Search results for ""Bloomsbury Publishing""

This book is available as open access through the Bloomsbury Open Access programme and is available on www.bloomsburycollections.com. For the University is a book both about and for the university in an age of mass and globalized education. Thomas Docherty analyses the current problems facing the university as an institution, and also offers some positive arguments for a revived and vibrant set of institutional arrangements and governing principles. The book considers the place of the university as an important global institution, now in a charged political and international public sphere. Docherty places current debates within their wider economic and political context, focusing on the relationship of the university to current and emerging models of democracy. The question of what the university will be -- rather than it is, was, or might be -- is at the heart of this book, and Docherty ably traces its history and present condition in order to offer us a vision for the future.

Read more less

Both legislators and the Boards of Appeal of the European Patent Office have invested considerable effort over the last two decades to adjust the law and practice governing life science inventions to the rapidly changing technological landscape. This book provides an introduction to life science patent practice and jurisdiction in Europe according to PCT, EPC and secondary EU law. This book aims to help experts and corporations in the field of life sciences to convert their research into protective, enforceable rights in Europe. It conveys a sense of the requirements for patentability and the issues influencing patent enforcement by presenting illustrative examples of relevant decisions and claims. Thus, while clearly addressing patent professionals, the book serves as a starting point for readers requiring general guidance as to the factors influencing patent protection for life science inventions, and examples of claim language used. Where the first edition focused primarily on biotechnological subject matter, the second edition addresses the broader field of life sciences. It also includes a new chapter on the enforcement of patent rights throughout Europe and an outline of the forthcoming Unitary Patent and Unified Patent Court system.

Read more less

On 17 December 2012, following a complex negotiation which lasted 12 years, the European Parliament adopted Regulations (EU) 1257/2012 and 1260/2012 and the text of the Agreement on a Unified Patent Court (UPC Agreement). These instruments institute the ‘European patent with unitary effect’, the first unified system for the protection of inventions within the European Union. The two Regulations will be applicable after the entry into force of the UPC Agreement, which was signed on 19 February 2013 by 24 Member States of the European Union. This book traces the evolution of the idea behind the institution of the European patent with unitary effect, including a comparative analysis of the existing parallel regional and international procedures for the protection of inventions. It presents a synthesis of the different phases of the negotiations which led to the adoption of the first unitary patent system within the European Union. In addition it examines the provisions of the two Regulations, of the UPC Agreement and of the jurisdictional system under Brussels I Regulation. Finally, the Appendix contains the text of Regulations (EU) 1257 and 1260/2012 and of the UPC Agreement.

Read more less

This textbook provides an explanatory and contextual view of EU law and its impact in a simple and easily accessible yet analytical manner. It illustrates the power struggles behind a given EU law act, to allow for full understanding of how it developed. This allows the student to understand EU law as a force in the increasingly globalized world, rather than as technical and doctrinal subject. The textbook begins by setting the scene of EU integration, how we got there and why it is important. Thereafter it explores the constitutional framework for understanding EU law in context and by discussing inter alia, division of competences, accountability, legitimacy, enforcement, human rights, participation rights and so on as well as the general principles of the EU and citizenship rights. Subsequently the textbook explores the essentials of the internal market as well as the principles of competition law. It also discusses free movement rights and links to the growing “Area of Freedom, Security and Justice”. Finally the textbook offers fresh insights on the external dimension of EU law and the role of the EU in the world today before concluding with an outlook on the future of EU law including the consequences of events such as Brexit.

Read more less

This edited collection draws together papers delivered at a symposium on New Frontiers in Empirical Labour Law Research held at the University of Cambridge in April 2014. It contains contributions from established and emerging experts across a range of disciplines (including employment relations, industrial psychology, sociology, economics and political science) to consider four broad themes: the case for empiricism in labour law; the potential for mixed methods; methodological possibilities and insights from other disciplines; and practical challenges and words of caution for those conducting empirical research. This collection seeks to cultivate confidence and competence in empirical methods among both established and young labour law scholars, through an intergenerational and interdisciplinary ‘lessons learned’ dialogue. It contributes to the broader debate regarding empirical research methods in labour law, and casts light on how empirical research can be conducted in highly contested fields to enhance labour law policy-making. This collection aims to inspire labour lawyers to embark upon new forms of empirical research, both to enrich their existing research projects, and to ask new research questions. It offers the first stage of a collaborative and interdisciplinary dialogue on empirical labour law research, to emphasise the importance of collaboration and intergenerational mentoring in building empirical capacity.

Read more less

Anonymous Speech: Literature, Law and Politics discusses the different contexts in which people write anonymously or with the use of a pseudonym: novels and literary reviews, newspapers and political periodicals, graffiti, and now on the Internet. The book criticises the arguments made for a strong constitutional right to anonymous speech, though it agrees that there is a good case for anonymity in some circumstances, notably for whistle-blowing. One chapter examines the general treatment of anonymous speech and writing in English law, while another is devoted to the protection of journalists’ sources, where the law upholds a freedom to communicate anonymously through the media. A separate chapter looks at anonymous Internet communication, particularly on social media, and analyses the difficulties faced by the victims of threats and defamatory allegations on the Net when the speaker has used a pseudonym. In its final chapter the book compares the universally accepted argument for the secret ballot with the more controversial case for anonymous speech. This is the first comprehensive study of anonymous speech to examine critically the arguments for and against anonymity. These arguments were vigorously canvassed in the nineteenth century – largely in the context of literary reviewing – and are now of enormous importance for communication on the Internet.

Read more less

Since the first edition (published in 2009), there have been several important treaty developments, including the entry into force of the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) on individual communications, and significant developments in the case law on economic, social and cultural (ESC) rights. The second edition addresses these developments and explores ESC rights from foundational issues to substantive rights and systems of protection. It has been fully updated to include new material and up-to-date coverage of the case law of human rights bodies and national courts on ESC rights. In addition to the rights to health, education and work covered in the first edition, the second edition analyses new developments, such as the rights to adequate food, water and sanitation, adequate housing, social security and cultural rights. It also considers several contemporary issues including the extraterritorial human rights obligations of states in the area of economic, social and cultural rights; non-state actors; relationship of the ICESCR to other areas of international law; the Optional Protocol to the ICESCR; regional protection of ESC rights; more examples of the domestic protection of ESC rights; the protection of ESC rights of vulnerable groups; contemporary challenges to ESC rights, including poverty, corruption, armed conflicts and terrorism. It concludes by exploring the possible establishment of a World Court of Human Rights.

