Search results for ""McFarland""

Lincoln's significance in the history of slavery and emancipation, the Union's preservation and the formation of a new national vision is unquestionably crucial to comprehending the antebellum and Civil War periods in American history. This is a one-of-a-kind hybrid reference work that combines chronology with almost 400 primary source papers to contextualize Lincoln's life within his historical era.These written materials serve as the foundation upon which historians can construct a picture of Lincoln's America. In addition to important chronology and documents, this work includes introductory essays that summarize the topics of each chapter, a biographical section that includes brief biographies of those referenced in the book, and a source bibliography. Historical records are the heart of this work, which is intended for both expert and novice historians. Documents illustrate different viewpoints, to provide a full grasp of the time and place, as well as Lincoln's significance during this era.

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The 4th century BC Greek painter Parrhasius murdered his model--an old man who was his slave--to achieve, so the story goes, a more lifelike depiction of nature. The tale has inspired similar, more elaborate stories about both well known and obscure artists--including da Vinci, Michelangelo and Rubens. Elements of it have appeared in theater, literature and film, as well as in comments by painters, historians, critics and anatomists. Challenging the archetype of the artist as a sympathetic lover of nature, this book examines the artist as cruel and murderous in service of art and ambition, and indirectly addresses a different understanding of the relationship between art and life.

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From December 1777 through June 1778, the American Revolution achieved a remarkable turnaround. I these months the Continental Army recovered from abject demoralization at Valley Forge to achieve a stunning victory against the British at Monmouth Courthouse. This compelling history chronicles how the war began to turn—from the consequential leadership of General Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette to the experiences of the men who marched and fought in the ranks—and reexamines one of the most controversial periods of early American history.

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Since its inception in 1992, the Sci-Fi Channel (later rebranded as Syfy) has aired more than 500 network-produced or commissioned films. Campy and prolific, the network churned out one low-budget film after another, finally finding its zenith in the 2013 release of Sharknado. With unpretentious charm and a hearty helping of commodified nostalgia, the Sharknado franchise briefly ruled the cultural consciousness and temporarily transformed Syfy's original films from cult fringe to appointment television. Naturally, the network followed up with a steady stream of sequels and spin-offs, including Lavalantula and its sequel, 2 Lava 2 Lantula! This collection of essays is the first to devote critical attention to Syfy's original film canon, both pre- and post-Sharknado. In addition to unpacking the cultural, historical and critical underpinnings of the monsters at the heart of Syfy's classic creature features, the contributors offer a variety of approaches to understanding and interrogating these films within the broader contexts of ecocriticism, monster theory, post-9/11 criticism and neocolonialism. Providing a further entry point for future scholarship, an appendix details a thorough filmography of Syfy's original films from 1992 to 2020.

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This book refutes the 21st-century zeitgeist that views advancing technology as an unambiguous social good, and examines the effects of this uncritical acceptance and dependence. It argues that technology has become the new religion for the digital age, and that elevating technology to the status of deity serves as a mechanism to allow for the denial of problems created by reliance upon machines. From the release of toxins into the environment to the unsustainable energy demands of the modern era, technological dependence and overreach are driving humanity to the brink of extinction. Despite these problems, existential issues such as artificial intelligence, and the proliferation of nuclear weapons, there is an unwavering belief in the ability of technology, particularly any device labeled "smart," to create a perfect future while denying the history of unmet promises and unintended consequences of technological innovation.In this book, the psychological underpinnings of these beliefs are explored from both a clinical and cognitive perspective. In addition, it critiques the social and economic forces that maintain our reliance on, or addiction to, technology, and examines the ethical and security issues associated with the control of advanced technology.

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During World War II, Axis prisoners of war received arguably better treatment in the U.S. than anywhere else. Bound by the Geneva Convention but also hoping for reciprocal treatment of American POWs, the U.S. sought to humanely house and employ 425,000 Axis prisoners, many in rural communities in the South.This is the first book-length examination of Tennessee's role in the POW program, and how the influx of prisoners affected communities. Towns like Tullahoma transformed into military metropolises. Memphis received millions in defense spending. Paris had a secret barrage balloon base. The wooded Crossville camp housed German and Italian officers. Prisoners worked tobacco, lumber and cotton across the state. Some threatened escape or worse. When the program ended, more than 25,000 POWs lived and worked in Tennessee.

