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Books > Humanities > History > World history > From 1900
Our Portion of Hell: Fayette County, Tennessee: An Oral History of
the Struggle for Civil Rights offers an unrivalled account of how a
rural Black community drew together to combat the immense forces
aligned against them. Author Robert Hamburger first visited Fayette
County as part of a student civil rights project in 1965 and, in
1971, set out to document the history of the grassroots movement
there. Beginning in 1959, Black residents in Fayette County
attempting to register to vote were met with brutal resistance from
the white community. Sharecropping families whose names appeared on
voter registration rolls were evicted from their homes and their
possessions tossed by the roadside. These dispossessed families
lived for months in tents on muddy fields, as Fayette County became
a "tent city" that attracted national attention. The white
community created a blacklist culled from voter registration rolls,
and those whose names appeared on the list were denied food, gas,
and every imaginable service at shops, businesses, and gas stations
throughout the county. Hamburger conducted months of interviews
with residents of the county, inviting speakers to recall childhood
experiences in the "Old South" and to explain what inspired them to
take a stand against the oppressive system that dominated life in
Fayette County. Their stories, told in their own words, make up the
narrative of Our Portion of Hell. This reprint edition includes
twenty-nine documentary photographs and an insightful new afterword
by the author. There, he discusses the making of the book and
reflects upon the difficult truth that although the civil rights
struggle, once so immediate, has become history, many of the core
issues that inspired the struggle remain as urgent as ever.
Social anthropology was at the forefront of debates about culture,
society, and economic development in the British Empire. This book
explores the discipline's rise in the interwar period, crisis amid
decolonization, and ironic reemergence in the postwar metropole.
Across the humanities and social sciences, activists and scholars
used anthropological concepts forged in empire to rethink British
society at midcentury. Participant Observers shows how colonial
anthropology helped define the social imagination of postimperial
Britain. Part institutional history of the discipline's formation,
part cultural history of its impact, this is the first account of
social anthropology's pivotal role in Britain's intellectual
culture.
The current dogma concerning the origins of the First World War
supports the militarist myth that wars are caused by stupid, evil,
aggressive nations on the other side of the world who refuse to get
along with the intelligent, good, peaceful people on this side.
This book attempts to understand the real causes of war and to
dissociate propaganda from historical fact. By reviewing the events
of the pre-1914 period, the responsibility of Germany for the
outbreak of the war is reconsidered.
It begins with a short account of the situation after the
Franco-Prussian War, when France was isolated and Germany secure in
the friendship of all the other Great Powers, and proceeds to
describe how France created an anti-German coalition. The account
of the estrangement of England from Germany attempts to correct the
usual pro-British prejudice and to explain the real causes of this
development. The centrepiece of the work is the creation of the
Triple Entente.
This book is unique in its positive approach to the German
Empire of 1871-1918.
The quantity of journalism produced during World War I was unlike
anything the then-budding mass media had ever seen. Correspondents
at the front were dispatching voluminous reports on a daily basis,
and though much of it was subject to censorship, it all eventually
became available. It remains the most extraordinary firsthand look
at the war that we have. Published immediately after the cessation
of hostilities and compiled from those original journalistic
sources-American, British, French, German, and others-this is an
astonishing contemporary perspective on the Great War. This replica
of the first 1919 edition includes all the original maps, photos,
and illustrations, lending an even greater immediacy to readers a
century later. Volume VI covers March 1918 through September 1918,
from the last battles on the Western Front through the Paris peace
conference and revolution in Germany. American journalist and
historian FRANCIS WHITING HALSEY (1851-1919) was literary editor of
The New York Times from 1892 through 1896. He wrote and lectured
extensively on history; his works include, as editor, the
two-volume Great Epochs in American History Described by Famous
Writers, From Columbus to Roosevelt (1912), and, as writer, the
10-volume Seeing Europe with Famous Authors (1914).
Belonging across the Bay of Bengal discusses themes connecting the
regions bordering the Bay of Bengal, mainly covering the period
from the mid-19th through the mid-20th centuries - a crucial period
of transition from colonialism to independence. Focusing on the
notion of 'belonging', the chapters in this collection highlight
themes of ethnicity, religion, culture and the emergence of
nationalist politics and state policies as they relate to the
movement of peoples in the region. While the Indian Ocean has been
of interest to scholars for decades, there has been a notable tilt
towards historicizing the Western half of that space, often
prioritizing Islamic trade as the key connective glue prior to the
rise of Western power and the later emergence of transnational
Indian nationalism. Belonging across the Bay of Bengal enriches
this story by drawing attention to Buddhist and migrant
connectivities, introducing discussions of Lanka, Burma and the
Straits Settlements to establish the historical context of the
current refugee crises playing out in these regions. This is a
timely and innovative volume that offers a fresh approach to Indian
Ocean history, further enriching our understanding of the current
debates over minority rights and refugee problems in the region. It
will be of great significance to all students and scholars of
Indian Ocean studies as well as historians of modern South and
Southeast Asia.
