History Books

Book SynopsisTrade Review"Riding into War is the best memoir now in print relating to logistics. It explores the forgotten heroics of feeding and arming the Canadian Corps during the First World War." -- Tim Cook * Canadian War Museum *

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Book SynopsisOne thing above all separated the radical students who demonstrated on the streets of West Berlin and Frankfurt in 1968 from their counterparts in Berkeley or New York. In the US, the baby boomers grew up in the shadow of what Tom Brokaw called the greatest generation. In its place, Germany had the so-called Auschwitz generation. What became known in Germany as the '68 generation' or just the Achtundsechziger had grown up knowing that their mothers and fathers were directly or indirectly responsible for Nazism and in particular for the Holocaust. Germany's 1968 generation did not merely dream of a better world as some of their contemporaries in other countries did; they felt compelled to act to save Germany from itself. It was an all-or-nothing choice: Utopia or Auschwitz. Kundnani shows that the struggle of Germany's '68 generation also had a darker side. Although the 'Achtundsechziger' imagined their struggle against capitalism in West Germany as 'resistance' against Nazism, they also had a tendency to see Auschwitz everywhere and, by using images and metaphors connected with Nazism to describe events in other parts of the world, they relativized Nazism and in particular the Holocaust. Even more disturbingly, despite the anti-fascist rhetoric of the 'Achtundsechziger', there were also anti-Semitic and nationalist currents in the West German New Left that grew out of the student movement. "Utopia or Auschwitz" traces the political journey of Germany's post-war generation and examines the influence that its ambivalent attitude to the Nazi past had on the foreign policy of the 'red-green' government between 1998 and 2005, which included several former members of the student movement like Joschka Fischer. The red-green government's schizophrenic foreign policy, manifested its response to the crises in Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq, reflected the 1968 generation's ambivalent attitude to the Nazi past.Trade Review'Utopia or Auschwitz is an enlightening read for anyone interested not just in left-wing extremism, but in European politics more generally. Kundnani - combines a broad historical sweep with a journalist's eye for a human story. If last year's film 'The Baader Meinhof Complex' was accused of glamorising the radicals, then this book does something far more daring: it takes their ideas seriously.' * The Observer *'Hans Kundnani's superb chronicle of mainly West German politics over the past 50 years shows the country's remarkable transformation since the war - from a land of Hitlermenschen to that of model Europeans - You may find it galling, but there is a story here, not told before, about a straightened-out social left that might also triumph elsewhere. Kundnani tells this tale lucidly.' * New Statesman *'Utopia or Auschwitz is a timely publication. The success of The Baader Meinhof Complex film, together with a broader resurgence of interest in Left-wing radical groupings of the Sixties and Seventies, has created an appetite for such exemplary syntheses of high-end political journalism and academic scholarship. It's a narrative that, given the comparative sturdiness of the German economy in the face of global recession, Kundnani might easily have portrayed in triumphalist terms. Instead, he points out that Joschka Fischer, photographed attacking a policeman in Frankfurt in 1974, has recently been inveighing against the state of emergency created by a new terror movement: radical Islam.' * The Telegraph *'A lucid and fascinating exposition of the intellectual history of the 1968 generation of the German left, a book that shows, contrary to Engels' assertion, that ideas can have primacy, and that - in certain circumstances - an ounce of theory can move a ton of action.' * Prospect *'one could hardly hope for a better guide than Hans Kundnani, an independent journalist based in London whose excellent book reconstructs the political agonies of the German Left from the sixties to the present day. Unlike Uli Edel's film ['The Baader Meinhof Complex'] (which was inspired by Stefan Aust's recent book of the same title), Kundnani does not indulge in dramaturgy, nor does he omit the worst parts. The detail is extraordinary, the tempo deliberate, the moral analysis unsparing. Kundnani wants us to see the idealism of the Achtundsechziger, the '68ers,' but also their depravity.' * The New Republic *'The remarkable strength of this book concerns its compact and detailed history of Germany's 1968 generation. The book fulfils the typical functions of a felicitous introduction to a complex issue: compact, well-informed and exceedingly readable.' * Critical Studies on Terrorism *

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Book SynopsisMuch has been written about the Knights Templar in recent years. A leading specialist in the history of this legendary medieval order now writes a full account of the Knights of the Order of the Temple of Solomon, to give them their full title, bringing the latest findings to a general audience. Putting many of the myths finally to rest, Nicholson recounts a new history of these storm troopers of the papacy, founded during the crusades but who got so rich and influential that they challenged the power of kings.

