Regional / International studies Books

Book SynopsisThis groundbreaking book presents new historical, legal, sociological, psychological, and cross-disciplinary research on male intergenerational intimacy. Experts thoroughly document and further the discussion about this area of research through historical and ethnological examples from different times and places, and aim to clarify how controversies about the subject have evolved in modern Western society. The editors of Male Intergenerational Intimacy have solicited original research and literature reviews which do not digress into emotional arguments for or against intergenerational intimacy but instead aim to establish the basics for a research-based scholarship.The contributors address the implications of intergenerational intimacy on a variety of levels--from friendship and companionship through sexual dimensions--and further analyze personal accounts to illustrate how individuals involved in intergenerational intimacy understand themselves and how they construct their concepts of intimacy and sexual identity. Contributors also deal with intergenerational intimacy behaviors that require counseling, treatment, and psychotherapeutic interventions from a positive approach. Finally, separate chapters deal with criminology issues and penal codes as they relate to the subject area.Table of ContentsContents Foreword: The Debate on Pedophilia Man-Boy Relationships: Different Concepts for a Diversity of Phenomena Pederasty Among Primitives: Institutionalized Initiation and Cultic Prostitution The Thera Inscriptions--Ritual or Slander? The Historic Origins Statues Concerning Sexual Activities Involving Children and Adolescents Man-Boy Friendships on Trial: On the Shift in the Discourse on Boy Love in the Early Twentieth Century Boys in Art. The Artist and His Model: Ferdinand and Hector Hodler. A New Approach Ephebophilia and the Creation of a Spiritual Myth in the Works of Ralph-Nicholas Chubb “The Main Thing Is Being Wanted”: Some Case Studies on Adult Sexual Experiences With Children Boy-Lovers and Their Influence on Boys: Distorted Research and Anecdotal Observations Man-Boy Lovers: Assessment, Counseling, and Psychotherapy A Model for Group Counseling With Male Pedophiles Tolerance at Arm’s Length: The Dutch Experience Understanding Childhood Sexualities Man/Boy Love and the American Gay Movement The Study of Intergenerational Intimacy in North America: Beyond Politics and Pedophilia Objectivity and Ideology: Criticism of Theo Sandfort’s Research on Man-Boy Sexual Relations Response to Bauserman Response to the Bauserman Critique

Read more less

Book SynopsisA bold call for the American Left to extend their politics to the issues of Israel-Palestine, from a New York Times bestselling author and an expert on U.S. policy in the region In this major work of daring criticism and analysis, scholar and political commentator Marc Lamont Hill and Israel-Palestine expert Mitchell Plitnick spotlight how holding fast to one-sided and unwaveringly pro-Israel policies reflects the truth-bending grip of authoritarianism on both Israel and the United States. Except for Palestine deftly argues that progressives and liberals who oppose regressive policies on immigration, racial justice, gender equality, LGBTQ rights, and other issues must extend these core principles to the oppression of Palestinians. In doing so, the authors take seriously the political concerns and well-being of both Israelis and Palestinians, demonstrating the extent to which U.S. policy has made peace harder to attain. They also unravel the conflation of advocacy for Palestinian rights with anti-Semitism and hatred of Israel. Hill and Plitnick provide a timely and essential intervention by examining multiple dimensions of the Israeli-Palestinian conversation, including Israel's growing disdain for democracy, the effects of occupation on Palestine, the siege of Gaza, diminishing American funding for Palestinian relief, and the campaign to stigmatize any critique of Israeli occupation. Except for Palestine is a searing polemic and a cri de coeur for elected officials, activists, and everyday citizens alike to align their beliefs and politics with their values.Trade ReviewPraise for Except for Palestine:Winner of the Palestine Book Awards” Counter Current Award“A remarkable little book. . . . Except for Palestine should be read by anyone interested in events in Israel/Palestine—and obviously in particular, anyone claiming to be progressive and liberal.”—Palestine Chronicle “[A] principled cri de coeur to progressives everywhere. . . . Except for Palestine is a crucial and ultimately hopeful tool that better equips progressives to combat injustices within their own political circles.”—Mondoweiss“For too long, many have championed the rights and liberties of oppressed peoples here and abroad, but remained silent on Palestinian freedom, or even worse, supported U.S. policies that render Palestinian humanity and suffering invisible. This clear and courageous book is a clarion call for moral integrity and political consistency.”—Cornel West, Union Theological Seminary“Hill and Plitnick deliver a thoughtful and incisive analysis of how progressive commitments to racial and social justice are undermined by the ‘Palestinian exception.’ Building the civil rights movement for the twenty-first century in America requires an international intersectionality that necessarily includes advocating for the rights and dignity of Palestinians and Israelis alike. Except for Palestine is timely and vital.”—Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, Michigan’s 13th Congressional District“Except for Palestine calls on progressives to apply the same principles to Israel-Palestine that they apply to the U.S. It’s a simple, radical, and deeply important argument, which anyone who cherishes justice should not ignore.”—Peter Beinart, author of The Crisis of Zionism “Hill and Plitnick have produced a timely and powerful indictment of decades of U.S. policy exceptionalizing Israel at the expense of progressive values. Their thorough examination of American progressives’ intellectual and moral hypocrisy when it comes to defending Palestinians’ human rights, civil rights, and right to challenge Israeli occupation is a valuable resource.”—Lara Friedman, president of the Foundation for Middle East Peace“This book explores some of the most fundamental contradictions confronting liberal spaces in the U.S. and makes a powerful case for the progressive core values of humanity, justice, and dignity to finally include the Palestinian people.”—Ahmad Abuznaid, executive director of the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights“Except for Palestine cogently explores the reasons for the silence of so many progressives and liberals when it comes to the unceasing violations of the rights of the Palestinian people. Hill and Plitnick dismantle one by one the arguments used to justify this shameful silence, and in doing so provide an eloquent, balanced, and hard-hitting analysis of why ending an egregious exception to accepted norms of justice and equality is so imperative.”—Rashid Khalidi, author of Brokers of Deceit: How the U.S. Has Undermined Peace in the Middle East“A timely and compelling treatise on the moral failings of U.S. policy and American politics in relation to Israel/Palestine.”—Khaled Elgindy, Responsible Statecraft “An accessible, in-depth analysis that takes U.S. politics to task for normalising both Israel’s colonial violence and, as a result, the oppression of the Palestinian people.”—Middle East Monitor

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe occupation of the West Bank and Gaza has been one of the world’s most widely reported yet least understood human rights crises for over four decades. In this oral history collection, men and women from Palestine—including a fisherman, a settlement administrator, and a marathon runner—describe in their own words how their lives have been shaped by the historic crisis. Other narrators include: ABEER, a young journalist from Gaza City who launched her career by covering bombing raids on the Gaza Strip. IBTISAM, the director of a multi-faith children’s center in the West Bank whose dream of starting a similar center in Gaza has so far been hindered by border closures. GHASSAN, an Arab-Christian physics professor and activist from Bethlehem who co-founded the International Solidarity Movement. Trade Review“The voices of these ordinary individuals, so similar to those Palestinians I encounter regularly in the territories, speak here with unsettling eloquence. They are heartrending stories.” —David Shulman for The New York Review of Books “A stunning, essential, and heartbreaking book that puts a profoundly human face on the suffering of the Palestinian people. This should be required reading for anyone with an interest in the Middle East, which is to say: everyone.“ —George Saunders, author of The Tenth of December and MacArthur Genius Grant recipient “Palestine Speaks demonstrates that nothing is more eloquent than the voices of those who endure and try valiantly to survive. Nothing is more important for us than to listen to them carefully, to grasp their suffering, to learn from their testimonies about them and about ourselves, and to use this understanding to bring their tragedy to an end.” —Noam Chomsky, author and professor at MIT

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe European Union means many different things to its many peoples. In Germany, for example, the European project was conceived mainly as post-national, or even post-sovereign. In France, by contrast, President Emmanuel Macron has pursued the vision of a sovereign Europe; that is, an EU that would become a formidable geopolitical actor. Yet, instead, Europe has struggled to ascertain its values abroad and even domestically, facing a sovereignist rebellion from its newer member states, such as Hungary and Poland, and the departure of Britain. The eurozone crisis has undermined the EU's economic credentials, the refugee crisis its societal cohesion, the failure to stand up to Russia its sense of purpose, and the Covid-19 pandemic its credibility as a protector of European citizens. The key argument of this book is that the multiple crises of the European project are caused by one underlying factor: its bold attempt to overcome the age of nation-states. Left unchecked, supranational institutions tend to become ever more bureaucratic, eluding control of the people they are meant to serve. The logic of technocracy is thus pitted against the democratic impulse, which the European Union is supposed to embody. Democracy in Europe has suffered as a result.Trade Review‘[A]n astute observer of the bloc’s institutional dynamics.’ -- The European Conservative‘European disunion provides a valuable reminder that none of the fundamental problems with European integration have thus been solved and that new ones have been created in recent decades.’ -- International Affairs'One of the most thorough and interesting revisionist critiques of the European project... This is a powerful argument, based on thorough research and delivered in elegant, succinct prose... Auer has put his finger on a deep sore on Europe's body politic.' -- Survival‘A breath-taking journey into the depths of the EU, its levels of governance, its successes, failures, fortes, and weaknesses.’ -- Swiss Political Science Review‘A stirring, extremely pertinent wakeup call.’ -- Voegelin View'Distinguished by its broad scope and bracing analysis of the limits of integration, Auer's book tackles big questions about contemporary EU politics with an impressive depth of field.' -- Jonathan White, Deputy Head of the European Institute, and Professor in Politics, European Institute, London School of Economics'Weaving together empirical narrative and philosophical insight, Auer offers us a deep dive into the foundational underpinnings of the EU’s crisis-driven malaise. A precious contribution to our European debates.' -- Kalypso Nicolaïdis, Professor of International Relations, University of Oxford, and author of Exodus, Reckoning, Sacrifice: Three Meanings of Brexit'A passionate book that recalls the noble beginning of the European project, but then mercilessly uncovers decades of errors, empty promises, failures and obfuscations. The message: we can only move forward if we concede this history. "Wir schaffen das"? We have to work at it!' -- Christian Joerges, Professor Emeritus of Law and Society, Hertie School, Berlin'Written with an impressive historical sensitivity, this is an incisive account of where the European Union fails and why it does. Auer succeeds in what he sets out to do: he puts politics back into the study of European politics.' -- Helen Thompson, Professor of Political Economy, University of Cambridge'From one of the most incisive and perceptive critical voices in EU studies, this brilliant book is eurosceptic in the best sense of the word: sympathetic to the democratic aims of the EU, but sceptical about its orientation, modus operandi and achievements.' -- William Outhwaite, Professor Emeritus of Sociology, University of Sussex, and author of Transregional Europe

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn the Spring of 2017, activist, journalist and hip-hop artist Marcel Cartier was given exclusive access to the structures set up in the predominately Kurdish areas in northern Syria. Over the course of more than a month, Cartier travelled across the terrain known as Rojava, experiencing the radical grassroots revolution that is sweeping the region. He spoke with commanders of the People’s Protection Units (YPG), visited women’s organisations, saw the cooperatives and communes in action that have transformed the concept of democracy, and found his understanding of revolution challenged and reinvigorated. Unique in its access, emotion and humanity, Serkeftin: A Narrative of the Rojava Revolution, is a beautiful account of a contradictory and complex process that is fundamentally changing society in the midst of the 21st century’s most brutal civil war. Meaning `victory’, the Kurdish word `serkeftin’ captures the spirit of optimism in the catastrophe that has engulfed this beautiful country since 2011 and has simultaneously brought the possibility of freedom ever closer.

