- Table View
- List View
Western Constitutionalism: History, Institutions, Comparative Law
by Andrea BurattiThis book explores the theoretical origins, historical foundation, political meaning, and legal development of western constitutionalism, as well as the structure and transformation of constitutional law in the Western World. Introducing the historical background of western constitutional traditions, it links this rich, conceptual framework with the legal arrangements of states’ constitutions and the current trends of the internationalization of constitutional law. Serving as a comprehensive introduction to constitutional studies, this book provides detailed information on the design of legal systems, while addressing the main critical, theoretical issues raised by constitutionalism in western democracies and in the global landscape. This new, third edition covers a broader scope, reflecting recent political and legal transformations, and is enriched in terms of didactic instruments for university students.
Proceedings of the International Field Exploration and Development Conference 2023: Volume 5 (Springer Series in Geomechanics and Geoengineering)
by Jia’en LinThis book focuses on reservoir surveillance and management, reservoir evaluation and dynamic description, reservoir production stimulation and EOR, ultra-tight reservoir, unconventional oil and gas resources technology, oil and gas well production testing, and geomechanics. This book is a compilation of selected papers from the 13th International Field Exploration and Development Conference (IFEDC 2023). The conference not only provides a platform to exchanges experience, but also promotes the development of scientific research in oil & gas exploration and production. The main audience for the work includes reservoir engineer, geological engineer, enterprise managers, senior engineers as well as students.
A Biography of Our Sun: From Ancient Myths and Artifacts to Modern Art and Astrophysics
by Laura PesceThis book is for everyone curious about the Sun and how it has been perceived throughout human history, including the modern scientific view. Beginning with ancient myths and legends, superstitions, art and poetry, the book proceeds to explain the amazing composition of our star, how it produces the heat and light on which all life depends, as well as touching the harvesting of solar energy that is becoming so essential in the modern world. The book is illustrated by the author's own artwork and includes first-hand scientific information provided in interviews with professional astrophysicists.
Secure and Resilient Digital Transformation of Healthcare: First Workshop, SUNRISE 2023, Stavanger, Norway, November 30, 2023, Proceedings (Communications in Computer and Information Science #1884)
by Habtamu Abie Vasileios Gkioulos Sokratis Katsikas Sandeep PirbhulalThis CCIS post conference volume constitutes the proceedings of First Workshop, SUNRISE 2023, in Stavanger, Norway, in November 2023. The 4 full papers together in this volume were carefully reviewed and selected from 9 submissions. The workshop offers a wide range of techniques addressing cybersecurity skills, access control, privacy risks, and resilience in healthcare systems.
Derbyshire Folk Tales
by Pete CastlePassed down from generation to generation, many of Derbyshire’s most popular folk tales are gathered together here for the first time. Ranging from stories specific to the region, such as ‘The Derby Ram’, to others which are local versions of well-known classics, like ‘Beauty and the Beast’, all of the tales in this collection are rooted in Derbyshire’s past. Written to recreate the oral traditions that made these anecdotes popular, this book provides entertainment for all. Richly illustrated with original drawings, accounts of love, loss, heroes and villains are all brought to life through vivid descriptions that have survived for several centuries. These tales have been adapted to make them accessible, enjoyable and, at times, very relevant to contemporary readers.
Worcestershire Folk Tales (Folk Tales: United Kingdom)
by David PhelpsWorcestershire is a county of contrasts, with one face turned to the modern buzz of Birmingham and the other turned towards the quiet rural landscape of the West Country. Its folk tales reflect this dichotomy, with some stories based in the fears and superstitions of village life, and others evolving from the strains and pressures of a new industrial reality. From battles of the Civil War to witchcraft trials, Worcestershire is steeped in history – and almost every village has some dark tale of magical events to tell. Ordinary folk from all walks of life mix with devils, ogres and ghosts. Even the holy community is not safe – vengeance, infidelity and murder loom large in the county’s religious history. Complemented by beautiful illustrations, Worcestershire Folk Tales is crammed with these myths, legends and mysterious yarns. David Phelps has worked as an oral storyteller since 2005, being much inspired by his grandmother’s tales of Worcestershire’s folklore. He is a member of both the Folklore Society and the Society for Storytelling, and is the author of Herefordshire Folk Tales and Haunted Hereford.
