustrated Corvette70 Years is a complete history of America’s only sports car, detailing engineering, design, and key players. Trade Review"...a lavish love letter to a model Prince has cherished since he was a boy...Prince’s detailed approach to the subject yields fresh insights." * Car and Driver *."..it is sure to satisfy the 'Vette buff in your life (even if that person is you)." * Bloomberg.com *Table of ContentsIntroduction Dream Car, 1953 From Desperation to Hope On the Path to Success, 1956–1962 Corvette Goes Racing C1 Styling and Engineering Specials Birth of an Icon: C2 Introduction, 1963 The C2 Matures, 1964–1967 Keeping the Flame Burning: Corvette Racing, 1963–1967 Styling and Engineering Specials of the 1960s Revolutionary Styling: C3 Introduction, 1968 Performance Peak, 1969–1972 Challenging Times, 1973–1982 Styling and Engineering Specials of the 1970s Privateers Keep Racing, 1968–1982 A New Lease on Life: C4 Introduction, 1984 Turning the Corner, 1985–1996 Chevrolet Goes Racing with the C4 Bold Moves: 1987–1991 Callaway and 1990–1995 ZR-1 World Class: C5 Introduction, 1997 The Triumph of Technology, 1998–2004 Chevrolet Goes Racing with the C5 Evolution, Not Revolution: C6 Introduction, 2005 Continuous Development, 2006–2013 The Growing Importance of Racing, 2005–2013 Forward Momentum: C7 Introduction, 2014 Optimization, 2014–2019 Racing the Seventh Generation, 2014–2019 Revolution: Introducing the Mid-Engine C8 Racing the Mid-Engine C8 Looking Ahead Acknowledgments Photo Credits Index

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Book Synopsis'Should be read by anyone who cares about the past and the way we think and write about it' Independent on Sunday At a time when fact and historical truth are under unprecedented assault, historian Richard Evans shows us why history is necessary. Taking us into the historians' workshop to show us just how good history gets written, he demolishes the wilder claims of postmodern historians, who deny the possibility of any realistic grasp of the subject. In one of the most important lessons for today he explains the deadly political dangers of losing a historical perspective on the way we live our lives. With wit, wisdom and incisive insight, this is a book to inspire faith in the practice of historians and the worth of learning from the past. In Defence of History is the definitive argument for the craft of history and the vital worth of historians to civilization. 'A subtle, engaged, brilliantly barbed and often amusing case for historical truth...' Sunday Times 'Brilliantly readable' Antonia Fraser 'Arguably the most talented social historian of his generation' Niall Ferguson 'An excellent primer... A model of lucid and intelligent historiographical analysis' GuardianTrade ReviewA magisterial polemic * Independent *Arguably the most talented social historian of his generation -- Niall FergusonAn excellent primer on central issues of historical practice ... exemplary in his handling of sensitive episodes...a model of lucid and intelligent historiographical analysis * Guardian *A subtle, engaged, brilliantly barbed and often amusing case for historical truth * Sunday Times *Brilliantly readable -- Antonia FraserThis is a wise and sensible book, which should be read by anyone who cares about the past and the way we think and write about it * Independent on Sunday *Richard Evans offers a spirited and elegant defence of the discipline...while demonstrating with wit and acumen that historians have never been quite so credulous as is sometimes suggested * Times *

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Book Synopsis"A lucid history of the rise and fall of militarism in Japan…" —New York Journal of BooksJapan at War in the Pacific recounts the dramatic story of Japan's transformation from a Samurai-led feudal society to a modern military-industrial empire in the space of a few decades—and the many wars it fought along the way. These culminated in an attempt by Japan's military leaders to create an Asia-Pacific empire which at its greatest extent rivaled the British Empire in scope and power. The battle for supremacy in the Pacific brought the Japanese to great heights but led ultimately to the nation's utter devastation at the end of World War II, culminating with the dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki—the only time such weapons have been used in warfare. In this book, author Jonathan Clements offers fascinating insights into: The wars that Japan fought during its rise to supremacy in the western Pacific, including the Russo-Japanese War, the seizure of Manchuria and war in China, and the Pacific theater of World War II. The many military actions undertaken by Imperial Japanese forces including the horrific "Rape of Nanjing," the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, the decisive defeat at the Battle of Midway, the savage Battles of Okinawa and Iwo Jima, and many more. The motivations and beliefs of Japan's leaders, as well as the policy decisions of a government dedicated to expansion which ultimately led to a complete dismantling of the nation's political and social order during the Allied Occupation. With over 75 photographs and maps, this book vividly recounts the brutal story of Japan's military conquests. Clements charts the evolution of the Japanese empire in the Pacific and the influence of a ruthless military-led government on everything from culture and food to fashion and education—including the anthems and rallying calls of a martial nation which were silenced long ago but continue to echo in Asian politics.Trade Review"In 1853, a fleet of US warships arrived at Japan, and through the threat of violence, ended Japan's 250 years of self-isolation from the world. The destabilization caused by this event led to a government that looked to the Western powers as their example, and they started down the road to creating an empire. Jonathan Clements's new book outlines how a nation that had no living memory of war transformed itself into a militarized, expansionist power that dragged the entirety of Asia and the Pacific into war."--Powell's Books Blog"Jonathan Clements' new book Japan at War in the Pacific is a lucid history of the rise and fall of militarism in Japan…" --New York Journal of Books

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Book SynopsisThis informative study explores the Soviet invasion of Finland, detailing the events of the Winter War of November 1939 to March 1940. The invasion was expected to be swift and decisive, however, the fighting qualities of the Finnish Army blunted the Soviet advance and inflicted high numbers of casualties. A combination of difficulties caused by the weather, the terrain, the Mannerheim Line defenses and Finnish tactics resulted in a fascinating David vs Goliath type struggle.On 23 August 1939, a secret protocol was appended to the GermanSoviet Non-Aggression Pact; as part of this, Finland was assigned to the Soviet sphere of influence. On 30 November that year, in an effort to protect against renewed German aggression in the East, the Soviet Union attacked Finland, beginning what became known as the Finnish-Soviet Winter War. This long-awaited addition to the Campaign series explores the events of the war of November 1939 to March 1940. Set against the bTrade ReviewI learnt a lot more about the war thanks to author David Murphy, and it made for interesting reading, well illustrated by the supporting maps, let alone the very nice artwork. -- Robin Buckland * Military Model Scene *Table of ContentsOrigins of the Campaign Chronology Opposing Commanders Opposing Forces and Order of Battle, 30 November 1939 Opposing Plans The Winter War Aftermath The Battlefields Today Select Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisA study of the Soviet and NATO armored forces that faced each other off in Central Europe in the early Cold War, and how their technology, tactics, and doctrine were all rapidly developed.For 45 years, the most disputed point in the World was the dividing line between East and West in Europe; here the use and development of tanks was key. In this fully illustrated study, author Steve Zaloga, describes how Soviet and NATO tanks were deployed in the early years of the Cold War, and how a generation of tanks such as the Soviet T-44/T-54 and IS-3, British Centurion, US Army M26/M46 Pershing (all developed during World War II) saw extensive service after the war had ended. Initial post-war generation tanks including the Soviet T-54A, T-10 heavy tank, British late-model Centurions, Conqueror, US Army M41, M47, M48 and the French AMX-13 are examined in detail alongside the most important technical trends of the era: the development of shaped-charge anti-tank projectiles, theTable of ContentsIntroduction The tanks, doctrine, and organization Tanks in battle Technical analysis Further reading Index

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Book SynopsisA wonderful overview of tactical development in European football' Matthew Syed, The TimesA fascinating assessment of football in 2019' ObserverAn insightful, comprehensive and always entertaining appreciation of how European football has developed over the last three decades by the author of the much heralded The Mixer. Continental football has always cast a spell over the imagination. From the attacking flair of Real Madrid of the 50s to the defensive brilliance of the Italians in the 60s and onto the total football of the Dutch in the 70s, the European leagues have been where the game has most evolved and taken its biggest steps forward. And over the last three decades, since the rebranding of the Champions League in 1992, that pattern has continued unabated, with each major European footballing nation playing its part in how the game's tactics have developed.From the intelligent use of space displayed by the phenomenal Ajax team of the early 90s, to the dominance of the highly straTrade Review Praise for Zonal Marking ‘An excellent recent history of European football’ New Yorker ‘A wonderful overview of tactical development in European football.’ Matthew Syed, The Times ‘A fascinating assessment of football in 2019.’ Observer ‘Cox, a tactics obsessive, largely ignores the soap opera of football to explain what actually happens on the field. In this book, speckled with well-told anecdotes, he traces the tactical development of the game over the last 30 years.’ Simon Kuper, Financial Times ’Revelatory stories, lucid tactics and wry anecdotes combine… The secret weapon of Cox’s readability is the use of telling quotes from those who actually play the game.’ When Saturday Comes ‘An entertaining and brilliantly researched look at football tactics.’ FourFourTwo Praise for The Mixer ‘Thanks to his meticulous research and his focus on strategy, Mr Cox finds a fresh perspective on a story that football fans will think they already knew.’ The Economist ‘The Mixer, by Michael Cox is a very unusual football writer in that he specialises in the game as it’s actually played, rather than the gossip or folklore around it. The Mixer is a tactical history of the English Premier League, with telling anecdotes on every page. It’s deeply informed and a pleasure to read.’ Financial Times ‘Intelligently written. Impressively researched. Fascinatingly addictive. Michael Cox is like a cartographer, remapping the landscape of the Premier League so we see the contours of it afresh. That’s some feat.’ Duncan Hamilton, two-time winner of the William Hill Sports Book of the Year

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Book SynopsisA forensic examination of what lay behind the exceptional heroism exhibited by the 28th Infantry Division in the Battle of the Bulge.

