|
|
|
|
| |
Oxford University Press
|
|
Worlds at War: The 2,500 Year Struggle Between East and West
Автор: Anthony Pagden Жанр: Oxford University Press Издательство: Oxford University Press Год: 2009 Страниц: 576 Дата загрузки: 28 июня 20112014-08-14
|
|
The differences that divide West from East go deeper than politics, deeper than religion, argues Anthony Pagden. To understand this volatile relationship, and how it has played out over the centuries, we need to go back before the Crusades, before the birth of Islam, before the birth of Christianity, to the fifth century BCE. Europe was born out of Asia and for centuries the two shared a single history. But when the Persian emperor Xerxes tried to conquer Greece, a struggle began which has never ceased. This book tells the story of that long conflict. First Alexander the Great and then the Romans tried to unite Europe and Asia into a single civilization. With the conversion of the West to Christianity and much of the East to Islam, a bitter war broke out between two universal religions, each claiming world dominance. By the seventeenth century, with the decline of the Church, the contest had shifted from religion to philosophy: the West's scientific rationality in contrast to those sought ultimate guidance it in the words of God. The eighteenth and nineteenth centuries witnessed the disintegration of the great Muslim empires — the Ottoman, the Mughal, and the Safavid in Iran — and the increasing Western domination of the whole of Asia. The resultant attempt to mix Islam and Western modernism sparked off a struggle in the Islamic world between reformers and traditionalists which persists to this day. The wars between East and West have not only been the longest and most costly in human history, they have also formed the West's vision of itself as independent, free, secular, and now democratic. They have shaped, and continue to shape, the nature of the modern world.
|
| |
|
War in European History
Автор: Michael Howard Жанр: Oxford University Press Издательство: Oxford University Press Год: 2009 Страниц: 192 Дата загрузки: 15 июня 20112012-04-15
|
|
First published over thirty years ago, War in European History is a brilliantly written survey of the changing ways that war has been waged in Europe, from the Norse invasions to the present day. Far more than a simple military history, the book serves as a succinct and enlightening overview of the development of European society as a whole over the last millennium. From the Norsemen and the world of the medieval knights, through to the industrialized mass warfare of the twentieth century, Michael Howard illuminates the way in which warfare has shaped the history of the Continent, its effect on social and political institutions, and the ways in which technological and social change have in turn shaped the way in which wars are fought. This new edition includes a fully updated further reading and a new final chapter bringing the story into the twenty-first century, including the invasion of Iraq and the so-called 'War against Terror'.
|
| |
|
The Spanish Civil War
Автор: Helen Graham Жанр: Oxford University Press Издательство: Oxford University Press Год: 2009 Страниц: 175 Дата загрузки: 11 августа 20112012-09-24
|
|
This Very Short Introduction offers a powerfully-written explanation of the war's complex origins and course, and explores its impact on a personal and international scale. It also provides an ethical reflection on the war in the context of Europe's tumultuous twentieth century, highlighting why it has inspired some of the greatest writers of our time, and how it continues to resonate today in Britain, continental Europe, and beyond. Throughout the book, the focus is on the war as an arena of social change where ideas about culture were forged or resisted, and in which both Spaniards and non-Spaniards participated alike. These were conflicts that during the Second World War would stretch from Franco's regime, which envisaged itself as part of the Nazi new order, to Europe and beyond. Accordingly, this book examines Spanish participation in European resistance movements during World War II and also the ongoing civil war waged politically, economically, judicially and culturally inside Spain by Francoism after its military victory in 1939. History writing itself became a battleground and the book charts the Franco regime's attempt to appropriate the past.It also indicates its ultimate failure — as evident in new writings on the war and, above all, in the return of Republican memory now occurring in Spain during the opening years of the twenty-first century.
