'Damien Lewis is both a meticulous historian and a born storyteller' Lee Child Against insurmountable odds, SAS men crossed deserts, evaded revenge and escaped through enemy lands. Lieutenant Bill Fraser and the six SAS men he led were listed as Missing in Action (MIA) after their failure to return from a raid. Nine weeks later they emerged from a death-defying sojourn across the Sahara Desert, after evading and confounding the enemy. The eccentric and gifted commander Lord George Jellicoe and the group of five SAS men he led carried out a raid on the German aerodrome at Heraklion, destroying an incredible seventy warplanes. Only one man - Jellicoe, managed to get away. Some two-hundred SAS raiders were dispatched across the Sahara to raid the enemy port fortress of Benghazi, in what they feared would be a 'suicide mission'. It very nearly turned out that way, and the survivors faced a 1000-mile journey back across the desert to safety. SAS founder David Stirling attempted what was one of the most ambitious missions of the war - to drive across war-torn North Africa and link up with advancing American forces. The legendary Captain John Tonkin, who had soldiered with the SAS since its earliest times, led an escape where only six of the 40-strong SAS party he led managed to escape, after German forces surrounded their forest base. SAS man Herbert Castelow was one of the few to escape - perched on the local village mayor's bike when, in the aftermath of D-Day, a dozen parachutists dropped into France, charged to sabotage a German airbase. But the drop-zone was staked out by the enemy and a savage firefight ensued. 'In these days when we are told to be scared of everything it is a relief to read of steely nerves and cold courage. Damien Lewis has collected examples of exactly these qualities from World War II and they are all thrillers, to be read with pleasure - and a bit of nostalgia!' Frederick Forsyth 'The fund of SAS escapes turns out to be too big for one book, and in Damien Lewis there is a writer of rare narrative gifts able to bring alive these epic stories for us today' Mark Urban 'An astonishing book: a collection of truly riveting stories of bravery, all brilliantly told. In terms of sheer drama and audacity, SAS: Great Escapes Two goes where no fiction writer would dare venture' Alex Gerlis, author of Agent in the Shadows

Routledge's pre-eminent position at the forefront of academic Education publishing is represented by this essential collection. The History of Education reprints texts carefully selected on the basis of their influence and prestige, written by the finest historians of education. Together they provide unparalelled international coverage of the development of education from medieval times to the present day, themes covered include: the development of national curriculums the evolution of primary and secondary schooling the move towards comprehensive schooling the history of schooling for disabled learners. For further information on this collection please email [email protected].

Discover the lavish beauty and fascinating history of the 40 most important and inspiring botanic gardens from across the globe. From the Renaissance gardens of Italy to the futuristic botanic gardens of Singapore, this gorgeous book tells the story of these unique institutions. It is a history of science and learning, of politics and national interests, of societal concerns and conservation. But, most of all, it is a compelling exploration of the power and possibility of the natural world, that we are still merely scratching the surface of. Expert garden historian Deborah Trentham has selected the world's most important gardens and delves deep into the history of these horticultural institutions - sharing stories of exploration, extraordinary plants and the scientific breakthroughs which have shaped these stunning gardens. Filled with rare and beautiful plants and incredible locations from around the globe - from Norway to Morocco, Kyoto to Kew, Brooklyn to Buenos Aires, and Madrid to Malaysia - this book will transport you to far-flung places and bygone eras, and consider the future of our botanical havens and the natural wonders they protect.

This book analyses the institution and concept of dictatorship from a legal, historical and theoretical perspective, examining the different types of dictatorship, their relationship to the law, as well as the analytical value of the concept in contemporary world. In particular, it seeks to codify the main theories and conceptions of 'dictatorship', with the goal of unearthing their contradictions. The book's main premise is that the concept of dictatorship and the different types of the dictatorial form have to be assessed and can only be understood in their historical context. On this basis, the elaborations on dictatorship of such diverse thinkers as Carl Schmitt, Donoso Cortes, Karl Marx, Ernst Fraenkel, Franz Neumann, Nicos Poulantzas, and V. I. Lenin, are discussed in their historical context: 'classical and Caesaristic dictatorship' in ancient Rome, 'dictatorship' in revolutionary France of 1789 and counterrevolutionary France of 1848, 'fascist dictatorship' in Nazi Germany, and 'dictatorship of the proletariat' in Russia of 1917. The book contributes to the theory of dictatorship as it outlines the contradictions of the different typologies of the dictatorial form and seeks to explain them on the basis of the concept of 'class dictatorship'. The book's original claim is that the dictatorial form, as a modality of class rule that relies predominantly on violence and repression, has been essential to the reproduction of bourgeois rule and, consequently, of capitalist social relations. This function has given rise to different types and conceptualisations of dictatorship depending on the level of capitalist development. This book is addressed to anyone with an interest in law, political theory, political history and sociology. It can serve as core text for courses that seek to introduce students to the institution or theory of dictatorship. It may also serve as a reference text for post-graduate programs in law and politics, because of its interdisciplinary and critical approach.

