Social and cultural history Books

Book SynopsisA powerful account of the decline of the Cuban Revolution, told through the lives of five ordinary Cuban citizens. 'Masterful... Dore uses oral history to tell a history of Cuba from the bottom up' Professor Linda Gordon 'A vital addition to Cuba's rich oral tradition' Will Grant, BBC Cuba Correspondent 'Opens wide a window on the last forty years of Cuban history' Professor Gerald Martin 'To have gathered these life stories together with such grace, eloquence and trust is a towering achievement' Professor Ruth Behar Cuba is not the country it used to be. The regime is disintegrating, and unprecedented protest marches are challenging the gerontocratic Communist Party leadership. How Things Fall Apart reveals the decay of this political system through the lives of five ordinary Cuban citizens. Born in the 1970s and 80s, these men and women recount how their lives changed over a tumultuous stretch of thirty-five years: first when Fidel opened the country to tourism following the fall of the Soviet bloc; then when Raúl Castro allowed market forces to operate, thinking it would stop the country's economic slide; and finally when President Trump's tightening of the US embargo combined with the Covid-19 pandemic to cause economic collapse. With warmth and humanity, they describe learning to survive in an environment where a tiny minority has grown rich by local standards, the great majority has been left behind, and inequality has destroyed the very things that used to give meaning to Cubans' lives. Born out of the first oral history project authorized by the Cuban government in forty years, Professor Elizabeth Dore gathers these stories to illuminate the slow and agonizing decline of the Cuban Revolution over the past four decades. For over sixty years the government controlled the historical narrative. In this book, Cubans tell their own stories.Trade ReviewMasterful... Dore uses oral history to tell a history of Cuba from the bottom up, accompanied by her own astute commentary. How Things Fall Apart reads like a set of vivid short stories -- Professor Linda GordonAn elegant account of the evolution of a revolution. Writing on a topic which still has the power to provoke the most visceral responses across the political spectrum, Dore has done a rare thing: she has let the Cuban people speak for themselves. Dore handles their stories of triumph and hardship with honesty, compassion and respect, and in the process has held up a mirror to the state of the Cuban Revolution in the twenty-first century. How Things Fall Apart is a vital addition to Cuba's rich oral tradition -- Will Grant, BBC Mexico, Central America and Cuba CorrespondentThese life stories of Cubans are so raw, so honest, so moving, that you feel as if you know each of them personally. To have gathered them together with such grace, eloquence and trust is a towering achievement... This book serves as a testament to the audacity and sorrow Cubans experienced in seeking to change not only their own history but the history of the world -- Professor Ruth Behar, author of Letters from CubaElizabeth Dore's book opens wide a window on the last forty years of Cuban history and allows us to listen, uniquely, to the always vivid memories and conclusions of ordinary Cubans as they look back on the lives they lived during the most arduous and troubled years of the Revolution -- Professor Gerald MartinCuba through human lenses. Dore's impressive book sadly portrays the unraveling of the revolutionary utopian dream -- Professor Susan EcksteinThe chronicle of a death foretold * Spectator *