Read more less

On 22 January 2013, the Republic of the Philippines instituted arbitral proceedings against the People's Republic of China (PRC) under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) with regard to disputes between the two countries in the South China Sea (South China Sea Arbitration). On 19 February 2013, the PRC formally expressed its opposition to the institution of proceedings, making it clear from the outset that it will not have any part in these arbitral proceedings and that this position will not change. It is thus to be expected that over the next year and a half, the Tribunal will receive written memorials and hear oral submissions from the Philippines only. The Chinese position will go unheard. However, the Tribunal is under an obligation, before making its award, to satisfy itself not only that it has jurisdiction over the dispute, but also that the claims brought by the Philippines are well founded in fact and law (UNCLOS Annex VII, Article 9).This book aims to offer a (not the) Chinese perspective on some of the issues to be decided by the Tribunal and thus to assist the Tribunal in meeting its obligations under the Convention. The book does not set out the official position of the Chinese government, but is rather to serve as a kind of amicus curiae brief advancing possible legal arguments on behalf of the absent respondent. The book does not deal with the merits of the disputes between the Philippines and the PRC, but focuses on the questions of jurisdiction, admissibility and other objections which the tribunal will have to decide as a preliminary matter. The book will show that there are insurmountable preliminary objections to the Tribunal deciding the case on the merits and that the Tribunal would be well advised to refer the dispute back to the parties in order for them to reach a negotiated settlement.The book brings together scholars of public international law from mainland China, Taiwan and Europe united by a common interest in the law of the sea and disputes in the South China Sea. This title is included in Bloomsbury Professional's International Arbitration online service.

Read more less

This textbook, first published in German, explains and analyses not only the structures of international organisations in general, but also focuses on the interplay between the creation of institutional structures and important substantive areas of public international law. In the first and second parts of the book the general aspects of the law of international organisations are surveyed, and in the third part international security, human rights protection, trade, development and environmental protection are analysed in terms of the interplay between substantive and institutional law. This third part is built on the assumption that the law of international organisations needs to be studied ‘in action’, ie by looking at highly institutionalised areas of international law as a way of analysing the mutual influences between institutional and substantive international law. This is the first book on international law to bring together institutional and substantive aspects in this comparable manner. It is aimed at students of the law of international organisations, the social sciences and political science and practitioners in the field of international institutions.

Read more less

While the availability and efficacy of arbitration in London, Paris and New York is well known, and the popularity of the Swiss system widely accepted, less is known about the mechanisms available for arbitrating international disputes in Germany. In fact, Germany boasts a well-developed system of arbitration which is streamlined, efficient and inexpensive, but which has been hitherto overlooked in favour of other jurisdictions. This new work by experienced German arbitrators, explains in detail the workings of the German system for international arbitration – the basis of its code, its institutional architecture and its procedural features. Thus this work presents, for the first time, the full workings of the German system to an English-speaking audience.

Read more less

The Finnish Yearbook of International Law aspires to honour and strengthen the Finnish tradition in international legal scholarship. Open to contributions from all over the world and from all persuasions, the Finnish Yearbook stands out as a forum for theoretically informed, high-quality publications on all aspects of public international law, including the international relations law of the European Union. The Finnish Yearbook publishes in-depth articles and shorter notes, commentaries on current developments, book reviews and relevant overviews of Finland's state practice. While firmly grounded in traditional legal scholarship, it is open for new approaches to international law and for work of an interdisciplinary nature. The Finnish Yearbook is published for the Ius Gentium Association (the Finnish Society of International Law) by Hart Publishing. Earlier volumes may be obtained from Martinus Nijhoff, an imprint of Brill Publishers. Further information may be found at www.fybil.org INDIVIDUAL CHAPTERS Please click on the link below to purchase individual chapters from Volume 22 through Ingenta Connect: www.ingentaconnect.com SUBSCRIPTION TO SERIES To place an annual online subscription or a print standing order through Hart Publishing please click on the link below. Please note that any customers who have a standing order for the printed volumes will now be entitled to free online access. www.hartjournals.co.uk/fyil/subs

Read more less

Homophobia exists in many different forms across Europe. Member States offer uneven levels of legal protection for lesbian and gay rights; at the same time the social meanings and practices relating to homosexuality are culturally distinct and intersect in complex ways with gender, class and ethnicity in different national contexts. The essays in this volume illustrate the findings of a European project on homophobia and fundamental rights in which sociologists and legal experts have analysed the position in four Member States: Italy, Slovenia, Hungary and the UK. The first part of the book investigates the sociological dimensions of homophobia through qualitative methods involving both heterosexual and self-defined lesbian and gay respondents, including those in ethnic communities. The aim is to understand how homophobia and homosexuality are defined and experienced in the everyday life of participants. The second part is devoted to a legal analysis of how homophobia is reproduced 'in law' and how it is confronted 'with law'. The analysis examines statute and case law; 'soft law'; administrative practices; the discussion of bills within parliamentary committees; and decisions of public authorities. Among the areas discussed are 'hate crimes' and 'hate speech'; education at all levels; free movement, immigration and asylum; and cross-border reproductive services. Please note that this book is also available as a free PDF download. For further information please click on the link below: www.citidive.eu/en/rapporti-e-prodotti/.