|
| |
|
Shakespeare, Sex, and Love
Автор: Stanley W. Wells Жанр: Oxford University Press Издательство: Oxford University Press Год: 2010 Страниц: 304 Дата загрузки: 7 декабря 20122013-09-14
|
|
How does Shakespeare's treatment of human sexuality relate to the sexual conventions and language of his times? Pre-eminent Shakespearean critic Stanley Wells draws on historical and anecdotal sources to present an illuminating account of sexual behaviour in Shakespeare's time, particularly in Stratford-upon-Avon and London. He demonstrates what we know or can deduce of the sex lives of Shakespeare and members of his family. He also provides a fascinating account of depictions of sexuality in the poetry of the period and suggests that at the time Shakespeare was writing most of his non-dramatic verse a group of poets catered especially for readers with homoerotic tastes. The second part of Shakespeare, Sex, — and Love focuses on the variety of ways in which Shakespeare treats sexuality in his plays and at how he relates sexuality to love. Wells shows that Shakespeare's attitude to sex developed over the course of his writing career, and devotes whole chapters to 'The Fun of Sex' — to how he raises laughter out of the matter of sex in both the language and the plotting of some of his comedies; portrayals of sexual desire; to Romeo and Juliet as the play in which Shakespeare focuses most centrally on issues relating to sex, love, and the relationship between them; to sexual jealousy, traced through four major plays; 'Sexual Experience'; and 'Whores and Saints'. A final chapter, 'Just Good Friends' examines Shakespeare's rendering of same-gender relationships.
|
| |
|
Scotland
Автор: Rab Houston Жанр: Oxford University Press Издательство: Oxford University Press Год: 2008 Страниц: 192 Дата загрузки: 15 июля 20092011-04-15
|
|
Since Devolution in 1999 Scotland has become a focus of intense interest both within Britain and throughout the wider world. In this Very Short Introduction, Rab Houston explores how an independent Scottish nation emerged in the Middle Ages, how it was irrevocably altered by Reformation, links with England and economic change, and how Scotland influenced the development of the modern world. Examining politics, law, society, religion, education, migration, and culture, he examines how the nation's history has made it distinct from England, both before and after Union, how it overcame internal tensions between Highland and Lowland society, and how it has today arrived at a political, social and culture watershed. Authoritative, lucid, and ranging widely over issues of environment, people, and identity, this is Scotland's story without myths: an ideal introduction for those interested in the Scots, but also a balanced yet refreshing challenge to those who already feel at home in Scotland past and present.
|
| |
|
The Rule of Empires: Those Who Built Them, Those Who Endured Them, and Why They Always Fall
Автор: Timothy Parsons Жанр: Oxford University Press Издательство: Oxford University Press Год: 2010 Страниц: 492 Дата загрузки: 27 октрября 20132015-08-24
|
|
In The Rule of Empires, Timothy Parsons gives a sweeping account of the evolution of empire from its origins in ancient Rome to its most recent twentieth-century embodiment. He explains what constitutes an empire and offers suggestions about what empires of the past can tell us about our own historical moment. Parsons uses imperial examples that stretch from ancient Rome, to Britain's «new» imperialism in Kenya, to the Third Reich to parse the features common to all empires, their evolutions and self-justifying myths, and the reasons for their inevitable decline. Parsons argues that far from confirming some sort of Darwinian hierarchy of advanced and primitive societies, conquests were simply the products of a temporary advantage in military technology, wealth, and political will. Beneath the self-justifying rhetoric of benevolent paternalism and cultural superiority lay economic exploitation and the desire for power. Yet imperial ambitions still appear viable in the twenty-first century, Parsons shows, because their defenders and detractors alike employ abstract and romanticized perspectives that fail to grasp the historical reality of subjugation. Writing from the perspective of the common subject rather than that of the imperial conquerors, Parsons offers a historically grounded cautionary tale rich with accounts of subjugated peoples throwing off the yoke of empire time and time again. In providing an accurate picture of what it is like to live as a subject, The Rule of Empires lays bare the rationalizations of imperial conquerors and their apologists and exposes the true limits of hard power.