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Book SynopsisAn affectionate but meticulously researched history of one of the most beautiful and best-loved corners of England – Crosthwaite Parish, nestling deep within the mountains and valleys of the Lake District. 'A unique contribution to English history' Hunter Davies 'A delightful, refreshingly written book, attentive to social detail and telling the only story that matters – history' Simon Jenkins 'A wonderful book' Margaret Drabble 'A completely fresh perspective on the Lakes and Lake Poets... I hugely enjoyed it' Andrew Marr Bounded by the peaks of Scafell, Skiddaw and Helvellyn, and embracing such well-known landmarks as Borrowdale, Derwentwater and Keswick, it lies within the heart of the Lake Poets' landscape and its rugged terrain excites passion in all those who know it. The Parish also boasts a remarkable history. Its 90 square miles were governed, from medieval times, by eighteen annually chosen 'customary tenants'; ancestors of the people who later prompted Wordsworth's portrayal of the area as 'a perfect Republic of Shepherds and agriculturalists'. His fellow poet Robert Southey lived within the Parish for forty years, was an active parishioner and rests in St Kentigern's churchyard. Here he is given his rightful position as a Lake Poet. In the nineteenth century, the Victorian state killed off the old parish system, sweeping away the egalitarian rule of the Eighteen Men. But a degree of redemption was at hand. Canon Rawnsley, vicar of Crosthwaite from 1883, pledged to defend the Lake District for future generations. So the Parish was at the heart of the creation of the National Trust and blazed a trail for a wider movement to preserve the English landscape. Writing with a historian's rigour and bearing aloft the banner of the Lake District statesmen, Philippa Harrison has produced a magisterial and fascinating record of a parish with a unique social, cultural and aesthetic resonance in English history.Trade ReviewHas there ever been a parish history so well researched, so filled with history and literature, campaigns and causes, and so fascinating? No chance. This is a unique contribution to English history -- Hunter Davies, author of LakelandStimulating, wide-ranging and full of interest -- Angus J L Winchester, Emeritus Professor of History, Lancaster UniversityA delightful, refreshingly written book, attentive to social detail and telling the only story that matters – history -- Simon Jenkins, Chairman of the National Trust 2008-2014A completely fresh perspective on the Lakes and Lake Poets... I hugely enjoyed it' -- Andrew MarrI love Mountain Republic. Both intimate and authoritative, it is a wonderful book -- Margaret DrabbleThis remarkable chronicle introduces the reader to Christian missionaries, Anglo-Saxon and Norse invaders, Scottish royals, local gentry, the 'Eighteen Men', Romantic poets, a succession of clergy with widely and sometimes wildly diverse convictions, and the local people who shaped the land in which they were rooted as the land shaped them. With a rare combination of finely detailed erudition and engaging, elegant, page-turning prose, Philippa Harrison charts the evolution of the Lake District. Anyone who reads her narrative will be richly rewarded -- Dr John Inge, Bishop of WorcesterPhilippa's perspective as both a local and a historian provides a fascinating take * This England *[An] affectionate scholarship grounded in the Lake District parish of Crosthwaite... [An] appropriately monumental book' * Church Times *At its heart this is a history of the farming communities of the region [...] with the ability to appeal to all those attracted to the region and not just the Lake district. A very difficult book to put down, sparking interest at each turn of the page -- Chris Craghill, Cumbria Local History FederationThere must have been thousands of books written about the Lake District, but if you thought that there could be nothing left to say about it, then think again; this fascinating social history of Crosthwaite parish stopped even this Cumbrian reader and writer in her tracks... It already looks destined for a place in the Lake District literary canon -- Sue Allan, Cumbria LifeA remarkable book with great merit... A well-written work which provides a valuable chronicle of the interplay over centuries between local management and national and regional controlling institutions, which is relevant to so many local parishes and townships -- Dr Derek Denman, Wanderer, L&DFLHSAn amazing achievement. I learned such a lot from it, from the history, from the industry, from agriculture, social history, land-ownership, museums, the economy, and then whole substories which I just found fascinating: the history of the churches in the 1830s, the sewage... Tthe mass trespass on 'Skiddaw's cub' which I knew nothing about. At times it was as though our collection was being brought alive by the portraits of some often-mentioned names, and I particularly want to thank Philippa for changing and opening my eyes about Robert Southey -- Jeff Cowton, Curator and Head of Learning, Wordsworth Grasmere, The Lake Poets: Hill Farming, Mountaineering and PoliticsA big-hearted-embrace of a book, and there are riches in it for all readers ... Philippa Harrison is a gifted narrator, Mountain Republic is a great read and a treasure trove of anecdote and fact for regional historians -- Terry McCormick, Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society NewsThis authoritative and well-researched history is very accessible, very enjoyable and full of fascinating details... A joy to read from beginning to end * The Local Historian *

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Book SynopsisWhat is heritage? When was it invented? What is its place in the world today? What is its place tomorrow? Heritage is all around us: millions belong to its organisations, tens of thousands volunteer for it, and politicians pay lip service to it. When the Victorians began to employ the term in something approaching the modern sense, they applied it to cathedrals, castles, villages and certain landscapes. Since then a multiplicity of heritage labels have arisen, cultural and commercial, tangible and intangible – for just as every era has its notion of heritage, so does every social group, and every generation. In Heritage, James Stourton focuses on elements of our cultural and natural environment that have been deliberately preserved: the British countryside and national parks, buildings such as Blenheim Palace and Tattershall Castle, and the works of art inside them. He charts two heroic periods of conservation – the 1880s and the 1960s – and considers whether threats of wealth, rampant development and complacency are similar in the present day. Heritage is both a story of crisis and profound change in public perception, and one of hope and regeneration.Trade ReviewA fascinating, erudite, engaging — and much needed — book. * Neil MacGregor *Compelling and thought-provoking, this book not only explores how Britain's rich and diverse heritage has been conserved (and in some cases destroyed) in the past, but offers a ray of hope for its future -- Tracy Borman[A] huge, energetic and tightly written tome on the two-and-half-century history of conservation battles in our homeland... A masterful, dynamic and extremely readable survey of one the major issues of our times. Or all times * Literary Review *It not only covers the conservation and protection of our buildings and landscapes, but also the wider cultural aspects * This England *PRAISE FOR JAMES STOURTON: 'Richly detailed, colourful and astute and it moves at a cracking pace... A resplendent biography' The Sunday Times. 'The deft weaving of architectural, social and contemporary history will reveal unexpected pleasures' Art Quarterly. 'This lavishly illustrated compendium suggests that the age of elegance endures' Mail on Sunday. 'Wonderfully learned, gossipy and instructive... The historical research is formidable... Witty, informative and endlessly fascinating' * Literary Review *

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Book SynopsisDramatic incidents such as the Great Fire of London, the Black Death and the Gunpowder Plot have always captured the imagination. Equally fascinating are the causes and long-term effects on the lives of ordinary people caught up in the consequences of extraordinary events. Look out for more Pitkin Guides on the very best of British history, heritage and travel.