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Book SynopsisIn 1977, Johnson's best-selling How Long Will South Africa Survive? offered a controversial and highly original analysis of the survival prospects of apartheid. Now, after more than two decades of the ANC in government, he believes the question must be posed again. 'The big question about ANC rule,' Johnson writes, 'is whether African nationalism would be able to cope with the challenges of running a modern industrial economy. Twenty years of ANC rule have shown conclusively that the party is hopelessly ill-equipped for this task. Indeed, everything suggests that South Africa under the ANC is fast slipping backward and that even the survival of South Africa as a unitary state cannot be taken for granted. The fundamental reason why the question of regime change has to be posed is that it is now clear that South Africa can either choose to have an ANC government or it can have a modern industrial economy. It cannot have both.'Trade ReviewWell-written and well argued, his book is at its best describing the eye-watering corruption, nepotism and gang-violence that seem to link powerful officials in Zuma's home province of KwaZulu-Natal to the wider ANC. ... That South Africa's black leaders appear to have fulfilled the worst predictions of their white supremacist predecessors makes uncomfortable reading. What surprises Johnson is how quickly they managed to do it. * The Times *Provocative polemic ... produces a devastating charge sheet against the ANC. * The Sunday Times *An immensely readable and disturbing book. Let us pray that his prophecies are this time mistaken. ...Ten years ago, Johnson would have been crucified for saying such things, but 'How Long?' was greeted by an ominous silence in South Africa, making its way on to local bestseller lists without any review attention, not even attacks from Johnson's enemies. It seems even they are reconciled to the fact that Johnson is right again: South Africa is in crisis. -- Rian Malan * The Spectator *'The Looming Crisis' confronts the Naipauline problem of post-colonial nation states: the transformation of freedom fighters into oppressors. ... the extreme prophesies in 'The Looming Crisis' do not diminish the value of Johnson's diagnosis of South Africa's problems. * Newsweek, 'The Most Important International Nonfiction Books of 2015' *An assembly of facts that illustrate and reinforce how, since the electoral victory of the ANC under Mandela in 1994, South Africa's governing apparatus has degenerated into an instrument of patronage and self-enrichment by the new black elite. * Times Literary Supplement *Johnson's newest book speaks to the corruption that now riddles the country's body politic. As a result, it is increasingly up to the country's politicians, economic and business leaders and others to explain how they, if they were in charge, would arrest the decay and reverse the process. The country clearly wants to hear such things and is increasingly hungry for solid answers. * Daily Maverick, South Africa *In 1977, Johnson was taking stock of where the apartheid state stood in relation to its likely end, and his prediction was more-or-less correct: 15 years later, it was officially dead, and South Africa had a new, democratically elected government. In the new nostradamic book, Johnson seems to be talking about a similar time frame, perhaps shortened to a decade or so, but in interviews he has given a much shorter period until we hit the wall, saying South Africa has a mere two years before it has to go begging to the International Monetary Fund for a bail-out. . . . Johnson has a great polemical gift . . . punchy * Mail & Guardian, South Africa *This book will undoubtedly be met with outrage among South Africa's political and intellectual elite. If so, it will not be because of any great deficiencies in the text, but because of the grip of ideology on the country's elite. By the same token, it will be hailed by some people in opposition circles simply because of the vigour with which it criticises not only South Africa's current government, but the entire history of the ANC since the late 1950s, as well as for its devastating critique of African nationalism more generally. -- Professor Stephen Ellis, Free University of Amsterdam, author of 'External Mission: The ANC in Exile, 1960-90'

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Book SynopsisThe image of the Roman legionary is as familiar today as it was to the citizens – and enemies – of the vast Roman Empire two thousand years ago. This book goes beyond the stereotypes found in popular culture to examine the Roman Army from the first armed citizens of the early Republic through the glorious heights of the Imperial legions to the shameful defeats inflicted upon the late Roman Army by the Goths and Huns. Tracing the development of tactics, equipment and training, this work provides a detailed insight into the military force that enable Rome to become the greatest empire the world has ever seen. As well as describing the changes in the army over the centuries, The Roman Army also sheds light on the talented men who led these soldiers in battle and the momentous battles fought, including Cannae, Pharsalus and Adrianople. Illustrated with detailed maps, artwork and photographs, this volume provides a complete reference to the Roman Army from the 8th century BC to the period after the fall of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD.Table of ContentsChronology /Introduction /The Early Republican Army, 753-146 BC /The Army of the Late Republic, 146-27 BC /The Earlier Roman Empire, 27 BC-AD 200 /The Later Roman Empire, AD 200-6th century /Afterword /Further Reading /Index

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Book SynopsisThe Southern Levant was a thriving centre of religious and cultural exchange during the Bronze Age. 'Early Bronze Age Goods Exchange in the Southern Levant' provides an overview of the sources and distribution of commodities. The book presents a study of key production centres and the process of purchase and exchange. The book establishes a theoretical framework - based in political economy, ethnoarchaeology and economic anthropology - for understanding the exchange of commodities in a precapitalist society. 'Early Bronze Age Goods Exchange in the Southern Levant' is unique in presenting archaeological sources and prehistoric economics through modern, notably Marxist, theories of human development.Table of ContentsPart I: Research Frameworks1. Introduction2. Theoretical FrameworkPart II: Commodities3. Pottery4. Flints5. Groundstone Tools and Vessels6. Metallurgy and Metal Objects7. Botanical Commodities8. Faunal Commodities9. MineralsPart III: Transportation, Merchants and Networks10. Transportation and the Cult of Exchange11. Exchange NetworksPart IV: Conclusions12. Conclusions and Perspectives

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Book SynopsisThis is the account of one person's experience among the Inupiat, who live in a treeless land far north of the Arctic Circle. It records occurrences of healing, spirit manifestation, and premonition in her narrative in a year in the life of an Eskimo community.Table of ContentsTable of Contents Acknowledgments Families and Persons Mentioned in the Text Introduction 1 Arrival 2 A Dream of the Loss of Childhood 3 The Healer 4 Embattled Politics: The Ancient Master Returns 5 The Taste of Sea Mammal Awakens I\u00f1upiat History 6 The Seal and Its Organs: A Prophetic Seeing 7 Winter: Western Celebration Converted 8 Winter Solstice 9 The Messenger Feast: The Work of the Eagle 10 A Man Lost in the Tundra: The Finding 11 The Grandmother Speaks a Word 12 The Laughing Mask 13 Preparations for Whaling 14 The Bowhead Whale: Balaena Mysticetus 15 The Whale's Head: Presence and Absence 16 Rich Parka and Festival Food 17 The Whaling Festival: Qagruq, the Beaching 18 The Shaman's Four-Day Syndrome 19 Reconnecting After Absence Conclusion: The Threads of Connectedness Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisA work of literary theory that draws on the writings of Demosthenes, Plato, Sappho, Thucydides, Euripides, and Aeschylus, among others, to examine and delineate the essentials of a noble style.Trade ReviewGrube's translation is a masterful work of scholarship, and is admirably accessible for the common reader.--Jeffrey Walker, Emory University

