History Books

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisA myth-shattering study of the first clash between the Zulu kingdom and European interlopers and its dramatic effects on Boer and Zulu alike. By the 1830s, the Zulu kingdom was consolidating its power as the strongest African polity in the south-east, but was under growing pressure from British traders and hunters on the coast, and descendants of the early Dutch settlers at the Cape the Boers. In 1837, the vanguard of the Boers'' Great Trek migration reached the borders of Zulu territory, causing alarm. When the Boer leader Piet Retief and his followers were massacred in cold blood, war broke out. Although the initial Boer counter-attacks were defeated by the Zulus, in December 1838 a new Trekker offensive resulted in a nation-defining clash between Boer and Zulu at the battle of Blood River. In this ground-breaking and carefully balanced new work, containing stunning artwork and detailed maps, Ian Knight explores what has long been a controversial and partis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn intimate conversation between towering public intellectuals examining the contentious interplay between the Cuban Revolution and U.S. empireAn audacious revolutionary experiment in the backyard of empire, Cuba has occupied a vexed role in the international order for decades. Though its doctors (and fighters)?and the outsized influence of its example?have traversed the globe, from Venezuela to Angola, its political and economic future remain uncertain as the Castro era comes to a close and the U.S. embargo proceeds unabated.Through an intimate conversation between two of the country?s most astute observers of international politics, Noam Chomsky and Vijay Prashad, On Cuba traces Cuban history from the early days of the 1950s revolution to the present, interrogating U.S. interventions and extracting lessons on U.S. power and influence in the Western Hemisphere along the way. Neither a jingoistic condemnation nor an uncritical celebration, Chomsky?s heterodox approach to world affairs is on full display as he and Prashad grapple with Cuba?s unique place on the international scene.In a media landscape saturated with half-truths and fake news, Chomsky and Prashad??our own Frantz Fanon . . . [whose] writing of protest is always tinged with the beauty of hope? (Amitava Kumar, author of Immigrant, Montana)?seek to shed light on the truth of a complex and perennially controversial nation, while examining the limits of mainstream media discourse.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis“Gretchen Starr-LeBeau’s Seven Myths of the Spanish Inquisition provides an excellent introduction to Habsburg Spain’s most reviled and misunderstood institution. Drawn from archival sources and modern scholarship, this concise study presents the long and tortured history of the Spanish Inquisition in an accessible format for readers interested in the intersection of religion and jurisprudence. Addressing common misconceptions about the procedures, effectiveness, and reach of the Inquisition, this work argues convincingly for an updated assessment encompassing change over time and variations across Spain and its empire. Students of the early modern period will benefit from the volume’s logical organization, glossary of terms, and suggestions for further reading.” —Benjamin Ehlers, University of GeorgiaTrade Review“Gretchen Starr-LeBeau has given us a deeply researched, wide-ranging correction of the various myths attached to the Spanish Inquisition. Her ability to track and explain the development of those myths over time is remarkable. The volume is wonderfully written and consistently accessible for a student audience. I learned a great deal from it and look forward to assigning it in my classes.” —Lu Ann Homza, William and Mary

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Confederate States of America was born in defense of slavery and, after a four-year struggle to become an independent slaveholding republic, died as emancipation dawned. Between Fort Sumter to Appomattox, Confederates bought and sold thousands African American men, women, and children. These transactions in humanity made the internal slave trade a cornerstone of Confederate society, a bulwark of the Rebel economy, and a central part of the experience of the Civil War for all inhabiting the American South. As An Unholy Traffic shows, slave trading helped Southerners survive and fight the Civil War, as well as to build the future for which they fought. They mitigated the crises the war spawned by buying and selling enslaved people, using this commerce to navigate food shortages, unsettled gender roles, the demands of military service, and other hardships on the homefront. Some Rebels speculated wildly in human property, investing in slaves to ward off inflation and to buy shares in the slaveholding nation they hoped to create. Others traded people to counter the advance of emancipation. Given its centrality to their nationhood, Confederates went to great lengths to prolong the slave trade, which, in turn, supported the Confederacy. For those held in slavery, the surviving slave trade dramatically shaped their pursuit of freedom, inserting a retrograde movement into some people''s journeys toward liberty while inspiring others to make the risky decision to escape. Offering an original perspective on the intersections of slavery, capitalism, the Civil War, and emancipation, Robert K.D. Colby illuminates the place of the peculiar institution within the Confederate mind, the ways in which it underpinned the CSA''s war effort, and its impact on those attempting to seize their freedom.

Read more less

Book SynopsisExplores the social, cultural, legal and religious changes that occurred in Oman during the reign of Sultan Qaboos

Read more less

Book SynopsisA magisterial portrayal of English Christianity over the last 1,400 years.

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn this first guide to Tangier''s extraordinary cultural history , former BBC North Africa correspondent Richard Hamilton explores the city to find out what has inspired so many international writers, artists and musicians.In Tangier, the Moroccan novelist Mohamed Choukri wrote, everything is surreal and everything is possible.' In this intimate portrait, Hamilton explores hotels, cafés, alleyways and the city''s darkest secrets. Delving down through complex historical layers, he finds a frontier town that is comic, confounding and haunted by the ghosts of its past.Samuel Pepys thought God should destroy Tangier and St Francis of Assisi called it a city of madness and delusions.' Yet, throughout the centuries, it has also been a crucible of creativity. It was a turning point in Henri Matisse's artistic journey and had a profound impact on the founder of the Rolling Stones, Brian Jones.Tangier also produced two of the greatest American novels of the twentieth century: The Shel

Read more less

Book SynopsisWhat happens when death becomes the ultimate marker of one's commitment to one's freedom? What happens when the opposite of freedom is not unfreedom but death, not slavery but mortality? How are we to think of the right to life when a political demand for dignity and honor might be more important than life itself?Dying for Freedomexplores these questions by drawing on archival evidence from South Africa to show how death and conflicting notions of sacrifice dominated the struggle for political equality in that country. This political investment in death as a marker of commitment to the anti-apartheid struggle encouraged a masculinist style of politics in which the fight for freedom was seen and understood by many activists as a struggle literally for manhood. This investment generated a notion of political sacrifice so absolute that anything less than death was rendered suspect. More importantly, it resulted in a hierarchy of death whereby some deaths were more important than others, and where some deaths could be mourned and others not. This highly original account of the necropolitics of the liberation struggle will be of interest to students and scholars throughout the humanities and social sciences and to anyone interested in South Africa.

Read more less

Book SynopsisAlmost 500 years have passed since the death of Anne Boleyn, and yet, there has never been asuggestion she was guilty of the crimes which saw her executed. Attempts to muddy Anne'sreputation throughout history have not lessened her popularity nor convinced anyone she wasan adulterer. But many myths surrounding Anne's conviction for sleeping with George Boleyn,Henry Norris, Francis Weston, William Brereton, and Mark Smeaton have cropped up due tocenturies of lies, slander, and misinformation from detractors. One month after Anne was executed, the Convocation of Canterbury ratified the paperworkdetailing her arrest, conviction, execution, and the annulment of the marriage between KingHenry VIII and his second wife. As parliament had already ruled Anne's only child, PrincessElizabeth, was no longer heir to the throne, all the paperwork surrounding the trial wasdestroyed. No trace of her charges, witness statements, evidence, or even Archbishop ThomasCranmer's reasoning for annulling the