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Book SynopsisFully illustrated with beautiful photographs, this special commemorative book by royal biographer Brian Hoey – who had the privilege of meeting Diana on several occasions – pays tribute to the life of this remarkable young woman. Diana, Princess of Wales was admired throughout the world for her vitality, compassion, determination and beauty. When she first came on the scene, she brought a new dimension to the Royal Family and quickly became regarded as one of the most glamorous women in the world. Yet she remained very much her own person: tough but touchingly vulnerable, self-willed but compassionate to a degree that was unprecedented in one of her generation and background. Her tragic death in 1997, in the prime of her life, shocked the world and unleashed a tide of public grief rarely seen. More than a quarter of a century later, her worldwide popularity remains as strong as ever: she is the unforgettable Diana.Trade Review‘Lavishly illustrated’ Sunday Independent (IE)

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Book Synopsis Published in Association with the German Historical Institute, Washington, D.C. Wilma and Georg Iggers came from different backgrounds, Wilma from a Jewish farming family from the German-speaking border area of Czechoslovakia, Georg from a Jewish business family from Hamburg. They both escaped with their parents from Nazi persecution to North America where they met as students. As a newly married couple they went to the American South where they taught in two historic Black colleges and were involved in the civil rights movement. In 1961 they began going to West Germany regularly not only to do research but also to further reconciliation between Jews and Germans, while at the same time in their scholarly work contributing to a critical confrontation with the German past. After overcoming first apprehensions, they soon felt Göttingen to be their second home, while maintaining their close involvements in America. After 1966 they frequently visited East Germany and Czechslovakia in an attempt to build bridges in the midst of the Cold War. The book relates their very different experiences of childhood and adolescence and then their lives together over almost six decades during which they endeavored to combine their roles as parents and scholars with their social and political engagements. In many ways this is not merely a dual biography but a history of changing conditions in America and Central Europe during turbulent times.Trade Review Reactions to the German edition: “What among the advantages of this book has to be counted is the fact that the authors were fully aware of the political and social situation during the various stages of their lives and able to reflect on it.” • H-German (H-Net)Table of Contents Preface Chapter 1. From Bohemia to Canada (1921–1942) Chapter 2. From Hamburg to Richmond (1926–1944) Chapter 3. Graduate Studies in Chicago and New York (1943–1949) Chapter 4. The Struggle against Racial Segregation: Little Rock and New Orleans (1950–1960) Chapter 5. Return to Europe (1960–1962) Chapter 6. Turbulent Years in Buffalo (1962–1970) Chapter 7. The Seventies and Eighties (1970–1990) Chapter 8. Our Contacts with East Germany (1966–1990) Chapter 9. Private Life and Ties to Bohemia (1970–2006) Chapter 10. After the Cold War (1990–2006) Chapter 11. Conclusion Index

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Book Synopsis*A BBC RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK*The first book to tell the story of day-to-day life on the nuclear home front - from the host of #1 podcast Atomic Hobo'So entertaining' The Times 'Cracking' Sunday TelegraphThe atomic bombs of 1945 changed war forever. The awesome power of the blast and its deadly fallout meant home in Britain fell under the nuclear shadow, and the threat of annihilation coloured every aspect of ordinary life for the next forty years.Families were encouraged to construct makeshift shelters with cardboard and sandbags. Vicars and pub landlords learnt how to sound hand-wound sirens, offering four minutes to scramble to safety. Thousands volunteered to give nuclear first aid, often consisting of breakfast tea, herbal remedies, and advice on how to die without contaminating others. And while the public had to look after themselves, bunkers were readied for the officials and experts who would ensure life continued after the catastrophe.Today we may read about the Cold War and life in Britain under the shadow of the mushroom cloud with a sense of amusement and relief that the apocalypse did not happen. But it is also a timely and powerful reminder that, so long as nuclear weapons exist, the nuclear threat will always be with us.'Impossible to believe, just as hard to put down' Dan Snow'Simultaneously horrifying, weirdly nostalgic and darkly hilarIous' Mark Haddon, author of The PorpoiseTrade ReviewCracking * Sunday Telegraph *So entertaining * The Times *Very good ... A sobering book, but a gripping one * Spectator *Julie McDowall's thoroughly gripping study ... makes for genuinely startling and sometimes darkly funny reading... [it's] brilliantly chilling and sparkily engaging * Mail on Sunday *Attack Warning Red! is a timely reminder of the mind-blanking horror of nuclear warfare, as it menaces Europe once more * Sunday Times *Simultaneously horrifying, weirdly nostalgic and darkly hilarious * Mark Haddon, author of The Porpoise *Impossible to believe, just as hard to put down. Urgent. Terrifying * Dan Snow, historian and host of History Hit *Superb ... a lucid, totally compulsive read from beginning to end, chilling as well as profoundly empathetic in tone * Mick Jackson, director of Threads *Brilliant and unforgettable ... A beautifully writtern horror story and amazing work of research ... Julie McDowall has made the unreadable compulsive and the unthinkable thinkable, but above all this is a book that cherishes humanity in all its absurdity, intelligence, vulnerability, courage and, against all odds, belief in hope and survival * Juliet Nicolson, author of Frostquake *Captivating, chilling, and at times darkly humorous. A fascinating insight into Britain's preparations for surviving Armageddon, and the ghastly reality of what the aftermath of a nuclear war would actually be like * Lewis Dartnell, author of The Knowledge *Fascinating * Sir Lawrence Freedman, author of Command *How to prepare for Armageddon? Julie McDowell has written the best exploration yet of how successive British administrations grappled with the challenge of living under the shadow of nuclear war, with depth, compassion and very necessary dark humour * Prof. Mark Galeotti, author of The Weaponisation of Everything *This by turns harrowing and farcical book charts the reality of living under constant threat of nuclear oblivion * iPaper *Timely ... harrowing ... farcical ... the most surprising aspect of Attack Warning Red!, however, is that, alongside generous helpings of fear and unease, it carries a strong charge of nostalgia * Scotland on Sunday *Attack Warning Red! effectively pulls together many strands from this unsettling aspect of British history and weaves them in a way that will alarm and entertain * BBC History Magazine *A fascinating read * Radio Times *An atomic Dad's Army, McDowall's history of the UK's nuclear civil defence is full of hilarious gems * Daily Telegraph *McDowall's book has the tone of a podcast [...] She leads her audience round bunkers, propaganda films and government records, pointing out the horrifying, the unexpected and the absurd * London Review of Books *Most interesting * Times Literary Supplement *An unsettling festive read * Soldier *

