Specific wars and military campaigns Books

1870 products


  • Holy Baptism of Fire and Blood The Bible and the

    Oxford University Press Holy Baptism of Fire and Blood The Bible and the

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisIn his Second Inaugural Address, delivered as the nation was in the throes of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln proclaimed that both sides read the same Bible and pray to the same God, and each invokes His aid against the other. He wasn''t speaking metaphorically: the Bible was frequently wielded as a weapon in support of both North and South. As James P. Byrd reveals in this insightful narrative, no book was more important to the Civil War than the Bible. From Massachusetts to Mississippi and beyond, the Bible was the nation''s most read and respected book. It presented a drama of salvation and damnation, of providence and judgment, of sacred history and sacrifice. When Americans argued over the issues that divided them -- slavery, secession, patriotism, authority, white supremacy, and violence -- the Bible was the book they most often invoked. Soldiers fought the Civil War with Bibles in hand, and both sides called the war just and sacred. In scripture, both Union and Confederate soldiers found inspiration for dying-and for killing-on a scale never before seen in the nation''s history. With approximately 750,000 fatalities, the Civil War was the deadliest of the nation''s wars, leading many to turn to the Bible not just to fight but to deal with its inevitable trauma. A fascinating overview of religious and military conflict, A Holy Baptism of Fire and Blood draws on an astonishing array of sources to demonstrate the many ways that Americans enlisted the Bible in the nation''s bloodiest, and arguably most biblically-saturated conflict.Trade ReviewA Holy Baptism of Fire and Blood...makes an important contribution to our understanding of how Americans used the Bible, and the roles that religious ideology played during the nation's bloodies conflict. * C. David Dalton, Journal of Southern History *The book is a compelling read, clarifying a core element of American history and political and religious discourse, about the past but also about the present. * Adele Reinhartz, University of Ottawa, The Society of Biblical Literature *An eye-opening work for anyone wishing to truly understand the era...Essential. * CHOICE *It will no doubt contribute richly to a wealth of new studies at this intersection for years to come. * Devin Singh, Dartmouth College, Chuch History *Thorough and evocative. * Church History *A Holy Baptism of Fire and Blood provides the most thorough discussion to date of the Bible's role in the Civil War. * David B. Parker, Kennesaw State University, Reading religion *All told -- and there is much in James Byrd's insightful narrative -- A Holy Baptism of Fire & Blood is a unique and powerful first-hand recounting of the Civil War's ebb and flow through the elastic prism of the book most familiar to nineteenth-century Americans. * Bruce T. Gourley, The Civil War Book Review *James P. Byrd has gifted readers with another comprehensively chronicled and extensively analyzed survey of how Americans, in the country's earliest decades, were politically inspired by the Bible ... As his second invaluable contribution to the interpretive history of the Bible in America makes clear, it is Byrd's historically and spiritually attuned gifts that are beyond debate. * Rabbi Dr. Stu Halpern, The Zahava and Moshael Straus Center for Torah and Western Thought *Byrd integrates his discussion of biblical references so well into their historical contexts that the book could almost be read as a history of the war itself.... A Holy Baptism of Fire and Blood provides the most thorough discussion to date of the Bible's role in the Civil War. * Reading Religion *[Starred Review] This study of the use of the Bible at a critical time in the history of the United States can shed light on our own times, when the Bible is often used in a political tug-of-war. * Augustine J. Curley, Library Journal *[Starred Review] Civil War buffs and Scripture enthusiasts alike will find this book to be a uniquely worthwhile reading experience. * Kirkus *For readers accustomed to encountering the Civil War through battlefield accounts and secular biographies, Mr. Byrd's book is revelatory. No recent historian has shed more clarifying light on the spiritual equipment that bolstered soldiers' hearts and shaped their moral determination. Illuminating the faith they carried into battle along with their Bibles, as Mr. Byrd so eloquently does, helps us understand the inexplicable: how ordinary men by the tens and hundreds of thousands faced the imminent prospect of violent death or horrible maiming at Shiloh, Antietam, Cold Harbor and a thousand other battlefields that made the war the bloodiest in the nation's history. * Fergus Bordewich, Wall Street Journal *Read the book, study the book, and reflect on the book. However, if nothing else, the Introduction and the Epilogue are a "must read" and worth the price of the book. Also, very helpful is the Appendix, "Biblical Citations in the Civil War Era." This is a landmark work to be read by any person seeking to understand the role of faith in military history and especially, during the American Civil War. * Timothy J. Demy, U.S. Naval War College, Cercles Recensions Book Reviews *War is everywhere in the New Testament, as in the Old,' declared a Southern clergyman in 1863. The Bible was the most frequently cited book in both North and South during the Civil War. It served as a guide to explain the sacrifices and sufferings of soldiers and civilians. James Byrd's magisterial study helps the modern reader appreciate the all-encompassing role of scripture in America's most deadly experience. * James M. McPherson, author of Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era *This remarkable examination of the use of the Bible in the Civil War, North and South, represents a new departure in Civil War historiography. Through an innovative and exhaustive quantitative compilation and analysis of scriptural references, James Byrd highlights the most important Scriptures cited during the war and sets them in their broadest historical context. While the texts and interpretations varied widely in North and South, Byrd demonstrates in striking detail the truth of Lincoln's provocative assertion in his 2nd Inaugural that both sides "read the same bible and pray to the same God. * Harry S. Stout, Yale University *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. His Terrible Swift Sword 2. The Stone Which the Builders Rejected 3. The Red Sea of War 4. This Second War I Consider Equally as Holy as the First 5. A Covenant of Death 6. Trust in Providence and Keep Your Powder Dry 7. This Warfare is a Holy Warfare 8. A Holy Baptism of Fir and Blood 9. Welcome to the Ransomed 10. Without Shedding of Blood Is No Remission 11. The Sword of the Lord 12. We Cannot Escape History 13. Of One Blood all Nations 14. These Dead Have Not Died in Vain 15. Cursed Be He That Keepeth Back His Sword from Blood 16. Woe To That Man By Whom The Offense Cometh 17. Baptized in the Blood of their President Epilogue

    Out of stock

    £29.24

  • Military Men of Feeling

    Oxford University Press Military Men of Feeling

    Book SynopsisMilitary Men of Feeling considers the popularity of the figure of the gentle soldier in the Victorian period. It traces a persistent narrative swerve from tales of war violence to reparative accounts of soldiers as moral exemplars, homemakers, adopters of children on the battlefield, and nurses. This material invites us to think afresh about Victorian masculinity and Victorian militarism. It challenges ideas about the separation of military and domestic life, and about the incommunicability of war experience. Focusing on representations of soldiers'' experiences of touch and emotion, the book combines the work of well known writers - including Charles Dickens, Charles Kingsley, William Makepeace Thackeray, Charlotte Yonge - with previously unstudied writing and craft produced by British soldiers in the Crimean War, 1854-56. The Crimean War was pivotal in shaping British attitudes to military masculinity. A range of media enabled unprecedented public engagement with the progress and infamous ''blunders'' of the conflict. Soldiers and civilians reflected on appropriate behaviour across ranks, forms of heroism, the physical suffering of the troops, administrative management and the need for army reform. The book considers how the military man of feeling contributes to the rethinking of gender roles, class and military hierarchy in the mid-nineteenth century, and how this figure was used in campaigns for reform. The gentle soldier could also do more bellicose social and political work, disarming anti-war critiques and helping people to feel better about war. This book looks at the difficult mixed politics of this figure. It considers questions, debated in the nineteenth century and which remain urgent today, about the relationship between feeling and action, and the ethics of an emotional response to war. It makes a case for the importance of emotional and tactile military history, bringing the Victorian military man of feeling into contemporary debates about liberal warriors and soldiers as social workers.Table of ContentsIntroduction 1: 'The company of gentlemen': Thackeray's Military Men of Feeling and Eighteenth-Century Traditions 2: Princes of War and of Peace: Secular and Spiritual Redemption in Dickens and Kingsley 3: Children of the Regiment: Narratives of Battlefield Adoption 4: 'Our poor Colonel loved him as if he had been his own son': Family Feeling in the Crimea 5: Sharing the Stuff of War: Soldier Art, Textiles and Tactility 6: Reparative Soldiering and its Limits: Cultures of Male Care-Giving Afterword: The Ballad of the Boy Captain Bibliography Index

    £38.95

  • Free Soil Free Labor Free Men The Ideology of the Republican Party before the Civil War With a New Introductory Essay The Ideology of the ... War with a New Introductory Essay Revised

    Oxford University Press Free Soil Free Labor Free Men The Ideology of the Republican Party before the Civil War With a New Introductory Essay The Ideology of the ... War with a New Introductory Essay Revised

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisFoner's famous book has been one of the most influential and successful works dealing with the factors that brought the North to fight the Civil War. Foner has now written a new introduction that puts his argument in the book into the context of contemporary scholarship.Trade Review"First-rate in every respect...[A] work of genuine distinction, and a major contribution to ante-bellum political history."--Kenneth Stampp, author of The Imperiled Union "Still the best book on the politics of the 1850's."--Norman B. Ferris, Middle Tennessee State University "It's the best book on Republican ideology there is. Foner is among the very best Americanists ever. Bravo!"--Harlow Sheidley, University of Colorado "Foner's work remains the classic treatment of the subject!'--K.M. Startip, Williams Baptist College "Excellent volume--Foner is always good anyway!"--John F. McCormack, Delaware County Community CollegeTable of ContentsThe Idea of Free Labor in Nineteenth-Century America Abbreviations Used in Footnotes and Bibliography Introduction 1. Free Labor: The Republicans and Northern Society 2. The Republican Critique of the South 3. Salmon P. Chase: The Constitution and the Slave Power 4. THe Radicals: Anti-Slavery Politics and the Moral Imperative 5. The Democratic Republicans 6. Conservatives and Moderates 7. The Republicans and Nativism 8. The Republicans and Race 9. Slavery and the Republican Ideology Bibliography Index

    15 in stock

    £17.49

  • Drawn with the Sword

    Oxford University Press Inc Drawn with the Sword

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisIn Drawn With the Sword, James W. McPherson offers a series of thoughtful and engaging essays on some of the most enduring questions of the Civil War. Each essay in Draw With the Sword reveals McPherson's own profound knowledge of the Civil War and of the controversies among historians, presenting all sides in clear and lucid prose.Trade Review"McPherson takes the latest professional thinking on the war and gives it clear and popular shape."--American Heritage "Not merely is McPherson the leading living historian of the Civil War, but he is a scholar whose knowledge and authority are unsurpassed; when McPherson speaks, even in a minor key, people listen....McPherson is uniformly interesting and, to the general reader's eternal relief, both lucid and uncondescending."--Jonathan Yardley, The Washington Post "These essays present some very complex ideas in vigorous, succinct prose. Whether he is discussing the persistent appeal of the Civil War, tracing the manner in which a war of limited goals evolved into the first total war, evaluating competing theories on the causes of the Confederate defeat, or explaining the genesis of Ulysses S. Grant's military strategy, Mr. McPherson is exact, convincing, and judicious....These pieces provide a lively reminder that the best scholarship is also often a pleasure to read."--The New York Times Book Review "McPherson has compiled a series of thoughtful essays on some of the most thought-provoking questions of the Civil War....In these essays the author has proven that history can be accurate, informative, and interesting."--Library Journal "Clear, luminous writing matched by incisive, original thinking makes this collection irresistible to anyone interested in U.S. history."--Booklist "Thoughtful essays on the Civil War by one of its foremost contemporary students....McPherson is successful in explaining why popular interest in the Civil War endures, and indeed why it should endure. Fine historical writing, and required reading for both Civil War buffs and scholars--divided audiences, as McPherson notes."--Kirkus Reviews "A must for all buffs, McPherson's book not only gives us an astute survey and summary of recent work on the Civil War but also many brilliant insights of his own."--C. Vann Woodward, Professor of History, Yale University "A marvelous collection, Drawn With the Sword enhances James McPherson's reputation as a major scholar of the Civil War. Impressive in their range and their incisiveness, these essays illuminate diverse areas of the great American conflict. The writing is clear and forceful; the arguments are always thoughtful, and often compelling. For McPherson there was nothing inevitable about the outcome of the Civil War. The battlefield was central, and individuals did make a difference. Anyone interested in the Civil War should read this book."--William J. Cooper, Jr., Boyd Professor of History, Louisiana State University "James McPherson is the master historian of the Civil War in our time."--Gabor Borritt, Director, Civil War Institute, Gettysburg "These perceptive essays deliver just what readers have come to expect from the pen of our generation's leading Civil War historian. Learned, original, quick to question convention, and written in McPherson's clear and often eloquent prose, they challenge readers to think anew about important issues and personalities associated with the nation's great trauma."--Gary W. Gallagher, Professor of American History, Penn State University "Drawn with the Sword is an assured winner. These are among the finest essays from the pen of one of America's premier historians. Written with verve and chock full of clever ideas and brilliant analysis, this book is certain to inform and impress its readers."--Joseph Glatthaar, Professor of History, University of Houston

