After the composition of the Decameron, and under the influence of Petrarch's humanism, Giovanni Boccaccio(1313-1375) devoted the last decades of his life to compiling encyclopedic works in Latin. Among them is "Famous Women," the first collection of biographies in Western literature devoted exclusively to women.

The 106 women whose life stories make up this volume range from the exemplary to the notorious, from historical and mythological figures to Renaissance contemporaries. In the hands of a master storyteller, these brief biographies afford a fascinating glimpse of a moment in history when medieval attitudes toward women were beginning to give way to more modern views of their potential.

"Famous Women," which Boccaccio continued to revise and expand until the end of his life, became one of the most popular works in the last age of the manuscript book, and had a signal influence on many literary works, including Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales" and Castiglione's "Courtier." This edition presents the first English translation based on the autograph manuscript of the Latin.

Provides a comprehensive modern biographical survey of homosexuality in the Western world. Among those included are:
* controversial political activists - Peter Tatchell; Guy Hocquenghem; Harvey Milk
* pop icons - David Bowie; k d lang; Boy George
* groundbreaking artists, writers and filmmakers - Pier Paolo Pasolini; Derek Jarman; David Hockney
* intellectuals who have shaped and changed the modern understanding of sexuality - Michel Foucault; Simone de Beauvoir; Alfred Kinsey
* over 500 entries - clear, informative and enjoyable to read - build up a superbly thorough overview of gay and lesbian life in our time.

This major original reference work includes over one hundred specially commissioned articles on the lives and writings of women who made significant contributions to economics. It sheds new light on the rich, but too often neglected, heritage of women's analysis of economic issues and participation in the discipline of economics. In addition to those who wrote in English, some notable Danish, Dutch, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Russian and Swedish women economists are included. This book will transform widely-held views about the past role of women in economics, and will stimulate further research in this exciting but underdeveloped field. It is dedicated to the memory of Michele Pujol, a pioneer in the field.

The collaborative effort of nearly 100 China scholars from around the world, this unique one-volume reference provides 89 in-depth biographies of important Chinese women from the fifth century B.C.E to the early twentieth century.

Indiana boasts a rich baseball tradition, with 10 native sons enshrined in Cooperstown. This biographical dictionary provides a close look at the lives of all 364 Hoosier big leaguers, who include: New York City's first baseball superstar; the first rookie pitcher to win three games in a World Series; the man who caught most of Cy Young's record 511 career wins; one of the game's first star relievers; the player who held the record for consecutive games played before Lou Gehrig; an obscure infielder mentioned in Charles Schulz's ""Peanuts"" comic strip; baseball's only one-legged pitcher; Indiana's first Mr. Basketball, who became one of baseball's greatest pinch-hitters; the first African American to play for the Cincinnati Reds; the only pitcher to throw a perfect game in the World Series; the skipper of the 1969 'Miracle Mets'; the pitcher for whom a ground-breaking surgical procedure is named; and the only two men to have played in both the World Series and the Final Four of the NCAA Basketball Tournament.

