Search results for ""Author MANUS"
The University of Chicago Press The Subversive Simone Weil: A Life in Five Ideas
Known as the “patron saint of all outsiders,” Simone Weil (1909–43) was one of the twentieth century’s most remarkable thinkers, a philosopher who truly lived by her political and ethical ideals. In a short life framed by the two world wars, Weil taught philosophy to lycée students and organized union workers, fought alongside anarchists during the Spanish Civil War and labored alongside workers on assembly lines, joined the Free French movement in London and died in despair because she was not sent to France to help the Resistance. Though Weil published little during her life, after her death, thanks largely to the efforts of Albert Camus, hundreds of pages of her manuscripts were published to critical and popular acclaim. While many seekers have been attracted to Weil’s religious thought, Robert Zaretsky gives us a different Weil, exploring her insights into politics and ethics, and showing us a new side of Weil that balances her contradictions—the rigorous rationalist who also had her own brand of Catholic mysticism; the revolutionary with a soft spot for anarchism yet who believed in the hierarchy of labor; and the humanitarian who emphasized human needs and obligations over human rights. Reflecting on the relationship between thought and action in Weil’s life, The Subversive Simone Weil honors the complexity of Weil’s thought and speaks to why it matters and continues to fascinate readers today.
£11.24
Reaktion Books Burned Alive: Giordano Bruno, Galileo and the Inquisition
In 1600 the Catholic Inquisition condemned the philosopher Giordano Bruno for his heretical beliefs. He was then burned alive in a public place in Rome. Historians, scientists and teachers usually deny that Bruno was condemned for his beliefs about the universe and that his trial was linked to the later confrontations between the Inquisition and Galileo in 1616 and 1633. Based on new evidence, however, Burned Alive asserts that Bruno's beliefs about the universe were indeed the primary factors that led to Bruno's condemnation: his beliefs that the stars are suns surrounded by planetary worlds like our own, and that the Earth moves because it has a soul. Alberto A. Martinez shows how some of the same Inquisitors who judged Bruno also confronted Galileo in 1616. Ultimately the one clergyman who wrote the most critical reports used by the Inquisition to condemn Galileo in 1633 immediately wrote an unpublished manuscript, in which he denounced Galileo and other followers of Copernicus for believing that many worlds exist and that the Earth moves because it has a soul. This book challenges the accepted history of astronomy and shows how cosmology led Bruno bravely to his death.
£27.00
Schiffer Publishing Ltd German Battle Tactics on the Russian Front, 1941-1945
The amazing tenacity and cohesion of the German Army in Russia from 1941-1945, fighting against overwhelming odds but refusing to disintegrate, has fascinated readers for decades. But most of the available sources concentrate on the maneuvers of armies and panzer corps, leaving the divisions, regiments, and individual soldiers in the background. This fact has obscured skillful use of tactics employed by the German soldiers at the divisional level and below. Until now, this information has been sequestered in manuscript reports in various archives. In German Battle Tactics on the Eastern Front, 1941-1945, Professor Steven H. Newton has retrieved, retranslated, and annotated the detailed tactical accounts of combat in Russia that German officers provided their American captors after the war. In this collection of ten essays, the Chief of Staff of the XXXXI Panzer Corps describes the final furious dash toward Moscow. One of the commanders of the relief force narrates the rescue of the troops trapped in the Demyansk pocket. A corps commander on Manstein's right flank at Kursk analyzes the tactical failures of the battle. And, in one of the more controversial documents in the early cold war, the last commander of Army Group South recalls his futile attempt to interest General Patton in assisting in the war against the Soviets. A wide variety of tactical situations--from winter warfare to desperate infantry defenses, and unit types--from panzer divisions to cavalry brigades--are covered in this collection.
£20.69
Princeton University Press The Princeton Guide to Historical Research
The essential handbook for doing historical research in the twenty-first centuryThe Princeton Guide to Historical Research provides students, scholars, and professionals with the skills they need to practice the historian's craft in the digital age, while never losing sight of the fundamental values and techniques that have defined historical scholarship for centuries.Zachary Schrag begins by explaining how to ask good questions and then guides readers step-by-step through all phases of historical research, from narrowing a topic and locating sources to taking notes, crafting a narrative, and connecting one's work to existing scholarship. He shows how researchers extract knowledge from the widest range of sources, such as government documents, newspapers, unpublished manuscripts, images, interviews, and datasets. He demonstrates how to use archives and libraries, read sources critically, present claims supported by evidence, tell compelling stories, and much more.Featuring a wealth of examples that illustrate the methods used by seasoned experts, The Princeton Guide to Historical Research reveals that, however varied the subject matter and sources, historians share basic tools in the quest to understand people and the choices they made. Offers practical step-by-step guidance on how to do historical research, taking readers from initial questions to final publication Connects new digital technologies to the traditional skills of the historian Draws on hundreds of examples from a broad range of historical topics and approaches Shares tips for researchers at every skill level
£22.00
John Murray Press Young Lawrence: A Portrait of the Legend as a Young Man
T. E. Lawrence was one of the most charismatic characters of the First World War; a young archaeologist who fought with the Arabs and wrote an epic and very personal account of their revolt against the Turks in Seven Pillars of Wisdom. Yet this was not the first book to carry that iconic title. In 1914 the man who would become Lawrence of Arabia burnt the first Seven Pillars of Wisdom, a manuscript in which he described his adventures in the Middle East during the five years before the war. Anthony Sattin uncovers the story Lawrence wanted to conceal: the truth of his birth, his tortuous relationship with a dominant mother, his deep affection for an Arab boy, the intimate details of the extraordinary journeys he took through the region with which his name is forever connected and the personal reasons that drove him from being a student to becoming an archaeologist and a spy.Young Lawrence is the first book to focus on the story of T. E. Lawrence in his twenties, before the war, during the period he looked back on as his golden years. Using first-hand sources, museum records and Foreign Office documents, Sattin sets these adventures against the background of corrosive conflicts in Libya and the Balkans. He shows the simmering defiance of Arabs, Armenians and Kurds under Turkish domination, while uncovering the story of an exceptional young man searching for happiness, love and his place in the world until war changed his life forever.