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Book SynopsisFirst ever large-scale study of Crécy and its context, bringing out its true importance in English and French history. With additional contributions from Françoise Autrand, Christophe Piel, Michael Prestwich, and Bertrand Schnerb. On the evening of 26 August 1346, the greatest military power in Christendom, the French royal army withPhilip VI at its head, was defeated by an expeditionary force from England under the command of Edward III. A momentous event that sent shock waves across Europe, the battle of Crécy marked a turning point in the English king's struggle with his Valois adversary. While the French suffered humiliation and crippling casualties, compounded by the consequential loss of Calais a year later, the self-confidence and military reputation of the English - from their king down to the lowliest of archers - soared. Well over half a century before Agincourt, the English had emerged as the most respected fighting force in Europe. This book assesses the significance of Crécy, and offers new interpretations of both the battle itself and the campaign that preceded it. It includes the latest research on the composition and organisation of the English and French armies, a penetrating analysis of the narrative sources and a revealing re-appraisal of the battlefield. It concludes with a fresh look at the role of the archer in Edward III's victory. Dr ANDREW AYTON is senior lecturer in history at the University of Hull; Sir PHILIP PRESTON is an independent scholar, and founding secretary of the Battle of Crécy Trust.Trade ReviewThe thorough and massive use of the sources, both primary and secondary, is perhaps one of the first key features that the reader notes and makes it a valuable work. [...] A compelling read, no doubt a volume that will leave a mark. For those interested in the hundred years war, but not only them, this is essential reading. * DE RE MILITARI *A highly recommended acquisition for any in-depth, definitive military history collection. * THE MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW *This must surely be the definitive study of Crécy for many years to come; but it is much more than that. It is the narrative of a fourteenth century army at war. Impressive in its scholarship, immaculately presented, it is an essential item in a medievalist's library. * CASEMATE *This is a unique, invaluable collection of the thoughts, conclusions and surmises of some of the best minds that concern themselves with the Hundred Years War; in this case, one of its most famous and fatal battles, which like Agincourt poses fascinating problems of every kind concerning fourteenth and fifteenth-century armies in the field. -- ROBERT HARDY CBE FSAEssays of very high quality. [...] A very fine, scholarly study and eminently readable book which deserves great authority as a study of Crécy. * HISTORY *A useful addition to the literature and worth reading by anyone with any interest in its topic. * JOURNAL OF MILITARY HISTORY (US) *Das Buch empfiehlt sich ganz sicher als eine seriöse und aufschlußreiche Materialsammlung zur Schlacht von Crécy. * HISTORISCHE ZEITSCHRIFT *Mit diesem Buch liegt nicht nur eine detaillierte Analyse der Schlacht von Crécy vor, es liefert auch ein Beispiel dafür, wie eine auf militärisch-organisatorische Aspekte abzielende Kriegsgeschichte des Mittelalters heute geschrieben werden muss. -- MARTIN CLAUSS, H-SOZ-U-KULT

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Book SynopsisOriginally published separately, Weber''s Science as a Vocation and Politics as a Vocation stand as the classic formulations of his positions on two related subjects that go to the heart of his thought: the nature and status of science and its claims to authority; and the nature and status of political claims and the ultimate justification for such claims. Together in this volume, these newly translated lectures offer an ideal point of entry into Weber''s central project: understanding how, as Weber put it, in the West alone there have appeared cultural manifestations [that seem to] go in the direction of universal significance and validity.Trade Review[Owen and Strong] beautifully weave together the historical, philosophical, academic and personal circumstances that shaped Weber's world-view and these efforts reward the reader with a nuanced and thorough understanding. . . . Students, and even established academics, will benefit tremendously from this new edition. Rating: ***** --Jeffrey Roberts, University of Kent, in Political Studies Review

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Book SynopsisThis wonderfully rich volume challenges those who claim that political history is arid, narrow, or worse, irrelevant to our own concerns. Jensen''s study explores popular political mobilization on the eve of American independence. It reconstructs the complex decisions that slowly, often painfully transformed a colonial rebellion into a genuine revolution. Jensen''s well-paced narrative never loses sight of the ordinary men and women who confronted the most powerful empire in the world. --T.H. Breen, William Smith Mason Professor of American History, Northwestern UniversityTrade Review"The Founding of a Nation is the best one-volume narrative political history of the American Revolution from 1763 to 1776. I have turned to it again and again for its clear, reliable accounts of events. It is a magnificent work by a master scholar based on an unsurpassed knowledge of the original sources." --Alfred Young, Senior Research Fellow, Newberry Library"After thirty-five years, Jensen's Founding of a Nation is still, by a good margin, the best one-volume history of the coming of the American Revolution." --John M. Murrin, Princeton UniversityTable of ContentsPart I: The Late Classics / Post-classic in Oaxaca - An Introduction; Part II: Chronology, Continuity and Disjunction - Etic and Emic Perspectives; Part III: Continuity and Abandonment of Houses in the Valley of Oaxaca - Lambityeco and Macuilxochitl; Part IV: Changing Power Relations and Interaction in the Lower Rio Verde Valley; Part V: Sacred History and Legitimisation in the Mixteca Alta; Part VI: New Research Frontiers in Oaxaca and Eastern Guerreo; Index.

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Book SynopsisThis wonderfully rich volume challenges those who claim that political history is arid, narrow, or worse, irrelevant to our own concerns. Jensen''s study explores popular political mobilization on the eve of American independence. It reconstructs the complex decisions that slowly, often painfully transformed a colonial rebellion into a genuine revolution. Jensen''s well-paced narrative never loses sight of the ordinary men and women who confronted the most powerful empire in the world. --T.H. Breen, William Smith Mason Professor of American History, Northwestern UniversityTrade Review"The Founding of a Nation is the best one-volume narrative political history of the American Revolution from 1763 to 1776. I have turned to it again and again for its clear, reliable accounts of events. It is a magnificent work by a master scholar based on an unsurpassed knowledge of the original sources." --Alfred Young, Senior Research Fellow, Newberry Library"After thirty-five years, Jensen's Founding of a Nation is still, by a good margin, the best one-volume history of the coming of the American Revolution." --John M. Murrin, Princeton UniversityTable of ContentsPart I: The Late Classics / Post-classic in Oaxaca - An Introduction; Part II: Chronology, Continuity and Disjunction - Etic and Emic Perspectives; Part III: Continuity and Abandonment of Houses in the Valley of Oaxaca - Lambityeco and Macuilxochitl; Part IV: Changing Power Relations and Interaction in the Lower Rio Verde Valley; Part V: Sacred History and Legitimisation in the Mixteca Alta; Part VI: New Research Frontiers in Oaxaca and Eastern Guerreo; Index.