Who made modern Britain? This book, drawn from the award-winning Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, tells the story of our recent past through the lives of those who shaped national life. Following on from the Oxford DNB's first supplement volume-noteworthy people who died between 2001 and 2004-this new volume offers biographies of more than 850 men and women who left their mark on twentieth and twenty-first century Britain, and who died in the years 2005 to 2008. Here are the people responsible for major developments in national life: from politics, the arts, business, technology, and law to military service, sport, education, science, and medicine. Many are closely connected to specific periods in Britain's recent history. From the 1950s, the young Harold Pinter or the Yorkshire cricketer, Fred Trueman, for example. From the Sixties, the footballer George Best, photographer Patrick Lichfield, and the Pink Floyd musician, Syd Barrett. It's hard to look back to the 1970s without thinking of Edward Heath and James Callaghan, who led the country for seven years in that turbulent decade; or similarly Freddie Laker, pioneer of budget air travel, and the comedians Ronnie Barker and Dave Allen who entertained with their sketch shows and sit coms. A decade later you probably browsed in Anita Roddick's Body Shop, or danced to the music of Factory Records, established by the Manchester entrepreneur, Tony Wilson. In the 1990s you may have hoped that 'Things can only get better' with a New Labour government which included Robin Cook and Mo Mowlam. Many in this volume are remembered for lives dedicated to a profession or cause: Bill Deedes or Conor Cruise O'Brien in journalism; Ned Sherrin in broadcasting or, indeed, Ted Heath whose political career spanned more than 50 years. Others were responsible for discoveries or innovations of lasting legacy and benefit-among them the epidemiologist Richard Doll, who made the link between smoking and lung cancer, Cicely Saunders, creator of the hospice movement, and Chad Varah, founder of the Samaritans. With John Profumo-who gave his name to a scandal-policeman Malcolm Fewtrell-who investigated the Great Train Robbery-or the Russian dissident Aleksandr Litvinenko-who was killed in London in 2006-we have individuals best known for specific moments in our recent past. Others are synonymous with popular objects and experiences evocative of recent decades: Mastermind with Magnus Magnusson, the PG-Tips chimpanzees trained by Molly Badham, John DeLorean's 'gull-wing' car, or the new British Library designed by Colin St John Wilson-though, as rounded and balanced accounts, Oxford DNB biographies also set these events in the wider context of a person's life story. Authoritative and accessible, the biographies in this volume are written by specialist authors, many of them leading figures in their field. Here you will find Michael Billington on Harold Pinter, Michael Crick on George Best, Richard Davenport-Hines on Anita Roddick, Brenda Hale on Rose Heilbron, Roy Hattersley on James Callaghan, Simon Heffer on John Profumo, Douglas Hurd on Edward Heath, Alex Jennings on Paul Scofield, Hermione Lee on Pat Kavanagh, Geoffrey Wheatcroft on Conor Cruise O'Brien, and Peregrine Worsthorne on Bill Deedes. Many in this volume are, naturally, household names. But a good number are also remembered for lives away from the headlines. What in the 1980s became 'Thatcherism' owed much to behind the scenes advice from Ralph Harris and Alfred Sherman; children who learned to read with Ladybird Books must thank their creator, Douglas Keen; while, without its first producer, Verity Lambert, there would have been no Doctor Who. Others are 'ordinary' people capable of remarkable acts. Take, for instance, Arthur Bywater who over two days in 1944 cleared thousands of bombs from a Liverpool munitions factory following an explosion-only to do the same, months later, in an another factory.

This book compiles biographical sketches of top professionals in the field of medicine, as well as research summaries from a number of different focuses in this important field.

Mit diesem vierten Band wird die Reihe der brandenburgischen Bio-Bibliographien fur das Kerngebiet des Kurfurstentums abgeschlossen. Ausgewahlt wurden 47 Personen der Kultur- und Wissenschaftsgeschichte, die mit ihrem Wirken in wichtige Entwicklungen des Landes involviert waren und das Antlitz der Region mit pragten. Durch die Grundung der brandenburgischen Landesuniversitat in Frankfurt/O. 1506 wurden Strukturen geschaffen, die eine kontinuierliche Ausbildungs- und Forschungstatigkeit erst ermoglichten und damit den Landesaufbau durch qualifizierte Juristen, Mediziner, Lehrer und Pfarrer beschleunigen helfen konnten. Deshalb sind unter den in diesem Band aufgenommenen Gelehrten sowohl jene, die wesentlichen Einfluss auf die brandenburgische Kirchenpolitik nahmen, als auch solche, die mit ihren juristischen Kenntnissen zur inneren und ausseren Stabilitat des Landes beitrugen. Weitere bildungspolitisch wichtige Massnahmen stellten die Grundungen mehrerer hoherer Schulen in der Mark Brandenburg im untersuchten Zeitraum dar, die als Vorbereitungsanstalten fur die Landesuniversitat dienten (Gymnasium zum Grauen Kloster, Saldria, Joachimsthalsches Gymnasium). Ihre Leiter und andere herausragende Lehrkrafte hatten entscheidenden Anteil am Gedeihen dieser Einrichtungen. Berucksichtigung fanden auch einige Gelehrte, die sich als Verfasser von Landes- und Regentengeschichten einen Namen gemacht haben. Mit ihren, auf den Grundsatzen einer durch Humanismus und Reformation gelauterten Geschichtsauffassung fussenden Arbeiten sorgten sie fur einen Aufschwung in der markischen Historiographie."

