Product Description
Offers a comprehensive account of the history of linguistic thought from its European origins some 2500 years ago to the present day. Examines the independent development of linguistic science in China, Medieval Islam, and India. Paper. DLC: Linguistics - History. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A bombastic book
This title describes the history of linguistics as one periodization after another, this leads to an avalanch of information, that leaves one feeling barried. As one of my classmates said, the author sucks off all the meat and presents the bones. A dull and overly informative read.

Short indeed
A better title for this book might be "A Short History of EUROPEAN Linguistics."Although Indian and Chinese linguistics are mentioned, they are treated as sidetracks of chapters about Western thought.This is rather strange, given the tremendous insights of Panini, which Robins seems to suggest led to new breakthroughs once these works were discovered by Western linguists.Perhaps a more accurate approach would have been to start with the earliest Indian linguistic traditions, follow how these traditions led to Panini, and then spread to China.The wrong turns taken by various European linguists from the Greeks until the discovery of Panini by Europeans could then be treated briefly as a sidetrack.

Aside from these quibbles over the subject matter and orientation, I found this book rather hard to follow.On the back cover, a blurb by Language International states ". . . a clearly written history of the study of linguistics from Classical Greece onwards."I didn't find the writing clear at all.On numerous occasions, lack of proper connecting expressions makes the message hard to follow.For instance, we find on p. 175 "Much of what has been briefly noticed in ancient Indian speculation on semantics and the theory of language strikes chords already familiar in the western tradition, though their approach is often rather different.What is most remarkable about Indian phonetic work is its manifest superiority in conception and execution, especially in phonetics, as compared with anything produced in the west or elsewhere before the Indian contribution had become known there."Such a message could be expressed much more clearly by comparing directly the similarity of Western and Indian work on semantics with the dissimilarity of Western and Indian work on phonetics.Alternatively, the author could compare the equality of Western and Indian work on semantics with the inferiority of Western work on phonetics in relation to Indian work.But starting the second sentence, with "What is most remarkable about Indian phonetic work" leads the reader to assume that the previous sentence should have been extolling the more minor virtues of Indian phonetic work, and that what follows will be the greatest achievement of Indian phonetic work.Such lack of care with linking expressions requires the reader to stop and re-read the passage several times in order understand what is being said.Such potentially confusing passages permeate this book.

I found the final two chapters, devoted to the first and second half of the twentieth centuries exceedingly hard-to-follow.The first of these chapters has an extremely weak story-line, consisting mostly of short summaries of the work of individual researchers, without satisfactory connections being made.There is little sense of balance; the Prague School is barely mentioned while Firth gets six pages.The latter chapter meanders through the development of Chomky's theory without providing many satisfactory explanations.See, for instance, p. 261: "The emphasis on the explanatory goal of Chomskyan linguistics or of any linguistic theory inspired by him, is ever more strongly made.As a result the term transformational, so frequent in former textbooks, has now almost disappeared and the Chomskyan theory is now designated simply as generative linguistics."It may be true that Chomskyan linguistics increasingly emphasizes the goal of explanation, but it's hard to see how this emphasis directly caused the demise of the term "transformational".The material on Chomsky ends with Government and Binding theory; no mention is made of Minimalism or Optimality (in phonology or syntax), both of which were well established by 1997 when this edition was published.Coverage of developments in phonology ends with The Sound Pattern of English (1968). Developments in sociolinguistics are briefly mentioned in the final chapter, although Labov's name does not appear.The rise of new fields such as computational linguistics is not mentioned at all, nor are non-Chomskyan theories of syntax.The book concludes with "In striving towards the understanding and knowledge of language, man has throughout his intellectual history been seeking more fully to attain self-knowledge, and to obey the injunction that faced the visitor to Apollo's temple at Delphi, the centre of the ancient Greek world, where our civilization finds its source: (2 untranslated Greek words)."If you haven't had the benefit of a classical education, you're out of luck with this one.

Despite these shortcomings, this book is highly informative and well referenced.In addition to providing a brief background of the development of European linguistic science, it also gives an overview of general philosophical thought over the 2000 years covered by the book.If you're looking for a brief overview of European linguistics and philosophy, and you're willing to spend some time fighting with the text to understand the meaning, then this book may serve your purposes.

Must Read
You're not linguist without reading this book. ... Read more

Product Description
In just 100 years, air and space exploration has progressed from a 12-second, 120-foot flight by two brothers to nearly 30 years of sustained flight by a spacecraft, now eight billion miles from Earth, traveling at almost 40,000 miles per hour.

Drawing on the extensive collection of the National Air and Space Museum (NASM), and personal collections, this full-color, beautifully illustrated book chronicles the most significant accomplishments in aerospace history over the past 100 years. In timeline fashion, you'll read brief excerpts from hundreds of news articles reporting on significant accomplishments in flight. Through brief introductory essays, you will learn what made each decade of flight most significant. Concluding essays by John D. Anderson Jr. and Roger D. Launius of the NASM look at what lies ahead. Foreword by A. Scott Crossfield.