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Book SynopsisComprised of relevant selections from the writings of four ancient historians, this volume provides a complete narrative of the important events in the life of Alexander the Great.Trade ReviewThe translations . . . are rendered in clear, modern style. Romm's Introduction is fresh, mature, and insightful--one of the best brief synopses of Alexander's life and impact this reviewer has read in recent years. . . . Romm's carefully selected and well-translated passages from Arrian provide a vivid and cohesive narrative of the highlights of Alexander's career. Wherever there is a major discrepancy among our ancient sources, or wherever an alternate version seems to enrich Arrian's account, Romm relegates the variant source to his notes, thereby providing the enhancement without disrupting the main narrative. He has thus preserved the flow of Arrian's narrative, while also providing a commentary that alerts the reader to some of the pitfalls that mark any attempt to understand the course of Alexander's achievements. I highly recommend this work as a pedagogical component in the teaching of basic courses on Alexander. And even some battle-hardened advanced students, scholars of the Macedonian monarchy, and history buffs would benefit by the insights of Romm's introductory essay and the notes accompanying Arrian's text. --Eugene N. Borza, The Classical OutlookA refreshing new work which will no doubt open up a number of possibilities for undergraduate instruction. Romm has produced a comprehensive and well-organized reader. --Charles M. Muskiet II, Villanova University

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"An excellent edition of the key writings surrounding the adoption of the American Constitution. The learned Introduction brings to life the key intellectual debates at the heart of modern constitutionalism as well as those concerning the American Constitution. A fine critical edition." --Frederick Rosen, University College London"This is an excellent collection that fills a need--of all the document collections on the founding era, there is no one-volume collection with both Federalist and Anti-Federalist opinions--and none so affordably priced! I look forward to adopting this book in my general U.S. history and advanced U.S. legal history courses." --Christopher Capozzola, History Department, MIT"A very useful, affordable edition of Federalist and Anti-Federalist writings. . . . The introductory essay is beautifully written and offers useful insights." --Margaret Groarke, Manhattan College

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewThese five new translations . . . take to its logical, lively conclusion the long-held but oft-ignored reality that Plautus and Terence were writers for the stage. These versions have verve: playability, liveliness, accessibility, unlike anything on library shelves today. Of modern-day attempts at Plautus-inspired music, for example, only Stephen Sondheim has excelled the inspired zaniness of Douglass Parker’s lyrics. There is much virtue to be measured here. . . . After reading these plays we might spend considerable thought on the possibility that conservative translations in the style of Barsby are less authentic--if such a thing can be measured--than those of Berg and Parker. . . . This is a deceptively important book, meriting a wide, attentive readership. . . . [Berg and Parker's] theater-friendly versions offer a vision of the future of Roman comedy, both scholarly and popular. The profession will be well repaid to take an appreciative look. --David Frauenfelder, North Carolina State UniversityDeena Berg and Douglass Parker’s Plautus & Terence: Five Comedies is a fascinating postmodernist rendition of some of the most postmodernist--metatheatrical, self-referential, sophisticated, stylized--literature classical antiquity has to offer. The sparkling and eminently performable translations are a hard act to precede, but the translator’s delightful introductions are a worthy match for their subjects. . . . Highly recommended. --John Wright, Northwestern UniversityThis splendid sampling of Roman comedy is particularly welcome because Parker and Berg have combined the best known (and perhaps finest) comedies of Plautus and Terence (The Brothers Menaechmus, here 'Double Bind,' and Miles Gloriosus, here 'Major Blowhard,' and Adelphoe, 'The Brothers') with two rarer and rather special comedies: 'The Wild Wild Women,' Plautus' exuberant Bacchides, and 'The Mother-in-Law' (Hecyra), perhaps Terence's most modern comedy, important as evidence from ancient comedy for the evolution of the sentimental or psychological drama of everyday life. The translators are to be congratulated on their choices and their truly up-to-date versions; Parker is a veteran whose punning wit and swashbuckling idiom in his very actable Plautus scripts contrast nicely with the simple elegance of Berg's Terence." —Elaine Fantham, Princeton UniversityTable of ContentsMajor Blowhard = Miles Gloriosus. Double bind = Menaechmi. The wild, wild women = Bacchides / Plautus -- The mother-in-law = Hecyra. The brothers = Adelphoe / Terence.

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Book SynopsisFirst translation into English of 12th-century history of Ely from its foundation, including the Danish sack, Hereward's resistance to the Normans, and the repercussions of Becket's martyrdom. This is the first ever translation from Latin into English of an important source for English and ecclesiastical history. The Liber Eliensis is an account of the history of the Isle of Ely compiled by a monk of Ely monastery in the later twelfth century. He uses evidence from the monastery's Latin and Old English archives, combined with chronicle data and biographies of saints and heroes, to tell the story of Ely in three parts. The first book, chiefly concerned with the abbesses of Ely (St Aethelthryth founded the house as a double house under female leadership), extends from the conversion of East Anglia to Christianity to the aftermath of the Danish sack; the second bookcovers 970-1109, when the Benedictine monastery was ruled by abbots, and includes an account of Hereward's resistance to William the Conqueror; the third book begins at the point when Ely first became the seat of a bishop, and extends to the compiler's own times, ending with the martyrdom of Thomas Becket. The translation does full justice to the compiler's gift for story-telling and his wide range of source material; it gives priority to the readings of the oldest manuscript of the Liber Eliensis, but covers all the material in the later but fuller recension of the Latin text presented in E.O. Blake's 1962 edition. The volume is completed with notes on the text and sources and an introductory essay. JANET FAIRWEATHER is a freelance researcher and translator, a member of the classics faculty, Cambridge University.Trade ReviewThis translation will be a godsend to historians who do not want to become Latinists in order to use this source. * MEDIEVAL REVIEW *These accounts give us important information about Anglo-Saxon Ely and its commemoration. * THE YEAR'S WORK IN ENGLISH STUDIES *An immensely welcome translation of a text of great interest to Anglo-Saxon and Anglo-Norman historians. [...]In addition to the skilled and devoted translator, the publishers are to be congratulated on one of their most valuable recent publications. * EARLY MEDIEVAL EUROPE *A rich mixture of transcriptions from saints' lives, accounts of miracles, chronicles and archives, it is a wonderful source of information, not only about Ely, but.about the life of all great medieval religious institutions, and an insight into the medieval mind. * HISTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW *

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Book SynopsisThe culture of early Anglo-Saxon England explored from an inter-disciplinary perspective. A stimulating contribution to the field of Anglo-Saxon studies. MEDIEVAL ARCHAEOLOGY A mind-stretching read. NOTES AND QUERIES The papers contained in this volume, by leading researchers in the field, cover a wide range of social, economic and ideological aspects of the culture of early Anglo-Saxon England, from an inter-disciplinary perspective. The status of `Anglo-Saxondom' and `Englishness' as cultural and ethnic categories are a recurrent focus of debate, while other topics include the reconstruction of settlement patterns; social and political structures; farming in medieval England; and the spiritual world of the Anglo-Saxons. As a whole, the contributionsoffer fascinating insights into key contemporary research questions and projects, and into the character and problems of interdisciplinary approaches. Dr JOHN HINES is Reader in the School of History and Archaeology atthe University of Wales, Cardiff. Contributors: WALTER POHL, IAN WOOD, DELLA HOOKE, DOMINIC POWLESLAND, HEINRICH HÄRKE, THOMAS CHARLES-EDWARDS, PATRIZIA LENDINARA, PETER FOWLER, CHRISTOPHER SCULL, JANE HAWKES, D.N. DUMVILLE, JOHN HINES, GIORGIO AUSENDATrade ReviewA stimulating contribution to the field of Anglo-Saxon studies. * MEDIEVAL ARCHAEOLOGY *A mind-stretching read. * NOTES AND QUERIES *Table of ContentsEthnic names and identities in the British Isles - a comparative perspective, Walter Pohl; before and after the migration to Britain, Ian Wood; the Anglo-Saxons in England in the 7th and 8th centuries - aspects of location in space, Della Hooke; early Anglo-Saxon settlements, structures, form and layout, D. Powlesland; early Anglo-Saxon social structure, H. Harke; Anglo-Saxon kinship revisited, T. Charles-Edwards; the Kentish laws, P. Lendinara; farming in early medieval England - some fields for thought, P.J. Fowler; urban centres in pre-Viking England?, C. Scull; symbolic lives - the visual evidence, A.J. Hawkes; the terminology of overkingship in early Anglo-Saxon England, D.N. Dumville; religion - the limits of knowledge, John Hines; current issues and future directions in the study of early Anglo-Saxon England, Giorgio Ausenda.

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Book SynopsisText with facing translation of the Scandinavian versions of the Tristan legend. This is the first in a set of three volumes making available for the first time critical editions and translations of important medieval Arthurian texts from Iceland, Norway and Sweden. Devoted to the Tristan legend. It contains Geitarlauf and Janual, Old Norse translations of the French lais Lanval and Chevrefeuil; Tristrams saga ok Isöndar, Brother Thomas's Old Norse translation of Thomas's Tristan, dated 1226 and commissioned by King Hákon Hákonarson the Old of Norway; "Tristrams kvædi", a fourteenth-century Icelandic "Tristan" ballad; and the Saga af Tristram ok Isodd, a fourteenth-century Icelandic version of the Old Norse Tristrams saga ok Isöndar. The translators are: ROBERT COOK, PETER JORGENSEN, JOYCE HILL, MARIANNE E. KALINKE. Professor MARIANNE KALINKE teaches in the Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.Trade ReviewA welcome resource... Validates its texts as a significant corpus of Arthuriana and will appeal to a wide readership of medievalists. * SAGA-BOOK OF THE VIKING SOCIETY *A major contribution, not only to the Old Norse field, but to the broader world of medieval literature and culture... will endure for years to come. * SPECULUM *Those responsible for bringing out this series have performed a service to readers, showing how mediaeval Scandinavia dealt with the matter of Britain. * SCANDINAVICA *Provide access to some of the most important Norse versions of French Arthurian narrative ... a very valuable service... will make this corpus of Arthurian literature better known to a non-specialist readership. * SCANDINAVIAN STUDIES *

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Book SynopsisSelections from both Iliad and Odyssey, made with an eye for those episodes that figure most prominently in the study of mythology.Trade Review"A good idea—its utility far outweighs qualms purists have about students not reading every last item in the catalogue of ships. The translation is vigorous and readable." —Andrew Ford, Princeton University"Not only does one get an excellent translation of both Homer's Iliad and Odyssey under one cover, but the selections included are infinitely better and longer than what one normally gets in anthologies of Greek literature. For courses in which entire texts cannot be used, this is by far the best choice available today." —Kostas Myrsiades, Westchester University"The Essential Homer fills a long-felt need for an edition that offers a sizable selection of the books and passages most likely to be used in undergraduate courses. It's a wonderful help." —Richard P. Martin, Stanford University