The Zoot Suit Riots in 1943 and the infamous Sleepy Lagoon murder
trial of the preceding year represent a turning point in the
cultural identity and historical experience of Mexican Americans in
the United States. This engaging study of these regrettable events
provides context for understanding the continuing battles in the
21st century over immigration policy and race relations. Although
the "zoot suit" had earlier been a black youth fashion trend
identified with jazz culture, by the 1940s, the zoot suit was
adopted by Mexican American teenagers in wartime Los Angeles, who
wore it as their unofficial "uniform" as an act of rebellion and to
establish their cultural identity. For a week in June of 1943, the
Zoot Suit Riots, instigated by Anglo-American servicemen and
condoned by the Los Angeles police, terrorized the Mexican American
community. The events were an ugly testament to the climate of
racial tension and resentment in Los Angeles-and after similar
riots began across the nation, it became apparent how endemic the
problem was. This book traces these important historic events and
their subsequent cultural and political influences on the Mexican
American experience, especially the activist and reform efforts
designed to prevent similar future injustices. General readers will
gain an understanding of the challenges facing the Mexican American
community in wartime Los Angeles, grasp the racial and cultural
resistance of the larger Anglo-American society of the time, and
see how the blatant injustices of the Sleepy Lagoon trial and the
Zoot Suit Riots served to galvanize Latinos and others to fight
back. Those conducting in-depth research will appreciate having
access to original materials sourced from Federal and state
archives as well as newspapers and other repositories of
information provided in the book. Connects the racially and
socioeconomically motivated events of the World War II-era 1940s to
the Chicano movement of the 1970s and the current battles over
immigration legislation, allowing readers to see the recurring
theme in American history Exposes the distortions of a yellow
journalistic press in its coverage and treatment of the Sleepy
Lagoon trial and Zoot Suit Riots, providing documentation of how
white America's perception of Mexican Americans has been fashioned
over many years by the mainstream media Documents how the zoot-suit
and Pachuco cultures of Mexican American youths of the 1940s-an
expression of their identity and an attempt to establish their
place in the larger American culture-were a key reason behind the
violent culture clashes Includes previously unpublished primary
documents from the National Archives and Records Administration and
the Franklin Roosevelt Library
A pilot's account of the war in the air
Books on the war in the air above the fields, broken landscapes and
trenches of France and Belgium in the First World War are not
numerous. Those written by pilots who experienced war in the air
during the infancy of aviation are fewer still. In the early years
of the 20th century the first clumsy attempts at mastering the
skies was followed quickly by the necessity, on the part of armies
and navies, to find individuals with the ability to learn the
skills and tactics of fighting in three dimensions. Those whose
learning failed them paid a price rarely expected of young
students. This book was written by a young American volunteer
during wartime. He informs his readers from the outset that he has
a poor opinion of his own abilities and of the contribution he
believes he can make, though this is difficult to understand for
those who have never taken the air to fight in a primitive flying
machine-without a parachute. Molter was one of those remarkable
young men, irrespective of his own opinion of himself, who elected
to volunteer to fight for France before America had entered the
war. He gives us an insightful account of flying combat missions
from the sharp end and no one who has an interest in the subject
will be disappointed with his story.
Leonaur editions are newly typeset and are not facsimiles; each
title is available in softcover and hardback with dustjacket; our
hardbacks are cloth bound and feature gold foil lettering on their
spines and fabric head and tail bands.
This thought-provoking collection analyses the European Community's
external relations between 1957 and 1992, with a particular focus
upon their broader impact and global significance.