The book was commissioned in celebration of the 100th anniversary of powered flight. Winter and van der Linden are both curators at the NASM, and authors of several acclaimed books on air and space history and the "Out of the Past" column published monthly in Aerospace America. ... Read more

Product Description
Ferdinand Gregorovius (1821-1891) was a celebrated German medieval historian. After studying philosophy and theology at the University of Königsberg, Gregorovius moved to Rome in 1852, and became immersed in researching the medieval history of the city. First published in 1872, his monumental study of medieval Rome was the first modern account of the subject, and became the standard reference. This English translation of the fourth German edition appeared between 1894 and 1902. In his work Gregorovius discusses the political, social and cultural changes in the city from 400 to 1534, making extensive use of primary sources. Gregorovius also includes the Renaissance in his study, showing how medieval thought and events influenced political and cultural life and thought during the Renaissance. Volume 1 covers the period 400-568 and describes the events and aftermath of the sack of Rome by the Vandals in 476. ... Read more

Product Description
Nonfiction topics in graphic novel format! History leaps off the page in Capstone's Graphic Library. Eye-popping artwork and easy-to-read text offer an appealing experience for all readers. An additional information section provides key facts and further understanding. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Started my interest in history!
I'm 9 years old and loved this book!After I finished reading I couldn't wait until I got another book on the Alamo to find out more about the siege.This book is cool!

The Alamo, Graphically
This is a graphic history version of the Alamo.I use this series with my ESOL students.It helps them learn English while learning American History at the same time.The Alamo is an interesting part of American History and one they will have to study in their classes.

Graphic history lesson
This book is part of the excellent series entitled Capstone's Graphic History set. Granted the fast-paced format is not for the history scholar or Alamo Vet for that matter but rather for young readers exploring history. The graphic novel approach is very interesting and entertaining; it brings history to life. In this historical episode the young reader will learn about American men like Jim Bowie, Colonel Travis and Davy Crockett alongside their nemisis the Mexican General Santa Anna and the Battle of The Alamo. Primary sources are used for the young historians clarification of facts. This book is a good starting point for school reports. Also offered is a beginers glossary, internet sites presented through facthound.com with a special code and suggested readings like Antonio Lopez De Santa Anna (Latinos in American History). Although geared for the young student,up to middle school, this book is also good for students whose fist language is not English who are older. Also an excellent resource for the reluctant reader. Recommended for community and middle school libraries.

Short view of history for the younger child!
Comic book/graphic novel format makes it entertaining for reluctant readers!
A super approach to history! Both my children loved the quick action packed format in this title about the Alamo and the others in this great series as well!
Very well done!

Not very accurate
This comic needs more work.Some of the facts are not correct.There are not enough pages for the price of the book.The artwork is cartoonish.I realize that the writer and artist put a lot of labor into this book but I have seen much better.Sorry!! ... Read more

Product Description
Long before the American Revolution, the Shawnees lived in Ohio, hunted in Kentucky, and traveled as far afield as Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Missouri. White settlers, however, sharply curtailed their freedom. With the courage and resilience embodied by their legendary leaderTecumseh, the Shawnee tribe waged a war of territorial and cultural resistance that lasted for more than sixty years. For a time the Shawnees and their allies met American forces on nearly equal terms—but their story is of an embattled nation fighting to maintain its cultural and political independence.

Here is the account of the early American settlers’ drive to occupy the West, the Shawnees’ unwavering defense of their homeland, and the bitter battles that resulted. Here too are the alliances that the Shawnees forged with their Indian neighbors to present a united resistance, as well as instances of cooperation, collaboration, and intermarriage between the opposing forces. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Useful
This concise and well written book is a nice history of Shawnee interactions with European settlers.The author is a distinguished historian specializing in Native American history.Many readers will probably be at least somewhat familiar with the most famous Shawnee leaders, the warrior Tecumseh and his brother, the religious leader Tenkswata.In the period of the War of 1812, they attempted to form an eastern Indian coalition to resist American encroachment on what is now much of the Midwest and South. Calloway relates this story quite well and links it to a series of larger themes.One is the persistent role of the Shawnee in resistance to European encroachments.Originating in the Ohio Valley, Shawnee bands, like many Native American groups, migrated through several regions of eastern North America during the 17th, 18th, and early 19th centuries.Calloway suggests that the peripatetic Shawnee had a broad perspective on conflict with European settlers and often became leaders in resistance against European and American settlers.Shawnee leaders participated in Pontiac's rebellion and conflicts with Americans in the early years of the republic.

Calloway uses the experience of the Shawnee to illustrate the general history of eastern Indians.The Shawnee and other Indian societies faced huge disadvantages in terms of population, access to modern weapons, and epidemiology.They were also often disunited and victims of their decentralized political traditions.Calloway provides nice overviews of Shawnee society, the sad narrative of their encounters with Europeans, and good analysis of the underlying forces.

Shawnees and America
Shawnees and the War for America is an excellent history of the Shawnee experience during the two centuries of their struggle to hold onto the land they occupied when the EurAmericans invaded.

The author has included names and described Shawnees in action with words that create pictures.The tale of travail of Cornstalk is compelling.The descrlption of the Shawnee's defeat of the American Army under St.clair, which "effectively distroyed the new nation's only army" deservers more text in our history books.

The book is concise, brief amd well writtened with a neutral viewpoint, but there is no way to make the plot have a better ending.

The Shawnees we see today are the survivors of a genocide that swept away 95% of their ancestors and took most of their land to build a nation almost as worthy a Shawnee nation.

Read this book!

The book referenced below tells the heroic tale of the Shawnees coming to America.

Frozen Trail to Merica: Talerman

You will have a better perspective.


... Read more

Product Description

Product Description
In a masterful narrative, historian and biographer Charles Bracelen Flood brings to life the drama of Lincoln's final year, in which he oversaw the last campaigns of the Civil War, was reelected as president, and laid out his majestic vision for the nation's future in a reunified South and in the expanding West.