When you need to source accurate information on the past history, achievements and current activities of leading world figures, from heads of state to sporting greats, Europa's The International Who's Who 2022 provides the answer. Published annually since 1935 The International Who's Who is your source for hard-to-find biographical details on over 25,000 of the world's most prominent and influential personalities. Featured personalities are regularly given the opportunity to update their entry, providing new information on education, artistic achievements, leisure interests, awards, contact details and much more. Also available online at www.worldwhoswho.com, featuring thousands of click-through web links and email addresses, and advanced search functions enabling users to search by name, nationality, place and date of birth and by profession.

From Alfred Ackroyd to Yuvraj Singh, from Isaac Hodgson in 1863 to Kraigg Brathwaite in 2017, this volume features profiles of all those 670 men who have represented The Yorkshire CCC by playing for its first eleven in first-class cricket, limited-overs matches or Twenty20 games as well as the 59 who played for 'Yorkshire' prior to the official Club's formation. Whether they played in an amazing total of 883 matches, as Wilfred Rhodes did, or whether they wore the county colours just once – and this, surprisingly, applies to 115 players – each and every one of them has their own place in the county’s history and the contents within. Produced in quality hardback and featuring over 250 illustrations – this is a must read for fans of YCCC

Adelina Patti was the most highly regarded singer in history. She earned nearly $5,000 a night and had her own railway carriage. Yet a minor comic singer would perform for the cost of his food and a pair of shoes to wear on stage. John Rosselli's wide-ranging study introduces all those singers, members of the chorus as well as stars, who have sung Italian opera from 1600 to the twentieth century. Singers are shown slowly emancipating themselves from dependence on great patrons and entering the dangerous freedom of the market. Rosselli also examines the sexist prejudices against the castrati of the eighteenth century and against women singers. Securely rooted in painstaking scholarship and sprinkled with amusing anecdote, this is a book to fascinate and inform opera fans at all levels.

What do the Gresford Bells, Anthony Hopkins, Tom Jones, some of the world's greatest snooker players and Formula One drivers, laverbread, the Manic Street Preachers, the leek, Spencer Davis, and Bertrand Russell have in common?
Answer: They're all native to Wales!
This definitive work of reference--which reveals the storied histories of all of the above Welsh exports, as well as everything you need to know about this remarkable, fascinating, and iconoclastic principality--will undoubtedly be one of the most important books published in the history of Wales. Running the gamut of in-depth research and thought-provoking knowledge--from folk heroes to rock stars, ancient bards to Dylan Thomas, and all the men and women in between who have excelled in art, culture, politics, commerce, and sport--this thrilling volume provides easily accessible information on any aspect of Wales and Welsh life, past and present, letting you know why this centuries-old nation enjoys the nickname, "Cool Cymru."
In the 2002 census, 24 million Americans claimed Welsh ancestry--Donny Osmond, Susan Sarandon, and Hilary Clinton among them--and the high-profile Welsh celebrities who occupy the headlines of art and leisure are almost too numerous too list (Catherine Zeta-Jones, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Sir Richard Burton, and Naomi Watts, to name a few). This unsurpassed volume, ten years in the making, includes over 3,300 entries on the notable personalities, rich histories, eye-opening etymologies, nationalist revivals, breathtaking geographies, and absorbing cultural, religious, athletic, culinary, and musical traditions that help define this spectacular nation. Accompanied by over 300 full color images, this celebration of the Welsh nation's past and present is an absolutely essential item for anyone with an interest in the wonderfully diverse heritage of a truly incredible nation.