    Out of stock

    £17.09

  • Southern Families at War

    Oxford University Press, USA Southern Families at War

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisWhether it was planter patriarchs struggling to maintain authority, or Jewish families coerced by Christian evangelicalism, or wives and mothers left behind to care for slaves and children, the Civil War took a terrible toll. From the bustling sidewalks of Richmond to the parched plains of the Texas frontier, from the rich Alabama black belt to the Tennessee woodlands, no corner of the South went unscathed. Through the prism of the southern family, this volume of twelve original essays provides fresh insights into this watershed in American history.Trade ReviewThe quality of work is uniformly excellent. This collection will prove useful to a wide variety of scholars. It will appeal especially to those working on the Civil War, the family, gender relations or African American studies. * Journal of American Studies *Catherine Clinton has brought together a fine collection of twelve essays exploring the diverse and multiple experiences of the war years and their legacy in the American South ... solidly researched and welcome contributions to the new social history of the Civil War. * American Studies Today *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1: Michael P. Johnson: Looking for Lost Kin: Efforts to Reunite Freed Families after Emancipation 2: Michelle A. Krowl: For Better of Worse: Black Families and 'the State' in Civil War Virginia 3: Donald R. Shaffer: In the Shadow of the Old Constitution: Black Civil War Veterans and the Persistence of Slave Marriage Customs 4: Amy E. Murrell: "Of Necessity and Public Benefit": Southern Families and their Appeals for Protection 5: Judith Lee Hunt: "High with Courage and Hope": The Middleton Family's Civil War 6: E. Susan Barber: "The White Wings of Eros": Courtship and Marriage in Confederate Richmond 7: Jennifer Lynn Gross: "Good Angels": Confederate Widows in Virginia 8: Daniel W. Stowell: "A Family of Women and Children": The Fains of East Tennessee during Wartime 9: Henry Walker: Power, Sex, and Gender Roles: The Transformation of an Alabama Planter Family during the Civil War 10: Lauren F. Winner: Taking up the Cross: Conversion among Black and White Jews in the Civil War South 11: Anne J. Bailey: In the Far Corner of the Confederacy: A Question of Conscience for German-Speaking Texans 12: Ted Ownby: Patriarchy in the World Where There is No Parting?: Power Relations in Confederate Heaven

    15 in stock

    £50.40

  • A People at War

    Oxford University Press A People at War

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisClaiming more than 600,000 lives, the American Civil War had a devastating impact on countless numbers of common soldiers and civilians, even as it brought freedom to millions. This book shows how average Americans coped with despair as well as hope during this vast upheaval. A People at War brings to life the full humanity of the war''s participants, from women behind their plows to their husbands in army camps; from refugees from slavery to their former masters; from Mayflower descendants to freshly recruited Irish sailors. We discover how people confronted their own feelings about the war itself, and how they coped with emotional challenges (uncertainty, exhaustion, fear, guilt, betrayal, grief) as well as physical ones (displacement, poverty, illness, disfigurement). The book explores the violence beyond the battlefield, illuminating the sharp-edged conflicts of neighbor against neighbor, whether in guerilla warfare or urban riots. The authors travel as far west as China and as farTrade Review"Nelson and Sheriff offer a good social history of the US Civil War.... Overall, very well researched and nicely written. Highly recommended."--E.M. Thomas, CHOICE "A People at War is especially welcome because its subject cannot be overstudied and this particular examination is beautifully executed. The authors are comprehensive, wide-ranging and sensitive. The book is informative and pleasurable to read."--Ray B. Browne, Journal of American Cultures "A People at War stands out as one of the best comprehensive overviews because of its focus on the lives and experiences of ordinary civilians and soldiers. Relying upon recent social histories and extensive primary sources, the book provides a new perspective on an otherwise well-studied subject. Scholars, the public, and especially students will benefit greatly from this highly readable and fascinating volume."--Maris Vinovskis, Bentley Professor of History, University of Michigan "In 1861 Abraham Lincoln described the Civil War as 'a people's contest.' A People at War chronicles in encyclopedic detail just what that phrase meant to the millions of soldiers and their families and friends back home who experienced that bloodiest of American wars. Drawing on hundreds of books and articles that have made social history the most dynamic field of Civil War historiography in recent years, the authors bring alive the impact of the war on ordinary as well as extraordinary people."--James M. McPherson, Princeton University "I am very pleased to see someone generally succeed at a book that covers vital themes in the history of the Civil War, seamlessly integrates and builds on the best of recent scholarship--and does so with such economy and, at times, stylistic flair."--Michael Mason, Brigham Young University "An excellent, well-written, broad overview of important yet often muted facets of Civil War history. Scholars, teachers, and buffs should all enjoy this inspired work."--William Feis, The Annals of IowaTable of ContentsIntroduction: A People at War From Compromise to Chaos: 1854-1861 1. The Road to Bleeding Kansas 2. From Wigwam to War The Changing Faces of War: 1861-1863 3. Friends and Foes: Early Recruits and Freedom's Cause, 1861-1862 4. Union Occupation and Guerrilla Warfare 5. Facing Death Political, Military, and Diplomatic Remedies: 1862-1865 6. Two Governments Go to War: Southern Democracy and Northern Republicanism 7. Redefining the Rules of War: The Lieber Code 8. Diplomacy in the Shadows: Cannons, Sailors, and Spies The War Hits Home: 1861-1865 9. We Need Men: Union Struggles over Manpower 10. The Male World of the Camp: Domesticity and Discipline 11. "Cair, Anxiety, & Tryals": Life in the Wartime Union 12. War's Miseries: The Confederate Home Front Rebuilding the Nation: 1865-1877 13. A Region Reconstructed and Unreconstructed: The Postwar South 14. A Nation Stitched Together: Westward Expansion and the Peace Treaty of 1877 Acknowledgements Political Chronology Military Chronology Suggestions for Further Reading Index

    15 in stock

    £23.32

  • The Better Angel

    Oxford University Press The Better Angel

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe first full account of Whitman's Civil War years sheds new light on the man, his poetry, and the treatment of the war's sick and wounded.Trade ReviewIn this first full account of Whitman's Civil War years, Morris leaves readers with a new image of what he calls `a great mothering sort of man' who visited the hospitals in and around Washington, D.C. for three years, bringing his charges ice cream, tobacco, brandy, books, magazines, pens, and paper; he wrote letters for those who could not, and more than a few died in his arms.--Library JournalA thrilling narrative told with empathy and vast learning, rich with images that reinvigorate figures as familiar as Lincoln.--The New York Tiems Book ReviewMorris's skills as a researcher are evident and his writing is first rate. Teens can read Better Angel as a moving introduction to Whitman, for its information on the home front and the medical profession during the Civil War, or to gain insight into the sociological and psychological aftermath of the war on individuals or nations.--School LibraryBrillantly researched and written, Morris' book gives a full account of poet Walt Whitman's profoundly transformative Civil War years. Through his tireless tending of the sick and wounded, Whitman found his true, compassionate poetic voice, and Morris' examination is an invaluable addition to Whitman scholarship.--ETC, Etcetera MagazineThe Better Angel illuminates Walt Whitman's Civil War years with frankness and compassion. Its insights and compelling narrative afford us new and humanly rich understandings of the poet and his vision of America.-- Robert H. Abzug, author of Cosmos Crumbling: American Reform and the Religious Imagination and Inside the Vicious Heart: Americans and the Liberation of Nazi Concentration CampsRoy Morris, Jr.'s elegant and moving book shows how the great civil war that redeemed the nation's soul also reawakened the soul of the nation's greatest poet, Walt Whitman. It is essential reading for everyone who cares about American culture.-- Sean Wilentz, Princeton University, author of Chants Democratic and The Kingdom of MatthiasThis deftly written, almost unbearably moving book serves us to remind us powerfully of the horrors faced by the wounded on the Civil War battlefields, of the genius and compassion of Walt Whitman in dealing with them, and of the remarkable skill of one of America's most accomplished biographers in researching and telling so poignant a story.--Simon Winchester, author of The Professor and The MadmanThis pathbreaking study of Whitman's Civil War years reveals more facts--and a greater understanding--of the man than the vain, foppish poet-nurse that too many writers have sought to create.--James I. Robertson, Jr., author of Stonewall JacksonA particularly thorough and informative account of the poet's activities during the Civil War.--The Boston Book ReviewMorris brings us in for a close, often harrowing look at the poet in a moment of national and personal crisis. He follows Whitman's descent into hell and reveals how the lifeblood of a nation of young men revitalized and reinvented the 'Good Gay Poet'--Out MagazineThe Civil War years were transformative for Walt Whitman, leading him to a new, more direct poetic style. In The Better Anger, acclaimed biographer Roy Morris Jr. presents the first full account of this period in Whitman's life.--Inside BordersA thrilling narrative told with empathy and vast learning, rich with images that reinvigorate figures as familiar as Lincoln.--The New York Times Book Review, Books in Brief

    15 in stock

    £18.89

  • The South Vs. The South How AntiConfederate

    Oxford University Press Inc The South Vs. The South How AntiConfederate

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisWhy did the Confederacy lose the Civil War? Most historians point to the larger number of Union troops, for example, or the North''s greater industrial might. Now, in The South Vs. the South, one of America''s leading authorities on the Civil War era offers an entirely new answer to this question. William Freehling argues that anti-Confederate Southerners--specifically, border state whites and southern blacks--helped cost the Confederacy the war. White men in such border states as Missouri, Kentucky, and Maryland, Freehling points out, were divided in their loyalties--but far more joined the Union army (or simply stayed home) than marched off in Confederate gray. If they had enlisted as rebel troops in the same proportion as white men did farther south, their numbers would have offset all the Confederate casualties during four years of war. In addition, when those states stayed loyal, the vast majority of the South''s urban population and industrial capacity remained in Union hands. And many forget, Freehling writes, that the slaves'' own decisions led to a series of white decisions (culminating in the Emancipation Proclamation) that turned federal forces into an army of liberation, depriving the South of labor and adding essential troops to the blue ranks. Whether revising our conception of slavery or of Abraham Lincoln, or establishing the antecedents of Martin Luther King, or analyzing Union military strategy, or uncovering new meanings in what is arguably America''s greatest piece of sculpture, Augustus St.-Gaudens'' Shaw Memorial, Freehling writes with piercing insight and rhetorical verve. Concise and provocative, The South Vs. the South will forever change the way we view the Civil War.Trade Review... a short, sweeping, and often provocative study ... There is much food for thought here, and much that will surely be controversial. * American Nineteenth Century History *This is a book that every serious Civil War scholar should read. * Journal of American Studies *

    Out of stock

    £16.62

  • The Vietnam War A History in Documents Pages from

    Oxford University Press The Vietnam War A History in Documents Pages from

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisThe Vietnam War tells the story of one of the most divisive episodes in modern American history through primary sources, ranging from government documents, news reports, speeches, popular songs to memoirs, writings by Vietnam veterans (including coauthor John Fitzgerald), and poetry by Vietnamese and Americans on matching themes. The book begins in the 19th century when Vietnam became a French colony, and traces the insidious route by which the United States became involved in a war on the other side of the world.Trade ReviewThis introduction is clear and concise, particularly appropriate for aspiring historians on the undergraduate and advanced secondary levels. * The Journal of America's Military Past *Simply terrific. If I were teaching the Vietnam War, I would rush to use it. The photos are extraordinary and the documents powerful. There is no better single volume on the war that makes the events and ideas come alive as this book does. * Howard Zinn, author of A People's History of the United States *Comprised of first- and second-hand accounts of American policy in Vietnam during the 1960s. Its primary sources are held together chronologically with narrative. Political cartoons, U.S. government files, Vietnamese iconography, and song lyrics by Bruce Springsteen are among the book's most compelling and evocative elements. * Hampshire Gazette *Provides historials and students of history with a wealth of first-hand information missing from past conflicts. Those "primary sources"...provide the basis for a different way to teach history - allowing students to decide the meaning. * Longmeadow News *Table of ContentsWhat is a Document? ; How to Read a Document ; A Little History, By Way of Introduction ; Chapter One: The First Indochina War ; Vietnam Approaches America ; America Responds ; Chapter Two: Waist Deep in the Big Muddy ; A Temporary Peace ; Eisenhower's Vietnam ; Kennedy's War ; Chapter Three: America's War ; The War Expands ; The Public Debate ; Chapter Four: Picture Essay: Selling Patriotism ; Chapter Five: Going to War ; Soldiers at War ; Other Voices ; The Condition of the Army ; Chapter Six: A People Divided ; The African-American Community ; Opposition within the Military ; Chapter Seven: Nixon's War ; My Lai ; The Nixon Doctrine ; Bombing Hanoi to the Bargaining table ; Chapter Eight: After the War ; Looking Back ; Legacies ; Timeline ; Glossary ; Further Reading and Websites ; Text Credits ; Picture Credits ; Index