Reconceptualizing the long arc of the EC's international role, from
its inception in the 1950s to the end of the Cold War, the chapters
identify and assess the factors that either supported or impeded
Europe's international projection within this period. Organized
into three parts, the authors investigate the EC's relations with
key countries and world regions, discuss its activities within key
policy areas, and offer reflections and conclusions on the various
arguments that are put forward. Each chapter considers the entire
period from 1957-1992 to identify and explain overarching trends,
key decisions and historical conjunctions through scholarly
literature, key debates and original discussion of each topic or
policy issue. A final chapter situates the main findings within
wider contexts, situating the EC in Cold War history. Bringing
together international history and international relations, this
project allows for cross-disciplinary dialogue and the careful
discussion of key concepts, analytical approaches, and empirical
findings. Filling a gap in our understanding of the early
development of the EC's role as an autonomous global actor, this
book holds important messages for the modern day, as the EU's
position in global politics continues to shape the world.
The First World War marked a key turning point in America's
involvement on the global stage. Isolationism fell, and America
joined the ranks of the Great Powers. Civil-Military relations
would face new challenges as a result. Ford examines the multitude
of changes that stemmed from America's first major overseas
coalition war, including the new selective service process; mass
mobilization of public opinion; training diverse soldiers; civil
liberties, anti-war sentiment and conscientious objectors;
segregation and warfare; Americans under British or French command.
Post war issues of significance, such as the Red Scare and
retraining during demobilization are also covered. Both the federal
government and the military were expanding rapidly both in terms of
size and in terms of power during this time. The new group of
citizen-soldiers, diverse in terms of class, religion, ethnicity,
regional identity, education, and ideology, would provide training
challenges. New government-military-business relationships would
experience failures and successes. Delicate relationships with
allies would translate into diplomatic considerations and
battlefield command concerns.
To understand contemporary Irana??s notoriously complex politics,
it is essential to grasp the monumental changes initiated by
Mohammad Khatami. The previously little-known cleric stormed to
victory in Irana??s 1997 presidential elections with nearly 70
percent of the vote, encouraging Irana??s reform movement to
flourish during his eight year tenure as president. Ghoncheh
Tazminia??s book offers a thought-provoking, astutely close-up yet
systematic analysis of Khatami the man and the reform movement that
supported him. She provides us with the first insight into Khatami
and his politics, unravelling from the inside the dramatic
emergence and consequences of Irana??s vibrant reform movement.
Balanced and analytical, this book provides a comprehensive and
finely detailed introduction to the subtleties of contemporary
Irana??s complex political culture. At the same time it is an
important reference point for a critical period of Irana??s
post-revolutionary trajectory, especially given the controversial
Post-Khatami developments in the country following the election of
President Ahmadinejad.And with the Ahmadinejad view of Iranian
politics creating a measure of discord in the country, Khatamia? ?s
role as a player on the Iranian political scene remains firm.
The 11th of November 1918, Polish Independence Day, is a curious
anniversary whose commemoration has been only intermittently
observed in the last century. In fact, the day -- and the several
symbols that rightly or wrongly have become associated with it --
has a rather convoluted history, filled with tradition and myth,
which deserves attention.
Independence Day is more than just the history of a day, or the
evolution of its celebration, but an explanation of what meaning
has come to be associated with that date. It offers a re-reading of
Polish history, not by a series of dates, but through a series of
symbols whose combination allows the Poles to understand who they
are by what they have been. Its focus is on the era 1914-2008, and
the central actor is the charismatic Jozef Pilsudski. He came to
represent a disposition regarding the meaning of Polish history
which eventually penetrated virtually all of modern Polish society.
The work is constructed by the analysis of memoirs, documents,
coins, stamps, films, maps, monuments, and many other features
making it a multi-disciplinary and multi-dimensional volume.
Following Stalin's death in 1953, during the period now known as
the Thaw, Nikita Khrushchev opened up greater freedoms in cultural
and intellectual life. A broad group of intellectuals and artists
in Soviet Russia were able to take advantage of this, and in no
realm of the arts was this perhaps more true than in music.
Students at Soviet conservatories were at last able to use various
channels--many of questionable legality--to acquire and hear music
that had previously been forbidden, and visiting performers and
composers brought young Soviets new sounds and new compositions. In
the 1960s, composers such as Andrey Volkonsky, Edison Denisov,
Alfred Schnittke, Arvo Part, Sofia Gubaidulina, and Valentin
Silvestrov experimented with a wide variety of then new and
unfamiliar techniques ranging from serialism to aleatory devices,
and audiences eager to escape the music of predictable sameness
typical to socialist realism were attracted to performances of
their new and unfamiliar creations.