Combining the International Who's Who in Classical Music and the International Who's Who in Popular Music, this two-volume set provides a complete view of the whole of the music world. Within the International Who's Who in Classical Music, each biographical entry comprises personal information, principal career details, repertoire, recordings and compositions, and full contact details where available. Appendices provide contact details for national orchestras, opera companies, music festivals, music organizations and major competitions and awards. The International Who's Who in Popular Music boasts detailed entries, including full biographical information, such as principal career details, recordings and compositions, honours and contact information.

The most influential and distinguished women throughout the world are brought together in this unique single-volume publication. Listing more than 7,500 entries from a variety of backgrounds, this new ninth edition reflects the significant role of women in modern society. A one-stop research tool making reference quick and easy, recognizing established personalities as well as women who are rising to prominence. To ensure accuracy, the entrants themselves validate information wherever possible. Each entry provides comprehensive biographical details, including, where available, Key Features: - each entry includes: name, titles, nationality, profession, date and place of birth, personal details, education, career history, honours, awards and prizes, publications, artistic achievements, leisure interests, and contact details, including address, telephone and fax numbers, e-mail and website addresses.where available - comprehensive biographies of women from all occupational fields are included: politics, finance, business, academia, science, literature, the media, fashion, the arts, medicine, sports and many more.

The stinkers, the rascals, the reprobates. . . and the just plain dumb.

(Yes, Bill, he's talking about you.)

Geraldo Rivera. The Coca-Cola Company. Victoria Gotti. Tom Cruise. Various members of the Bush administration. All have earned the dishonor of "Worst Person in the World," awarded by MSNBC's witty and controversial reporter Keith Olbermann on his nightly MSNBC show Countdown with Keith Olbermann. Now, he brings all his bronze, silver, and gold medalists together in this wildly entertaining collection that reveals just how twisted people can be--and how much fun it is to call them out on it.

From tongue-in-cheek observations to truly horrific accounts, Olbermann skewers both the mighty and the meek, the well-known and the anonymous for their misdeeds, including:

Ann Coulter, for, among other things, calling Muslims "ragheads" in a speech to the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington

Barbara Bush, for making a generous donation to the Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund earmarked exclusively for the purchase of computer software . . . software sold by her son, Neil

The staff of Your World with Neil Cavuto, for the story about the murders of Iraqi civilians that was accompanied by the on-screen graphic: "All-out Civil War in Iraq: Could It Be a Good Thing?"

Olbermann also reports on some of the recent fallout from his awards, such as the controversy with John Gibson and the mysterious disappearance of remarks about Cindy Sheehan on Rush Limbaugh's Web site. Plus, he reveals the winner of the most coveted award of all: "Worst in Show."

Ann Patchett and the late Lucy Grealy met in college in 1981, and, after enrolling in the Iowa Writers' Workshop, began a friendship that would be as defining to both of their lives as their work. In Grealy's critically acclaimed memoir, Autobiography of a Face, she wrote about losing part of her jaw to childhood cancer, years of chemotherapy and radiation, and endless reconstructive surgeries. In Truth & Beauty, the story isn't Lucy's life or Ann's life, but the parts of their lives they shared. This is a portrait of unwavering commitment that spans twenty years, from the long winters of the Midwest, to surgical wards, to book parties in New York. Through love, fame, drugs, and despair, this is what it means to be part of two lives that are intertwined . . . and what happens when one is left behind.

This is a tender, brutal book about loving the person we cannot save. It is about loyalty, and being lifted up by the sheer effervescence of someone who knew how to live life to the fullest.