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Book SynopsisThe first in a three-book series examining the Stalingrad campaign, one of the most decisive military operations in World War II that set the stage for the ultimate defeat of the Third Reich.After failing to defeat the Soviet Union with Operation Barbarossa in 1941, Adolf Hitler planned a new campaign for the summer of 1942 that was intended to achieve a decisive victory: Operation Blue (Case Blau). In this new campaign, Hitler directed that one army group (Heeresgruppe A) would advance to seize the Soviet oilfields in the Caucasus, while the other (Heeresgruppe B) pushed on to the Volga River. The expectation was for a rapid victory instead, German forces had to fight hard just to reach the outskirts of Stalingrad, and then found themselves embroiled in a protracted urban battle amid the ruins of a devastated city on the Volga.The Soviet Red Army was hit hard by the initial German offensive but held onto the city and then launched OperaTable of ContentsOrigins of the Campaign Chronology Opposing Commanders Opposing Forces plus Order of Battle, 28 June 1942 Opposing Plans The Campaign Analysis The Battlefield Today Further Reading Index

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Book SynopsisAppian (ca. AD 95–161) is a principal source for the history of the Roman Republic. His theme is the process by which Rome achieved her contemporary prosperity, and his method is to trace in individual books the story of each nation’s wars with Rome up through her own civil wars. This Loeb edition replaces the original by Horace White (1912–13).Trade ReviewA superb, nuanced translation…It is not simply that McGing updates the translation to reflect contemporary idiom; he also breathes new life into Appian’s prose on almost every page…This exceptionally well executed Loeb is a welcome resource that will be deeply appreciated by all those interested in Appian and his remarkable Roman History as well as expand his appeal to a new generation of readers. -- Alain M. Gowing * Bryn Mawr Classical Review *I have not read any fictions that have more dramatic tension, philosophy, or narrative curiosities than this history of Appian’s. * Pennsylvania Literary Journal *

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Book SynopsisElegant designs embody the rich coloration and sinuous intertwining of geometric figures and organic forms characteristic of Celtic art. Bookmarks are laminated for durability.

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Book SynopsisThis book argues that the Jewish kingdom of the Bible was real, as were its first three kings, Saul, David, and Solomon even if the biblical stories distort their actions to glorify them. Combining fresh archaeological evidence with astute readings of key texts, the authors offer a compelling reconstruction of this fascinating ancient polity.

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Book Synopsis THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "Incredibly evocative and compelling." - The Washington Post"The most moving and chilling oral history you will read." - The Times"Astonishing book about an astonishing, terrifying atrocity, relived in real time by those who were there. I read it in one sitting & was utterly gripped from start to finish." - Piers Morgan"The most vivid portrait of 9/11 I've ever read."- Mike Morell, former deputy director of the CIA** Updated 20th Anniversary edition with additional content **The Only Plane in the Sky is the first comprehensive oral history of 9/11, deftly woven and told in the voices of ordinary people grappling with extraordinary events.It begins predawn, where we meet airport staff who unknowingly usher terrorists onto their flights. From a secret bunker beneath the White House, Dick Cheney and Condoleezza Rice watch for incoming planes on radar. At the Pentagon, officials feel a violent tremor as they come under attack. We hear the stories of the father and son working on separate floors in the North Tower; the firefighter who rushes there to search for his wife; the phone operator who keeps her promise to share a passenger's last words with his family; the chaplain who stays on the scene to perform last rites, losing his own life when the Twin Towers collapse.In New York, first responders confront a scene of unimaginable chaos. At the Pentagon generals break down and weep when they are barred from rushing into the burning building to try and rescue their colleagues.Drawing on never-before-published transcripts, declassified documents and interviews from nearly five hundred people, award-winning historian Garrett Graff skilfully tells the story of the day that changed all of our lives - as it was lived.The Only Plane in the Sky is a unique, profound, and searing exploration of humanity on a day that changed the course of history, and all of our lives, 20 years ago.

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Book SynopsisA brilliantly detailed visual representation of the only US World War II destroyer to have retained its original configuration.Superbly illustrated with artwork of the ship through its career, reconstructions of deck layouts, and 3D illustrations of every detail of the ship from its rigging to its boats to its anchors, this book reconstructs and dissects the Fletcher-class destroyer USS Kidd, the most original survivor of the US Navy''s most famous class of World War II destroyers. Kidd fought throughout the Pacific War, in the Marshall Islands, Marianas, and Philippines campaigns. In early 1945, Kidd joined Task Force 58 for the invasion of Okinawa, and postwar served in the Korean War. Since 1982 USS Kidd has been a museum ship at Baton Rouge, Louisiana.Drawing on Stefan Draminski's new research and making the best use yet of his acclaimed 3D illustration techniques, this is the most comprehensive examination of USS Kidd ev

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Book SynopsisAt a time when that 1960s notion of air travel as decadent and exceptional is experiencing an unexpected revival, this book ... could be the G&T in a plastic glass you need.' The SpectatorTravel writer Julia Cooke's exhilarating portrait of Pan Am stewardesses in the Mad Men era.Come Fly the World tells the story of the stewardesses who served on the iconic Pan American Airways between 1966 and 1975 - and of the unseen diplomatic role they played on the world stage.Alongside the glamour was real danger, as they flew soldiers to and from Vietnam and staffed Operation Babylift - the dramatic evacuation of 2,000 children during the fall of Saigon. Cooke's storytelling weaves together the true stories of women like Lynne Totten, a science major who decided life in a lab was not for her, to Hazel Bowie, one of the relatively few African American stewardesses of the era, as they embraced the liberation of a jet-set life.In the process, Cooke shows how the sexualized coffee-tea-or-me stereotype was at odds with the importance of what they did, and with the freedom, power and sisterhood they achieved.Trade ReviewJulia Cooke's entertaining, sexism-skewering history shows how female flight attendants were also flag-flying diplomats' * Financial Times *Cooke is good on the way an industry with rigid, deep-rooted notions about female service, looks and behaviour became a ticket to unparalleled independence . At a time when that 1960s notion of air travel as decadent and exceptional is experiencing an unexpected revival, this book . could be the G&T in a plastic glass you need.' * The Spectator *

