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Beyond Death in the Oresteia: Poetics, Ethics, and Politics
by Amit ShiloThe Oresteia is permeated with depictions of the afterlife, which have never been examined together. In this book, Amit Shilo analyzes their intertwined and conflicting implications. He argues for a 'poetics of multiplicity' and a 'poetics of the beyond' that inform the ongoing debates over justice, fate, ethics, and politics in the trilogy. The book presents novel, textually grounded readings of Cassandra's fate, Clytemnestra's ghost scene, mourning ritual, hero cult, and punishment by Hades. It offers a fresh perspective on the political thought of the trilogy by contrasting the ethical focus of the Erinyes and Hades with Athena's insistence on divine unity and warfare. Shedding new light on the trilogy as a whole, this book is crucial reading for students and scholars of classical literature and religion.
Representing the Disadvantaged: Group Interests and Legislator Reputation in US Congress
by Katrina F. McNallyThe limited attention Congress gives to disadvantaged or marginalized groups, including Black Americans, LGBTQ, Latinx, women, and the poor, is well known and often remarked upon. This is the first full-length study to focus instead on those members who do advocate for these groups and when and why they do so. Katrina F. McNally develops the concept of an 'advocacy window' that develops as members of Congress consider incorporating disadvantaged group advocacy into their legislative portfolios. Using new data, she analyzes the impact of constituency factors, personal demographics, and institutional characteristics on the likelihood that members of the Senate or House of Representatives will decide to cultivate a reputation as a disadvantaged group advocate. By comparing legislative activism across different disadvantaged groups rather than focusing on one group in isolation, this study provides fresh insight into the tradeoffs members face as they consider taking up issues important to different groups.
Leading on the Edge: Extraordinary Stories and Leadership Insights from The World's Most Extreme Workplace
by Rachael RobertsonLessons on authentic leadership from the 58th annual Antarctic expedition In Leading on the Edge, successful business speaker and consultant Rachael Robertson shares the lessons she learned as leader of a year-long expedition to the wilds of Antarctica. Leading eighteen strangers around the clock for a full year—through months of darkness and with no escape from the frigid cold, howling winds, and each other—Robertson learned powerful lessons about what real, authentic leadership is. Here, she offers a deeply honest and humorous account of what it takes to survive and lead in the harshest environment on Earth. What emerges from her graphic account is a series of powerful and practical lessons for business leaders and managers everywhere. Features practical leadership lessons that are particularly helpful for any leader who must get the best out of the team they've got Features solutions to many challenges common to all workplaces Includes real excerpts from Robertson's personal journals through twelve months of leading in the most challenging environment in the world Written by a popular speaker and business leader who has appeared at more than 350 national and international conferences and events for a wide range of industries Leading on the Edge explains what it's like to take charge when you've no place to hide and how truly harsh environments can serve as a leadership laboratory that results in truly effective, authentic leadership.
Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research, volume 15 number 1 (Spring 2024)
by Journal of the Society for Social Work and ResearchThis is volume 15 issue 1 of Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research. The Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research (JSSWR) is a peer-reviewed publication dedicated to presenting innovative, rigorous original research on social problems, intervention programs, and policies. By creating a venue for the timely dissemination of empirical findings and advances in research methods, JSSWR seeks to strengthen the rigor of social work research and advance the knowledge in social work and allied professions and disciplines. Special emphasis is placed on publishing findings on the effectiveness of social and health services, including public policies and practices. JSSWR publishes an array of perspectives, research approaches, and types of analyses that advance knowledge useful for designing social programs, developing innovative public policies, and improving social work practice.
Gesta, volume 63 number 1 (Spring 2024)
by GestaThis is volume 63 issue 1 of Gesta. Gesta publishes original research on medieval art and architecture. The journal embraces all facets of artistic production from ca. 300 to ca. 1500 C.E. in every corner of the medieval world.