    Out of stock

    £59.32

  • Kosovo

    OUP USA Kosovo

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisOn February 17, 2008, Kosovo declared its independence, becoming the seventh state to emerge from the break-up of the former Yugoslavia. A tiny country of just two million people, 90% of whom are ethnic Albanians, Kosovo is central - geographically, historically, and politically - to the future of the Western Balkans and, in turn, its potential future within the European Union. But the fate of both Kosovo, condemned by Serbian leaders as a fake state and the region as a whole, remains uncertain. In Kosovo: What Everyone Needs to Know, Tim Judah provides a straight-forward guide to the complicated place that is Kosovo. Judah, who has spent years covering the region, offers succinct, penetrating answers to a wide range of questions: Why is Kosovo important? Who are the Albanians? Who are the Serbs? Why is Kosovo so important to Serbs? What role does Kosovo play in the region and in the world? Judah reveals how things stand now and presents the history and geopolitical dynamics that have led to it. The most important of these is the question of the right to self-determination, invoked by the Kosovo Albanians, as opposed to right of territorial integrity invoked by the Serbs. For many Serbs, Kosovo's declaration of independence and subsequent recognition has been traumatic, a savage blow to national pride. Albanians, on the other hand, believe their independence rights an historical wrong: the Serbian conquest (Serbs say liberation) of Kosovo in 1912. For anyone wishing to understand both the history and possible future of Kosovo at this pivotal moment in its history, this book offers a wealth of insight and information in a uniquely accessible format.Trade Review"A straightforward guide to the history and geopolitics of Kosovo and the first book on the country since its declaration of independence in February this year."--The Economist "Packs a surprising amount of nuance into a slim volume... a solid introduction to an important topic."--Booklist "Judah does a commendable job of telling the dense story in an understandable fashion. Because the region changes so quickly, an up-to-date history like this is welcome."--Library Journal "[A] concise and updated version of his longer and more detailed history published in 2000...Judah's short history of Kosovo is a fair and sympathetic account of an impossible situation..."--New York Review of BooksTable of ContentsPreface: Why Kosovo? ; Albanians ; Serbs ; Creating History ; From Dardania to Yugoslavia ; Kosovo in Yugoslavia ; From the Golden Age to the Memorandum ; The Milosevic-Rugova Years ; The War ; Kosovo after 1999 ; March 2004 and the Ahtisaari Plan ; Kosovo and the Region ; Kosovo and the World ; Not the Last Chapter: Independence

    15 in stock

    £10.79

  • Taming Democracy

    Oxford University Press Taming Democracy

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisAmericans are fond of reflecting upon the Founding Fathers as selfless patriots who came together to force out the tyranny of the British and bring democracy to the land. Unfortunately, as Terry Bouton shows in this highly provocative first book, the Revolutionary elite often seemed as determined to squash democracy after the War of Independence as they were to support it before the conflict. Centering on Pennsylvania, the symbolic center of the story of democracy''s rise during the Revolution, Bouton shows how this radical shift in ideology spelled tragedy for thousands of common people. Leading up to the Revolution, most Pennsylvanians were united in their opinion that the people (i.e. white men) should be given access to the political system, and that some degree of wealth equality was required to ensure that political freedom prevailed. As the war ended, Pennsylvania''s elites began abandoning these ideas and instead embraced a new vision of the Revolution where government worked tTrade ReviewThis is a rare book - scholarly yet written with verve, readable for pleasure as well as for knowledge. * Publishers Weekly *In thoughtful, readable prose Terry Bouton shows us what the American Revolution meant for one group who counted: the small-scale farmers of Pennsylvania. They struggled; they thought; they fought. Ultimately they lost what they believed what they had won, a world that would be good for them and their families. The Revolution belonged to Bouton's kind of people, ordinary Americans living through an extraordinary time, as much as it did to the Founding Fathers. * Edward Countryman, author of The American Revolution *For many ordinary Americans living in Pennsylvania, the Revolution did not turn out as they had hoped. Committed to the creation of a more egalitarian society, they resisted British rule, only to discover that the rich and well-born had no interest in supporting serious democratic reform. In this compelling study, Bouton brings passion and insight to the bittersweet story of the betrayal of a truly revolutionary society. * T.H. Breen, Director, Center for Historical Studies, Northwestern University *The whiskey rebellion clearly has been misnamed: Bouton argues convincingly that it grew out of two decades of struggles by Pennsylvania's farmers with moneyed men for the fruits of the Revolution. He tells their story in gripping scenes of the sheriff's wagon carting off the belongings of debtors and of farmers defiantly closing down roads. This is a book about the Revolution that breaks new ground. * Alfred Young, author of Liberty Tree: Ordinary People and the American Revolution *Prominent citizens like George Washington and Alexander Hamilton considered the American Revolution an unruly steed, and they devoted considerable energy to reining it in. Terry Boutons superbly-written account of how they achieved that feat leaves us wishing they had failed. The focus of Boutons startlingly-original book is nothing less than the struggle for the soul of America. * Woody Holton, University of Richmond *Taming Democracy will have a major impact on early American historians and further the re-evaluation of the entire Revolutionary period. Boutons book will revitalize the economic interpretation of the era. * Allan Kulikoff, University of Georgia *Table of ContentsINTRODUCTION ; PART ONE: THE RISE OF DEMOCRACY (1763-1776) ; PART TWO: CONFRONTING THE COUNTER-REVOLUTION (1776-1787) ; PART THREE: TAMING DEMOCRACY (1787-1799) ; CONCLUSION

    15 in stock

    £25.92

  • The Rise and Fall of the American Century The

    Oxford University Press The Rise and Fall of the American Century The

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisFrom William H. Chafe, the best-selling author of The Unfinished Journey, comes a new text that offers in-depth and enlightening coverage of the history of the United States in the twentieth century. The Rise and Fall of the American Century: The United States from 1890-2010 describes the rise--and potential fall--of the U.S., a nation more powerful, more wealthy, and more dominant than any in human history. It also acknowledges the persistent challenges the U.S. has faced and continues to face--inequalities of race, gender, and income that contradict its vision of itself as a land of opportunity. Examining the evolution of the United States since 1890, The Rise and Fall of the American Century chronicles the varying mood of the country through its changing presidencies, from the rise of the metropolis and Teddy Roosevelt in the 1890s to the turbulent era of the Bush administration at the beginning of the twenty-first century. By analyzing the shifting moods and social and political upheavals (both at home and abroad) and the United States''s reactions to these events, the book seeks to understand how the country both achieved its vision for itself in some ways but failed to realize it in others. Working in a political framework, Chafe also provides a strong balance of social and cultural history, touching on the African-American, Latino, and Asian communities, the West, and the changing status of women. The book''s epilogue discusses important economic and political events through 2008, including the financial crisis and the 2008 Presidential Election.Trade ReviewWithout question Chafe is a master narrative historian able to weave together multiple histories into one compelling drama of struggle * of competing ideas, values, and visions of what made the American century 'American.' Chafe knows how to write history as drama in the best sense of that word. I couldn't put it down. Students will not find this kind of writing on Wikipedia."-Neil Foley, University of Texas, and author of The White Scourge *The Rise and Fall of the American Century is an excellent work that touches upon practically all of the major themes and issues of twentieth-century American history with authorial conviction. Perhaps its greatest strength is the author's ability to humanize presidents, the presidency, and presidential politics. The writing is beyond impressive and will capture and hold the attention of college students. * Hasan Kwame Jeffries, The Ohio State University *In this unflinching examination of the United States over the last century, one of the nation's foremost historians traces the nation's rise to power and its disastrous recent decline. William H. Chafe illuminates the national story with keen insight, elegant prose, and powerful analysis. * Elaine Tyler May, author of Homeward Bound: American Families in the Cold War Era *One of this country's most distinguished historians, Bill Chafe is at the top of his game as he examines the complexities and paradoxes of American life in this remarkable book. * John Dittmer, author of Local People: The Struggle for Civil Rights in Mississippi *Table of Contents1. Introduction: The 1890s, a Preview of the Next Century ; 2. The Dawn of Progressivism ; 3. America and the World ; 4. The Roaring (?) Twenties ; 5. FDR and the New Deal ; 6. World War II: 1941-1945 ; 7. The Cold War and the Politics of Anti-Communism: 1945-52 ; 8. Ike and the Affluent Society: An Age of Contradictions ; 9. From Camelot to Fragmentation: The 1960s ; 10. Polarization, Paranoia, and a New Conservatism: America in the 1970s ; 11. Morning in America: Ronald Regan ; 12. The End of One War, the Start of Another: Politics, Culture, and the Specter of Terrorism in the 1990s ; 13. The End of the American Century? The First Decade of the New Millennium

    1 in stock

    £103.54

  • Armies of Sand The Past Present and Future of

    Oxford University Press Armies of Sand The Past Present and Future of

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisTrade ReviewA masterful, wide-ranging, compelling study of why Arab armies have typically fared poorly in combat. With this certain-to-be classic work, Ken Pollack solidifies his position as one of the world's foremost scholars on Middle Eastern military and political affairs. * General David Petraeus (US Army, Ret.), former Director of the CIA *Ken Pollack argues convincingly that efforts to uncover causes of military success or failure must begin far from the battlefield. He shines new light on social, economic, political, and cultural impediments to improving military effectiveness in Arab states. His argument that the influence of culture is predominant is certain to generate introspection among Arab leaders and their overseas partners who support their military reform efforts. This should be read and debated by readers who want to understand better this complex and important region. * H.R. McMaster, Former National Security Advisor and author of Dereliction of Duty *Few if any military analysts know as much, or have thought as deeply, about Arab armies as has Ken Pollack. In Armies of Sand-a masterpiece of political science-he distills a lifetime of learning to grapple with the most important and most difficult questions that lie at the intersection of technology, culture and politics. Essential reading for anyone interested in understanding the dynamics of warfare in the Middle East. * Max Boot, author of Invisible Armies *Armies of Sand belongs in the library of every military professional serving in the Middle East, whether Western or Arab. It is a unique blend of military history and social science that comprehensively explains the military effectiveness of our Arab friends and foes alike. Pollack has courageously and objectively tackled the sensitive subject of culture, which we ignore at our peril. Armed with its insights, future commanders might avoid the surprises and frustrations that have long been the hallmarks of military operations in this theater of persistent conflict. * Lieutenant General Sean MacFarland, U.S. Army (Ret.); Commander of Coalition forces in Iraq and Syria, 2015-2016 *This is a path-breaking volume on an uncomfortable topic: Arab military failure. Kenneth Pollack is the model of the engaged scholar, whose extensive field experience on today's battlefields complements his knowledge of military affairs and the Arab world more broadly. The volume is lucid, comprehensive and fascinating. His conclusions about the relationship between culture and military effectiveness will be controversial, but they are compellingly put and will set the terms of debate for years to come. * Eliot A. Cohen, Robert E. Osgood Professor of Strategic Studies, Johns Hopkins-SAIS *Table of ContentsForeword Acknowledgments Introduction: The Six-Day War and the Mystery of Arab Military Ineffectiveness 1. Pattens of Arab Military Performance Part I: Soviet Doctrine 2. The Soviet Way of War 3. Arab Militaries and Soviet Doctrine 4. North Korea, Cuba, and Soviet Doctrine Part II: Politicization 5. Politicization 6. Arab Militaries and Politicization: Egypt 7. Arab Militaries and Politicization: Iraq 8. Politicization and the South Vietnamese Armed Forces 9. Politicization and the Argentine Armed Forces Part III: Underdevelopment 10. Economic Development and Military Effectiveness 11. Economic Development and Syrian Military Effectiveness 12. Economic Development and the Libya-Chad Wars 13. Economic Development and Chinese Military Effectiveness 14. Economic Development and Arab Military Effectiveness Part IV: Culture 15. War and Culture 16. Arab Culture as an Explanation for Military Ineffectiveness 17. Aab Culture: Patterns and Predilections 18. Arab Culture and Arab Military Effectiveness 19. Arab Culture and Civilian Organizations 20. Culture and Education: The Causal Link 21. Arab Military Training Methods 22. Exceptional Arab Militaries: State Armed Forces 23. Exceptional Arab Militaries: Nonstate Armies Conclusions: The Past, Present, and Future of Arab Military Effectiveness Notes Selected Bibliography Index

    15 in stock

    £22.32

  • A Promised Land

    Oxford University Press Inc A Promised Land

    3 in stock

    Book SynopsisA new history that centers Judaism at the dawn of the United StatesJews played a critical role both in winning the American Revolution--fighting for the Patriot cause from Bunker Hill to Yorktown--and in defining the republic that was created from it. As the most visible non-Christian religion, Judaism was central to the debate over religious freedom in America at a critical juncture. During the war every city with a synagogue fell to the British-with the exception of Philadelphia, birthplace to the Declaration of Independence and a core of resistance. Jewish patriots throughout the colonies flocked to the city, where they re-founded the local synagogue as a distinctively American organization. After the war, Jews began to press for full citizenship in the hope that liberty would apply to everyone, and that the limits to freedom imposed on Jews in the Old World would be removed in the New. As Adam Jortner shows in this eye-opening account, the decision to extend citizenship to all reli