In 1864: Lincoln at the Gates of History, the reader is plunged into the heart of that crucial year as Lincoln faced enormous challenges. The Civil War was far from being won: as the year began, Lincoln had yet to appoint Ulysses S. Grant as the general-in-chief who would finally implement the bloody strategy and dramatic campaigns that would bring victory.

At the same time, with the North sick of the war, Lincoln was facing a reelection battle in which hundreds of thousands of "Peace Democrats" were ready to start negotiations that could leave the Confederacy as a separate American nation, free to continue the practice of slavery. In his personal life, he had to deal with the erratic behavior of his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, and both Lincolns were haunted by the sudden death, two years before, of their beloved eleven-year-old son, Willie.

1864 is the story of Lincoln's struggle with all this -- the war on the battlefields and a political scene in which his own secretary of the treasury, Salmon P. Chase, was working against him in an effort to become the Republican candidate himself. The North was shocked by such events as Grant's attack at Cold Harbor, during which seven thousand Union soldiers were killed in twenty minutes, and the Battle of the Crater, where three thousand Union men died in a bungled attempt to blow up Confederate trenches. The year became so bleak that on August 23, Lincoln wrote in a memorandum, "This morning, as for several days past, it seems exceedingly probable that this Administration will not be reelected." But, with the increasing success of his generals, and a majority of the American public ready to place its faith in him, Lincoln and the nation ended 1864 with the close of the war in sight and slavery on the verge of extinction.

1864 presents the man who not only saved the nation, but also, despite the turmoil of the war and political infighting, set the stage for westward expansion through the Homestead Act, the railroads, and the Act to Encourage Immigration.

As 1864 ends and Lincoln, reelected, is planning to heal the nation, John Wilkes Booth, whose stalking of Lincoln through 1864 is one of this book's suspenseful subplots, is a few weeks away from killing him. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Flood Shines the Light on 1864
1864: Lincoln at the Gates of History is written with a prose that makes the book easy to read, it is easy to find yourself up way past your bedtime.In my opinion, the most impressive aspect of this book is the way the author "blends" the political maneuvering with Lincoln's management of the Civil War.Flood easily moves from one, to the other, seamlessly tying the events together.The author makes a great case for 1864 being one of the most important, if not the most important, single years in our country's history.

I highly recommend this book to anyone that has more than a passing interest in our 16th president.For those that have studied Lincoln, this book offers much new material, that will leave you craving more.I had the opportunity to interview Mr. Flood for my blog.Check it out by going to ThisMightyScourge [dot] com and clicking on the "interviews" category in the right menu.

Michael Noirot
This Mighty Scourge blog
St Louis, Missouri
July 1, 2010

Novel Perspective of Lincoln
This book offers a quite new perspective of Lincoln and the time.Lincoln there is certainly a veryMachiavellian politician, bending all kinds of things for the election, and more important, for his big principle.Author did a fair job to describe several sides of Lincoln, more traditional and familiar Lincoln of idealists, who takes care of little people who visited White House; as well as this cunning politician who did all the tricks and back-stage maneuverer for the political convenience.The end result is still not as well as seamless, but the book offers somewhat a more close-to-us Lincoln.

The book does offer some points not as nice as I feel, especially about the military issue. Author spent quite some pages on Battle of Crater, covered all kinds of small details, while skimming over campaigns such as Grant's Overland Campaign or Sherman's Atalanta Campaign, which seems more important in the military and affects the political process more.These two campaigns are probably too complicated for a book mainly about the politics.But why put so much attention on Battle of Crater although I have to see that I learned a lot of interesting details there.Another example is Fisher's Hill of Sheridan'sShenandoah Campaign.Author described it like a front assault, while the flank movement of union force is quite important.

Overall, it is a very interesting book.It intensifies some of my WHAT-IF questions.Lots of corruption that later almost destroyed Grant started from Lincoln's day if not early.What would have Lincoln done if he had not died?Would he be able to rein those in or at least keep them contained?He seemed more cunning and ruthless and maybe he could do it.That would help the civil right in south.....

'Gates' Worth Opening
As I once wrote in a review of a book about the Clintons, too much about Abraham Lincoln is never enough.And as with Maureen Waller's wonderful `London 1945,' an historian's concentration on one year of a person's (or in her case, a city's) life allows a level of detail and rumination invariably impossible in an account of a more expansive period.

And such is the case with `1864: Lincoln at the Gates of History.'Though reflecting the very latest scholarship on the period and Lincoln's life, there is little new in Charles Bracelen Flood's account of those fateful twelve months.Rather, it is the seamless way the author treats with the year's pivotal events and their principal actors that sets this book apart from other, more comprehensive treatments.Although Flood is a wonderful writer, the reader is constantly, and pleasurably, reminded throughout the read how susceptible the material is to simply getting lost and spending too much time on one or more of the crucial events that shaped the course of the year and lives of the protagonists.But Flood never fails to maintain his perspective and thus paints a balanced and surprisingly refreshing picture of subject matter well known to the serious Lincoln/Civil War reader.

Two things stood out for me.One is the fact that Honest Abe was a politician through and through who could mix it up with his most astute and generally more ruthless opponents.If it was expedient to direct one or more of his generals to allow their men leave to go home to vote, so be it.If one or more competitors for power had to be appointed to the Supreme Court or other choice offices to get them out of the way despite the moves sticking in Lincoln's craw, it was done.Flood's account of these machinations may be a bit jarring to those who, perhaps understandably, worship, as opposed to respect, the man, but they serve as a useful reminder that Lincoln couldn't have accomplished what he did without playing the political game as sharply as anyone.