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Book SynopsisThe Oxenholme Hounds is a fascinating narrative of The Oxenholme Stag Hounds. It introduces the reader to the participants of the hunt and their adventures and misadventures as they hunted during a six-month period during 1934-5 over large areas of Cumbria and Lancashire. The hunt was comprised of members of some of the most influential families who lived in Kendal and the surrounding area at that time and this book offers insights into some colourful characters and lively accounts of the meets they attended. The Oxenholme Hounds, which is illustrated with photographs and charming paintings, perfectly captures the atmosphere and the camaraderie of a past generation as they indulged in what is now a forbidden pastime, (although, contrary to popular belief, the hunt rarely resulted in a kill). After a long history the hunt was eventually dispersed at the start of World War II and was never restarted. The Oxenhome Hounds, however, remains as an absorbing and enchanting social record of a bygone era.

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Book SynopsisA century ago the summits of the world's highest peaks, Everest included, were beyond reach. Pioneering attempts to overcome the dangers of climbing at extremely high altitudes ended in failure, sometimes with disastrous consequences. Yet today high-altitude ascents are frequent, almost commonplace. Everest can be conquered by relatively inexperienced mountaineers, and their exploits barely merit media attention - unless they go fatally wrong. In this fascinating study of the dramatic history of Everest climbs, Richard Sale and George Rodway describe in vivid detail the struggle to conquer the mountain and the advances in scientific knowledge that made the conquest possible. Their account gives a compelling insight into the science of mountaineering as well as the physical and psychological challenges faced by individuals who choose to test themselves in some of the harshest conditions on earth. Dr George Rodway, an assistant professor at the University of Utah, is a physiologist, mountaineer and an expert on mountain medicine and the science of high-altitude climbs. As well as publishing many papers and articles on these subjects, he is the editor of George Ingle Finch's The Struggle for Everest. He has also written extensively on the history of high-altitude physiology for journals such as High Altitude Medicine and Biology.

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Book SynopsisNow an established global force, China has experienced a sustained period of staggering economic growth since policy reform in the 1970s. Chinese urbanisation is the most significant example of economic, environmental and social change both within China and globally. In recent years, central government has made a concerted effort to encourage city governments to realign their priorities and achieve a balance between economic efficiency, social justice and environmental protection. Chinese Urban Transformation: A Tale of Six Cities is a fascinating exploration of the dramatic development Chinese cities have undergone. Tracing this transformation through a comprehensive analysis of social and economic change in six cities, it unravels the complex relationship between policy, outlook and role that urban development plays in China’s view of itself, including the tensions resulting from rapid social and economic change. Grounded in current Chinese planning and both classical and recent discussions on the city and urban spaces, this book is essential for architects, planners, urban designers and engineers with an interest in working in, learning about, or trying to break into Chinese urban planning and social policy.Table of Contents1. The Process & Orientation of China’s Urbanization 2. Chinese Cities: Functions and Industrial Layout 3. Land Property Rights System and Land Administration 4. Community Governance in China 5. Understanding the Environmental Agenda 6. Shanghai: Striving for an Excellent Global City 7. Nanchang: Toward a Low-carbon City 8. Qingdao: Toward a Blue Economic Zone 9. Hangzhou: A Paradise on Earth 10. Chengdu: Toward a World Ecological Garden City11. Hefei: Toward an Innovative City12. The Assessment Report of Urban Transformation and Upgrading Capabilities in China