Read more less

The International Court of Justice (in French, the Cour internationale de justice), also commonly known as the World Court or ICJ, is the oldest, most important and most famous judicial arm of the United Nations. Established by the United Nations Charter in 1945 and based in the Peace Palace in the Hague, the primary function of the Court is to adjudicate in disputes brought before it by states, and to provide authoritative, influential advisory opinions on matters referred to it by various international organisations, agencies and the UN General Assembly. This new work, by a leading academic authority on international law who also appears as an advocate before the Court, examines the Statute of the Court, its procedures, conventions and practices, in a way that will provide invaluable assistance to all international lawyers. The book covers matters such as: the composition of the Court and elections, the office and role of ad hoc judges, the significance of the occasional use of smaller Chambers, jurisdiction, the law applied, preliminary objections, the range of contentious disputes which may be submitted to the Court, the status of advisory opinions, relationship to the Security Council, applications to intervene, the status of judgments and remedies. Referring to a wealth of primary and secondary sources, this work provides international lawyers with a readable, comprehensive and authoritative work of reference which will greatly enhance understanding and knowledge of the ICJ. The book has been translated and lightly updated from the French original, R Kolb, La Cour international de Justice (Paris, Pedone, 2013), by Alan Perry, Solicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales. Winner of the 2014 American Society of International Law Certificate of Merit for High Technical Craftsmanship and Utility to Practicing Lawyers and Scholars: 'Robert Kolb's International Court of Justice provides a magisterial, lucid study of its subject. The breadth and depth of the treatment are impressive: Kolb takes the reader from the history of the Court, to its role in international society, to the more technical questions concerning its composition, powers and procedures, to the development of its jurisprudence, and to its future. The finely grained discussion provides much more than a mere survey of the Court's constitutive instruments and decisions. It engages the Court as an institution and asks how it actually operates, and secures efficacy and authority in doing so. The book's careful and detailed coverage of the Court's legal framework and operation will benefit practitioners and scholars alike. There is no doubt that Kolb's volume immediately takes a place among the authoritative references on the Court.' ASIL Book Awards Committee This title is included in Bloomsbury Professional's International Arbitration online service.

Read more less

Today there are more than 2,500 bilateral investment treaties (BITs) around the world. Most of these investment protection treaties offer foreign investors a direct cause of action to claim damages against host-states before international arbitral tribunals. This procedure, together with the requirement of compensation in indirect expropriations and the fair and equitable treatment standard, have transformed the way we think about state liability in international law. We live in the BIT generation, a world where BITs define the scope and conditions according to which states are economically accountable for the consequences of regulatory change and administrative action. Investment arbitration in the BIT generation carries new functions which pose unprecedented normative challenges, such as the arbitral bodies established to resolve investor/state disputes defining the relationship between property rights and the public interest. They also review state action for arbitrariness, and define the proper tests under which that review should proceed. State Liability in Investment Treaty Arbitration is an interdisciplinary work, aimed at academics and practitioners, which focuses on five key dimensions of BIT arbitration. First, it analyses the past practice of state responsibility for injuries to aliens, placing the BIT generation in historical perspective. Second, it develops a descriptive law-and-economics model that explains the proliferation of BITs, and why they are all worded so similarly. Third, it addresses the legitimacy deficits of this new form of dispute settlement, weighing its potential advantages and democratic shortfalls. Fourth, it gives a comparative overview of the universal tension between property rights and the public interest, and the problems and challenges associated with liability grounded in illegal and arbitrary state action. Finally, it presents a detailed legal study of the current state of BIT jurisprudence regarding indirect expropriations and the fair and equitable treatment clause. This title is included in Bloomsbury Professional's International Arbitration online service.

Read more less

The regulation of State Aid belongs to the core areas of European Union law. Without the general prohibition of state subsidies to undertakings, competitiveness would be distorted and the benefits of the internal market would be put in jeopardy. This book deals systematically article-by-article with the basic principles, the proceedings, and the implementation of State Aid law as laid down in Articles 107 to 109 TFEU, as well as the general block exemptions regulation (Regulation No 800/2008) and the Council Regulation ((EC) No 659/1999) laying down detailed rules for the application of Article 93 TEC. Further, this commentary deals in detail with the rules regulating State Aid in specific sectors such as telecommunication, postal services, broadcast and television, energy/coal, banking, railroads, road transport, shipping, air traffic/airports, automotive industry, shipbuilding, steel, housing, agriculture, fishery, culture/tourism/sport and health.

Read more less

This book presents a unique and intriguing collection of drawings of courtroom scenes. Entering the courtroom wearing his robe, Judge Pierre Cavellat literally had a secret up his sleeve. Hidden in it were pens and pencils, which he used to sketch the scenes he observed from his bench. Throughout a 40-year judicial career in one of France's more important regional appellate courts, Cavellat produced hundreds of illuminating drawings and paintings depicting the court proceedings but also the main actors: the prosecutors, defence counsel, his fellow judges, the defendants, witnesses, policemen, the general public, as well as the courtroom itself and its architecture. The resulting vivid and uncensored impressions give an unprecedented insight into how a judge perceives his profession and the institution of justice as a whole. Given the scarcity of written autobiographies by judges, and their reluctance to lay bare their inner feelings and thinking, the images reveal, in a candid and immediate fashion, the deeply hidden emotions, ambiguities and fantasies of a judge going about his work. The author, a judge herself, interprets the images through the lens of her own judicial experience, exploring how judges think and act and how their thinking is constructed through their education, professional training, gender and class. In doing so she exposes how personal background, history and experience play an additional, sometimes conflicting, role in 'judgecraft'. While relevant to both practitioners and students of law this book should also appeal to the wider public.