Read more less

Book SynopsisAmong the ethnic gangs that rule America's inner cities, none has had the impact of the Jamaican posses. Spawned in the ghettos of Kingston as mercenary street-fighters for the island's politicians, the posses began migrating to the United States in the early 1980's, just in time to catch and ride the crack wave as it engulfed the country.Laurie Gunst's provocative exposé of the Jamaican politicians' role in creating this problem is also a moving and compelling tale of suffering and exploitation. Leone Ross' substantial afterword examines further the issues raised by the book from a British and Jamaican perspectiveTrade ReviewA truly remarkable achievement * * Washington Post * *one of the true classics of the genre...The versatility of her writing, whether from a personal, analytical, historical, creative or academic point of view, is simply outstanding, as is the depth of her research...a recommended read. * * The Voice * *This book is a fine piece of investigative journalism, jettisoning any pretence at objectivity, distilling dispassion and compassion in equal measure. * * The Herald * *Laurie Gunst's reportage brilliantly traces the tangled nexus of Hollywood gangster movies, corrupt party politics, archaic class structures and transglobal cocaine routes that feed into Jamiaca's nomadic criminal posses. A dense and complex analysis of predatory hypercapitalism. * * ID Magazine * *fuelled by a deep empathy * * Independent on Sunday * *

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn The WHITEHALL Effect, John Seddon explains how and why it is that governments repeatedly fail to deliver what our public services need and exposes the devastation that three decades of political fads, fashions and bad theory have caused. Although his examples come from the UK, he and his colleagues at Vanguard consult with government and public sector bodies in 10 countries and the problems he identifies (outsourcing, incentives, targets, standards, inspection) can be found in all Western political systems. With specific examples and new evidence, he chronicles how the Whitehall ideas machine has failed on a monumental scale - and the impact that this has had on public sector workers and those of us who use public sector services. The WHITEHALL Effect provides fresh insights into some of the most challenging issues of our time (because of their impact on health, education, policing and all public services) and reveals the unprecedented opportunity we now have to create the public services we all deserve.

Read more less

Book SynopsisFew works of scholarship have so comprehensively recast an existing debate as Chinua Achebe’s essay on Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness. Achebe – a highly distinguished Nigerian novelist and university teacher – looked with fresh eyes at a novel that was set in Africa, but in which Africans appear only as onlookers or as indistinguishable "savages". Dismissing the prevailing portrayal of Joseph Conrad as a liberal hero whose anti-imperialist views insulated him from significant criticism, Achebe re-cast the Polish author as a "bloody racist" in an analysis so cogent it changed the way in which his discipline looked not only at Conrad, but also at all works with settings indicative of racial conflict. The creative contribution of Achebe’s essay lies in delving far beneath the surface of Conrad’s novel; he not only generated new and highly influential hypotheses about the author's modes of thought and motivations, but also redefined the entire debate over Heart of Darkness. Just because the novel had been accepted into the "canon", and now falls into the class of “permanent literature”, Achebe says, does not mean we should not question it closely – or criticize its author.Table of ContentsWays In to the Text Who was Chinua Achebe? What does An Image of Africa Say? Why does An Image of Africa Matter? Section 1: Influences Module 1: The Author and the Historical Context Module 2: Academic Context Module 3: The Problem Module 4: The Author's Contribution Section 2: Ideas Module 5: Main Ideas Module 6: Secondary Ideas Module 7: Achievement Module 8: Place in the Author's Work Section 3: Impact Module 9: The First Responses Module 10: The Evolving Debate Module 11: Impact and Influence Today Module 12: Where Next? Glossary of Terms People Mentioned in the Text Works Cited

Read more less

Book SynopsisA Room of One's Own is a very clear example of how creative thinkers connect and present things in novel ways. Based on the text of a talk given by Virginia Woolf at an all-female Cambridge college, Room considers the subject of 'women and fiction.' Woolf’s approach is to ask why, in the early 20th century, literary history presented so few examples of canonically 'great' women writers. The common prejudices of the time suggested this was caused by (and proof of) women's creative and intellectual inferiority to men. Woolf argued instead that it was to do with a very simple fact: across the centuries, male-dominated society had systematically prevented women from having the educational opportunities, private spaces and economic independence to produce great art. At a time when 'art' was commonly considered to be a province of the mind that had no relation to economic circumstances, this was a novel proposal. More novel, though, was Woolf's manner of arguing and proving her contentions: through a fictional account of the limits placed on even the most privileged women in everyday existence. An impressive early example of cultural materialism, A Room of One's Own is an exemplary encapsulation of creative thinking.Table of ContentsWays In to the Text Who was Virginia Woolf? What does A Room of One's Own Say? Why does A Room of One's Own Matter? Section 1: Influences Module 1: The Author and the Historical Context Module 2: Academic Context Module 3: The Problem Module 4: The Author's Contribution Section 2: Ideas Module 5: Main Ideas Module 6: Secondary Ideas Module 7: Achievement Module 8: Place in the Author's Work Section 3: Impact Module 9: The First Responses Module 10: The Evolving Debate Module 11: Impact and Influence Today Module 12: Where Next? Glossary of Terms People Mentioned in the Text Works Cited

Read more less

Book SynopsisToni Morrison’s Playing in the Dark: Whiteness and the Literary Imagination is a seminal piece of literary criticism, and a masterclass in the critical thinking skill of interpretation. Interpretation plays a vital role in critical thinking: it focuses on interrogating accepted meanings and laying down clear definitions on which a strong argument can be built. Both history and literary history in the US have frequently revolved around understanding how Americans define themselves and each other, and Morrison’s work seeks to investigate, question, and redefine one of the central concepts in American history and American literary history: color.. Morrison turned to the classics of American literature to ask how authors had chosen to define the terms ‘black’ and ‘white.’ Instead of accepting traditional interpretations of these works, Morrison examined the way in which ‘whiteness’ defines itself through ‘blackness,’ and vice versa. Black bondage and the myths of black inferiority and savagery, she showed, allowed white America to indulge its own defining myths – viewing itself as free, civilized, and innocent. A classic of subtle and incisive interpretation, Playing in the Dark shows just how crucial and how complex simple-looking definitions can be.Table of ContentsWays in to the Text Who is Toni Morrison? What does Playing in the Dark Say? Why does Playing in the Dark Matter? Section 1: Influences Module 1: The Author and the Historical Context Module 2: Academic Context Module 3: The Problem Module 4: The Author's Contribution Section 2: Ideas Module 5: Main Ideas Module 6: Secondary Ideas Module 7: Achievement Module 8: Place in the Author's Work Section 3: Impact Module 9: The First Responses Module 10: The Evolving Debate Module 11: Impact and Influence Today Module 12: Where Next? Glossary of Terms People Mentioned in the Text Works Cited

