Book Description
The Human Tradition in Modern Japan is a collection of short biographies of ordinary Japanese men and women, most of them unknown outside their family and locality, whose lives collectively span the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Their stories
Customer Reviews:
Wonderful Look at the Japanese People.......2004-12-02
I read this book for a Japanese History class. The book covers from 1600 to about 1990 the lives of famous and ordinary Japanese men and women. It was refreshing to read about how the political side of history has impacted people and society. Highly recommended!
Revealing and recommended study of Japanese social history........2002-03-29
Ably edited by Anne Walthall (Professor of Japanese history at the University of California, Irvine), The Human Tradition In Modern Japan by is an assemblage of short biographies of ordinary Japanese men and women, most of whom were not well-known outside their home area, spanning the seventeenth through twentieth centuries. Highly recommended for readers with an interest in Japanese history and culture, The Human Tradition In Modern Japan approaches Japanese history and society in a different light, as it debunks commonly myths in the United States about Japan being an entirely "homogenous" society, and successfully presents life in Japan as people really lived it from the 17th to the 20th centuries.
Book Description
The Battle of Bunker Hill and the burning of Charlestown were the first major battles of the American Revolution. Brendan Morrissey describes how the sparks at Lexington and Concord ignited the smouldering resentment of the Colonists into the flame of a rebellion. Colonist militia were pitted against British Redcoats in a series of struggles which led the British to evacuate Boston and to George Washington taking command of the fledgling American army. He looks at the forces involved: the regulars of the British Army, the Royal Navy and the American militia and 'minutemen'. The opposing commanders are also examined and the book is laid out in order to clearly show each of the phases in this early part of the American War of Independence: Lexington and Concord, Bunker/Breed's Hill and the American siege of British held Boston. Finally, the author investigates the reaction in Great Britain, Europe and America to the rebel success.
Customer Reviews:
Too technical, from British point of View.......2007-06-07
This book had great visuals, but the writing just did not flow. I love learning about the Revolutionary War, but found myself bored with what was written. The book was quite brief so even though some points were tedious, it was a quick read.
Everything Anyone Needs to Know About the Opening Campaign of the American Revolutionary War!.......2007-03-13
How can anyone not love the Osprey series of books?
Whenever I'm researching a military campaign or would just like to know a more about what happened historically, I turn to the Osprey series of publications. They are well organized, written, and illustrated and provide the reader with state-of-the art maps and graphics.
This particular volume provides the essentials on the Battles of Concord/Lexington and Breed's (Bunker Hill). Author Brendan Morrissey covers the following:
- The Road to War (Colonial America and Colonial policies)
- The Seat of War (Boston in 1775)
- The Opposing Commanders
- The Opposing Armies
- Lexington and Concord (19 April 1775)
- Breed's Hill (17 June 1775)
- The Seige of Boston
- Aftermath
- The Battlefields Today
- Chronology
- A Guide to Further Reading
- Wargaming the Boston Campaign
In short, this neat book contains everything anyone needs to know about the opening campaign of the Revolutionary War that set the stage for a British defeat eight years latter.
Excellant coverage.......2006-05-22
Hard to believe a Brit can write a good book on the American revolution but here it is.
Well organized and nicely written and also very balanced. A fun read. Maps are very good.
Great stuff!.......2005-11-26
Great stuff! Great maps and information - based upon fact and not fiction.
Tory propaganda weakens an otherwise useful text.......2005-08-23
I bought this book at the Bunker Hill national monument recently, hoping it would fill in the gaps that David McCullough left out of his excellent 1776. Unfortunately, I finished the book only more desperate to find a book that not only solved my original dilemma but could also serve as an antidote to this one.
First, what the book is and what it is not. It is not a narrative of what took place in Boston in 1775. Instead, it is a sequential distillation of the military events of 1775 in and around Boston. To be fair, it is part of the Campaigns series so I should not fault it for not reaching for the same heights that McCullough did.