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What comes to mind when you think about superheroes? Strength, bravery, and heroism are common answers. However, superheroes do not only have physical strength, but they also have mental strengths and skills. Superheroes tend to have intelligence and detection skills which allow them to develop other skills. In this analysis of superhero literacy aimed at students, the connection between superhero media and larger theories of literacy are explored. The author uses six superhero television shows to show how literacy is portrayed in superhero media and how it reflects and shapes cultural ideas of literacy. The shows covered are Arrow, The Flash, Gotham, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Daredevil.

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How did legendary football coach George Allen (1918-1990) consistently build winning teams at both the college and professional levels? This first full-length biography examines his applied philosophy of coaching through comprehensive coverage of his tenures at the collegiate level. His controversial relationships with team owners are detailed, along with his historic divorce from the Chicago Bears. The two most important plays of Allen's career are analyzed. Appendices provide a list of Allen's NFL trades, his key draft picks, a statistical breakdown of his NFL offenses and a comparison with other top coaches of his era.

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This powerful 7316-line sermon in rhyming couplets dramatically rehearses God's power and man's vulnerability, capturing Man's wretchedness and the world's instability before contemplating Man's journey from death to the anguish of purgatory, hell, or ultimately the joys of heaven.The presentation is informed by sensational descriptions directed to shock, inform, and inspire its audience into religious zeal. Biblical quotations and exegesis precisely reinforce the serious message of salvation and its hazardous impediments in an intense fashion designed to stimulate audience involvement.Although the Main version of the popular Pricke of Conscience has been twice edited from two manuscripts, 1) by William Morris in 1863 and re-edited by Ralph Hanna and Sara Wood in 2013, and 2) by James H. Morey in 2012, no version from the Southern Recension group has been edited to date. This conservatively edited version of a shorter, tighter Southern manuscript remedies the lack. On-line glosses, extensive notes, and translation of Latin quotations make the reading of this fascinating text readily accessible.The seven-part authorial divisions organize the material into easily comprehensible units, highlighting the artistic skill of the anonymous author.

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Relying on facts, opinions and personal testimonies from the artists themselves, this book takes a detailed look at the huge impact that Mexican music and culture has had - and continues to have - on Country music in its various forms. Although this very American cultural expression has changed significantly over the last few years, Mexico - with its border towns, beaches, colonial architecture and ancient ruins conjuring up a range of powerful images - has remained an influential presence in Nashville, Texas, and even places like Australia and South Africa. Featuring contributions from Merle Haggard, Jimmy Buffett, Randy Travis, Dwight Yoakam, Jessi Colter, Johnny Rodriguez and Flaco Jimenez, this book lifts the lid on the unique and largely undocumented relationship between “America's Music” and Mexico.

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William Blake's series of engraved illustrations for Dante's Divine Comedy were his last major project and a summation of his religious and artistic beliefs. Unfinished at his death, the series includes seven engravings and 102 unique works in various stages of completion - some of the most beautiful pictures of his career. These pictures are not simple illustrations. In fact the artist used them to reinterpret and correct Dante's poem.This book compares the two men's theological and artistic views and analyzes in detail the meaning of these works, for the first time introducing their theological and aesthetic exuberance to a modern audience.

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This interesting study of the early American press and President Adams first discusses the fourth estate's treatment of President Washington. The newspapers of the day, alien in both form and content to today's publications, are also covered. The confrontational relationship between Adams and editors is examined, focusing on the President's personality, the ""honeymoon"" at the beginning of his administration, the increasing politicisation of editorial scrutiny, and the role of the press in Adams' close electoral defeat by Thomas Jefferson. Using Adams' voluminous correspondence, an analysis of his own views of press coverage concludes the work.