|
| |
|
The Oxford Style Manual
Автор: Robert Ritter Жанр: Oxford University Press Издательство: Oxford University Press Год: 2003 Страниц: 1056 Дата загрузки: 11 октрября 20092007-03-16
|
|
Throughout the twentieth century, The Oxford Dictionary for Writers and Editors and Hart's Rules grew to be indispensable sources for all those who deal with the written word. Now, for the first time, The Oxford Style Manual combines in one volume these two classic reference books in their latest forms: the second edition of The Oxford Dictionary for Writers and Editors, and The Oxford Guide to Style — the new Hart's Rules. Together they offer unrivalled guidance on words and how to treat them. The first part of The Oxford Style Manual contains 16 topic-based chapters of help on every aspect of words in print. The text is full of explanations, examples, and lists for quick reference: abbreviations, capitalization, punctuation, scientific and mathematical symbols are all covered in full. It gives clear advice on how to treat quotations, illustrations, tables, notes and references, specialist subjects, and indexes, as well as exhaustive information on foreign languages. There is also information on recent issues such as citing electronic media, submitting material for online publication, and current copyright law. The second part of the Manual consists of short alphabetical entries that provide easy-to-follow guidance on specific writing conundrums, including common spelling difficulties (hairdryer or hairdrier?); queries on hyphenation and punctuation (brothers-in-law or brother-in-laws?); confusables (impassible or impassable?); differences between British and American English (pyjamas/pajamas); and difficult or unusual terms. The Oxford Style Manual really is the ultimate guide for all book, magazine, and Internet publishers on preparing and presenting the written word.
|
| |
|
The Norman Conquest
Автор: George Garnett Жанр: Oxford University Press Издательство: Oxford University Press Год: 2009 Страниц: 168 Дата загрузки: 08 марта 20122011-10-13
|
|
The Norman Conquest in 1066 was the last time England was successfully invaded, and was one of the most profound turning points in English history, cataclysmically transforming a disparate collection of small nations into a European state. But what actually happened? How was the invasion viewed by those who witnessed it? And how has its legacy been seen by generations since? This fascinating Very Short Introduction reveals how dramatically English life was changed, from its language to its law, and focuses on the differing ways the conquest has been viewed by historians and in folklore ever since.
|
| |
|
Information
Автор: Luciano Floridi Жанр: Oxford University Press Издательство: Oxford University Press Год: 2010 Страниц: 152 Дата загрузки: 16 декабря 20122012-10-23
|
|
We live an information-soaked existence — information pours into our lives through television, radio, books, and of course, the Internet. Some say we suffer from 'infoglut'. But what is information? The concept of 'information' is a profound one, rooted in mathematics, central to whole branches of science, yet with implications on every aspect of our everyday lives: DNA provides the information to create us; we learn through the information fed to us; we relate to each other through information transfer — gossip, lectures, reading. Information is not only a mathematically powerful concept, but its critical role in society raises wider ethical issues: who owns information? Who controls its dissemination? Who has access to information? Luciano Floridi, a philosopher of information, cuts across many subjects, from a brief look at the mathematical roots of information — its definition and measurement in 'bits' — to its role in genetics (we are information), and its social meaning and value. He ends by considering the ethics of information, including issues of ownership, privacy, and accessibility; copyright and open source. For those unfamiliar with its precise meaning and wide applicability as a philosophical concept, 'information' may seem a bland or mundane topic. Those who have studied some science or philosophy or sociology will already be aware of its centrality and richness. But for all readers, whether from the humanities or sciences, Floridi gives a fascinating and inspirational introduction to this most fundamental of ideas.
|
| |
|
The First World War
Автор: Michael Howard Жанр: Oxford University Press Издательство: Oxford University Press Год: 2007 Страниц: 156 Дата загрузки: 21 июля 20082011-03-29
|
|
By the time the First World War ended in 1918, eight million people had died in what had been perhaps the most apocalyptic episode the world had known. This Very Short Introduction provides a concise and insightful history of the 'Great War', focusing on why it happened, how it was fought, and why it had the consequences it did. It examines the state of Europe in 1914 and the outbreak of war; the onset of attrition and crisis; the role of the US; the collapse of Russia; and the weakening and eventual surrender of the Central Powers. Looking at the historical controversies surrounding the causes and conduct of war, Michael Howard also describes how peace was ultimately made, and the potent legacy of resentment left to Germany.