Executed at Dawn: British Firing Squads on the Western Front 1914-1918
by David JohnsonMuch has been written about the 302 British and Commonwealth soldiers who were executed for military offences during the First World War, but there is usually only a passing reference to those who took part – the members of the firing squad, the officer in charge, the medical officer and the padre. What are their stories? Through extensive research, David Johnson explores the controversial story of the men forced to shoot their fellow Tommies, examining how they were selected; how they were treated before, during, and after the executions; and why there were so many procedural variations in the way that the executions were conducted.
Arnhem Lift: A German Jew in the Glider Pilot Regiment
by Louis HagenOf the 10,000 men who landed at Arnhem, over nine days 1,400 were killed and more than 6,000 – about a third of them wounded – were captured. It was a bloody disaster. The remarkable Louis Hagen, an ‘enemy alien’ who had escaped to England having been imprisoned and tortured in a Nazi concentration camp as a boy just a few years earlier, was one of the minority who made it back. What makes this book so unforgettable is not only the breathtaking drama of the story itself, it is the unmistakable talent of the writer. The narrative was first published anonymously in 1945.45 years later at a dinner party in Germany, Louis Hagen met Major Winrich Behr, Adjutant to Field Marshal Model at Arnhem. Louis added his side of the story to add even more insight to the original work.
Injustice: State Trials from Socrates to Nuremberg
by Brian Harris Michael BeloffTo a lawyer, injustice is the unfair conduct of a trial. This book looks into several notorious cases of supposed injustice, Socrates, Joan of Arc, Charles I, Admiral Byng, Lord Haw-Haw, and the Nuremberg Trials. It looks for answers to the legal question 'was the trial fair?', and the humane question 'was the accused guilty or innocent?'.
Ghostly County Durham (Ghostly Ser.)
by Rob KirkupFrom reports of haunted castles, hotels, public houses, and even a prisoner of war camp, to heart-stopping accounts of apparitions, poltergeists and related supernatural phenomena, Ghostly County Durham investigates over twenty of the most haunted locations in the area today. Drawing on historical and contemporary sources, this selection includes a club-footed monk at Finchdale Priory, the Singing Lady Cauldron Snout, as well as a collection of spectres that call Durham Castle home — including a shadowy figure which haunts the Black Staircase. Illustrated with sixty photographs, together with access details for each location, this book is sure to appeal all those interested in finding out more about the area's haunted heritage.
Warlords: The Struggle for Power in Post-Roman Britain
by Stuart LaycockThe centuries after the end of Roman control of Britain in AD 410 are some of the most vital in Britain's history - yet some of the least understood. 'Warlords' brings to life a world of ambition, brutality and violence in a politically fragmented land, and provides a compelling new history of an age that would transform Britain. By comparing the archaeology against the available historical sources of the period, 'Warlords' presents a coherent picture of the political and military machinations of the fifth and sixth centuries that laid the foundations of English and Welsh history. Included are the warring personalities of the local leaders and a look at the enigma of King Arthur. Some warlords sought power within the old Roman framework; some used an alternative British approach; and, others exploited the emerging Anglo-Saxon system - but for all warlords, the struggle was for power.
The People's Poet: William Barnes of Dorset
by Alan ChedzoyBorn the child of an agricultural labourer in Dorset’s Blackmore Vale, by self-education William Barnes (1801-1886) rose to be a lawyer's clerk, a schoolmaster, a much-loved clergyman, and a scholar who could read over seventy languages. He also became the finest example of an English poet writing in a rural dialect. In this book, Alan Chedzoy shows how, uniquely, he presented the lives of pre-industrial rural people in their own language. He also recounts how Barnes’s linguistic studies enabled him to defend the controversial notion that the dialect of the labouring people of Wessex was the purest form of English. Serving both as an anthology and an account of how the poems came to be written, this biography is essential reading for anyone who wants to discover more about the man who, in an obituary, Thomas Hardy described as ‘probably the most interesting link between present and past life that England possessed’.
Dumfries and Galloway Folk Tales
by Tony BonningStoryteller Tony Bonning brings together stories from one of the most enigmatic regions of Scotland: a land hemmed in by rivers and mountains; a land that vigorously maintained its independence, and by doing so, has many unique tales and legends. Here you will meet strange beasts, creatures and even stranger folk; here you will meet men and women capable of tricking even the Devil himself, and here you will find the very tale that inspired Robert Burns's most famous poem, Tam o'Shanter. With each Story told in an engaging style, and illustrated with unique line drawings, these humorous, clever and enchanting folk tales are sure to be enjoyed and shared time and again.