Read more less

Since the end of the last century, UN peacekeeping has undergone a fundamental and largely unexamined change. Peacekeeping operations, long expected to use force only in self-defence and to act impartially, are now increasingly relied upon by the Security Council as a means to maintain and restore security within a country. The operations are established under Chapter VII of the UN Charter and some are empowered to use 'all necessary measures', language traditionally reserved for enforcement operations. Through a close examination of these twenty-first century peacekeeping operations - including operations in Sierra Leone, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, Côte d'Ivoire, Haiti and the Darfur region of the Sudan - the book shows that they are, for the most part, fundamentally ill-suited to the enforcement-type tasks being asked of them. The operations, which are under-funded, under-equipped and whose troops are under-trained, frequently lurch from crisis to crisis. There is scant evidence, some 10 years on, that matters are likely to improve. The book argues that bestowing enforcement-type functions on a peacekeeping operation is misconceived. Such operations are likely to be unsuccessful in their enforcement-type tasks, thereby causing serious damage to the excellent reputation of UN peacekeeping, and the UN more broadly. In addition, because such operations are more likely to be perceived as partial, their ability to carry out traditional (non-forceful) peacekeeping tasks may be impeded. Finally, the Security Council's practice of charging peacekeeping operations with enforcement functions lessens the pressure on the Council to work to establish genuine enforcement operations - ie, operations that are considerably better suited to restoring peace and security. '…Dr Sloan is able to show, in knowledgeable detail, not only what has changed over the years, but also what has brought these changes about. His analysis leads him to offer not only well-informed insights, but critical observations, too...This book is a pleasing combination of detailed scrutiny of topics already familiar (provisional measures, consent, so-called 'Chapter VI½' action, implied powers) and a rigorous questioning as to their place in – or indeed, relevance at all to – militarised peacekeeping. The reader will find much new terrain traversed, and plenty of out-of-the-box thinking.' From the foreword by Dame Rosalyn Higgins

Read more less

There are now a number of statutes in different parts of the world that offer non-constitutional protection for human rights through mechanisms such as strong interpretive obligations, quasi-tort actions and obligations on legislatures to consider whether statutes are felt to breach human rights obligations. They exist in New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Australian Capital Territory and Victoria. The aim of this book is to consider the jurisprudence that has developed in these various jurisdictions relating to these mechanics for the promotion of human rights; relevant case law from countries such as Canada, South Africa and the United States that have a supreme law constitutional approach is also featured. Chapters cover such matters as the choice between a supreme law and non-supreme law bill of rights, the different approaches adopted as to how legislators are alerted to possible breaches of fundamental rights as Bills progress, the extent of the interpretive obligation, the consequences of failing to reach a rights-compliant interpretation, and the remedies available in litigation. The book is aimed at practitioners and also at academics and policy makers. ‘… Kris Gledhill addresses for the first time, and in some considerable detail, the dynamics operating within different common law systems that seek to integrate international fundamental rights obligations into domestic law . . . The strength of this book is to explore apparent antitheses . . . with intellectual depth so that the relationship between human rights law on the international level and human rights law on the domestic level becomes clearer and comes to be seen not so much as a sharp legal dichotomy but, rather, as the fashioning of mechanisms . . . to integrate international and domestic fundamental rights regimes so that they work harmoniously.’ From the Foreword by Richard Gordon QC, Brick Court Chambers ‘Gledhill’s study bridges the gap between the promise of international human rights commitments and the protection afforded those rights by statutory bills of rights, a model that has been adopted in countries such as New Zealand, the UK, Ireland, and Australia. It is an invaluable resource.’ Grant Huscroft, Western University Faculty of Law

Read more less

This latest volume in the "Penal Theory and Penal Ethics" series addresses one of the oldest and most contested questions in the field of criminal sentencing: should an offender's previous convictions affect the sentence? This question provokes a series of others: Is it possible to justify a discount for first offenders within a retributive sentencing framework? How should previous convictions enter into the sentencing equation? At what point should prior misconduct cease to count for the purposes of fresh sentencing? Should similar previous convictions count more than convictions unrelated to the current offence? Statutory sentencing regimes around the world incorporate provisions which mandate harsher treatment of repeat offenders. Although there is an extensive literature on the definition and use of criminal history information, the emphasis here, as befits a volume in the series, is on the theoretical and normative aspects of considering previous convictions at sentencing. Several authors explore the theory underlying the practice of mitigating the punishments for first offenders, while others put forth arguments for enhancing sentences for recidivists. The practice of sentencing repeat offenders in two jurisdictions (England and Wales, and Sweden) is also examined in detail.

Read more less

This is the second edition of the acclaimed text on global antitrust law. With markets becoming increasingly global, mergers requiring approval in several different jurisdictions, cartels in one nation affecting supply in others, and countries increasingly entering into treaties with each other about the content or enforcement of competition laws, antitrust law is now a truly global phenomenon. Modern antitrust law is also different because it now reflects an increasingly economic approach to analysing antitrust and competition policy. This innovative work is the only truly comparative and economically sophisticated casebook on the market. Addressed to students from all jurisdictions having competition laws, this casebook provides an in-depth analysis of the two major global antitrust regimes in the world, as well as a summary of selected national antitrust laws. As such it will also serve as a useful reference for practitioners, competition officials and policy-makers interested in competition law. In the four years since the first edition, the increased globalization of antitrust law has continued apace. China, the world's third largest economy after the EU and US, has adopted an antitrust law and other nations have modified and modernized their antitrust regimes. The EU has adopted a new EU Treaty, new EU guidelines on abuse of dominance, new EU guidelines on non-horizontal mergers, and new EU regulations and guidelines on vertical agreements. In the US there have been important new Supreme Court cases (the 2009 Linkline and 2010 American Needle decisions) and the appearance of a new economic approach in the revised 2010 U.S. Merger Guidelines. This new edition expands and updates the pioneering approach of the first edition, addressing new developments not only in the US and EU, but also in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Israel, Japan, South Africa, and South Korea, with expanded coverage of China's new antitrust law, and the antitrust laws of Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Egypt, India, Indonesia, New Zealand, Peru, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, and Venezuela. Praise for the first edition '...worthy of considerable praise…contains a vast collection of well-chosen material taking in a wide span of both antitrust and merger law issues. It is well written and clear throughout, particularly on the economic concepts, and provides incisive commentary and questions which inspire further study.' Peter Whelan, Cambridge Law Journal 'Enlightened law professors and law schools will best serve their students not by teaching national competition law but by adopting Global Competition Law and Economics...an excellent book for introductory courses in comparative competition law at either a graduate or undergraduate level.' Okeoghene Odudu, Common Market Law Review '...the best four-and-a-half centimetres of shelf-space that I have seen devoted to competition law and policy issues for a very long time”.' Yvonne van Roy, New Zealand Law Journal 'Free from the ideologically-driven perspective that can affect other antitrust casebooks, this is also the first casebook organized from inception with an eye directly on the global context…this book may be used in a classroom in Europe just as it will be used in the U.S. The result is a highly welcome contribution to the evolution of competition studies.' Judge Douglas Ginsburg '...this book is the only one on the market that is extremely well suited for use in a comparative antitrust law class...an extraordinarily teachable book that contains everything you might want to present…Finally, the comparative antitrust field has a standard textbook to use. And a wonderful standard it is.' Robert H Lande, University of Baltimore Law School