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Book SynopsisThirty years after the Soviet Union’s collapse, this book reveals how tensions between America, NATO, and Russia transformed geopolitics between the Cold War and COVIDTrade Review“Sarotte has the receipts, as it were: her authoritative tale draws on thousands of memos, letters, briefs, and other once secret documents—including many that have never been published before—which both fill in and complicate settled narratives on both sides.”—Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker“Prize-winning historian Mary Elise Sarotte . . . charts all the private discussions within the western alliance and with Russia over enlargement and reveals Russia as powerless to slow the ratchet effect of the opening of Nato’s door.”—Patrick Wintour, The Guardian“Sarotte is the unofficial dean of ‘end of Cold War’ studies. . . . With her latest book, she tackles head-on the not-controversial-at-all questions about NATO’s eastward growth and the effect it had on Russia’s relations with the west. I look forward to the contretemps this book will inevitably produce.”—Daniel W. Drezner, Washington Post“‘Not one inch to the east’ . . . [is] a history so often repeated that it’s practically conventional wisdom. Mary Sarotte . . . [describes] what actually happened [between the US and Russia], and how both the reality and distortion really shape today’s events.”—Max Fisher, New York Times, from “The Interpreter” newsletter“A riveting account of Nato enlargement and its contribution to the present confrontation. Sarotte tells the story with great narrative and analytical flair, admirable objectivity, and an attention to detail that many of us who thought we knew the history have forgotten or never knew.”—Rodric Braithwaite, Financial Times“Masterful and exhaustively researched. . . . For this well-written and pacy book, [Sarotte] has uncovered previously unpublished details of former president Bill Clinton’s role in deciding Europe’s fate.”—Con Coughlin, Sunday Telegraph“Highly detailed, thoroughly researched, and briskly written.”—Fred Kaplan, New York Review of Books“There’s no one who has researched the relevant sources more thoroughly than historian Mary E. Sarotte, who has just published Not One Inch . . . successfully reconstructing the most significant days [in NATO expansion].”—Stefan Kornelius, Süddeutsche Zeitung“Sarotte weaves together the most engaging and carefully documented account of this period in East-West diplomacy currently available.”—Andrew Moravcsik, Foreign Affairs“Not One Inch is the best history to date of how American and Russian leaders went from the early post–Cold War world where dreams seemed unnecessary to our current one, in which dreams seem out of reach.”—Fritz Bartel, Journal of Contemporary HistorySelected as a Foreign Affairs Best Book of 2021“The paramount influence of domestic politics on foreign policy [is] Sarotte’s forte, and she incisively portrays Clinton’s hillbilly takeover of Washington and the Monica Lewinsky affair’s impact on NATO and Russia policy. She excels at sketches of European leaders, too, especially Helmut Kohl, nailing his folksiness and sublime skill at self-promotion. . . . To see political actors who were venal and mistake-prone yet effective is what makes her history so compelling.”—Stephen Kotkin, Times Literary Supplement“Russia’s war against Ukraine is an aftershock of the earthquake of 1989–9 . . . [when] two questions dominated European security discussions. . . . The first was about how to integrate Russia into a new world order. The second was about how far, if at all, to stretch the boundaries of NATO membership into eastern Europe and the ex-Soviet states. These questions lie at the heart of M. E. Sarotte’s remarkable book on geopolitics in the final decade of the last century.”—Robert Service, Literary Review“Sarotte’s historical narrative is backed up by extensive source material. . . . The book excels in its extensive investigation of high-tension moments in the debate over NATO enlargement. . . . Indispensable for readers interested in history and international relations.”—Maria Papageorgiou, International Affairs“Multi-archival, multi-lingual, and multi-level research paired with Sarotte’s gripping narration makes Not One Inch a new centrepiece of debate for academics and policymakers alike. . . . The historiography of the 1990s is indebted to the groundwork she has laid.”—Bradley Reynolds, Cold War History“Not One Inch is the best history to date of how American and Russian leaders went from the early post-Cold War world where dreams seemed unnecessary to our current one, in which dreams seem out of reach.”—Fritz Bartel, Journal of Contemporary History“Sarotte traces the difficult course of Russia’s relations with Europe and the United States during the decade which followed the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989. . . . The story has been told before, but never so fully or so well. In a remarkable historical coup, Sarotte has persuaded the German foreign ministry to open its archives to her, and the Americans to declassify thousands of documents previously closed to researchers.”—Jonathan Sumption, Spectator"[Sarotte's] nuanced account, based on new evidence, shows that the US never made a promise to Russia that Nato’s borders would move ‘not one inch’ eastwards. Sarotte doesn’t absolve the US from blame, but this should be read by those who tend to heap most blame for the Russian invasion on the west."—Irish Independent 'Best Eight Politics Books of the Year' “Sarotte’s work offers a nuanced, well-founded and comprehensive interpretation of American-Russian relations and the European security architecture after 1989.”—Lukas Baake, sehepunkte2022 Arthur Ross Silver medal winner, sponsored by the Council on Foreign RelationsShortlisted for the 2022 Cundill History Prize “A riveting account of fateful choices to expand NATO and their consequences for relations with Russia today.”—Graham Allison, author of Destined for War: Can America and China Escape Thucydides’s Trap?“Sarotte deftly unpacks one of the most important strategic moves of the post–Cold War Era: the decision to enlarge NATO. Her detailed history of the 1990s is groundbreaking, and her assessment of the impacts of NATO expansion on European security is balanced and nuanced. A major accomplishment and a must-read.”—Charles A. Kupchan, Georgetown University and the Council on Foreign Relations“Not One Inch will be considered the best-documented and best-argued history of the NATO expansion during the crucial 1989–1999 period.”—Norman Naimark, author of Stalin and the Fate of Europe: The Postwar Struggle for Sovereignty“Sarotte explores how and why NATO expanded and relations with Russia deteriorated in the post–Cold War world. It is an important book, well documented and told.”—Joseph Nye Jr., author of Do Morals Matter? Presidents and Foreign Policy from FDR to Trump“A marvelous and timely book. This is history that policymakers, scholars, and pundits need to read right now.”—Anne-Marie Slaughter, CEO, New America

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Book SynopsisLearn how to create photorealistic colored pencil drawings that are convincing enough to fool the eye!This book shows you how to make incredibly realistic colored pencil drawings in 10 easy step-by-step lessons. Follow along as author Cocomaru explains how to depict highlights, shadows and refractions, how to render photorealistic textures, and how to create a sense of depth in your drawings that makes them appear truly real!Photorealistic Colored Pencil Drawing Techniques provides all the information needed to get you started—which materials to get, how to set up your workspace, how to prepare the underdrawings, and all of Cocomaru's trademark techniques on how to achieve maximum realism!Learn to draw objects with sparkling realism, for example: A sliced orange with juicy, mouthwatering sections A glossy blue marble with a beautiful light refraction A kinetically sloshing glass of red wine An adorably fluffy cat and a sweet-looking corgi And much more! You'll begin with simple drawings and progress to more advanced ones as you learn all the amazing techniques for creating photorealistic colored pencil drawings!

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Book SynopsisA harrowing history of a grim chapter in politics and science, in which groups of influential thinkers shaped global policy with the aim of determining who had the right to have children - and who was worthy of life. The Shortest History books deliver thousands of years of history in one riveting, fast-paced read.

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Book SynopsisWild and strange stories have circulated about the female body since antiquity. While legends of poisoned hymens and fanged vaginas circulated, the first female figure Mother Earth was recreated as a crooked rib. Ranging from the absurd to the empowering, these myths not only survive but continue to wield power today. The Shrinking Goddess brings together myths about the female form and traces the subsequent male efforts to tame' it. Mineke Schipper examines how women's bodies have been represented since records began the first Venus and vulva figures date to 40,000 BCE and around the world. Drawing together the vast reservoir of myths, proverbs, art, science and scripture that shape how women are seen in the present day, Schipper reclaims the female body as a source of power. Readers of Angela Davis, Mary Beard, Audre Lorde, Betty Friedan and Germaine Greer will want to read this book.

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Book SynopsisIn this tenth edition of his award-winning introduction, John Storey presents a clear and critical survey of competing theories of, and various approaches to, popular culture. Its breadth and theoretical unity, exemplified through popular culture, means that it can be flexibly and relevantly applied across a number of disciplines.Retaining the accessible approach of previous editions and using appropriate examples from the texts and practices of popular culture, this new edition remains a key introduction to the area.New to this edition: updated throughout with contemporary examples of popular culture a chapter called ''Culture and nature'', which includes sections on culture in nature, the Anthropocene, the Capitalocene, and popular culture and climate change updated student resources at routledgelearning.com/culturaltheoryandpopularculture This new edition remains essential reading for undergraduate and postgraduate students of