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In the early 20th century, postcards were one of the most important and popular expressions of holiday sentiment in American culture. Millions of such postcards circulated among networks of community and kin as part of a larger American postcard craze. However, their uses and meanings were far from universal.This book argues that holiday postcards circulated primarily among rural and small town, Northern, white women with Anglo-Saxon and Germanic heritages. Through analysis of a broad range of sources, Daniel Gifford recreates the history of postcards to account for these specific audiences, and reconsiders the postcard phenomenon as an image-based conversation among exclusive groups of Americans. A variety of narratives are thus revealed: the debates generated by the Country Life Movement; the empowering manifestations of the New Woman; the civic privileges of whiteness; and the role of emerging technologies.From Santa Claus to Easter bunnies, flag-waving turkeys to gun-toting cupids, holiday postcards at first seem to be amusing expressions of a halcyon past. Yet with knowledge of audience and historical conflicts, this book demonstrates how the postcard images reveal deep divides at the height of the Progressive Era.

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This study explores the relationship between synaesthesia - the experience of a sensation in one perceptual domain triggering a sensation in another perceptual domain - and the arts (including painting, photography, music and literature). Its aim is twofold: to introduce readers as yet unfamiliar with synesthesia to this intriguing phenomenon by focusing on its impact on the creation and reception of art; and to alert readers already conversant with synesthesia in its many manifestations to its potential to encourage fresh ways of approaching art, of understanding the part played by our bodies in its production and receipt and, by extension, of reassessing our position in nature as humans.

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For 2000 years the Bible has inspired and guided human lives, providing wisdom and strength. It provides evidence and witness for the beliefs of three major world religions. Some consider the Bible dangerous, while others have died for it, but the response to the Bible is always passionate. This book relates the story of such passions, from the Roman Empire to the present: barbarian invasions, Black Death, Waldensian heresy, the colour and pageantry of medieval romance, the debauchery of the medieval Vatican, the spirit of the Renaissance, the tradition of monk and scholar. It is a story primarily about individuals, the drama of their lives woven. All this influenced the text; it has been corrupted and distorted so that there exists a confusing number of versions. How did the text of the Bible come to be what it is? This book provides an understanding of, and an appreciation for, the richness of its text.

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It's called consciousness-raising (CR). Asking questions about our experiences and sharing insights with others can be the basis for informed activism for positive social change. CR provided the entry point for feminists who shaped the women's liberation movement in the late 1960s and 1970s and is now being revitalised across class, race and geography. The consciousness-raising process has been used by nannies and caretakers whose analyses of shared experiences led to the creation of Domestic Workers United, a national group organising for power, respect and fair labour standards.Consciousness-raising is an apt descriptor for the ""Lean In"" circles spawned by Sheryl Sandberg's best-selling book by that title. Translators of Our Bodies Ourselves have used CR groups to adapt that classic guide to women's health and sexuality in dozens of countries and more than 25 languages.Reclaiming the Feminist Vision traces the origins, principles and impact of consciousness-raising; reveals how the process migrated to other settings, often without using the term CR; and calls for the renewal of the practise to help women and their allies regain their voices and their power in shaping social movement history.

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Belgium in the First World War: the first country invaded, the longest occupied, and the last liberated. In 1914, Belgium was home to a large American colony: people working for U.S. corporations, diplomats with the American Legation and Americans in the arts - Brussels was cheaper than Paris. After the invasion, American journalists, writers and adventurers flocked to the invaded country to follow the action; in Belgium, military restrictions on travel were less stringent than in England or France.As the most industrialised country in Europe, Belgium depended upon trade and food imports to sustain its economy. The war isolated Belgium and wholesale starvation was imminent by the fall of 1914. Herbert Hoover and his Commission for Relief in Belgium raised funds to purchase and import foods to sustain Belgium and, eventually, Occupied France as well. Idealistic American volunteers (including some Rhodes scholars) supervised food distribution in the occupation zone. Along the Western Front in Belgium, hundreds of Americans served (illegally) in the British and Canadian armies. This book tells the story of the German invasion, occupation and retreat from the perspective of Americans who were there.