Archie 1000 Page Comics Extravaganza (Archie 1000 Page Comics #2)
by Archie SuperstarsArchie 1000 Page Comics Extravaganza is the latest volume of our biggest-ever collections, featuring over 100 full-color stories in a format similar to the hugely popular Archie Digest series at an amazing price! Follow America’s favorite red–head as he navigates the pressures of the American teenager in the awkward, charming and hilarious way you’ve come to know and love. Features the same mix of wild humor, awkward charm and genuine relatability that has kept Archie and the gang relevant for kids and adults alike for over 70 years. It’s 1000 pages of Archie fun at one low price!
Worcestor, 1651: English Civil War, September 1651 (Battleground Britain 1642 - 1651 Ser.)
by Malcolm AtkinThe Battle of Worcester on 3 September 1651 was the final decisive engagement of the English Civil Wars. In this fascinating guide, Malcolm Atkin sets out in a graphic and easily understood way the movements of the opposing armies of Cromwell and Charles II as they approached Worcester and gives a detailed and gripping account of the deadly combat that followed. He also describes of the fate of 10,000 Scottish prisoners and retraces the route of Charles II as he made his dramatic escape.
The RAF Battle of Britain Fighter Pilot's Kitbag: Uniforms & Equipment from the Summer of 1940 and the Human Stories Behind Them
by Mark HillierThe scenes are familiar ones; the young Brylcream Boys sat at dispersal waiting for the haunting call of Scramble, lounging in their shirt sleeves and fur-lined boots, their leather flying helmets lying limp by their side. But what did the RAF fighter pilots of the Battle of Britain really wear, and what vital items would their kitbags have held?The casual air of the dashing pilots of Fighter Command in the Spitfire Summer of 1940 conceals a necessarily professional approach to their task of holding Hitlers Luftwaffe at bay. Therefore, each item of clothing and equipment they wore and carried had a role and a function, be it for warmth and comfort, communication, or for fighting and survival.All the objects that an RAF fighter pilot was issued with during the Battle of Britain are explored in this book in high-definition color photographs, showing everything from the differing uniforms, to headgear, personal weapons, gloves, goggles, parachute packs and the essential Mae West life jacket. Each item is fully described and its purpose and use explained.Relive Britains finest hour as never before through the actually clothing and accouterments of The Few.
Tommy Goes to War
by Malcolm BrownThe image of the innocent British soldier (or Tommy) setting off with a spring in his step in 1914 to fight the Great War would not last long.Indeed that initial euphoria would soon give way to a deep-seated bitterness as these young men endured the horror of the First World War.In a new edition of this extraordinary book, the uncensored letters, diaries, documents and many photographs tell the story of the British soldier (nicknamed Tommy) in their own words.While there are flashes of their wit and humour, the overwhelming feeling is that of a generation who felt let down by their superiors and left to perish.There are visceral, terrifying insights into life in the trenches and agonising descriptions of the squalor and privations of war.This haunting account also looks at the aggressive drive to recruit more soldiers through the Pals Battalion or Chums Battalion. Friends from the same town or village; professional bodies, or work colleagues among others were encouraged to enlist en masse. They would fight together alongside their friends or colleagues. Many of them would sadly die together and leave communities wild with grief for a lost generation, robbed of a future having barely had a past.With a concise analysis of the British Army in the First World War, we are reminded of the terror of war, the fury, the fear and the frustration of what has been described by some as a war typified by the devastating assessment: lions led by donkeys.
