Graphic Signs of Authority in Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages presents a cultural history of graphic signs and examines how they were employed to communicate secular and divine authority in the late antique Mediterranean and early medieval Europe. Visual materials such as the sign of the cross, christograms, monograms, and other such devices, are examined against the backdrop of the cultural, religious, and socio-political transition from the late Graeco-Roman world to that of medieval Europe. This monograph is a synthetic study of graphic visual evidence from a wide range of material media that have rarely been studied collectively, including various mass-produced items and unique objects of art, architectural monuments and epigraphic inscriptions, as well as manuscripts and charters. This study promises to provide a timely reference tool for historians, art historians, archaeologists, epigraphists, manuscript scholars, and numismatists.

Family history can be relatively straightforward as long as one's ancestors stayed in the same area. But few families are as static as this, and with mass migration and empire building during the 19th and 20th centuries, most family trees will eventually get to those elusive men and nd women whose lives took often radical departures/ Some settled in new countries or regions of the British Isles, while others arrived in Britain for the first time. This book describes how people have moved into, within and out of Britain from the 16th century to the present day, and it shows readers which records to consult to track down their mobile ancestors. As ever in this popular series, the chapters are interwoven with practical features on issues that could drop up during research and case studies to illustrate the sources.

More than two hundred years ago, Russian Empress Catherine the Great and some of her courtiers developed a taste for British art and collected some spectacular items including paintings, drawings, sculpture, silver, and Wedgwood ceramics. This sumptuously illustrated book tells the story of the acquisition of these treasures and of the cultural relations between Britain and Russia in the eighteenth century. Distinguished critic John Russell provides the introduction for this book, and eminent British and Russian scholars offer chapters on such topics as British gardeners and the vogue of the English Garden, the Houghton sale, British architects in Russia, and English porcelain and the Russian court. The book includes color illustrations of 164 items from the Hermitage collections of British art, including such highlights as full-length portraits by Van Dyck painted in England, assorted pieces of the celebrated Green Frog dinner service commissioned from Josiah Wedgwood for the Chesmensky Palace, Charles Kandler's huge Rococo silver "Jerningham" wine cooler, other silver items by Augustine Courtauld and Paul de Lamerie, and some furniture and important architectural drawings by Charles Cameron. The collection also includes sculpture, jewelry, watches, clocks, medals, cameos, and gems.

In addition to the presentation speeches and the Nobel lectures, these volumes also provide brief biographies and the Nobel laureates' own accounts of their many years of preparation and effort that led to their achievements.The last decade of the twentieth century is already proving to be as dramatic as any decade before. The chances of global peace seem stronger now than at any time since 1900 and the people and organizations that have contributed most towards this progress are recognized by the Norwegian Nobel Committee. The Nobel Peace prizewinners during the period 1996 - 2000 include men, women and organizations whose principles, dedication and diligence continue to shape history.Below is a list of the prizewinners during the period 1996 - 2000.(1996) C F X BELO & J RAMOS-HORTA - for their work towards a just and peaceful solution to the conflict in East Timor; (1997) INTERNATIONAL CAMPAIGN TO BAN LANDMINES (ICBL) & J WILLIAMS - for their work for the banning and cleaning of anti-personnel mines; (1998) J HUME & D TRIMBLE - for their efforts to find a peaceful solution to the conflict in Northern Ireland; (1999) DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS - in recognition of the organization's pioneering humanitarian work on several continents; (2000) D J KIM - for his work for democracy and human rights in South Korea and in East Asia in general, and for peace and reconciliation with North Korea in particular.

This unusual book stands out in a crowded field. â It provides practical, expert, insider-knowledge. It includes a full guide to current websites. It offers many tips, short-cuts and helps to access the evidence you need. And to understandings of what this means. It is rooted in the many years of day-to-day enquiries in family history by the noted international expert Lady Teviot. It will be invaluable to the beginner and of great value to the more knowledgeable. It will help you rapidly to become `street-wise' in what will be a complex but fascinating personal endeavour.