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Book Synopsis Little remains today of the writings of the archaic Greek poet Sappho (fl. late 7th and early 6th centuries B.C.E.), whose work is said to have filled nine papyrus rolls in the great library at Alexandria some 500 years after her death. The surviving texts consist of a lamentably small and fragmented body of lyric poetry--among them, poems of invocation, desire, spite, celebration, resignation, and remembrance--that nevertheless enables us to hear the living voice of the poet Plato called the tenth Muse. Stanley Lombardo''s translations give us a virtuoso embodiment of Sappho''s voice, whose telltale charm, authority, immediacy, directness, intensity, and sudden changes of tone are among the hallmarks of his masterly translation. Pamela Gordon introduces us to the world of Sappho, discusses questions surrounding the transmission of her manuscripts, offers advice on reading these texts, and concludes with an enlightening discussion of same-sex desire in Sappho. Trade ReviewThe four sections of this book [Introduction, Translator's Note, translations, Notes on Ancient Sources] work remarkably well together, presenting the fragments of Sappho according to 'the idea of the isolated message' (xvii). The dominant and characteristic interest shared by both Lombardo as translator and Gordon as introducer is their concerted effort to validate 'fragments as esthetic wholes' (xxvi). Lombardo's translations are pleasantly distinct from those of any other I am aware of both for their sonorous but straightforward rendering in modern spoken American English . . . [an edition] better both for its clear translations, and for the breadth and depth of the critical Introduction. Lombardo's strategy as translator is to convey not only the Greek by means of English, but also the experience of reading 'Sappho as a pure, received text' (xxvi) by means of direct, plain presentation of the poem . . . A unique and welcome contribution to the diversity of English translations available. --Travis Feldman, The Bryn Mawr Classical Review I have long been an admirer of Stanley Lombardo's translations of Homer, and I was curious to see how he would adapt his fast-paced, lively style to Sappho. He has succeeded admirably. His translation of 73 poems of Sappho is clear, energetic, and close to the Greek. Pamela Gordon's Introduction gives a lucid and useful guide for the non-specialist to the last fifty years of scholarly debate on Sappho. This edition will be particularly useful for instructors of courses in translation seeking an introduction to Sappho for the Greekless student. It is also a pleasure to read. --Laurel Bowman, The Classical Bulletin Gordon's Introduction is a clear summation of the poetic and scholarly aura surrounding the figure of Sappho and these literary fragments. . . . This essay, complete with selective bibliography at the end, could be assigned to undergraduates as a first introduction to both the poetry and the phenomenon of Sappho. . . . Lombardo's translations are lively and accessible; Sappho lives anew for the English reader. . . . Ideal for teaching at the undergraduate level. --Cashman Kerr Prince, New England Classical Journal

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Book SynopsisThe President and the Provocateur explores the parallel lives of John F. Kennedy, born into wealth and celebrity, destined for glory and a violent death, and of Lee Harvey Oswald, born into poverty and obscurity, murdered in police custody and convicted - without a lawyer or a trial - of the killing of JFK. 50 years after both men were murdered, Alex Cox provides a chronological account of their lives' strange intersections, their shared interests, and the increasing body of evidence which suggests that Lee Harvey Oswald was working for some branch of the government - most likely the FBI or IRS - as an infiltrator of subversive groups, and agent provocateur. The President and the Provocateur draws on five decades of accumulated evidence that Oswald was an intelligence agent and agent provocateur. Far from being an active Communist, Oswald was mainly interested in infiltrating right-wing groups (including the White Russian community of Fort Worth, the National States Rights Party, the Minutemen, and the Cuban Alpha 66 terrorist organization in Dallas and New Orleans). From this perspective his alleged purchasing of guns by mail may be the actions of someone attempting to build a case against right-wing gun-runners and their suppliers - something the IRS and Senator Christopher Dodd's Subcommittee were also doing, at exactly the same time. The possibility that Oswald was sent as a spy to Russia has been raised before, but this is the first book to detail Oswald's continued pattern of intelligence-gathering and infiltration of political groups on his return to the USA.Trade ReviewCox has done his best to unravel the tangled mess of information and weave it into something resembling coherency with an eye towards as an objective a view as possible -- Richard Marcus * Seattle PI via blogcritics.org *Alex Cox attacks official line on JFK assassination -- Adrian Mack * straight.com *compelling * Sabotage Times *an original treatment of over-familiar material, a fine book, nicely written -- Robin Ramsay * Lobster Magazine *

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Book SynopsisBook of John MandevilleTrade ReviewHonorable Mention Recipient, 2011 MLA Scaglione Prize for an Outstanding Translation of a Literary Work:The Book of John Mandeville, one of the most important medieval travel books, has been translated into English from the original Anglo-Norman French for the first time since the late fourteenth century. Iain Macleod Higgins's accurate, readable, and judiciously edited rendering now supersedes the modernizations of Middle English versions that have hitherto been the English-speaking world's chief access to a work second only to Marco Polo's Travels in its influence and the duration of its popularity. Higgins's copious annotation, detailed index, and inclusion of translated excerpts from Mandeville's sources and other relevant texts make this a historically important contribution to our knowledge of medieval travel literature and of Western perceptions of non-Western peoples. Impressive scholarship combines with skillful translation of a medieval work with great modern relevance." --Modern Language AssociationIain Macleod Higgins's edition of The Book of John Mandeville with Related Texts offers the first English translation from the Anglo-Norman for 600 years, together with a collection of excerpts from a range of sources that inform this synthesized travel narrative. Higgins’s edition is at once scholarly and highly readable, combining a lively translation of this hugely influential work with judicious commentary on the text and textual tradition, its contexts, and criticism. Its publication in a highly affordable paperback edition makes an impressive piece of scholarship into a valuable teaching text. --The Year's Work in English Studies, (Volume 92, Issue 1 2013)

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Book SynopsisSpanning Galileo's career, this title presents an annotated translation of Galileo's important writings as judged by their historical impact from the 17th century to the present. It provides those writings that bear closely on key developments in physics, astronomy, epistemology, and scientific methodology, and those relevant to general culture.Trade ReviewEdited and translated by Maurice A. Finocchiaro, an international authority on Galileo, this collection makes available to scholars and students an excellent and extensive selection of Galileo's key works from his early career to the end of his life--some in toto and some represented by key selections. It presents not only Galileo's most famous works but also a range of less-known texts as well as an excellent selection of the documents from the trial of 1633 and from the 1616 condemnation of Copernicus. In addition to the breadth and quality of the selections, this volume is particularly attractive to students and instructors thanks to Finocchiaro's expert and up-to-date introductions, biographical sketch, chronology, annotated bibliography, and glossary. This is a must for anyone teaching or studying Galileo, the scientific revolution, and the relationship between science and religion. --Mario Biagioli, Professor of the History of Science, Harvard UniversityThis skillful selection from Galileo's writings has something of the adventure story about it, as Galileo explores the skies in a way no one had done before and propounds a radical reorganization of the cosmos in consequence, defends himself from the accusation by the Church that his view contravenes Scripture but is condemned and forced to abjure, and returns finally in old age to publish a work that will not only set mechanics on a new path but will transform the very way in which the deeper knowledge of nature is to be found. Strongly recommended. --Ernan McMullin, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy, University of Notre Dame"This book works very well for an undergraduate audience. I also appreciated the fact that Finocchiaro kept his comments on Galileo's texts to a minimum to allow students to interact with the primary documents on their own terms. The introduction to the text also worked well; providing important information without being overbearing for the students. I will definitely continue to use this work in the future." --Nahyan Fancy, Depauw University