The second is Flood's thoroughgoing, but never maudlin or obtrusive, portrayal of Lincoln's unique character and the equally unique role it played in coping with the year's fearsome challenges.As the reader reflects on the man's courage, steadfastness in the face of doubters...and haters, never-failing sense of humor, seemingly bottomless compassion for the least among us, and, yes, that most uncommon of virtues, common sense, one cannot help but assay these traits against those of our modern presidents and world leaders.The inescapable conclusion is that Lincoln is so widely loved and respected not because he freed the slaves and orwas martyred but because he was that unusual, and that wonderful, a human being.

1864:Lincoln At The Gates of History
In his book, Charles Bracelen Flood succeeds in putting the microsope on the President in his last year in office (and alive).Much detail that had eluded me is brought forth in the book.This includes some of the following:
- The Radical Republicans convention and nomination of John Fremont and how he eventually abandoned the race.
- The key role played by Copperheads in the Democratic convention.
- The intrigue that led to VP Hamlin not being renominated and Andrew Johnson taking his place.
- Copperhead and Confederate schemes to breakoff the Northwest states into a separate country.
- Confederate and Union dialogue for possible peace conferences.Also, all the Confederate spying activity out of Canada.
- Detailed information of how Lincoln ended up choosing Salmon Chase to take Taney's place as Chief Justice.
- More information about talks Lincoln gave when "serenaded" at the White House in the wake of important Union advances.
- Detailed information about Jubal Early's attack upon Washington in July, 1864.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book and recommend it without hesitation.I've read perhaps twenty biographies of Lincoln and found this to be an engrossing and enjoyable book.

condition of book
Condition of book was excellent, beautiful volume. It would be nicer if they would not put a black felt pen mark on the page edges, however. Otherwise, great. ... Read more

Product Description
This is the study tool you have been waiting for. All 11 books available to use at your computer each one interacts with All the others to make teaching, studying and school work a breeze. Each of these timeless resources is a treasure in itself. Now FACE has set them into a modern easy to use format that brings these books to your fingertips.


The Christian History Library Books include:

1 Webster's 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language
2 The Bible and the Constitution
3 The Christian History of the American Revolution: Consider and Ponder
4 The Christian History of the Constitution: Christian Self-Government, Vol. 1
5 The Christian History of the Constitution: Christian Self-Government with Union, Vol. 2
6 George Washington: The Character and Influence of One Man
7 The Noah Plan® Self-Directed Study in the Principle Approach®
8 Rudiments of America's Christian History and Government
9 Teaching and Learning America's Christian History
10 The King James Bible
11 A Republic if You Can Keep It: America's Authentic Liberty Confronts Contemporary Counterfeits

How Does The Christian History Library in Libronix work?

Each book is first uploaded onto a CD: then, each word or concept is linked together with every other use of the word in all the books. This enables the reader, with the click of a mouse, to instantly cross-reference words and concepts throughout FACE s key volumes and the King James version of the Bible. For instance, as you are reading through Noah Webster s Letter to a Young Gentleman Commencing His Education . . . in Rudiments and wonder about his life and contribution in other fields, click on his name. This will bring up every quote and mention of Noah Webster in all the books, including Rosalie Slater s seventeen-page article on his life and influence in the front of the 1828 Dictionary, his Principles of Liberty Drawn from the Bible essay in Consider and Ponder, and many others. The same type of search can be done with key words like liberty or property: you can start your study with the 1828 definition, see the word in context in the King James Version, read great thinkers discussion of the concept in the Foundation s compilation a rapid, complete research of the topic. What a powerful tool! ... Read more

Product Description
Chosen by BusinessWeek as One of the Top Ten Business Books of the Year

With apologies to Hegel, Marx, and Lenin, the basic unit of modern society is neither the state, nor the commune, nor the party; it is the company. From this bold premise, John Micklethwait and Adrian Wooldridge chart the rise of one of history’s great catalysts for good and evil.

In a “fast-paced and well-written” work (Forbes), the authors reveal how innovations such as limitations on liability have permitted companies to rival religions and even states in importance, governing the flow of wealth and controlling human affairs–all while being largely exempt from the rules that govern our lives.

The Company is that rare, remarkable book that fills a major gap we scarcely knew existed. With it, we are better able to make sense of the past four centuries, as well as the events of today. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (20)

An large amount of information in a short, concise, and well written book
I have to write a report on the History of American Business, and chose this book as a guide as to where to do further research.I chose well.This book is amazing.Adrian Wooldridge really should continue writing even more books than he already has.This book gives great insight into the history of business without droning on and on in any one specific area.After reading this book, you are a better person simply because you feel like you just too an introductory course on bsuiness history without having to read that much.

new insight
The book introduced the history of coporation in a very different way. From the book, you could develop a new insight into the business world.

Good, but with a huge emphasis on the "SHORT" in "short history."
Simply stated, there's room for a lot more book here.Our fearless authors really have found an important slice of economic and business history that has seemingly been overlooked by most others.And what a rich field it is!The history of the company itself!What exactly is a company?Where did the idea come from?How has it evolved?Where is it going?

Not only does the book tackle fertile and under-covered territory, but it's got the right authors, too.Micklethwait and Wooldridge are editors at The Economist, truly one of the most clear-headed periodicals out there.To be fair to these guys, they answer all of the questions I posed in the first paragraph and they do it in interesting style too.They bring up pertinent facts, interesting viewpoints and penetrating questions.

So why not five stars?