Read more less

What happens when you're in a hole? What happens when that hole's inside you? What do you do you fill it with to make yourself feel whole? Last year, 3 teenagers emailed the 20 Stories High Theatre Company to ask them if they could make a play about their friend Holly. This is how it unravelled… 3 teenagers: …So that’s our story and we really want to tell it... and we want to act in it as well, and play ourselves… cos actors wouldn’t really be as convincing as us… 20 Stories High: It’s a very moving story… but we’re really busy at the moment and also, to be honest, you’re not really actors. 3 teenagers: But we really want to tell our story… it says on your website that “Everybody has a story to tell… and their own way of telling it…” 20 Stories High: …well, come back in a year, when we’re less busy, and let’s talk… One Year Later… We made the play with them… WHOLE Winner of the Writers' Guild Award for Theatre Play for Young People 2013.

Read more less

Written in Brighton in 1887, Dandy Dick is tells the hilarious story of the Very Reverend Augustin Jedd, a pillar of Victorian respectability, who preaches regularly against the evils of horse racing and gambling. However, a visit from his tearaway sister, Georgiana, leads him to risk all at the races, much against his better judgement. Mayhem ensues, with romantic intrigue, mistaken identity and a runaway horse. A glorious British comedy, Dandy Dick is a rarely seen treasure that so richly deserves to be revived again, for the first time in almost fifteen years.

Read more less

Cornish conspiracy theorist Virgil Ploy is paranoid. He thinks that everyone is out to get him – that includes his mother and her new husband, Dusty. He might well be right. It’s hard to know who to trust these days. But then, living on top of a secret M.O.D. chemical weapons plant can do strange things to you. Very strange things indeed… Horse Piss For Blood is a bizarre and darkly funny new play about family, madness and Cornwall’s darkest secret… Are you ready for the truth?

Read more less

'A magnificently readable tour of theatrical history conducted by our best-informed living critic.' - Michael Billington 'Benedict Nightingale's characteristically witty, insightful and enthusiastic reports make you wish you'd been sitting next to him during his greatest moments in the theatre.' – Ian McKellen Starting with the first performance of Aeschylus' The Oresteia in 458 BC, ending with the premiere of Jez Butterworth’s Jerusalem in London of 2009 AD, Benedict Nightingale collects in one volume what he believes to be the greatest moments in theatre. Each informative and entertaining entry is between 650 and 850 words in length, covering a remarkable diversity of theatrical openings and events, many of historical interest and importance, and many more witnessed by Nightingale himself during his 50‐year reviewing career. The plays and shows that Nightingale crisply, authoritatively and readably brings alive range from Sheridan’s School for Scandal to Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia, from Gogol’s Government Inspector to the Ian McKellen Macbeth, from Synge’s Playboy of the Western World, which provoked serious riots in the Dublin of 1907, to Lionel Bart’s Twang!! in 1965, possibly the most disastrous musical ever. Throughout the book Nightingale celebrates leading dramatists and performers, directors and composers. Everywhere he shares the fulfilment and fun he has found in the art‐form he loves.

Read more less

Peter Bowles invites us backstage to witness the job of acting as it really is. This is a warm-hearted look at the lived experience of a jobbing actor – and a survival guide to anyone thinking of entering this most emotionally gruelling of industries. Behind the Curtain is the inside scoop on ‘the profession’as told by a master raconteur – one who has trodden the boards in the West End for five decades. Armed with an array of classic anecdotes, Bowles shares some of the infamous ad-libs, opening night disasters and dressingroom dramas that he has been party to over the years. Full of sage advice about the pitfalls of celebrity and thefluctuating fortunes of an actor – and his own journey fromTV stardom to the labour exchange and back again. With tales of some biggest personalities in the historyof showbiz such as Michael Gambon, Noel Coward,Rex Harrison, Laurence Olivier & John Gielgud, this is a book that captures the acting professionin all its eccentric glory.

Read more less

"We've been in revolution since I was born. I never had to die before" A young rebel. A brutal victory. A devastating defeat. Aged 25, the charismatic Bonnie Prince Charlie laid claim to the thrones of England, Scotland and Ireland in a series of stunning military victories. By the time he was 26, his dreams lay in ruins and he was fleeing for his life. Amidst the chaos of war, the Young Pretender is forced to decide how far he is willing to go for the causeThe flawed prince is brought to life vividly in this unflinching look at the nature of rebellion. E. V. Crowe (Kin, Royal Court, 2010) brings the brilliant but flawed Prince to vivid life in this fast-paced new play, taking an irreverent look at Britain’s rebellious past against the backdrop of the world’s rebellious present. Watford Palace Creative Associate nabokov is an internationally acclaimed new writing company. Previous collaborations include Bunny (Fringe First winner), the critically acclaimed 2nd May 1997 and Is Everyone Ok?

Read more less

In The Wedding Feast an idealistic, altruistic shoe manufacturer arrives at an employee’s wedding, with disastrous consequences. One More Ride on the Merry-Go-Round features a comic plot involving academics who get high on a hash birthday cake, a recalcitrant daughter, and the appearance of an illegitimate son who is a magician. In Groupie 61-year-old Mattie Beancourt is shocked to discover her idol, the famous painter Mark Gorman, living alone in near poverty. She is sunny, he is curmudgeonly and the impact of their friendship is startling. Set against a scene of defiant old age, The Old Ones examines the eccentric rituals of old age and plays out the conflict between the optimistic and pessimistic spirit.