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Book SynopsisThis book is a record of the development of an institution with a remarkable history. Its foundations go back to the early part of the nineteenth century when the local Huddersfield community decided it wanted a place of learning to promote the education of the working classes. Since 1825 development has encompassed a mechanics institution, a female educational institute, a college of technology and a polytechnic, before becoming the University of Huddersfield we know today. The author, the late John O'Connell, was a Professor at Huddersfield and this book draws upon his research which now resides in the University archives.Table of ContentsList of platesix, List of colour platesxi, Forewordxii, Prefacexiii. Part 1: From Mechanics' Institution to Polytechnic, 1841-1970 1. The founding fathers, 1841-541, 2. The transition to Technical School, 1854-8313, 3. The first age of technical education, 1884-1914:...25, a) the road to Municipalisation, 1884-1903; b) the pre-war Municipal Technical college, 1903-14. 4. war and peace, 1914-46:...41 a) The First World War and its aftermath, 1914-24; b)Between the wars, 1918-39; c)The Second World War, 1939-46. 5. The Scott Era, 1946-70:...55 a)A decade of uncertainty, 1946-56 b)The halting progression to Polytechnic status, 1956-70. Part ll: The Polytechnic of Huddersfield, 1970-1992, 6. The establishment of the Polytechnic and the merger with Holly Bank, 1970-74:...73 a)The establishment of the Polytechnic, 1970-72; b)The merger with Holly Bank and departments in flux, 1972-74. 7. Adjusting to Kirklees, and the crisis of 1979-81 (1974-81):...85 a)Adjusting to Kirklees, 1974-79; b)Mounting troubles and the crisis of 1979-81. 8. Roles, relationships and the road to independence, 1989-92:...107 a)Roles and relationships, 1982-89. b)Evolution and independance, 1985-89. 9. The Higher Education Corporation: Polytechnic to University, 1989-92:...135 a)Establishment of the Corporation, 1989-91; b)"A happy and successful year", 1991-92. Postscript...155. Appendix...157. Index...159.

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Book SynopsisIn this remarkable biography, Jennifer Ashton uses the life of one man as a unique lens through which to view the early history of New Zealand. Born in Scotland in 1818, John Webster came to New Zealand via Australia in 1841 (after a violent encounter in the outback which he just escaped unscathed) and spent most of the rest of his life in Hokianga. At the Margin of Empire charts his colourful experiences carving out a fortune as the region's leading timber trader and cultivating connections with the leading figures of the day, M?ori and P?keh?. Webster fought alongside T?mati W?ka Nene in the Northern War, married one of Nene's relatives and built up his kauri timber business through trade with local chiefs (though at one point awoke to find a plundering party had arrived on his front lawn). He was also friends with Frederick Maning, and visited by George Grey, Richard Seddon and other luminaries of the day. Ashton takes us into Hokianga to reveal how the evolving intimate relationships and economic transactions of everyday life reflected larger shifts in colonial power. She argues that through his daily interactions, Webster helped slowly shift the balance of power in the North: the credit that he extended to his customers and kin saw them selling land to pay debts, helping push M?ori into economic dependence. In telling the story of John Webster's long and colourful life for the first time, this biography also explores the wider transformation of relationships between M?ori and P?keh? during the nineteenth century. It is an intimate and revealing account of life in early New Zealand.

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Book SynopsisDuring the nineteenth century, Maori women produced letters and memoirs, wrote off to newspapers and commissioners, appeared before commissions of enquiry, gave evidence in court cases, and went to the Native Land Court to assert their rights. He Reo Wahine is a bold new introduction to the experience of Maori women in colonial New Zealand through Maori women's own words - the speeches and evidence, letters and testimonies that they left in the archive. Drawing from over 500 texts in both English and te reo Maori written by Maori women themselves, or expressing their words in the first person, He Reo Wahine explores the range and diversity of Maori women's concerns and interests, the many ways in which they engaged with colonial institutions, as well as their understanding and use of the law, legal documents, and the court system. The book both collects those sources - providing readers with substantial excerpts from letters, petitions, submissions and other documents - and interprets them. Eight chapters group texts across key themes: land sales, war, land confiscation and compensation, politics, petitions, legal encounters, religion and other private matters. Beside a large scholarship on New Zealand women's history, the historical literature on Maori women is remarkably thin. This book changes that by utilising the colonial archives to explore the feelings, thoughts and experiences of M?ori women - and their relationships to the wider world.Trade ReviewHe Reo Wahine makes for fascinating reading bringing together as it does a wide range of nineteenth-century Maori women's voices out from colonial archives and in to the public purview. The extensive quotes, excerpts and wholesale reproductions of texts which fill many of He Reo Wahine's pages make for a rich, generative reading experience which is carefully guided by the authors' narrative."" - Arini Loader, Victoria University of Wellington ""This book presents a rich and ranging collection of Maori women speaking from the nineteenth-century archive. The hopes, the persistence, the effort to set down a cause are all apparent in the words of women presented in these pages. It is in various measures an inspiring, instructive and agonising read."" - Charlotte Macdonald, Victoria University of Wellington