Because it barely scratches the surface of the topic it covers.You find yourself reading one thing after another that you'd like to know a lot more about, but then find yourself moving on to a new topic without having your thirst for knowledge about the last topic even mildly quenched.

Perhaps that's all right.The book claims in its own title to be a short history.It can serve as a quick introduction to a number of different topics that a reader can dig into more deeply if the spirit moves them.Further, maybe this book will serve as the call for other qualified authors and historians to focus some attention on this under-covered area of economics and history.

I hope it does, but this book kept leaving me wanting at least a little more on every topic it touched.Recommended, but be prepared to feel like your being rushed through a tour of a museum that you'd really like to spend some time in.

Hats off to Micklethwait and Wooldridge for making one point clearly: the company is the single greatest engine of wealth (of all kinds) we have in the modern world, and that forgetting that could be tragic.

Good historical overview
I liked the book overall. More or less I was just interested in the time period from the American Industrial Revolution on, so the first few chapters were somewhat lost on me due to presumptions the author makes about the readers general historical knowledge. But I still would recomend this title for anyone interested in knowing how business has progressed over time.

A very good introduction
If you are interested in business history this is the book to start. ... Read more

Product Description
This book examines the African American struggle for access to public libraries in the South, bringing together and examining the three distinct fields involved--Southern Studies, African American Studies, and Library Studies--to inform the historical survey. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Great resource!!
This is a really wonderful book to read! The author did a very thorough job of researching and presenting the history of library services during the pre-Civil Rights era in the South, with his decade by decade analysis of events and happenings during this period. I like how each chapter concludes with a bibliography of resources for further reading. Overall, this book has inspired me to continue to grow as a librarian of color and has made me more appreciative of what librarians and patrons went through to ensure equal access to library services and library employment for people no matter what their color or race. Librarians and those with an interest in African American history would be wise to add this book to their reading list.

Black Americans and history of library access
DESCRIPTION
The story of the long struggle of African Americans to attain civil rights, particularly in the South, is well documented. The story of the public library movement in America is also well documented. However, the story of the African American struggle for access to public libraries in the South is not as well documented, with much of what has been written previously told in piecemeal fashion in short studies or confined to a particular southern state.

The History of Public Library Access for African Americans in the South: Or, Leaving Behind the Plow examines this subject in the context of the South as a cohesive region. It brings together and examines the three distinct fields involved in this history: Southern Studies, African American Studies, and Library Studies. How these three fields interact and influence one another inform the history of public library access for African Americans in the South.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
David M. Battles is the author of Making Her Own Place: 14 Fascinating Articles and Essays on Dottie Rambo and Her Contribution to Gospel Music.

Unique document for Black Americans
the author deserves applaud in tackling a subject that is unique yet rich in tradition.The African Americans of the south are the poorest of the poor, their resources are limited and efforts at brining them in the mainstream such as this document are certainly prized again my hats off for a well written and long awaited document ... Read more

Product Description

Livy (Titus Livius), the great Roman historian, was born at or near Patavium (Padua) in 64 or 59 BCE; he may have lived mostly in Rome but died at Patavium, in 12 or 17 CE.

Livy's only extant work is part of his history of Rome from the foundation of the city to 9 BCE. Of its 142 books, we have just 35, and short summaries of all the rest except two. The whole work was, long after his death, divided into Decades or series of ten. Books 1–10 we have entire; books 11–20 are lost; books 21–45 are entire, except parts of 41 and 43–45. Of the rest only fragments and the summaries remain. In splendid style Livy, a man of wide sympathies and proud of Rome's past, presented an uncritical but clear and living narrative of the rise of Rome to greatness.

The Loeb Classical Library edition of Livy is in fourteen volumes. The last volume includes a comprehensive index.

Product Description
In this timely, highly original, and controversial narrative, New York Times bestselling author Mark Kurlansky discusses nonviolence as a distinct entity, a course of action, rather than a mere state of mind. Nonviolence can and should be a technique for overcoming social injustice and ending wars, he asserts, which is why it is the preferred method of those who speak truth to power.

Nonviolence is a sweeping yet concise history that moves from ancient Hindu times to present-day conflicts raging in the Middle East and elsewhere. Kurlansky also brings into focus just why nonviolence is a “dangerous” idea, and asks such provocative questions as: Is there such a thing as a “just war”? Could nonviolence have worked against even the most evil regimes in history?

Kurlansky draws from history twenty-five provocative lessons on the subject that we can use to effect change today. He shows how, time and again, violence is used to suppress nonviolence and its practitioners–Gandhi and Martin Luther King, for example; that the stated deterrence value of standing national armies and huge weapons arsenals is, at best, negligible; and, encouragingly, that much of the hard work necessary to begin a movement to end war is already complete. It simply needs to be embraced and accelerated.

Engaging, scholarly, and brilliantly reasoned, Nonviolence is a work that compels readers to look at history in an entirely new way. This is not just a manifesto for our times but a trailblazing book whose time has come. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

The book is shallow, historically inaccurate, but condescendingly assured of its own self-righteousness
If you think this book makes a good case, read opposing views, and then see if you still agree.

Kurlansky ignores history that does not fit his thesis and twists what history he does use in order for it to fit. "Non-violence" is not a nuanced book, but rather a self-righteous ode to an idea that has been tried and failed repeatedly throughout history, succeeding only in rare circumstances when used against morally advanced and physically weak opponents. More often, non-violence has led to slaughter and not to peace.