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Book SynopsisThis book provides a clear, accessible examination of the major aspects of daily life--from food and sports to religion, education, and politics--of ancient Rome''s common people, including slaves, and offers generous selections from a wide variety of primary source materials. Also included are thirty illustrations, a chronology of Roman history, a guide to Roman authors, and an extensive bibliography.Trade ReviewThe book's use of primary sources to illustrate daily experiences makes it valuable both for the historical and cultural background it presents and for the wide array of Roman voices it includes. Its chapter arrangement and direct, informative style make it an excellent supplementary text for courses on classical literature. The chronology and brief biographies of Roman authors are valuable and uncomplicated resources --Okey Goode, Lewis-Clark State CollegeA very good, comprehensive introduction to Roman life. Especially valuableare the primary source quotes that let the ancients speak for themselves. I am particularly pleased that the author even probed the treasury of CIL in digging up primary sources. This helps students realize that the treasury of ancient Roman literature is vast, and is handed down to us in various forms. . . the index of authors, which provides a brief biography and list of major works for each, is especially attractive. Students, I feel, will find this index particularly helpful. All in all, a very fine intro. --Keith C. Wessel, Martin Luther College

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Book SynopsisSpawning an empire ranging from Persia to China, Genghis Khan united a nomadic warrior culture that had lived with their agrarian neighbors through controlled and limited extortion. This book provides an introduction to the history and culture of the Steppe people from which Genghis Khan emerged.Trade Review[With] implications for such current themes as globalization, global villages, and global conditions for peace . . . this book tells a grand story in the brief compass of seven chapters, with a well-written historical introduction, a helpful chronology, sixteen biographies portraying the international cast of personages who traversed empires, and a glossary indispensable to a work of this nature. Twenty-one primary documents give historical credence to the Mongol story itself, a story that is told only in the oral tradition of The Secret History of the Mongols. Maps and illustrations round out the material in support of the text. --The History Teacher

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Book SynopsisAnalyzes the coverage of presidents' wives in five newspapers and magazines - "The New York Times", "The Washington Post", "Ladies' Home Journal", "Good Housekeeping", and "McCall's" - to prove that the press has helped shape the first lady institution, as well as influence the changing social and political roles of American women.Trade ReviewSolid. I am a fan of this work. -- Glenna Matthews, author of The Rise of Public WomanExtremely well-written... in a flowing, engaging style. -- Carolyn Kitch, Temple UniversityTable of ContentsTable of Contents Preface Introduction: Press Images of First Ladies, 1900–2001 Chapter One: Representations of Womanhood in the American Press before 1900 Chapter Two: The First Lady as Public Woman, 1900–1929 Chapter Three: The First Lady as Political Celebrity, 1932–1961 Chapter Four: The First Lady as Political Activist, 1964–1977 Chapter Five: The First Lady as Political Interloper, 1980–2001 Conclusion: A Century of Press Framing Notes References Index

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Book SynopsisAlthough he died at the age of thirty-two, Randolph Bourne (1886-1918) left a body of writing on politics, culture, and literature that made him one of the most influential public intellectuals of the twentieth century, and a hero of the American left. The twenty-eight essays of this volume--among them, War and the Intellectuals, the analysis of the warfare state that made Bourne the foremost critic of American entry into World War 1, and Trans-National America, his manifesto for cultural pluralism in America--show Bourne at his most passionate and incisive as they trace his search for the true wellsprings of nationalism and American culture.

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Book SynopsisWhat happened when people went mad in the fledgling colony of New South Wales? In this important new history of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, we find out through the correspondence of tireless colonial secretaries, the brazen language of lawyers and judges and firebrand politicians, and heartbreaking letters from siblings, parents and friends. We also hear from the mad themselves. Class, gender and race became irrelevant as illness, chaos and delusion afflicted convicts exiled from their homes and living under the weight of imperial justice; ex-convicts and small settlers as they grappled with the country they had taken from its Indigenous inhabitants, as well as officers, officials and wealthy colonists who sought to guide the course of European history in Australia.This not a history of the miserable institutions built for the mentally ill, or those living within them, or the people in charge of the asylums. These stories of madness are woven together into a narrative about freedom and possibilities, and collapse and unravelling. The book looks at people at the edge of the world finding themselves at the edge of sanity, and is about their strategies for survival. This is a new story of colonial Australia, cast as neither a grim and fatal shore nor an antipodean paradise, but a place where the full range of humanity wrestled with the challenges of colonisation. The first book-length history of madness at the beginning ofEuropean Australia Original and evocative, it grapples seriously with the place ofmadness in Australia’s convict history The book’s intimate descriptions of madness and the response to itgive a unique picture of life in the early colony through the lens ofmental illness Awareness of mental health continues to rise globally. This bookexplores efforts to understand and to treat madness before asylums,hospitals and doctors made madness a medical problem. Meticulously researched by James Dunk, a young emerginghistorian of medicine and colonialism Table of Contents Introduction 1.There is a Wildness 2.The Liabilities of the Sea 3.Madness and Malingering 4.The ‘Lunatic Asylum’ 5.The Politics of a Penal Colony 6.Darling’s Suicides 7.After the Rebellion 8.Wrongful Confinement and Irresponsible Power Conclusion

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Book SynopsisA study of the primordial figure of the Great Goddess and her continued worship through time as shown by the myths, shrines, and sanctuaries around the world that honor this powerful symbol of creation.