Read more less

Book SynopsisOne of the New York Times’ 100 Notable Books for 2023 A correspondent who has spent thirty years in Israel presents a rich, wide-ranging portrait of the Israeli people at a critical juncture in their country’s history. Despite Israel’s determined staying power in a hostile environment, its military might, and the innovation it fosters in businesses globally, the country is more divided than ever. The old guard — socialist secular elites and idealists — are a dying breed, and the state’s democratic foundations are being challenged. A dynamic and exuberant country of nine million, Israel now largely comprises native-born Hebrew speakers, and yet any permanent sense of security and normalcy is elusive. In The Land of Hope and Fear, we meet Israelis — Jews and Arabs, religious and secular, Eastern and Western, liberals and zealots — plagued by perennial conflict and existential threats. Its citizens remain deeply polarised politically, socially, and ideologically, even as they undergo generational change and redefine what it is to be an Israeli. Who are these people, and to what do they aspire? In moving narratives and with on-the-ground reporting, Isabel Kershner reveals the core of what holds Israel together and the forces that threaten its future through the lens of real people, laying bare the question, Who is an Israeli?Trade Review‘A masterly and poignant portrait.’ -- Lloyd Green * The Guardian *‘Isabel Kershner’s comprehensive mapping of the challenges facing the Zionist Dream creates a bold and compelling portrait of modern-day Israel — its complexities and polarising passions and commitments — and does it with great empathy and deep concern.’ -- Dorit Rabinyan, author of All the Rivers‘For all those looking for a book that provides an understanding of what Israel has become as it approaches its 75th year, this is it! The Land of Hope and Fear is a rich and wondrous tale told through the agonising and uplifting stories of Israel’s many tribes ... Isabel Kershner brings a keen eye and a vivid style to her unique portrait of the Sabra nation.’ -- Martin Indyk, author of Master of the Game, and former US ambassador to Israel‘Once I started reading The Land of Hope and Fear I couldn’t put it down until I finished. For someone living in this country it felt nonetheless as if I was learning about it for the first time. With masterful style, Isabel Kershner peels off all the outer layers of society’s multifaceted aspects as these are seen by an onlooker, revealing them through the personal stories and eyes of the individuals themselves hidden behind their typologies. Whether one sympathises or not, one understands more. Israel in its tumultuous eighth decade is laid bare, its inner strengths and weaknesses enmeshed in a vibrant dynamic that both promises and forewarns.’ -- Sari Nusseibeh, author of Once Upon a Country‘One might not think that another book about Israel needed to be written. And yet Isabel Kershner has written one that needs to be read. For anyone trying to understand the reality of Israel today, its remarkable dynamism and its political, social, religious, and ‘tribal’ differences, The Land of Hope and Fear provides extraordinary insight.’ -- Dennis Ross, former US envoy to the Middle East and the author of Doomed to Succeed‘[The Land of Hope and Fear] delivers an in-depth look at the tribes that compete and clash within the Promised Land. Painstakingly researched, the book is the product of scores of interviews coupled with living on the ground for more than three decades. Kershner knows of what she writes.’ -- Lloyd Green * The Guardian *‘The Land of Hope and Fear details the bitter civil war for the future of Israel’s soul. Seventy-five years after the birth of modern Israel, Isabel Kershner’s book illustrates how the political and social conflicts that shaped the nation’s founding have persisted, if not deepened … In a crowded landscape of writing about Israel, Kershner’s new book is an essential contribution … it will spark critical conversation about the history and future of Israel.’ -- Alex Katz, Natan Notable Books judge‘Kershner reflects on both the history and future of the state of Israel by delving into the present and illuminating what is and always has been the soul of Israel: its people … Kershner uses her many years as a journalist to bring out the stories that shape the Israeli narrative.’‘This excellent book … paints a realistic, nuanced picture of Israel, exploring the Jewish state’s spirit of innovation, its identity politics, its culture wars and its inability to agree a border with the Palestinians … Kershner’s comprehensive, accessible book should be compulsory reading before any trip to Israel.’ -- Colin Schindler * The Jewish Chronicle *‘Compelling … [The Land of Hope and Fear] offers an insightful overview of Israel’s complex struggles … A well-reported study of Israel’s rapidly shifting cultural and religious environment.’ * Kirkus Reviews *‘With the sharp eye of an experienced reporter, a profound understanding of Israel, its internal conflicts, weaknesses and strengths, and with a great love for the country and its people, Isabel Kershner went on a fascinating journey into the minds and souls of current Israelis, Jews, and Arabs. Seventy-five years after its birth, the Jewish state is still struggling over its identity. The Land of Hope and Fear is a must-read book for people who wish to understand why and how.’ -- Nahum Barnea * Yedioth Ahronoth *‘Masterful … Kershner enriches her analysis of the forces roiling modern Israel through incisive conversations with individual Israelis … Nuanced and persuasive, this is a valuable dispatch from a country in turmoil.’ -- Publishers Weekly, starred review‘Through outstanding writing, [Kershner] introduces us to a diverse cast of characters … The book provides tantalising historical nuggets… Her narrative makes clear that the splits in Israeli society and politics aren’t new, but go back to its earliest days.’ -- Alan D. Abbey * Hadassah Magazine *‘The New York Times correspondent’s compelling history identifies the issues that have polarised a country now split by far-right extremists.’ -- Matthew Reisz * The Observer *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book explores the value of the musical concept of “agogics” – the modification of regular rhythm to enhance expressive potential – in understanding urban spatial configurations within the current technological context and in developing urban maps that exploit sonic signals to create an open learning framework. The book starts by discussing the meaning and significance of agogics in the musical and artistic realm, with reference to the work of Adolphe Appia, Emile-Jaques Dalcroze, and Iannis Xenakis, among others. Its relevance to cartography and mapping is then examined, taking into account the contributions of Ian McHarg, Bill Hillier, Mark Shepard, and Robin Minard. The nature and value of agogic maps, for example in fostering awareness of place and effective organization of spatial development, are described in detail, with reference to case studies in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and Segrate, Italy. It is explained how agogic maps take advantage of innovative categories and scripting equipment to provide a new mapping instrument for spatial and urban configurations, highlighting the interdependence between aural signals and spatial variables. This book will be of interest to architects, urbanists, and musicians with a specific interest in space and sound design.Table of ContentsAgogic in music: The practice of rhythm, from music to space and backward.- Agogic in space: A scenario for the Gesamtkustwerk.- Agogic and the space “undulated”.- Urban spectrographies and the problem of orientation in sensitive territories.- Space-script construction: Three phases in a topographic transformation of sound and visual material.- Euphony: Dissonances for a modern urban environment. Accessibility as the temperament of signals and impulses.- The role of sound maps: A “modern” paradigm in space design.- Urban sampling, two case studies: Reconstructing the inhabitation model through an aural imaginary.- The agogic script. Interdependency between aural signals and spatial variables.

Read more less

Book SynopsisPakistan Insights 2021-22 is the third in the 'Pakistan Insights' series brought out by the Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) to deepen the understanding of Pakistan. Ideas for the various chapters are based on the discussions held in the Pakistan Study Group (PSG) that was set up in February 2018 in the VIF. The previous two editions- Pakistan Insights 2019 and Pakistan Insights 2020 received widespread acclaim and it is hoped that this edition too would be well received.Pakistan Insights 2021-22 takes a granular look at some of the critical issues facing Pakistan. The book begins with a look at the recent developments in Pakistan including the ousting of Prime Minister Imran Khan through a no-confidence motion and the challenges before the new Shehbaz Sharif-led government; an overview of developments in Pakistan in 2021-22; internal developments and civil-military relations during the period; Pakistan`s persisting ethnic fault-lines and the danger they pose for the state; growth of extremism due to Pakistan`s strategic choices; Pakistan`s non-traditional security threats that includes the looming water crisis, the education emergency, the economic meltdown and the demographic challenge; the National Security Policy announced in January 2022; the development and growth of the media and the challenges it faces; Pakistan`s foreign policy in its various dimensions; the Pak Army`s war fighting doctrine and the role of nationalism and identity in it; and the role of Pakistan in the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan and its aftermath. The book concludes with some thoughts on the future trajectory of Pakistan.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe United States launched a new Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) strategy in late 2017 after reluctantly concluding that its patient effort to engage and socialize China to the rules-based order since 1972 had failed. China’s behaviour since 2009 convinced the United States that China is a revisionist power seeking to impose an authoritarian model of governance in Asia which, if successful, would end the rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific as well as endanger US security and vital trade interests.The new US FOIP strategy initiative seeks to engage like-minded nations in economic, security (both traditional and non-traditional), and political governance partnerships to construct a collaborative and scalable network of relations that will be able to respond flexibly to meet a wide range of stakeholder needs and regional contingencies across the Indo-Pacific region.The United States occupies a peak organizing role in this network and works with a hierarchy of partners distributed throughout the vast Indo-Pacific to meet the economic, security, and governance capacity needs of network members at any level. The rules-based order is the “operating system” of this network approach, and so the network itself sustains the rules-based order for its members as a collective good. FOIP is more like a club that generates rules-based order benefits for its members and as such has little in common with Cold War bloc politics and containment strategy.Bearing in mind that FOIP is only in its start-up phase and is likely to gather momentum going forward; that the elements of this network strategy are already in place; and that the United States and its main FOIP partners together have considerable material, organizational, and soft power resources, one may say that its prospects for long-term sustainability and success are not bad.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book takes readers to the village of Sheltozero in northern Russia. It highlights a tiny community of indigenous people called Veps, known colloquially as the forest folk for their intense closeness and affiliation with the forests in their ancestral territories. Davidov uses a tour of the local museum to introduce a cast of human and non-human characters from traditional Vepsian culture, while journeying through various eras under Russian, Finnish, Soviet, and post-Soviet rule. In the process, she explores how contemporary political struggles mesh with traditional beliefs, illustrating how Veps make meaning of their history and unfolding future. A documentary entitled Museum Night is available for instructors who wish to incorporate it into their teaching. Trade Review"Long Night at the Vepsian Museum is an ethnography that documents the history and current cultural struggles of the Veps people, a Finno-Ugric speaking minority community that lives in Russia’s Karelia region, on the border with Finland." -- Samantha Lomb * EuropeNow *"Long Night at the Vepsian Museum, is a well-written and engaging contribution to the literature on Post-Soviet Russia and indigenous cultural production. Moreover, the book’s accessibility and clean prose will make it of interest to not only scholars of these fields, but also undergraduate educators looking for a snappy and thought-provoking syllabus addition." -- A. Lorraine Kaljund * EuropeNow *"By juxtaposing relations between Veps craftspeople and the czarist and soviet states with traditions of reciprocity with master spirits that ensured Karelia’s natural bounty, Davidov offers an altogether new paradigm for understanding Indegeneity in the modern world." -- E. J. Vajda * Choice Connect, June 2018 vol. 55 # 10 *"One of Davidov’s strengths lies in the place that she chose as a base for fieldwork: the local museum. Despite the idea that such institutions present only rigid, official discourses about real and lively cultures, what Davidov successfully reveals is that behind the facade of public exhibitions, there is an important vein of hidden and non-official cultural knowledge transfer and production taking place." -- Tatiana Safonova * Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute *"Long Night at the Vepsian Museum represents a solid analysis of Veps ‘resource biography’ which connects landscape, industry, and practices of remembering as intertwined local resources. This book would be particularly relevant for anthropology students due to the author’s valuable self-reflections on the nature of fieldwork and ‘collaborative ethnography.’" -- Anna Varfolomeeva, Tyumen State University * Anthropology of East Europe Review *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. The Forest Folk 2. Vepsian Cosmologies 3. Spruce Eyelashes and Blue Eyes of Lakes 4. The Bad Masters 5. The Long Night of Museums 6. Conclusion

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis''Manu was seated, when the great seers came up to him: Please, Lord, tell us the Laws of all the social classes, as well as of those born in between...''The Law Code of Manu is the most authoritative and the best-known legal text of ancient India. Famous for two thousand years it still generates controversy, with Manu''s verses being cited in support of the oppression of women and members of the lower castes. A seminal Hindu text, the Law Code is important for its classic description of so many social institutions that have come to be identified with Indian society. It deals with the relationships between social and ethnic groups, between men and women, the organization of the state and the judicial system, reincarnation, the workings of karma, and all aspects of the law.Patrick Olivelle''s lucid translation is the first to be based on his critically edited text, and it incorporates the most recent scholarship on ancient Indian history, law, society, and religion. ABOUT THE SERIES: Fo