Kurlansky repeatedly distinguishes his definition of "non-violence" from pacifism. It turns out his non-violence includes destroying that which belongs to someone else and calling the owner's reaction immoral. It's really a childish, narcissitic worldview, with little to no nuance to match its outsized regard for itself. The title tells it all - "a dangerous idea". Kurlansky is enamoured with thinking himself "dangerous".

In fact, he confuses the successful exercise of power by states in his age to protect their citizens (such as Kurlansky) with a lack of need for that power. One example: The National Guard desegregated the South. If Eisenhower had not called it in, non-violent civil rights leaders could not have gotten black southerners into white state colleges. Southern thugs were brave against defenseless blacks. They were not so brave against an armed militia.

That's not to say that King, Parks and others did not play an equally valuable role. They persuaded the white leaders who had armed forces (such as Kennedy) not to ignore the injustice and to use those armed forces, such as the National Guard and Federal Marshals, to stop the injustice. JFK and his attorney general brother needed some persuading.

Very disapointed.
I like Kurlansky's other books and looked forward to reading this one. It even started out promisingly.But it quickly turned into a liberal diatribe that was typically simplistic of USA/Western/Capitalism.I am very open to the idea that we can find better ways of dealing with conflict than we currently do, but this book does not tell us how.

Pacifism for Dummies (quite literally)
Those who beat their swords into plowshares usually end up plowing for those who kept their swords -Benjamin Franklin

While I would agree that while non-violence is "principled" it has certainly not shown itself to be effective against the kind of monsters that have plagued the most gruesome chapters of human history.

Ghandi and King were fortunate that they had operated in the framework of liberal western democracies, and while they certainly faced organized opposition to their respective movements, the mainstream opposition was reasonable and largely moral (even if their actions were not always such). The Ukrainian Kulak's on the other hand "non-violently" destroyed crops instead of having them appropriated and were treated to one of the most horrific genocides of the 20th century. The protestors at Tiananmen square "non-violently" staged democracy rallies and were steamrolled by tanks.

The Eastern European example that Kurlansky uses was not an example of non-violence working so much as it was an example of an oppressive force that was not as willing as it once was to liquidate an entire population to keep them in line. Had the solidarity movement began in 1947, Poland would have suffered the same fate of the Ukraine. Or ask the residents of Lidice or Lezáky Czechoslovakia how well non-violence worked when the Germans razed the towns and had every occupant shot or sent to a concentration camp.

I wont even go into Kurlansky's theories on the second world was, as I could write page on how terrible wrong he is on this point, but a good illustration is that Kurlansky's resorted to the scholarship of David Irving to buttress his thoughts on the bombing of Dresden.

History has demonstrated that non-violence can be effective when the oppressive force is not composed of subhuman animals. A government that places no values on human life and has absolutely no morals will do anything they need to hold onto power and eliminate their opposition (USSR, Khmer Rouge, Communist China, Nazi Germany, Hussein's Iraq). You cannot shame the shameless. Kurlansky's central thesis that violence only plays into the hands of an oppressive state because it is easier to massacre violent protestors than non-violent ones is nice and all, but as totalitarian governments control all media outlets and all propaganda organs, they can and do attach any narrative to the events that suit their purposes.

So is "non-violence" a dangerous idea? Only for those who practice it in the face of tyranny.

Good primer
Kurlansky's rather small book (only about 180pgs) shows a number of examples of nonviolence, from secular and religious influences, that are presented in a fluid manner, not done in a text-book fashion so you won't feel like you're reading a how-to book.

Out of all of the books I have read on the subject of nonviolence, I didn't really pick up on anything I hadn't already read or learned about elsewhere, however, this would make a good PRIMER for those new to the philosophy of nonviolence. If you're interested in some real meat and potatos, look elsewhere (Muste, Zinn, Sharp, Wink, McCarthy).

Am I saying it's a bad book? Definitely not, I even plan to keep it in my library. It was well written, and my only wish is that he decides to write a more in-depth book in the future.

See my Listmania list for all of the books I have read on nonviolence.

Nonviolence
Excellent. A must-read for anyone who is interested in having a future. ... Read more

Product Description
Today, a fraction of the Cherokee people remains in their traditional homeland in the southern Appalachians. Most Cherokees were forcibly relocated to eastern Oklahoma in the early nineteenth century. In 1830 the U.S. government shifted its policy from one of trying to assimilate American Indians to one of relocating them and proceeded to drive seventeen thousand Cherokee people west of the Mississippi.

The Cherokee Nation and the Trail of Tears recounts this moment in American history and considers its impact on the Cherokee, on U.S.-Indian relations, and on contemporary society. Guggenheim Fellowship-winning historian Theda Perdue and coauthor Michael D. Green explain the various and sometimes competing interests that resulted in the Cherokee’s expulsion, follow the exiles along the Trail of Tears, and chronicle their difficult years in the West after removal. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Cherokee history
I am new to Theda Purdue.I was introduced to her at a Cherokee history course at NSU Ok.I found this book to hold your interest and to be very informative.I recommend this book to all who are interested in Cherokee history and those who wish to learn the truth of the American Government vs the Native Americans.

Informative and honest
Read it for a class in college -- it's extremely gripping, especially because it reveals interesting chunks of U.S. history that are a little difficult for people to address and digest. Very well written and does not mince words about the 19th century injustices perpetuated by the U.S. against the Indigenous people of these lands.

Shame on the state of Georgia
And shame on Andrew Jackson for allowing this to happen.He sold his soul and caused the death of hundreds of peaceful people to appease the land hungry white people of Georgia and assure his reelection.This book tells the real story.Not the best written book I've ever read but it is a story that needed to be told.