£10.99
FreeLance Academy Press Captain of the Guild: Master Peter Falkner's Art of Knightly Defense
In the late 14th century, the German swordsman Johannes Liechtenauer developed and codified a system of armed combat with sword, spear and dagger that spread through the Holy Roman Empire and dominated German martial arts for nearly 300 years. By the end of the 15th century, a fellowship of swordsmen in Frankfurt known as 'the Brotherhood of Saint Mark,' or Marxbruder, had been granted an imperial charter to train and test swordmasters. Peter Falkner was a long-time member and sometime captain of this famed fencing guild, and it was during this tenure that he set about creating an illustrated fight book of his own; colourful, painted figures and short captions depict combat with a wide variety of weapons: the longsword, dagger, staff, poleaxe, halberd, dueling shield and mounted combat. Where his work excels, however, is in its extensive treatment of the falchion-like messer and the unique variations of core techniques of the Liechtenauer canon. In this first, printed edition of Falkner's work, German martial arts teacher and scholar Christian Tobler includes a full translation, transcription and analysis, combined with a photographic reproduction of the original manuscript. The end result is a lovingly rendered, English translation of a 500 year old picture-book that shows an adaptation of the Liechtenauer tradition, by a known master of its most prestigious school, as taught over a century after its foundation.
£37.50
Little, Brown Book Group Foreign Soil
WINNER- Indie Book Awards 2015 (Best Debut Fiction Book)WINNER- The ABIA Award (Literary Fiction Book of the Year) 2015WINNER- Sydney Morning Herald Best Young Australian Novelists of 2015WINNER- Victorian Premier's Unpublished Manuscript Award 2013'Foreign Soil will stay with you with the force of elemental truth. Clarke is the real deal' Dave EggersIn this collection of award-winning stories, Melbourne writer Maxine Beneba Clarke has given a voice to the disenfranchised, the lost, the downtrodden and the mistreated. It will challenge you, it will have you by the heartstrings. This is contemporary fiction at its finest.In Melbourne's western suburbs, in a dilapidated block of flats overhanging the rattling Footscray train lines, a young black mother is working on a collection of stories.The book is called Foreign Soil. Inside its covers, a desperate asylum seeker is pacing the hallways of Sydney's notorious Villawood detention centre, a seven-year-old Sudanese boy has found solace in a patchwork bike, an enraged black militant is on the warpath through the rebel squats of 1960s Brixton, a Mississippi housewife decides to make the ultimate sacrifice to save her son from small-town ignorance, a young woman leaves rural Jamaica in search of her destiny, and a Sydney schoolgirl loses her way.The young mother keeps writing, the rejection letters keep arriving . . .'A woven tapestry of the shared experience of living in a country that is not your own' Stylist
£9.99
Leuven University Press Summa (Quaestiones ordinariae) art. XXV-XXVII
First critical edition of articles XXV–XXVII of the Summa (Quaestiones ordinariae) of Henry of GhentDas Buch bietet die erste kritische Edition der Artikel XXV-XXVII der Summa (Quaestiones ordinariae) des Heinrich von Gent. Dabei leistet es einen Beitrag zur Geschichte der Formen und Pfade der Ideenvermittlung im Mittelalter und zur mittelalterlichen Buchkultur.Die Kollationierung der Handschriften der Artikel XXV-XXVII und die Untersuchung ihrer materiellen Überlieferung haben der Editorin erlaubt, den Prozess der Ausarbeitung, Publikation und Verbreitung einer Portion von Heinrichs Summa über einen längeren Zeitraum in großer Detailgenauigkeit zu rekonstruieren.Die hier edierten Artikel enthalten ein Kernstück von Heinrichs theologischem und metaphysischem System. In der Behandlung von Einheit, Natur und Leben Gottes entfalten sie eine rationale Darstellung des ersten Prinzips. This book offers the first critical edition of articles XXV–XXVII of the Summa (Quaestiones ordinariae) of Henry of Ghent. At the same time, it contributes to our understanding of the forms and trajectories through which ideas were transmitted throughout the Middle Ages and to medieval book culture.Collating the manuscripts of articles XXV–XXVII and studying their material tradition allowed the editor to reconstruct in great detail how a portion of Henry’s Summa was prepared, published and disseminated over a considerable number of years.The primary text presents an authoritative overview of Henry's theological and metaphysical system. In dealing with the unity, nature, and life of God, it unfolds a rational explanation of the first principle.This publication is GPRC-labeled (Guaranteed Peer-Reviewed Content).