|
| |
|
The Fat Tail: The Power of Political Knowledge in an Uncertain World
Автор: Ian Bremmer Жанр: Oxford University Press Издательство: Oxford University Press Год: 2010 Страниц: 272 Дата загрузки: 28 июня 20122012-10-07
|
|
As Ian Bremmer and Preston Keat reveal in this innovative book, volatile political events such as the 2008 Georgia-Russia confrontation — and their catastrophic effects on business — happen much more frequently than investors imagine. On the curve that charts both the frequency of these events and the power of their impact, the «tail» of extreme political instability is not reassuringly thin but dangerously fat. Featuring a new Foreword that accounts for the cataclysmic effects of the 2008 financial crisis, The Fat Tail is the first book to both identify the wide range of political risks that global firms face and show investors how to effectively manage them. Written by two of the world's leading figures in political risk management, it reveals that while the world remains exceedingly risky for businesses, it is by no means incomprehensible. Political risk is unpredictable, but it is easier to analyze and manage than most people think. Applying the lessons of world history, Bremmer and Keat survey a vast range of contemporary risky situations, from stable markets like the United States or Japan, where politically driven regulation can still dramatically effect business, to more precarious places like Iran, China, Russia, Turkey, Mexico, and Nigeria, where private property is less secure and energy politics sparks constant volatility. The book sheds light on a wide array of political risks — risks that stem from great power rivalries, terrorist groups, government takeover of private property, weak leaders and internal strife, and even the «black swans» that defy prediction. But more importantly, the authors provide a wealth of unique methods, tools, and concepts to help corporations, money managers, and policy makers understand political risk, showing when and how political risk analysis works — and when it does not. «The Fat Tail delivers practical wisdom on the impact of political risk on firms of every description and valuable advice on how to use it. Ian Bremmer and Preston Keat offer innovative thinking and useful insight that will help business decision-makers find fresh answers to questions they may not yet know they have.» Fareed Zakaria, best-selling author of The Post-American World «Political risk has become increasingly complex, and The Fat Tail provides a truly new way to quantitatively assess it in established and emerging markets. It is essential reading for any CEO with multinational interests.» Randall Stephenson, Chairman, CEO and President, AT&T Inc. «Should be essential reading for anyone involved in international business even — perhaps especially — in places that seem politically stable.» Bill Emmott, former editor-in-chief of The Economist.
|
| |
|
The Earth After Us: What Legacy Will Humans Leave in the Rocks?
Автор: Jan Zalasiewicz Жанр: Oxford University Press Издательство: Oxford University Press Год: 2009 Страниц: 272 Дата загрузки: 28 июля 20102010-12-07
|
|
What would alien visitors in the far future, piecing together the history of earth, find of our brief reign? What clues will we leave? What fossils? Just as we have gained knowledge of the past, of ancient climates and the activities of creatures long dead, so too might they decode the rocks. The Earth After Us takes a novel approach to show how geologists unravel the information in the rocks. As the alien scientists start investigating the strata, what story will they tell of us? What kind of fossils will humans leave behind? What will happen to cities, cars, and plastic cups? How thick a layer will the 'human stratum' be? And will it be obvious which species dominated the planet?
|
| |
|
Cows in the Maze: And Other Mathematical Explorations
Автор: Ian Stewart Жанр: Oxford University Press Издательство: Oxford University Press Год: 2010 Страниц: 320 Дата загрузки: 19 марта 20132015-08-13
|
|
From the mathematics of mazes, to cones with a twist, and the amazing sphericon — and how to make one — Ian Stewart is back with more mathematical stories and puzzles that are as quirky as they are fascinating, and each from the cutting edge of the world of mathematics. We find out about the mathematics of time travel, explore the shape of teardrops (which are not tear-drop shaped, but something much, much more strange!), dance with dodecahedra, and play the game of Hex, amongst many more strange and delightful mathematical diversions.