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn this history of China for the 900-year span of the late imperial period, Mote highlights the personal characteristics of the rulers and dynasties and probes the cultural theme of Chinese adaptations to recurrent alien rule. Generational events, personalities, and the spirit of the age combine to yield a comprehensive history of the civilization.Trade ReviewThis massive tome crowns the long, distinguished career of Frederick Mote, an influential scholar of Late Imperial China in the United States… An outstanding feature that distinguishes this book from similar works is the author’s effort to readdress the imbalance in traditional historiography with its lopsided focus on the political and geographic center of the realm. He does a wonderful job of reconstructing the history of such historically neglected regimes as Khitan–Liao, Jurchen–Jin, and Tangut–Western Xia, from the perspective of the Other… What I find most praiseworthy is the lucid, elegant expository style of writing. In spite of the wealth of knowledge the author clearly possesses about traditional China, he chooses to cover in depth a select number of topics—personages, events, institutions, etc.—in a language that is understandable to the average man in the street, without relying on opaque verbosity. Consequently, the book is likely to leave a profound and lasting impact on the reader in areas it focuses on, which will in turn help him or her better understand a given period of Late Imperial China from a long-term perspective. -- Victor Cunrui Xiong * Chinese Historical Review *A personal meditation on the later imperial history of China by an author who has studied and taught the subject all his life and whose knowledge of it is truly formidable. It is written in a readable, accessible style that attracts the reader’s sustained attention. -- John W. Dardess, University of KansasA major contribution to our present literature on the general historiography of late Imperial China. Not only is it eminently accessible to a wide nonspecialized intellectual public, it also provides a major corrective within the field to some of the tendencies that have dominated the writing of Chinese history. Mote has highly cogent things to say about the nature of what has been called the ‘gentry’ in China and highly relevant questions to raise about the notion of a demographic explosion in eighteenth-century China and examines many of the prevailing abstract conceptions which dominate the field. Yet, he vividly demonstrated how limited our effort has been to explore in depth the vast documentary materials available to us, which are supposed to provide the ‘empirical data’ for our models, paradigms, and structural theories. Mote’s major contribution is his detailed account of the growing complexity of relations between the Chinese state and the surrounding East Asian world during the period 900–1800. -- Benjamin I. Schwartz, Harvard UniversityTable of ContentsPreface Acknowledgments PART ONE: CONQUEST DYNASTIES AND THE NORTHERN SONG, 900-1127 The Five Dynasties Later Imperial China's Place in History The Course of Five Dynasties History The Eastward Shift of the Political Center Simultaneous Developments in the Ten States China and Inner Asia in Geographic and Historical Perspective Abaoji The Khitans and Their Neighbors Ethnic Diversity and Language Community The Lessons of History The New Leader Emerges The Significance of Khitan Acculturation Abaoji Receives Yao Kun, Envoy of the Later Tang Dynasty Building the Liao Empire Succession Issues after Abaoji The Meaning of the Early Liao Succession Crises The Khitan Inner Asian Tribal Empire Liao-Korean Relations Expansion into North China Liao-Song Relations Liao Civilization Multicultural Adaptations Khitan Society Patterns of Acculturation Buddhism in Khitan Life Interpretations of Liao Success Creating the Song Dynasty The Vigor of the Later Zhou and the Founding of the Song On Being the Emperor in Tenth-Century China Governing China The Military Problem The World of Ideas in Northern Song China The Man of the Age: Ouyang Xiu The Course of a Song Dynasty Official Career The Civil Service Examination System The Social Impact of the Song Examination System Political Reform and Political Thought Neo-Confucian Political Thought Dimensions of Northern Song Life High Culture The Example of Su Shi The New Elite and Song High Culture Religion in Song Life Song Society Origins of the Xi Xia State The Tangut People: Names and Ethnic Identities Early History of the Tangut Tribal People The Tanguts Come into the Song Orbit Yuan-hao Proclaims the Xi Xia Dynasty The Xi Xia as an Imperial Dynasty PART TWO: CONQUEST DYNASTIES AND THE SOUTHERN SONG, 1127-1279 The "Wild Jurchens" Erupt into History Aguda's Challenge The End of the Liao Dynasty The Northern Song Falls to the Jurchens Who Were These Jurchens? Explaining the Jurchens' Success The Jurchen State and Its Cultural Policy The Conquerors Turn to Governing The Period of Dual Institutions, 1115-1135 The Era of Centralization, 1135-1161 The Period of Nativist Reaction, 1161-1208 The End of the Jin Dynasty, 1208-1234 The Later Xi Xia State Xi Xia in the Era of the Jin Dynasty, 1115-1227 The Crisis of the "Partition of the State" The Destruction of the Xi Xia State The Tangut Achievement Xia Buddhism Trends of Change under Jin Alien Rule Divisions: North and South, Chinese and Non-Chinese Jurchen Dominance The Impact of the Civil Service Examinations High Culture during the Jin Dynasty Economic Life under the Jin The Southern Song and Chinese Survival A Fleeing PrinceCA New Emperor War versus Peace Patterns of High Politics after the Treaty of 1141 Chinese Civilization and the Song Achievement New Social Factors Elite Lives and Song High Culture Confucian Thinkers Other Kinds of Elite Lives Some Generalizations about the Song Elite Southern Song Life--A Broader View Calculating Song China's Population Governing at the Local Level Paying for Government Status in the Chinese Population Urban and Rural Families, Women, and Children VA Poet's Observations A Mid-Thirteenth-Century Overview The Heritage of the Liao, Xi Xia, and Jin Periods The System of Ritualized Interstate Relations The Growing Scope of International Trade Cultural Interaction PART THREE: CHINA AND THE MONGOL WORLD The Career of the Great Khan Chinggis Backgrounds of Mongol History The Ethnic Geography of Inner Asia in the Late Twelfth Century Mongol Nomadic Economy and Social Life The Mongols Emerge into History The Youth of Temujin Chinggis Khan as Nation Builder Forging the Mongol World Empire, 1206-1259 The Nearer Horizons of Empire, 1206-1217 The First Campaign to the West, 1218-1225 Chinggis Khan, the Man The Second Campaign to the West, 1236-1241 Mongol Adaptations to China under Chinggis and Ogodei Mongke Khan and the Third Campaign to the West Relations among the Four Khanates Khubilai Khan Becomes Emperor of China The Early Life of Khubilai Khubilai and His Chinese Advisers before 1260 As Mongke's Field General in China Maneuvering to Become the Great Khan The Great Khan Khubilai Becomes Emperor of China The Conquest of the Southern Song, 1267-1279 The War against Khaidu Khubilai's Later Years Khubilai Khan's Successors, 1294-1370 China under Mongol Rule Yuan Government Managing Society and Staffing the Government Religions China's People under Mongol Rule The Yuan Cultural Achievement PART FOUR: THE RESTORATION OF NATIVE RULE UNDER THE MING, 1368-1644 From Chaos toward a New Chinese Order Disintegration Competitors for Power Emerge Rival Contenders, 1351-1368 Zhu Yuanzhang, Boy to Young Man Zhu Yuanzhang Builds His Ming Dynasty Learning to Be an Emperor Setting the Pattern of His Dynasty Constructing a Capital and a Government The Enigma of Zhu Yuanzhang Civil War and Usurpation, 1399-1402 The New Era The Thought of Fang Xiaoru: What Might Have Been From Prince to Emperor The "Second Founding" of the Ming Dynasty Ming Chengzu's Imprint on Ming Governing The Eunuch Establishment and the Imperial Bodyguard Defending Throne and State Securing China's Place in the Asian World The New Capital Ming China in the Fifteenth Century Successors to the Yongle Emperor The Mechanics of Government The Grand Canal in Ming Times The Changing World of the Sixteenth Century Emperor Wuzong, 1505-1521 Emperor Shizong's Accession The Rites Controversy Emperor Shizong and Daoism The Emperor Shizong and His Officials Wang Yangming and Sixteenth-Century Confucian Thought Ming China's Borders Border Zones, Zones of Interaction Tension and Peril on the Northern Borders Tibet and the Western Borders The "Soft Border" of the Chinese South The Maritime Borders of Eastern China Late Ming Political Decline, 1567-1627 The Brief Reign of Emperor Muzong, 1567-1572 Zhang Juzheng's Leadership and the Wanli Reign The Wanli Emperor's Successors The Lively Society of the Late Ming The Population of Ming China The Organization of Rural Society Ming Cities, Towns, and Urban People: The Question of Capitalism Late Ming Elite Culture The Course of Ming Failure Launching the Chongzhen Reign: Random Inadequacies, Persistent Hopes The Manchu Invaders The "Roving Bandits" Beijing, Spring 1644 PART FIVE: CHINA AND THE WORLD IN EARLY QING TIMES Alien Rule Returns Beijing: The City Ravaged The Drama at Shanhai Guan, April-May Beijing Becomes the New Qing Capital The Shunzhi Emperor, 1644-1662 The Southern Ming Challenge to Qing Hegemony, 1644-1662 The Manchu Offensive VThe Longwu Regime: Fuzhou, July 1645-October 1646 VMing Loyalist Activity after 1646 The Kangxi Emperor: Coming of Age Difficult Beginnings Rebellion, 1673-1681 The Conquest of Taiwan Ming Loyalism and Intellectual Currents in the Early Qing The Kangxi Reign: The Emperor and His Empire Banner Lands and the Manchu Migration into China Recruitment and the Examination System The Mongols on the Northern Borders Manchu/Qing Power and the Problem of Tibet Court Factions The Succession Crisis The Yongzheng Emperor as Man and Ruler Imperial Style, Political Substance Changing the Machinery of Government Other Governing Measures Military Campaigns and Border Policies Population Growth and Social Conditions Taxation and the Yongzheng Reforms Splendor and Degeneration, 1736-1799 Changing Assessments Hongli Political Measures Cultural Control Measures A Late Flowering of Thought and Learning The Qianlong Emperor's Military Campaigns VChina in the Eighteenth Century China's Legacy in a Changing World The Background of China's International Relations Mutual Recognition Economic Interactions Broadened Horizons of Religion, Philosophy, and Practical Knowledge Diplomatic and Military Threats An Old Civilization in a New World Appendix: Conversion Table, Pinyin to Wade-Giles Notes Bibliography Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn this riveting account of an area of Appalachia known as the Quiet Zone where cell phones and WiFi are banned, journalist Stephen Kurczy explores the pervasive role of technology in our lives and the innate human need for quiet.“Captures the complex beauty of a disconnected way of life.” —The NationWith a new afterword to the paperback editionDeep in the Appalachian Mountains lies the last truly quiet town in America. Green Bank, West Virginia, is a place at once futuristic and old-fashioned: It’s home to the Green Bank Observatory, where astronomers search the depths of the universe using the latest technology, while schoolchildren go without WiFi or iPads. With a ban on all devices emanating radio frequencies that might interfere with the observatory’s telescopes, Quiet Zone residents live a life free from constant digital connectivity. But a community that on the surface seems idyllic is a place of contradictions, where the provincial meets the seemingly supernatural and quiet can serve as a cover for something darker.Stephen Kurczy embedded in Green Bank, making the residents of this small Appalachian village his neighbors. He shopped at the town’s general store, attended church services, went target shooting with a seven-year-old, square-danced with the locals, sampled the local moonshine. In The Quiet Zone, he introduces us to an unforgettable cast of characters. There is a tech buster patrolling the area for illegal radio waves; “electrosensitives” who claim that WiFi is deadly; a sheriff’s department with a string of unsolved murder cases dating back decades; a camp of neo-Nazis plotting their resurgence from a nearby mountain hollow. Amongst them all are the ordinary citizens seeking a simpler way of living. Kurczy asks: Is a less connected life desirable? Is it even possible?The Quiet Zone is a remarkable work of investigative journalism—at once a stirring ode to place, a tautly wound tale of mystery, and a clarion call to reexamine the role technology plays in our lives.Trade Review"An expressionistic new work of nonfiction. Part folk history, part gonzo travelogue, The Quiet Zone colorfully annotates an elaborate contradiction: a last bastion of the disconnected world. ... Kurczy finds high drama and dark secrets in the woods, but he also captures the complex beauty of a disconnected way of life that is dying out at an alarming rate. ... A time capsule of a not-so-distant past, of an approach to life that is rapidly slipping from collective memory." — The Nation “[Readers] needing a reminder of the simple pleasure of reconnecting with real people in real life will enjoy the journey.” — Nir Eyal, New York Times Book Review "Kurczy's deep reporting uncovers... strange things in these hills. ... What makes this book formidable is Kurczy's relentless investigating." — USA Today "What a fascinating book! This corner of America is unique for its electromagnetic silence—but once Stephen Kurczy starts looking he finds that it's unique in other ways too. The Quiet Zone will live on in your memory." — Bill McKibben, New York Times bestselling author of The End of Nature "[A] fascinating, deeply reported and slightly eerie look at an unusual corner of America. ... With compassion and a journalist's eye [Kurczy] delivers a compelling portrait." — BookPage (Starred Review) “Captivating. … A multilayered illustration of a unique community where things aren’t always what they seem.” — Kirkus Reviews "A vividly written book that captures an unusual place with a story-teller's touch, perfectly timed to this moment of confronting our complicated relationships to technology." — ELIZABETH CATTE, author of What You Are Getting Wrong About Appalachia "A quest for our most precious substance—peace and quiet—leaps with exuberant aplomb in to the murk of American kookery—electrosensitives, Nazis, unsolved murders—and reveals that simplicity is far more complicated, far more weird and wonderous, than the self-proclaimed #simplelife." — MARK SUNDEEN, author of The Man Who Quit Money and The Unsettlers "Colorful. ... Kurczy succeeds in unlocking many secrets of this insular community." — Publishers Weekly “Cleareyed and compassionate. … Surprising and deeply enlightening” — Shawangunk Journal "An engaging and sympathetic study of the myriad people who call this unique place home." — Booklist "An enthralling story." — The Parkersburg News and Sentinel (West Virginia) "Readers discover a corner of America relatively untouched by technology's influence. ... The Quiet Zone is more than just a celebration of one of the few quiet places the world might offer those seeking refuge from a tech-driven world: It is a celebration of the unique people and fortitude that shapes an area most outsiders would overlook. ... Gives voice to many memorable people. ... One of the many beauties of Kurczy’s book is the respect and admiration the author gives the people of Pocahontas County." — Southern Review of Books "Gripping." — Daily Mail (UK) "A captivating read. ... A remarkable work of deep reporting." — Engineering & Technology Magazine (UK)