    3 in stock

    £25.64

  • The Opening of the Protestant Mind

    Oxford University Press Inc The Opening of the Protestant Mind

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisDuring the mid-seventeenth century, Anglo-American Protestants described Native American ceremonies as savage devilry, Islamic teaching as violent chicanery, and Catholicism as repugnant superstition. By the mid-eighteenth century, they would describe amicable debates between evangelical missionaries and Algonquian religious leaders about the moral appeal of Christianity, recount learned conversations between English merchants and Muslim scholars, and tell of encounters with hospitable and sincere priests in Catholic Canada and Europe. What explains this poignant shift?Using a variety of sources--travel narratives, dictionaries and encyclopaedias of the world''s religions, missionary tracts, and sermons, The Opening of the Protestant Mind traces a transformation in how English and colonial American Protestants described other religions during a crucial period of English colonization of North America. After the English Revolution of 1688 and the subsequent growth of the British empire, Trade ReviewThe Opening of the Protestant Mind provides a new origin story for the idea of freedom of conscience, demonstrating its intertwined roots in eighteenth-century political and religious concerns. Eschewing portrayals of puritans as pillars of intolerance, Valeri takes readers deep inside the minds of English Protestants during the colonial conquests that created the British Empire, introduced the comparative study of religion, and paved the way for missionary movements and argues that the imperialism of the nineteenth century was far from inevitable. * Ann Braude, author of Sisters and Saints: Women and American Religion *A deeply thoughtful, subtly multifaceted, and cogently argued intervention in ongoing discussions regarding Euro-American views of other peoples and religious traditions. * Arun W. Jones, Dan and Lillian Hankey Associate Professor of World Evangelism, Candler School of Theology, Emory University *This is a compelling account of how, between the Restoration and the American Revolution, Anglo-Protestants learned—at least sometimes—to tolerate non-Protestant people of faith and imagine them as trustworthy imperial subjects or republican citizens. Valeri's moderate Protestants did not embrace radical egalitarianism, but neither were they merely masking and enabling colonialism, imperialism, and racism. Under the regime of British religious toleration, Valeri finds a story marked by contingency, contestation, and conceptual transformation. * Christopher Grasso, author of Skepticism and American Faith: From the Revolution to the Civil War *Historians of religious toleration often tell a simple tale of atavistic bigotry yielding to enlightened, pragmatic secularism. The Opening of the Protestant Mind tells a more complicated story of sincere believers struggling to imagine a social order that accommodated religious difference. Making unexpected connections between domestic debates and imperial efforts to 'convert' non-European peoples, Mark Valeri deepens our appreciation of a now-imperiled legacy built by those who seriously—if imperfectly—embraced moderation as a spiritual value. * Daniel K. Richter, author of Before the Revolution: America's Ancient Pasts *Table of ContentsIntroduction Chapter One: Disorder and Confessionalism Sources for Restoration-era Writers England's Confessional Ideology Confessional Descriptions of the World's Religions Chapter Two: Praying Indians Conversion within English Protestant Communities Missions to Algonquian Communities in New England Chapter Three: Revolution and Toleration Apologists for the Revolution of 1688 Religious Comparison and the Idea of Toleration Travel and Religious Encounters Chapter Four: Empire and Whig Moralism Imperial Agendas Whig Criteria for Religious Authenticity New Studies of the World's Religions Eighteenth-century Travelers Chapter Five: Power, Ceremony, and Roman Catholicism French Whigs and the Critique of Ceremonialism Descriptions of Ceremonial Power Images of the World's Religions Religious Diversity and Roman Catholicism Chapter Six: Indian Conversions The Great Awakening and Moral Freedom Native American Moral Conscience Missionaries' Critique of Anglicization The Moral Appeal of Christianity Disaffiliation and Affiliation Epilogue Hannah Adams and the Revolutionary Nation Conclusion: Limits and Paradoxes Index

    1 in stock

    £19.99

  • The Wars of the Lord

    Oxford University Press Inc The Wars of the Lord

    7 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe epic, tragic story of the Puritan conquest of New England through the eyes of those who lived itOver several decades beginning in 1620, tens of thousands of devout English colonists known as Puritans came to America. They believed that bringing Christianity to the natives would liberate them from darkness. Daniel Gookin, Massachusetts''s missionary superintendent, called such efforts a war of the Lord, a war in which Christ would deliver captive souls from Satan''s bondage.When Puritan soldiers slaughtered hundreds of indigenous men, women, and children at Fort Mystic in 1637, during the Pequot War, they believed they were doing God''s will. The same was true during King Philip''s War, perhaps the bloodiest war in American history. The Puritan clergyman Increase Mather described this conflict, too, as a war of the Lord, a war in which God was judging the enemies of his people.Matthew J. Tuininga argues that these two wars are inextricably linked. Puritan Christianity, he shows, shaped both the spiritual and military conquests of New England from beginning to end. It is not only that the people who did these things happened to be Christians; it is that Christianity was the framework they used to guide, interpret, and defend every major act of peace or war. They made sincere efforts to treat Natives according to Christian principles of love and justice as they understood them, and their sustained missionary efforts demonstrate how serious they were about saving native souls. Yet they appealed to Christianity just as confidently when they subjugated, enslaved, or killed native peoples in the name of justice. A mission they saw as spiritual, peaceful, benevolent, and just devolved into a military conquest that was virtually genocidal.This book tells the story of how this happened from the perspective of those who lived it, both colonists and Native Americans.

    7 in stock

    £25.64

  • Homage to Catalonia

    Oxford University Press Homage to Catalonia

    10 in stock

    Book SynopsisHomage to Catalonia is George Orwell's account of the Spanish Civil War. It was the last and most mature of Orwell's documentary books.Table of ContentsIntroduction Note on the Text Select Bibliography Chronology Homage to Catalonia Explanatory Notes

    10 in stock

    £7.59

  • The Cold War A Very Short Introduction Very Short

    Oxford University Press The Cold War A Very Short Introduction Very Short

    3 in stock

    Book SynopsisVery Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, InspiringThe Cold War dominated international life from the end of World War II to the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. But how did the conflict begin? Why did it move from its initial origins in Postwar Europe to encompass virtually every corner of the globe? And why, after lasting so long, did the war end so suddenly and unexpectedly? Robert McMahon considers these questions and more, as well as looking at the legacy of the Cold War and its impact on international relations today.The Cold War: A Very Short Introduction is a truly international history, not just of the Soviet-American struggle at its heart, but also of the waves of decolonization, revolutionary nationalism, and state formation that swept the non-Western world in the wake of World War II. McMahon places the ''Hot Wars'' that cost millions of lives in Korea, Vietnam, and elsewhere within the larger framework of global superpower competition. He shows how the United States and the Soviet Union both became empires over the course of the Cold War, and argues that perceived security needs and fears shaped U.S. and Soviet decisions from the beginning--far more, in fact, than did their economic and territorial ambitions. He unpacks how these needs and fears were conditioned by the divergent cultures, ideologies, and historical experiences of the two principal contestants and their allies. Covering the years 1945-1990, this second edition uses recent scholarship and newly available documents to offer a fuller analysis of the Vietnam War, the changing global politics of the 1970s, and the end of the Cold War.ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Trade ReviewReview from previous edition McMahon has produced a commanding short narrative of a vital period in recent world history. Clear, concise, and compelling, The Cold War is a superb primer on the subject. * Fredrik Logevall, University of California, Santa Barbara *A riveting read that brings order to complexity. McMahon is a brilliant guide to the major events of the Cold War and has a gift for clear-headed analysis of the controversies that swirl around it. * Professor Barbara Keys, Durham University *In concise and compelling prose, Robert McMahon offers critical insights about the truly global dimensions and profound legacies of the Cold War. * Dr. Wen-Qing Ngoei, author of Arc of Containment *Robert McMahon's The Cold War: A Very Short Introduction is an extraordinary work of both concision and analysis. It incorporates the most up-to-date scholarship in the field, while giving students and excellent overview of this crucial period in international history. The book is truly unique in its short length and clear and concise summary of the main issues of the Cold War, while written with grace and subtlety. A masterful achievement! * Professor Thomas Schwartz, Vanderbilt University *Small but impressive * Soldier Magazine *Table of ContentsPreface List of illustrations List of maps 1: World War II and the destruction of the old order 2: The origins of the Cold War in Europe, 1945-50 3: Towards 'Hot War' in Asia, 1945-50 4: A global Cold War, 1950-8 5: From confrontation to detente, 1958-68 6: Cold wars at home 7: The rise and fall of superpower detente, 1968-79 8: The final phase, 1980-90 Further reading Index

    3 in stock

    £9.49

  • The War That Forged a Nation

    Oxford University Press Inc The War That Forged a Nation

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisJames McPherson evokes the meaning and significance of the Civil WarTrade Review[O]ffers a welcome and much-needed challenge to the rigidity displayed by some accounts of that conflict. ... [C]ontains a wealth of oft-overlooked information and solid conclusions concerning many salient facets of the American Civil War. It is highly recommended." * Joseph A. Rose, The NYMAS Review *Those readers unfamiliar with the history of the conflict can expect to learn much of the war's military, diplomatic, political, and social history, even as McPherson's sharp prose and narrative style keep the writing brisk. * Cameron Givens, Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective *Previous praise for Battle Cry of Freedom: "Deftly coordinated, gracefully composed, charitably argued and suspensefully paid out, McPherson's book is just the compass of the tumultuous middle years of the 19th century it was intended to be, and as narrative history it is surpassing. Bright with details and fresh quotations, solid with carefully-arrived-at conclusions, it must surely be, of the 50,000 books written on the Civil War, the finest compression of that national paroxysm ever fitted between two covers. * Los Angeles Times Book Review *The best one-volume treatment of [the Civil War era] I have ever come across. It may actually be the best ever published.... I was swept away, feeling as if I had never heard the saga before.... Omitting nothing important, whether military, political, or economic, he yet manages to make everything he touches drive the narrative forward. This is historical writing of the highest order. * Hugh Brogan, The New York Times Book Review *The finest single volume on the war and its background. * The Washington Post Book World *Table of Contents1. Why the Civil War Still Matters ; 2. Mexico, California, and the Coming of the Civil War ; 3. A Just War? ; 4. Death and Destruction in the Civil War ; 5. American Navies and British Neutrality During the Civil War ; 6. The Rewards of Risk-Taking: Two Civil War Admirals ; 7. How Did Freedom Come? ; 8. Lincoln, Slavery, and Freedom ; 9. A. Lincoln, Commander in Chief ; 10. The Commander Who Would Not Fight: McClellan and Lincoln ; 11. Lincoln's Legacy for Our Time ; 12. War and Peace in the Post-Civil War South

    Out of stock

    £22.94

  • The Liberation of Jerusalem Oxford Worlds

    Oxford University Press The Liberation of Jerusalem Oxford Worlds

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis''The bitter tragedy of human life-- horrors of death, attack, retreat, advance, and the great game of Destiny and Chance. '' In The Liberation of Jerusalem (Gerusalemme liberata, 1581), Torquato Tasso set out to write an epic to rival the Iliad and the Aeneid. Unlike his predecessors, he took his subject not from myth but from history: the Christian capture of Jerusalem during the First Crusade. The siege of the city is played out alongside a magical romance of love and sacrifice, in which the Christian knight Rinaldo succumbs to the charms of the pagan sorceress Armida, and the warrior maiden Clorinda inspires a fatal passion in the Christian Tancred.Tasso''s masterpiece left its mark on writers from Spenser and Milton to Goethe and Byron, and inspired countless painters and composers. This is the first English translation in modern times that faithfully reflects both the sense and the verse form of the original. Max Wickert''s fine rendering is introduced by Mark Davie, who places TTrade ReviewThe translation is accompanied by a clear, detailed and helpful introduction by Mark Davie. * David Robey, Times Literary Supplement *Wickert's is a remarkable achievement...the translation is consistently faithful to almost every detail of the content. * David Robey, Times Literary Supplement *

    1 in stock

    £14.24

  • The Least Worst Place How Guantanamo Became the Worlds Most Notorious Prison

    Oxford University Press (UK) The Least Worst Place How Guantanamo Became the Worlds Most Notorious Prison