|
| |
|
China: The Fragile Superpower
Автор: Susan L. Shirk Жанр: Oxford University Press Издательство: Oxford University Press Год: 2009 Страниц: 336 Дата загрузки: 16 мая 20122014-08-27
|
|
Once a sleeping giant, China today is the world's fastest growing economy — the leading manufacturer of cell phones, laptop computers, and digital cameras — a dramatic turn-around that alarms many Westerners. But in China: Fragile Superpower, Susan L. Shirk opens up the black box of Chinese politics and finds that the real danger lies elsewhere — not in China's astonishing growth, but in the deep insecurity of its leaders. China's leaders face a troubling paradox: the more developed and prosperous the country becomes, the more insecure and threatened they feel. Shirk, a former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State responsible for China, knows many of today's Chinese rulers personally and has studied them for three decades. She offers invaluable insight into how they think — and what they fear. In this revealing book, readers see the world through the eyes of men like President Hu Jintao and former President Jiang Zemin. We discover a fragile communist regime desperate to survive in a society turned upside down by miraculous economic growth and a stunning new openness to the greater world.Indeed, ever since the 1989 pro-democracy protests in Tiananmen Square and the fall of communism in the Soviet Union, Chinese leaders have been haunted by the fear that their days in power are numbered. Theirs is a regime afraid of its own citizens, and this fear motivates many of their decisions when dealing with the U.S. and other foreign nations. In particular, the fervent nationalism of the Chinese people, combined with their passionate resentment of Japan and attachment to Taiwan, have made relations with these two regions a minefield. It is here, Shirk concludes, in the tangled interactions between Japan, Taiwan, China, and the United States, that the greatest danger lies. Shirk argues that rising powers such as China tend to provoke wars in large part because other countries mishandle them. Unless we understand China's brittle internal politics and the fears that motivate its leaders, we face the very real possibility of avoidable conflict with China. This book provides that understanding.
|
| |
|
Antimatter
Автор: Frank Close Жанр: Oxford University Press Издательство: Oxford University Press Год: 2010 Страниц: 176 Дата загрузки: 12 апреля 20142013-04-25
|
|
Antimatter explores a strange mirror world, where particles have identical yet opposite properties to those that make up the familiar matter we encounter everyday; where left becomes right, positive becomes negative; and where, should matter and antimatter meet, the two annihilate in a blinding flash of energy that makes even thermonuclear explosions look feeble by comparison. It is an idea long beloved of science-fiction stories — but here, renowned science writer Frank Close shows that the reality of antimatter is even more fascinating than the fiction itself. We know that once, antimatter and matter existed in perfect counterbalance, and that antimatter then perpetrated a vanishing act on a cosmic scale that remains one of the greatest mysteries of the universe. Today, antimatter does not exist normally, at least on Earth, but we know that it is real for scientists are now able to make small pieces of it in particle accelerators, such as that at CERN in Geneva. Looking at the remarkable prediction of antimatter and how it grew from the meeting point of relativity and quantum theory in the early 20th century, at the discovery of the first antiparticles, at cosmic rays, annihilation, antimatter bombs, and antiworlds, Close separates the facts from the fiction about antimatter, and explains how its existence can give us profound clues about the origins and structure of the universe.
|
| |
|
101 Albums That Changed Popular Music
Автор: Chris Smith Жанр: Oxford University Press Издательство: Oxford University Press Год: 2009 Страниц: 302 Дата загрузки: 15 августа 20112014-08-11
|
|
Chris Smith's 101 Albums That Changed Popular Music tells the fascinating stories behind the most groundbreaking, influential, and often controversial albums ever recorded, ranging from The Anthology of American Folk Music (1952) to Elephant (2003) by The White Stripes. Organized chronologically to capture the flow of culture from one album to the next, this volume illuminates how these classic recordings reflected — and sometimes changed — the political, social, and economic culture of their eras. Among the featured albums are releases from the hard-blues explosion of the '60s, including Robert Johnson's King of the Delta Blues Singers, a landmark collection whose songs were later covered by the likes of Cream, Led Zeppelin, and the Rolling Stones. Punk made its mark in the '70s with Patti Smith's Horses and the Clash's London Calling. In the '80s Michael Jackson's blockbuster LP, Thriller, not only topped the charts, it became the best-selling record of all time. Diversity defined the '90s, with the most influential albums ranging from Garth Brooks' No Fences, which made country one of the hottest musical genres of the decade, to Dr. Dre's debut, The Chronic, a multi-platinum smash hit that brought West Coast hip hop into the mainstream. For each album, the book lists the basic publication information, including release date, label, and producer. More important, Chris Smith sheds light on the history of these albums, revealing the inspiration behind their creation, and why they continue to stand the test of time. Selected on the basis of their popular appeal and influence on later genres, the albums included represent a wide variety of genres, such as blues, jazz, rock, reggae, rockabilly, folk, soul, hip-hop, and country. A timeline of important events, a selected bibliography for further reading, and an appendix of albums that almost made the cut round out this volume, making it a gold mine of information for everyone who loves popular music.