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The author describes his memoir: ""It's based on wartime letters. Upon arriving at the United States Marine Corps Boot Camp one of the first things my drill instructors told me to do was to write at least two letters home a week. I did what my they told me. My father, a World War II combat veteran, kept my letters, all 146 of them (and the 250 images I sent home). I continued to write all through my combat tour in Vietnam and my hospital stay in Japan recovering from wounds. I have selected and edited the most meaningful correspondence and added a narrative thread so I could tell the full story of my military experience as a high school kid from rural Ohio transformed into an untested warrior. The letters describe my further transformation into a war fighting Marine grunt in combat and finally will take you through my metamorphosis into a war-altered ex-Marine but a Marine still.

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While it is certainly the case that the work of Karl Marx has a revered place in the realm of social philosophy, political science, and literary criticism, there is a place in which Marxism seems to have been forgotten. This place is the study of popular culture, where Marxism provides a lens through which many seemingly disparate films are brought together through philosophical exploration of theme, social and political hierarchies, and questions of power. Essentially, this text seeks to bring to popular culture studies the same sort of scholarly weight that attends the work of Aristotle or Plato or Derrida and, at the same time, to present that scholarship in a readable style that allows both laypeople and scholars to read and enjoy. Often popular culture studies is not taken seriously because the work in discussion is seen as an example of some other great work - for example, one might see a philosopher use an episode of The Simpsons to explain a concept related to Kant's Categorical Imperative. Notice, it is Kant that is under discussion there, not really The Simpsons. This robs the popular work of its own voice. Thus, this text seeks to engage Marxist critical theory from a variety of scholarly angles emphasising the interplay of visual text and critical interpretation. The premium is placed in two areas - critical analysis and readability.

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This book is about the materials used in the design of architecture, landscape architecture and the city. The fundamental properties and technical aspects are reviewed within a context of a material's history, the theories of its meaning and making, and its use. Information about the sustainability aspects of each material is included (as a critical necessity in construction). Innovative design comes from an understanding of materials for what they are, how they have been used in the past, and what they can do to support human activity.The author's intent is to provide essential information useful both to those studying materials and methods of construction for the first time and to seasoned professionals concerned with advancing their design at a time when the consumption of natural resources and the consequences of wasteful practices are of urgent concern.

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Georges Simenon (1903-1989) was one of the most successful 20th-century authors of crime fiction. His 75 Maigret novels and 28 Maigret short stories published between 1931 and 1972 found international success, (he is the only non-anglophone crime writer who has found such international renown). His Maigret stories are regarded by many as having established a new direction in crime fiction, emphasising social and psychological portraiture rather than focussing on a puzzle to be solved or on ""action."" This book examines the importance of social class and social change in the Maigret stories, with a particular emphasis on the early formative novels, and the development of plot, characterization and settings. The work seeks to establish the extent to which Simenon's portrait of French society is historically accurate and the nature of the influence of the author's own class position and ideology on his fiction.

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Although Charles Lindbergh's 1927 solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean is considered by many to be the first step to today's space program, 91 men had crossed the Atlantic by air before him. Walter Hinton was a pilot on the first plane, a four-engine, Navy-Curtiss flying boat with a crew of six, in May 1919. Based on more than 40 hours of personal interviews with Hinton, this volume chronicles that first flight and Hinton's other remarkable adventures in aviation--which include being lost in the Canadian Arctic and believed dead, the first flight to Rio de Janeiro from New York, the first aerial exploration of the Amazon, and a nationwide promotion of aviation and airports for the Exchange Clubs in the United States. The story of Hinton uncovers a lost chapter in the history of flight in America.

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No body of water was more vital to the Confederacy’s efforts in the Civil War than the Mississippi River and its tributaries. Though the Confederate Congress declared the Mississippi free and open to all states north and south, the Union launched plans for an effective blockade of the 1700 miles of Southern coastline, coupled with a strong naval and army thrust down the Mississippi Valley from Cairo, Illinois, to the Gulf of Mexico. To defend the river and to prevent Union forces from advancing, the South would require a strong naval force. There was only one problem with the strategy: The Confederacy had no navy.On February 25, 1861, Confederate president Jefferson Davis nominated Stephen R. Mallory to be secretary of the newly formed Confederate States Navy. Mallory faced significant obstacles—no shipyards, few skilled craftsmen and machinists, and a lack of production facilities to process raw materials. Mallory was able to overcome the many shortcomings to build a formidable navy, but the efforts in the Mississippi theatre were hamstrung by a disjointed command structure and inter-service bickering. Despite these problems, the Confederate Navy contested the Union forces at every turn. The history of Confederate naval forces on the western waters is a story of desperation, intrigue, ineptitude, and humiliating defeats, interspersed with moments of courage, innovation, resourcefulness, and a few hard-earned victories.

