Until the beginning of the eighteenth century, to be ` Italian` meant to identify with a number of collective memories, rather than a national memory. Yet there are elements of continuity that have shaped Italian identity over the past 1, 500 years. Religion, food, art & architecture, a literary language, as well as a particular relationship between cities & countryside, between family & civil society have all contributed to present day Italian culture & politics. Baldoli explores the history of Italy as a country, rather than as a nation, in order to trace its fascinating cultural & political development. Offering a way into each period of Italian history, the book brings Italy`s past to life with extracts from poetry, novels & music. Drawing on the latest research published in English & Italian, this is the ideal introduction for all those interested in Italy`s cultural & social past & its significance for the country`s present. ...

Presenting the richness of Korean civilization from early state formation to the jarring transformations resulting in two distinctive trajectories of modern development, this book introduces the country's major historical events, patterns, & debates. Organised both chronologically & thematically, the 27 concise chapters explore recurring themes such as Korean identity, external influence, & family & gender. This lively narrative assumes no prior knowledge, inviting readers to appreciate both the distinctiveness & universality of Korean history. ...

John Wright's absorbing history of Libya begins with early hunter-gatherers & the activities of the mid-desert Garamantian civilization. He then recounts successive invaders: the Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Vandals, Byzantines, Muslim Arabs, Genoans, Normans, Spaniards, Knights of Malta, Ottoman Turks, & Karamanlis. Wright's modern history addresses the harshness of Italy's long conquest yet gives credit to the material achievements of Air Marshal Italo Balbo. Three chapters recast Libya's largely passive role in the Second World War; 1951's fairly smooth transition to an internationally brokered independence; the Sanussi monarchy, which reigned for eighteen years; the discovery & exploitation of oil in the 1950s & 1960s; &, the post-1969 Gadafi phenomenon. ...

A humorous & fascinating history of the city, from Roman garrison to vibrant international metropolis; this book is a must-have for anyone with any interest in London, its inhabitants & past. Written in an engaging & easy-to-follow style, the story of London & its characters is as enthralling & captivating as any tale, old or new. Writer actor & renowned London tour guide Sean Boru knows this city & its people. This book is full of stories & facts that will shed new light on London`s ever-changing global role. ...

Shaped by invasion, occupation & immigration, & upheavals as diverse as the Great Fire, the Blitz & the Big Bang, London`s history is unmatched for variety & drama. Sharing his passion & expert knowledge, David Long selects 100 places that best tell this incredible story. Discover Roman temples, Saxon burial mounds, frost fairs on the frozen Thames, Georgian windmills, & one old brown shoe, each with its own unique insight into a critical period of London`s evolution. Whether you prefer to explore history on your feet or from an armchair, this little book will captivate & surprise, revealing oft-overlooked gems among the famous landmarks & the hidden stories locked within. ...

London has had more prisons than any other British city. The City`s `gates` once contained prisons but probably the most notorious of all was Newgate, which stood for over 700 years. The eleventh century Tower of London was used as a prison for a variety of high profile prisoners from Sir Thomas More to the Krays. Discover the background of a variety of historic places of incarceration such as The Clink, the King`s Bench Prison; & debtors prisons such as the Fleet Prison & the Marshalsea. ` Lost` prisons such as the Gatehouse in Westminster, Millbank Penitentiary, Surrey County Gaol in Horsemonger Row, The House of Detention, Coldbath Fields Prison & Tothill Fields Prison are also described in detail; as are more familiar gaols: Holloway, Pentonville, Brixton, Wandsworth & Wormwood Scrubs. In his A History of London`s Prisons Geoffrey Howse delves not only into the intricate web of historical facts detailing the origins of the capital`s prisons but also

Includes:: fascinating detail concerning the day-to-day life of prisoners
- from the highly born to the most despicable human specimens imaginable
- as well as those less fortunate individuals who found themselves through no fault of their own `in the clink`, some soon becoming clients of the hangman or executioner.



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Odran Yates enters Clonliffe Seminary in 1972 after his mother informs him that he has a vocation to the priesthood. He goes in full of ambition & hope, dedicated to his studies & keen to make friends. Forty years later, Odran`s devotion has been challenged by the revelations that have shattered the Irish people`s faith in the church. He has seen friends stand trial, colleagues jailed, the lives of young parishioners destroyed & has become nervous of venturing out in public for fear of disapproving stares & insulting remarks. But when a family tragedy opens wounds from his past, he is forced to confront the demons that have raged within a once respected institution & recognise his own complicity in their propagation. It has taken John Boyne fifteen years & twelve novels to write about his home country of Ireland but he has done so now in his most powerful novel to date, a novel about blind dogma & moral courage, & about the dark places where the two can meet. At once courageous & intensely personal, A History of Loneliness confirms Boyne as one of the most searching chroniclers of his generation. ...

This is the first comprehensive history of Malawi during the colonial period. Using a wide range of primary & secondary sources, John Mc Cracken places this history within the context of the pre-colonial past. Central themes are the shaping of the colonial economy, the influence of Christianity, resistance to colonial occupation & the rise of a powerful nationalist movement that contained within it the seeds of a new authoritarianism. In particular, the author demonstrates the interrelationship between environmental & economic change & the impact these forces had on the Malawian peasantry. Space is also given to less mainstream activities including the creation of dance societies, the eruption of witchcraft eradication movements & the emergence of football as a popular sport. ...

A History of Modern Britain confronts head-on the victory of shopping over politics. It tells the story of how the great political visions of New Jerusalem or a second Elizabethan Age, rival idealisms, came to be defeated by a culture of consumerism, celebrity & self-gratification. In each decade, political leaders think they know what they are doing, but find themselves confounded. Every time, the British people turn out to be stroppier & harder to herd than predicted. Throughout, Britain is a country on the edge -- first of invasion, then of bankruptcy, then on the vulnerable front line of the Cold War & later in the forefront of the great opening up of capital & migration now reshaping the world. This history follows all the political & economic stories, but deals too with comedy, cars, the war against homosexuals, Sixties anarchists, oil-men & punks, Margaret Thatcher`s wonderful good luck, political lies & the true heroes of British theatre. `superb, colourful, outspoken, fresh & richly entertaining. Don`t miss` The Times ` Lively, full of rich anecdotes & sparkling pen portraits. He has the rare gift of being able to explain complex issues in a few crisp sentences` Sunday Telegraph ...

A History of Modern Britain by Andrew Marr confronts head-on the victory of shopping over politics. It tells the story of how the great political visions of New Jerusalem or a second Elizabethan Age, rival idealisms, came to be defeated by a culture of consumerism, celebrity & self-gratification. In each decade, political leaders think they know what they are doing, but find themselves confounded. Every time, the British people turn out to be stroppier & harder to herd than predicted. Throughout, Britain is a country on the edge
- first of invasion, then of bankruptcy, then on the vulnerable front line of the Cold War & later in the forefront of the great opening up of capital & migration now reshaping the world. This history follows all the political & economic stories, but deals too with comedy, cars, the war against homosexuals, Sixties anarchists, oil-men & punks, Margaret Thatcher`s wonderful good luck, political lies & the true heroes of British theatre.
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