Read more less

Book SynopsisNo Birds of Passage explores the remarkable business success of three Gujarati Muslim commercial castes: the Bohras, Khojas, and Memons. Often stereotyped as “Westernized” and as Hindus in all but name, these groups are better seen as having developed a distinctive Muslim capitalism, in which religious and commercial prerogatives are inseparable.Trade ReviewThis is an audacious scholarly conversation between received categories of classical political economy and South Asian Islam that is likely to provoke debate among specialists in the field. For the general student of history however, it is a book that demands close attention for its outstanding contributions to the craft, both in its expansive approach toward the archive as in its deft interweaving of religion, culture and politics within the complex terrain of capitalist enterprise and law. The structure, prose and narrative richness of the book are likely to ensure a life for it outside the scholarly niche of economic history. -- Madhumita Mazumdar * Telegraph India *No Birds of Passage is a brilliant and strikingly innovative contribution to the history of trade and diaspora in the Indian Ocean. Based on an impressive array of sources, it tells a compelling story about the emergence of a distinctive form of Muslim capitalism that continues to shape the region today. -- Sunil Amrith, author of Unruly WatersThe intersection of community, caste, and capitalism is a matter of abiding interest for South Asian historians of both the early modern and modern periods. Michael O’Sullivan’s well-documented and closely argued work on Gujarati Muslim entrepreneurs over two centuries is a significant intervention in this field. It merits a wide readership, and is also certain to provoke debates well beyond the confines of South Asian studies. -- Sanjay Subrahmanyam, author of Europe’s IndiaThis sophisticated and fine-grained case study is a model of how to write revisionist economic histories that resonate with the experiences of people in most of the world. No Birds of Passage succeeds precisely because its conceptual apparatus is built on giving endogenous institutions their due, bringing together a range of sources in multiple languages, and openly embracing paradoxes without which this story of Muslim capitalism would have remained illegible. This is an exciting contribution to the burgeoning global histories of capitalism. -- Mrinalini Sinha, author of Specters of Mother IndiaA major contribution to South Asian history. O’Sullivan’s sweeping account of Gujarati Muslim business communities is more than a business history. It is an impressive examination of how the Khojas, Bohras, and Memons reshaped community corporate identities through their interactions with the colonial state, Indian nationalism, Muslim politics, and postcolonial regimes. -- Douglas E. Haynes, author of Small Town Capitalism in Western IndiaThis is a landmark work of scholarship, meticulously recovering the transimperial worldviews of Gujarati Muslim business communities both before and after the age of imperial capitalism. Attentive to historical asymmetries of race and sovereignty, O’Sullivan’s dynamic and capacious study will inform future work on imperial and postcolonial economic history as well as on the social-religious logics of capital accumulation. -- Manu Goswami, author of Producing India

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn the 1970s, new methods of social science research began to flower in Latin America, connecting academic researchers to grassroots social movements. One of these was participatory action research, a method now used by community organizers, educational activists, and social scientists around the world.Historieta Doble traces the roots of participatory action research to the Caribbean coast of Colombia, and to the work of visionary sociologist Orlando Fals Borda with the Colombian Peasant Movement. Beautifully illustrated, this graphic novel shows how Fals Borda combined research and theory with political participation and activism, using comics to capture rural historical memory and allow peasants to see themselves as historical actors.This graphic history presents a fascinating journey through time, weaving Fals Borda’s original research with Joanne Rappaport’s contemporary reconstruction of his compelling story. The book features the artistic

Read more less

Book SynopsisA major new history of the eastern Roman Empire, from Constantine to 1453.In recent decades, the study of the Eastern Roman Empire, also known as Byzantium, has been revolutionized by new approaches and more sophisticated models for how its society and state operated. No longer looked upon as a pale facsimile of classical Rome, Byzantium is now considered a vigorous state of its own, inheritor of many of Rome''s features, and a vital node in the first truly globalized world.The New Roman Empire is the first full, single-author history of the eastern Roman empire to appear in over a generation. Covering political and military history as well as all the major changes in religion, society, demography, and economy, Anthony Kaldellis''s volume is divided into ten chronological sections which begin with the foundation of Constantinople in 324 AD and end with the fall of the empire to the Ottoman Turks in the fifteenth century. The book incorporates new findings, explains recent interpretive Trade ReviewA brilliant reinvestigation of a millennium and more of Byzantine History; the first complete treatment for a generation drawing on impeccable scholarship and offering so many new insights. * Peter Heather, author of Christendom: The Triumph of a Religion, AD 300-1300 *Kaldellis's new narrative history of the medieval eastern Roman ('Byzantine') empire offers a highly readable, insightful, and provocative interpretation of one of the longest-lived state formations in the historical record. How and why it lasted so long lies at the heart of the book and the answers offered will challenge many long-held assumptions about the eastern Roman world and the civilization it embodied. * John F. Haldon, author of The Empire that Would Not Die: The Paradox of Eastern Roman Survival, 640-740 *A compelling and authoritative overview of a millennial empire, filled with unfamiliar and revealing details, that shows how its initial deep foundations enabled Byzantium's extraordinary longevity. Kaldellis's combination of structural analysis, mastery of original sources, and admirable synthesis of challenging issues make this a brilliant guide. * Judith Herrin, author of Ravenna: Capital of Empire, Crucible of Europe *Utilizing an impressive scope of recent research, Kaldellis refutes older views of the Roman state as despotic. Forty-two of 91 emperors may have come to power through violence, but the shared assumptions of subjects and rulers conferred on it lasting endurance... Outstanding in every aspect. * Library Journal *No one would describe this massive work as light reading, but I was struck by how almost every page offered a new insight or a fascinating fact. Any reader with an abiding interest in the subject will find this book to be a worthwhile investment. * Mike Markowitz, The NYMAS Review *The book includes fifteen well-executed and detailed maps, and numerous monochrome photographs, including coins, manuscript illustrations, works of art, and surviving buildings from the Empire's long history...Any reader with an abiding interest in the subject will find this book to be a worthwhile investment. * Mike Markowitz, The NYMAS Review: A Publication of The New York Military Affairs Symposium *The most important book about the history of Western civilization published this year-and for many years-is Anthony Kaldellis' magnum opus, The New Roman Empire: A History of Byzantium. * Hadley Arkes, Claremont Review of Books *The author does the job well, I believe, and needs to be taken seriously. * Usman Butt, Middle East Monitor *[Kaldellis'] book is a tremendous achievement of labour, scholarship and historiographical judgment. It will surely become the new standard work on its subject, not to mention a deserving candidate for book prizes. The many maps of changing political boundaries are among the best I have come across. * Tony Spawforth, Classics for All *A tremendous achievement of labour, scholarship and historiographical judgment. * Tony Spawforth, Classics for All *A tremendous achievement of labour, scholarship and historiographical judgement. * Tony Spawforth, Classics for All *Table of ContentsPreface Abbreviations List of Maps List of Images Part One: A New Empire New Rome and the New Romans The scaffold of society and personality of government From Christian nation to Roman religion Part Two: Dynastic Insecurities and Religious Passions The first Christian emperors of the east (324-361) Competing religions of empire (337-364) Toward an independent east (364-395) The city and the desert: Cultures old and new Part Three: The Return of Civilian Government The ascendancy of the political class (395-441) Barbarian terrors and military mobilization (441-491) Political consolidation and religious polarization (491-518) Part Four: The Strain of Grand Ambitions Chalcedonian repression and the eastern axis (518-531) The Sleepless Emperor (527-540) War everywhere and plague (540-565) The price of overextension (565-602) Part Five: To the Brink of Despair The great war with Persia (602-630) Commanders of the Faithful (632-644) A contest of wills (641-685) Part Six: Resilience and Recovery Life and taxes among the ruins An empire of outposts (685-717) The lion and the dragon (717-775) Reform and consolidation (775-815) A new confidence (815-867) Part Seven: The Path towards Empire A new David and Solomon (867-912) A game of crowns (912-950) The apogee of Roman arms (950-1025) A brief hegemony (1025-1048) Part Eight: A New Paradigm The walls close in: Losing Italy and the east (1048-1081) Crisis management, the Komnenian way (1081-1118) Good John and the Sun King: A second apogee (1118-1180) Disintegration and betrayal (1180-1204) Part Nine: Exile and Return "A new France": Colonial occupation Romans west and Romans east (1204-1261) Union with Rome and Roman Disunity (1261-1282) Territorial retrenchment and cultural innovation (1282-1328) Part Ten: The Struggle for Dignity at The End Military failure and mystical solace (1328-1354) The walls close in (1354-1402) The cusp of a new world (1402-1461) Glossary State Revenues and Payments to Foreign Groups, Fifth-Seventh Centuries Bibliography