Demolishing the Myth: The Tank Battle at Prokhorovka, Kursk, July 1943: An Operational Narrative
by Valeriy Zamulin&“Comprehensive scholarship and convincing reasoning, enhanced by an excellent translation, place this work on a level with the best of David Glantz&” (Dennis Showalter, award-winning author of Patton and Rommel). This groundbreaking book examines the battle of Kursk between the Red Army and Wehrmacht, with a particular emphasis on its beginning on July 12, as the author works to clarify the relative size of the contending forces, the actual area of this battle, and the costs suffered by both sides. Valeriy Zamulin&’s study of the crucible of combat during the titanic clash at Kursk—the fighting at Prokhorovka—is now available in English. A former staff member of the Prokhorovka Battlefield State Museum, Zamulin has dedicated years of his life to the study of the battle of Kursk, and especially the fighting on its southern flank involving the famous attack of the II SS Panzer Corps into the teeth of deeply echeloned Red Army defenses. A product of five years of intense research into the once-secret Central Archives of the Russian Ministry of Defense, this book lays out in enormous detail the plans and tactics of both sides, culminating in the famous and controversial clash at Prokhorovka on July 12, 1943. Zamulin skillfully weaves reminiscences of Red Army and Wehrmacht soldiers and officers into the narrative of the fighting, using in part files belonging to the Prokhorovka Battlefield State Museum. Zamulin has the advantage of living in Prokhorovka, so he has walked the ground of the battlefield many times and has an intimate knowledge of the terrain. Examining the battle primarily from the Soviet side, Zamulin reveals the real costs and real achievements of the Red Army at Kursk, and especially Prokhorovka. He examines mistaken deployments and faulty decisions that hampered the Voronezh Front&’s efforts to contain the Fourth Panzer Army&’s assault, and the valiant, self-sacrificial fighting of the Red Army&’s soldiers and junior officers as they sought to slow the German advance and crush the II SS Panzer Corps with a heavy counterattack at Prokhorovka. Illustrated with numerous maps and photographs (including present-day views of the battlefield), and supplemented with extensive tables of data, Zamulin&’s book is an outstanding contribution to the growing literature on the battle of Kursk, and further demolishes many of the myths and legends that grew up around it.
Book of Queens: The True Story of the Middle Eastern Horsewomen Who Fought the War on Terror
by Pardis MahdaviThe untold story of generations of Middle Eastern freedom fighters—horsewomen who safeguarded an ancient breed of Caspian horse—and their efforts to defend their homelands from the Taliban and others seeking to destroy them."A breathtaking book that revisits nearly one hundred years of Iranian history, highlighting the power and beauty of women who refuse to be subdued.&” ―Alison Hawthorne Deming, author of A Woven WorldBook of Queens reaches back centuries to the Persian Empire and a woman disguised as a man, facing an invading army, protected only by light armor and the stallion she sat astride. Mahdavi draws a thread from past to present: from her fearless Iranian grandmother, who guided survivors of domestic violence to independent mountain colonies in Afghanistan where the women, led by a general named Mina, became their country&’s first line of defense from marauding warlords. To the female warriors who helped train and breed the horses used by US Green Berets when they touched down in October 2001, with a mission but insufficient intelligence on the ground—women whose contributions were then forgotten. Pardis Mahdavi chases the legacy of Caspian horses and the women whose lives are saved by them, drawing on decades of research, newly-discovered diaries, and exclusive military sources. Among those intersecting stories is that of American Louise Firouz, who helped bring the breed back from the brink of extinction, connecting Virginia traders to British royals to the son of the Shah. Firouz&’s life is forever changed when she meets Mahdavi&’s own family, who run an unusual smuggling operation in addition to raising horses in a wild bid for freedom.Book of Queens is an epic tale of hidden women whose communal knowledge was instrumental in saving an animal as ancient as civilization, and who were the genesis of their own liberation.