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Book SynopsisThe first account of the dissolution of the monasteries for fifty years—exploring its profound impact on the people of Tudor EnglandTrade Review“The most important book on the subject for two generations. . . . Clark’s achievement is unmistakable. . . . Carefully researched, beautifully structured, and courageously argued, The Dissolution of the Monasteries is precise, polemical, and sweeping. It should be instantly recognized as a classic.“—Crawford Gribben, Wall Street Journal“Deeply researched . . . steeped in primary sources, scrupulously polite and anti-sensational. . . . The result may well be the most important book on the English Reformation since Eamon Duffy’s The Stripping of the Altars.”—Dan Jones, Sunday Times“Clark . . . builds up a huge mosaic of life on the eve of the Reformation, taken from letters and law cases, wills and account books.”—Christopher Howse, Daily Telegraph“This is a book about people, though, not ideas, and as a detailed account of an extraordinary human drama with a cast of thousands, it is an exceptional piece of historical writing.”—Lucy Wooding, Times Literary Supplement“A terrific work of scholarship and profoundly dispiriting with it. . . . The big narrative is enlivened by riveting accounts of individuals caught up in the great events.”—Melanie McDonagh, Catholic Herald, “Books of the Year”“James Clark’s absorbing and formidable study presents much that is refreshingly new. . . . It was easy to misread Henry VIII . . . in the 1530s. This is where Clark’s account is at its most rewarding. . . . For there is no sign until the very last twelve months of monastic life that there was any masterplan for complete suppression.”—Diarmaid MacCulloch, London Review of Books“Important and original . . .; it will deservedly become the standard textbook for the next generation of scholars.”—Hugh Willmott, BBC History Magazine“This book is a considerable achievement, absorbing in its detail, not easy to do justice in a short review. Among many striking discussions, there is vivid, wide-ranging treatment of monastic life in late medieval England and Wales.”—Ann Hughes, Times Higher Education Supplement“An impressively detailed study that yields a rich harvest. Clark has unearthed a wealth of overlooked details to challenge centuries of controversy and misconception, and provides a welcome new perspective on Henry VIII, his ‘henchman’ Thomas Cromwell and other powerful members of the court.”—Tracy Borman, BBC History Magazine, “Books of the Year”“One of the most interesting elements of James Clark’s excellent, substantial new book is the epilogue on the afterlife of the religious houses and indeed of the religious themselves—right into Jacobean England.”—Melanie McDonagh, The Tablet“Clark’s epic work fills the gap for a modern readership: he provides a massive account, the first dedicated one in half a century, which, unfortunately for many historians, will mean that an additional such book will hardly be needed again for another 50 years.”—Sean McGlynn, Spectator“It has been decades since we last had a history of the Dissolution and Clark has made excellent use of recent research, including archaeological reports, alongside his own exceptional and extensive work in the archives. . . . This is quite simply the best history yet written on English monasticism in the 16th century, and it will surely remain so for years to come.”—Mathew Lyons, History Today“Invaluable. . . . A major addition to our understanding of the whole process of the Henrician Reformation [and] the fullest account of the Dissolution ever written.”—Eamon Duffy, The Tablet“Most studies with ‘a new history’ in their title have their obsolescence built in. Newness is a quality rarely long retained. Clark’s book is something different: the product of that most impressive of conjunctions—fine historical writing, high analytical intelligence, and Stakhanovite labours in the archives—it takes its subject to a new level. It looks set to be the authoritative account of the dissolution of the monasteries for decades to come.”—John Adamson, Catholic Herald“Direct quotations of records, complete with the original spellings, involves a bit of enjoyable light work to decipher what the subjects are discussing; it is totally engaging as a motif, and enables Clark to draw the reader deep into his narrative.”—Serenhedd James, The Critic“This is an immersive and thought-provoking read that looks at the social changes from all perspectives.”—Family Tree Magazine“A starting point for all future students of the Dissolution. . . . The book’s strongest point is its back-story. . . . You will not read this book for its account of government policy: rather, for its view of how that policy looked and felt to the communities that were destroyed by it.”—Alec Ryrie, Church Times“Immense scholarship . . . an enjoyable and essential read.”—Susan Doran, Journal of Religious History“By any standards this is a remarkable book. . . . It sets the standard for the kind of work that is needed to clarify the process of Reformation.”—Raymond Gillespie, Search“It is hard to see how Clark’s account could be improved upon: it is to be admired not only for its scholarship and attention to detail, but also for the understanding that it generates. . . . Clark has achieved much in this extensive study and it will, in time, become the leading examination of this complex subject.”—Paul Flux, Albion Magazine“A wonderfully researched and engaging account of this terrible calamity.”—Barney White Spunner, Aspects of History“This extraordinary and impressive piece of scholarship, delivered in marvellously clear prose, offers a forensic investigation of how and why, under Henry VIII, monasticism in England was brought to such a swift and merciless end, and charts, as no other work has done, the profound social consequences of this seismic change. This long-awaited study is required reading.”—Suzannah Lipscomb, author of The King Is Dead“Exceptional. . . . The author’s extensive research has unearthed a wealth of previously overlooked details that challenge centuries of controversy, rumour and misconception. As well as providing a fresh perspective on well known characters such as Henry VIII and his ‘henchman’ Thomas Cromwell, the narrative brings the people who lived and worked in the monasteries vividly to life. A stunning achievement.”—Tracy Borman, author of Thomas Cromwell“Establishes Professor Clark as the leading authority on Tudor monasticism and the experience of its end; and it is therefore now the main text in that major field.”—Ronald Hutton, author of The Making of Oliver Cromwell“This is a landmark book. Clark has swept away many old generalisations and assumptions in favour of a much more detailed and nuanced account of this social (as well as religious) revolution. The end result is nothing short of magnificent—yet also intricate, intimate, touchingly human and endlessly fascinating.”—Ian Mortimer, author of The Time Traveller’s Guide to Medieval England

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Book SynopsisA new study of tank warfare used in the Soviet offensive of Operation Bagration, which destroyed Army Group Center. Operation Bagration, the 1944 summer campaign on the Russian Front, has been called Hitler''s Greatest Defeat. The operation involved substantial tank and armored vehicles on both sides but the German forces were severely hampered by the transfer of dozens of Panzer divisions to France to repel an expected Allied invasion. Forced to make hard decisions, German tank forces in the central Belarus sector were weak compared to the heavy concentration of Panzers in northern Ukraine. The Red Army exploited this vulnerability, crushing Army Group Center, and pushing beyond the Soviet frontier into Poland and East Prussia. With this crucial victory secured, the Red Army conducted successive offensives beyond the Carpathian Mountains, arriving at the Vistula river in Poland, and forcing Romania to switch sides. The Red Army had embarked on aTrade ReviewIt’s an accessible introduction to a large subject and one of the most pivotal battles of World War II. * Military Modelcraft International *Table of ContentsINTRODUCTION DOCTRINE AND ORGANIZATION - Wehrmacht - Axis allies - Other Axis allies - The Red Army - Red Army allies TECHNICAL FACTORS - Wehrmacht - Red Army THE CAMPAIGN - Operation Bagration - The Lvov-Sandomierz Offensive - The Iasi-Chisinau Offensive BATTLE ANALYSIS FURTHER READING INDEX

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Book SynopsisThis is a terrific history of the Seventh Fleet's vital service to the United States in the Vietnam War... remarkably researched and interpreted- Admiral Jonathan W. Greenert, Chief of Naval Operations, 20112015 and Commander Seventh Fleet, 20042006Combines a crisp text by the leading authority on the subject, with well-chosen contemporary photographs, new maps, and excellent art work an excellent introduction to a complex conflict, and the operational lessons learnt.- Professor Andrew Lambert, Laughton Professor of Naval History, King's College LondonA superbly illustrated examination of how the US Navy''s most powerful fleet fought the Vietnam War, covering all of its elements from aircraft carriers and heavy cruisers to minesweepers and oilers.The US Navy''s Seventh Fleet was at the forefront of America''s campaign in Vietnam for a decade, from the Gulf of Tonkin Incident that began it all to the final evacuation of South Vietnam. Its mission was highly strategiTrade ReviewThis is a terrific history of the Seventh Fleet’s vital service to the United States in the Vietnam War. Remarkably researched and interpreted, it is a testament to the spectrum of naval warfare missions, from carrier operations, naval gunfire support, mine warfare, and special operations that the fleet provided the national command authority. Then, as now, the Seventh Fleet was the tip of the spear focused on supporting U.S. strategic and national security interests in the Indo-Pacific region. -- Admiral Jonathan W. Greenert, Chief of Naval Operations, 2011–2015 and Commander Seventh Fleet, 2004–2006Combines a crisp text by the leading authority on the subject, with well-chosen contemporary photographs, new maps, and excellent art work… an excellent introduction to a complex conflict, and the operational lessons learnt. - Professor Andrew Lambert, Laughton Professor of Naval History, King’s College LondonThis is the real story behind the US Navy's Vietnam War * Ships Monthly *Table of ContentsTHE FLEET'S PURPOSE FLEET FIGHTING POWER The Ships Technical Factors HOW THE FLEET OPERATED Doctrine, Command, and Communication Intelligence and Deception Logistics and Facilities COMBAT AND ANALYSIS The Fleet in Combat Analysis FURTHER READING