I would not have minded this approach, however, had the author been even remotely objective in his presentation of the known facts -- or perhaps even-handed, trading barbs against both sides. But, alas, Morrissey chooses to chide the colonists at every turn possible and to praise the redcoats for their forbearance and grace under pressure. It becomes laughable when page after page he continually defends the British taxes and the behavior of the British regulars while portraying the American leaders as having only profit motives for rebellion and the militia as misled rabble.
I am willing to hear of our own people's weaknesses: they are many. However, to fail to note that the other side was equally flawed in aspects of its approach grows wearisome after about page 10.
In sum, the book does have great maps and visuals -- the commentary on the etchings are first rate (except when they again accuse Americans of dealing unjustly with the British). I will keep the book on the shelf for reference, but will not recommend it.
Book Description
Tor Classics are affordably-priced editions designed to attract the young reader. Original dynamic cover art enthusiastically represents the excitement of each story. Appropriate "reader friendly" type sizes have been chosen for each title--offering clear, accurate, and readable text. All editions are complete and unabridged, and feature Introductions and Afterwords.This edition of Around the World in Eighty Days includes a Foreword, Biographical Note, and Afterword by Justin Leiber.
Download Description
An eccentric English gentleman and his manservant pack a carpet bag with two woolen shirts, three pairs of stockings, and 20,000 pounds, and travel around the world in 80 days, in order to win a bet.
Customer Reviews:
Free SF Reader.......2007-09-03
A book based around a bet. Two adventurers, one a gentleman, and one not so nice, make a not so small wager, on Fogg's ability to circumnavigate the globe in 80 days or less.
When something like that happens, of course there will be villainous nogoodniks trying to stop you from accomplishing your task, winning the bet, getting the girl and all the good grog, etc.
A great book.......2007-06-05
Around The World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne is more true to life than
other books by Verne. The movie starring David Niven is a good movie.
By Danny Karl Fleming, author of How to Prove The Collatz Conjecture.
Easy to read and fun to boot.......2006-12-20
I had never read this classic until now, my 40th year, and I am so glad I did. I laughed, I was tense, I enjoyed it through and through.
A bit slow, but still good.......2006-09-16
Like many classics, this book is paced completely different than a modern novel. It takes forever to get going and even then, not all that much does happen. That to me was the biggest disappointment: Not all that much happens at all. Sure, they get in some trouble and have to fight their way through, but overall, it seems a two-week trip of my own is often more exciting than these 80 days around a world (to excaturate slightly). And to make matters worse, even when something does happen and people venture out to solve a problem, too much time is spent describing the people left behind waiting, and sometimes there is no description of the actual solution of the problem. But such is the style of the time, I guess.
I guess part of the problem is that the story deals with getting around the world as fast as possible, which leaves little time for anything but getting from a ship to the next train and so forth. Very little time is spent at all the different places, which would have offered so much potential story-wise, yet there is no time.
I still enjoyed reading it, in part because the way books were written at this time just amuses me (old English and all). And towards the end, the excitement does pick up a little bit. Not to modern-day-novel levels, but still, I enjoyed it.
You will like this book if you start reading with the right expectations.
Rollicking good time.......2006-08-22
I think those of us who were introduced to this classic via the recent Jackie Chan movie were done a great disservice. This book accomplishes what few books can: even though the characters are one dimensional, the reader cares about them and genuinely wants to know what will happen next.
The basic setup is that Phileas Fogg makes a bet with members of his club that he can travel the world in 80 days, and then lugs Passaporteau around with him while he sets about accomplishing this task.
Verne does a great job of indicting the tourist mindset that we have today, and apparently had back in Verne's time. Throughout the whole book, Fogg is traveling through France, India, Singapore, Japan and the US, yet never takes the time to appreciate any of it. It's a lot like the people who take vacations and then bring back 20 rolls of film depicting every single landmark mentioned in Frommer's. They've seen it all, but it's all done with a sense of urgency and no real joy. Again, Verne has proven adept at predicting and accurately characterizing human foibles.