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn inside look at al-Qaeda from 9/11 to the death of its founder—told through the words of Bin Laden and those in his closest circleTrade Review“A comprehensive, meticulously constructed and eye-opening look at bin Laden as husband, father and leader-in-hiding. . . . An engaging and persuasive read.”—Karen J. Greenberg, Washington Post“A groundbreaking book [and] a remarkable insider account of al-Qaeda’s history, based on the writings of bin Laden and his inner circle.”—Peter Spiegel, Financial Times“A revelatory book.”—Steve Coll, New Yorker“This eye-opening book—based on information recovered from Osama bin Laden’s hard drive after his death in the raid on his Abbottabad hideaway—is the first real inside look into his mind and an organisation that changed how we live.”—Sunday Times, “50 Best Books for the Sunlounger”“Never less than gripping. . . . [Offers] an extraordinary insight into the inner workings of al-Qaeda, both before and after 9/11, and lays bare the terrorist organisation’s closely guarded plans, ambitions and frustrations.”—Saul David, Sunday Telegraph“The corrective insights contained in this excellent readable book merit careful attention by scholars, policy makers, soldiers, and our political leadership.”—Justin Doherty, Aspects of History“[A] fascinating book—the first real inside look into an organisation that changed how we live. . . . It is astonishing to have such a picture of the inner workings of a terrorist group.”—Christina Lamb, Sunday Times“Lahoud yields fascinating insights from these primary sources about the organization, its leaders and the competing worldviews and priorities of its members.”—Mariana Vieira, International Affairs“The Bin Laden Papers is a work of immense, exciting scholarship, and it sparkles with new insights about bin Laden and his al-Qaeda network. Crisply written by Nelly Lahoud, it is one of the most important histories of the war on terror.”—Peter Bergen, author of The Rise and Fall of Osama bin Laden“A masterful analysis and riveting story. As though finally cleaning a window obscured by years of grime, Nelly Lahoud’s The Bin Laden Papers clarifies a man and his movement that confused and confounded much of the world for decades.”—General (ret.) Stanley McChrystal, former Commander of United States Forces Afghanistan“Terrorist expert Nelly Lahoud reveals the hidden history of Al Qaeda in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. The Bin Laden Papers paints a portrait of an ambitious and dedicated terrorist leader who is often out of touch with reality and unable to control the movement he helped spawn.”—Daniel Byman, author of Road Warriors: Foreign Fighters in the Armies of Jihad“Nelly Lahoud’s consummate analysis of 6,000 al-Qaeda documents is a prodigious and indispensable achievement. Deploying clinical understanding of political, religious, and family contexts, she provides a riveting inside account, the fullest likely ever to emerge, of the thoughts and motivations of a man and movement that have so malignly impacted our era.”—James Piscatori, coauthor of Islam Beyond Borders: The Umma in World Politics“A singular achievement that stands as the definitive and original account of the trajectory of al-Qaeda from 2001 to the death of Bin Laden. This clearly presented analysis draws on the author’s unique expertise to correct the record of Bin Laden and international terrorism post 9/11.”—Martha Crenshaw, coauthor of Countering Terrorism

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review"An intellectual tour de force that does not mince words."---Abdullah Drury, Muslim World Book Review"An impressive book, well written, making good use of both Ottoman and Western sources, and crafted to keep the reader engaged." * Michigan War Studies Review *"[W]hen it comes to the role of the Ottomans in the history of central Europe . . . the book succeeds brilliantly… Ágoston has also succeeded in what I think will stand for a long time as the definitive political and military narrative of the Ottomans in southeastern and central Europe. Over and over again his command of the facts provides the reader with a strong basis for comparing the various powers and their capabilities at the level of population, natural resources, military technology and so on and so forth. . . . Any future research on this area in the early modern period will find Ágoston’s book to be enormously useful, indeed essential, when writing their own studies."---Molly Greene, European Legacy"Gábor Ágoston has written a much-needed overview of Ottoman warfare from the early state along the Byzantine frontier to the empire’s wars with the Holy League in the late seventeenth century. The Last Muslim Conquest successfully combines the work of several regional historiographies and makes important interventions. Along with a narrative and analysis of the wars in this period, Ágoston includes detailed chapters on Ottoman military organization, tactics, and technology. The Last Muslim Conquest also balances both older historiography that over-emphasized religious antagonism as well as newer research that focuses more on cultural contacts between the Ottomans and Europe."---Samuel Stevens, International Journal of Military History and Historiography"Ottomanists, military historians, and non-specialists will find The Last Muslim Conquest an accessible book and one that can provide starting points for further research. Ágoston’s work is an analytical narrative of early modern Ottoman military history that has been needed for some time."---Samuel Stevens, International Journal of Military History and Historiography"Unique."---Colin Imber, Journal of the American Oriental Society"Remarkable in combining a high level of detail with a remarkable clarity of exposition. . . . The richness and brilliant organization of his material and the careful attention to detail invite wider speculation."---Colin Imber, Journal of the American Oriental Society"An outstanding, highly readable study of the Ottoman military, a calm defense of the emphasis on Europe and on conflict on the European frontier in Ottoman historiography, and a work of deeply informed, mature scholarship."---Douglas Howard, Journal of the Ottoman and Turkish Studies Association

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisDiscover the full story of the sorceress Medea, one of the most reviled and maligned women of Greek antiquity, in this propulsive and evocative debut in the tradition of Circe, Elektra, and Stone Blind.Among the women of Greek mythology, the witch Medea may be the most despised. Known for the brutal act of killing her own children to exact vengeance on her deceitful husband, the Argonauts leader Jason, Medea has carved out a singularly infamous niche in our histories. But what if that isn’t the full story? The daughter of a sea nymph and the granddaughter of a Titan, Medea is a paradox. She is at once rendered compelling by virtue of the divinity that flows through her bloodline and made powerless by the fact of her being a woman. As a child, she intuitively submerges herself in witchcraft and sorcery, but soon finds it may not be a match for the prophecies that hang over her entire family like a shroud. As Medea comes into her own as a woman and a witch, she also faces the arrival of the hero Jason, preordained by the gods to be not only her husband, but also her lifeline to escape her isolated existence. Medea travels the treacherous seas with the Argonauts, battles demons she had never conceived of, and falls in love with the man who may ultimately be her downfall. In this propulsive, beautifully written debut, readers will finally hear Medea’s side of the story through a fresh and feminist lens.

Read more less

Book SynopsisPresents an overview of recent archaeological discoveries made from Viking Age and Norse Scotland, showing how advances in scientific analysis have improved our understanding.

Read more less

Book SynopsisMax Hastings is the author of thirty books, most about conflict, including Bomber Command, Armageddon, Das Reich, The Korean War, The Battle for the Falklands, Vietnam, Operation Pedestal and Abyss, and editor of two anthologies. He worked as a reporter for BBC television and British newspapers, covering eleven wars, including Vietnam, the 1973 Yom Kippur war and the Falklands war. Between 1986 and 2002 he served as editor-in-chief of The Daily Telegraph, then editor of the Evening Standard. He has won many prizes for both journalism and his books. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, an Honorary Fellow of King's College, London, and was knighted in 2002. He has two grown-up children, Charlotte and Harry, and lives with his wife Penny in West Berkshire, where they garden enthusiastically.