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Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE NONFICTION CROWN AWARD 2024GUARDIAN: BOOKS TO LOOK OUT FOR IN 2024''GRIPPING'' THE TIMESThis is an immersive and revelatory history of the survivors of the Clotilda, the last ship of the Atlantic slave trade, whose lives diverged and intersected in profound ways.The Clotilda docked in Mobile Bay, Alabama, in July 1860 more than half a century after the passage of a federal law banning the importation of captive Africans, and nine months before the beginning of the Civil War. The last of its survivors lived well into the twentieth century. They were the last witnesses to the final act of a terrible and significant period in world history.In this epic work, Dr. Hannah Durkin tells the stories of the Clotilda's 110 captives, drawing on her intensive archival, historical, and sociological research. Survivors follows their lives from their kidnappings in what is modern-day Nigeria through a terrifying 45-day journey across the Middle Passage; from the subsequent sale of the ship's 103 surviving children and young people into slavery across Alabama to the dawn of the Civil Rights movement in Selma; from the foundation of an all-Black African Town (later Africatown) in Northern Mobile an inspiration for writers of the Harlem Renaissance, including Zora Neale Hurston to the foundation of the quilting community of Gee's Bend a Black artistic circle whose cultural influence remains enormous.An astonishing, deeply compelling tapestry of history, biography and social commentary, Survivors is a tour de force that deepens our knowledge and understanding of the Atlantic slave trade and its far-reaching influence on life today.Trade Review‘Gripping . . . a remarkably wide-ranging book taking in everything from science to soft drinks to show how slavery’s insidious hand wormed its way into the very fabric of American life' The Times 'Hannah Durkin lets the enslaved speak for themselves, and they tell a story not only of unimaginable suffering but also of courage and survival' Wall Street Journal 'Devastating and visceral… Durkin’s exhaustive, exhilarating research has created something new – something personal, emotional, almost tangible – from the history of this collective trauma' Literary Review 'Survivors, a comprehensive account of one of the most important parts of American history, is a triumph’ Booklist (starred review) ‘A sweeping history of the survivors of the Clotilda, the last slave ship to land in America . . . Durkin’s in-depth view is based largely on the survivors’ own words and perspectives (some lived into the 20th century and related their stories to various writers, most notably Zora Neale Hurston), and is woven together with her extensive archival research. It’s a stirring saga of resilience that sheds new light on Black life in postbellum America’ Publishers Weekly (starred review) ‘A highly recommended sweeping saga. Based on a rich archive that includes the survivors’ own stories, one of which became the basis for Zora Neale Hurston’s Barracoon, this title provides a human history of enslaved people and a portrait of the postbellum South’ Library Journal (starred review) ‘A welcome history of defiance and survival’ Kirkus Reviews

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Book SynopsisIt was still dark when Mr Miller opened the gates of the old zoo, but he wasn''t scared because he wasn''t alone. He was with Jessie the elephant and together they were going to walk from Moore Park, through the city streets, to the ferry at Fort Macquarie. Jessie was moving to her spacious new home in the soon-to-be-opened Taronga Zoological Park.Jessie''s surprising journey was unlike any other and it brought a little warmth to the city on that brisk September morning in 1916.The incredible true story of Jessie the elephant from the bestselling author of Anzac Girl: The War Diaries of Alice Ross-King and the highly acclaimed illustrator of Anzac Biscuits.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“A harrowing portrait of America in 1917–21, rife with racist violence, xenophobia and political repression abetted by the federal government. The book serves as a cautionary tale and a provocative counterpoint to our own era.” — New York Times Book Review, Editors' Choice “The post-WWI ‘red scare’ was the most vicious period of violent repression in U.S. history, apart from the two original sins [slavery and ‘Indian removal’]. The shocking story is recounted in vivid detail in Adam Hochschild’s penetrating study American Midnight.” — Noam Chomsky, Truthout “Hochschild’s masterful new book ... chronicles our nation’s horrific period from 1917–21, when Woodrow Wilson, his men, and a paranoid culture went to war against union activists, immigrants, resisters, and Black people, among others—on a level that should forever shatter any myth about American Exceptionalism. A cautionary tale of what happens when democracy goes off the rails.” — Will Bunch, Philadelphia Inquirer "Adam Hochschild has written a fine book about a grim period a century ago that has largely disappeared from national memory but seems painfully relevant to America in the 2020s... [It] describes vividly a time when racism, white nationalism, and anti-foreign and anti-immigrant sentiment were rampant. Reading it is almost therapeutic. Realizing (thanks to this book) that American democracy survived that dark moment and a decade later began half a century of democratic renewal made this reader more hopeful than he has been in quite a while.” — Washington Post "The four years of American history from 1917 to 1921 are underexamined, but, in this account, they emerge as pivotal." — New Yorker “In American Midnight, the historian Adam Hochschild, celebrated for his King Leopold’s Ghost and other volumes, recounts it with verve and insight… one of several fresh looks at a period that had previously received little widespread attention...Hochschild narrates a time as unsettled, frightening, and (perhaps) transformative as our own.” — Boston Globe “Brilliant historian Adam Hochschild … takes on the echoing years — a century ago — when pandemic and fire-stoking politicians buckled society." — Chicago Tribune “A sweeping look at the years between World War I and the Roaring Twenties, when conscientious objectors to the war were maltreated and conflicts over race and labor were at a high pitch. Hochschild draws direct lines between events of that time and the unrest of today.” — New York Times, 15 Works of Nonfiction to Read This Fall “Exceptionally well written, impeccably organized, and filled with colorful, fully developed historical characters. … A riveting, resonant account of the fragility of freedom in one of many shameful periods in U.S. history.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “A chilling tale laid out with engaging storytelling and meticulous detail.” — Los Angeles Times "Expanding his history begun in To End All Wars (2011), Hochschild brings to light people and themes that are often mere footnotes in other records of the Great War.” — Booklist (starred review) “Meticulously researched, fluidly written, and frequently enraging, this is a timely reminder of the ‘vigilant respect for civil rights and Constitutional safeguards’ needed to protect democracy and forestall authoritarianism.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review) “During the United States’ current tumultuous times, it is important to remember and revisit the forgotten injustices of the previous century. Hochschild succinctly does so here.” — Library Journal (starred review) “Award-winning historian Adam Hochschild (King Leopold's Ghost, To End All Wars and Bury the Chains) provides a timely, fast-paced, revelatory new account of a pivotal but neglected period in American history: World War I and its stormy aftermath, when bloodshed and repression on the home front nearly doomed American democracy. The period's toxic currents of racism, nativism, red-baiting, and contempt for the rule of law feel ominously familiar today.” — Shelf Awareness "The most useful books offer clarity on issues that have animated debate for years. For example, Adam Hochschild’s American Midnight, a broad account of the aftermath of the U.S. joining the First World War, highlights the nativist sentiment that radicalized some Americans against immigrants then, just as it does today." — Kate Cray, The Atlantic "An account of the U.S. after World War I, when hatred, violence, racism, and economic uncertainty threatened democracy. The parallels with today's world are terrifying." — Isabel Allende, Daily Mail (London), "Best Reads of the Year" “American Midnight is a potent reminder of what happens when open discourse is systemically punished. The story happens to be more than 100 years old, which doesn’t mean it can’t happen again." — San Francisco Chronicle "A terrific new account of America’s social and political turmoil during the 1910s and ’20s provides some much-needed perspective on the problems afflicting the country today. ... Like all the best history books, American Midnight reads like a novel with three-dimensional characters." — Quillette "This is undoubtedly one of the year’s best and most important histories." — AudioFile Magazine "A grim (but ultimately hopeful) account of how American democracy survived the dark period between 1917 and 1921 when racism, anti-immigrant sentiment and dangerous white nationalism swelled following the Great War." — Globe and Mail (Toronto), "Best Books to Give This Year" "Hochschild forces readers to confront the abuses and remember those who had the courage to fight against militarism and speak up for the powerless and dispossessed. ... Vivid." — Financial Times "If you often worry about the political polarization of the 2020s, you should pick up historian Adam Hochschild’s clear-eyed and elegantly written new book covering the years surrounding World War I. This period of U.S. history is often glanced over and yet, as Hochschild observes, it was a time with more than a few echoes of the current moment." — Fast Company "The latest of Adam Hochschild's remarkably good books. ... No one who reads Adam Hochschild's admirable but sombre book will feel quite the same about the land of the free." — Times Literary Supplement (London)