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Book SynopsisLike the clear morning song of te koparapara, the bellbird, this book aims to allow the Maori world to speak for itself through an accessible introduction to Maori culture, history and society from an indigenous perspective. In twenty-one illustrated chapters, leading scholars introduce Maori culture (including tikanga on and off the marae and key rituals like powhiri and tangihanga), Maori history (from the beginning of the world and the waka migration through to Maori protest and urbanisation in the twentieth century), and Maori society today (including twenty-first century issues like education, health, political economy and identity). Each chapter provides a descriptive narrative covering the major themes, written in accessible formal English, including appropriate references to te reo Maori and to the wider Pacific. Chapters are illustrated with a mixture of images, maps and diagrams as well as relevant songs and sayings. Te Koparapara is an authoritative and accessible introduction to the past, present and future of the Maaori world for students and general readers.

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Book SynopsisNaryshkin Park is a place where lovers once walked. On 2 October 1941, it became the site of a mass grave. Rose Zwi deftly weaves together clues from survivors’ accounts, old photographs, official documents and archival research to form a many-layered account of the proud history and tragic destruction of the Jews of Lithuania.

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Book SynopsisIt takes vision and fortitude to transform 'wilderness' in the Murrumbidgee basin into something of the eminence of Deltroit, one of the finest grazing properties south of Sydney. Who was it that achieved this, how was it done, and why did this iconic Riverina property, about which nothing has ever been published before, end up in the hands of King Ranch, Texas, a giant in global beef production? What is it about Deltroit that continues to seduce and set the benchmark in modern pastoralism? When Nicola Wynn, a former solicitor born and bred in London, married Anthony Crichton-Brown, Chief Executive of Lumley Insurance, she knew he owned a large farm in New South Wales but never dreamt that it would become their marital home. Within a short time, however, she was to exchange a hectic life in the metropolis for the isolation of rural Australia. Having negligible experience of country life anywhere, she faced the challenge of making a new life in a completely different environment from the one she knew. More importantly, this move coincided with the worst drought in New South Wales for a hundred years and, possibly, since the beginning of white settlement. Finding some parallels between her own situation and those which she imagined must have faced the original pioneering family at Deltroit, she began to discover the history behind the gilded cage that had become her home. In doing so, she found a way into the heart of the community and a connection with the land that she never thought possible. This book is the result of her efforts.

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Book SynopsisIndigenous Identity and Resistance brings together the work of Indigenous Studies scholars working in Canada, New Zealand and the Pacific in research conversations that transcend the imperial boundaries of the colonial nations in which they are located. Their lucid, accessible, and thought-provoking essays provide a critical understanding of the ways in which Indigenous peoples are rearticulating their histories, knowledges, and the Indigenous self. Hana O’Regan discusses a programme of language regeneration initiated by members of her iwi, Kai Tahu. Chris Andersen describes the power of Canada’s colonial nation-state in constructing categories of indigeneity. Brendan Hokowhitu problematises the common discourses underpinning Indigenous resistance. Janine Hayward compares Indigenous political representation in Canada and New Zealand. This is just a snapshot of the forward-looking research in this reader. Taken together, it heralds some new ways of thinking about Indigenous Studies in the 21st Century.Table of ContentsIntro: Indigenous Studies: Research, Identity, Resistance / Brendan Hokowhitu -- 1 Mixed Ancestry or Metis? / Chris Andersen -- 2 'My Poetry is a Fire' / Alice Te Punga Somerville -- 3 Culture: Compromise or Perish! / Poia Rewi -- 4 Piko ka-sohki-nitohtaman ka-nisitohtaman nehiyawewin You Must Listen Very Hard to Understand the Cree Language / Naomi McIlwraith -- 5 Resisting Language Death - A Personal Exploration / Hana O'Regan -- 6 Towards a Model for Indigenous Research / Jim Williams -- 7 Rediscovering the Hidden Heritage from Ancient Mangaia / Michael P.J. Reilly -- 8 Indigenous Political Representation and Comparative Research / Janine Hayward -- 9 Urban Indigenous Governance Practices / Shalene Jobin Vandervelde -- 10 The Nationalist Gaze of an Aboriginal Artist / Nathalie Kermoal -- 11 The Fiction of Post-Colonial Pacific Writers / Sina Vaai -- 12 Neoliberalism, Racialised Gender and Indigeneity / Isabel Altamirano-Jimenez -- 13 A Genealogy of Indigenous Resistance / Brendan Hokowhitu.

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Book SynopsisExplores the fascinating medical folk ritual of wax pouring as a means of driving away fear and curing minor ailments.

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Book SynopsisThe stories in Far Pastures take readers to R.M. Patterson''s homestead in the Peace River country of northern Alberta. To all-night dances that ended as the northern lights faded in the dawn. To escapades on the Fort Nelson, Liard and South Nahanni rivers. And to a ranch in southern Alberta where he raised cattle during the lean years of the 1930s and entertained dudes on mountaintops. In later years, Patterson helped build a wartime road through the Canadian Northwest to Alaska. And then there''s the story of the bear that liked to canoe!