Read more less

Book SynopsisA visual journey through the state of Rajasthan in India to explore and awaken your creativity in the arts and crafts

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe fascinating account of two former British colonies with a shared past but vastly different identities today!Singapore and Malaysia sit astride the sea lanes linking East with Westvital choke points in the world's commerce. Since ancient times, ports along the Silk Road of the Sea were populated by peoples from around the globe who came here to trade and live, carried by the steady flow of goods and the ever-present monsoon winds. Author Christopher Hale recounts many fascinating histories of this region, including:The ancient international trade in spices and the seven voyages to the southern seas of the Chinese eunuch Admiral Zheng He in the 15th centuryThe rise of Islamic kingdoms along rivers bordering the Straits of Malacca and the conquest of Malacca, one of the world's largest cities, by a few hundred Portuguese marauders in 1511The saga of Sir Stamford Raffles, credited with founding Singapore, and the development of tin mines and vast rubber and oil palm plantations on th

Read more less

Book SynopsisA major new reference volume presenting innovative recent scholarship on Japan's modern history, including its imperial past and trans-regional entanglements.Leading international scholars offer accessible and thought-provoking essays that provide an expansive global vision of the archipelago's history from c.1868 to the twenty-first century.Table of ContentsIntroduction: placing modern Japanese history in the twenty-first century Laura Hein; Part I. Political sovereignty: centers and margins: 1. The transformative politics of the Meiji revolutions Eiko Maruko Siniawer; 2. Japan and its margins: Okinawa, Hokkaido, Korea, Taiwan from the Meiji to the postwar period Jun Uchida, Asano Toyomi and Asano section trans. Yu Conrad Hirano; 3. The Asia–Pacific War Yuki Tanaka; 4. Japan's postwar subordination to the United States and its structure of dual authority Koseki Shōichi and Trans. Alexandra De Leon; 5. The politics of citizenship in postwar Japan: Korean identity, and immigrant rights Erin Aeran Chung; 6. The struggle to protect individual rights in postwar Japan: seven decades of progress Lawrence Repeta; 7. Japan's decline: the Heisei Era (1989–2019) in world history Yoshimi Shunya and Trans. John Person; Part II. Environment, economy, and technology: 8. Japan: the arc of industrialization Mark Metzler; 9. Japan's agriculture, the Empire, and postwar reconstruction Hiromi Mizuno; 10. Building Japan's oil empire Brett L. Walker; 11. Japan's transwar political economy Andrew Gordon; 12. The Japanese economy: shifts in eras 1980–2000 Edward J. Lincoln; Part II. Social practices and cultures in modern Japan: 13. From status to gender in Meiji Japan Marnie S. Anderson; 14. The modern Japanese metropolis, 1868–1970 Jordan Sand; 15. Modern Japan's regional cultures Tessa Morris-Suzuki; 16. Social experiences of war and occupation in twentieth-century Japan Masuda Hajimu; 17. Locating social movements in Japan's long twentieth century Franziska Seraphim; 18. Burakumin and human rights Ian Neary; 19. Japanese mass media Tsuchiya Reiko and Trans. Michele M. Mason; 20. Perceiving Japan: Japonismes east and west, 1860s–1960s Christopher Reed; 21. Popular culture in modern Japan Michele M. Mason; 22. Modern art in Japan and transnational exchange Asato Ikeda; 23. A history of mentalities in modern Japan: premonitions of anxiety in economic prosperity in the early 1970s Narita Ryūichi and Mark Pendleton.

Read more less

Book SynopsisDo you think that Jesus only surrounded himself with men? Think again. Inspired by their popular Channel 4 documentary Jesus' Female Disciples, historians Helen Bond and Joan Taylor explore the way in which Mary the mother of Jesus, Mary Magdalene, Mary, Martha and a whole host of other women - named and unnamed - have been remembered by posterity, noting how many were silenced, tamed or slurred by innuendo - though occasionally they get to slay dragons. Women Remembered looks at the representation of these women in art, and the way they have been remembered in inscriptions and archaeology. And of course they dig into the biblical texts, exposing misogyny and offering alternative and unexpected ways of appreciating these women as disciples, apostles, teachers, messengers and church-founders. At a time when both the church and society more widely are still grappling with the full inclusion and equality of women, this is a must-read for anyone interested in the historical and cultural origins of Christianity.Trade ReviewDrawing on fifty years of feminist scholarship, they now expand the story to include most of the women mentioned in Christian scripture. Importantly, they show that the movement that came to be called Christianity was fluid and unstable for its first three centuries, attracting a diversity of women whose leadership was excluded as roles became formalized. * Times Literary Supplement *Having excavated biblical texts, they expose deep-rooted misogyny and offer alternative accounts of women as apostles, teachers, messengers, and church founders. * Irish Examiner *The authors piece together the evidence that has survived about the named and unnamed women. They demonstrate the richness and range of female activity in the first-century churches... readable and engaging, opening up the complex and fluid state of women in the Early Church * The Church Times *This book nowhere seems to step beyond the limits of what can be demonstrated by actual history and real evidence, some of it of very recent discovery by scholars around the world, and much of it quite unknown to many of us in the pews... a book which can be read with the hope of learning what is really thought today by the vanguard of scholarship...They show what women were said to have done or must have done, and what an equal role they played in the early days of the new faith. Of course we know that in our heart of hearts, for we can see in our churches every week from the role of parish administrator down to altar girls ...This is a continually interesting book, full of (to me) new information.' * Irish Catholic *Another argument made to good effect by the likeable authors, in this accessible and pleasurable addition to the largely impenetrable academic literature on the subject, is that the gospels as they appear in our Bibles were subject to heavy tweaking and editing over the century or two after they were written until a definitive version was agreed * The Daily Telegraph *there is plenty of evidence that women were not only involved in Jesus' movement, but were integral to it. * All About History Magazine *It's empowering, inspiring and important to learn about the key roles women played in early Christianity, which sadly almost disappeared from historical records, as men took control of the church. * Cat Lewis, Executive Producer, Songs of Praise *This book nowhere seems to step beyond the limits of what can be demonstrated by actual history and real evidence.. a book which can be read with the hope of learning what is really thought today by the vanguard of scholarship... a continually interesting book. * The Irish Catholic *As Joan Taylor and Helen Bond explore in their new book, Women Remembered: Jesus' Female Disciples, there is plenty of evidence that women were not only involved in Jesus' movement, but were integral to it. * All About History *The authors piece together the evidence that has survived about the named and unnamed women. The demonstrate the richness and range of female activity in the first-century churches... readable and engaging, opening up the complex and fluid state of women in the Early Church. * The Church Times *Having excavated biblical texts, they expose deep-rooted misogyny and offer alternative accounts of women as apostles, teachers, messengers, and church founders. * The Irish Examiner *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe US Constitution says nothing about a presidential cabinet, yet this institution has grown powerful. Lindsay M. Chervinsky tells the story of George Washington’s cabinet, an ad hoc panel that responded to emergencies of the day. It is supposed to be the Senate’s job to advise the president, but the first cabinet changed that expectation forever.Trade ReviewCogent, lucid, and concise, Lindsay Chervinsky’s book gives us an indispensable guide to the creation of the cabinet. With her groundbreaking study, we can now have a much greater appreciation of this essential American institution, one of the major legacies of George Washington’s enlightened statecraft. -- Ron Chernow, author of Washington: A LifeTracks the emergence of a body that the Constitution never mentions…Argues persuasively that focusing on its development helps us understand pivotal moments in the 1790s and the creation of an independent, effective executive. -- William Anthony Hay * Wall Street Journal *Fantastic…My admiration for America’s first and possibly finest president has grown further…Washington excelled more than many of his successors at harnessing the cabinet to exercise his political will…A compelling story. -- Clayton Trutor * New Criterion *A thorough and insightful account of how the federal government came to have a ‘cabinet’ resembling the British one. But it doubles as a poignant tale of how Washington’s unifying authority broke down over his time in office. -- Tom Cutterham * Early American Literature *Well-researched, thoughtful, and fascinating…Between 1789 and 1797, George Washington formulated the standards against which all subsequent presidents must be measured. -- Clay S. Jenkinson * Governing.com *A well written, deeply insightful examination of Washington’s presidency and his personal leadership style. -- Alec D. Rogers * Journal of the American Revolution *With smart analysis and lively writing, Chervinsky illuminates how Washington and his secretaries breathed life into an institution never directly mentioned in the U.S. Constitution. -- Tyson Reeder * Parliaments, Estates, and Representation *Traces the evolution of the cabinet from British history through George Washington’s presidency, explaining how experimentation, personalities, internal and international crises, loyalty and betrayal, and political partisanship impacted not only the development of Washington’s advisory body, but foreign and domestic policies as well. * Library Journal *In this important and illuminating study, Lindsay Chervinsky has given us an original angle of vision on the foundations and development of something we all take for granted: the president’s Cabinet. -- Jon Meacham, author of The Soul of AmericaA clear, concise, and lively study of a topic that has long needed such coverage. Chervinsky skillfully shows the Revolutionary roots of the early cabinet and explores how it juggled precedent, public opinion, partisanship, and the balance of power. Anyone interested in American politics will want to read this informative and timely book. -- Joanne B. Freeman, author of The Field of Blood: Violence in Congress and the Road to Civil WarChervinsky offers a new perspective on a crucial and enduring institution in American politics, persuasively showing the centrality of the cabinet in the founding era and beyond. With clear, crisp prose and a compelling story, this book is a must-read not only for historians, political scientists, and legal scholars, but also for anyone interested in learning about a foundation of the American republic. -- Gautham Rao, author of National Duties: Custom Houses and the Making of the American StateA riveting, beautifully written story of George Washington’s efforts to figure out how to achieve his goals in a fast-changing environment. By placing Washington’s cabinet meetings within the broader narratives of the Revolutionary War and the politics of the early republic, Chervinsky brings all the tensions of the big stories into Washington’s efforts to administer America’s new government. She makes reading about the evolution of institutions fun! -- Johann N. Neem, author of Democracy’s Schools: The Rise of Public Education in AmericaA well-written and much-needed addition to our understanding of the early American Republic. -- Kathryn Gehred * H-Net Reviews *Provides the reader with the first modern treatment of the Cabinet in decades. Chervinsky shows how the Cabinet came to be, and how it changed in the early days of the republic. -- Stephen Donnelly * Historical Journal of Massachusetts *