Benjamin Rush, William Paterson, David Ramsay, Oliver Ellsworth, Jonathan Edwards, Jr.--these are only a few of the remarkable men who attended the College of New Jersey (later Princeton University) in its first twenty-one classes. Alumni included five members of the Constitutional Convention of 1787, twenty two participants in the Continental Congress, four Senators, seven Congressmen, and two Justices of the Supreme Court. This volume describes the lives of the 338 men who graduated from the College between 1748 and 1768. Their biographies are arranged by year of graduation, and an introduction provides the early history of the College and its role in colonial culture. In sharp contrast to the graduates of other colleges at the time, Princeton's early students were either born or found their later careers in every one of the thirteen states as well as in Tennessee, Kentucky, the West Indies, and Ireland. After graduation most became clergymen, lawyers, doctors, businessmen, and soldiers. While some served as national leaders, others rose to prominence in state and local government, becoming governors, state legislators, and participants in the drafting of state constitutions. This record of their lives is a mine of information about America during the Colonial, Revolutionary, and Early National periods. Originally published in 1977. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

Published in collaboration with the Royal Irish Academy, the Dictionary of Irish Biography is a comprehensive and authoritative biographical reference work available both in print and online for Ireland. From James Ussher to James Joyce, St Patrick to Patrick Pearse, St Brigit to Maud Gonne MacBride, Maria Edgeworth to Elizabeth Bowen, Edward Carson to Bobby Sands, Eamon de Valera to Charles J. Haughey, and David Ervine to George Best, this indispensable resource outlines the careers at home and overseas of prominent men and women born in Ireland, north and south, and the noteworthy Irish careers of those born outside Ireland. Distinctive features include the particular attention paid to outstanding women who have previously been overlooked and its broad coverage of the modern period. These 11 volumes contain fascinating short summaries and detailed assessments that document over 10,000 lives, ranging from the earliest times to 2010. Biographical subjects include: artists, scientists, lawyers, actors, musicians, writers, politicians, criminals, and saints.

This fascinating dictionary gives concise accounts of every officially recognized pope in history, from St Peter to Pope Benedict XVI, as well as all of their irregularly elected rivals, the so-called antipopes. Each pope and antipope's entry covers his family and social background and pre-papal career as well as his activities in office. Also, an appendix provides a detailed discussion and analysis of many topics including the theory that there has been a female pope. This new edition reflects the very latest in papal research and contains additional information in the further reading sections of each entry, making the book an even more useful starting place for research into specific pontiffs. Moreover, the entries are arranged chronologically, creating a continuous history of the papacy over almost 2,000 years. It reveals how, for much of that history, spiritual and temporal power has been inextricably mingled in the person of the pope. A fascinating read for students of theology and history, as well as the general reader with an interest in Christian history.

This volume is an invaluable one-stop reference book for anyone wanting a brief and accurate account of the life and work of those who created science from its beginnings to the present day. The alphabetically organized, illustrated biographical dictionary has been thoroughly revised and updated, covering over 1,500 key scientists (157 more than in the previous edition) from 40 countries. Physics, chemistry, biology, geology, astronomy, mathematics, medicine, meteorology and technology are all represented and special attention is paid to pioneer women whose achievements and example opened the way to scientific careers for others. This new edition includes recent Nobel laureates, as well as winners of the Fields Medal, the mathematician's equivalent of the Nobel Prize. Illustrated with around 150 portraits, diagrams, maps and tables, and with special panel features, this book is an accessible guide to the world's prominent scientific personalities. David Millar has carried out research into the flow of polar ice sheets at the Scott Polar Research Institute, Cambridge, and in Antarctica. He has also written on a range of science and technology topics, and edited a study of the politics of the Antarctic. His professional career has been spent in the oil industry, principally in the marketing of geoscience software. He lives in France. John Millar graduated from Trinity College, Cambridge, and has a doctorate from Imperial College, London. He worked for BP developing new geophysical methods for use in oil exploration and production. In 1994 he co-founded GroundFlow Ltd., which has developed electrokinetic surveying and logging as a new technique for imaging and mapping fluids in subsurface porous rocks.