Twentieth Century - The History of the World, 1901 - 2000
One of our greatest contemporary historians greets the millennium with an authoritative and engrossing survey of the twentieth century.
Twentieth Century places a chronological narrative of events in the context of the long-term changes that colored them. Among these are worldwide increases in life expectancy; major strides in science and technology; the radical reconfiguration of the global economy; vanished empires, shrunken white hegemony, and reassessment of "western" civilization; and the ever-evolving role of women.
A History of the Modern British Ghost Story
A History of the Modern British Ghost Story places the ghost story in the contexts of historical period and literary form. It reads ghost stories as continuously engaging with, or even a kind of shadow form of, the novel: as the dominant mode of novelistic writing moves, in the nineteenth century, through the historical novel, Dickensian realism and naturalism, ghost stories develop new modes and techniques for exposing and critiquing these novelistic forms. Throughout this period, the book argues, ghost stories are one of the key ways that literature has addressed empire, class, property, history and the traumatic emergence of capitalism. By the end of the nineteenth century, usually considered the genre's golden age, ghost stories begin to seem set on autopilot, the same basic techniques repeated with minimal variation. But this book follows the way that modernist and then postcolonial writers deploy ghosts in new contexts, radically changing the work that the figure of the ghost does: in modernism, the ghost becomes a central image for representing not the past's persistence into the present, but the alienation and abstraction of modern life; and in postcolonial writing, where both the emergence of modernity and the pressures of the past are different, the ghost plays a key role figuring the intersection of indigenous traditions with those of capitalist modernity, in the emergence of magic realism.
The History of London
This fascinating biography of one of the world's most famous cities was originally published in the early 20th Century. It chronicles the life of London from its days as an early settlement through to more modern times. Including over 60 images, photographs, engravings and drawings, this excellent book is a must-have for those who live in the city, have visited - or plan to visit - at some point, or those who want to know the story of England's capital.
A History of Modern Drama
Covering the period 1879 to 1959, and taking in everything from Ibsen to Beckett, this book is volume one of a two-part comprehensive examination of the plays, dramatists, and movements that comprise modern world drama.
Contains detailed analysis of plays and playwrights, connecting themes and offering original interpretations
Includes coverage of non-English works and traditions to create a global view of modern drama
Considers the influence of modernism in art, music, literature, architecture, society, and politics on the formation of modern dramatic literature
Takes an interpretative and analytical approach to modern dramatic texts rather than focusing on production history
Includes coverage of the ways in which staging practices, design concepts, and acting styles informed the construction of the dramas
The Secret History of the American Empire: Economic Hit Men, Jackals and the Truth About Global Corruption
In his stunning memoir, Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, John Perkins detailed his former role as an “economic hit man” in the international corporate skullduggery of a de facto American Empire. This riveting, behind-the-scenes exposé unfolded like a cinematic blockbuster told through the eyes of a man who once helped shape that empire. Now, in The Secret History of the American Empire, Perkins zeroes in on hot spots around the world and, drawing on interviews with other hit men, jackals, reporters, and activists, examines the current geopolitical crisis. Instability is the norm: It’s clear that the world we’ve created is dangerous and no longer sustainable. How did we get here? Who’s responsible? What good have we done and at what cost? And what can we do to change things for the next generations? Addressing these questions and more, Perkins reveals the secret history behind the events that have created the American Empire, including:
• The current Latin-American revolution and its lessons for democracy
• How the “defeats” in Vietnam and Iraq benefited big business
• The role of Israel as “Fortress America” in the Middle East
• Tragic repercussions of the IMF’s “Asian Economic Collapse”
• U.S. blunders in Tibet, Congo, Lebanon, and Venezuela
• Jackal (CIA operatives) forays to assassinate democratic presidents
From the U.S. military in Iraq to infrastructure development in Indonesia, from Peace Corps volunteers in Africa to jackals in Venezuela, Perkins exposes a conspiracy of corruption that has fueled instability and anti-Americanism around the globe. Alarming yet hopeful, this book provides a compassionate plan to reimagine our world.
A People's History of the United States : 1492-Present (Perennial Classics)
According to this classic of revisionist American history, narratives of national unity and progress are a smoke screen disguising the ceaseless conflict between elites and the masses whom they oppress and exploit. Historian Zinn sides with the latter group in chronicling Indians' struggle against Europeans, blacks' struggle against racism, women's struggle against patriarchy, and workers' struggle against capitalists. First published in 1980, the volume sums up decades of post-war scholarship into a definitive statement of leftist, multicultural, anti-imperialist historiography. This edition updates that project with new chapters on the Clinton and Bush presidencies, which deplore Clinton's pro-business agenda, celebrate the 1999 Seattle anti-globalization protests and apologize for previous editions' slighting of the struggles of Latinos and gays. Zinn's work is an vital corrective to triumphalist accounts, but his uncompromising radicalism shades, at times, into cynicism. Zinn views the Bill of Rights, universal suffrage, affirmative action and collective bargaining not as fundamental (albeit imperfect) extensions of freedom, but as tactical concessions by monied elites to defuse and contain more revolutionary impulses; voting, in fact, is but the most insidious of the "controls." It's too bad that Zinn dismisses two centuries of talk about "patriotism, democracy, national interest" as mere "slogans" and "pretense," because the history he recounts is in large part the effort of downtrodden people to claim these ideals for their own.