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This pioneering illustrated survey provides in-depth coverage of 76 horror films produced in Australia, where serial killers, carnivorous animals, mutants, zombies, vampires and evil spirits all receive the ""antipodean"" cinematic treatment unique to the Land Down Under. Titles covered were released between 1973 and 2010, a period coinciding with the revival of the long-dormant Australian film industry in the early 1970s, and continuing into the second wave of genre production spurred by the international success of the 2005 chiller Wolf Creek. The Cars That Ate Paris, The Last Wave, Roadgames, Razorback, Outback Vampires, Queen of the Damned, Black Water, and The Reef are among the titles represented. Each film is covered in a chapter that includes cast and credits list, release information, contemporary reviews and DVD availabilty. Notes offer an analysis of the narrative, filmmaking techniques, acting performances, recurring themes and motifs, and the overall effectiveness of the film as a work of horror.

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The 1950s era of science fiction film effectively ended when space flight became a reality with the first manned orbit of Earth in 1962. As the genre's wildly speculative depictions of science and technology gave way to more reality-based representations, relations between male and female characters reflected the changing political and social climates of the era.Drawing on critical analyses, film reviews and cultural commentaries, this book examines the development of science fiction film and its representation of gender, from the groundbreaking films of 1968 - including 2001: A Space Odyssey, Barbarella and Planet of the Apes - through its often overlooked ""Middle Period,"" which includes such films as Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970), The Stepford Wives (1975) and A Boy and His Dog (1975). The author examines intersections of gender and race in The Omega Man (1971) and Frogs (1972), gender and dystopia in Soylent Green (1973) and Logan's Run (1976), and gender and computers in Demon Seed (1977). The big-budget films of the late 1970s - Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Alien and Star Wars - are also discussed in this interesting treatment.

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Although not yet 40, two-time Pulitzer finalist Sarah Ruhl has established herself as one of America's most innovative and productive playwrights. She is known for charting complex currents of desire and broaching weighty topics such as bereavement with a light, whimsical touch. This critical volume represents the first book-length treatment of her work. The text tracks the evolution of her style and aesthetic, situates her body of work within the American theatre scene, investigates her influences, and provides in-depth analyses of her plays, including Euridyce, The Clean House, Passion Play, and In the Next Room.

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Although he is most remembered for his vast collection of science fiction memorabilia; his influential magazine, Famous Monsters of Filmland; and his frequent sci-fi convention appearances, Forrest J Ackerman (1916-2008) also left a sizeable body of work in print. An introductory biographical section traces Ackerman's early enthusiasm for pulp magazines and film productions of a fantastic nature, his rise to prominence in ""fandom,"" his acquisition of memorabilia, his work as a literary agent, the founding of his landmark magazine in 1958, and his friendship with a number of performers and personnel from genre films. The extensive bibliography includes listings of books, published letters, articles, fiction, verse, speeches, screenplays, comics, discography, liner notes, and periodicals edited and published by Ackerman. A thorough filmography, a selected listing of nationally televised appearances, and rare photographs of Ackerman throughout his lifetime complete this definitive catalog of one of science fiction's most interesting personalities.

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The 150,000 women who served in the Women's Army Corps are now seen as the undersung heroes of the Second World War. This memoir describes the life of a WAC enlistee who would serve in England when it came under attack, France immediately after the invasion, and Germany after VE Day. From her experience in basic training in Daytona Beach to the climactic moment when she saw the Statue of Liberty as her ship approached American shores upon her return home, this text provides a glimpse into the life of a woman in uniform during this crucial time in American history.