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe tale of how individual officers on the ground at Guantanamo Bay, along with their direct superiors, were unwittingly co-opted into the Pentagon's plan to turn the prison into an interrogation facility operating at the margins of the law and beyond.Trade ReviewGreenberg is a great storyteller. * Sunday Times *Read this book for an understanding of the fearsome banality of the workings of arbitrary power. * Frank Furedi, Times Higher Education *Greenberg tells an excellent human story, efficiently piecing together the accounts of the guards, inmates and lawyers. * Stephen Robinson, The Guardian *If you thought Guantanamo held no more surprises, this remarkable and timely book will change your mind. Karen Greenberg has unearthed a history we did not know we had, somehow persuading scores of military and intelligence officers-and their former captives-to break a seven-year silence. Packed with revelations, this vivid story shows exactly how nods and winks from Washington led to lawless abuse. Just at the moment we need it most, with a new president vowing to find a way out, Greenberg gives the best account yet of where and how and why the troubles began. * Advance praise from Barton Gellman, author of Angler: The Cheney Vice Presidency *Greenberg tells a gripping and vivid story of the first days of the Guantanamo detainee debacle. In a fast paced and well researched narrative, her characters come alive on this dusty island base as they struggle with the moral and professional dilemmas that are a microcosm of a bigger drama being played out in Washington. Policy was formulated by a small cabal of Pentagon and White House zealots who did not understand the fundamental nature of counterterrorism-and forced their ill-conceived policies on a reluctant but ultimately compliant military, judicial and diplomatic corps. * Advance praise from Michael Sheehan, author of Crush the Cell *The consequences of Guantanamo on America's standing in the world have been well chronicled, but here, in heartbreaking detail, we learn the story of how it might have been different. Karen Greenberg's surprising and provocative history of the first hundred days of Guantanamo provides an invaluable comment on how the war on terror turned into a moral assault on our on values and institutions. * Advance praise from Lawrence Wright, author of The Looming Tower *Karen Greenberg's deeply researched account of the early days of Guantanamo shows the legal, political and moral questions that plagued the prison camp from the outset: its dubious legal authority, the uncertain status of the prisoners, and the doubts of key officials who tried to uphold American and international law. The Least Worst Place, which is so well written that it reads in places like a prose poem, is going to be essential reading for anyone who is trying to understand the legal morass surrounding Guantanamo and detainee policy in the 'war on terror.' * Advance praie from Peter Bergen, author of Holy War, Inc. and The Osama bin Laden I Know *Table of ContentsPART I: DECEMBER. PARADISE LOST; PART II: JANUARY. THE NEW WORLD ORDER; PART III: FEBRUARY. SHADOW COMMAND; PART IV: MARCH. FAILURE

    15 in stock

    £28.49

  • The British Way in CounterInsurgency 19451967

    Oxford University Press The British Way in CounterInsurgency 19451967

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe claim by the Ministry of Defence in 2001 that ''the experience of numerous small wars has provided the British Army with a unique insight into this demanding form of conflict'' unravelled spectacularly in Iraq and Afghanistan. One important reason for that, David French suggests, was because contemporary British counter-insurgency doctrine was based upon a serious misreading of the past. Until now, many observers believed that during the wars of decolonisation in the two decades after 1945, the British had discovered how western liberal notions of right and wrong could be made compatible with the imperatives of waging war amongst the people, that force could be used effectively but with care, and that a more just and prosperous society could emerge from these struggles. By using only the minimum necessary force, and doing so with the utmost discrimination, the British were able to win by securing the ''hearts and minds'' of the people. But this was a serious distortion of actual BrTrade ReviewDavid French's authoritative...exemplarily fair-minded study...should be compulsory reading for modern British officers * Max Hastings, Sunday Times *Brilliant...French explodes the myth that a uniquely British quest to recruit "hearts and minds" made the British end of Empire easy. * Ben Macintyre, The Times *a sobering and timely book ... Professor French marshals an impressive volume of archival research ... fluent and always engrossing * Kenneth Payne, Times Literary Supplement *a brilliant book that sheds light on a misunderstood and misquoted era ... masterly * Patrick Mercer, Military History *a careful, often riveting book that has been constructed on the basis of rigorous archival research. French takes on a major task, insisting on a sweep of place and time that must have demanded he tackle an intimidating quantity of archival material, and the results are frequently a testament to modern historical scholarship. * Musab Younis, The Oxonian Review *French's book represents the first comprehensive reassessment of the violence used by the British across the entire range of these insurgencies * Royal United Services Institute *Based on unparalleled research into official documents on nine campaigns it is likely to be the authoritative work on the subject for years to come ... Indeed, Professor French has set the bar very high, and that can only be a good thing for the rest of us who yet labour in these contested trenches. * David Charters, Canadian Military History *His counter-insurgency volume is ... likely to become the standard work on the subject. Thankfully, he avoid the temptation to adapt the book to the contemporary concerns of the academic-military-industrial complex. * John Newsinger, Race & Class *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements ; List of Abbreviations ; Introduction ; 1. The Colonial State ; 2. Gangsters, Thugs, and Bandits: the Enemies of the Colonial State ; 3. The Legal Context and Counter-insurgency by Committee ; 4. Varieties of Coercion: Exemplary Force, Counter-terrorism, and Population Control ; 5. Britain's "Dirty Wars"? ; 6. Winning Hearts and Minds ; 7. Counter-insurgency and the Learning Curve ; 8. The Problems of Sustainability ; Conclusion ; Bibliography ; Index

    15 in stock

    £121.12

  • Iraq and the Use of Force in International Law

    Oxford University Press Iraq and the Use of Force in International Law

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe prohibition of the use of force is one of the most crucial elements of the international legal order. Our understanding of that rule was both advanced and challenged during the period commencing with the termination of the Iran-Iraq war and the invasion of Kuwait, and concluding with the invasion and occupation of Iraq. The initial phase was characterized by hopes for a functioning collective security system administered by the United Nations as part of a New World Order. The liberation of Kuwait, in particular, was seen by some as a powerful vindication of the prohibition of the use of force and of the UN Security Council. However, the operation was not really conducted in accordance with the requirements for collective security established in the UN Charter. In a second phase, an international coalition launched a humanitarian intervention operation, first in the north of Iraq, and subsequently in the south. That episode is often seen as the fountainhead of the post-Cold War claiTable of Contents1. Introduction: The Vision of the New World Order and its Collapse ; 2. Iraq and Kuwait 1990/1 ; 3. Forcible Humanitarian Action and the Aerial Exclusion Zones ; 4. The Use of Force in Relation to Iraqi Disarmament Obligations 1991-1998 ; 5. Resolution 1441 (2002) and the 2003 Invasion of Iraq ; 6. The Role of International Law in UK Decision-Making ; 7. Conclusion: The Use of Force in International Law after Iraq

    15 in stock

    £55.10

  • Hattin

    Oxford University Press Hattin

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisThe story of Saladin's recapture of the Holy City of Jerusalem from the Crusaders at the Battle of Hattin in 1187. A pivotal battle in the history of the Crusades - and in the subsequent history of the Middle East and the Muslim world.Trade Review[France] reminds us why Hattin, more so than the subsequent Christian victory four year later at Arsuf, became embedded in popular culture. * Victor Davis Hanson, Times Literary Supplement *France's highly accessible book examines the causes and consequences of [the Battle of Hattin], tracing its impact way beyond its immediate aftermath and impact on Euro-Islamic relations. He follows the path of its tremors all the up to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and the uneasy relationship between Eastern Islamic culture and Western Christian culture that still exists today. * History of War *The Battle at Hattin, despite its immense significance, is often overlooked or even forgotten by the twenty-first century student of military history. That being the case, it is wonderful to see the excellent 'Great Battles' series from the Oxford University Press redressing this fact and giving it the attention that it warrants ... A hugely interesting, engaging and accessible book which brings the period and the personalities of the battle to life. * Major P D Horne RA, British Army Review *a useful and absorbing examination of the importance of the Battle of Hattin * Battlefield Magazine *[A] tour de force. I was surprised how much information an author can squeeze into only 168 pages of text ... a delightful read ... Hattin is a good book, well-written and full to the brim with information. * Jona Lendering, Medieval Warfare *Table of Contents1. Salvation through Slaughter ; 2. Crusade and Jihad ; 3. The Battle of Hattin ; 4. Hattin: Bloody Consequences ; 5. Hattin Today: A Poisoned Heritage ; Notes ; Further Reading ; Index

    Out of stock

    £19.12

  • Algeria

    Oxford University Press Algeria

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisInvaded in 1830, populated by one million settlers who co-existed uneasily with nine million Arabs and Berbers, Algeria was different from other French colonies because it was administered as an integral part of France, in theory no different from Normandy or Brittany. The depth and scale of the colonization process explains why the Algerian War of 1954 to 1962 was one of the longest and most violent of the decolonization struggles. An undeclared war in the sense that there was no formal beginning of hostilities, the conflict produced huge tensions that brought down four governments, ended the Fourth Republic in 1958, and mired the French army in accusations of torture and mass human rights abuses. In carefully re-examining the origins and consequences of the conflict, Martin Evans argues that it was the Socialist-led Republican Front, in power from January 1956 until May 1957, which was the defining moment in the war, rather than the later administration under De Gaulle. Predicated on the belief in the universal civilizing mission of the Fourth Republic, coupled with the conviction that Algerian nationalism was feudal and religiously fanatical in character, the Republican Front dramatically intensified the war in the spring of 1956. Drawing upon previously classified archival sources as well as new oral testimonies, France''s Undeclared War is the first major English-language history of the Algerian conflict in a generation. Throughout, Martin Evans underlines the ultimately irreconcilable conflict of values between the Republican Front and Algerian nationalism, explaining how this clash produced patterns of thought and action, such as the institutionalization of torture and the raising of pro-French Muslim militias, which tragically polarized choices and framed all stages of the conflict.Trade ReviewExcellent * The Economist *Masterly * History Today *Original * Le Monde Diplomatique *Evans, a master scholar, has produced a comprehensive narrative. * Foreign Affairs *Strikingly illustrated and using novel archival sources ... scintillating * Literary Review *Table of ContentsPART I: ORIGINS 1830-1945; PART II: UNDECLARED WAR 1945-59; PART III: DENOUEMENT 1959-62

    Out of stock

    £15.29

  • The Oxford Handbook of the American Revolution

    OUP USA The Oxford Handbook of the American Revolution

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe Oxford Handbook of the American Revolution introduces scholars, students and generally interested readers to the formative event in American history. In thirty-three individual essays, by thirty-three authorities on the Revolution, the Handbook provides readers with in-depth analysis of the Revolution''s many sides, ranging from the military and diplomatic to the social and political; from the economic and financial, to the cultural and legal. Its cast of characters ranges far, including ordinary farmers and artisans, men and women, free and enslaved African Americans, Indians, and British and American statesmen and military leaders. Its geographic scope is equally broad. The Handbook offers readers an American Revolution whose geo-political and military impact ranged from the West Indies to the Mississippi Valley; from the British Isles to New England and from Nova Scotia to Florida. The American Revolution of the Handbook is, simply put, an event that far transcended the boundariTrade ReviewThis is a well-conceived and edited volume, and an excellent resource. * Andy Hamilton, British Journal for the History of Philosophy *Table of ContentsList of Maps ; Contributors ; Introduction: American Revolutions ; Edward G. Gray and Jane Kamensky ; Part I. Cultures and Crises ; Chapter 1. Britain's American Problem: The International Perspective ; P. J. Marshall ; Chapter 2. The Unsettled Periphery: The Backcountry on the Eve of the American Revolution ; William B. Hart ; Chapter 3. The Polite and the Plebian ; Michael Zuckerman ; Chapter 4. Political Protest and the World of Goods ; Laurel Thatcher Ulrich ; Chapter 5. The Imperial Crisis ; Craig B. Yirush ; Chapter 6. The Struggle Within: Colonial Politics on the Eve of Independence ; Michael A. McDonnell ; Chapter 7. The Democratic Moment: The Revolution and Popular Politics ; Ray Raphael ; Chapter 8. Independence before and during the Revolution ; Benjamin H. Irvin ; Part II. War ; Chapter 9. The Continental Army ; Caroline Cox ; Chapter 10. The British Army and the War of Independence ; Stephen Conway ; Chapter 11. The War in the Cities ; Mark A. Peterson ; Chapter 12. The War in the Countryside ; Allan Kulikoff ; Chapter 13. Native Peoples in the Revolutionary War ; Jane T. Merritt ; Chapter 14. The African Americans' Revolution ; Gary B. Nash ; Chapter 15. Women in the American Revolutionary War ; Sarah M. S. Pearsall ; Chapter 16. Loyalism ; Edward Larkin ; Chapter 17. The Revolutionary War and Europe's Great Powers ; Paul W. Mapp ; Chapter 18. Funding the Revolution: Monetary and Fiscal Policy in Eighteenth-Century America ; Stephen Mihm ; Part III. A Revolutionary Settlement ; Chapter 19. The Impact of the War on British Politics ; Harry T. Dickinson ; Chapter 20. The Trials of the Confederation ; Terry Bouton ; Chapter 21. A More Perfect Union: The Framing and Ratification of the Constitution ; Max M. Edling ; Chapter 22. The Evangelical Ascendancy in Revolutionary America ; Susan Juster ; Chapter 23. The Problems of Slavery ; Christopher Leslie Brown ; Chapter 24. Rights ; Eric Slauter ; Chapter 25. The Empire That Britain Kept ; Eliga H. Gould ; Part IV. New Orders ; Chapter 26. The American Revolution and a New National Politics ; Rosemarie Zagarri ; Chapter 27. Republican Art and Architecture ; Martha J. McNamara ; Chapter 28. Print Culture after the Revolution ; Catherine O'Donnell ; Chapter 29. Republican Law ; Christopher L. Tomlins ; Chapter 30. Discipline, Sex, and the Republican Self ; Clare A. Lyons ; Chapter 31. The Laboring Republic ; Graham Russell Gao Hodges ; Chapter 32. The Republic in the World, 1783-1803 ; J. M. Opal ; Chapter 33. America's Cultural Revolution in Transnational Perspective ; Leora Auslander ; Index