Book Description
In Islamic law the world was made up of the House of Islam and the House of War with the Ottoman Sultan--the perceived successor to the Caliphs--supreme ruler of the Islamic world. However, Suraiya Faroqhi demonstrates that there was no iron curtain between the Ottoman and other worlds but rather a long-established network of diplomatic, financial, cultural and religious connections. These extended to the empires of Asia and the modern states of Europe. Faroqhi's book is based on a huge study of original and early modern sources, including diplomatic records, travel and geographical writing, as well as personal accounts.
Customer Reviews:
Talk about research! Not exactly for the casual reader..........2007-09-19
(The only reason why I think that this book may alienate the casual reader somewhat is that it throws some names and events around which will be unfamiliar to most history buffs. If you can handle that, then by all means check this book out!)
This book is not exactly a page turner at first, but it is enjoyable, especially if you have a basic understanding of the early to late Medieval and Early Modern Period. This book covers some aspects of Ottoman history (and some corresponding European and Central Asian/Iranian history) in the Early Modern/Modern Era that, simply put, you will not find in other books. Suraiya Faroqhi is not your typical historian that chooses to write a book like this, largely by using the subject's chronology as an outline; the analysis is much more detailed, no matter how insignificant any subject covered seems at first.
The book almost seems to work backward compared to other history books, and that is a good thing. To give an example, I have several books on the Roman Republic/Empire, and 90% of their content is the same; the other 10% is that extra bit of detail on subjects that authors add out of their own interest or specialty as writers. Imagine that an author took that 10% from several great books on the Ottoman Empire, but took all of it further; if that made any sense, then that will give you an idea of what to expect with "The Ottoman Empire and the World Around It." ;P
Some examples of that detail and analysis include relations between the empire's administration and European pilgrims -- Jewish and Christian -- to Jerusalem, how the Hajj was managed for non-Sunni Muslim pilgrims, the differences in administration between frontier, coastal, inland, rural, urban, and major provinces/cities, the lives of slaves and POWs in the empire vs. Europe and the Americas, the lives of women, relations with European and Iranian merchants/diplomats, Waqfs and the evolution of urban planning in the main cities. Each subject is covered from as many sources and perspectives as possible.
Highly recommended.
Book Description
The Human Tradition in Colonial Latin America is an anthology of life stories of largely ordinary individuals struggling to forge a life during the unstable colonial period in Latin America. These mini-biographies show the tensions that emerged when
Customer Reviews:
decent.......2005-09-19
the product came late, I'm not sure if its the sellers fault, but she doesn't respond well to emails
Book Description
Through a beautiful and compelling narrative, Schoppa traces the lives and history at Xiang Lake, a reservoir from its creation in 1112 to the present.
Combining evocative historical description and cogent analysis, Song Full of Tears is a chronicle of nine hundred years of life in southeast China. It reveals the workings of Chinese society in times of environmental and military crises, how the Chinese reacted to changes, threats, and opportunities, and how they dealt with one another and the world of nature and the environment.
Until the 18th century, Xiang Lake, in the province of Zheijiang, was the stage for morality battles between loyalty and betrayal, chastity and impurity, civic virtue and private greed. After the 18th century, concerns about ecology, public rights, and technology emerged as elements in the struggle, and in the 20th century, the fate of the lake became linked to national political developments and then to technological and ecological realities. Song Full of Tears shows how Chinese views of life, society, and nature both changed and remained constant through the centuries. The paperback will include a new epilogue by the author.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent work on the Zhejiang region.......2006-12-19
I read Dr. Schoppa's 1989 release (Xiang Lake) for his course in Chinese history in my undergraduate years at Valparaiso. This book is excellent. Not only is it engaging, but accurately reflects nine centuries of life around a lake in the Zhejiang region of China. Schoppa's writing is engaging and his subject matter is well researched.