Since the invention of the printing press in the fifteenth century, books and print culture have been central to the shaping of culture and society. "The Book History Reader "is the first comprehensive volume to bring together a variety of work - much of which is now out of print or impossible to access - examining key aspects of book history. International in scope and interdisciplinary in nature, book history studies is a rapidly growing subject which analyses books and print as cultural artefacts. "The Book History Reader "is an essential collection of writings examining different aspects of the history of books and print culture: the development of the book, the move from spoken word to written texts, the commodification of books and authors and the power and profile of readers. The second edition features new articles covering issues of gender, material culture and bibliographical matters and a new section on the future of the book in the electronic age. Arranged in thematic sections and featuring a general introduction to the Reader as well as an introduction to each section, the editors illustrate how book history studies have developed a broad approach which incorporates social and cultural considerations governing the production, dissemination and reception of print and texts. This pioneering book will be a vital resource for all those involved in publishing studies, library studies, book history and also those studying English literature, cultural studies, sociology and history.

Furnishing the Eighteenth Century provides an illuminating, interdisciplinary look into European and American furniture during the century that connoisseurs and collectors consider its golden age. Lavishly illustrated, this eclectic and lively collection of essays by historians, art historians, and literary scholars examines the many ways furniture of this period reflects the complex social and cultural issues that shaped this century in both Europe and America. In addition to furniture and portraiture, this diverse compilation considers literature, account books, and handbooks, allowing for a revealing look at how these furnishings created, contested, and subverted their cultures on both sides of the Atlantic. Ultimately, these essays make the past come alive, showing us what made this furniture meaningful in its own time, and why it is still meaningful today.

Peckham Experiment was first published in 1943.

First published in 2006. This book is based on research into estate records and studies around the three broad categories of landowners: peers, gentry, and freeholders. Landed property was the foundation of eighteenth-century society. The soil itself yielded the nation its sustenance and most of its raw materials, and provided the population with its most extensive means of employment; and the owners of the soil derived from its consequence and wealth the right to govern.

First published in 2006. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

This book was first published in 1970.

First published in 2006. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

This study departs from the standard picture of English sporting activities as one of Renaissance Glory and exuberance being snuffed out by Puritan strictures, and then reviving lustily with the Restoration.

Although in Victorian society the Army was the aristocratic backbone of England, it was persistently engaged in fighting Colonial Wars.

First published in 2006. This book tells a number of plain tales of those who tried to save the English behind their collective backs under the term of Utopian Experiments in England between 1560 and 1960. It looks at the influences of the church to community experiments and groups, the ideas of Robert Owen, William Allen, George Mudie, Abraham Combe and more.

First published in 2006. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

First published in 2006. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Constructed over a millennium from the fourth to fourteenth centuries CE near Dunhuang, an ancient border town along the Silk Road in northwest China, the Mogao Caves comprise the largest, most continuously created, and best-preserved treasure trove of Buddhist art in the world. Previous overviews of the art of Dunhuang have traced the caves' unilinear history. This book examines the caves from the perspective of space, treating them as physical and historical sites that can be approached, entered, and understood sensually. It prioritizes the actual experiences of the people of the past who built and used the caves. Five spatial contexts provide rich material for analysis: Dunhuang as a multicultural historic place; the Mogao Cave complex as an evolving entity; the interior space of caves; interaction of the visual program with architectural space; and pictorial space within wall paintings that draws viewers into an otherworldly time. With its novel approach to this repository of religious art, Spatial Dunhuang will be a must-read for anyone interested in Buddhist art and for visitors to Dunhuang.

This three-volume collection focuses on writings by and about cross-dressing women from the early nineteenth century up until the beginning of World War II. In so doing, it provides a new perspective on one of the most decisive periods in the history of feminism.

The anthology brings together for the first time key texts from the sexological and the literary realms, as well as newspaper articles, letters and photographs, which document the phenomenon of cross-dressing women in nineteenth- and early twentieth-century British culture. The collection also includes translations from European texts that impacted on British understandings of cross-dressing during this time.

A fascinating work, each of the volumes is introduced separately with a critical essay, and is divided thematically to include sections devoted to theories, fictions and fictionalisations, and lives. Together, these volumes make available important source material for the history of feminism.