    15 in stock

    £147.25

  • The Vietnam War

    Oxford University Press Inc The Vietnam War

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisHailed as a pithy and compelling account of an intensely relevant topic (Kirkus Reviews), this wide-ranging volume offers a superb account of a key moment in modern U.S. and world history. Drawing upon the latest research in archives in China, Russia, and Vietnam, Mark Lawrence creates an extraordinary, panoramic view of all sides of the war. His narrative begins well before American forces set foot in Vietnam, delving into French colonialism''s contribution to the 1945 Vietnamese revolution, and revealing how the Cold War concerns of the 1950s led the United States to back the French. The heart of the book covers the American war, ranging from the overthrow of Ngo Dinh Diem and the impact of the Tet Offensive to Nixon''s expansion of the war into Cambodia and Laos, and the final peace agreement of 1973. Finally, Lawrence examines the aftermath of the war, from the momentous liberalization--Doi Moi--in Vietnam to the enduring legacy of this infamous war in American books, films, and poTrade Review"Crisply concise.... Delves into the 'whys' of the war: why the Vietnamese fought against the United States, why the great powers were involved, why the war turned out as it did and why legacies of the war linger."-Philip Seib,Dallas Morning News"[A] succinct history of a frustrating war that raised several painful issues America's leaders are now encountering for a second time.... A pithy and compelling account of an intensely relevant topic."-Kirkus Reviews"Distills the US's longest war into a short, readable narrative.... This brief summary of the tangled negotiations that prolonged the suffering caused by the war is perhaps Lawrence's most valuable contribution, since it covers an area that more extensive histories overlook.... A valuable addition to any academic library.... Essential."-C.C. Lovett, CHOICE"The book lives up to its brief and accessible billing...."-Publishers Weekly"In an elegant, almost elegiac prose style, Mark Lawrence takes us through the history of the Vietnam War in a narrative that transcends the usual focus on Vietnam and the United States. There is no other one volume history of the war that so thoroughly captures the war as an event in world history."-Marilyn B. Young, author of The Vietnam Wars, 1945-1990"A succinct and persuasive account of the Second Indochina War in its global context. At a time when the current U.S. involvement in Iraq evokes uneasy memories of America's controversial 'war of choice' in Vietnam, Mark Lawrence's thoughtful analysis of that previous conflict is highly welcome."-William J. Duiker, author of Ho Chi Minh: A Life"It takes skill to condense a massive subject into a concise, entertaining, and accessible book. This is what Mark Atwood Lawrence accomplishes in his 224 page book The Vietnam War: A Concise International History.... This book might be even more attractive than the larger volumes on the subject because it is succint and focuses on the primary issues of the war."-Shelton Woods, ResourcesTable of ContentsINTRODUCTION; FURTHER READING

    15 in stock

    £17.99

  • Smell of Battle the Taste of Siege

    Oxford University Press Smell of Battle the Taste of Siege

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisHistorical accounts of major events have almost always relied upon what those who were there witnessed. Nowhere is this truer than in the nerve-shattering chaos of warfare, where sight seems to confer objective truth and acts as the basis of reconstruction. In The Smell of Battle, the Taste of Siege, historian Mark M. Smith considers how all five senses, including sight, shaped the experience of the Civil War and thus its memory, exploring its full sensory impact on everyone from the soldiers on the field to the civilians waiting at home. From the eardrum-shattering barrage of shells announcing the outbreak of war at Fort Sumter; to the stench produced by the corpses lying in the mid-summer sun at Gettysburg; to the siege of Vicksburg, once a center of Southern culinary aesthetics and starved into submission, Smith recreates how Civil War was felt and lived. Relying on first-hand accounts, Smith focuses on specific senses, one for each event, offering a wholly new perspective. At Bull Run, the similarities between the colors of the Union and Confederate uniforms created concern over what later would be called friendly fire and helped decide the outcome of the first major battle, simply because no one was quite sure they could believe their eyes. He evokes what it might have felt like to be in the HL Hunley submarine, in which eight men worked cheek by jowl in near-total darkness in a space 48 inches high, 42 inches wide. Often argued to be the first total war, the Civil War overwhelmed the senses because of its unprecedented nature and scope, rendering sight less reliable and, Smith shows, forcefully engaging the nonvisual senses. Sherman''s March was little less than a full-blown assault on Southern sense and sensibility, leaving nothing untouched an no one unaffected. Unique, compelling, and fascinating, The Smell of Battle, The Taste of Siege, offers readers way to experience the Civil War with fresh eyes.Trade ReviewSmiths choice of episodes is inspiring. Perhaps not evident from the last two chapters titles, themes are introduced with playful language, his enjoyment in writing this volume evident throughout ... I would be surprised if this book does not change historical accounts of warfare. The twentieth century brought total war to greater numbers of civilians of many other nations, but historians have yet to write the sort of total history, which adequately conveys the full meaning of such collective trauma. Yet again, Smith has provided us with a model. * Jonathan Reinarz, University of Birmingham, The American Historical Review *Read this book for an original methodology that encourages readers to consider the influence of the confusions of battle, the noise of shells, and the stench of death. Smith describes some of the key encounters of the civil war, including the Battle of Bull Run and Gettysburg, in terms of assaults on the senses and shows how that affected outcomes. * Books of the year 2014, War on the Rocks *Historians often ask readers to imagine the intense sights, sounds, and smells of battle. Smith goes one step further and explores how such sensory assaults affect the conduct of war itself. * Lawrence D. Freedman, Books of the year 2014, Foreign Affairs *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; 1. The Sounds of Secession ; 2. Eying First Bull Run ; 3. Cornelia Hancock's Sense of Smell ; 4. Hollowing Out Vicksburg ; 5. The Hunley's Impact ; Epilogue: Experiencing Total War

    15 in stock

    £43.50

  • Fateful Lightning

    Oxford University Press Inc Fateful Lightning

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe Civil War is the greatest trauma ever experienced by the American nation, a four-year paroxysm of violence that left in its wake more than 600,000 dead, more than 2 million refugees, and the destruction (in modern dollars) of more than $700 billion in property. The war also sparked some of the most heroic moments in American history and enshrined a galaxy of American heroes. Above all, it permanently ended the practice of slavery and proved, in an age of resurgent monarchies, that a liberal democracy could survive the most frightful of challenges. In Fateful Lightning, two-time Lincoln Prize-winning historian Allen C. Guelzo offers a marvelous portrait of the Civil War and its era, covering not only the major figures and epic battles, but also politics, religion, gender, race, diplomacy, and technology. And unlike other surveys of the Civil War era, it extends the reader''s vista to include the postwar Reconstruction period and discusses the modern-day legacy of the Civil War in American literature and popular culture. Guelzo also puts the conflict in a global perspective, underscoring Americans'' acute sense of the vulnerability of their republic in a world of monarchies. He examines the strategy, the tactics, and especially the logistics of the Civil War and brings the most recent historical thinking to bear on emancipation, the presidency and the war powers, the blockade and international law, and the role of intellectuals, North and South. Written by a leading authority on our nation''s most searing crisis, Fateful Lightning offers a vivid and original account of an event whose echoes continue with Americans to this day.Trade Review"Guelzo has a masterful command of the intricate narrative of the Civil War period. His tale contains familiar stories, but also new insights." --Journal of American History "Guelzo's book is a shining example of the virtues of the macro approach when it is undertaken with energy and efficiency. By panning out and reviewing the events that occurred over several decades, Guelzo offers a useful synthesis of the developing Civil War narrative..." --The New York Times "It's hard to imagine a better one-volume history of the American Civil War than Gettysburg College professor Allen C. Guelzo's new work." --The Washington Times "Guelzo's prose is graceful and erudite - indeed, almost poetic. His is as comfortable with military topics as he is with the political, social, and economic aspects of the war and its aftermath." --The Weekly Standard "Allen C. Guelzo's new book should occupy the same position in the current Civil War sesquicentennial as Bruce Catton's books did 50 years ago during the war's centennial. Fateful Lightning: A New History of the Civil War & Reconstruction deserves this prominence for Guelzo's thorough knowledge of the subject, his ability to draw fresh conclusion, and his exceptional writing skills." --The Saturday Evening Post "This is an outstanding effort to recount and explain our greatest national trauma to general readers." --Booklist "With his accustomed eloquence and erudition, Allen C. Guelzo has produced a grand and sweeping account of the Civil War, vividly depicting its events, its characters, and, most of all, the ideas that drove them. Fateful Lightning is destined to take its place alongside the classic narratives of the nation's greatest crisis." --Steven E. Woodworth, author of This Great Struggle: America's Civil War "[A] splendidly-written narrative" --Civil War Book Review "Fateful Lightning is a splendid accomplishment." --David Frum, Daily Beast "Fateful Lightning is a wonderful book. It is the summit of a long career of a consumate historian. ... [A] timely addition to a long tradition of scholarly histories of both the Civil War and Reconstruction. ... Guelzo seamlessly weaves the history of actual warfare with other cultural and historical events of the time. ... Because it is so well-written and produces such an engrossing story, it is one that students and scholars alike will relish." --International Social Science ReviewTable of ContentsChapter 1: A Nation Announcing Itself Chapter 2: The Disillusion of Compromise Chapter 3: From Debate to Civil War Chapter 4: To War Upon Slavery: The East and Emancipation, 1861-1862 Chapter 5: Elusive Victories: East and West, 1862-1863 Chapter 6: The Soldier's Tale Chapter 7: The Manufacture of War Chapter 8: Year That Trembled: East and West, 1863 Chapter 9: World Turned Upside Down Chapter 10: Stalemate and Triumph Chapter 11: A Dim Shore Ahead Epilogue Index

    1 in stock

    £21.48

  • As If an Enemys Country

    OUP USA As If an Enemys Country

    Out of stock

    Book Synopsis"A lively and sympathetic history of pre-Revolutionary Boston under British occupation." The New YorkerA thrilling and original work of history, As If an Enemy's Country tells the riveting story of what made the Boston townspeople, and with them other colonists, turn toward revolution.Trade Review"Richard Archer's book is a remarkably fresh examination of the story of the British occupation of Boston in the years before the Revolution. Its close attention to the social and economic context of the dramatic events of those years gives the book much of its richness; and its telling of the events themselves, ending with a splendid account of the Boston Massacre, is accomplished with great clarity, detail, and verve. Altogether it is a fascinating book."--Robert Middlekauff, author of The Glorious Cause: The American Revolution, 1763-1789 "In ways that are familiar today when American forces occupy faraway lands, the British military occupation of Boston in October 1768 deeply radicalized the town's citizens. In this crisply written account, Richard Archer walks the reader through Boston's crooked streets and along the waterfront with such narrative verve that we can almost see, hear, and feel the seething tension that grew for seventeen months before the Boston Massacre. With his careful research and nose for telling detail, Archer allows us to understand why Boston led the colonies into independence."--Gary B. Nash, author of The Unknown American Revolution: The Unruly Birth of Democracy and the Struggle to Create America "As If An Enemy's Country provides a long-overdue explanation of how the American Revolution began. Richard Archer has connected the dots in this extraordinarily well-written, concise, thorough and engaging account of the British occupation of Boston after 1768. Archer shows how the relationships between the Boston mob and the provincial elite, among merchants, trade, and religion in Boston's unique political culture turned rebellion into Revolution. An essential book--a fascinating story well-told."--Robert Allison, author of A Short History of Boston "Archer utilizes a wealth of primary sources, from diaries to depositions, to provide an edifying account of the 17-month British occupation of Boston from October 1768 to the winter of 1770. ... Beginning with British attempts to consolidate the empire and gain revenue from the Colonies in the form of innovative taxes and concluding with a perceptive analysis of the Boston Massacre, Archer astutely delves into the milieu of a Colonial city alive with mobs, patriots, and the omnipresent British army. The uniqueness of Archer's superbly crafted tale lies in his discussion of how the politics of nonimportation polarized the elite of Boston society on the eve of revolution. Combining engaging prose and a wealth of interesting characters, Archer has provided students and general enthusiasts alike with a concise, appealing work of first-rate scholarship."--Library Journal, starred review "Archer goes into [...] detail, drawing good portraits of several principals, including John Hancock and cousins John and Sam Adams."--Tampa Tribune "A gripping narrative of the occupation of Boston."--LAmag.com, The Reading List "[T]his is a serious historical analysis rich in details, primary sources, and the minutiae that make up our history. Excellent."--Sacramento Book Review "Archer has done a great job describing Boston, the tension in the people, and the way the tragedy unfolds. ... I recommend [his book] to anyone interested in the events leading up to the American Revolution."--1776mag.com "In a fresh look at the Boston Massacre, Richard Archer searches for the tie between foreign occupation and political violence."--Dissent "A lively and sympathetic history of pre-Revolutionary Boston under British occupation." --The New YorkerTable of ContentsContents ; List of Illustrations ; Editor's Note ; Introduction ; Chapter 1 GRENVILLE'S INNOVATION ; Chapter 2 ON THE BRINK ; Chapter 3 POWER AND THE OPPOSITION ; Chapter 4 AN ACCOMMODATION OF SORTS ; Chapter 5 THE TOWNSHEND BLUNDER ; Chapter 6 A MOMENTOUS DECISION ; Chapter 7 CAMPING ON THE COMMON ; Chapter 8 OCCUPATION ; Chapter 9 THE MERCHANTS AND JOHN MEIN ; Chapter 10 PRELUDE TO A TRAGEDY ; Chapter 11 THE MASSACRE ON KING STREET ; Chapter 12 AFTERMATH ; Conclusion A REVOLUTIONARY LEGACY ; Acknowledgments ; Notes ; Works Cited ; Index