£104.00
Jacana Media (Pty) Ltd Shorty and Billy Boy: A tale of two naughty dogs
Written and illustrated in 1973 by one of South Africa's most famous artists, Gerard Sekoto, Shorty and Billy Boy is a book for children as well as art lovers and collectors. The manuscript formed part of a private collection of Sekoto's sketches, artworks, letters and memoirs repatriated to South Africa from France. The story was clearly written and illustrated as a personal exercise and possibly a sentimental souvenir of his own childhood memories, but has not been published until now. Sekoto may well have composed it as a gift for children of friends, as he was often engaged in making greeting cards with accompanying illustrations. There are other unfinished stories and musical compositions in the estate collection, but Shorty and Billy Boy is the most complete. Shorty and Billy Boy tells the tale of two troublesome dogs whose thieving ways take them to the far-away town of Porcupine Hills. Here they meet all sorts of interesting characters, but continue their mischief until Billy Boy is caught red-handed and sent to jail. Here he dreams about the kindness of others, and comes to realise that good deeds are the true measure of freedom. The Gerard Sekoto Foundation has approved a number of editorial changes made to Sekoto's original text, where the aim has been to preserve the integrity and flavour of the unpublished story, while making it more accessible to present-day readers. The South African context of the tale has been accentuated, and obsolete language and minor inconsistencies have been removed. The result is a timeless and engaging story that retains Sekoto's unique spirit and imagination.
£10.01
Thomas Nelson Publishers NKJV, Interleaved Bible, Journal Edition, Leathersoft over Board, Brown, Red Letter, Comfort Print: The Ultimate Bible Journaling Experience
If you never have enough room for notes in your Bible, this is your answer.The NKJV Interleaved Bible, Journal Edition is the ultimate scripture journaling experience. Following a historic practice of placing blank pages throughout the entire Bible, it allows you to record study notes, prayers, observations from the Bible, sermon notes, and the story of your spiritual growth.Trusted by millions of believers around the world, the New King James Version (NKJV) remains a bestselling modern “word-for-word” translation. It balances the literary beauty and familiarity of the King James tradition with an extraordinary commitment to preserving the grammar and structure of the underlying biblical languages. And while the NKJV translators relied on the traditional Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic text used for the 1611 KJV, the comprehensive translator notes offer important insights about the latest developments in biblical manuscript studies. The result is a Bible translation that is both beautiful and uncompromising—perfect for serious study, devotional use, and reading aloud.Features include: Presentation page allows you to personalize this special gift by recording a memory or note Traditional double column Scripture text for a clean reading experience A blank page inserted between each page of Scripture provides space to reflect, journal or create art next to your favorite verses 2 double-faced satin ribbons allow you to easily navigate and keep track of where you were reading Words of Christ in red quickly identify verses spoken by Jesus Sturdy 45gsm paper limits bleed through ideal for taking notes in your Bible Clear and readable 9-point NKJV Comfort Print
£81.00
Thomas Nelson Publishers NKJV, Interleaved Bible, Journal Edition, Hardcover, Blue, Red Letter, Comfort Print: The Ultimate Bible Journaling Experience
If you never have enough room for notes in your Bible, this is your answer.The NKJV Interleaved Bible, Journal Edition is the ultimate scripture journaling experience. Following a historic practice of placing blank pages throughout the entire Bible, it allows you to record study notes, prayers, observations from the Bible, sermon notes, and the story of your spiritual growth.Trusted by millions of believers around the world, the New King James Version (NKJV) remains a bestselling modern “word-for-word” translation. It balances the literary beauty and familiarity of the King James tradition with an extraordinary commitment to preserving the grammar and structure of the underlying biblical languages. And while the NKJV translators relied on the traditional Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic text used for the 1611 KJV, the comprehensive translator notes offer important insights about the latest developments in biblical manuscript studies. The result is a Bible translation that is both beautiful and uncompromising—perfect for serious study, devotional use, and reading aloud.Features include: Presentation page allows you to personalize this special gift by recording a memory or note Traditional double column Scripture text for a clean reading experience A blank page inserted between each page of Scripture provides space to reflect, journal or create art next to your favorite verses 2 double-faced satin ribbons allow you to easily navigate and keep track of where you were reading Words of Christ in red quickly identify verses spoken by Jesus Sturdy 45gsm paper limits bleed through ideal for taking notes in your Bible Clear and readable 9-point NKJV Comfort Print
£45.00
Oxford University Press Antimony, Gold, and Jupiter's Wolf: How the elements were named
The iconic Periodic Table of the Elements is now in its most satisfyingly elegant form. This is because all the 'gaps' corresponding to missing elements in the seventh row, or period, have recently been filled and the elements named. But where do these names come from? For some, usually the most recent, the origins are quite obvious, but in others - even well-known elements such as oxygen or nitrogen - the roots are less clear. Here, Peter Wothers explores the fascinating and often surprising stories behind how the chemical elements received their names. Delving back in time to explore the history and gradual development of chemistry, he sifts through medieval manuscripts for clues to the stories surrounding the discovery of the elements, showing how they were first encountered or created, and how they were used in everyday lives. As he reveals, the oldest-known elements were often associated with astronomical bodies, and connections with the heavens influenced the naming of a number of elements. Following this, a number of elements, including hydrogen and oxygen, were named during the great reform of chemistry, set amidst the French Revolution. While some of the origins of the names were controversial (and indeed incorrect - some saying, for instance, that oxygen might be literally taken to mean 'the son of a vinegar merchant'), they have nonetheless influenced language used around the world to this very day. Throughout, Wothers delights in dusting off the original sources, and bringing to light the astonishing, the unusual, and the downright weird origins behind the names of the elements so familiar to us today.