Read more less

a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

Read more less

Book SynopsisAs government agencies have encouraged faith-based organizations to help ensure social welfare, many black churches have received grants to provide services to their neighborhoods' poorest residents. This title demonstrates that this alliance serves as a means for black clergy to reaffirm their political leadership in black civil society.Trade Review"This exceptional book will be crucial for those of us who study black politics. In this era of strange alliances between the Republican right and black Christian fundamentalists, research that illuminates how the formerly contentious and confrontational black church has adapted to certain political realities has cutting-edge relevancy." - Andrea Y. Simpson, University of Richmond"

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe refugee crisis that began in 2015 has seen thousands of refugees attempting to reach Europe, principally from Syria. The dangers and difficulties of this journey have been highlighted in the media, as have the political disagreements within Europe over the way to deal with the problem. However, despite the increasing number of women making this journey, there has been little or no analysis of womenâs experiences or of the particular difficulties and dangers they may face. A Gendered Approach to the Syrian Refugee Crisis examines womenâs experience at all stages of forced migration, from the conflict in Syria, to refugee camps in Lebanon or Turkey, on the journey to the European Union and on arrival in an EU member state. The book deals with womenâs experiences, the changing nature of gender relations during forced migration, gendered representations of refugees, and the ways in which EU policies may impact differently on men and women. The book provides a nuanced and compTable of Contents Introduction: Gender, Migration and Exile Destabilising Gender Dynamics: Syria Post 2011 Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transsexual (LGBT) Syrian Refugees in Turkey The Violence of Tolerated Temporarity: Syrian Women Refugees on the Outskirts of Istanbul "Trust no one, beware of everyone": Vulnerabilities of LGBTI refugees in Lebanon Gender, Social Class, and Exile: The case of Syrian women in Cairo Death at Sea: migration and the gendered dimensions of border insecurity Women’s experience of forced migration: gender-based forms of insecurity and the uses of "vulnerability" Gender Performativity in Diaspora: Syrian Refugee Women in the UK Aggressor, Victim, Soldier, Dad: Intersecting Masculinities in the European ‘Refugee Crisis’ Conclusions

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis study provides an overview of trends on Bahrain islands and of the social and historical context from which they have emerged. It is intended as an introduction to Bahraini affairs for the general reader and thus makes use of the existing literature wherever possible.Table of Contents1. Geographical and Social Structure 2. The Establishment of the British Imperial Order 3. The Nationalist Movements of the 1950s 4. Contemporary Politics 5. Contemporary Economic Affairs 6. Foreign Relations

Read more less

Book SynopsisWinner of the L. Carl Brown AIMS Book Prize in North African Studies 2022This original research on the forgotten Libyan genocide specifically recovers the hidden history of the fascist Italian concentration camps (19291934) through the oral testimonies of Libyan survivors. This book links the Libyan genocide through cross-cultural and comparative readings to the colonial roots of the Holocaust and genocide studies.Between 1929 and 1934, thousands of Libyans lost their lives, directly murdered and victim to Italian deportations and internments. They were forcibly removed from their homes, marched across vast tracks of deserts and mountains, and confined behind barbed wire in 16 concentration camps. It is a story that Libyans have recorded in their Arabic oral history and narratives while remaining hidden and unexplored in a systematic fashion, and never in the manner that has allowed us to comprehend and begin to understand the extent of their Trade Review“This shattering study, based on remarkable scholarship, not only brings to light the long-suppressed genocidal policies of the Italian Fascist state but also leads to serious rethinking of how colonial history is framed and of the origins of the horrendous Nazi crimes. A powerful and revealing work.” — Noam Chomsky Massachusetts Institute of Technology"Ali Abdullatif Ahmida’s volume on the Libyan genocide is a masterpiece of oral history. This narrative recaptures the full texture of a great but little known atrocity. The prose and the poetry of folk memory as well as the crosscurrents of regional variation are gripping and unforgettable. A people’s suffering have been truly honoured here." — James C. Scott, Yale University"Based on oral, archival and published documentation, Ali Abdullatif Ahmida provides a damning condemnation of Italian colonialism in Libya and of the scholarship that so far has overlooked the scope and significance of the genocidal violence which enabled it. A genuine contribution to the literature on Libya, on colonialism and on studies of genocide." — Mahmood Mamdani, Columbia University"The book is a masterpiece of scholarly skill and dedication. It tells the story that many Libyans have known and have not been able to tell the world. Combining archival research, ethnographic field work, penetrating theoretical insights, and personal testimony, Ahmida has written a book that I’ve longed to read but never imagined possible until now. I am deeply grateful for this book." — Khaled Mattawa, University of Michigan"Ali Abdullatif Ahmida gives voice to the victims – and resisters – of a forgotten modern colonial genocide. Their recollections in poetry and prose provide eloquent, visceral testimony to suffering and, always, perseverance. Official narratives will no longer reign – and imperial statues should topple." — Joel Gordon, University of Arkansas"He [Ahmida] succeeds in revealing a long-obscured and gruesome past through the reminiscences of his own elderly relatives, the disciplined excavation of suppressed official archives, the interpretation of long-recited epic poetry, and the creative deployment of comparative histories of genocide, war, and imperialism.[...] Ahmida’s account is important, however, and should provoke consequential debates about the long, dark shadow of history in North Africa." — Lisa Anderson, Foreign Affairs https://www.foreignaffairs.com/reviews/capsule-review/2020-12-08/genocide-libya-shar-hidden-colonial-historyAuthor-interview podcast by Jeff Bachman, American University, New Books Network https://newbooksnetwork.com/genocide-in-libya“This shattering study, based on remarkable scholarship, not only brings to light the long-suppressed genocidal policies of the Italian Fascist state but also leads to serious rethinking of how colonial history is framed and of the origins of the horrendous Nazi crimes. A powerful and revealing work.” — Noam Chomsky Massachusetts Institute of Technology"Ali Abdullatif Ahmida’s volume on the Libyan genocide is a masterpiece of oral history. This narrative recaptures the full texture of a great but little known atrocity. The prose and the poetry of folk memory as well as the crosscurrents of regional variation are gripping and unforgettable. A people’s suffering have been truly honoured here." — James C. Scott, Yale University"Based on oral, archival and published documentation, Ali Abdullatif Ahmida provides a damning condemnation of Italian colonialism in Libya and of the scholarship that so far has overlooked the scope and significance of the genocidal violence which enabled it. A genuine contribution to the literature on Libya, on colonialism and on studies of genocide." — Mahmood Mamdani, Columbia University"The book is a masterpiece of scholarly skill and dedication. It tells the story that many Libyans have known and have not been able to tell the world. Combining archival research, ethnographic field work, penetrating theoretical insights, and personal testimony, Ahmida has written a book that I’ve longed to read but never imagined possible until now. I am deeply grateful for this book." — Khaled Mattawa, University of Michigan"Ali Abdullatif Ahmida gives voice to the victims – and resisters – of a forgotten modern colonial genocide. Their recollections in poetry and prose provide eloquent, visceral testimony to suffering and, always, perseverance. Official narratives will no longer reign – and imperial statues should topple." — Joel Gordon, University of Arkansas"He [Ahmida] succeeds in revealing a long-obscured and gruesome past through the reminiscences of his own elderly relatives, the disciplined excavation of suppressed official archives, the interpretation of long-recited epic poetry, and the creative deployment of comparative histories of genocide, war, and imperialism.[...] Ahmida’s account is important, however, and should provoke consequential debates about the long, dark shadow of history in North Africa." — Lisa Anderson, Foreign Affairs https://www.foreignaffairs.com/reviews/capsule-review/2020-12-08/genocide-libya-shar-hidden-colonial-historyAuthor-interview podcast by Jeff Bachman, American University, New Books Network https://newbooksnetwork.com/genocide-in-libyaTable of ContentsIntroduction: Thinking About Forgotten Libyan Genocide 1. Where are the Survivors: The Politics of Missing Archives and Fieldwork 2. Eurocentrism, Silence and Memory of Genocide 3. We Died Because of Shar, Evil My Son: Survivors’ Stories of Death and Trauma in the Camps 4. After the Genocide: Hidden, and State Histories 5. Postscript: Rethinking Postcolonial State Formation, Crisis and Collapse in Libya Conclusion: Toward a Paradigm Shift