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Book SynopsisWhy did the international drug regulatory regime of the twentieth century fail to stop an explosive increase in trade and consumption of illegal drugs? This book investigates the histories of smugglers and criminal entrepreneurs in the Netherlands who succeeded in turning the country into the so-called ‘Colombia of Europe’.Increasing state regulations and interventions led to the proliferation of a ‘hydra’ of small, anarchic groups and networks ideally suited to circumvent the enforcement of regulation. Smugglers and suppliers of heroin, cocaine, cannabis, and other drugs created a thriving underground industry of illegal synthetic drug labs and indoor cannabis cultivation in the Netherlands itself, made possible because of the embedded criminal anarchy in Dutch society.Using examples from the rich history of drug smuggling, Drug smuggler nation investigates the hidden grounds of the illegal drug trade, and its effects on our drug policies.Trade Review'Describing the development of covert networks is among the most daunting of social science projects. Like official corruption and espionage, organized crime prospers by remaining hidden. Snelders (Utrecht Univ.) successfully lifts the veil of secrecy, offering a convincing account of the evolution of drug smuggling in the 20th-century Netherlands. Combining materials drawn from official law enforcement statistics, crime news coverage, and academic journal articles, Snelders exposes drug smuggling in a new light. Rather than describe the handful of large-scale, highly integrated smuggling enterprises directed by criminal masterminds as often portrayed in works of popular culture, Snelders unveils an anarchic universe of small entrepreneurial enterprises connected through shared workplaces and/or culture. Overall, what Snelders strongly suggests is the virtual impossibility of finally suppressing drug smuggling.Summing Up: Recommended. All readers.'CHOICE (May 2022)'This thickly researched well-written book should be of great interest to historians, criminologists, and legal scholars alike. Frankly, I found little to argue with in this excellent book, which is a strong contribution to the intrinsically challenging and relatively new genre of smuggling history. In short, Drug Smuggler Nation is a deeply researched book that almost defines its place as interdisciplinary criminological history.'Paul Gootenberg, Criminal Law and Criminal Justice Books (March 2022)'All in all, there are very few improvements that one could suggest for Snelders’ superb study.'Peder Clark, European Review of History (May 2022) -- .Table of Contents1 Introduction: the drug regulatory regime vs. criminal anarchy2 The interwar period3 Global perils I: Chinese and Greek drug smugglers4 Cannabis, counterculture, and criminals: The rise of cannabis smuggling5 Global perils II: Chinese triads, Turkish families, and heroin6 The expansion of the cannabis trade after 19767 Global perils III: Colombian syndicates and cocaine8 The floodgates of criminal anarchy: Synthetic drugs and subverting the state9 ConclusionAppendix: Graphs of arrests and seizuresBibliographyIndex

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Book Synopsis'Writing about Queen Victoria has been one of the most joyous experiences of my life. I have read thousands (literally) of letters never before published, and grown used to her as to a friend. Maddening? Egomaniac? Hysterical? A bad mother? Some have said so. What emerged for me was a brave, original woman who was at the very epicentre of Britain's changing place in the world: a solitary woman in an all-male world who understood politics and foreign policy much better than some of her ministers; a person possessed by demons, but demons which she was brave enough to conquer. Above all, I became aware, when considering her eccentric friendships and deep passions, of what a loveable person she was.' A. N. WilsonTrade Review[A] splendid biography - this book is a gem: thoughtful, witty, insightful, striking a balance between political commentary and personal gossip... As this terrific biography shows, there really was a human being behind the gloomy portraits. -- Dominic Sandbrook * Evening Standard *Subtle, thoughtful ... a shimmering and rather wonderful biography -- Kathryn Hughes * Guardian *Wilson is affectionately alert to the rich contradictions of his subject's personality, and his deliciously readable biography becomes increasingly fascinating as Victoria's reign unfolds. -- Jane Shilling * Daily Mail - Book of the Week *This superb revisionist biography is the book that he was born to write. Wilson clearly loves and admires his subject, but this is a critical biography - funny, insightful, original and authoritative. At last Victoria has been rescued from her widow's weeds. -- Jane Ridley * Spectator *A. N. Wilson brings his novelist's perception and immense knowledge of the era to his effervescent biography of the tiny woman (4ft 11in) who ruled Britain for 61 years... This won't be the last biography of Victoria but it is certainly the most interesting and original in a long time. -- Daisy Goodwin * Sunday Times *Ninety-five years ago, the standard was set by Lytton Strachey's lucid and moving Queen Victoria but A. N. Wilson has now raised the bar... And what a pity she never met A. N. Wilson: she shines in his company ... [this] expansive and victorious book. -- Frances Wilson * Daily Telegraph *A. N. Wilson has written a sympathetic but by no means hagiographic biography of her that will probably overturn many people's prejudiced conception of her... Wilson's picture of her is a rounded one, with her vices and virtues. -- Theodore Dalrymple * The Times * A biographer of Queen Victoria also needs to be a good historian, with a confident grasp of the personalities and issues of 19th-century public life. Mr Wilson is at his best here... This is a bracing biography of a bracing woman ... it undeniably achieves its central aim to make us take Queen Victoria more seriously. -- Michael Hall * Country Life *Wilson is an excellent history teacher. He orders and narrates the hugely complex socio-political events and party infighting of the 19th century with a rare clarity... His own achievement, sustained by a lifetime's scholarly fascination with the Victorian era, is also in its way, awesome. -- John Sutherland * Financial Times *Few if any previous biographers have viewed her as incisively and absorbingly as Wilson does in his... smoothly flowing treatment of the queen's long life. The considerable detail he brings to his greatly balanced portrait not only strengthens his estimation of the significance of the queen in British governmental history but also successfully conveys for the general reader all the nuances of character that Wilson so carefully shares. -- Brad Hooper * Booklist, starred review *

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Book SynopsisIf you are trying to find yours ancestors, especially before 1837, then this book is a vital source. The first section has a detailed topographical map together with a map showing the parishes for each county in alphabetical order. The second section gives details of the parish registers and indexes available for each parish and where they can be located. It may seem expensive but it can save many hours of research. The third edition of this index features the addition of a map of the whole UK that shows the county boundaries before 1830 and a shift to reliance on census indexes rather than marriage indexes, which are now summarized in a paragraph.

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Book SynopsisFully illustrated, this book investigates the articulated plate armour worn by Roman legionaries.First named by Renaissance historians studying the reliefs on Trajan's Column, lorica segmentata evaded successful attempts to reconstruct it until a series of important archaeological finds in the 20th century revealed how it worked and the truth of its extended chronology. The earliest finds date from the late 1st century BC, and its discovery at Kalkriese in Germany shows how rapidly it was adopted. At the same time, discoveries in Spain and Britain showed that, despite its apparent fragility, it continued in use into the 4th century AD.The spectacular find of six halves of cuirasses in a chest at Corbridge in 1964 has now been matched by the rare discovery of a complete set of this armour at Kalkriese. The Corbridge find provided the context to interpret and reconstruct earlier finds. There is now years of experience gleaned from reenactors over the practical strengths andTrade Reviewan admirable foundation for students of World War II t -- Neil Smith * Wargames Illustrated *an admirable foundation for students of World War II -- Neil Smith * Wargames Illustrated *Anyone who wargames the period – or even those with more than a passing interest – should nd the book fascinating. * Miniature Wargames *Table of ContentsIntroduction Kalkriese-type lorica segmentata Corbridge-type lorica segmentata Newstead-type lorica segmentata Other forms of plate armour Manufacture and decoration Plate armour in use Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThe first English-language book to examine the crucial part air power played in the Soviet-Afghan War.The Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan was fought as much in the air as on the ground. From the high-level bombing raids that blasted rebel-held mountain valleys, to the Mi-24 helicopter gunships and Su-25 jets that accompanied every substantial army operation, Soviet control of the air was a crucial battlefield asset. Vital to every aspect of its operations, Mi-8 helicopters ferried supplies to remote mountain-top observation points and took the bodies of fallen soldiers on their last journey home in An12 Black Tulips'. But this was not a wholly one-sided conflict. Even before the Afghan rebels began to acquire man-portable surface-to-air missiles such as the controversial US Stinger,' they aggressively and imaginatively adapted. They learnt new techniques of camouflage and deception, set up ambushes against low-level attacks, and even launched daring raids on airbases to dTable of ContentsINTRODUCTION Flying in an Afghan summer CHRONOLOGY ATTACKER'S CAPABILITIES The Soviet Air Force in Afghanistan Close air support Bombing Airlift Supporting the war The DRA Air Force DEFENDER'S CAPABILITIES Countering Soviet air power Deception, evasion and camouflage Anti-aircraft artillery MANPADS Mines and ambushes Raids CAMPAIGN OBJECTIVES A decade in Afghanistan 1. Invasion, 1979–80 2. Reluctant escalation, 1980–84 3. Chernenko’s war, 1984–86 4. The ‘bleeding wound’, 1986–88 5. Withdrawal, 1988–89 THE CAMPAIGN Jets and helicopters fight a guerrilla war 1. Invasion, 1979–80 2. Reluctant escalation, 1980–84 Operation Rhombus and the Yak-38 3. Chernenko’s war, 1984–86 Operation Trap: The end of ‘Chernenko’s war’ 4. The ‘bleeding wound’, 1986–88 The Stinger Operation Highway, 1987–88 5.Withdrawal, 1988–89 Operation Air-Bridge, January–February 1989 AFTERMATH AND ANALYSIS FURTHER READING GLOSSARY INDEX