£23.38
Thomas Nelson Publishers NKJV Study Bible, Leathersoft, Purple, Full-Color, Comfort Print: The Complete Resource for Studying God’s Word
The full text of the trustworthy New King James Version with robust study notes, vibrant full-color images, and dozens of study resources to help you grow deeper in your faith.The New King James Study Bible, Full Color Edition is a reliable guide for your journey into God’s Word. This beautiful full-color Bible provides a complete resource for study, including over 1 million words of custom content contributed by top evangelical scholars. Over 1,000 articles, notes, word studies, photos, illustrations, maps, and other tools, combined with the accuracy and clarity of the New King James Version, make this Bible a perfect choice to help you deeply engage and understand Scripture.Trusted by readers worldwide, the NKJV Study Bible has been recognized with the ECPA Platinum Award for selling over 2 million copies across translations.Features include: Beautiful full color throughout. Over 250 photos and illustrations of important places, artifacts, and pieces of art. Exclusive study tools that help you understand, appreciate, and live out what you read: Book introductions, book outlines, and timelines provide important and helpful background information, historical context, and content overviews. 15,000 Bottom-of-the-page study notes offer over 850,000 words of clear and compelling commentary. 345+ Word studies with Strong's numbers give insight into the meaning of the original Greek and Hebrew words. 150+ Bible Times and Cultural notes deepen understanding of the historical context surrounding Scripture. 110+ Articles to clarify and expand upon key concepts in Scripture. Indexes and concordances that are easy to use and make it easy to find what you are looking for: Concordance of over 6,000 terms with 37,000 verses. “Teachings and Illustrations of Christ” of over 400 subjects addressed by Jesus. “Prayers of the Bible” of nearly 100 prayers in the Bible, who prayed them, and what they prayed about. “Subject Index to Annotations and Features” Articles that offer tips and information to get the most out of your study of the Bible: “How to Understand what the Bible Means by What it Says” offers a four-step process for rightly interpreting the Scriptures. “Thinking about the Study of the New Testament” provides an introduction to the New Testament manuscripts. “The Geography of the Gospels” gives an overview of the major cities and regions mentioned in the Gospels. “The Bible as History” addresses the importance of reading each book of the Bible in its historical context. “What Is Theology?” defines theology and proposes that theology must begin with the gospel. Tables that provide helpful information at a glance: “Harmony of the Gospels” details the life and ministry of Jesus in chronological order showing where each event and teaching occur in the Gospels. “From Biblical Book to Contemporary Hook” provides the major theme, Christ-focus, implication, and helpful questions to prompt thinking and discussion for all 66 books of Scripture. “Parables of Christ” shows where you can find 39 parables in the Gospels. “Miracles of Christ” shows where you can find 37 miracles in the Gospels. “Prophecies of The Messiah Fulfilled in Christ” provides 43 Old Testament prophecies and where they have been fulfilled in the New Testament. “Monies, Weights, and Measures” 32,000 references linking to over 73,000 related passages and nearly 8,000 translation notes allow you to follow important words and thoughts throughout Scripture. 140+ Maps and charts throughout the Scriptures and in the back to show a visual representation of locations and themes in the Bible. Easy-to-read large 9-pt print size
£54.00
Oxford University Press Queen Victoria: This Thorny Crown
This biography evokes the pervasive importance of religion to Queen Victoria's life but also that life's centrality to the religion of Victorians around the globe. The first comprehensive exploration of Victoria's religiosity, it shows how moments in her life--from her accession to her marriage and her successive bereavements--enlarged how she defined and lived her faith. It portrays a woman who had simple convictions but a complex identity that suited her multinational Kingdom: a determined Anglican who preferred Presbyterian Scotland; an ardent Protestant who revered her husband's Lutheran homeland but became sympathetic towards Roman Catholicism and Islam; a moralizing believer in the religion of the home who scorned Sabbatarianism. Drawing on a systematic reading of her journals and a rich selection of manuscripts from British and German archives, Michael Ledger-Lomas sheds new light not just on Victoria's private beliefs but also on her activity as a monarch, who wielded her powers energetically in questions of church and state. Unlike a conventional biography, this book interweaves its account of Victoria's life with a panoramic survey of what religious communities made of it. It shows how different churches and world religions expressed an emotional identification with their Queen and Empress, turning her into an embodiment of their different and often rival conceptions of what her Empire ought to be. The result is a fresh vision of a familiar life, which also explains why monarchy and religion remained close allies in the nineteenth-century British world.