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review"A FiveBooks Best Economic History Book of the Year""An excellent book."---Tyler Cowen, Marginal Revolution"[Prak and van Zanden] have provided a path forward for studying economic history that takes complexity seriously without letting it prevent us from getting to the important truths of economic history. One can only hope that more social and economic historians follow Prak and van Zanden’s path in the future."---Samuel Gregg, Engelsberg Ideas"[Pioneers of Capitalism] will be the standard work on the topic for years and perhaps decades to come, as it offers a very well-written and powerful account of the rise and fall of the Dutch Republic in the medieval and early modern periods."---Gijs Dreijer, Business History Review"[Pioneers of Capitalism] surpasses the previous syntheses of Dutch capitalism by bringing it in line with recent developments in economic history. . . . Fascinating."---Bas Spliet, Journal of European Economic History

Read more less

Book SynopsisA groundbreaking examination of female power in pre-Islamic Arabia‘A genuinely paradigm-shifting work by one of the most exciting and innovative scholars in the field... compelling and powerful...’ Reza Aslan Arab noblewomen of late antiquity were instrumental in shaping the history of the world. Between Rome’s intervention in the Arabian Peninsula and the Arab conquests, they ruled independently, conducting trade and making war. Their power was celebrated as queen, priestess and goddess. With time some even delegated authority to the most important holy men of their age, influencing Arabian paganism, Christianity and Islam. Empress Zenobia and Queen Mavia supported bishops Paul of Samosata and Moses of Sinai. Paul was declared a heretic by the Roman church, while Moses began the process of mass Arab conversion. The teachings of these men survived under their queens, setting in motion seismic debates that fractured the earlTrade Review‘A genuinely paradigm-shifting work by one of the most exciting and innovative scholars in the field. Queens and Prophets upends popular assumptions concerning Arab women in late antiquity. Drawing on an impressive range of extensive research, Emran El-Badawi sheds new light on the history of the Near East by studying three female rulers alongside the most significant holy men of the era. In doing so, he reveals the importance of these women to the history of the late antique Near East. It is a compelling and powerful narrative that is sure to provoke thought and discussion amongst scholars and curious readers alike.’ -- Reza Aslan, author of Zealot and An American Martyr in Persia‘In this remarkable book, Emran El-Badawi brings to light the stories of influential noblewomen and female deities, to show how female power shaped religion and politics in late antique and early Islamic Arabia. Despite their importance, these female figures have been marginalised in the historical record over time, from Roman and Arabic histories till modern writings about early Islam. El-Badawi sensitively engages the historical memories preserved in these sources, disentangling kernels of truth from topoi, legend, and embellishment. This clear and well-written account should change how we consider women’s impact upon these patriarchal societies.’ -- Karen Bauer, Senior Research Associate, The Institute of Ismaili Studies‘A breathtaking journey through the religions and cultures of the late antique Near East. El-Badawi brings to life accounts of warriors and queens who defy standard notions of the social and religious history of the Arabs. His masterful book offers new insights into the intimate relationships between paganism, Christianity, and early Islam in the Near East, and on the distinctive roles that women played in all of these traditions.’ -- Gabriel Said Reynolds, Crowley Professor of Islamic Studies and Theology, University of Notre Dame‘Emran El-Badawi provides a landmark contribution to scholarship, grasping the nuance and depth of women’s power, spirituality, and presence in late antique Near East, when pagans, Jews, and Christians allied militarily and worshiped at the Oak of Mamre. Queens and Prophets cogently narrates this complex historical and cultural context, demonstrating the patriarchal polemics of Abrahamic and Roman traditions that gloss this powerful force and ultimately empower the birth of Islam.’ -- Roberta Sabbath, Religious Studies Director, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and editor of Troubling Topics, Sacred Texts