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Book SynopsisA History of the Samurai tells the complete story of Japan's legendary warrior class from beginning to end—an epic tale of intrigue, bloodshed and bravery that is central to an understanding of the Japanese character and of Japanese history. It describes in detail the core Samurai philosophy of Bushido—"the way of the warrior"—a complex code of conduct embracing ideals of honor and loyalty that continues to govern the Japanese way of life today.Historian Jonathan Lopez-Vera offers a compelling look at these enigmatic warriors including: The lives of famous Samurai—Miyamoto Musashi, Japan's greatest swordsman; Tomoe Gozen, the woman who became a Samurai; Tokugawa Ieyasu, the last Shogun; and many more The tragic tale of the 47 Ronin who chose honor over their own lives and were forced to commit ritual suicide after avenging their fallen master The philosophy of Bushido, "the Way of the Warrior," the code of conduct that embraced the ideals of honor and loyalty and governed the Samurai way of living The decline of the Samurai and their transformation from rough, battle-hardened warriors to highly educated philosopher-poets Illustrated with 125 archival prints and photos, the nobility and grandeur of the Samurai is brilliantly showcased in this book. Readers will enjoy immersing themselves in the Samurai's world, as historian Jonathan Lopez-Vera traces the fascinating story of the rise and fall of these enigmatic warriors throughout Japanese history.Trade Review"In A History of the Samurai there are seven centuries of battles, intrigues, invasion attempts and great characters with exciting biographies." -- 20 Minutos newspaper"…a thorough investigation into these warriors." -- Sapiens magazine"Lopez-Vera's book sows a series of historical pearls that are a delight all on their own." -- El Peso Del Aire blog

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Book Synopsis'Gripping' Wall Street Journal________________________At first, gunner Clarence Smoyer and his fellow crewmen in the legendary 3rd Armored Division - 'Spearhead' - thought their tanks were invincible. Then they met the German Panther, with a gun so murderous it could shoot through one Sherman and into the next. Soon a pattern emerged: the lead tank always gets hit. After seeing his friends cut down breaching the West Wall and holding the line in the Battle of the Bulge, Clarence and his crew are given a weapon with the power to avenge their fallen brothers: the Pershing, a state-of-the-art 'super tank', one of twenty in the European theatre. But with it comes a harrowing new responsibility: now they will spearhead every attack and, in doing so, will lead the US Army into its largest urban battle of the war, the fight for Cologne, the 'Fortress City' of Germany...'Spearhead shimmers in eclipsing moments of valor, luck and compassion.' Washington TimesTrade ReviewMakos drops the reader back into the Pershing's turret and dials up a battle scene to rival the peak moments of Fury. . . Brilliant . . . Gripping * Wall Street Journal *A detailed, gripping account . . . the remarkable story of two tank crewmen, from opposite sides of the conflict, who endure the grisly nature of tank warfare. * USA Today *Spearhead shimmers in eclipsing moments of valor, luck and compassion. A gripping read. * Washington Times *A compelling, exciting adventure of a hard-driving American force. * Kirkus Reviews *This moving story of bravery and comradeship is an important contribution to WWII history that will inform and fascinate both the general reader and the military historian. * Publishers Weekly (starred review) *The engrossing book is a war story and a mystery. * CNN.com *Table of Contents0: Introduction 1: The Gentle Giant 2: Baptism 3: "Bubi" 4: The Fields 5: The Foray 6: Beyond the Wall 7: Respite 8: The Fourth Tank 9: Hope 10: Something Bigger 11: America's Tiger 12: Two Miles 13: Hunting 14: The Fire Department of the West 15: Going First 16: Victory or Siberia 17: The Monster 18: The Conquerors 19: The Breakout 20: The American Blitz 21: The Fatherless 22: Family 23: Come Out and Fight 24: The Giant 25: Getting Home 26: The Last Battle

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Book SynopsisThe origins, development and use of the two-edged knightly sword of the European middle ages, from the great migrations to the Renaissance.Trade ReviewAn invaluable reference work. * HISTORYOFWAR.ORG *

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Book SynopsisYou have just discovered the literary masterpiece that answers your questions about God, life in the inhabited universe, the history and future of this world, and the life of Jesus. The Urantia Book harmonizes history, science, and religion into a philosophy of living that brings new meaning and hope into your life. If you are searching for answers, read The Urantia Book!The world needs new spiritual truth that provides modern men and women with an intellectual pathway into a personal relationship with God. Building on the world''s religious heritage, The Urantia Book describes an endless destiny for humankind, teaching that living faith is the key to personal spiritual progress and eternal survival. These teachings provide new truths powerful enough to uplift and advance human thinking and believing for the next 1000 years.A third of The Urantia Book is the inspiring story of Jesus'' entire life and a revelation of his original teachingTable of ContentsThe central and superuniverse; the local universe; the history of Urantia; the life and teachings of Jesus

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Book SynopsisPunch featured Winston Churchill in more than 600 cartoons between 1899 to 1988. Some were laudatory, some were critical, and others, like the man himself, usually humorous. For the first time this book catalogues all the cartoons and provides a context of the events and people being satirised and places them in historical perspective. Early on Punch often made Churchill into a caricature of himself, promoting exaggerated images of his physical characteristics such as his forward leaning gait, his prominent jutting jaw, his cigar, and his hands on hips when speaking. His hobbies were frequently caricatured such as his love of polo, painting, writing skills and brick-laying. This book is not just for fans of Churchill, but for anyone interested in history, British life over the past 120 years, media and their response to government and politicians, cartoon aficionados and general society. It is an easy and fun read for the casual reader but also the academic who wants more depth through the appendices and an analysis of major world events through the eye of Punch.

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Book SynopsisAmerican Muscle Cars features stunning historic and contemporary photography and offers a thorough chronology of this classic car's evolution from the 1960s to the present.Trade Review"Author Darwin Holmstrom expertly tells the story in an informative and interesting way that make this book fun to read. Darwin's expertise is drawn from his experience of having written, co-written, or contributed to over thirty books with car or motorcycle subjects. The excellent text is matched with 260 color and 55 black and white photos. Dozens of original factory photos are complimented by the work of well-known automotive photographer Tom Glatch. Glatch's large, high quality photos bring these colorful muscle cars to life." * Examiner.com *"Not just another coffee-table picture book, this is a thorough, well-researched, multi-brand history of American performance." * Muscle Car Review *"Holmstrom and Glatch churn up the memories in their book with some great factory archive information with no shortage of photographs." * San Diego Union Tribune *"American Muscle Cars is a fantastic book, sized perfectly for any coffee table. The writing is informative yet thrillingly engaging, creating an extremely rare occurrence: a coffee-table book that is still fun to read straight through. Holmstrom is often irreverent (note the "clackers" use mentioned above), but is so in a charming, funny way which allows him to simply say what he means—the best example is when describing what post-WWII babies wanted from their cars: sex appeal. Overall, American Muscle Cars is a well-written, well-laid-out, entertaining read that would be a joyful addition to any auto enthusiasts' book collection." * TheNewsWheel.com *"Auto enthusiast Darwin Holmstrom says that when he was growing up in the Midwest, boys his age were just as interested in muscle cars - sporty models with powerful engines - as they were in girls. New 52, he laments the demise of the vehicles. His new book "American Muscle Cars" (Motorbooks, $50), offers a history, including classics like the Pontiac GTO, Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro. Their equivalents today are more sophisticated luxury vehicles like the Aston Martin or Maserati. But for Mr. Holmstrom, they just aren't the same. "A real muscle car doesn't have 19 air bags," he says. "It just has a big, powerful engine that makes your heart stop every time you stomp on the accelerator." * Wall Street Journal *

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewPraise for A Dying Colonialism "The writing of Malcolm X or Eldridge Cleaver or Amiri Baraka or the Black Panther leaders reveals how profoundly they have been moved by the thoughts of Frantz Fanon." -The Boston Globe

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Book SynopsisAn updated edition of this accessible critical reader, with additional chapters including an introduction that contextualises the rise of each theoretical perspective and draw links between them. -- .Table of Contents1. Introduction2. The empiricists3. Marxist historians4. Psychoanalysis and history 5. The Annales6. Historical sociology7. Quantitative history8. Anthropology and ethnohistorians9. The question of narrative10. Gender and history11. The challenge of poststructuralism/postmodernism12. Postcolonial perspectives13. Public history14. Oral history15. History of emotions16. ConclusionIndex