Read more less

Book SynopsisWinner of the L. Carl Brown AIMS Book Prize in North African Studies 2022This original research on the forgotten Libyan genocide specifically recovers the hidden history of the fascist Italian concentration camps (19291934) through the oral testimonies of Libyan survivors. This book links the Libyan genocide through cross-cultural and comparative readings to the colonial roots of the Holocaust and genocide studies.Between 1929 and 1934, thousands of Libyans lost their lives, directly murdered and victim to Italian deportations and internments. They were forcibly removed from their homes, marched across vast tracks of deserts and mountains, and confined behind barbed wire in 16 concentration camps. It is a story that Libyans have recorded in their Arabic oral history and narratives while remaining hidden and unexplored in a systematic fashion, and never in the manner that has allowed us to comprehend and begin to understand the extent of their Trade Review“This shattering study, based on remarkable scholarship, not only brings to light the long-suppressed genocidal policies of the Italian Fascist state but also leads to serious rethinking of how colonial history is framed and of the origins of the horrendous Nazi crimes. A powerful and revealing work.” — Noam Chomsky Massachusetts Institute of Technology"Ali Abdullatif Ahmida’s volume on the Libyan genocide is a masterpiece of oral history. This narrative recaptures the full texture of a great but little known atrocity. The prose and the poetry of folk memory as well as the crosscurrents of regional variation are gripping and unforgettable. A people’s suffering have been truly honoured here." — James C. Scott, Yale University"Based on oral, archival and published documentation, Ali Abdullatif Ahmida provides a damning condemnation of Italian colonialism in Libya and of the scholarship that so far has overlooked the scope and significance of the genocidal violence which enabled it. A genuine contribution to the literature on Libya, on colonialism and on studies of genocide." — Mahmood Mamdani, Columbia University"The book is a masterpiece of scholarly skill and dedication. It tells the story that many Libyans have known and have not been able to tell the world. Combining archival research, ethnographic field work, penetrating theoretical insights, and personal testimony, Ahmida has written a book that I’ve longed to read but never imagined possible until now. I am deeply grateful for this book." — Khaled Mattawa, University of Michigan"Ali Abdullatif Ahmida gives voice to the victims – and resisters – of a forgotten modern colonial genocide. Their recollections in poetry and prose provide eloquent, visceral testimony to suffering and, always, perseverance. Official narratives will no longer reign – and imperial statues should topple." — Joel Gordon, University of Arkansas"He [Ahmida] succeeds in revealing a long-obscured and gruesome past through the reminiscences of his own elderly relatives, the disciplined excavation of suppressed official archives, the interpretation of long-recited epic poetry, and the creative deployment of comparative histories of genocide, war, and imperialism.[...] Ahmida’s account is important, however, and should provoke consequential debates about the long, dark shadow of history in North Africa." — Lisa Anderson, Foreign Affairs https://www.foreignaffairs.com/reviews/capsule-review/2020-12-08/genocide-libya-shar-hidden-colonial-historyAuthor-interview podcast by Jeff Bachman, American University, New Books Network https://newbooksnetwork.com/genocide-in-libya“This shattering study, based on remarkable scholarship, not only brings to light the long-suppressed genocidal policies of the Italian Fascist state but also leads to serious rethinking of how colonial history is framed and of the origins of the horrendous Nazi crimes. A powerful and revealing work.” — Noam Chomsky Massachusetts Institute of Technology"Ali Abdullatif Ahmida’s volume on the Libyan genocide is a masterpiece of oral history. This narrative recaptures the full texture of a great but little known atrocity. The prose and the poetry of folk memory as well as the crosscurrents of regional variation are gripping and unforgettable. A people’s suffering have been truly honoured here." — James C. Scott, Yale University"Based on oral, archival and published documentation, Ali Abdullatif Ahmida provides a damning condemnation of Italian colonialism in Libya and of the scholarship that so far has overlooked the scope and significance of the genocidal violence which enabled it. A genuine contribution to the literature on Libya, on colonialism and on studies of genocide." — Mahmood Mamdani, Columbia University"The book is a masterpiece of scholarly skill and dedication. It tells the story that many Libyans have known and have not been able to tell the world. Combining archival research, ethnographic field work, penetrating theoretical insights, and personal testimony, Ahmida has written a book that I’ve longed to read but never imagined possible until now. I am deeply grateful for this book." — Khaled Mattawa, University of Michigan"Ali Abdullatif Ahmida gives voice to the victims – and resisters – of a forgotten modern colonial genocide. Their recollections in poetry and prose provide eloquent, visceral testimony to suffering and, always, perseverance. Official narratives will no longer reign – and imperial statues should topple." — Joel Gordon, University of Arkansas"He [Ahmida] succeeds in revealing a long-obscured and gruesome past through the reminiscences of his own elderly relatives, the disciplined excavation of suppressed official archives, the interpretation of long-recited epic poetry, and the creative deployment of comparative histories of genocide, war, and imperialism.[...] Ahmida’s account is important, however, and should provoke consequential debates about the long, dark shadow of history in North Africa." — Lisa Anderson, Foreign Affairs https://www.foreignaffairs.com/reviews/capsule-review/2020-12-08/genocide-libya-shar-hidden-colonial-historyAuthor-interview podcast by Jeff Bachman, American University, New Books Network https://newbooksnetwork.com/genocide-in-libyaTable of ContentsIntroduction: Thinking About Forgotten Libyan Genocide 1. Where are the Survivors: The Politics of Missing Archives and Fieldwork 2. Eurocentrism, Silence and Memory of Genocide 3. We Died Because of Shar, Evil My Son: Survivors’ Stories of Death and Trauma in the Camps 4. After the Genocide: Hidden, and State Histories 5. Postscript: Rethinking Postcolonial State Formation, Crisis and Collapse in Libya Conclusion: Toward a Paradigm Shift

Read more less

Book SynopsisSakade challenges the narrative that the focus of British manufacturing went from Empire to Europe and argues rather that, following the Second World War, the key relationship was in fact trans-Atlantic.There is a commonly accepted belief that, during the twentieth century, British manufacturing declined irreparably, that Britain lost its industrial hegemony. But this is too simplistic. In fact, in the decades after 1945, Britain staked out a new role for itself as a key participant in a US-led process of globalisation. Far from becoming merely a European player, the UK actually managed to preserve a key share in a global market, and the British defence industry was, to a large extent, successfully rehabilitated. Sakade returns to the original scholarly parameters of the decline controversy, and especially questions around post-war decline in the fields of high technology and the national defence industrial base. Using the case of the strategically critical military and civilTable of ContentsIntroduction: Britain’s ‘new role’ between Europe and the US after 1945 Part I. The Post-War British Aircraft Industry, 1943-1964 1. The origins of Anglo-American production collaboration in the first jet-age (1943-56) 2. Sandy’s Defence White Paper and the Rationalisation of the British Aircraft Industry, 1957–60 3. BOAC’s Financial Crisis and the End of the "Fly British" Policy, 1963–66 Part II. The British Dilemma. 1964-1969 4. The Cancellation of Britain’s Top Projects, 1963–65 5. The Politics Behind the Plowden Doctrine: European and American Alternatives for the British Aircraft Industry 6. The "European Technological Community" and the Anglo-German MRCA project, 1966–69 Part III. European cooperative airliner projects and Anglo–American Industrial Collaboration, 1968-1982 7. The second jet age and the bankruptcy of Rolls-Royce, 1967–71 8. Trapped in a Loveless Marriage: The Anglo-French Concorde crisis of 1974 9. Playing a Double Game: The British aircraft industry in the third jet age Conclusion

Read more less

Book SynopsisHow are different concepts of nature and time embedded into human practices of landscape and environmental management? And how can temporalities that entwine past, present and future help us deal with challenges on the ground? In a time of uncertainty and climate change, how much can we hold onto ideals of nature rooted in a pristine and stable past? The Scandinavian and Australian perspectives in this book throw fresh light on these questions and explore new possibilities and challenges in uncertain and changing landscapes of the future.This book presents examples from farmers, gardens and Indigenous communities, among others, and shows that many people and communities are already actively engaging with environmental change and uncertainty. The book is structured around four themes; environmental futures, mobile natures, indigenous and colonial legacies, heritage and management. Part I includes important contributions towards contemporary environmental management debaTable of ContentsINTRODUCTION1. Holding on and letting go: nature, temporality and environmental management PART I: Imagining new environmental futures and entwined pasts2. The outside within: the shifting ontological practice of the environment in Australia 3. Landscape, temporality and responsibility: making conceptual connections through alien invasive species 4. Presence of absence, absence of presence, and extinction narratives 5. The view from off-centre: Sweden and Australia in the imaginative discourse of the Anthropocene PART II: Living with nature in motion6. The co-presence of past and future in the practice of environmental management: implications for rural-amenity landscapes 7. Wild Tradition: hunting and nature in regional Sweden and Australia 8. Managing nature in the home garden PART III: Indigenous challenges to environmental imaginaries9. Indigenous land claims and multiple landscapes: Postcolonial openings in Finnmark, Norway 10. Mining as colonisation: the need for restorative justice and restitution of traditional Sami lands PART IV: Temporalities of environmental management11. Challenges in agricultural land management – a Scandinavian perspective on contextual variations and farmers’ room to manoeuvre 12. Performing natures: adaptive management practice in the ‘eternally unfolding present’ 13. How to bring historical forms into the future? An exploration of Swedish semi-natural grasslands