    Out of stock

    £14.24

  • Grand Design

    Oxford University Press, USA Grand Design

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisDespite the abundance of books on the Civil War, not one has focused exclusively on what was in fact the determining factor in the outcome of the conflict: differences in Union and Southern strategy. In The Grand Design, Donald Stoker provides for the first time a comprehensive and often surprising account of strategy as it evolved between Fort Sumter and Appomattox. Reminding us that strategy is different from tactics (battlefield deployments) and operations (campaigns conducted in pursuit of a strategy), Stoker examines how Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis identified their political goals and worked with their generals to craft the military means to achieve them--or how they often failed to do so. Stoker shows that Davis, despite a West Point education and experience as Secretary of War, ultimately failed as a strategist by losing control of the political side of the war. Lincoln, in contrast, evolved a clear strategic vision, but he failed for years to make his generals implementTrade ReviewThe Grand Design is an excellent military study of the Civil War. It is well researched and written. It flows smoothly and keeps the reader's interest. It is critical of both sides ... and Stoker is not afraid to offer controversial interpretations. * Dr. J. Boone Bartholomees Jr., Parameters *Table of ContentsPreface ; 1. 'We only want to be left alone.' - The Confederacy's Political Objective and the Union's Rebuttal ; 2. Making War a Little at a Time ; 3. Mr. Lincoln Goes to War ; 4. The Border States: Policy, Strategy, and Civil-Military Relations ; 5. King Cotton's Tarnished Crown: Confederate Economic and Diplomatic Strategies ; 6. McClellan on Top: The Evolution of Union Strategy, July 1861 - March 1862 ; 7. The Foundations of Naval Strategy ; 8. The War in the West - Breaking the Cordon ; 9. A New Year and a New Strategy ; 10. War in Virginia ; 11. The Summer of 1862 in the West ; 12. To Free Maryland and Tennessee! ; 13. The Union Rebuffed: The Autumn of 1862 ; 14. The Emancipation Proclamation - Strategy, Policy, and Escalation ; 15. 1863: A New Year and New Hopes ; 16. Vicksburg and Exhaustion ; 17. The Cruel Summer: 1863 - The Gettysburg Campaign ; 18. From Vicksburg, to Chickamauga, to the Rappahannock ; 19. Indecision and the West ; 20. Decision and Desperation, 1864 ; 21. The Full Fury of Modern War - Exhaustion and Attrition ; 22. War Termination ; Some Conclusions ; Acknowledgments ; Notes ; Index

    15 in stock

    £16.64

  • The Civil War at Sea

    Oxford University Press The Civil War at Sea

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisLincoln Prize-winning author Craig L. Symonds offers an authoritative history of the Civil War navies and considers how aspects of the naval conflict affected the trajectory of the American Civil War.Trade ReviewWell written, fast paced, and illustrated with a number of fine maps...this book provides a perfect offing for the general reader who wants to explore the Civil War at sea. However, scholars too should pay close attention, for...Symonds challenges us to think about the struggle [at sea and on the rivers] in new ways. Here we have the best in history - readable, informative, and provocative. * Historian *Symonds writes briskly and with great competence, and The Civil War at Sea (and on the rivers) is a masterful overview of a most meaningful topic. * Naval History *Excellent.... Crisp writing, incisive assessments of leading personalities, and attention to details often overlooked enhance Symonds's book. * CHOICE *Symond's account of the campaigns, strategies, tactics, and personalities that characterized the naval conflict is both detailed and comprehensible for laypersons. He effectively places the naval war within the broader context of an emerging industrial age, as steam and steel led to great changes in the construction and use of warships. The author uses a topical approach, with his descriptions of the Union blockade and Confederate efforts to thwart it are particularly interesting. A good addition to Civil War collections. * Booklist *Covering river and sea, tradition and technology, strategy and happenstance, admirals and sailors, this is as comprehensive and authoritative a book as has ever been written on the naval side of the Civil War. Craig Symonds' hand at the tiller guarantees superb scholarship and lucid prose. All hands aboard! * Harold Holzer, Chairman of The Lincoln Bicentennial Foundation *Craig Symonds combines his talents as a fine historian of the U.S. Navy and of the Civil War to produce this outstanding study of the Union and Confederate navies. Focusing on the ways in which Southern technological innovations and Northern industrial productivity shaped the strategy and tactics of the naval war, he offers important insights on the course and outcome of the conflict. * James M. McPherson *Distinguished naval historian Craig Symonds' well-researched and engagingly written overview, The Civil War at Sea, touches all the major areas of the naval war, including the ships and their guns, the differing strategies pursued by the North and South, and the contest that ensued. Simply put, it is a splendid introduction to the naval side of the conflict. * Spencer C. Tucker *The Civil War at Sea is crisp and well written, well researched and insightful as well as a timeless contribution to that neglected aspect of Civil War literature. * B. Franklin Cooling *This is a superb read that melds emerging technology and captivating personalities, both of which continue to mold the U.S. Navy to this day. Craig Symonds masterfully brings this largely overlooked piece of our country's history to life, in a fine book that will appeal to a wide range of interests. * Admiral Bruce DeMars, USN (Ret) *Craig Symonds' timely and readable tour-de-force, detailing the actions of the U.S. and Confederate navies, sheds new light on both well-known strategies, battles, and personalities as well as on those less well known. Here is a book for Civil War buffs and those looking for good history. * Vice Admiral Robert F. Dunn, USN (Ret), and President of the Naval Historical Foundation *Symonds has a gift for making complex and technical issues easy to understand, and his straightforward style makes for enjoyable reading. This book will appeal to general readers interested in either U.S. naval history or naval aspects of the Civil War. His thematic structure allows readers to understand the big picture of naval tactics and strategy without being overwhelmed by minutiae." * Library Journal *[A] comprehensive and outstanding history of the Navy during that period...Symonds' book provides an excellent introduction and an insightful look at naval strategy and technology for those familiar with the naval war and those who have devoted their Civil War study to armies and land battles." * ivil War News *Table of Contents1. The Ships and the Guns: Civil War Navies and the Technological Revolution ; 2. The Blockade and Blockade Runners ; 3. The War on Commerce: The Hunters and the Hunted ; 4. "Unvexed to the Sea": The River War ; 5. Civil War Navies and the Siege of Charleston ; 6. The End Game: Mobile, Wilmington, and the Cruise of the Shenandoah

    15 in stock

    £21.24

  • Home Front  Daily Life in the Civil War North

    The University of Chicago Press Home Front Daily Life in the Civil War North

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe Civil War still occupies a prominent place in the national collective memory. Yet battlefields were not the only landscapes altered by the war. Countless individuals saw their daily lives upended while the entire nation suffered. This book reveals this side of the war as it happened, examining the visual culture of the Northern home front.Trade Review"'The present is a year productive of strange and surprising events,' a newspaper editorialist wrote on July 4, 1861. 'It is one prolific of revolution and abounding in great and startling novelties.... We are entering, to say the least, upon a new and important epoch in the history of the world.' Today, when we look at Civil War images across the gulf of a century and a half, it is clear that those war years would prove to be an era not just of revolution, but also of revelation: the passing of timeworn realities and the intimation of things to come." (Adam Goodheart, author of 1861)"

    1 in stock

    £31.00

  • PostEthical Society  The Iraq War Abu Ghraib and

    The University of Chicago Press PostEthical Society The Iraq War Abu Ghraib and

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisExamining the American discourse over war and torture, the authors investigate the opinion pages of American newspapers, television commentary, and online discussion groups to offer the first empirical study of the national conversation about the 2003 invasion of Iraq and the revelations of prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib a year later.Trade Review"Timely and topical, Post-Ethical Society contributes to ongoing national soul-searching about who we are and how we want to go about sorting out our proper role in the world. This is not mere armchair philosophizing. Here we are presented with totally solid, historical, publicly accessible, empirical data on subjects of major national and international importance. I'm very impressed." (Christian Smith, University of Notre Dame)"

    1 in stock

    £39.90

  • Bedrooms of the Fallen

    The University of Chicago Press Bedrooms of the Fallen

    7 in stock

    Book SynopsisOver the years, the US has been fighting wars so far from the public eye as to risk being forgotten, the struggles and sacrifices of its volunteer soldiers almost ignored. This book features images that depict the bedrooms of forty fallen soldiers - the equivalent of a single platoon - from the US, Canada, and several European nations.Trade Review"The need to see America's twenty-first-century war dead, and to make them seen-to give their absence presence-has consumed Ashley Gilbertson for much of the past decade.... To picture death, Gilbertson decided to picture how and where the dead had lived. He set about photographing their bedrooms, many of which had been preserved by their families in much the same spirit that Gilbertson preserved them with his camera: as memorials.... But taken together, these photographs defy any effort to seek in a room's furnishings an echo of its former occupant's fate. Their power lies in reminding us of the disconnect between life and death." (Philip Gourevitch, from the foreword)"

    7 in stock

    £29.45

  • Mekong Diaries  Viet Cong Drawings and Stories

    The University of Chicago Press Mekong Diaries Viet Cong Drawings and Stories

    Book SynopsisPresents drawings, poems, letters, and oral histories by ten of the most celebrated Viet Cong war artists. This title features battles and events from Operation Junction City to Khe Sanh to the Tet Offensive. It presents a historical and artistic document of people at war.Trade Review"An extensive published record exists for documents and relics from the Vietnam War, yet this book, well designed and photographed by Misha Anikst, offers a rare personal dimension. The mottoes on these lighters, like 'When I die I will go to heaven because I spent my time in hell,' provide candid insight into what these soldiers thought of the war." - New York Times Book Review "Sobering.... Using Zippos from the collection of artist Bradford Edwards, Buchanan shows the personal histories of some of the millions who served [in Vietnam]. This unique approach is by turns funny, pornographic, informative, and heartbreaking." - Minneapolis Star-Tribune"

    £27.00

  • The Defense of Jisr alDoreaa

    The University of Chicago Press The Defense of Jisr alDoreaa

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisHelps draw the road map for counterinsurgency in the postmodern world. This book is suitable for cadets and junior military leaders - as well as general readers seeking a deeper understanding of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.Trade Review"This is a terrific and illuminating piece of writing, one of the best things to come out of the Iraq war. It reads to me like a history of the conflict as it would be told by a smart American platoon leader. It should be in the rucksack of every soldier heading to Iraq, and also should be read by anyone who cares about this war. If you want to support our troops, buy it right now." - Thomas E. Ricks, author of Fiasco: The American Military Adventure in Iraq"

    15 in stock

    £16.00

  • The Coming of the Civil War Phoenix Books

    The University of Chicago Press The Coming of the Civil War Phoenix Books

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisIn recent years a highly industrious school of historians has begun asking whether the war should have been fought at all and whether it was perhaps not more the fault of the North than of the South. Seeking to revise earlier judgments they have become known as the revisionists, and one of the most gifted and studious of them all is Avery Craven, whose The Coming of the Civil War . . . is one of the landmarks of revisionist literature.Bruce Catton, American Heritage. . . those who would examine the democratic process during a period of progressive breakdown, in order to understand the dangers it embodies within itself, will find The Coming of the Civil War a classic analysis.Louis D. Rubin, Jr., Sewanee ReviewThe book has always been recognized, even by its most severe critics, as a work of consummate scholarship.T. Harry Williams, Baton Rouge Morning Advocate