£33.63
Hay House Inc Mary Magdalene Revealed: The First Apostle, Her Feminist Gospel & the Christianity We Haven't Tried Yet
--WALL STREET JOURNAL BESTSELLER-- The Gospel of Mary Magdalene reveals a very different love story from the one we've come to refer to as Christianity. Harvard-trained theologian Meggan Watterson leads us verse by verse through Mary's gospel to illuminate the powerful teachings it contains.A gospel, as ancient and authentic as any of the gospels that the Christian bible contains, was buried deep in the Egyptian desert after an edict was sent out in the 4th century to have all copies of it destroyed. Fortunately, some rebel monks were wise enough to refuse-and thanks to their disobedience and spiritual bravery, we have several manuscripts of the only gospel that was written in the name of a woman: The Gospel of Mary Magdalene.Mary's gospel reveals a radical love that sits at the heart of the Christian story. Her gospel says that we are not sinful; we are not to feel ashamed or unworthy for being human. In fact, our purpose is to be fully human, to be a "true human being"- that is, a person who has remembered that, yes, we are a messy, limited ego, and we are also a limitless soul.And all we need to do is to turn inward (again and again); to meditate, like Mary Magdalene, in the way her gospel directs us, so that we can see past the ego of our own little lives to what's more real, and lasting, and infinite, and already here, within.With searing clarity, Watterson explains how and why Mary Magdalene came to be portrayed as the penitent prostitute and relates a more historically and theologically accurate depiction of who Mary was within the early Christ movement. And she shares how this discovery of Mary's gospel has allowed her to practice, and to experience, a love that never ends, a love that transforms everything.
£14.16
Oxford University Press Inc Mendelssohn: A Life in Music
An extraordinary prodigy of Mozartean abilities, Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy was a distinguished composer and conductor, a legendary pianist and organist, and an accomplished painter and classicist. Lionized in his lifetime, he is best remembered today for several staples of the concert hall and for such popular music as "The Wedding March" and "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing." Now, in the first major Mendelssohn biography to appear in decades, R. Larry Todd offers a remarkably fresh account of this musical giant, based upon painstaking research in autograph manuscripts, correspondence, diaries, and paintings. Rejecting the view of the composer as a craftsman of felicitous but sentimental, saccharine works (termed by one critic "moonlight with sugar water"), Todd reexamines the composer's entire oeuvre, including many unpublished and little known works. Here are engaging analyses of Mendelssohn's distinctive masterpieces--the zestful Octet, puckish Midsummer Night's Dream, haunting Hebrides Overtures, and elegiac Violin Concerto in E minor. Todd describes how the composer excelled in understatement and nuance, in subtle, coloristic orchestrations that lent his scores an undeniable freshness and vividness. He also explores Mendelssohn's changing awareness of his religious heritage, Wagner's virulent anti-Semitic attack on Mendelssohn's music, the composer's complex relationship with his sister Fanny Hensel, herself a child prodigy and prolific composer, his avocation as a painter and draughtsman, and his remarkable, polylingual correspondence with the cultural elite of his time. Mendelssohn: A Life offers a masterful blend of biography and musical analysis. Readers will discover many new facets of the familiar but misunderstood composer and gain new perspectives on one of the most formidable musical geniuses of all time.
£44.19
Pindar Press Jan van Eyck and Portugal 's "Illustrious Generation"
Barbara von Barghahn is Professor of Art History at George Washington University and a specialist in the art history of Portugal, Spain, and their colonial dominions, as well as Flanders (1400-1800). In 1993, she was conferred O Grão Comendador in the Portuguese Order of Prince Henry the Navigator. She has spent nearly a decade completing research about Jan van Eyck's diplomatic visits to the Iberian Peninsula. This manuscript investigates Van Eyck's patronage by the Crown of Portugal and his role as diplomat-painter of the Duchy of Burgundy following his first voyage to Lisbon in 1428-1429 when he painted two portraits of Infanta Isabella, who became the third wife of Philip the Good in 1430. New portrait identifications are provided in the Ghent Altarpiece (1432) and its iconographical prototype, the lost Fountain of Life. These altarpieces are analyzed with regard to King João I's conquest of Ceuta, achieved by his sons who were hailed as an"illustrious generation." Strong family ties between the dynastic houses of Avis and Lancaster explain Lusitania 's sustained fascination with Arthurian lore and the Grail quest. Several chapters of this book are overlaid with a chivalric veneer. A second "secret mission" to Portugal in 1437 by Jan van Eyck is postulated and this diplomatic visit is related to Prince Henrique the Navigator's expedition to Tangier and King Duarte's attempts to forge an alliance with Alfonso V of Aragon. Late Eyckian commissions are reviewed in light of this ill-fated crusade and additional new portraits are identified. The most significant artist of Renaissance Flanders appears to have been patronized as much by the House of Avis as by the Duchy of Burgundy.