Read more less

Book SynopsisLaunched in 1950, Penguin's Russian Classics quickly progressed to include translations of many great works of Russian literature and the series came to be regarded by readers, both academic and general, as the de facto provider of classic Russian literature in English translation, the legacy of which reputation resonates right up to the present day. Through an analysis of the individuals involved, their agendas, and their socio-cultural context, this book, based on extensive original research, examines how Penguin's decisions and practices when translating and publishing the series played a significant role in deciding how Russian literature would be produced and marketed in English translation. As such the book represents a major contribution to Translation Studies, to the study of Russian literature, to book history and to the history of publishing. Table of Contents1. Creating Penguin’s Russian Classics 2. David Magarshack: Penguin translator becomes translation theorist 3. Putting translation theory into practice 4. Penguin Russian Classics after 1964 Conclusion

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis unique and authoritative guide describes more than 400 important Chinese symbols, explaining their esoteric meanings and connections. Their use and development in Chinese literature and in Chinese customs and attitudes to life are traced lucidly and precisely.`An ideal reference book to help one learn and explore further, while simultaneously giving greater insight into many other aspects of Chinese life ... the most authoritative guide to Chinese symbolism available to the general reader today ... a well-researched, informative and entertaining guide to the treasure trove of Chinese symbols.' - South China Morning PostTrade Review`A readable, authoritative and affordable work.' - Malcolm Taggart, Reference ReviewsTable of ContentsIntroduction: The Symbolic Language of the Chinese, Dictionary of Chinese Symbols, Bibliography

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn this major book, Griselda Pollock engages boldly in the culture wars over `what is the canon?` and `what difference can feminism make?` Do we simply reject the all-male line-up and satisfy our need for ideal egos with an all women litany of artistic heroines? Or is the question a chance to resist the phallocentric binary and allow the ambiguities and complexities of desire - subjectivity and sexuality - to shape the readings of art that constantly displace the present gender demarcations?Trade Review'The flow of the book is wondrous, as Pollock buils each new idea onto the next, rounded out with rigorous research.' - Elizabeth Millard, ForeWardo'If you like psychoanalytic feminism accompanied by committed, sensitive writing, then you will enjoy this read.' - Professor Gen Doy, The Art BookTable of ContentsPreface PART I Firing the canon 1 About canons and culture wars 2 Differencing: feminism's encounter with the canon PART II Reading against the grain: reading for ... 3 The ambivalence of the maternal body: re/drawing Van Gogh 4 Fathers of modern art: mothers of invention: cocking a leg at Toulouse-Lautrec PART III Heroines: setting women in the canon 5 The female hero and the making of a feminist canon: Artemisia 6 Feminist mythologies and missing mothers: Virginia Woolf, Charlotte Bronte, Artemisia Gentileschi and Cleopatra 7 Revenge: Lubaina Himid and the making of new narratives for new histories PART IV Who is the other? 8 Some letters on feminism, politics and modern art: when Edgar Degas shared a space with Mary Cassatt at the Suffrage Benefit Exhibition, New York 1915 9 A tale of three women: seeing in the dark, seeing double, at least, with Manet

Read more less

Book SynopsisOffers a critique of discourse about African music. This work offers a look at the history of African music scholarship. It offers an alternative "Afro-centric" means of understanding African music, and in doing so, describes a different mode of creativity beyond the usual provenance of Western criticism.Trade Review"presents a new way to think about African music. . . . obligatory reading." -- Grant Olwage, South AfricanJournal of Musicology "few books in recent years have pursued a more ambitious agenda. . .without any doubt the most powerful theoretical intervention in African musicology in a decade or more. . . by a long stretch, one of the most edgy and stylish pieces of writing on the politics of culture in postcolonial Africa to have appeared of late." -- Veit Erlmann, Music Theory Spectrum"strikingly original.. upset[s] applecarts of convention and dispassionate prose. . . engag[es] readers in thorough, lively, critical debate about African music and Africanist musical scholarship. . .will be required reading for students of ethnomusicology, music theory, and historical musicology for some time." -- Gabriel Solis, Notes"At times frankly informative, at times darkly ironic, and at times passionately earnest, Representing African Music reads like a resource text, satire, and manifesto all at once...[offers a] trenchant critique of otherwise neutral-seeming representations of African music.. makes many daring statements and reaches a series of alarming conclusions...Those in search of a genuinely global musical discourse...could do much worse than begin their quest by reading Agawu's Representing African Music. His is the unmistakable voice of authentic hope." -- Martin Scherzinger, Current Musicology"unfailingly intelligent, well informed, and closely argued . . .lucidly and elegantly written. . .stimulating and provocative. . provides an African outlook on controversies that have been primarily covered by scholars in Europe and the United States. . .filled with incisive observations." -- Richard M. Shain, International Journal of African Historical Studies"This is a strikingly original book, promising to shed new light both on music from across the African continent, and on the history of Africanist musical discourse. Upsetting apple carts of convention and dispassionate prose, this book, while sure to elicit controversy from virtually all corners of contemporary American musical scholarship, should be required reading not only for African music theorists, and historical musicologist with an interest in the politics of representation.Kofi Agawu's Representing African Music does an excellent jobof engaging readers in a thorough, lively, criticaldebate about African music and Africanist musicalscholarship." -- Gabriel Solis, University ofIllinois,Urbana-Champaign,NotesTable of ContentsAcknowledgements Introduction 1. Colonialism's Impact 2. The Archive 3. The Invention of African Rhythm 4. Polymeter, Additive Rhythm, and Other Enduring Myths 5. African Music as Text 6. Popular Music Defended Against its Devotees 7. Contesting Difference 8. How Not to Analyze African Music 9. The Ethics of Representation Epilogue References

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis volume presents the first complete translation of Fichte Studies, a powerful, creative and sustained critique of Fichtean philosophy by the young philosopher-poet Friedrich von Hardenberg, who under the pen-name Novalis went on to become the most well-known and beloved of the early German Romantic writers. Anyone interested in the fate of German philosophy and literature immediately after Kant will find this collection of notes and aphorisms a treasure-trove of original contributions on the nature of self-consciousness, the relation of art to philosophy, and the nature of philosophical inquiry. There are also the beginnings of a strikingly contemporary-sounding semiotic theory. The text is translated by Jane Kneller, who also provides an introduction situating the Fichte Studies in the context of Novalis' life and work.Table of ContentsGroup I: 1-210; Group II: 211-287; Group III: 288-372; Group IV: 373-552; Group V: 553-568; Group VI: 569-667.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis Companion explains key aspects of modern Chinese culture without assuming prior knowledge of China or the Chinese language. Invaluable for students of Chinese studies, this book includes a glossary of key terms, a chronology and a guide to further reading.Trade Review"Highly recommended." - ChoiceTable of Contents1. Defining modern Chinese culture Kam Louie; 2. Social and political developments: the making of the twentieth-century Chinese state Peter Zarrow; 3. Historical consciousness and national identity Prasenjit Duara; 4. Gender in modern Chinese culture Harriet Evans; 5. Ethnicity and Chinese identity: ethnographic insight and political positioning William Jankowiak; 6. Flag, flame and embers: diaspora cultures Wang Gungwu; 7. Modernizing Confucianism and 'new Confucianism' Tan Sor-hoon; 8. Socialism in China: a historical overview Arif Dirlik; 9. Chinese religious traditions from 1900–2005: an overview Daniel Overmeyer; 10. Languages in a modernizing China Chen Ping; 11. The revolutionary tradition in modern Chinese literature Charles Laughlin; 12. The involutionary tradition in modern Chinese literature Michel Hockx; 13. Music and performing arts: tradition, reform and political and social relevance Colin Mackerras; 14. Revolutions in vision: Chinese art and the experience of modernity David Clarke; 15. Cinema: from foreign import to global brand Chris Berry; 16. Media boom and cyber culture: television and the internet in China Liu Kang; 17. Physical culture, sports and the Olympics Susan Brownell; Glossary of Chinese characters; Index.

Read more less

Book SynopsisMary Carruthers's classic study of the training and uses of memory in European cultures during the Middle Ages has fundamentally changed the way scholars understand medieval culture. This fully revised and updated second edition considers afresh all the material and conclusions of the first.Table of ContentsPreface to the second edition; Introduction; 1. Models for the memory; 2. Descriptions of the neuropsychology of memory; 3. Elementary memory design; 4. The arts of memory; 5. Memory and the ethics of reading; 6. Memory and authority; 7. Memory and the book; Appendices; Notes; Bibliography; Index of manuscripts; General index.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisMadonna is perhaps one of the most consistently transgressive and self-transforming artists of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. The recent release of two critically acclaimed and best-selling albums and a sold-out world tour have renewed media and academic interest in the artist. Madonna presents a set of strikingly new challenges to cultural analysis, and new developments in Gender, Queer and Ethnic studies have shed more light on her entire oeuvre. Whilst the contributors do refer to classic cultural theorists such as Baudrillard, Zizek, Foucault and Barthes, new theoretical approaches to Madonna's work feature prominently. In view of this, the present volume offers new perspectives on Madonna's work to date, addressing her configurations of race, gender and sex(uality) and with special emphasis on her resurrection after the Sex backlash in the early 1990s. The collection focuses on new Madonna-related topics such as Hinduism, Judaism, Japanese culture, All-American culture,Trade Review'... the variety of issues discussed in the text should make it a valuable and up-to-date resource with quite a wide audience.' Popular MusicTable of ContentsContents: Who's That Girl?: Introduction: Re-invention? Madonna's drowned worlds resurface, Santiago Fouz-Hernández and Freya Jarman-Ivens. Part I The Girlie Show: Gender Identities: Dragging out camp: narrative agendas in Madonna's musical production, Stan Hawkins; Madonna's girls in the mix: performance of femininity beyond the beautiful, Patricia Pisters; Where is the female body? Androgyny and other strategies of disappearance in Madonna's music videos, Corinna Herr. Part II Post-Virgin: Sexual Identities: Queer hearing and the Madonna queen, Keith E. Clifton; What it feels like for two girls: Madonna's play with lesbian (sub-)cultures, Freya Jarman-Ivens. Part III Drowned Worlds: Ethnic Identities: East is hot! 'Madonna's Indian Summer' and the poetics of appropriation, Michael Angelo Tata; Re-worlding the oriental: critical perspectives on Madonna as geisha, Rahul Gairola; The day the music died laughing: Madonna and Country, Sean Albiez; Crossing the border(line): Madonna's encounter with the Hispanic, Santiago Fouz-Hernández. Part IV Blond Ambition: Consuming Celebrity: Madonna's daughters: girl power and the empowered girl-pop breakthrough, David Gauntlett; Consuming Madonna then and now: an examination of the dynamics and structuring of celebrity consumption, Lisa Peñaloza. Bibliography; Index.