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Book SynopsisA compilation of individual stories based on the author’s interviews and correspondence with several depression era teachers.

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Book SynopsisThe ''On Top of the World'' Project is a community programme run by Anne Finnegan and Tina Cribbin who work with older people in tower blocks in Hulme in Manchester, giving them a sense of community and looking after their needs, be it physical health, help with mobility or loneliness. We are proud to present this book which is a collection of stories that describe the residents'' journeys to Hulme and how this special place became home. The residents share memories of the Hulme of their youth; charabancs, local characters, terraced streets and old pubs and the evolution of the area into deck-accessed flats and concrete play parks. Like its residents, these stories are full of guts, joy and courage. The tales fly off the page, land on your heart and allow you to relive Hulmes past from a residents perspective. It also includes The Hopton Hopefuls, a play written by Tina Cribbin which centres on the only remaining pub in Hulme and some of the old boys relationship with it. The aim of Thirsty Scholars was to give a voice to a generation that helped build this country but are now largely forgotten. ABOUT THE AUTHORS: The authors are the residents of Hulme whose stories have largely been forgotten. Hulme is a district close to Manchester City Centre, famous for social upheaval over the past 70 years. From the infamous Crescents, originally based on the Georgian architecture of Bath but which were poorly made and stood for less than 20 years but which later turned from family homes into squats, to the gentrification of the area in more recent years as Manchester''s Universities expanded into the area - driving rents up and pushing residents out. This project aims to give voice to the dispossessed and tell the stories of people who can recall a time before the crescents and the story of the area first-hand.

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Book Synopsis'Humans have always had sex. But look through the keyhole of history and you will see they have not always had sex in the same manner, with the same kinds of people or with the same beliefs about whether what they are doing is right or desirable.” So writes Charlie McCann in this fascinating study of sex and sexuality through the ages. Beginning with the world of antiquity and ending with the present, she traces our changing attitudes to our bodies and what we do with them, conducting us on a tour which takes in the gymnasiums of ancient Greece, where men seduced boys, to the caves occupied by Christian ascetics, to the fashionable drawing rooms of Georgian London, where libertines hunted for women to prey on, and the clubs of Weimar Berlin, where lesbians debated the nature of their desire. Nowadays, in Europe and North America, the way we think about sexuality is a fundamental part of our identity. To a greater ext

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Book SynopsisIn the 17th and 18th centuries, sailing from Europe or Africa to the Americas, or trading from India to Central America, was a risky undertaking. Ferocious storms and barely-understood diseases weren’t the only threats; ruthless pirates lurked on the horizon, craving wealth and reputation. In Pirates, Buccaneers, the Republic and the Caribbean, we cover everything you need to know about the legendary Golden Age of Piracy. • Uncover the true stories of the bloodthirsty buccaneers who made their fortune plundering the high seas, from Captain Kidd and Edward `Blackbeard’ Teach to female pirates Anne Bonny and Mary Read. • Find out what life was really like aboard a pirate ship, from the roles of the crew to divvying out the spoils. • Investigate the founding and exploits of the notorious Flying Gang, a band of fierce pirate captains, and the piratical haven they founded on the island of New Providence in the Bahamas. Packed with incredible illustrations and insights into the period, this is the perfect guide for anyone who wants to learn about this famed Golden Age of Piracy.

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Book SynopsisTake some twenty wicked British villains. Add their dastardly crimes. Then include their miserable backgrounds. Mix in some nefarious conversations and combine all this together to produce an exciting collection of stories: Villains of Yore. This book describes in an entertaining way through conversations and facts how criminals from Richard Pudlicott (1303) up to the 20th Century Elephant Gang operated on the wrong side of the law to make their fortunes. Reading your way through these 700 years, you will come across well-known characters such as Dick Turpin, Burke and Hare and Moll Cutpurse, as well as some lesser known but equally nasty characters, including Colonel Thomas Blood, Mary Carleton and Jonathan Wild, the ‘Thief-taker General’. “Villains of Yore” by D. Lawrence-Young will open your eyes to the criminal world and give you a completely new view on British social history.