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Though animal stories and fables stretch back into the antiquity of ancient India, Persia, Greece and Rome, the reasons for writing them and their resonance for readers (and listeners) remain consistent to the present. This work argues for their essential roles as sources of amusement and instruction, as well as being profoundly unsettling. Authors as diverse as Tolkien, Freud, Voltaire, Bakhtin, Cordwainer Smith, Karel Capek, Vladimir Propp, and many more are discussed in relation to their work in the realm of the animal fable.

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While the American Revolution is often associated with New England and names like Boston, Concord, and Lexington, the Southern Colonies and names like Kings Mountain, Cowpens, and Charleston were also crucial to the war that established the United States of America. This analysis of the role of the Southern Colonies in the Revolution covers the origin of these five colonies - Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia - and their participation in the cause of American independence. Crucial Southern battles, from the coast to the mountains, are examined in detail, with attention to the larger context of the war and its significance, as well as to the role of the ordinary Southerner, both patriot and Tory.

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This is the history of air racing from its beginnings in 1909 at Reims, France, to the end of the 2008 racing season at Reno, Nevada. The history of air racing is very much the history of aviation, with glamorous pilots, some of military fame (e.g., Jimmy Doolittle) and builders (e.g., Glenn Curtiss), machines that captivated the national imagination, and many relatively unknown tinkerers and designers. This book follows air racing from pre-World War I European races, through the interwar years when popular air races stimulated military design, and the booms and struggles of the postwar years before racing found a permanent home in the Nevada desert.

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The life of Karl Dane was a Cinderella story gone horribly wrong. The immigrant from Copenhagen was rapidly transformed from a machinist to a Hollywood star after his turn as the tobacco-chewing Slim in ""The Big Parade"" in 1925. After that, Dane appeared in more than 40 films with such luminaries as Lillian Gish, John Gilbert and William Haines until development of talkies virtually ruined his career. The most famous casualty of the transition from silent to sound film, Dane reportedly lost his career because of his accent, finding himself broke at the height of the Depression. He reportedly operated a hot dog stand outside the studio where he earned his fame, then committed suicide in 1934. This biography tells the tale of a daring yet tragic man who aimed for his wildest dreams and succeeded, if only for a short time.

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The 1900 Olympic Games have been termed ""The Farcical Games."" The events were poorly organized and years later many of the competitors had no idea that they had actually competed in the Olympics. They only knew that they had competed in an international sporting event in Paris in 1900. No official records of the 1900 Olympics exist.Based primarily on 1,900 sources, the sites, dates, events, competitors, and nations as well as the event, the results are compiled herein for all of the 1,900 Olympic events, including archery, track and field, cricket, equestrian, fencing, soccer, pelota basque, water polo, and rowing, among other sports.

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A compilation of research into War Department files, pretrial and trial testimony, newspaper accounts and manuscript collections.

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Between 1917 and 1941, Hollywood film studios, gossip columnists, and novelists featured an unprecedented number of homosexuals, cross-dressers, and adulterers in their depictions of the glamorous Hollywood lifestyle. During this era, actress Greta Garbo defined herself as the ultimate serial bachelorette, screenwriter Mercedes De Acosta wore mannish attire and began numerous lesbian relationships with Hollywood elite (including Greta Garbo herself), and countless homosexual designers brazenly picked up men in the hottest Hollywood nightclubs. These personalities, along with many others, played an important role in establishing Hollywood's image as a place of sexual abandon, enhancing the movie capital's mystique and selling Hollywood as a ""must-see"" destination.This significant contribution to gay, lesbian, and film studies demonstrates that the Hollywood studios and mass media used images of these sexually adventurous characters to promote the movie industry and appeal to the prurient interests of a more conservative audience. Each chapter examines the happenings in one segment of important Hollywood locales, ranging from the stars' private homes to the hippest restaurants and public nightclubs. Focusing on the media coverage of each location in nationally distributed newspapers and local publications, tabloids or fan magazines, this book reveals how such media images indelibly altered the world's fascination with old Hollywood.