Read more less

Book SynopsisHOT ROD Magazine: 75 Years is the official illustrated history of automotive enthusiasts’ favorite magazine.Trade Review"What I really dig about the HOT ROD Magazine: 75 Years. Is the way they broke it out by decades. I can dig deep into the historical figures of the 1940s. Or when the mood hits, get groovy over the crazy cars and dragsters of the 1960s. If you have a garage library like I do, then this is a MUST-HAVE on your shelf. A timeless tome that you will share with your brothers over pizza after installing that new intake" * Blacktop Magazine *"At times, the writing so captures the scene at the moment that it’s almost possible to smell oil, and there’s even a temptation to look back for greasy fingerprints after a page is turned." * ClassicCars.Ride-CT.com *"For the hot rod enthusiast, especially fans of Hot Rod Magazine, this is the essential ‘coffee table’ book to share with friends, or put in your waiting room to entertain clients, if you trust them not to walk away with it." * Sun Cruiser Media *Table of ContentsContents 5 Foreword: 75 Years of Influence, by David Freiburger 01 ] The 1940s: Where It All Began 02 ] The 1950s: Boom Times 03 ] The 1960s: Swingin’ 04 ] The 1970s: Performance Is Dead. Long Live Performance 05 ] The 1980s: Dare to Be Different 06 ] The 1990s: In It for the Long Haul 07 ] The 2000s: A New Look for the Next Century 08 ] The 2010s: Discovering a New Direction 09 ] The 2020s: Where It’s Going Acknowledgments About the Author Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisPeter Adamson offers an accessible, humorous tour through a period of eight hundred years when some of the most influential of all schools of thought were formed: from the third century BC to the sixth century AD. He introduces us to Cynics and Skeptics, Epicureans and Stoics, emperors and slaves, and traces the development of Christian and Jewish philosophy and of ancient science. Chapters are devoted to such major figures as Epicurus, Lucretius, Cicero, Seneca, Plotinus, and Augustine. But in keeping with the motto of the series, the story is told ''without any gaps,'' providing an in-depth look at less familiar topics that remains suitable for the general reader. For instance, there are chapters on the fascinating but relatively obscure Cyrenaic philosophical school, on pagan philosophical figures like Porphyry and Iamblichus, and extensive coverage of the Greek and Latin Christian Fathers who are at best peripheral in most surveys of ancient philosophy. A major theme of the book is in fact the competition between pagan and Christian philosophy in this period, and the Jewish tradition also appears in the shape of Philo of Alexandria. Ancient science is also considered, with chapters on ancient medicine and the interaction between philosophy and astronomy. Considerable attention is paid also to the wider historical context, for instance by looking at the ascetic movement in Christianity and how it drew on ideas from Hellenic philosophy. From the counter-cultural witticisms of Diogenes the Cynic to the subtle skepticism of Sextus Empiricus, from the irreverent atheism of the Epicureans to the ambitious metaphysical speculation of Neoplatonism, from the ethical teachings of Marcus Aurelius to the political philosophy of Augustine, the book gathers together all aspects of later ancient thought in an accessible and entertaining way.Trade Reviewone of the most accomplished and ambitious ventures in publishing . . . from the first volume onwards, a repeated refrain has been philosophers arguing that being a philosopher is the best choice in life. These books are so engaging, instructive and diverting it might almost make you believe that is true. * The Scotsman *Adamson considers a large period of history but the chapters never seem intimidating or lacking in depth. Any reader with an interest in philosophy will find this work both entertaining and educational. * Library Journal *A volume that is both a perfect introductory work and will also help to plug some of the gaps that most of us have in our knowledge of the long span of ancient philosophical history. * James Warren, Phronesis *Table of ContentsPart I. Hellenistic Philosophy 1: Fighting over Socrates: The Hellenistic schools 2: Beware of the Philosopher: The Cynics 3: Instant Gratification: The Cyrenaics 4: The Constant Gardener: The Principles of Epicurus 5: Am I Bothered?: Epicurean Ethics 6: Nothing to Fear: Epicureans on Death and the Gods 7: Reaping the Harvest: Lucretius 8: Walking on Eggshells: Stoic Logic 9: Nobody's Perfect: The Stoics on Knowledge 10: We Didn't Start the Fire: The Stoics on Nature 11: Like a Rolling Stone: Stoic Ethics 12: Anger Management: Seneca 13: You Can Chain My Leg: Epictetus 14: The Philosopher King: Marcus Aurelius 15: Beyond Belief: Pyrrho and Skepticism 16: The Know Nothing Party: The Skeptical Academy 17: Rhetorical Questions: Cicero 18: Healthy Skepticism: Sextus Empiricus 19: The Joy of Sects: Ancient Medicine and Philosophy 20: The Best Doctor is a Philosopher: Galen Part II. Pagan Philosophy in the Roman Empire 21: Caesarian Section: Philosophy in the Roman Empire 22: Middle Men: The Platonic Revival 23: To the Lighthouse: Philo of Alexandria 24: Delphic Utterances: Plutarch 25: Lost and Found: Aristotelianism after Aristotle 26: Not Written in Stone: Alexander of Aphrodisias 27: Silver Tongues in Golden Mouths: Rhetoric and Ancient Philosophy 28: Sky Writing: Astronomy, Astrology, and Philosophy 29: A God Is My Co-Pilot: The Life and Works of Plotinus 30: Simplicity Itself: Plotinus on the One and Intellect 31: On the Horizon: Plotinus on the Soul 32: A Decorated Corpse: Plotinus on Matter and Evil 33: King of Animals: Porphyry 34: Pythagorean Theorems: Iamblichus 35: Domestic Goddesses and Philosopher Queens: The Household and the State 36: The Platonic Successor: Proclus 37: A Tale of Two Cities: The Last Pagan Philosophers 38: For a Limited Time Only: John Philoponus Part III. Christian Philosophy in the Roman Empire 39: Father Figures: Ancient Christian Philosophy 40: Please Accept our Apologies: The Greek Church Fathers 41: Fall and Rise: Origen 42: Three for the Price of One: The Cappadocians 43: Naming the Nameless: The Pseudo-Dionysius 44: Double or Nothing: Maximus the Confessor 45: Practice Makes Perfect: Christian Asceticism 46: Spreading the Word: The Latin Church Fathers 47: Life and Time: Augustine's Confessions 48: Papa Don't Teach: Augustine on Language 49: Help Wanted: Augustine on Freedom 50: Heaven and Earth: Augustine's City of God 51: Me, Myself, and I: Augustine on Mind and Memory 52: Born Again: Latin Platonism 53: Fate, Hope, and Clarity: Boethius

Read more less

Book SynopsisVery Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, Inspiring Violence is part and parcel of human history and of human nature. It is one of our most distinctive traits, the one thing that all cultures and societies, across time, share in common. It has defined not only the ways in which individuals relate to each other, but also how collective entities and states have interacted with each other over the millennia. All societies are violent and all individuals have the capacity for violence. However, not all societies and not all individuals are equally violent, and nor does violence exist with the same intensity across cultures. This Very Short Introduction examines the more visible, physical acts of violence - interpersonal, gendered, collective, religious, sexual, criminal, and political - in the modern world. It explores how violence in the pre-modern world was different from the modern world, and what is significant about those differences. It also discusses what violence is by examining understandings of the ideas, values, and cultural practices embedded in an act of violence, and considering acts of violence as the outcome of a process dependent on the cultural context in which they take place. Along the way Dwyer considers some core questions, asking whether violence is always ''bad'', and if there are any limits to human violence? Why is it that what was once considered acceptable - wife beating, duelling, slavery - at some point becomes unacceptable in some societies and cultures, and yet continues in others? And finally, are we becoming more or less violent?ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Trade ReviewViolence: A Very Short Introduction contains some compelling arguments worth noting. * Madeleine K. Meehan and Todd K. Shackelford, Evolutionary Psychological Science *This straightforward, accessible introduction examines the different ways that scholars have understood and classified violence... This short introduction comes with an annotated bibliography that readers can consult to learn more. As a resource it is most useful for those who are beginning to build their knowledge of violence and its social consequences. * Choice *Table of Contents1: Thinking about violence 2: How violent was the past? 3: Intimate and gendered violence 4: Interpersonal violence 5: The sacred and the secular 6: Collective violence 7: Violence and the state 8: The changing nature of violence References Further Reading Index