Clean Sweep (Innkeeper Chronicles #1)
by Ilona AndrewsThis is a short novel, about 60,000 words.On the outside, Dina Demille is the epitome of normal. She runs a quaint Victorian Bed and Breakfast in a small Texas town, owns a Shih Tzu named Beast, and is a perfect neighbor, whose biggest problem should be what to serve her guests for breakfast. But Dina is...different: Her broom is a deadly weapon; her Inn is magic and thinks for itself. Meant to be a lodging for otherworldly visitors, the only permanent guest is a retired Galactic aristocrat who can’t leave the grounds because she’s responsible for the deaths of millions and someone might shoot her on sight. Under the circumstances, "normal" is a bit of a stretch for Dina.And now, something with wicked claws and deepwater teeth has begun to hunt at night...Feeling responsible for her neighbors, Dina decides to get involved. Before long, she has to juggle dealing with the annoyingly attractive, ex-military, new neighbor, Sean Evans—an alpha-strain werewolf—and the equally arresting cosmic vampire soldier, Arland, while trying to keep her inn and its guests safe. But the enemy she’s facing is unlike anything she’s ever encountered before. It’s smart, vicious, and lethal, and putting herself between this creature and her neighbors might just cost her everything.“Andrews is an auto-buy no matter what the genre!” —Romantic Times“If there is one author that defines Urban Fantasy, it is Ilona Andrews.” —Annie Tegelan, Fresh Fiction"One of the brightest voices in urban fantasy and one of my favorite authors. Ilona Andrews delivers only the best." —New York Times bestselling author Jeaniene Frost
When Harry Met Pablo: Truman, Picasso, and the Cold War Politics of Modern Art
by Matthew AlgeoTruman and Picasso were contemporaries and were both shaped by and shapers of the great events of the twentieth century—the man who painted Guernica and the man who authorized the use of atomic bombs against civilians. But in most ways, they couldn't have been more different. Picasso was a communist, and probably the only thing Harry Truman hated more than communists was modern art. Picasso was an indifferent father, a womanizer, and a millionaire. Truman was utterly devoted to his family and, despite his fame, far from a rich man. How did they come to be shaking hands in front of Picasso's studio in the south of France? Truman's meeting with Picasso was quietly arranged by Alfred H. Barr Jr., the founding director of New York's Museum of Modern Art and an early champion of Picasso. Barr knew that if he could convince these two ideological antipodes, the straight-talking politician from Missouri and the Cubist painter from MÁlaga, to simply shake hands, it would send a powerful message, not just to reactionary Republicans pushing McCarthyism at home, but to the whole world: modern art was not evil. Truman author Matthew Algeo retraced the Trumans' Mediterranean vacation and visited the places they went with Picasso, including Picasso's villa, Picasso's ceramics studio in Vallauris, and ChÂteau Grimaldi, a museum in Antibes.A rigorous history with a heartwarming center, When Harry Met Pablo intertwines the biographies of Truman and Picasso, the history of modern art, and twentieth-century American politics, but at its core it is the touching story of two old men who meet for the first time and realize they have more in common—and are more alike—than they ever imagined.
One Fell Sweep (Innkeeper Chronicles #3)
by Ilona AndrewsFrom the New York Times #1 bestselling author, Ilona Andrews, comes a new tale from the Innkeeper Chronicles “Ilona Andrews’s books are guaranteed good reads.”—Patricia Briggs, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Fire Touched Dina Demille may run the nicest Bed and Breakfast in Red Deer, Texas, but she caters to a very particular kind of guest… the kind that no one on Earth is supposed to know about. Guests like a former intergalactic tyrant with an impressive bounty on her head, the Lord Marshal of a powerful vampire clan, and a displaced-and-superhot werewolf; so don’t stand too close, or you may be collateral damage. But what passes for Dina’s normal life is about to be thrown into chaos. First, she must rescue her long-distant older sister, Maud, who’s been exiled with her family to a planet that functions as the most lawless penal colony since Botany Bay. Then she agrees to help a guest whose last chance at saving his civilization could bring death and disaster to all Dina holds dear. Now Gertrude Hunt is under siege by a clan of assassins. To keep her guests safe and to find her missing parents, Dina will risk everything, even if she has to pay the ultimate price. Though Sean may have something to say about that!
An Introduction to the Making and Meaning of the Bible
by Michael B. ShepherdA comprehensive and orthodox guide to biblical origins and interpretation How did we get the Bible? How do we interpret it? And what does it mean for our lives today? Michael B. Shepherd introduces undergraduates and seminarians to these crucial questions in this reliable and thorough new textbook. Shepherd covers textual criticism, formation of the canon, and history of translation, all while remaining committed to Scripture&’s ultimate purpose—inviting us to salvation through Jesus Christ. Showing how the Bible directs its own interpretation, Shepherd encourages learners to listen to the Word of God, rather than twisting it to fit their own ends. His section-by-section treatment of the Bible encourages students to view the Bible as cohesive, while remaining sensitive to its diverse genres. Thorough and accessible, this textbook goes beyond typical historical introductions to spiritually form students learning to understand Scripture. An Introduction to the Making and Meaning of the Bible is the serious, evangelical introduction your students need and will reference for years to come.