The Little History of Norfolk
by John A. DaviesEmbark upon a journey through Norfolk’s eventful history, from the earliest times to the present day. From the discovery of fossil footprints dating back nearly one million years, to Boudica’s revolt, the Roman occupation, the creation of the Norfolk Broads during the Middles Ages and the growth of the textile industry and agricultural advances, this county has always been at the forefront of innovation and the development of our nation. Mustard manufacturing, Viking farmers, friendly invasions and digging up ancient mammoths – we do things differently here in Norfolk.
High Tea on the Cunard Queens: A Light-Hearted Look at Life at Sea
by Paul CurtisThis amusing insight into Cunard’s legendary liners begins more than fifty years ago when the author joined the original Queen Mary as an entertainments officer, when a part of the job was ‘bumbling’ the passengers while keeping a wary eye out for professional gamblers criss-crossing the Atlantic, and there was bingo and dance bands, novelty dancing and fancy-dress parades, and a primitive disco with a monster juke box. Paul Curtis recounts the stories of the ships, the antics of passengers and crews, and much more besides. Just turning these pages releases a sniff of the sea and a whiff of champagne. This frank and funny account of mixes Cunard history with personal anecdote and vividly reveals how passenger and crew life have changed over the years across the Cunard liners.
A Lady of Cotton: Hannah Greg, Mistress of Quarry Bank Mill
by David SekersIn 1789 Hannah Lightbody, a well-educated and intelligent young woman of means, married Samuel Greg and found herself at the centre of his cotton empire in the industrial heart of England. It was a man’s world, in which women like Hannah were barred from politics, had few rights and were expected to be little more than good, dutiful wives. Struggling to apply herself to household management, Hannah instead turned her attention to the well-being of the cotton mill workers under her husband’s control. Over the next four decades she fought to improve the education, health and welfare of cotton girls and pauper apprentices at the mill. Her legacy helped turn the north-west into the pioneering heart of reform in Britain. Here, the story of Hannah’s remarkable life is told for the first time.
Kaiser Wilhelm II: Germany's Last Emperor
by John KisteDrawing on a wide range of contemporary sources, this biography examines the complex personality of Germany's last emperor. Born in 1859, the eldest grandchild of Queen Victoria, Prince Wilhelm was torn between two cultures - that of the Prussian Junker and that of the English liberal gentleman.
Aberdeenshire Folk Tales (Folk Tales: United Kingdom)
by Grace Banks Sheena BlackhallThe folklore of the North East provides a rich tapestry for the tales within; from Celtic and Pictish origins meet witches, selkies, smugglers, fairies, monsters, despicable rogues, riddles and heroes. Tragic events, spellbinding characters, humour, romance and clever minds are bound together by two well-established storytellers living and working in the city and shire of Aberdeen. Some of the tales in this collection are based on historical fact while others are embedded in myth and legend. All the stories are set against the backdrop of this lovely and varied landscape. Sheena and Grace have both been inspired in their storytelling and singing by the traveller, raconteur and balladeer, Stanley Robertson.
With the Jocks: A Soldier's Struggle for Europe 1944-45
by Peter White'The book is remarkable .... one of the most striking personal records of the period.' - Max HastingsAs a 24-year-old lieutenant in the King's Own Scottish Borderers, Peter kept an unauthorised journal of his regiment's advance through the Low Countries and into Germany in the closing months of the war in Europe. Forbidden by his commanding officer from doing so for security reasons, Peter's boyhood habit of diary keeping had become an obsession too strong to shake off. In this graphic evocation of a soldier at war, the images he records are not for the faint hearted.There are heroes aplenty within its pages, but there are also disturbing insights into the darker sides of humanity - the men who broke under the strain and who ran away; the binge drinking which occasionally rendered the whole platoon unable to fight; the looting, the rape, and the callous disregard for human life that happens when death is a daily companion. Hidden away for more than 50 years, this is a rare opportunity to read an authentic account of the horrors of war experienced by a British soldier in the greatest conflict of the 20th century.
The Last Cambridge Spy: John Cairncross, Bletchley Park Mole and Soviet Agent
by Chris Smith‘A riveting read.’ – Professor Richard Aldrich‘The Last Cambridge Spy is not just a fascinating, well-paced book about an interesting individual, but it also invites us to re-appraise the very idea of the “Cambridge spy ring”.’ – Sir Dermot TuringJohn Cairncross was among the most damaging spies of the twentieth century. A member of the infamous Cambridge Ring of Five, he leaked highly sensitive documents from Bletchley Park, MI6 and the Treasury to the Soviet Union – including the first atomic secrets and raw decrypts from Enigma and Tunny that influenced the outcome of the Battle of Kursk in 1943.In 2014, Cairncross appeared as a secondary, though key, character in the biopic of Alan Turing’s life, The Imitation Game. While the other members of the Cambridge Ring of Five have been the subject of extensive biographical study, Cairncross has largely been overlooked by both academic and popular writers. Despite clear interest, he has remained a mystery – until now.The Last Cambridge Spy is the first ever biography of John Cairncross, using recently released material to tell the story of his life and espionage.