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisUPDATED FOR THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF PARTITION ‘Puri does profound and elegant work bringing forgotten narratives back to life. It’s hard to convey just how important this book is’ Sathnam Sanghera ‘The most humane account of partition I’ve read ... We need a candid conversation about our past and this is an essential starting point’ Nikesh Shukla, Observer 'Thanks to Ms. Puri and others, [that] silence is giving way to inquisitive—and assertive—voices. In Britain, at least, the partitioned have learned to speak frankly of the past—and to search for ways to reckon with it' Wall Street Journal ________________________ Newly revised for the seventy-fifth anniversary of partition, Kavita Puri conducts a vital reappraisal of empire, revisiting the stories of those collected in the 2017 edition and reflecting on recent developments in the lives of those affected by partition. The division of the Indian subcontinent in 1947 into India and Pakistan saw millions uprooted and resulted in unspeakable violence. It happened far away, but it would shape modern Britain. Dotted across homes in Britain are people who were witnesses to one of the most tumultuous events of the twentieth century. But their memory of partition has been shrouded in silence. In her eye-opening and timely work, Kavita Puri uncovers remarkable testimonies from former subjects of the Raj who are now British citizens – including her own father. Weaving a tapestry of human experience over seven decades, Puri reveals a secret history of ruptured families and friendships, extraordinary journeys and daring rescue missions that reverberates with compassion and loss. It is a work that breaks the silence and confronts the difficult truths at the heart of Britain’s shared past with South Asia.Trade ReviewPuri does profound and elegant work bringing forgotten narratives back to life. It’s hard to convey just how important this book is -- Sathnam SangheraProbably the closest thing to a partition memorial … Heartfelt and beautifully judged -- John Keay * Literary Review *Kavita Puri's book is the most humane account of partition I've read … Partition Voices is important because Puri does not flinch as she dissects the tumultuous event, never shying away from the trauma … We need a candid conversation about our past and this is an essential starting point -- Nikesh Shukla * Observer *Opens a fascinating and necessary conversation about contemporary Britain and its people – where they have come from, what they have done, and who they may now want to be -- Anjali Joseph * Times Literary Supplement *An original and moving collection of testimonies from British Sikhs, Muslims and Hindus about the transformative era of India's partition * Guardian, 50 Best Books of the Summer *Thanks to Ms. Puri and others, [that] silence is giving way to inquisitive—and assertive—voices. In Britain, at least, the partitioned have learned to speak frankly of the past—and to search for ways to reckon with it - Wall Street JournalWith a masterful mix of history, biography and contemporary reportage, Puri crafts a fascinating account of the living memory of South Asia in modern Britain. This book brings together a rich and disparate chronicle of lives ripped apart and remade by the trauma of partition, and deftly traces how the diaspora of post-colonial India and Pakistan helped to reshape the UK. Perceptive, enriching, shocking and joyful, Puri’s is a powerful and courageous book for multicultural Britain -- Tristram HuntConfronts the difficult truths at the heart of Britain’s shared – and often ignored – shared history with South Asia * Stylist, Best non-fiction books of 2019 *One of my favourite books and an important one ... Changed the way I see the world -- Jeremy VineAn intimate, moving and important book by a daughter of partition. Kavita Puri reveals untold stories of those who lived through one of the most violent political earthquakes of the twentieth century. These are stories we need to hear -- Kirsty WarkThis collection reveals how families are still impacted generations down the line and is a crucial read for understanding South Asian history * Cosmopolitan *An amazing, deeply moving book -- Dan SnowThe most extraordinary book. The prologue already had me in tears. This is history – often being told out loud for the very first time ... The book of 2019 that opened my eyes more than anything else. Seminal work, beautifully told -- Emily MaitlisA powerful and timely work. Kavita Puri coaxes often unspeakable and unspoken memories from a time of unimaginable trauma. A must-read for those interested in the fault lines in today's geopolitics -- Anita AnandPowerful, compelling and heartbreaking – these are stories of division and conflict rescued from the past that offer valuable lessons for the present -- Sarfraz ManzoorPartition Voices takes its place alongside other valuable books on partition such as Khushwant Singh's Train to Pakistan and Urvashi Butalia's The Other Side of Silence -- Amit Roy * Eastern Eye *An evocative book that leaves you breathless with its human predicament and gives voice to stories long held prisoner to silence ... Nobody has ever brought out the stories of South Asians now settled in the United Kingdom ... Kudos to Kavita Puri for documenting Partition’s lasting legacy in Britain, an irony in itself. It is a unique book, one that lives with you long after the stories end -- Ziya Us Salam * Frontline Magazine *Puri’s excellent book is a welcome antidote to British amnesia over its colonial legacy. Partition is not just an Indian story, it is a British one too * All About History *An important document of those turbulent times - raw and unbiased -- Bishwanath Ghosh * The Hindu *This is an essential book, remarkable in its reach and power. It brings the difficulty of how we pass on stories across generations into a moving and beautiful focus. Partition Voices is a book of witness and testimony that should have the widest readership possible. * Edmund de Waal *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA new edition for Paper 2, World History Topic 11: Causes and effects of 20th century warsThe renowned IB Diploma History series, combining compelling narratives with academic rigor.An authoritative and engaging narrative, with the widest variety of sources at this level, helping students to develop their knowledge and analytical skills. This second edition of Access to History for the IB Diploma: Causes, practices and effects of wars provides: - Reliable, clear and in-depth narrative from topic experts - Analysis of the historiography surrounding key debates - Dedicated exam practice with model answers and practice questions - TOK support and Historical Investigation questions to help with all aspects of the Diploma

Read more less

Book SynopsisRetrospectively, we see the time of the 1910s being invaded with the images of the First World War, and yet in the early years of that decade people were focussed on events at home, whether King George V''s coronation or the women involved in the suffragette movement. Another major event was the loss of the ocean liner Titanic in 1912. Then in 1914, the Great War devastated the tranquil life of post-Edwardian Britain, as recruiting posters rallied the youth of the Empire to the defence of France. The 1910s Scrapbook brings a new focus to this pivotal moment of the twentieth century, a time more often seen through the media of black and white film footage or sepia photographs. Over 1,000 colourful images tell the tale of ordinary people - their courage and humour, their patriotism and fortitude in the face of Zeppelin air raids, rationing and the decimation of a generation.

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn 1872, a woman known only as 'An Ernest Englishwoman' published an open letter entitled 'Are women animals?', in which she protested the fact that women were not treated as fully human. In reality, their status was worse than that of animals: regulations prohibiting cruelty against dogs, horses and cattle were significantly more punitive than laws against cruelty to women. What does it mean to be 'human' rather than 'animal'? If the Ernest Englishwoman had turned her gaze to the previous century, her critique could equally have applied to slaves. In her time and beyond, the debate around human status involved questions of language, facial physiology, and vegetarianism. If she had been capable of looking 100 years into the future, she might have wondered about chimeras, created by transplanting animal fluids and organs into human bodies, or the ethics of stem cell research. In this meticulously researched, wide-ranging and illuminating book, Joanna Bourke explores the legacy of more than two centuries, and looks forward to what the future might hold for humans and animals.Trade ReviewBourke's critique of the concept of human rights opens an important debate on a complacent ideal -- Philip Ball * Observer *Provocative, exhilarating . . . Bourke's intelligence is sharp, her language lively, and the cultural images striking -- Iain Finlayson * The Times *What it Means to be Human ingeniously subverts assumptions of a clear-cut notion of "humanity". Bourke successfully undermines any complacency about absolute distinctions . . . Bourke deserves congratulations for bravely going where many historians would fear to tread. She also deserves many readers prepared to engage critically with the important issues raised by her quest to deconstruct "being human" -- Sheila Rowbotham * Times Higher Education Supplement *

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review"[Stearns] makes a convincing case that the violence has been sustained by a ‘military bourgeoisie’ that benefits from instability by plundering natural resources and foreign aid."---Nicolas van de Walle, Foreign Affairs"There should be more conceptual books on this topic, and this is one of them. Haven’t you wondered why this war drags on for decades, without resolution? Start your quest for an answer here."---Tyler Cowen, Marginal Revolution

Read more less

Book SynopsisHow a strategist's ideas were catastrophically ignored in 1914—but shaped Britain’s success in the Second World War and beyondTrade Review“One of the most substantive studies we have yet of a British public intellectual in the early decades of the twentieth century. . . . A powerful and opinionated book, and a larger achievement for being so.”—Paul Kennedy, Journal of Military History “This book is a must. . . . As ever with Professor Lambert, the prose is flowing and engaging, the arguments convincing, and the stamp of rigorous scholarship and considerable thinking evident on every page.”—G. H. Bennett, Journal of Military History“Lambert leaves no stone unturned. This incredibly well-researched book unpicks Corbett’s life, his times, his contribution to naval thought and education, and his lasting legacy on what might be termed the British Way of War. This book isn’t just recommended, it is an immediate necessity for the shelves of any and every serious navalist.”—Captain Kevin Rowlands RN, Naval Review“The British Way of War . . . is a blockbuster but it is beautifully written in peerless prose. It is keenly argued and easily takes its place in the pantheon of great naval literature. It is also timely, coming as the UK attempts to shape itself as ‘Global Britain.’”—Peter Hore, Warships International Fleet Review“This is quite simply a wonderful book, rich in understanding and knowledge. It is, in many ways, the culmination of Lambert’s work on the development of British naval and strategic thinking through the 19th century. It is warmly recommended.”—Robin Brodhurst, Western Front Association“A wonderfully detailed and thoroughly researched biography. . . . [Lambert] not only conducts a biographical study of Corbett’s life, but examines the historical events and debates that both shaped and gave purpose to his analysis.”—Darin MacDonald, Global Maritime History“Andrew Lambert trawls through all of the relevant archives to uncover Corbett’s life and times, and then to overturn the standard accounts of British seapower from 1895 to 1915. This outstanding work will become an essential text for anyone interested in naval history and strategy.”—John Ferris, author of Behind the Enigma“Andrew Lambert, the leading naval historian of our generation, writing a biography of Sir Julian Corbett, the best maritime strategist ever: this is a perfect match. The result is a tremendously erudite, beautifully written study of Corbett’s thoughts and world in all its detail, against the background of Britain’s global politics of his times.”—Beatrice Heuser, author of The Evolution of Strategy