Reviving the Ancient Faith, 3rd ed.: The Story of Churches of Christ in America
by Richard T. Hughes James L. GormanA balanced, well-documented history of the Churches of Christ in America The Churches of Christ is a denomination defined by not being a denomination. These communities intended to restore a primitive Christianity, undivided by historical quarrels. Despite this ideal, the Churches of Christ in America have a surprisingly complex history dating back to the nineteenth century. James L. Gorman&’s fresh edition of Richard T. Hughes&’s classic work, Reviving the Ancient Faith, illuminates the movement started by Barton Stone and Alexander Campbell. The authors trace the movement&’s sociological transformation into a denomination from the 1830s into the twentieth century. Four developments forged this new identity: the premillennialist controversy, the divide over institutions, the racial segregation of congregations and schools, and the fight over liberalism in the 1960s. New to the third edition, the final chapters bring the history of Churches of Christ from the 1960s up to 2022, analyzing the growing diversity of the movement amid intradenominational &“culture wars.&” Reviving the Ancient Faith, 3rd edition, challenges readers to learn the historical basis of Church of Christ identity and beliefs. Students of the history of the Church of Christ and American religion will derive from its pages a more holistic and informed understanding of the tradition.
Sweep in Peace (Innkeeper Chronicles #2)
by Ilona AndrewsInnkeeper Chronicles #2 Dina Demille doesn’t run your typical Bed and Breakfast. Her inn defies laws of physics, her fluffy dog is secretly a monster, and the only paying guest is a former Galactic tyrant with a price on her head. But the inn needs guests to thrive, and guests have been scarce, so when an Arbitrator shows up at Dina's door and asks her to host a peace summit between three warring species, she jumps on the chance. Unfortunately, for Dina, keeping the peace between Space Vampires, the Hope-Crushing Horde, and the devious Merchants of Baha-char is much easier said than done. On top of keeping her guests from murdering each other, she must find a chef, remodel the inn...and risk everything, even her life, to save the man she might fall in love with. But then it's all in the day's work for an Innkeeper… “Andrews is an auto-buy no matter what the genre!” —Romantic Times “If there is one author that defines Urban Fantasy, it is Ilona Andrews.” —Annie Tegelan, Fresh Fiction "One of the brightest voices in urban fantasy and one of my favorite authors. Ilona Andrews delivers only the best." —New York Times bestselling author Jeaniene Frost
The City Is Up for Grabs: How Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot Led and Lost a City in Crisis
by Gregory Royal Pratt"Gregory Pratt had a rare front-row seat to the passions, problems, peculiarities, hopes, disappointments, shenanigans, and pettiness in the drama and farce that was Lori Lightfoot's uneasy tenure on the fifth floor at City Hall. What he delivers on these pages takes us backstage to give us a powerful, incisive portrait of the woman, the details of her mayoralty, and the many players who shared the stage." —Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune reporter and author of A Chicago Tavern Chicago is a world-class city, but it is also a city in crisis. Crime is up, schools have repeatedly shut down due to conflict between City Hall and the powerful teachers' union, and COVID-19 only deepened the entrenched poverty, institutional racism, and endless tug of war between the city's haves and have nots. For four years, the person at the center of this storm was Lori Lightfoot. A groundbreaking figure—the first Black, gay woman to be elected mayor of a major city and only the second female mayor of Chicago—she knew the city was at a critical turning point when she took office in 2019. But the once-in-a-lifetime challenges she ended up facing were beyond anything she or anyone else saw coming. Chicago Tribune reporter Gregory Royal Pratt offers the first comprehensive behind-the-scenes look at the tumultuous single term of Mayor Lightfoot and the chaos that roiled the city and City Hall as she fought to live up to her promises to change the city's culture of corruption and villainy, reform its long-troubled police department, and make Chicago the safest big city in America. Some of Chicago's problems can be explained by forces greater than the mayor: national polarization, long-standing cultural and racial tensions, our plague years. But some are the result of Lightfoot's poor leadership at City Hall, a story that hasn't been told in full—until now.