£150.00
Shepheard-Walwyn (Publishers) Ltd The Letters of Marsilio Ficino Volume 11: (Book XII)
This volume and its companions contain the first English translation of the letters written by the philosopher-priest who helped to shape the changes that we associate with the Renaissance. The letters in this eleventh volume cover the period from autumn 1492 to the spring of 1495, when they appeared in print. A few related or later items are included in an Appendix. A twelfth volume will bring the series to completion with nine distinctive treatises which Ficino gathered into a separate volume in 1476 but later re-included in his Letters as Book II. In the 1490s, Ficino was occupied with the political upheavals in Florence, and much of his effort was concentrated on trying to bring people back into dialogue with one another, in the hope of finding a more constructive outlook. Many of the letters in this book are covering letters to accompany copies of his work On the Sun, which considers the sun in its many aspects, as a heavenly body, a physical life force, a source of inspiration and an allegorical representation of the governing power in the universe. Other important letters include advice on coping with the evils of the time, the responsibilities and privileges of the philosopher, a reiteration of the importance of love, and further reflections on the theme of light. We note the increasing presence of friends in German lands, where several of his works were now being published. He also writes to friends in the French court. One unusual letter tackles a religious question: Ficino was moved to intervene in an argument on the degree to which the Platonic philosophers of old anticipated aspects of the Christian Trinity. While it would be comforting to find such agreement, Ficino says there is none in Plato, though some of the later Platonists offer confirmation of Christian doctrines in their writings. Another controversy relates to the status of astrology, for which Ficino claims only a modest place despite his own writings on the subject. In a related letter on Providence he again returns to the evils the city is experiencing and how these might best be met. Facing one of those evils head on, Ficino composed an address to the French King whose armies were threatening Florence. It is not known whether this address was delivered delivered in the presence of the king during the meeting which Ficino and others attended, but it lies on record as a genuine attempt to resolve hostilities. The illustration on the front of the jacket is from a manuscript of the earliest version of Ficino's work On the Sun, written in 1492 for Count Eberhard of Wurttemberg. It is reproduced with kind permission of the Wurttembergische Landesbibliothek, Stuttgart (HB XV 65,fol.7r). A translation of this early version is included in the Appendix.
£30.00
Oxford University Press Inc Ivan Pavlov: A Very Short Introduction
In this book, Daniel P. Todes provides concise introduction to the life and science of the great Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936). Todes weaves together Pavlov's life, values, context, and science by focusing upon his quest to understand the psyche and the "torments of our consciousness". This introduction follows the origins and maturation of Pavlov's quest from his early life in a priestly family in provincial Riazan, to his struggles and late professional success in the glittering capital of St. Petersburg, through the cataclysmic destruction of his world during the Bolshevik seizure of power and civil war of 1917-1921, to the rebuilding of his life in his 70s as a "prosperous dissident" during the Leninist 1920s, and his success and personal torments in 1929-1936 during the industrialization, cultural revolution, and terror of Stalin times. Beyond a basic biography, Todes devotes particular attention to Pavlov's Nobel Prize-winning research on digestion (1891-1903) and his iconic studies of conditional reflexes and higher nervous activity (1903-1936), as well as his experiments with dogs. Fundamentally reinterpreting Pavlov's famous research on conditional reflexes, Todes shows that Pavlov was not a behaviorist, did not use a bell, and was uninterested in training dogs. The Russian scientist sought to explain not merely external behaviors, but the emotional and intellectual life of animals and humans. Furthermore, this iconic "objectivist" was a profoundly anthropomorphic thinker whose science was suffused with his own experiences and values. Exploring the two unpublished manuscripts upon which Pavlov was working when he died, Todes shows the importance of his little-known experiments on chimps and explores his final thoughts about the relationship of science, Christianity, and Bolshevism.