Book Description
The Human Tradition in Mexico is a book of real-life stories of Mexicans throughout more than 250 years of the country's history. This text does not focus on presidents, generals, and other well-known figures, but rather on the ordinary individuals
Average customer rating:
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The White Mantle of Churches: Architecture, Liturgy, and Art Around the Millennium (International Medieval Research, 10)
Manufacturer: Brepols Publishers
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 2503512305 |
Book Description
When a monk living at the beginning of the last millennium described Europe 'cladding itself everywhere in a white mantle of churches', he precipitated several questions for historians to answer. Was there a surge in church-building at the time? If so, what were the causes of this, and what were the purposes? Does it help to explain our understanding of Romanesque architecture and art? Was there a connection between the 'white mantle of churches' and the millennium? Did people believe the world was coming to an end?
The supposition of apocalyptic expectations at the time was until recently dismissed as romantic myth, but the arrival of our new millennium has brought a revival in interest in the dawn of the second millennium, and new evidence of millennial fears. Yet millennial studies and architectural history largely continue to follow separate, parallel paths. This book therefore aims to add the architectural evidence to the millennial debate, and to examine this formative period in relation to the evolution of Romanesque architecture and art. As our own millennium gets under way with continuing hesitancy between European aspiration and national identity, it is also of interest to compare our time with the Europe of a thousand years ago.
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At the Time of Renoir and the Impressionists (Art Around the World)
Antony Mason
Manufacturer: Franklin Watts Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0749644125 |
Book Description
This study brings together widely divergent discourses to fashion a comprehensive picture of sexual language and attitudes at a particular time and place in the medieval world.
John Baldwin introduces five representative voices from the turn of the twelfth century in northern France: Pierre the Chanter speaks for the theological doctrine of Augustine; the Prose Salernitan Questions, for the medical theories of Galen; Andre the Chaplain, for the Ovidian literature of the schools; Jean Renart, for the contemporary romances; and Jean Bodel, for the emerging voices of the fabliaux. Baldwin juxtaposes their views on a range of essential subjects, including social position, the sexual body, desire and act, and procreation. The result is a fascinating dialogue of how they agreed or disagreed with, ignored, imitated, or responded to each other at a critical moment in the development of European ideas about sexual desire, fulfillment, morality, and gender.
These spokesmen allow us into the discussion of sexuality inside the church and schools of the clergy, in high and popular culture of the leity. This heterogeneous discussion also offers a startling glimpse into the construction of gender specific to this moment, when men and women enjoyed equal status in sexual matters, if nowhere else.
Taken together, these voices extend their reach, encompass their subject, and point to a center where social reality lies. By articulating reality at its varied depths, this study takes its place alongside groundbreaking works by James Brundage, John Boswell, and Leah Otis in extending our understanding of sexuality and sexual behavior in the Middle Ages.
"Superb work. . . . These five kinds of discourse are not often treated together in scholarly writing, let alone compared and contrasted so well."—Edward Collins Vacek, Theological Studies
"[Baldwin] has made the five voices speak to us in a language that is at one and the same time familiar and alien in its resonance and accents. This is a truly exceptional book, interdisciplinary in the real sense of the word, which is surely destined to become a landmark in medieval studies."—Keith Busby, Bryn Mawr Reviews
"[Baldwin's] attempt to 'listen' to these distant voices and translate their language of sex into our own raises challenging methodological questions that will be of great interest to historians and literary scholars alike."—John P. Dalton, Comitatus
Books:
- The Invisible Wall: A Love Story That Broke Barriers
- The Lost Colony (Artemis Fowl, Book 5)
- The Madonnas of Leningrad: A Novel (P.S.)
- The Matzah Man: A Passover Story
- The Merchant of Venice (Cambridge School Shakespeare)
- The North Pole Was Here: Puzzles and Perils at the Top of the World
- The Painted Veil
- The Politically Incorrect Guide to Global Warming (and Environmentalism)
- The President, the Pope, and the Prime Minister: Three Who Changed the World
- The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money and Power
Books Index
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