Read more less

Includes the plays Fanghorn, Edred, the Vampire and Lucifer's Fair Fanghorn is a darkly-surrealistic comedy, which pokes fun at the Theatre of Cruelty. Fanghorn is a lesbian vampire, who invades the household of Joseph King, who may, or may not, be the First Secretary to the Minister of Defence, and hilarious emasculation and murderous mayhem follow in her wake. Edred, the Vampyre is a thousand-year-old Anglo-Saxon bisexual vampire, who slept with Shakespeare, but never bit him. Breaking all Bram Stoker’s vampire laws, Edred loves garlic and crucifixes, so he lives in the village church where he is confronted by two students who Googled him. But soon the students wish they hadn’t. Lucifer’s Fair is the family Hallowe’en musical play, about a fair run by the Devil to entrap unwary children. Lucifer is aided by Fangs, who is a bovver boy by day, but an incompetent vampire by night. Simultaneously scary and funny, Lucifer’s Fair, with its comic spills, thrills and chills, highlights the unreliability of grownups, both the living and the undead.

Read more less

In 1217 England was facing her darkest hour, with foreign troops pillaging the country and defeat close at hand. But, at the battle of Lincoln, the seventy-year-old William Marshal led his men to a victory that would secure the future of his nation. Earl of Pembroke, right-hand man to three kings and regent for a fourth, Marshal was one of the most celebrated men in Europe, yet is virtually unknown today, his impact and influence largely forgotten. In this vivid account, Richard Brooks blends colourful contemporary source material with new insights to uncover the tale of this unheralded icon. He traces the rise of Marshal from penniless younger son to renowned knight, national hero and defender of the Magna Carta. What emerges is a fascinating story of a man negotiating the brutal realities of medieval warfare and the conflicting demands of chivalric ideals, and who against the odds defeated the joint French and rebel forces in arguably the most important battle in medieval English history – overshadowing even Agincourt.

Read more less

Invented during World War I to break the grim deadlock of the Western Front trenches, tanks have gone on to revolutionise warfare. From the lightning Blitzkrieg assaults of World War II to the great battles in the Middle Eastern desert and the largest ever tank battles on the Eastern Front, tanks have become one of the key components of the 'combined arms' philosophy of warfare. This pocket guide gives the reader all of the essential information on 40 of history's premiere tanks, including the Tiger, Sherman, Panther and M1A1 Abrams. Each tank is presented with a detailed drawing to aid recognition.

Read more less

Prince Albert was one of the defining figures of the Victorian age and Sir Theodore Martin's biography remains the definitive account of his life. Detailed, comprehensive and authoritative, Martin's five volumes and 3000 pages chronicle not just the details of Albert's upbringing and later personal life but also his involvement in the political affairs of the country and his engagement with many of the key figures and events of the Victorian age - from Sir Robert Peel, Lord Palmerston and the Emperor Napoleon to the Indian Mutiny and the Crimean War. With an Introduction by a leading modern scholar, this outstanding biography of one of the key royal figures of the modern period also provides a unique inside view on many of the major events of the Victorian era.

Read more less

Ottoman naval technology underwent a transformation under the rule of Sultan Selim III. New types of sailing warships such as two- and three-decked galleons, frigates and corvettes began to dominate the Ottoman fleet, rendering the galley-type oared ships obsolete. This period saw technological innovations such as the adoption of the systematic copper sheathing of the hulls and bottoms of Ottoman warships from 1792-93 onwards and the construction of the first dry dock in the Golden Horn. The changing face of the Ottoman Navy was facilitated by the influence of the British, Swedish and French in modernising both the shipbuilding sector and the conduct of naval warfare. Through such measures as training Ottoman shipbuilders, heavy reliance on help from foreign powers gave way to a new trajectory of modernization. Using this evidence Zorlu argues that although the Ottoman Empire was a major and modern independent power in this period, some technological dependence on Europe remained.

Read more less

In the wake of the 1979 Iranian Revolution, Iranian society and culture underwent massive changes. Here, Khatereh Sheibani argues that cinema evolved after the national uprising in 1978/79, and ultimately replaced poetry as the dominant form of cultural expression. She presents a comparative analysis of post-revolutionary Iranian cinema as an offshoot of Iranian modernity, and explains its connections with the themes present in traditional Persian poetry and conventional visual arts. She examines the pre-revolutionary film industry - such as Iranian new wave and filmfarsi movies - its styles and themes, and its relation to the emerging cinema after 1978. Sheibani argues that Iranian art cinema, as one of the signifiers and agents of modernity, underwent a cultural revolution by employing the aesthetics of Persian literature and visual arts in a modern context. This is a valuable contribution to the scholarly literature on Iranian cinema, politics and culture.

Read more less

Britain's military involvement in Afghanistan is a contentious subject, yet it is often forgotten that the current conflict is in fact the fourth in a string of such wars dating back as far as the early nineteenth century. Aiming to protect the British territories in India from the expanding Russian empire, the British fought a series of conflicts on Afghan territory between 1838 and 1919. The Anglo-Afghan wars of the 19th and early 20th centuries were ill-conceived and led to some of the worst military disasters ever sustained by British forces in this part of the world, with poor strategy in the First Afghan War resulting in the annihilation of 16,000 soldiers and civilians in a single week. In his new book, Jules Stewart explores the potential danger of replaying Britain's military catastrophes and considers what can be learnt from revisiting the story of these earlier Afghan wars.

Read more less

From 1904-1905, Russia and Japan were locked in conflict arising from rival imperial ambitions in the Far East. Nicholas Papastratigakis offers an integrated analysis of Russian naval strategy in the decade before this Russo-Japanese War, in which the Russians suffered catastrophic defeat. He seeks to determine the extent to which their defeat can be attributed to flawed Tsarist naval strategy in the region. Rooted in rich primary resources from Russian, French and British archives, the book sheds new light on Russia's conduct in international affairs in the pre-World War I era. He places Russian naval strategy in the broader context of Russian military strategy at the turn of the century, and of imperialism and 'navalism' in general. This book will be of enormous interest to scholars and students of naval, military, imperial and Russian history.