A People's History of American Empire
Adapted from the bestselling grassroots history of the United States, the story of America in the world, told in comics form
Since its landmark publication in 1980, A People’s History of the United States has had six new editions, sold more than 1.7 million copies, become required classroom reading throughout the country, and been turned into an acclaimed play. More than a successful book, A People’s History triggered a revolution in the way history is told, displacing the official versions with their emphasis on great men in high places to chronicle events as they were lived, from the bottom up.
Now Howard Zinn, historian Paul Buhle, and cartoonist Mike Konopacki have collaborated to retell, in vibrant comics form, a most immediate and relevant chapter of A People’s History: the centuries-long story of America’s actions in the world. Narrated by Zinn, this version opens with the events of 9/11 and then jumps back to explore the cycles of U.S. expansionism from Wounded Knee to Iraq, stopping along the way at World War I, Central America, Vietnam, and the Iranian revolution. The book also follows the story of Zinn, the son of poor Jewish immigrants, from his childhood in the Brooklyn slums to his role as one of America’s leading historians.
Shifting from world-shattering events to one family’s small revolutions, A People’s History of American Empire presents the classic ground-level history of America in a dazzling new form.
Plataea 479 BC: Greece's Greatest Victory
Plataea was one of the biggest and most important land battles of pre-20th century history. Close to 100,000 hoplite and light-armed Greeks took on an even larger barbarian army that included elite Asian cavalry and infantry from as far away as India, with thousands of Greek hoplites and cavalry also fighting on the Persian side. At points in the several days of battle, the Persians with their more fluid, missile tactics came close to breaking the Greek defensive line and cutting off their supplies. But, in a fatal misjudgement when he nearly had the battle won, their general Mardonius committed the cream of his infantry to close-quarters combat with the Spartans and their Peloponnesian allies. He died and his men were finally crushed by heavier weaponry and superior discipline. Meanwhile, 250 miles to the east, the Greek navy inflicted an equally decisive defeat on the Persians, neutralising Xerxes' seapower in the Aegean. The tiny minority of Greek city states that actually took up arms against the invading forces of the mightiest empire yet seen in the ancient world had halted its western expansion and driven it back.The reconstruction of the battle of Plataea will draw on recent persuasive academic interpretations of the textual sources and visual evidence (mainly from near-contemporary vase paintings) for the early 5th-century method of hoplite fighting.
Frommer's Ireland Day by Day
Ireland is one of the most ancient and modern countries in Europe. Our London-based writers of Irish ancestry lead you to the best of the old and new on their beloved Emerald Isle. Under their guidance, you'll experience the cosmopolitan luxuries of Ireland's cities, learn the secrets of its ancient ruins, and figure out the smartest ways to navigate all that green in between.
They hit all the highlights and tell you how to see them in their best light—from the Giant's Causeway, Newgrange, and Glendalough, to the Ring of Kerry, Killarney National Park, and Cliffs of Moher. Plus they lead you off the beaten path to undiscovered ruin sites, unsigned prehistoric tombs, and gorgeous isolated beaches.
They visit all the best hotels and hottest restaurants in person, discover new places not yet on the tourist maps, and offer authoritative, candid reviews to help you find the spots that best suit your tastes and budget. You'll get up-to-the-minute coverage of shopping and nightlife as well; detailed walking tours of city neighborhoods and small towns; special-interest trips for families, foodies, pub crawlers, lovers of literature, and history buffs—including Ireland's wealth of prehistoric sites; 900 full-color photos, a full chapter on Ireland's rich history and culture, and advice on planning a successful Ireland vacation.
Frommer's Ireland Day by Day also includes a color fold-out map.
Frommer's Puerto Rico Day by Day (Frommer's Day by Day - Pocket)
At last, a travel guide that tells you how to see the best of everything-in the smartest, most time-efficient way.
The best of Puerto Rico from one day to two weeks
Thematic tours for every interest, schedule, and taste
Walking tours of the island's best-loved attractions
Hundreds of evocative color photos
Insightful advice written by a savvy newspaper reporter based in San Juan
Features tours of Puerto Rico for Adventure Lovers, Art and Culture Lovers, Puerto Rico with kids, and more!
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