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Book SynopsisWhere are the tombs of Alexander the Great or Cleopatra? Both rulers were buried in Egypt, but their tombs have never been found despite years of intensive research and excavation. Yet we have tantalizing clues. Searching for the Lost Tombs of Egypt describes the quest for these and other great missing' tombs those we know existed, but which have not yet been identified. It also discusses key moments of discovery that have yielded astonishing finds and created the archetypal image of the archaeologist poised at the threshold of a tomb left untouched for millennia. In this gripping account, Chris Naunton explains the mysteries of the missing tombs and presents all the evidence, skilfully unravelling the tangled threads surrounding the burials of the heretic pharaoh Akhenaten and his son Tutankhamun, and the burial place of Imhotep, architect of the Step Pyramid at Saqqara, among others. Could other such tombs lie undiscovered in the Valley of the Kings? In fact, the Valley almost certainly does guard hidden treasures. Amazing finds of unsuspected tombs continue to occur there and elsewhere in Egypt, making headlines worldwide all are covered in this book. As well as immersing the reader, step by step, in the action of the search and the thrill of discovery, the book also explores the reasons why tombs remain such a central part of both the popular perception of Egyptology and the continuing allure of ancient Egypt.Trade Review'An absolutely essential book for those of us captivated by ancient Egypt’s enduring stories, and the modern quest to uncover its remaining secrets. Chris Naunton brilliantly walks the line between scholar and storyteller, balancing his deep knowledge with that tantalizing call to adventure which will keep you spellbound' - Dallas Campbell, broadcaster and author'Highly readable … there is much to recommend here' - BBC History Magazine'As well as immersing us in the action of the search and the thrill of discovery, this book also explains why tombs remain such a central part of both the popular perception of Egyptology and the continuing allure of ancient Egypt' - Timeless Travels'A joyous book that has at its heart a love for ancient Egyptian history and a desire to share that with people … Naunton balances between popular narratives and current research to provide a thoroughly enjoyable book' - Journal of History and Cultures

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Book SynopsisThe Truth about St Kilda is a unique record of the isolated way of life on St Kilda in the early part of the twentieth century, based on seven handwritten notebooks written by the Rev. Donald Gillies, containing reminiscences of his childhood on the island of Hirta. It provides a first-hand account of the living conditions, social structure and economy of the community in the early 1900s, before the evacuation of the remaining residents in 1930. The memoirs describe in some detail the St Kildans' way of life, including religious life and the islanders' diet. The puritanical form of religion practised on St Kilda has often been interpreted by outsiders as austere and draconian, but Gillies' account of the islanders' religious practices makes clear the important role that these had in reinforcing the spiritual stamina of the community. This book is a lasting tribute to the adaptability and courage of a small Gaelic-speaking society which endured through two millennia on a remote cluster of islands, until its way of life could no longer be sustained.Trade Review'a remarkable document' * The Herald *

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Book SynopsisA masterfully researched and compelling history of Iran from the sixteenth century to the twenty-firstTrade Review“The defiant spirit of the country is brought to life in this monumental history of the past 500 years.”—Richard Spencer, The Times (London)“No book could be more pertinent for American readers . . . Mr. Amanat searches for patterns to make [Iran’s] tumultuous history lucid to nonspecialist readers. . . His account, in all its melancholy splendor, comes to embody what the 20th-century Iranian poet Forough Farrokhzad called ‘a sorrowful stroll in the garden of memories.’”—Eric Ormsby, The Wall Street Journal“For those with an interest in this pivotal and mercurial country, Abbas Amanat’s magisterial study is too important to ignore.”—Justin Marozzi, Sunday Times (London)“A majestic work that goes a long way in unraveling for an American audience the country’s enigmas and apparent contradictions.”—Ervand Abrahamian, The New York Review of Books“Amanat is a skillful narrator whose use of sources and anecdotes is illuminating. His book should be read by anyone who is curious about the history of political philosophy and ideas.”—The Economist“A fantastic book about a great country - I warmly commend it”—Dr Stephen Leah, Methodist RecorderWinner of the Outstanding Academic Title for 2018 Award, sponsored by Choice"This sweeping but richly detailed text is an impressive treatment of the longue durée of Iranian history since 1501. Amanat interweaves narrative with stimulating analysis and commentary on culture, society, and politics in Iran with a skill based on deep scholarship and understanding. It is rare to find a book that will be important for both those new to Iranian studies and those already in the field: the former will find the book an invaluable starting point, and the latter will gain much from engaging with Amanat’s creative and challenging insights and arguments."—Joanna de Groot, University of York "The appearance of this comprehensive and flowing narrative history of early modern and modern Iran could not be more timely, given the deep-seated misunderstandings and prejudices that persist regarding that country. Few scholars could be as well placed to write it as Abbas Amanat, who has devoted many decades to studying Iran's history and culture. This is likely to remain a work of reference that can be appreciated by students as well as interested general readers. An impressive achievement!"—Sanjay Subrahmanyam, Distinguished Professor of History, UCLA"Lucid, readable, and erudite, Abbas Amanat's flowing narrative uses comparisons and connections with the surrounding world to reveal the dialogical and often defensive character of Iran's routes to modernity. Amanat highlights the heterogeneous groups and contending interests that shaped what he calls a 'Persianized version of modernity.' Balancing analysis of changes in political economy with the roles of public religion and the persistence of cultural traditions, this is a compelling and comprehensive conspectus of Iranian history with a magisterial command of detail."—Nile Green, University of California, Los Angeles "Iran is perhaps the most important poorly understood country in the world--too big and wealthy to ignore, too complex and dynamic to stereotype. Among this generation of historians of Iran, Abbas Amanat stands as a giant. He conveys his enormous learning in eloquent prose, retailing the country's dramatic struggles and displaying gems of its intricate and profound culture with a contagious excitement. Those who wish to understand how an early modern Silk Road monarchy transformed into a contemporary petroleum-fueled theocracy will find no more informed or captivating guide."—Juan Cole, Richard P. Mitchell Professor of History and Director, Center for Middle Eastern and North African Studies, University of Michigan

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