A book that reads like an encyclopedia entry
1. I know that I'm the lone voice here and I admit upfront that I'm not an expert on this topic nor a hardcore historian... which is precisely why I was looking forward to this book (ie to learn something about an important historical event that I've heard about since my youth).

2. Without a doubt the content / data within the book is well assembled, however this is suppposed to be a book review. Many can put together various facts, all of which may be interesting and "true", but that does not make a good book. Unfortunately, this "book" is written in a style that is more suited for a college textbook or an encyclopedia, both of which have their places in learning.

3.Thus, for those who don't mind reading dry historical data, akin to those found in a textbook or encyclopedia, this is the book for you. On the otherhand, if you want to read a well written historical book (akin to those written by Ambrose, Ellis etc...), then find another book on the Cherokee Nation.

Well written but too short
I purchased this book during a recent vacation in Eureka Springs, Arkansas.The Blue Springs there were a stopping point for several of the groups on the Trail of Tears.

This book provides a good overview of Cherokee history as it relates to the Trail of Tears and it whets the appetite for more detailed information.Perdue and Green are clearly experts on the topic.

While the book is highly readable, it is far too short.I'd love to see the authors come out with an expanded second edition.To make up for the deficit, I'm ordering Grant Foreman's two titles, "The Five Civilized Tribes" and "Indian Removal". ... Read more

Product Description
Insightful, informed, and at times controversial in its conclusions, A Short History of Medicine offers an exceptional introduction to the major and many minor facets of its subject.

In this lively, learned, and wholly engrossing volume, F. González-Crussi presents a brief yet authoritative five-hundred-year history of the science, the philosophy, and the controversies of modern medicine. While this illuminating work mainly explores Western medicine over the past five centuries, González-Crussi also describes how modern medicine’s roots extend to both Greco-Roman antiquity and Eastern medical traditions.

Covered here in engaging detail are the birth of anatomy and the practice of dissections; the transformation of surgery from a gruesome art to a sophisticated medical specialty; a short history of infectious diseases; the evolution of the diagnostic process; advances in obstetrics and anesthesia; and modern psychiatric therapies and the challenges facing organized medicine today. Written by a renowned author and educator, this book gives us the very essence of our search to mitigate suffering, save lives, and unlock the mysteries of the human animal.



“[González-Crussi fuses] science, literature, and personal history into highly civilized artifacts.”
–The Washington Post, on There Is a World Elsewhere ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Don't buy it
As stated perviously by another reviewer, the author of this book has an extensive vocabulary, which makes it difficult to understand what he is trying to say.Overall, the book is very wordy.I would rather read a lengthier book about the history of medicine that communicated better to the reader than this book.

Delivers as Promised
I was looking for an overview of the history of medicine and this book delivers precisely that.The author writes with an impressive vocabulary (I'm glad I ordered the Kindle edition, as I would had to hit the dictionary very frequently).

I was less interested in some of the more theoretical parts of the book -- the subject of vitalism and in the area of diagnosis.However, overall the book covered the subject in just the right amount of depth for a layman to develop a good understanding of how medicine evolved.

I had hoped to have a greater focus on the last 30 or 50 years, since so much of medical "history" has evolved during these recent decades.Still, it isn't much of a complaint.The book fulfilled its stated mission.

Highly recommended.

Believe the title - it is a short survey but well-done.
Buying this book, you get exactly what is offered.This book is a survey of the history of medicine that covers the development of modern medicine.Rather than following a chronological scheme, Gonzalez-Crussi explores various topics in medicine and follows each through history.Anatomy, surgery, reproduction, and others are explored in his unique way.

I felt that the chapter on vitalism and mechanism was a bit of a distraction, perhaps a more expansive book on science and medicine would have benefitted from that chapter more than this survey book did.I find the author's writing style a bit rough compared to the other luminaries of science writing like Stephen J. Gould or Oliver Sacks; but there is no shame there.For a more detailed survey, check out Sherwin Nuland's books or Douglas Guthrie's A History of Medicine.

Great Overview
I'm neither a physician nor in the medical field, but find the history of medical science interesting.This book is well written, keeps the reader engaged, and provides an accurate overview.I highly recommend it. ... Read more

Product Description
The publications of the Hakluyt Society (founded in 1846) made available edited (and sometimes translated) early accounts of exploration. The first series, which ran from 1847 to 1899, consists of 100 books containing published or previously unpublished works by authors from Christopher Columbus to Sir Francis Drake, and covering voyages to the New World, to China and Japan, to Russia and to Africa and India. This volume, first published in 1880, translates the first detailed description of the geography and indigenous culture of South America, written by Joseph de Acosta (1540-1600) and originally published in Spanish in 1590. Acosta was one of the first explorers to record and analyse the geophysical phenomena of the 'New World' and attempt to explain them scientifically. Volume 1 contains the first four books of Joseph de Acosta's work describing the climate, plants, animals and meteorological phenomena of South America. ... Read more

Product Description
The noted historian John Keegan called World War II "the largest single event in human history." More than sixty years after it ended, that war continues to shape our world. Going far beyond accounts of the major battles, The Library of Congress World War II Companion examines, in a unique and engaging manner, this devastating conflict, its causes, conduct, and aftermath. It considers the politics that shaped the involvement of the major combatants; military leadership and the characteristics of major Allied and Axis armed services; the weaponry that resulted in the war's unprecedented destruction, as well as debates over the use of these weapons; the roles of resistance groups and underground fighters; war crimes; daily life during wartime; the uses of propaganda; and much more.