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Book SynopsisFifty years after the event, here is the first full account of an audacious publishing decision that — with the help of booksellers and readers around the country — forced the end of literary censorship in Australia. For more than seventy years, a succession of politicians, judges, and government officials in Australia worked in the shadows to enforce one of the most pervasive and conservative regimes of censorship in the world. The goal was simple: to keep Australia free of the moral contamination of impure literature. Under the censorship regime, books that might damage the morals of the Australian public were banned, seized, and burned; bookstores were raided; publishers were fined; and writers were charged and even jailed. But in the 1970s, that all changed. In 1970, in great secrecy and at considerable risk, Penguin Books Australia resolved to publish Portnoy’s Complaint — Philip Roth’s frank, funny, and profane bestseller about a boy hung up about his mother and his penis. In doing so, Penguin spurred a direct confrontation with the censorship authorities, which culminated in criminal charges, police raids, and an unprecedented series of court trials across the country. Sweeping from the cabinet room to the courtroom, The Trials of Portnoy draws on archival records and new interviews to show how Penguin and a band of writers, booksellers, academics, and lawyers determinedly sought for Australians the freedom to read what they wished — and how, in defeating the forces arrayed before them, they reshaped Australian literature and culture forever.Trade Review‘Anyone interested in Australian history, politics and books generally will find much food for thought in this entertaining, well-researched and carefully written history.’ -- Julia Taylor * Books+Publishing *‘The finely detailed story of the legal fight in Australia against the censorship of Philip Roth’s Portnoy’s Complaint.’ -- Sean O’Beirne * The Monthly *‘Mullins’s compelling account of these last days of the old censorship regime skilfully draws on a rich range of sources, including interviews with many of the key figures involved. He gives an insight not just into how the system operated and the politics involved, but also into a significant cultural moment in Australia.’ -- Amanda Laugesen * Inside Story *‘Mullins has applied his skills in thorough research, forensic examination of evidence and a light wit to the numerous trials in different States which, in 1970-71, determined whether sales of Portnoy’s Complaint should be permitted in Australia.’ -- Mark Thomas * The Canberra Times *‘[A] literary detective story with a difference.’ -- Craig Munro * The Australian *‘The Trials of Portnoy, tells the true story of how Portnoy’s Complaint was declared illegal throughout the Commonwealth, and how, eventually, it became a book we were allowed to own and read … The real treat of The Trials of Portnoy though, is to see how many people were willing to stand up in court and make the always difficult argument for literature.’ -- Sean O’Beirne * The Monthly *‘The Trials of Portnoy is full of the juice and drama and hilarity of the courtroom … Patrick Mullins has written an utterly diverting account of a bit of ancient Australian literary history … superb.’ -- Peter Craven * The Saturday Paper *‘Patrick Mullins’ latest effort provides the most detailed account yet of this embarrassing moment in our inglorious history.’ -- Chris Dite * Readings *‘[A] wonderful account of how a group of brave publishers, booksellers and academics brought down Australia’s ridiculous censorship regime.’ -- Barry Reynolds * Herald Sun *‘Mullins draws on his skills as an academic and writer to give an extraordinary rundown on these trials … [The Trials of Portnoy] could well become the ultimate academic guide to the changes to censorship in Australia.’ -- Fiona Myers * The Weekly Times *‘An illuminating tale about book censorship in Australia … Publishers and bookstores are the heroes in this … entertaining account of a ‘hard-won’ battle.’ * Kirkus Reviews *‘Patrick Mullins gives us a useful litany of the blow by blow progress of those cases that came to court.’ -- Sue Rabbitt Roff * Pearls and Irritations *Praise for Tiberius with a Telephone ‘This is, as others have remarked, biography at its best: diligently researched, with detail nowhere else examined, and a demonstration of fine judgement concerning the crucial interplay between personal disposition, role demands, and historical context.’ -- James Walter * Australian Book Review *Praise for Tiberius with a Telephone ‘A welcome addition to prime ministerial biography … An engaging and informative read.’ -- Troy Bramston * The Australian *Praise for Tiberius with a Telephone ‘This is the most detailed investigation and explanation of what happened … Completing a biography of this scope is an enormous undertaking, and Patrick Mullins does it with considerable skill … Mullins conveys the turmoil, the atmosphere of crisis, the bickering and the bloodletting that marked this extraordinary period of Australian political history.’ -- David Solomon * Inside Story *‘With The Trials of Portnoy, Mullins has further established himself as a first-rate historical storyteller and considerably strengthened our understanding of the history of censorship in Australia.’ -- Nathan Hollier * Australian Historical Studies *

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Book SynopsisA game-changing book about the revolutionary potential of working from home, by two experts who work - and live - together. When the COVID-19 pandemic closed offices around the world, sending millions into makeshift home offices, it was a forced compromise made under duress. But 2020 taught us that there may be another way to work: one that doesn't involve hellish commutes and set schedules that no longer make sense, especially for companies with international reach. While working from home can make people happier and make companies more productive, it has its pitfalls. Doing it well takes some thought. Out of Office combines Charlie and Anne's first-person experiences of moving to a rural area and working remotely - for years before the pandemic hit - to demonstrate how workers everywhere can find new ways of working anywhere.

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Book SynopsisThis is the story of Cuban tobacco, whose agricultural and industrial development was fashioned as deftly as a Havana cigar around overseas trading interests. It traces the nineteenth-century growth of a strong tobacco oligarchy, peasant grower class and urban salaried work force, alongside slave and indentured labour, and examines how a prestigious manufacturing country was transformed into an exporter of leaf. Visibly poor peasant agriculture concealed foreign and home capital which, while creating some large plantations, used and even propagated a most extreme form of sharecropping. Well into the twentieth century, an increasingly embattled industry catered to dwindling luxurymarkets and an unstable, fluctuating home market with but a few relatively large, on the whole family, concerns and a proliferation of small sweatshop and outwork production.

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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