£9.04
Baylor University Press The Good Shepherd: Image, Meaning, and Power
A statuette of Egyptian King Pepi formidably wielding a shepherd's crook stands in stark contrast to a fresco of an unassuming Orpheus-like youth gently hoisting a sheep around his shoulders. Both images, however, occupy an extensive tradition of shepherding motifs. In the transition from ancient Near Eastern depictions of the keeper of flocks as one holding great power to the more "pastoral" scenes of early Christian art, it might appear that connotations of rulership were divested from the image of the shepherd. The reality, however, presents a much more complex tapestry. The Good Shepherd: Image, Meaning, and Power traces the visual and textual depictions of the Good Shepherd motif from its early iterations as a potent symbol of kingship, through its reimagining in biblical figures, such as the shepherd-king David, and onward to the shepherds of Greco-Roman literature. Jennifer Awes Freeman reveals that the figure of the Good Shepherd never became humble or docile but always carried connotations of empire, divinity, and defensive violence even within varied sociopolitical contexts. The early Christian invocation of the Good Shepherd was not simply anti-imperial but relied on a complex set of associations that included king, priest, pastor, and sacrificial victim—even as it subverted those meanings in the figure of Jesus, both shepherd and sacrificial lamb. The concept of the Good Shepherd continued to prove useful for early medieval rulers, such as Charlemagne, but its imperial references waned in the later Middle Ages as it became more exclusively applied to church leaders. Drawing on a range of sources including literature, theological treatises, and political texts, as well as sculpture, mosaics, and manuscript illuminations, The Good Shepherd offers a significant contribution as the first comprehensive study of the long history of the Good Shepherd motif. It also engages the flexible and multivalent abilities of visual and textual symbols to convey multiple meanings in religious and political contexts.
£42.23
Lehigh University Press Genesis B and the Comedic Imperative
Readers of Old English would generally agree that the poem Genesis B, a translation into Old English of an Old Saxon (that is, continental) retelling of the story of the Fall, is a vigorous and moving narrative. They would disagree, however, as to the meaning of the poem. Some hold that it reflects an orthodox Christian viewpoint and others claim that it assumes a distinctly unorthodox position in portraying Adam and Eve as not morally culpable in their disobedience but merely tricked into disobedience through the wiles of the Devil's agent. The study Genesis B and the Comedic Imperative, examining these incompatible readings, infers that the poem is essentially orthodox, that it demonstrates sufficiently the moral culpability of Adam and Eve, and that it departs from orthodoxy only insofar as it conveys a strong impression that Adam and Even will undertake what amounts to Christian penance, leading them eventually to Heaven. The poem thereby attains the happy ending typical of early medieval Christian narrative. Hence the titular "Comedic Imperative." The inference of orthodoxy follows as a nigh-inevitable conclusion of the interpretation of several motifs: the poem's culturally imbued martiality, its allegorical bent, and also what A. N. Doane noted as its tropological bent. The argument depends heavily upon philological inquiry and on examination of prevailing beliefs and attitudes of contemporaneous Frankish society, religious and civil, leading to the reinterpretation of crucial passages. Of these, most notably, is the passage in which Adam, in refusing the Tempter's invitation to eat the fruit, observes that the Tempter has given no tacen ‘sign’ as evidence that he truly is God’s emissary. Other passages that have impeded critical perception of the poem's significance are also examined, such as the notorious micel wundor clause (lines 595-98) and the pseudo-gnomic declaration swa hire eaforan sculon after lybban (623-35). In sum, Genesis B sustains the orthodoxy otherwise of the Junius 11 manuscript.
£88.00
Cornell University Press Anglo-Saxon Art
This is the first new introduction to Anglo-Saxon art in twenty-five years and the first book to take account of the 2009 discovery of the Staffordshire Hoard—the largest cache of Anglo-Saxon gold and silver metalwork yet found. Written by one of the leading scholars in the field and illustrated with many of the most impressive artifacts, it will be the authoritative book on the subject for years to come. The Anglo-Saxon period in England, roughly A.D. 400–1100, was a time of extraordinary and profound cultural transformation, culminating in a dramatic shift from a barbarian society to a recognizably medieval civilization. Settled by northern European tribal groupings of pagan and illiterate warriors and farmers in the fifth century, England had by the eleventh century acquired all the trappings of medieval statehood—a developed urban network and complex economy, a carefully regulated coinage, flourishing centers of religion and learning, a vigorous literary tradition, and a remarkable and highly influential artistic heritage that had significant impact far beyond England itself. This book traces the changing nature of that art, the different roles it played in culture, and the various ways it both reflected and influenced the context in which it was created. From its first manifestations in the metalwork and ceramics of the early settlers, Anglo-Saxon art displays certain inherent and highly distinctive stylistic and iconographic features. Despite the many new influences that were regularly absorbed and adapted by Anglo-Saxon artists and craftsmen, these characteristics continued to resonate through the centuries in the great manuscripts, ivories, metalwork, and sculpture of this inventive and creative culture. Anglo-Saxon Art—which features 150 color and black-and-white illustrations—is arranged thematically while following a broadly chronological sequence. An introduction highlights the character of Anglo-Saxon art, its leitmotifs, and its underlying continuities. Leslie Webster places this art firmly in its wider cultural and political context while also examining the significant conceptual relationship between the visual and literary art of the period.