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In June 1949, Hopalong Cassidy. Then Roy Rogers, the Lone Ranger, Zorro, Davy Crockett, the Cisco Kid, Matt Dillon, Bat Masterson, the Cartwrights, Hec Ramsey, Paladin (""Have Gun Will Travel"") - no television genre has generated as many enduring characters as the Western. ""Gunsmoke"", ""Death Valley Days"", ""Bonanza"", ""Maverick"", and ""Wagon Train"" are just a few of the small-screen oaters that became instant classics. Recent years have seen a resurgence, with shows such as ""Lonesome Dove"" and ""The Young Riders"" updating and redefining the genre for a modern audience.Though the characters were different, Western shows' format often fell into one of several broad categories: marshals, sheriffs and other lawmen, wagon trains, cattle drives and ranchers, bounty hunters, gamblers and hired guns, and even spoofs. Arranged by categories, over 150 television Westerns are analyzed here, focusing on the characters, stories and why the shows succeeded or failed. How Native Americans have been portrayed is examined, as are such phenomena as single parent families (in shows such as ""The Big Valley"", ""The Rifleman"" and ""Bonanza""), women, Asians and blacks.

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From its beginnings in the 1920s, Columbia Pictures Corporation has churned out an enormous variety of material, wide ranging in quality, subject matter and length. It has also served as a major distributor for foreign and domestically produced independent works. This thorough reference documents the studio's 2,371 feature length films, 57 serials, 596 cartoons and 76 miscellaneous short subjects. Release date, running time, major technical personnel, cast, and brief synopsis, when available, are given for each. Appendices list Columbia's movie series, Western series and stars, Academy Awards, and the studio's comedy shorts and their main stars. It includes a complete name index. Replacement volumes can be obtained individually under ISBN 0-7864-3122-9 (for Volume 1) and ISBN 0-7864-3123-7 (for Volume 2).

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This collection of 13 critical essays examines short comedic tales from the 13th and 14th centuries, commonly known as the medieval French fabliaux. Each essay focuses on a different aspect of common fabliaux humor, as illustrated by a scholarly analysis of one or several original texts. This title covers topics such as: the frequent use of bacon as humorous symbolism; the use of comedic rhyme; and the common ""virgin miracle"" tale. Throughout, contributors attempt to provide a serious analysis of the fabliaux without losing sight of the tales' original comedic content and appeal.

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From 1923 until May 1948, Palestine was under a British Mandate. Beginning in 1927, on the Eve of the tenth anniversary of the Balfour Declaration, Palestine began producing its own money. The coins and banknotes that were legal tender during these two decades are especially interesting both to collectors and historians. A brief history of Palestine up to 1948 and information on the Palestine Currency Board provide background information. Complete numismatic information is then presented for each coin and banknote. Also covered are the mysterious 1927 Holyland Token, counterfeit issues, and vignettes of the religious sites featured on banknotes. Appendices present the text of the British Mandate for Palestine, catalog numbering systems for Palestine coins and banknotes, and a checklist for collectors. (The text does not introduce a new numbering system.) Color and black and white illustrations bring these beautiful pieces of currency, many now rarities, to life.

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With a career in films spanning nearly fifty years, Burt Lancaster brought his unique charisma and energy to roles in films ranging from the adventurous to the bittersweet. This comprehensive filmography of Lancaster's career is accompanied by a biography that provides the background for his immense range of work on the screen. Production information, a synopsis, and commentary is provided for each of Lancaster's 85 films, from the first - The Killers - to the last - Separate But Equal. Photographs from nearly all of Lancaster's films accompany the text, and an index and bibliography are also included.

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This book discusses the definition and types of FGM and explores the common justifications for the practice, along with the incidence in Africa, global laws, legal issues, rights and religion. Ethical considerations are examined, as are progress and the role of culture. Personal interviews help to expand and enrich the discussion. The book concludes with thoughts on the movement from tradition to cultural evolution.

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This volume presents a comprehensive annotated bibliography of Kinnamon's essays, books, and articles from 1983 through 2003. Arranged alphabetically by author within years are some 8,320 entries ranging from unpublished dissertations to book-length studies of African American literature and literary criticism.