The A-Z of Curious London: Strange Stories of Mysteries, Crimes and Eccentrics (A-Z of Curious)
by Gilly PickupSpooky, gruesome, weird but true things about one of the world’s greatest cities come alive in The A-Z of Curious London. Discover London’s tiniest house, a 4,000-year-old mouse made from Nile clay, and have a giggle at things people leave on London’s transport (including false teeth, a human skull and a park bench - yes, really.) Why did a dentist keep his dead wife on view in a shop window? Where did a shopkeeper murder 150 customers? Which Queen showed her bosom to an Ambassador? Why was a man arrested for wearing a top hat? In the City proper, why is no thoroughfare called a road? To sum up, eccentrics, legends, folklore, murders, scandals, ghosts, incredible characters and oodles of wow factor, it’s all here.
Most Secret: The Hidden History of Orford Ness
by Paddy HeazellOrford Ness was so secret a place that most people have never heard of it. The role it played in inventing and testing weapons over the course of the twentieth century was far more significant and much longer than that of Bletchley Park. Nestled on a remote part of the Suffolk coast, Orford Ness operated for over eighty years as a highly classified research and testing site for the British military, the Atomic Weapons Reserach Establishment and, at one point, even the US Department of Defence. The work conducted here by some of the greatest 'boffins' of past generations played a cruicial role in winning the three great wars of the twentieth century: the First, Second and the Cold. Hosting dangerous early night flying and parachute testing during the First World War, the ingenious radar trials by Watson Watt and his team in the 1930s, through to the testing of nuclear bombs and the top-secret UK-US COBRA MIST project, the 'Ness' has been at the forefront of military technology from 1913 to the 1990s. Now a unique National Trust property and National Nature Reserve, its secrets have remained buried until recently. This book reveals an incredible history, rich with ingenuity, intrigue and typical British inventiveness.
North Wales Folk Tales for Children (Folk Tales for Children)
by Fiona Collins Ed FisherIf you love magic and adventure, here is the book for you. In this treasure trove of tales, storyteller Fiona Collins has collected the best-loved stories from the misty, magical mountains, rushing rivers and green rolling hills of North Wales. In these stories you will meet dragons, giants, wizards, monsters and one extremely powerful witch – and of course the Tylwyth Teg, the Welsh fairies. From ‘Once upon a time…’ to ‘Happy ever after’ you will be transported to North Wales, where even the stones have stories to tell.
In the Footsteps of William Wallace: In Scotland and Northern England
by Alan Young Michael J SteadFor nearly 700 years debate has raged over the true nature of William Wallace and his role in Scotland’s turbulent history. Was he the Braveheart of Blind Harry’s legendary account, the bold, but savage, hero of the Scottish wars? Or, as some contemporary chroniclers attested, nothing but a villainous thief and vagrant fugitive? This book draws on a wide range of contemporary and modern sources to look behind the figure of legend to find Wallace’s true character. Through superb photographs, we trace the journey of Wallace from his modest upbringing in south-west Scotland and his first victory as a ‘guerilla’ leader and military commander at Stirling Bridge to his painful death seven years later. We see his ‘invasion’ of Northumberland and Cumberland. This is an essential travelling companion for a journey through Wallace’s kingdom and to learn more about the myth and the man.
Auld Stirling Punishments
by David KinnairdFrom the murder of James I and the brutal torture of his betrayers to the beheading of Radical Weavers Baird and Hardie, the history of crime and punishment in Stirling’s Royal Burgh has reflected the passions and prejudices of the Scottish nation. Here are shocking tales of the brutal and the bloody, the sad and the seditious, of the thieves, traitors, murderers and martyrs who shaped the destiny of those who dwell upon the Castle Rock. Richly illustrated, and filled with victims and villains, nobles, executioners and torturers, this book explores Stirling’s criminal heritage and the many grim and ancient punishments exacted inside the region’s churches, workhouses and schools. It is a shocking survey of our nation’s penal history.