This "unofficial" music by young Soviet composers inhabited the
gray space between legal and illegal. Such Freedom, If Only Musical
traces the changing compositional styles and politically charged
reception of this music, and brings to life the paradoxical
freedoms and sense of resistance or opposition that it suggested to
Soviet listeners. Author Peter J. Schmelz draws upon interviews
conducted with many of the most important composers and performers
of the musical Thaw, and supplements this first-hand testimony with
careful archival research and detailed musical analyses. The first
book to explore this period in detail, Such Freedom, If Only
Musical will appeal to musicologists and theorists interested in
post-war arts movements, the Cold War, and Soviet music, as well as
historians of Russian culture and society."
This volume offers insights into the major Jewish migration
movements and rebuilding of European Jewish communities in the
mid-twentieth century. Its chapters illustrate many facets of the
Jews' often traumatic post-war experiences. People had to find
their way when returning to their countries of origin or starting
from scratch in a new land. Their experiences and hardships from
country to country and from one community of migrants to another
are analyzed here. The mass exodus of Jews from Arab and Muslim
countries is also addressed to provide a necessary and broader
insight into how those challenges were met, as both migrations were
a result of persecution, as well as discrimination.
During a government career that spanned nearly the whole of the
Cold War, George R. Lindsey gained a reputation as a leading
defence scientist and military strategist for Canada's Defence
Research Board. His research and writing played a vital role in
shaping Canadian policy in air defence, anti-submarine warfare, the
militarization of space, and other areas of crucial concern in the
nuclear age. The Selected Works of George R. Lindsey provides full
access to a wealth of previously classified historical material
regarding the scientific and technical aspects of Canadian defence
and national security in the Cold War. Insightful and eye-opening,
Lindsey's writings shed light not only on one of Canada's most
influential civil servants of the Cold War era, but on the
strategies, priorities, and inner workings of the Canadian defence
establishment during an active and politically volatile period in
world affairs.
"You're expendable. A young journalist making his way up the
ladder. You're not a public figure like some of them. Not yet
anyway." Recovering from the horrors of war and the Great
Depression, Britain clings to dreams of peace as Europe slides
towards Fascist dictatorship. Amidst a web of half-hidden
alliances, where rumour and reality interweave, Roger Martin begins
his career in Fleet Street journalism. As he is drawn deeper into
the murky world of international politics, he quickly realises that
discovering the truth is only half of the challenge ...This
compelling story follows an idealistic young journalist from his
first steps along Fleet Street to the dark and dangerous heart of
1930s Nazi Germany as he uncovers the secrets kept from us by the
British Government.
Dissects the politics of commemoration of soldiers, veterans, and
relatives from WWI The United States lost thousands of troops
during World War I, and the government gave next-of-kin a choice
about what to do with their fallen loved ones: ship them home for
burial or leave them permanently in Europe, in makeshift graves
that would be eventually transformed into cemeteries in France,
Belgium, and England. World War I marked the first war in which the
United States government and military took full responsibility for
the identification, burial, and memorialization of those killed in
battle, and as a result, the process of burying and remembering the
dead became intensely political. The government and military
attempted to create a patriotic consensus on the historical memory
of World War I in which war dead were not only honored but used as
a symbol to legitimize America's participation in a war not fully
supported by all citizens. The saga of American soldiers killed in
World War I and the efforts of the living to honor them is a
neglected component of United States military history, and in this
fascinating yet often macabre account, Lisa M. Budreau unpacks the
politics and processes of the competing interest groups involved in
the three core components of commemoration: repatriation,
remembrance, and return. She also describes how relatives of the
fallen made pilgrimages to French battlefields, attended largely by
American Legionnaires and the Gold Star Mothers, a group formed by
mothers of sons killed in World War I, which exists to this day.
Throughout, and with sensitivity to issues of race and gender,
Bodies of War emphasizes the inherent tensions in the politics of
memorialization and explores how those interests often conflicted
with the needs of veterans and relatives.
Witnessing the Holocaust presents the autobiographical writings,
including diaries and autobiographical fiction, of six Holocaust
survivors who lived through and chronicled the Nazi genocide.
Drawing extensively on the works of Victor Klemperer, Ruth Kluger,
Michal Glowinski, Primo Levi, Imre Kertesz and Bela Zsolt, this
books conveys, with vivid detail, the persecution of the Jews from
the beginning of the Third Reich until its very end. It gives us a
sense both of what the Holocaust meant to the wider community swept
up in the horrors and what it was like for the individual to
weather one of the most shocking events in history. Survivors and
witnesses disappear, and history, not memory, becomes the
instrument for recalling the past. Judith M. Hughes secures a place
for narratives by those who experienced the Holocaust in person.
This compelling text is a vital read for all students of the
Holocaust and Holocaust memory.
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