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Books > History > European history > General
This is a work of fundamental importance for our understanding of
the intellectual and cultural history of early modern Europe.
Stuart Clark offers a new interpretation of the witchcraft beliefs
of European intellectuals based on their publications in the field
of demonology, and shows how these beliefs fitted rationally with
many other views current in Europe between the fifteenth and
eighteenth centuries. Professor Clark is the first to explore the
appeal of demonology to early modern intellectuals by looking at
the books they published on the subject during this period. After
examining the linguistic foundations of their writings, the author
shows how the writers' ideas about witchcraft (and about magic)
complemented their other intellectual commitments-in particular,
their conceptions of nature, history, religion, and politics. The
result is much more than a history of demonology. It is a survey of
wider intellectual and ideological purposes, and underlines just
how far the nature of rationality is dependent on its historical
context.
In an era when women were supposed to be disciplined and obedient, Anna proved to be neither. Defying 16th-century social mores, she was the frequent subject of gossip because of her immodest dress and flirtatious behavior. When her wealthy father discovered that she was having secret, simultaneous affairs with a young nobleman and a cavalryman, he turned her out of the house in rage, but when she sued him for financial support, he had her captured, returned home and chained to a table as punishment. Anna eventually escaped and continued her suit against her father, her siblings and her home town in a bitter legal battle that was to last 30 years and end only upon her death. Drawn from her surviving love letters and court records, The Burgermeister's Daughter is a fascinating examination of the politics of sexuality, gender and family in the 16th century, and a powerful testament to the courage and tenacity of a woman who defied the inequalities of this distant age.
"I have decided to prepare for, and if necessary to carry out, an
invasion against England."--Adolph Hitler, July 16, 1940
Operation Sealion was the codename for the Nazi invasion of Britain
that Hitler ordered his generals to plan after France fell in June
1940. Although the plan ultimately never came to fruition, a few
sets of the Germans' detailed strategy documents are housed in the
rare book rooms of libraries across Europe. But now the Bodleian
Library has made documents from their set available for all to
peruse in this unprecedented collection of the invasion planning
materials.
The planned operation would have involved landing 160,000 German
soldiers along a forty-mile stretch of coast in southeast England.
Packets of reconnaissance materials were put together for the
invading forces, and the most intriguing parts are now reproduced
here. Each soldier was to be given maps and geographical
descriptions of the British Isles that broke down the country by
regions, aerial photographs pinpointing strategic targets, an
extensive listing of British roads and rivers, strategic plans for
launching attacks on each region, an English dictionary and phrase
book, and even a brief description of Britain's social composition.
Augmenting the fascinating documents is an informative introduction
that sets the materials in their historical and political context.
A must-have for every military history buff, "German Invasion Plans
for the British Isles, 1940" is a remarkable revelation of the
inner workings of Hitler's most famous unrealized military
campaign.
"A Traveller's History of Cyprus" offers a complete and
authoritative history of the island's past and also touches on the
sensitive present-day issues for both sides of the island. Although
Cyprus is a relatively small island, its position in the East
Mediterranean has always given it strategic importance beyond its
size. Well-placed for travel from all over the globe with plenty of
sunshine throughout the year, Cyprus has become a favored tourist
destination. All visitors, whether to the Greek or Turkish side of
the island, discover the immensely rich history, which has resulted
in so many civilizations making their mark upon its soil. With a
historical gazetteer, chronology of major events, index,
bibliography and historical and contemporary maps, this book is an
invaluable companion to students or visitors to the island.
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