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Many playwrights, authors, poets and historians have used images, metaphors and references to and from Greek tragedy, myth and epic to describe the African experience in the New World. The complex relationship between ancient Greek tragedy and modern African American theatre is primarily rooted in America, where the connection between ancient Greece and ancient Africa is explored and debated the most. The different ways in which Greek tragedy has been used by playwrights, directors and others to represent and define African American history and identity are explored in this work. Two models are offered for an Afro-Greek connection: Black Orpheus, in which the Greek connection is metaphorical, expressing the African in terms of the European; and Black Athena, in which ancient Greek culture is ""reclaimed"" as part of an Afrocentric tradition. African American adaptations of Greek tragedy on the continuum of these two models are then discussed, and plays by Peter Sellars, Adrienne Kennedy, Lee Breuer, Rita Dove, Jim Magnuson, Ernest Ferlita, Steve Carter, Silas Jones, Rhodessa Jones and Derek Walcott are analyzed. The concepts of colorblind and nontraditional casting and how such practices can shape the reception and meaning of Greek tragedy in modern American productions are also covered.

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In 1970, an LA Times headline called Monte Hellman ""Hollywood's Best Kept Secret."" More than thirty years later, Hellman and his work are still secrets, his genius recognized only by a small but passionate fan base - folks willing to slip into dark alleys to purchase old copies of his film Back Door to Hell. This work is a biography of Hellman and an extensive study of his films and films he has worked on, including The Wild Ride, The Intruder, Ski Troop Attack, Creature from the Haunted Sea, Last Woman on Earth, The Terror, Dementia 13, Bus Riley's Back in Town, Flight to Fury, Beach Ball, and lguana, to name just a few. It covers his youth (when he directed his first theatrical performance at the age of ten), his development as a stage actor and director, his break into the film industry after receiving the screenplay for Beast from Haunted Cave, and his involvement with other films and filmmakers. Attention is focused on the hallmarks of Hellman's work, including his dominant themes; his characters, who always seem to be involved in undefined or questionable activity; and his fusion of form and content to such a degree that they become inseparable.

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The experience of going to the movies, be it a single screen theater, twin, multiplex or drive-in, is affected by many different factors that have shifted over the years. Just as movies emerged from silent to talking, black and white to color, there has invariably been change in the way movies are made, copied, distributed and viewed. This change in the moviegoing experience, for better or for worse, is worth studying. This work examines the American moviegoing experience from 1968 to 2001 - the way in which movies are made and regulated (including the demise of the Production Code and the emergence of the ratings system) as well as changes in lighting, cinematography and coloring techniques. The projection practices of the past and present, during and after the presence of the Projectionists Union, and the advent of the ""platter,"" which allowed for automated projection, are discussed. How home video and cable affected the content of films after the eighties and the history of computerized special effects leading to the development of digital cinema projection are included. The work also covers the changing types of venues over the last third of a century and other aspects that affect, positively or negatively, the entire moviegoing experience.

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Albert J. Luxford has long been known as “The Gimmick Man” in the film and television industry, but he has remained one of its unsung and unknown geniuses despite his well-known work. He equipped James Bond with some of his most memorable gadgets; made possible many of the effects and sequences in the Carry On series. He worked on such shows and movies as Are You Being Served?, The Muppets, Highlander, and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang among many others.In this memoir, Luxford reminisces with great good humour about his life and work and shares some tricks of the trade. He left school at 16 to attend the Institute of Automobile Engineers in West London and began in the film industry as an engineer at Pinewood Studios. The bulk of this work is made up of Luxford’s recollections about his experiences in special effects. This is a genuine tour behind the scenes by an incomparable master of movie magic.

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In 1966, U.S. Army Special Forces were pushed out of the A Shau Valley by the North Vietnamese Army. In 1967, Douglas Coulter, serving with the Fifth Special Forces Group, led five-man reconnaissance teams into A Shau to discover whether NVA and Viet Cong troops were marshalling for an attack on the ancient city of Hue. His clear-eyed memoir recalls nighttime helicopter insertions and deep-jungle patrols miles behind enemy lines, and reflects on the cruel narcissism of U.S. moral and military superiority as the underlying cause of the Vietnam War.

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