Read more less

Book SynopsisAfter James Douglas and his daughter Ellen are banished from their home, they go into hiding with the help of several enemies of the king. The Lady of the Lake is an intricate story filled with political and social intrigue, romance and chivalry. James Douglas is the former Earl of Bothwell, who once mentored King James V of Scotland. He is currently exiled from the realm and living on the outskirts of the kingdom. Douglas and his daughter Ellen have found refuge on the island of Loch Katrine under the watch of its clan chief, Roderick Dhu. Roderick, the young Malcolm Graeme, and the mysterious knight, James Fitz-James vie for Ellen’s affection, while awaiting the king’s impending attack. The Lady of the Lake is a Gaelic classic that depicts the ongoing feud between highland and lowland Scots. It was a popular international release that entertained audiences across the globe. The story has stood the test of time and is a staple in children’s literature. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of The Lady of the Lake is both modern and readable.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis"Graham has crafted a compact, jewel-like resource for all who seek to understand the sources, evolution, impact, and value of Japanese aesthetics and design principles in our modern world." —Dr. Jane Schall, Sanders Sosland Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, The Nelson-Atkins Museum of ArtThis beautifully illustrated guide offers stunning visual examples and detailed discussions of the objects, aesthetics, philosophy and cultural significance of Japanese design.Asian art expert Dr. Patricia Graham helps guide readers through the aspects of Japanese art and design we've all come to appreciate—whether it's a silk kimono, carefully raked garden path or modern snack food packaging. From the ten key characteristics of Japanese design to the Shinto and Buddhist influences on its aesthetics, this book serves as a great resource for the different styles and how they developed.Another fascinating and less explored piece of design in Japan is its influence on and interpretation by Westerners. From Frank Lloyd Wright to Lafcadio Hearn, artists, scientists, designers, journalists and philosophers were inspired by Japan's arts and crafts in the 19th century. This often romanticized version of Japanese design—viewed through a Western cultural lens—continues to influence our view of it to this day. Graham unpacks the sincere, but sometimes misguided, interpretations of concepts like wabi sabi and shibui.With more than 200 stunning color photos, this detailed guide will be enjoyed by everyone from professional designers to art students, and museum geeks to Japanophiles.Trade Review"Graham's book gives a thoughtful account of Japanese art and design, its cultural context in Japan and its proponents abroad. Her discussion of design terminology, including the origins as well as the uses and misuses through the decades of terms like wabi sabi and shibui is essential reading for anyone interested in Japanese art." --Janice Katz, Roger L. Weston Associate Curator of Japanese Art, Art Institute of Chicago"In this beautifully illustrated book, Patricia Graham extracts the overarching visual characteristics of Japanese design sensibilities and shows how deeply they are rooted in their cultural, spiritual, and social backgrounds--something none of the existing textbooks of Japanese art history do satisfactorily." --Mikiko Hirayama, Associate Professor and Director of Museum Studies, Art History/School of Art, College of Design, Art, Architecture & Planning, University of Cincinnati"In this unprecedented work, the underlying aesthetic and cultural roots that are essential for an understanding of Japanese design are explained engagingly and accessibly by Graham…A must-read for designers, artists, connoisseurs and scholars of Japanese art and culture, and many others." --Andreas Marks, Head of the Department of Japanese and Korean Art and Director of the Clark Center at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts

Read more less

Book SynopsisDressed to Kill is a unique and detailed analysis of naval uniform and its historical, social and economic contexts in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. This fully updated and expanded second edition examines the significance of male fashion and uniform in the forging of a national, hierarchical and gendered identity. By drawing upon extensive archival research, Amy Miller provides a greater explanation of the political and social changes that impacted not only what the Royal Navy wore, but why. Parliamentary records, newspapers and museum archives give a greater contextualisation of the relationship that naval uniform represented - that of a confluence of politics and economics, fashion and popular culture. Beautifully illustrated throughout, this second edition of Dressed to Kill includes an extensive catalogue of uniforms from the rich collection of the National Maritime Museum and a selection of patterns that examine the construction of the garments.

Read more less

Book SynopsisPart of the Hero Classics seriesWomen have served all these centuries as looking glasses possessing the magic and delicious power of reflecting the figure of man at twice its natural size.Based on two talks given by the author, and first published in September 1929, Virginia Woolf''s seminal essay revolves around the central claim that a woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction. Outlining the importance of education and financial independence, Woolf draws up a history of women writers and demonstrates how they had to operate as outsiders in a society that sought to exclude them.The Hero Classics series:MeditationsThe ProphetA Room of One's OwnIncidents in the Life of a Slave GirlThe Art of WarThe Life of Charlotte BronteThe RepublicThe PrinceNarrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American SlaveUtopia

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book examines the life, major ideas and lasting influence of the Italian militant and political thinker, Antonio Gramsci. Author of the famous Prison Notebooks over 2,000 pages of profound and influential reflections on history, culture, politics, philosophy and revolution and head of Italian Communist Party in the 1920s, Antonio Gramsci is one of the most important European political thinkers of the 20th century. An Introduction to Antonio Gramsci provides an accessible overview of Gramsci's conceptions of culture, politics and philosophy and, crucially, analyses how Gramsci's theories can be applied in the context of 21st-century global politics and to issues such as Brexit, Covid, the rise of populism and the Ukraine crisis.This edition includes: A brand new chapter that considers Gramsci's relevance to contemporary politics and events Expanded and updated sections relating to political theory and political economy An

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade ReviewA landmark contribution to the study of these epochal events…A richly textured and highly sensitive study…The authors document, in painstaking detail and with constant reference to their key arguments, the centrally planned murder and deportation of Christians throughout Turkey. * Times Literary Supplement *Offers a subtle diagnosis of why, at particular moments over a span of three decades, Ottoman rulers and their successors unleashed torrents of suffering. * New York Times Book Review *Again and again, I was brought up short by the sheer, terrible, shocking accounts of violence in Morris’s and Zeevi’s work… Is it possible for a people to be so inured to cruelty that they changed, that their acts of sadism could alter their humanity? * The Independent *Gut-wrenching…Morris and Ze’evi convey well the horror of the killings. * Foreign Affairs *In well over six hundred pages the authors detail, town by town and village by village, the atrocities that led to the elimination of Christians from Turkey…A monumental achievement. * Commonweal *The mass killings of Armenian, Assyrian and Greek Christians in the late Ottoman era and early 1920s have been the subject of several excellent studies in recent years. The Israeli historians Morris and Ze’evi add value by knitting together the three main episodes of violent persecution in a comprehensive narrative. * Financial Times *Brilliantly researched and written…Benny Morris and Dror Ze’evi cast a careful eye upon the ghastly events that took place in the final decades of the Ottoman empire, when its rulers decided to annihilate their Christian subjects. They emphasize that the three waves of violence against the Christians living in Anatolia were not spasmodic or distinct, but formed part of a larger and coherent plan to destroy them utterly. Hitler and the Nazis gleaned lessons from this genocide that they then applied to their own efforts to extirpate Jews from the face of the Earth. * The Spectator *Important and ambitious…They break new ground in the attempt to tie various massacres and atrocities at different times and places into a seamless genocidal web extending on and off for thirty years…Benny Morris and Dror Ze’evi have done a great service to the study of comparative genocide. -- David Gaunt * Bustan *The evidence cited in this well-researched book is overwhelming…By looking at previously isolated events in a broader view, Morris and Ze’evi open new horizons on these events. What they reveal has global implications. -- Wolfgang G. Schwanitz * Middle East Quarterly *Remarkable…A warning from history, perhaps, that this incisive work transmits to us in these dark days of political turmoil. * Jewish Chronicle *A must read for anyone interested in the tragic events and history which inevitably shaped the modern world. * National Herald *An exhaustive account of Turkish policies towards Christians from the waning years of the Ottoman Caliphate through the first decade of Atatürk’s rule. * National Interest *Forces me to re-examine my understanding of the Armenian Genocide…It will stand in both the historical records of nations and in the field of Genocide studies as a monumental marker of excellence. * Massis Post *The book’s strength lies in the fact that it has a broader perspective than many other books on the subject… Morris and Ze’evi have given us an outstanding representation of the fate of the Christian minorities during this crucial thirty-year period. * Svenska Dagbladet *The proof in this well-researched book is overwhelming…Hugely important. -- Wolfgang G. Schwanitz * Neue Politische Literatur *

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less