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Book Synopsis**The New York Times Bestseller****The book of the landmark documentary, The Vietnam War, by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick**The definitive work on the Vietnam War, the conflict that came to define a generation, told from all sides by those who were there.More than forty years after the Vietnam War ended, its legacy continues to fascinate, horrify and inform us. As the first war to be fought in front of TV cameras and beamed around the world, it has been immortalised on film and on the page, and forever changed the way we think about war.Drawing on hundreds of brand new interviews, Ken Burns and Geoffrey C. Ward have created the definitive work on Vietnam. It is the first book to show us the war from every perspective: from idealistic US Marines and the families they left behind to the Vietnamese civilians, both North and South, whose homeland was changed for ever; politicians, POWs and anti-war protesters; and the photographers and journalists who risked their lives to tell the truth. The book sends us into the grit and chaos of combat, while also expertly outlining the complex chain of political events that led America to Vietnam.Beautifully written, this essential work tells the full story without taking sides and reminds us that there is no single truth in war. It is set to redefine our understanding of a brutal conflict, to launch provocative new debates and to shed fresh light on the price paid in ‘blood and bone’ by Vietnamese and Americans alike.Trade ReviewStunning ... the best single-volume history of the war -- Mark Bowden, bestselling author of BLACK HAWK DOWNA vivid and often captivating volume … a valuable resource -- David Greenberg * New York Times Book Review *Ward and Burns take a vast topic and personalize it … an outstanding, indispensable survey of the Vietnam War * Kirkus *Vivid, affecting, definitive * Booklist *Exquisitely written * Guardian *

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Book Synopsis"The first full-length monograph on the history of the Ryukyu Islands in any Western language…a standard work."—Pacific AffairsOkinawa: The History of an Island People is the definitive book available in English on the history of Okinawa and the Ryukyu Islands, and an influential scholarly work in the field of Japanese studies. The histories of Japan, Okinawa and the entire Pacific region are crucially intertwined; therefore the review of this fascinating chain of islands is crucial to understanding all of East Asia. Few people can point to Okinawa on a map, yet this tiny island sitting between China and Japan is a hub for international affairs. The island was, and continues to be, one of the most crucial Asian nerve centers in all U.S. strategic defense. Ninety percent of all U.S. military forces in Japan are located on Okinawa, and more than 500,000 military personnel and their families have lived there. In Okinawa: The History of an Island People, noted Eastern affairs specialist George Kerr recounts the fascinating history of the island and its environs, from 1314 A.D. to the late twentieth century. First published in 1958, this edition features an introduction and appendix by Okinawa history scholar Mitsugu Sakihara, making this the most comprehensive resource on the intriguing island of Okinawa.Trade Review"[Okinawa: The History of an Island People] is history, firm, frank, organized and detailed, from the mythical past to the military present…It is a lifetime work of scholarship, full of life" --Mainichi Daily News"The first comprehensive history of the Ryukyuan people to appear in any Western language…recommended to students of East Asian culture, who will find it a valuable addition to their libraries." --The American Anthropologist"[Okinawa: The History of an Island People is] a book that answers the questions of the curious layman, satisfies the standards of critical scholarship, and is readable and fascinating besides." --American Historical Review

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Book SynopsisWe justify our actions in the present through our understanding of the past. But we live in a time when politicians lie brazenly about historical facts and meddle with the content of history books, while media differ wildly in their reporting of the same event. Frequently, new discoveries force us to re-evaluate everything we thought we knew about the past. So how can any certainty about history be established, and why does it matter? Lynn Hunt shows why the search for truth about the past, as a continual process of discovery, is vital for our societies. History has an essential role to play in ensuring honest presentation of evidence. In this way, it can foster humility about our present-day concerns, a critical attitude toward chauvinism, and an openness to other peoples and cultures. History, Hunt argues, is our best defense against tyranny. Introducing Polity's Why It Matters series; in these short and lively books, world-leading thinkers make the case for the importance of their subjects and aim to inspire a new generation of students.Trade Review"A smart, pithy, and frankly essential statement of the origins, aims, and methods of historical study. E.H. Carr's What is History—for the twenty-first century."—Jill Lepore, Harvard University and author of These Truths: A History of the United States "What is history now, why does it matter now, who are the people writing it, and who are they writing for? In this bracing and timely book, Lynn Hunt not only shows why these questions matter, but also answers them brilliantly and provocatively."—Sir David Cannadine, President of the British Academy "Confronted by the thickening miasma of lies seeping from the White House and Fox News, what's a historian to do? In fact, given the present circumstances, does it matter that we do anything at all? According to Lynn Hunt, it does. As the Distinguished Research Professor at UCLA, Hunt has, over a long and brilliant career, earned the right to make that claim."—Los Angeles Review of Books "A timely reconsideration of the value of History... A brief and lively call to arms"—Amy Murrell Taylor, Times Literary SupplementTable of Contents1. Now More Than Ever 2. Truth in History 3. History's Politics 4. History's Future Further Reading Index

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Book SynopsisThe first official companion book to HISTORY® network’s hit series Ancient Aliens®: a powerful journey through human history that explores fascinating unanswered questions about the origins of our civilizations.

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Book SynopsisHatshepsut, the daughter of a general who took Egypt's throne without status as a king’s son and a mother with ties to the previous dynasty, was born into a privileged position of the royal household. Married to her brother, she was expected to bear the sons who would legitimize the reign of her father’s family. Her failure to produce a male heir was ultimately the twist of fate that paved the way for her inconceivable rule as a cross-dressing king. Hatshepsut was a master strategist, cloaking her political power plays with the veil of piety and sexual expression. Just as women today face obstacles from a society that equates authority with masculinity, Hatshepsut had to shrewdly operate the levers of a patriarchal system to emerge as Egypt's second female pharaoh. Scholars have long speculated as to why her images were destroyed soon after her death, all but erasing evidence of her rule. Constructing a rich narrative using the artifacts that remain, noted Egyptologist Kara Cooney offers a remarkable interpretation of how Hatshepsut rapidly but methodically consolidated power—and why she fell from public favor just as quickly.Trade Review'An entertaining and well-researched biography on a lesser-known - but no less influential and powerful Egyptian woman'. * History Revealed *'With rigorous scholarship and a lively sense of sisterhood, Cooney retrieves Hatshepsut in her own times and liberates her as a woman for ours' * The Times *‘Hatshepsut’s story provides all the ingredients required of a modern bestseller’ * Mail on Sunday *'Kara Cooney has written a lively, engaging, historically accurate account of one of the most controversial of Egypt’s female pharaohs, Hatshepsut. Cooney presents an accessible story of Hatshepsut’s rise to power until her demise, bringing ancient Egypt, its people, and its rulers to life.' -- Salima Ikram, Professor of Egyptology, American University in Cairo'Engrossing and compulsively readable.' * Time *‘The life of Hatshepsut, Egypt’s second female pharaoh, was replete with opulent living, complex royal bloodlines, and sexual energy; in short, the kind of drama that fuels Ancient Egypt’s enduring appeal…From Hatshepsut’s self-perception, political prowess, and lifestyle emerge an image of the ‘ultimate working mother’ and a compelling insight into ancient gender roles.’ * Publishers Weekly *‘Cooney's detective work finally brings out the story of a great woman's reign.’ * Kirkus Reviews *‘Egyptologist Cooney peels back the layers of the life of Hatshepsut, Egypt’s second female pharaoh, providing a multidimensional portrait of a woman of strength, intelligence, and substance.’ * Booklist *‘The Woman Who Would Be King is a fascinating look at one of the most formidable and successful women in all of ancient history. Before Cleopatra there was Hatshepsut. Now, thanks to Kara Cooney, the real Hatshepsut stands before us in all her glory. For the first time we have a full-length biography of her that is not only a great scholarly work but also a marvelous read.’ -- Amanda Foreman, author of The Duchess and A World on Fire: Britain’s Crucial Role in the American Civil War‘The compelling biography of a fascinating woman: the daughter, wife and stepmother of kings, who defied tradition to rule the most powerful nation in the Mediterranean world as pharaoh. Cooney tells her tale with authority, sensitivity and imagination. It is a tale that deserves to be told.’ -- Joyce Tyldesley, author of Cleopatra: Last Queen of Egypt and Hatchepsut: The Female Pharaoh‘What Stacy Schiff did for Cleopatra, Kara Cooney has done for Hatshepsut. An absolutely fantastic read about one of the most powerful Pharaoh-Queens in ancient Egypt. Completely unputdownable!’ -- Michelle Moran, bestselling author of Nefertiti‘The story of Hatshepsut, the woman who ruled Egypt as Pharaoh, is an amazing tale and Dr Cooney tells it in a very personal way. Readers are going to love this version!’ -- Bob Brier, author of The Murder of Tutankhamen‘This biography of Hatshepsut is an ideal blend of historical analysis and an imaginative story. Cooney’s narrative flows as if it were a novel, but at the same time illuminates the historical, economic, social, and religious context of Hatshepsut’s world, and that of the people surrounding her. The reader is given a glimpse into a vibrant ancient world—one that we oftentimes forget about in the midst of all the granite and mudbrick that remains today. Writing a biography of a woman about whom there is little archival information is difficult, to say the least. Nevertheless, Cooney presents a seamless picture of Hatshepsut’s life and her rise to power in ancient Egypt.’ -- Professor Kathleen Sheppard, author of The Life of Margaret Alice Murray: A Woman's Work in Archaeology

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