£31.00
Paul Holberton Publishing Ltd The Rhythm of the Pen and the Art of the Book: Islamic Calligraphy from the 13th to the 19th Century
The works of art carefully selected for this catalogue, which accompanies an exhibition at the prestigious Sam Fogg gallery in London, follow the impact of the introduction of paper into the Islamic world and its effect on both the quality and the scope of the calligraphic art form. Paper – rather than parchment – allowed for inscriptions to be penned on a massive scale, and one of the highlights here is a monumental half line from the so-called ‘Baysunghur’ Qur’an, which was probably the largest Qur’an manuscript commissioned by an imperial court. The transition to paper also witnessed the codifi cation of the ‘six pens’ or six recognized cursive scripts, which still hold. From this standardization of the script styles, lineages of recognized calligraphy masters were established. Calligraphers became hailed as artists and were highly valued at imperial courts. In the great age of the Ottoman Turks, the Safavid Persians and the Mughals in North India, there are numerous accounts of calligraphers moving between these Islamic empires by ever more lavish promises of patronage. The Pandnameh of Loqman, A book of advice of 1534–35 and made in Bukhara is one such example. The calligrapher Mahmud ibn Ishaq [al-Shahabi] was likely taken to Bukhara after the occupation of his native Herat in 1528–29, when ‘Ubaidullah Khan, the Uzbek ruler, took many of the city’s prized artists and calligraphers with him back to his capital. The position of prominence of calligraphy within the Islamic courts is highlighted by the development of the lavish arts of illumination, book binding and other aspects of the art of the book. The intricate designs which developed to decorate the margins and the interlinear space between the lines of text became a recognized art form in itself. Designs ranged from dazzling geometric compositions to scenes of nature populated by fabulous creatures. The combination of masterful calligraphy and radiant illumination produced princely works of art for the most discerning of imperial patrons. ‘The Ball and Mallet’ or halnama by Mahmud Ibn Muhammad ‘Arifi al-Haravi, for example, is a Sufi text produced at the court of Shah Tahmasp c. 1540 and its wonderful illuminated borders are attributable to Aqa Mirak, one of the great Safavid court painters.
£27.00
Faber & Faber Unnatural Causes
THE THIRD NOVEL IN THE MULTIMILLION-COPY BESTSELLING ADAM DALGLIESH SERIES FROM THE 'QUEEN OF ENGLISH CRIME' (Guardian) 'An ingenious plot wrapped up beautifully in language. Vividly pictured characters as well as the beauty of the land made this gripping story most enjoyable to read.' 5* reader review'You would be hard pressed to solve this one until the very end.' 5* reader review'We're hooked.' Evening StandardPERFECT FOR FANS OF VAL MCDERMID, RUTH RENDELL AND ELLY GRIFFITHS__________________________________________________________________________________An unfinished manuscript. A murder stranger than fiction. Battered by the conclusion of a particularly brutal murder case in London, Superintendent Adam Dalgliesh has escaped for a hard-earned break, which he plans to spend taking long walks with his aunt and doing a little bird-watching in the Suffolk countryside. But all hope of peace is shattered by murder, when the mutilated body of local crime writer Maurice Seaton is discovered floating in a dinghy near Dalgliesh's rural idyll. Faced with such a macabre crime, Dalgliesh feels compelled to join the investigation - but as he delves into the dead man's secrets, the case seems poised to take another murderous turn . . .__________________________________________________________________________________'Wonderful evocative writing - a thriller of the highest calibre. Just loved this book and would recommend to anyone who enjoys superbly crafted detective fiction.' 5* reader review 'A very engrossing whodunit with a real sense of location and character. It left me wanting to visit Suffolk and hear a wind coming off the sea, so fierce that you cannot stand upright against it . . . Thoroughly enjoyable.' 5* reader review'What a perfect read.' 5* reader review**Now a major Channel 5 series**__________________________________________________________________________________READERS LOVE THE ADAM DALGLEISH SERIES:'Adam Dalgleish is one of the best characters in modern detective fiction.' 5* reader review'If you are not already an Adam Dalgliesh fan, I urge you to become one . . . James can describe a scene or delineate a character with precision and depth, like no other writer I have read . . . I usually stay up all night to read a P. D. James novel once I start one.' 5* reader review'I would never give less than 5 stars to any P. D. James book. She is one of a kind, always constant, always wonderful writing, always great characters, and always a good mystery that you cannot put down.' 5* reader review'P. D. James writes mysteries for ordinary people. Her characters are relatable and her hero is dynamic. But don't expect cell phones or computers. Her stories are strictly old school, which is what I love about them.' 5* reader review'Crime writing at its very best!' 5* reader reviewPRAISE FOR P. D. JAMES:'A legend.' VAL MCDERMID'James manages a depth and intelligence that few in her trade can match.' THE TIMES'One of the literary greats. Her sense of place was exquisite, characterisation and plotting unrivalled.' MARI HANNAH'There are very few thriller writers who can compete with P. D. James at her best.' SPECTATOR'P. D. James [was] simply a wonderful writer.' NEW YORK TIMES'The queen of English crime.' GUARDIAN
£9.99