Between the French revolution and the 'Chemists' War' (1914-1918) science became culturally and economically crucial. David Knight explores how science was disseminated in this period, moving from its relative unimportance in the late 18th century to the start of the 20th century where it was seen as a vital tool.

The encyclopaedia once shaped our understanding of the world. Now these huge books sell for almost nothing on eBay while we derive information from our phones. What have we lost in this transition? All the Knowledge in the World tracks the story from Ancient Greece to Wikipedia, from modest single-volumes to the 11,000-volume Chinese manuscript that was too big to print. It exposes how encyclopaedias reflect our changing attitudes towards sexuality, race and technology, uncovers a fascinating part of our shared past and wonders whether the promise of complete knowledge - that most human of ambitions - will forever be beyond our grasp

The late Stalinist period, long neglected by researchers more interested in the high-profile events of the 1930s, has recently become the focus of new and innovative research. This book examines late Stalinist society's interaction with ideology, state policy and national and international politics. It dispels the notion of late Stalinism as the apogee of Stalin's rule. Rather than being cowed by terror and control, Soviet post-war society emerges as highly diverse and often contradictory. The analysis of issues such as the impact of demographic changes, shifts in popular opinion, the rise of new generations and the construction of post-war spaces demonstrates that alongside the needs of reconstruction, a strong desire for reinvention existed. The late Stalinist years are thus shown to be a crucial turning point between the Soviet Union's revolutionary origins and its later appearance as a mature and consolidated empire beset by problems of stagnation and corruption. It was in this time that the Soviet Union acquired many of the characteristics that gave it the face it was to have until its demise.

Postdigital Storytelling offers a groundbreaking re-evaluation of one of the most dynamic and innovative areas of creativity today: digital storytelling. Central to this reassessment is the emergence of metamodernism as our dominant cultural condition. This volume argues that metamodernism has brought with it a new kind of creative modality in which the divide between the digital and non-digital is no longer binary and oppositional. Jordan explores the emerging poetics of this inherently transmedial and hybridic postdigital condition through a detailed analysis of hypertextual, locative mobile and collaborative storytelling. With a focus on twenty-first century storytelling, including print-based and nondigital art forms, the book ultimately widens our understanding of the modes and forms of metamodernist creativity. Postdigital Storytelling is of value to anyone engaged in creative writing within the arts and humanities. This includes scholars, students and practitioners of both physical and digital texts as well as those engaged in interdisciplinary practice-based research in which storytelling remains a primary approach.

Legal scholars and authorities generally agree that the law should be obeyed and should apply equally to all those subject to it, without favour or discrimination. Yet it is possible to see that in any legal system there will be situations when strict application of the law will produce undesirable results, such as injustice or other consequences not intended by the law as framed. In such circumstances the law may be changed but there may be broad policy reasons not to do so. The allied concepts of dispensation and economy grew up in the western and eastern traditions of the Christian church as mechanisms whereby an individual or a class of people could, by authority, be excused from obligations under a particular law in particular circumstances without that law being changed. This book uncovers and explores this neglected area of church life and law. Will Adam argues that dispensing power and authority exist in various guises in the systems of different churches. Codified and understood in Roman Catholic and Orthodox canon law, this arouses suspicion in the Church of England and in English law in general. The book demonstrates that legal flexibility can be found in English law and is integral to the law of the Church, to enable the Church today better to fulfil its mission in the world.

W.R. Ward was one of the most influential historians of modern religion to be found at work in Britain during the twentieth century. Across fifty years his writings provoked a major reconsideration by historians of the significance of religion in society and its importance in the contexts of political, cultural and intellectual life. Ward was, above all, an international scholar who did much to repudiate any settled understanding that religious history existed in merely national categories. In particular, he showed how much British and American religion owed to the insights of Continental European thought and experience. This book presents many of Ward's most important articles and gives a picture of the character, and extraordinary breadth, of his work. Embracing studies of John Wesley and the development of Methodism at large, the ambitions of Evangelicals in an age of international mission, the place of mysticism in evolution of Protestantism and the relations of churches and secular powers in the twentieth century, Andrew Chandler concludes that it was in such scholarship that Ward 'quietly recast the picture that we have of the past and drew our attention towards a far greater, more difficult and more interesting, landscape.'

Street Fight is the untold story of the deadly taxicab wars that plagued Chicago during the 1920s and led to laws that today still govern how cab, limo, and rideshare companies and drivers work every day. The book vividly brings to life the full intrigue, danger, and innovation that accompanied the taxi wars in Chicago, an exciting yet politically corrupt city where world-famous gangsters publicly vied for control of the city’s illegal liquor business in the time of Prohibition. Working from extensive research and interviews with descendants and experts, author Anne Morrissy gives the taxi wars the full treatment they deserve and which has so far eluded them.