Drawn from the unparalleled collections of the institution that has been called "America's Memory," The Library of Congress World War II Companion includes excerpts from contemporary letters, journals, pamphlets, and other documents, as well as first-person accounts recorded by the Library of Congress Veterans History Project. The text is complemented by more than 150 illustrations. Organized into topical chapters (such as "The Media War," "War Crimes and the Holocaust," and two chapters on "Military Operations" that cover the important battles), the book also include readers to navigate through the rich store of information in these pages. Filled with facts and figures, information about unusual aspects of the war, and moving personal accounts, this remarkable volume will be indispensable to anyone who wishes to understand the World War II era and its continuing reverberations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A companion for those who want to know the war beyond the fighting
This is a companion that tells a lot about the war that has to do with the non-military aspects of the war -- homefront, media, politics, aftermath -- than the military aspects.Leaders, weapons and operations comprise less than one-third of the book.There are no index citations for the Battle of the Atlantic [although it is briefly mentioned in the portion of the book covering submarines], Matthew Ridgway, or James Gavin.The operations that are covered have a useful format of Primary Objective, Forces, Commanders, Military Losses, and Result, as well as a short synopsis of the operation.

The Companion is more useful as a secondary reference work than as a primary.There is similar information in greater detail in Wikipedia entries.

Very Good Resource
I find this book to be a very good resource. In addition it is very vell organized and easy to read. A very good book for students and people with a general interest in the subject.

(One error I did find was that Albert Speer's name was left off the list of defendants at the first Nuremberg trial on pages 927 and 928)

An excellent illustrated survey
This is a very attractive and extensive survey of World War II. It should be invaluable to the student of the period, enlightening to the history enthusiast, and an important reference work for scholars. It has an emphasis on the American experience overall, but adequately covers the relative involvements of all the major national powers (and many minor ones) from the level of private citizens and front-line soldiers, to the generals and leaders of states. There are discussions of individual combat weapons and machines as well as the composition, strategy and movement of entire armed forces. Topics are liberally illustrated with photographs and artwork, and supported with many letters, personal experiences (such as those collected from the Veterans History Project), maps, charts, statistics, and quantitative analyses to help the reader absorb the information.

The text is concise and easy to read, and includes a 35 page index and well organized chapter headings to help the reader search out topics of interest. At the end of each chapter, the authors have compiled principle sources and further reading.

Overall, this is quite a comprehensive survey (at 942 pages of text), of a topic of profound importance. Highly recommended. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
With great vigour and from the vantage point of long experience of writing and teaching Jewish history, Moshe Rosman treats the key questions that postmodernism raises for the writing of Jewish history. What is the relationship between Jewish culture and history and those of the non-Jews among whom Jews live? Can we-in the light of postmodernist thought-speak of a continuous, coherent Jewish People, with a distinct culture and history? What in fact is Jewish cultural history, and how can it be written? How does gender transform the Jewish historical narrative? How does Jewish history fit into the multicultural paradigm? Has Jewish history entered a postmodern phase? How can Jewish history utilize the methodologies of other disciplines to accomplish its task? All these are questions that Jewish historians need to think about if their work is to be taken seriously by mainstream historians and intellectuals, or indeed by educated Jews interested in understanding their own cultural and historical past. While engaging with the questions raised by postmodernists, the author adopts a critical stance towards their work.His basic claim is that it is possible to incorporate, judiciously, postmodern innovations into historical scholarship that is still based on documentary research and critical analysis. The resulting endeavor might be termed 'a reformed positivism'. Rosman presents a concentrated, coherent, cogent argument as to what considerations must be brought to bear on the writing of Jewish history today. By highlighting in one book the issues raised by postmodernism, How Jewish is Jewish History? provides those in the field with a foundation from which to discuss how it should be practiced in light of this generation's challenges. It is a valuable resource for students of Jewish history and historiography and a handy tool for scholars who must confront the issues aired here in their own more narrowly focused scholarly works. ... Read more

Product Description
In graphic novel format, tells the story of the debates, disagreements, and compromises that led to the formation of the U.S. Constitution during the Constitutional Convention of 1787. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

The Development of the US Constitution, Graphically
This is always a dry subject and this book tries to avoid that factor but can't completely.On the other hand, the book can make the subject of the development of the US Constitiution clearer than other books.I use this series in my classroom for ESOL students.

Celebrating Freedom of Speech in Particular.
America was only eleven years since independence was won after a fierce battle when John Hancock (many people think it was John Henry) and his group signed the Constitution on September 17, 1787.This year we will celebrate the 219th anniversary in diverse ways.The United States are now a global community and, with a population of three hundred million, the celebrations will be different.Around the world, constitutions represent a positive social contract between citizens and the government."We hope these things to be self-evident.At a small college in Tennessee, the Preamble was read by a Mexican in her native Spanish; also by students using French, Portuguese, Korean, Japanese, sign language, and finally English.It's too bad that English is no longer the native language.

Two hundred national constitutions exist around the glove today, and some have been written or rewritten in the past 25 years.We in America stick by the one and original as written and signed by our Founding Fathers. ... Read more

Product Description
Nonfiction topics in graphic novel format! History leaps off the page in Capstone's Graphic Library. Eye-popping artwork and easy-to-read text offer an appealing experience for all readers. An additional information section provides key facts and further understanding. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

King Tut's Tomb Graphically
King Tut's tomb and the curse of King Tut is the subject of this graphic history.Ancient Egypt is a great subject for study and my ESOL students love this topic.This book will be great in helping them learn English and comprehend the story better. ... Read more