    15 in stock

    £38.00

  • Children of the Greek Civil War

    The University of Chicago Press Children of the Greek Civil War

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisAt the height of the Greek Civil War in 1948, thirty-eight thousand children were evacuated from their homes. The Greek Communist Party relocated half of them to orphanages in Eastern Europe, while their adversaries placed the rest in children's homes elsewhere in Greece. This book presents a comprehensive study of the two evacuation programs.Trade Review"This remarkable study breaks new ground in several areas: in its methodology, its style, and its topic. Balanced to an impressive degree, Children of the Greek Civil War succeeds magnificently in showing the parallels between the experiences of the two sides in a way that is moving as well as analytically compelling." (Michael Herzfeld, Harvard University)"

    15 in stock

    £80.75

  • Children of the Greek Civil War

    The University of Chicago Press Children of the Greek Civil War

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisAt the height of the Greek Civil War in 1948, thirty-eight thousand children were evacuated from their homes. The Greek Communist Party relocated half of them to orphanages in Eastern Europe, while their adversaries placed the rest in children's homes elsewhere in Greece. This book presents a comprehensive study of the two evacuation programs.Trade Review"This remarkable study breaks new ground in several areas: in its methodology, its style, and its topic. Balanced to an impressive degree, Children of the Greek Civil War succeeds magnificently in showing the parallels between the experiences of the two sides in a way that is moving as well as analytically compelling." (Michael Herzfeld, Harvard University)"

    15 in stock

    £26.60

  • Our Latest Longest War

    The University of Chicago Press Our Latest Longest War

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe first rule of warfare is to know one's enemy. The second is to know thyself. More than fifteen years and three quarters of a trillion dollars after the US invasion of Afghanistan, it's clear that the United States followed neither rule well. America's goals in Afghanistan were lofty to begin with: dismantle al-Qaeda, remove the Taliban from power, remake the country into a democracy. But not only did the mission come completely unmoored from reality, the United States wasted billions of dollars, and thousands of lives were lost. Our Latest Longest War is a chronicle of how, why, and in what ways the war in Afghanistan failed. Edited by historian and Marine lieutenant colonel Aaron B. O'Connell, the essays collected here represent nine different perspectives on the war all from veterans of the conflict, both American and Afghan. Together, they paint a picture of a war in which problems of culture and ideology derailed nearly every field of endeavor. The authors also draw troubling parallels to the Vietnam War, arguing that deep-running ideological currents in American life explain why the US Government has repeatedly used armed nation-building to try to transform failing states into modern, liberal democracies. In Afghanistan, as in Vietnam, this created a dramatic mismatch of means and ends that neither money, technology, nor the force of arms could overcome. The war in Afghanistan has been the longest in US history. We lost the war, and somehow we continue to lose it every day. These are difficult topics for any American or Afghan to consider, especially for those who fought in the war or lost friends or family in it. This sobering history written by the very people who have been fighting the war is impossible to ignore.

    15 in stock

    £24.70

  • Confederate Cities  The Urban South during the

    The University of Chicago Press Confederate Cities The Urban South during the

    10 in stock

    Book SynopsisWhen we talk about the Civil War, we often describe it in terms of battles that took place in small towns or in the countryside: Antietam, Gettysburg, Bull Run, and, most tellingly, the Battle of the Wilderness. One reason this picture has persisted is that few urban historians have studied the war, even though cities hosted, enabled, and shaped Southern society as much as they did in the North. Confederate Cities, edited by Andrew L. Slap and Frank Towers, shifts the focus from the agrarian economy that undergirded the South to the cities that served as its political and administrative hubs. The contributors use the lens of the city to examine now-familiar Civil War-era themes, including the scope of the war, secession, gender, emancipation, and war's destruction. This more integrative approach dramatically revises our understanding of slavery's relationship to capitalist economics and cultural modernity. By enabling a more holistic reading of the South, the book speaks to contemporar

    10 in stock

    £80.00

  • Confederate Cities The Urban South during the

    The University of Chicago Press Confederate Cities The Urban South during the

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisWhen we talk about the Civil War, we often describe it in terms of battles that took place in small towns or in the countryside: Antietam, Gettysburg, Bull Run, and, most tellingly, the Battle of the Wilderness. One reason this picture has persisted is that few urban historians have studied the war, even though cities hosted, enabled, and shaped Southern society as much as they did in the North. Confederate Cities, edited by Andrew L. Slap and Frank Towers, shifts the focus from the agrarian economy that undergirded the South to the cities that served as its political and administrative hubs. The contributors use the lens of the city to examine now-familiar Civil War-era themes, including the scope of the war, secession, gender, emancipation, and war's destruction. This more integrative approach dramatically revises our understanding of slavery's relationship to capitalist economics and cultural modernity. By enabling a more holistic reading of the South, the book speaks to contemporar

    15 in stock

    £24.70

  • The Limits of Sovereignty  Property Confiscation

    University of Chicago Press The Limits of Sovereignty Property Confiscation

    10 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    10 in stock

    £52.51

  • Imperial City Rome under Napoleon

    The University of Chicago Press Imperial City Rome under Napoleon

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisIn 1798 the armies of the French Revolution tried to transform Rome from the capital of the Papal States to a Jacobin Republic. Based on primary sources and incorporating two centuries of Italian, French, and international research, this work reveals what life was like for Romans in the age of Napoleon.Trade Review"A remarkable book that wonderfully vivifies an understudied era in the history of Rome.... This book will engage anyone interested in early modern cities, the relationship between religion and daily life, and the history of the city of Rome." - Journal of Modern History "An engaging account of Tosca's Rome.... Nicassio provides a fluent introduction to her subject." - History Today "Meticulously researched, drawing on a host of original manuscripts, memoirs, personal letters, and secondary sources, enabling Nicassio to bring her story to life." - History"

    15 in stock

    £19.00

  • Our Latest Longest War

    The University of Chicago Press Our Latest Longest War

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisA group of veterans of the war explain how we misjudged our ability, ignored Afghan culture, and set ourselves up to fail.Trade Review"A measured and clear-eyed look at the deep rooted challenges embedded in the ongoing effort to achieve a stable and successful outcome in Afghanistan--many of which are of our own making through inattention to the history and culture of this complex nation. As NATO Commander with overall strategic command of the operation, I watched four successive ISAF Commanders--loyal subordinates and brilliant Generals all--try and fail to overcome the inherent contradictions in our approach. This collection of well sourced essays illuminates our collective failures, despite the best of intentions."--Admiral James Stavridis "USN (Ret), Supreme Allied Commander at NATO 2009-2013 " "Our Latest Longest War is a unique collection of essays, written by those who actually implemented Afghanistan policy in the field, not by the senior government officials halfway around the world in Washington. The complexity and difficulty of counterinsurgency warfare are made clear in this superbly edited book. A must read for government and military leaders tempted to frame decisions as overly simplistic binary choices, and for those who are called upon to serve at 'the tip of the spear' and face realities not understood and acknowledged at the strategic level."--Karl W. Eikenberry "ambassador and Lieutenant General, retired, US Army, Oksenberg-Rohlen Distinguished Fellow, Stanford " "Nothing has ever been easy in the shadow of the Hindu Kush, and the essays in Our Latest Longest War convey that accurately, thoughtfully, and unblinkingly. This superb collection of essays by scholars and practitioners illuminates the innumerable challenges and harsh realities with which those of us engaged in Afghanistan contended in our collective endeavor to ensure that the country was never again a sanctuary for Al Qaeda or other transnational extremists--as it was when the 9/11 attacks were planned there."--General David Petraeus, US Army (Ret), Commander, "US Central Command 2008-10, Intnl Security Assistance Force & US Forces in Afghanistan 2010-11 "

    15 in stock

    £22.80

  • On the Spirit of Rights

    The University of Chicago Press On the Spirit of Rights

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisBy the end of the eighteenth century, politicians in America and France were invoking the natural rights of man to wrest sovereignty away from kings and lay down universal basic entitlements. Exactly how and when did rights come to justify such measures? InOn the Spirit of Rights, Dan Edelstein answers this question by examining the complex genealogy of the rights that regimes enshrined in the American and French Revolutions. With a lively attention to detail, he surveys a sprawling series of debates among rulers, jurists, philosophers, political reformers, writers, and others who were all engaged in laying the groundwork for our contemporary systems of constitutional governance. Every seemingly new claim about rights turns out to be a variation on a theme, as late medieval notions were subtly repeated and refined to yield the talk of rights we recognize today. From the Wars of Religion to the French Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen to the 1948 Universal DeclarationTrade Review"A superb, erudite piece of intellectual excavation. . . . Edelstein’s skill as an intellectual historian lies especially in his ability to situate ideas in their broadest cultural and political setting." * New York Review of Books *"Provocative and timely." * Times Higher Education *"Edelstein explores how natural rights translated into human rights in his sweeping survey, which canvasses the archaeology of human rights from the Wars of Religion through the Age of Revolution to 1948. [He] provides a helpful new framework for understanding the evolution of human rights in Western society. Highly recommended." * CHOICE *“Rarely has an existing debate been as authoritatively and breathtakingly taken to a new plane as in Edelstein’s sophisticated new story of how ‘rights’ entered European and transatlantic politics in the age of revolution. Clear, erudite, and urbane, Edelstein has shown once again why he is so highly regarded a historian of the eighteenth century’s place in Western intellectual history.” * Samuel Moyn, Yale University *“The Spirit of Rights is an erudite, wide-ranging, and powerful reevaluation of the history of human rights in the West. Rather than viewing either (or both) the U.S. Declaration of Independence or the French Declaration of the Rights of Man as constituting a foundational moment of political modernity, Edelstein sees them as marking a moment in a lively and contentious conversation over rights that can be traced back to the sixteenth century and then through to our own day. The consequent expansion of the historical canvas on which rights have been inscribed explodes conventional teleologies. Written with verve and conviction, The Spirit of Rights is a tour de force: compelling, brilliant, and excitingly thought-provoking.” * Colin Jones, Queen Mary University of London *"The author shows tremendous erudition both in relation to the sources and to the relevant literature. The argumentation is impressively clear and the presentation is extremely legible." * Historische Zeitschrift (translated from German) *Table of ContentsI How to Think about Rights in Early Modern Europe 1. Introduction 2. Tectonic Shifts and Tectonic Plates: Two Models for the Transformation of Culture 3. A Revolution in Natural Law? From Objective to Subjective Right (and Back Again) 4. Rights and Sovereignty: Beyond the State 5. Inalienability vs. the Alienation of Rights 6. Roman Law, the Lex Regia, and the Genealogy of Rights Regimes 7. Writing Intellectual History in a Digital Age Part I: Early Modern Rights Regimes II When Did Rights Become “Rights”? From the Wars of Religion to the Dawn of Enlightenment 1. Monarchomachs and Tyrannicides: Natural Rights in the French Wars of Religion 2. English Liberties and Natural Rights: Leveller Arguments in the English Civil War 3. Abridging Natural Rights: Hobbes and the High Church Divines 4. Entrust, but Verify? The Transfer Regime from Spinoza to Locke5. Into the Enlightenment: “Cato” and Hutcheson III From Liberalism to Liberty: Natural Rights in the French Enlightenment 1. Sources for Natural Law Theory in France, 1700–1750 2. Physiocracy and the Dangerous Ignorance of Natural Rights 3. Natural Rights Talk in the Late Enlightenment: The Philosophes Carry the Torch 4. The (Meek) Conservative Reaction 5. Resisting Despotism: National Rights and Constitutionalism Part II: Social Naturalism in Early Modern France IV The Laws of Nature in Neo-Stoicism and Science 1. The Many Receptions of Stoicism 2. Laws of the Natural World: The New Science V Roman Law and Order: From Free-Market Ideology to Abolitionism 1. The Jansenist Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism: Jean Domat, the Natural Order, and the Origins of Free-Market Ideology 2. “All Men Are Originally Born Free”: Slavery, Empathy, and the Extension of Human Rights 3. Conclusion Part III: Rights and Revolutions VI Natural Constitutionalism and American Rights 1. Boston, Locke, and Natural Rights (1715–64) 2. Blackstone and English Common Law 3. Natural Rights and Revolution 4. Declaring Rights: From Natural Law Back to English Common Law VII From Nature to Nation: French Revolutionary Rights 1. Whose Rights Are They, Anyway? Rights Talk in the Cahiers de Doléances 2. Debating Rights at the National Assembly 3. The Legal Spirit of the French Declaration of Rights 4. The Revenge of National Rights 5. Conclusion VIII Conclusion: A Stand-in for the Universal Declaration: 1789–1948 1. The Catholic Church, Natural Law, and Human Rights 2. From National Constitutions to an International Declaration 3. The Archaeology of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights Acknowledgments Notes Selected Bibliography Index

    1 in stock

    £24.70

  • Reconstruction after the Civil War Third Edition

    The University of Chicago Press Reconstruction after the Civil War Third Edition

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisPart of the Chicago History of American Civilization series, which provides a nuanced and vibrant portrait of the United States from its inception through the twentieth century.

    15 in stock

    £20.39

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