Read more less

One of the most prominent Muslim scholars and scientists of the medieval era, the Persian polymath Nasir al-Din Tusi (1201-1274) joined the Shi'a Nizari Ismaili community at a young age, as the armies of Genghis Khan poured across his homeland. In the course of a long and eminent career, first under the patronage of the Ismailis at the fortress of Alamut, and later with the conquering Mongols, he produced over 150 works on diverse subjects from theology and philosophy to mathematics and astronomy. His principal works on Ismaili doctrine, the Rawda-yi taslim (The Paradise of Submission) and the autobiographical Sayr wa suluk (Contemplation and Action), are already available in English translation by S J Badakhchani. In this volume, he offers new critical editions and translations of three shorter Ismaili works by Tusi, namely Aghaz wa anjam (The Beginning and the End), Tawalla wa tabarra (Solidarity and Dissociation), and Matlub al-mu'minin (Desideratum of the Faithful). In these three treatises, Tusi provides concise interpretations of key motifs in Ismaili doctrine, with special reference to the primordial nature of man, his earthly existence in relation to the imam, and his destiny in the hereafter.

Read more less

Under Ottoman rule, the city of Haifa, located at the southern point of the largest bay on the coast of what today is Israel, was transformed from a scarcely-inhabited fortress town to a major modern city. This book details the history of Haifa under the Ottomans during the period 1516-1918. Alex Carmel uses a variety of original sources to uncover the realities of life in Haifa under Ottoman rule and paints a vivid picture of the development of the city in this era. Carmel's work has become the benchmark of the historiography of Israel's third largest city and remains to this day, the best-known and most highly-regarded survey of Haifa under Ottoman rule. This, the first English edition of 'Ottoman Haifa', will be essential reading for all historians of the Ottoman Empire and the Middle East.

Read more less

Personal and yet utterly universal, inevitable and yet unknowable, death has been a dominant theme in all cultures, since earliest times. Different societies address death and the act of dying in culturally diverse ways; yet, remarkably, across the span of several millennia, we can recognize in the customs of ancient Greece and Rome ceremonies and rituals that have enduring present-day resonance. For example, preparing the corpse of the deceased, holding a memorial service, the practice of cremation and of burial in 'resting places' are all liminal processes that can trace their origin to ancient practices. Such rites - described by Cicero and Herodotus, among others - have defined traditional modern funerals. Yet of late there has been a shift away from classical ritual and sombre memorialization as the dead are transformed into spectacles. Ad hoc roadside shrines, 'virtual' burials, online guest-books and even jazz memorial processions and firework displays have come to the fore as new modes of marking, even celebrating, bereavement. What is causing this change, and how do urbanisation, economic factors and the rise of individualism play a part? Mario Erasmo creatively explores the nexus between classical and contemporary approaches to dying, death and interment. From theme funerals in St Louis to Etruscan sarcophagi, he offers a rich and insightful discussion of finitude across the ages.

Read more less

Minarets have defined Cairo's skyline since its early history: they are one of the most characteristic features of Islamic architecture. In Egypt, where civilizations have manifested themselves through awe-inspiring structures since antiquity, 'a thousand minarets' reveal the impact of Islamic civilization and urban aesthetics. "The Minarets of Cairo" offers an accessible and vivid insight into the religious, historical and architectural significance of the minaret in Cairo from the Arab Conquest, through the Abbasid, Fatimid, Ayyubid, Mamluk and Ottoman periods. Students and scholars will welcome historian and art historian Doris Behrens-Abouseif's excellent new research and analysis as well as over one hundred illustrated entries for individual minarets, brought to life by Nicholas Warner's masterly architectural drawings and reconstructions. With nearly three hundred illustrations, this beautiful book provides depth and color, displaying to full effect historic Cairo's most impressive monuments.

Read more less

At the height of her career, Bell journeyed into the heart of the Middle East retracing the steps of the ancient rulers who left tangible markers of their presence in the form of castles, palaces, mosques, tombs and temples. Among the many sites she visited were Ephesus, Binbirkilise and Carchemish in modern-day Turkey as well as Ukhaidir, Babylon and Najaf within the borders of modern Iraq. Lisa Cooper here explores Bell's achievements, emphasizing the tenacious, inquisitive side of her extraordinary personality, the breadth of her knowledge and her overall contribution to the archaeology of the Middle East. Featuring many of Bell's own photographs, this is a unique portrait of a remarkable life.

Read more less

How Jewish is modern Jewish philosophy? The question at first appears nonsensical, until we consider that the chief issues with which Jewish philosophers have engaged, from the Enlightenment through to the late 20th century, are the standard preoccupations of general philosophical inquiry. Questions about God, reality, language, and knowledge - metaphysics and epistemology - have been of as much concern to Jewish thinkers as they have been to others. Moses Mendelssohn, for example, was a friend of Kant. Hermann Cohen's philosophy is often described as 'neo-Kantian.' Franz Rosenzweig wrote his dissertation on Hegel. And the thought of Emmanuel Levinas is indebted to Husserl. In this much-needed textbook, which surveys the most prominent thinkers of the last three centuries, Claire Katz situates modern Jewish philosophy in the wider cultural and intellectual context of its day, indicating how broader currents of British, French and German thought influenced its practitioners. But she also addresses the unique ways in which being Jewish coloured their output, suggesting that a keen sense of particularity enabled the Jewish philosophers to help define the whole modern era. Intended to be used as a core undergraduate text, the book will also appeal to anyone with an interest how some of the greatest minds of the age grappled with some of its most urgent and fascinating philosophical problems.

Read more less

The French Revolution was a huge, brutal yet inspiring phenomenon that changed global political thinking and action, and its echoes resound even in the twenty-first century. It was an intensely complex mix of events, concepts and individuals and A New Dictionary is an invaluable aid to unravelling its complications, and an essential companion for students and general readers alike. There are some 400 entries covering the main events, personalities, parties, ideologies, political ideas, philosophers, writers, artists, rebellions and wars, as well as touching on colonial and international developments, the interaction of church and state, science, law reform, events in the provinces and overseas territories and the reverberations in other European states. The Dictionary provides a full and vibrant history from the outbreak of revolution in 1789 to the Terror, the Revolutionary state, its wars and the rise of Napoleon. Entries contain much more than just bare factual information: they provide a detailed commentary and include suggestions for further reading - both in print and online - which refer to the extensive literature of over 200 years of scholarship and recent historiography. Cross-referencing is extensive and the index points to information about minor but important subjects which do no receive entries of their own.