The History of the Port of London: A Vast Emporium of All Nations
by Peter Stone&“This meticulously researched account underlines the importance of the capital&’s docklands . . . from Roman landing to modern financial centre.&” —Discover Britain The River Thames has been integral to the prosperity of London since Roman times. Explorers sailed away on voyages of discovery to distant lands. Colonies were established and a great empire grew. Funding their ships and cargoes helped make the City of London into the world&’s leading financial center. In the nineteenth century a vast network of docks was created for ever-larger ships, behind high, prison-like walls that kept them secret from all those who did not toil within. Sail made way for steam as goods were dispatched to every corner of the world. In the nineteenth century London was the world&’s greatest port city. In the Second World War the Port of London became Hitler&’s prime target. It paid a heavy price but soon recovered. Yet by the end of the 20th century the docks had been transformed into Docklands, a new financial center. The History of the Port of London: A Vast Emporium of Nations is the fascinating story of the rise and fall and revival of the commercial river. The only book to tell the whole story and bring it right up to date, it charts the foundation, growth and evolution of the port and explains why for centuries it has been so important to Britain&’s prosperity. This book will appeal to those interested in London&’s history, maritime and industrial heritage, the Docklands and East End of London, and the River Thames.
An Anthology of Ancient Mesopotamian Texts: When the Gods were Human
by Sabine FrankeLearn about the ancient civilizations of Iraq and Syria, through the stories they told. This book gathers the best stories of ancient Near Eastern literature surrounding the Mesopotamian gods, men, and kings. It takes the reader on a journey back to the birth of literature in Mesopotamia—which at the same time seems so distant yet so familiar. Fairy tales, myths, and epics of this region are still able to entertain readers today—and allow us to delve into the fascinating life of this ancient civilization. This book includes fables such as that of the tooth worm, which causes tooth pain, as well as the great myth of Innanas, which describes the goddess Ishtar&’s transition to the underworld. There are also stories of daily life, such as that of a student, and the Sumerian incantations against a crying baby.
Reckoning (The Ty Dawson Mysteries #3)
by Baron BirtcherTy Dawson is a small-town sheriff with big-city problems, in this riveting crime thriller from the award-winning author of Fistful of Rain. As lawman, rancher, and Korean War veteran, Ty Dawson has his share of problems in the southern Oregon county he calls home. Despite how rural it is, Meriwether can&’t keep modernity at bay. The 1970s have changed the United States—and Meriwether won&’t be spared. A standoff looms when the US Fish & Wildlife Service seeks to separate longtime cattleman KC Sheridan from his water supply—ensuring the death of his livestock. If that&’s not enough trouble, a Portland detective is found dead in a fly-fishing resort cabin. Though the Portland police, including the victim&’s own partner, are eager to write off the tragedy as a suicide, Ty has his own thoughts on the matter—as well as evidence that points to murder. His suspicions soon mire him in a swamp of corruption that threatens nearly everyone around him. Turns out that greed and evil are contagious—and they take down men both great and small . . .Praise for the Ty Dawson Mysteries &“Combines the mystery and honesty of Craig Johnson&’s Longmire with the first-person narration of a fiercely independent Oregon character.&” —Sheila Deeth, author of John&’s Joy &“A masterful work of a time gone by . . . Ty Dawson is a cowboy, lawman, father and philosopher like none other.&” —Neal Griffin, Los Angeles Times–bestselling author of The Burden of Proof
Uncle John's Bathroom Reader Plunges into the Universe (Uncle John's Bathroom Reader)