|
| |
|
Fixing Failed States
Автор: Ashraf Ghani Жанр: Oxford University Press Издательство: Oxford University Press Год: 2009 Страниц: 272 Дата загрузки: 28 июля 20102010-12-07
|
|
Today between forty and sixty nations, home to more than one billion people, have either collapsed or are teetering on the brink of failure. The world's worst problems — terrorism, drugs and human trafficking, absolute poverty, ethnic conflict, disease, genocide — originate in such states, and the international community has devoted billions of dollars to solving the problem. Yet by and large the effort has not succeeded. Ashraf Ghani and Clare Lockhart have taken an active part in the effort to save failed states for many years, serving as World Bank officials, as advisers to the UN, and as high-level participants in the new government of Afghanistan. In Fixing Failed States, they describe the issue — vividly and convincingly — offering an on-the-ground picture of why past efforts have not worked and advancing a groundbreaking new solution to this most pressing of global crises. For the paperback edition, they have added a new preface that addresses the continuing crisis in light of ongoing governance problems in weak states like Afghanistan and the global financial recession. As they explain, many of these countries already have the resources they need, if only we knew how to connect them to global knowledge and put them to work in the right way. Their state-building strategy, which assigns responsibility equally among the international community, national leaders, and citizens, maps out a clear path to political and economic stability. The authors provide a practical framework for achieving these ends, supporting their case with first-hand examples of struggling territories such as Afghanistan, Sudan, Kosovo and Nepal as well as the world's success stories — Singapore, Ireland, and even the American South.
|
| |
|
Concise Oxford Spanish Dictionary
Автор: Oxford Dictionaries Жанр: Oxford University Press Издательство: Oxford University Press Год: 2009 Страниц: 1504 Дата загрузки: 14 июля 20102010-12-13
|
|
Completely updated to include all the latest vocabulary, this fourth edition of the Concise Oxford Spanish Dictionary contains coverage of over 175,000 words and phrases, and 240,000 translations. It includes a comphrensive correspondence guide with sample letters, emails, and CVs, plus fun and informative cultural notes on life and living in the Spanish-speaking world. This new edition also features new sections on Spanish as used around the world, false friends and Spanglish, as well as an entirely new internet section helping with everyday online activities from booking tickets to banking online. The Concise Oxford Spanish Dictionary is easy to use, with a clear layout featuring a two-colour text design and printed thumb tabs for quick reference.
|
| |
|
A Century of New Words
Автор: John Ayto Жанр: Oxford University Press Издательство: Oxford University Press Год: 2007 Страниц: 256 Дата загрузки: 25 июня 20092010-02-29
|
|
Take a fascinating journey from plastic (1909) to podcasting (2004). This vivid picture of the last 105 years is based on John Ayto's critically acclaimed Twentieth Century Words, and was published in hardback as Movers and Shakers: A chronology of words that shaped our age. It offers a selection of the key words added to the English language in the twentieth century and the early years of the twenty-first, grouped by decade. An introductory essay identifies the main historical, cultural, and scientific currents running through each decade, and shows how they contributed new vocabulary to the language. An A-Z listing of words which were first recorded in that decade follows, selected for their resonance to today's world. Each word is fully described and its origins explained. A final section looks at vocabulary developments of the new millennium. Full of surprises, this book is at once a glimpse of the past and a handbook for today.
|
| |
|
Oxford Illustrated Children's Thesaurus
Автор: Oxford Dictionaries Жанр: Словари, разговорники Издательство: Oxford University Press Год: 2010 Страниц: 160 Дата загрузки: 26 февраля 20122012-05-06
|
|
A new, easy-to-use illustrated children's thesaurus with thousands of entries, synonyms, clear age-appropriate example sentences and over a thousand colour illustrations. The clear design and colourful word webs with hundreds of topic words make homework and writing easy and fun.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