Read more less

The four years between the military defeat of France by Nazi Germany and D-Day were vital, dramatic and eventful years in Anglo-French relations. These years saw the first armed clashes between France and Britain since the Napoleonic Wars, including the infamous Royal Navy attack on the French fleet at Mers-el-Kebir. They also saw a curious relationship developing between Britain and Vichy France. Vichy was at once a hostile power, under German domination, and at the same time a porous regime through which British influence on its politics, attitudes towards the Resistance and the transit of British soldiers and airmen through its territory en route to Spain, could flow quite freely. Britain had an ambivalent attitude towards Vichy - obviously adversarial, but also pragmatic. The history of Vichy France is often viewed as a sideshow in the overall context of World War II. However, Peter Mangold here shows that the Vichy attitude towards the allies, especially the British, was ambivalent and complex. His absorbing and up-to-date account, based on original historical research, highlights the conflicts within the Vichy regime and the ways in which contacts and connections with de Gaulle in London and the British Government were maintained. This exciting and fast-paced book brings to life the major characters in the story - not only Churchill and de Gaulle, but also Macmillan, Petain and Leclerc. In this book, Mangold deftly reassesses the complex international wartime chessboard and, in the process, reveals a little known aspect of the World War II story.

Read more less

The Eastern Question, as it was termed by the European Powers in the nineteenth century, was a debate primarily concerned with the issue of 'what to do with the Turk?'. The Ottoman Empire had become known as the 'sick man of Europe' following its gradual decline since the eighteenth century, and its demise would be highly problematic for the crowned heads of Europe. This unique book focuses on the intellectual and political dynamics of the first Ottoman political opposition in the modern sense, the so-called 'Young Ottomans'. In the process it narrates an alternative version of the Eastern Question as experienced and told by its Eastern observers and critics. Nazan A icek shows how an important section of the newly-rising semi-autonomous Ottoman Muslim Turkish intelligentsia in the second half of the nineteenth century, effectively answered the alternative question of 'what to do with the West?'.

Read more less

Fear of the terrorist threat provoked by radical Islam has generated heated debates on multiculturalism and the integration of Muslim migrant communities in to Britain. Yet little is known about Britain's first Muslims, the Yemenis. Yemenis began settling in British port towns at the beginning of the 20th century, and afterwards became part of the immigrant labour force in Britain's industrial cities. Fred Halliday's groundbreaking research, based in Yemen and Britain, provides a fascinating case study for understanding the dynamics of immigrant cultures and the complexities of 'Muslim' identity in Britain. Telling the stories of sailor communities in Cardiff and industrial workers in Sheffield, Halliday tracks the evolution of community organizations and the impact of British government policy on their development. He analyses links between the diaspora and the homeland, and looks at how different migrant groups in Britain relate to each other under the 'Muslim' umbrella. In a fascinating new introduction to his classic study, Halliday explains how it can help us understand British Islam in an age which has produced both al Qaeda and the Yemeni-born boxer Prince Naseem.

Read more less

Charismatic visions and the role of mediums; possession ceremonies and ecstatic trance; the social contexts and practices of invocation: these are a number of the intriguing topics addressed by this comprehensive undergraduate textbook, the first of its kind to offer a thorough overview of the fascinating and multifaceted subject of spirit possession. The subject is now widely studied in a number of fields - including religion, sociology, anthropology and cultural studies - and for some time there has been a need for a book which offers a multicultural, multi-thematic treatment which can satisfy growing demand and form the basis of focused modules in the area. Summoning the Spirits meets that requirement. Avoiding technical jargon and abstruse theorising, the book offers a representative snapshot of the way the topic is being treated by academics across the world. Its subject range, too, is global, covering such topics as Venda possession in South Africa; the Cuban practice of espiritismo (or mediumship) in Cuba; spirit possession in the Brazilian new religion of Santo Daime; invocation and divine possession amongst Wiccans; and different expressions of spirit domination in Charismatic Christianity. Analysing themes which recur from context to context (such as agency and meaning, power and gender, cultural hybridism, and globalisation), an international team of contributors presents a variety of novel and challenging approaches. This is the ideal starting-point for students looking for a way into the subject.

Read more less

Al-Tanuki was a judge who was born in Basra and lived in Baghdad during the tenth century CE. During his life, he wrote three books which compiled poetry, stories, anecdotes and hadith. In this introduction to al-Tanuki's works and thought, Nouha Khalifa identifies the central theme of hardship and deliverance within wider narratives about love, generosity and the journey. Al-Tanuki was principally concerned with how humankind can alleviate hardship and suffering in life and achieve deliverance. His unshakable conviction in the necessity of deliverance was rooted in his Mu'tazilite doctrine, an early school of Sunni Islamic theology which sought to ground Islamic tenets in reason, and which drew upon different aspects of early Islamic philosophy, Greek philosophy and Hellenistic philosophy. This is a fascinating commentary on medieval Middle Eastern culture, history, philosophy and religious thought.

Read more less

Many existing introductions to Islam focus predominantly on the Middle East and on historical background at the expense of Islam as a lived faith. Assessing Islam as a truly global phenomenon, Catharina Raudvere engages thoroughly with history, (explaining the significance of the revelation of the Prophet Muhammad and the origins of the different Sunni and Shi'a groups within Islam), while also giving full and comprehensive coverage to Muslim ritual life and Islamic ethics. She discusses moral debates and modern lifestyle issues such as halal consumption, interfaith dialogue and controversy over the wearing of the veil. Diaspora communities are considered with a view to showing how norms and doctrines are understood - and sometimes contradicted - in social and ritual practice. In addition, the author focuses on the meaning and continuing application to modern life of the Quran and hadith as sources for Islamic theology (kalam) and jurisprudence (fiqh). The book gives much attention to questions of universal values, Islam and democracy, gender issues, women's rights and pluralism, contrasting the thinking of Jihadists and radical Islamism with liberal reformist voices within Islam. Islam: An Introduction offers undergraduate students of religion and general readers a balanced, sensitive and well informed overview of the world's most intensively discussed religious and cultural tradition.

Read more less