by Bathroom Readers' InstituteAn entertaining trivia compendium flush with fun facts about all things science.Uncle John&’s Bathroom Reader Plunges into the Universe is your anecdote to boring science textbooks. Uncle John and his loony lab partners will take you back to the Big Bang and forward to the distant future. You&’ll see the science in everything around (and inside) you, and learn the truth about the most egregious science myths (such as—you can&’t &“sweat like a pig&” because pigs don&’t sweat). How many amazing facts await your visual cortex in these 494 pages made up of atoms (print version) or bits and bytes (e-book)? As Carl Sagan would have said, &“Billions and Billions!&” So put on your thinking cap and check out: · Pluto denied · Kitchen chemistry · Football gets physics-al · Planet Earth&’s sudden hot flashes · Food&’s incredible journey . . .through you · The science of surfing, skating, and snowboarding · How they plugged the hole in the ozone layer · How &“defenseless&” animals stay alive · Sci-fi that&’s more fi than sci · Ancient astronomers · Know your clouds And much, much more
Uncle John's Bathroom Reader Plunges Into History (Uncle John's Bathroom Reader)
by Bathroom Readers' InstituteThe trivia gurus behind the Uncle John&’s Bathroom Reader series plumb the depths of history in this compendium of easily digestible diversions. Whether you&’re a history buff, or you just like reading great stories, you&’ll see the past in a whole new light after reading Uncle John&’s Bathroom Reader Plunges into History. Uncle John uncovers the truth behind some of history&’s most persistent myths and flushes out information you were never taught in school. Where else could you learn about the 10 most-forgotten people in history, mistakes that led to great discoveries, and how a certain fish had a hand (er, fin) in beating Napoleon? Read all about . . . The short history of underwearOdd deaths of famous figuresAbe Lincoln, fashion iconThe real Lady GodivaRoyal inbreeds and promiscuous popesThe true story of Braveheart And much more!
Cook's Encyclopaedia
by Tom StobartA descriptive compendium of just about everything we eat and how we cook it—selected as &“one of the greatest cookbooks of all time&” (Waitrose Food Illustrated). Arranged alphabetically from Abalone to Zampone, Cook&’s Encyclopedia covers the majority of foods and processes used in cooking. Hundreds of ingredients are described, with English and foreign synonyms and scientific names; recipes are given in many cases to illustrate the use of the foodstuff in question. Cooking processes—including bottling, brewing, brining, curing, smoking, and vacuuming—are explained in great and illuminating detail. The aim is to both entertain and to instruct—in particular, to give a sense of the essence and individuality of each ingredient. Tom Stobart traveled widely, both as an explorer and a filmmaker, and his book was informed by an eye for telling details. Many fans say they would be lost without this book, which segues effortlessly between exhaustive reference work and handy recipe book, and back again. It explains the world of the kitchen, whether you&’re a beginner or an old hand, revealing the facts behind foods, equipment, and techniques. Stobart describes how baking powder works, for instance, the temperature at which bacteria grow, and how to make your own tomato ketchup, so every time you dip into this book, you&’ll be better equipped to return to the stove. &“A MUST, comprehensive, well-organized and well-written . . . a serious and important work of reference.&” —Alan Davidson, author of The Oxford Companion to Food
Ninja: Unmasking the Myth
by Stephen TurnbullThis history of the ninja uncovers the truth behind the image—from the exploits of medieval ninjas to their modern incarnation as pop culture icons. The ninja is a legendary figure in Japanese military culture, a fighter widely regarded as the world&’s greatest expert in secret warfare. The word alone conjures the image of a masked assassin dressed in black, capable of extraordinary feats of daring; a mercenary who disposes of enemies by sending sharp iron stars spinning towards them. This is, of course, a popular myth, based on exaggerations and Hollywood movies. But the truth, as Stephen Turnbull explains in Ninja, is even more fascinating. A leading expert on samurai culture, Turnbull presents an authoritative study of ninja history based on original Japanese sources, many of which have never been translated before. These include accounts of castle attacks, assassinations and espionage, as well as the last great ninja manual, which reveals the spiritual and religious ideals that were believed to lie behind the ninja&’s arts. Turnbull&’s critical examination of the ninja phenomenon ranges from undercover operations during the age of Japan&’s civil wars to the modern emergence of the superman ninja as a comic book character. The book concludes with a detailed investigation of the ninja in popular culture.