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn this major reassessment of his subject, Richard Rowland restores Thomas Heywood-playwright, miscellanist and translator-to his rightful place in early modern theatre history. Rowland contextualizes and historicizes this important contemporary of Shakespeare, locating him on the geographic and cultural map of London through the business Heywood conducts in his writing. Arguing that Heywood''s theatrical output deserves the same attention and study that has been directed towards Shakespeare, Jonson, and more recently Middleton, this book looks at three periods of Heywood''s creativity: the end of the Elizabethan era and the beginning of the Jacobean, the mid 1620s, and the mid to late 1630s. By locating the works of those years precisely in the political and cultural conflicts to which they respond, Rowland initiates a major reassessment of the remarkable achievements of this playwright. Rowland also pays attention to Heywood in performance, seeing this writer as a jobbing playwrigTrade Review'Thomas Heywood’s Theatre, 1599-1639 fits a fascinating piece into the emerging picture of the "complete" early modern theatre. Rowland beds interpretation firmly in cultural, historical, and textual recuperation and analysis. He lets us know the weight and value of things in their time. He connects things to people and people to each other. He offers genealogies of circumstance and familiarity that vastly enrich our reading of the plays. He puts the authentic stink of London and her citizens into our nostrils. Rowland’s writing about Heywood makes you want to read Heywood - and even more, to see Heywood restored to our theatre.' Carol Chillington Rutter, University of Warwick, UK 'Richard Rowland’s lively study of Heywood is equally evocative of early modern London, demonstrating how the burgeoning self-awareness of the city and its citizens infused the drama appearing on its stages. The specificity of location in Edward IV is more than incidental to the drama, and owes much to the contemporary publication of John Stow’s Survey of London which helped to make topographical reference both safe and widely understood. Rowland further shows how Heywood explores another key component of early modern London society, the nexus of home, house and household. Here the emphasis is spatial rather than topographical, but the difficulties and dangers of metropolitan marriage and householding emerge clearly. Rowland argues that our appreciation of the complexity and power of Heywood’s drama gains greatly from its performance on stage, but this book will make at least an equal contribution to that end.' Vanessa Harding, Birkbeck, University of London, UK '...a work of fine scholarship... a significant and welcome achievement guiding us to reappraise a playwriting career that has too often been neglected...' Times Literary Supplement '... this excellent monograph is evidence of the importance of continuing scholarly work on this neglected playwright. It makes a sTable of ContentsContents: Introduction; Part I Heywood's English Landscapes: A 'London that yee see hourely': Heywood, Stow, and the invention of the city staged; Moving inside(s): Heywood's divided households. Part II Staging Roman Comedy in Stuart London: Introduction: stages of translation in early modern England; 'Of coyne and prtious marchandyse': trade and slavery in The Captives; 'Some mirth, some matter': the innovative tragicomedy of The English Traveller; Out of the dripping pan, into the fire: Loves Mistris. Part III Street Theatre: London's peaceable estate? The pageants; Index.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book explores the life and work of Omar Khayyam as a provocateur of peace. While Khayyam is known for his poetry, he was foremost a prominent mathematician who looked at the world from a unique perspective. Using the transformative power of mathematics, he brought together seemingly irreconcilable concepts in his work. Through his art, philosophy, and mathematics, Khayyam sought to create harmony between what on the surface looks like a clash between his scientific view, romantic and often provocative poetry, and philosophy. The book sheds light on his spiritual and philosophical journey through a cross-sectional account of his poetry, philosophical view, and mathematics and science. It explores the complex inner life of a multidimensional scholar as he negotiated between faith and science, constructing a framework for peace by looking at the world as it presents itself to us, contemplating the temporality of life and enriching it with wisdom and joy.Historically and culTable of ContentsSeries Editor's PrefaceIntroduction1 The World Khayyam Was Born Into 2 The Creative Space 3 Life as Integration of Moments 4 Khayyam, the Peace Provocateur ConclusionAppendix: A Stylometric Analysis of Khayyam's PoetryReferencesIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisDuring the Cold War, Switzerland functioned as a hub for Chinese propaganda networks. Despite its fierce anti-communism, the Swiss Confederation was one of the first capitalist countries to recognise the People''s Republic of China (PRC). As a neutral country and as the home base for many international organisations, Switzerland represented a strategic centre for the spread of Maoism throughout the world. Focusing on cultural diplomacy and questioning the notion of soft power, this book explores how the PRC developed its influence and its prestige abroad through its Embassy in Bern, the most important in Western Europe. The book also discusses how China's approach in Switzerland, bypassing traditional diplomatic structures, and relying on contacts with individual people foreign friends was then used, and continues to be used, in many other countries, including the United States, France, and Japan.Table of ContentsIntroduction Part I Diplomacy and Propaganda 1. Obstacles to a Sino-Swiss cultural diplomacy 2. Swiss cultural events in China 3. China’s "people’s diplomacy" Part II The Many Faces of Friendship 4. Under surveillance (1949-1964) 5. Golden age (1964-1976) 6. Bittersweet twilight (1976-1989) Part III Pro-Chinese Culture and Politics 7. The voice of Beijing in Switzerland 8. A small step for Man, a giant leap for Friendship 9. With a friend like Han Suyin… Conclusion

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book analyses Japan's security policy after the Cold War and engages with the question of whether, since the Cold War ended, Japan has again become a global security player. The contributions to the book explore Japan's security policy by providing a detailed overview of the evolution of Japan's security policy after the Cold War, including the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty and the Senkaku/Daioyu Islands dispute. It also reveals the preeminent security concerns of contemporary Japan by delving into regional security issues such as the Layered Security of Okinawa, the increasing nuclear threat from North Korea, and the Taiwan Strait Crisis of 1995-6. The book culminates by discussing security in terms of the essential functions of energy, food, and human security, including an assessment of Japan's energy policy since World War II and an assessment of the impact food security on Japan's agriculture and trade. This book will be of interest to student and scholars of EaTable of ContentsPart 1: Historical Overview 1. The Cold War and Japan-US Alliance as Backdrop 2. Post-Cold War Crises and A Search for a New Security Policy 3. Did Japan become a global security player again? Part 2: Regional Issues 4. Japan and South Korea: Can the two countries cooperate over North Korea nuclear crisis? 5. Layered Security on Okinawa: Engaging international, national, and subnational narratives 6. How did Japan take the Taiwan Strait Crisis of 1995-6 Part 3: Security Policy by Function 7. Japan’s Energy Security 8. Japan’s Food Security Policy 9. Why Did Japan Engage in Human Security Diplomacy?

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book presents a comprehensive overview of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the long-running dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Armenian-majority region of Azerbaijan. It outlines the historical development of the dispute, explores the political and social aspects of the conflict, examines the wars over the territory including the war of 2020 which resulted in a significant Azerbaijani victory, and discusses the international dimensions.Table of ContentsM. Hakan Yavuz and Michael M. Gunter, "Introduction." Part I: Conceptual and Historical Origins 1. Kamala Imranli-Lowe, "Karabakh: Historical Background." 2. Jamil Hasanli, "The Sovietization of Azerbaijan and a Road to Autonomy in Nagorno-Karabakh (1920–1923)." 3. Eldar Abbasov, "Armenian Irredendist Nationalism and Its Transformation into the Mass Karabakh Movement,"MIATSUM" (1965–1988)." 4. Farid Shafiyev, "The Orientalizing of Azerbaijanis and the Armenia-Azerbaijani Conflict." Part II: The First Karabakh War and the Consequences 5. Michael M. Gunter, "Self-Determination or Territorial Integrity? International Legal/Political Doctrines in Opposition and Their Implications for Karabakh." 6. Shamkhal Abilov and Ceyhun Mahmudlu, "The UN Security Council Resolutions on Nagorno-Karabakh: View from Azerbaijan." 7. Araz Aslanli, "The Politics of Ceasefire and the Occupation." 8. Farhad Mirzayev, "The Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict: International Law Appraisal." 9. Kamal Makili-Aliyev, "International Law and the Changes in the Status Quo of the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict in 2020." Part III: The Second Karabakh War and the Consequences 10. Edward J. Erickson, "How Do We Explain Victory? The Karabakh Campaign of 2020." 11. Ali Askerov and Gubad Ibadoglu, "The Causes and Consequences of the Second Karabakh War: September 27, 2021–November 10, 2021." Part IV: Foreign Policy and the Karabakh War 12. M. Hakan Yavuz, "Turkish Foreign Policy and the Karabakh Conflict." 13. Emil Avdaliani, "Georgia and the Second Karabakh War." 14. Esmira Jafarova, "The Role of the United States in the Armenia-Azerbaijani Conflict." 15. Orhan Gafarli, "Russia's Role in the Karabakh Conflict." 16. Michael B. Bishku, "Israel's Foreign Policy toward the Karabakh Conflict." 17. Mesiagha Mahammadi and Vasif Huseynov, "Iran’s Policies Toward the Karabakh Conflict." 18. Brendon J. Cannon, "The Arab States and the Karabakh War." 19. Ozay Mehmet, "The Nagorno-Karabakh War: Diaspora Politics in Canadian Foreign Policy."

Read more less