Did queens exercise real or counterfeit power? Did the promotion of the cult of the Virgin enhance or restrict their sphere of action? Is it time to revise the early feminist view of women as victims? Important papers on Emma of England, Margaret of Scotland, coronation and burial ritual, Byzantine empresses and Scandinavian queens, among others, clearly indicate that a reassessment of the role of women in the world of medieval dynastic politics is under way. Contributors: JANOS BAK, GEORGE CONKLIN, PAUL CROSSLEY, VOLKER HONEMANN, STEINAR IMSEN, LIZ JAMES, KURT-ULRICH JASCHKE, SARAH LAMBERT, JANET L. NELSON, JOHN C. PARSONS, KAREN PRATT, DION SMYTHE, PAULINE STAFFORD, MARY STROLL, VALERIE WALL, ELIZABETH WARD, DIANA WEBB.

Perfect Babies' Names is an essential resource for all parents-to-be. Taking a close look at over 3,000 names, it not only tells you each name's meaning and history, it also tells you which famous people have shared it over the years and how popular - or unpopular - it is now. With tips on how to make a shortlist and advice for avoiding names that give rise to unfortunate nicknames, Perfect Babies' Names is the ultimate one-stop guide. The Perfect series is a range of practical guides that give clear and straightforward advice on everything from getting your first job to choosing your baby's name. Written by experienced authors offering tried-and-tested tips, each book contains all you need to get it right first time.

A reference on British royalty, from the legendary King Alfred the Great onwards, including the monarchies of England, Scotland, Wales and the United Kingdom over a thousand years. Portraits are woven into a history of division and eventual union of the British Isles -and even the royals we think most familiar are shown in a sometimes surprising light. This paperback, a revised and shortened version of "The Mammoth Book of British Kings and Queens", includes biographies of the royals of recorded British history, plus a general overview of the semi-legendary kings and queens of pre-history and the Dark Ages.

The House of Tudor changed the history of Britain forever. The Tudor monarchs have been immortalised in novels and films for generations. However, the true history of this incredible dynasty is often romanticised and fact is overlooked. Alison Plowden's accessible and beautifully written history traces the family's turbulent reign of power from Henry VII, the first Tudor monarch, who fathered the great Henry VIII. Henry VIII went onto revolutionise England's armed forces and implement controversial reforms in England. Yet, he is perhaps most remembered for his tumultuous love life and the fates of his six wives, including Anne of Boleyn, who sparked an international crisis. He fathered four known offspring, including Mary I and Gloriana - Elizabeth I, the Virgin Queen, who reigned for 44 years in what is known as England's Golden Age. This book not only re-tells the familiar stories of these famous monarchs, revealing the truth behind the scandals; but it also recounts the history of the less well-known Tudor monarchs: Edward VI, Lady Jane Grey (the uncrowned Queen of England), and those who came directly before and after them - Edward IV and James I. If you read on history of the Tudors, make it this one - you are sure to be enthralled and surprised by how the facts are often more incredible than the fiction surrounding them.

In addition to the presentation speeches and the Nobel lectures, these volumes also provide brief biographies and the Nobel laureates' own accounts of their many years of preparation and effort that led to their achievements.The last decade of the twentieth century is already proving to be as dramatic as any decade before. The chances of global peace seem stronger now than at any time since 1900 and the people and organizations that have contributed most towards this progress are recognized by the Norwegian Nobel Committee. The Nobel Peace prizewinners during the period 1996 - 2000 include men, women and organizations whose principles, dedication and diligence continue to shape history.Below is a list of the prizewinners during the period 1996 - 2000.(1996) C F X BELO & J RAMOS-HORTA - for their work towards a just and peaceful solution to the conflict in East Timor; (1997) INTERNATIONAL CAMPAIGN TO BAN LANDMINES (ICBL) & J WILLIAMS - for their work for the banning and cleaning of anti-personnel mines; (1998) J HUME & D TRIMBLE - for their efforts to find a peaceful solution to the conflict in Northern Ireland; (1999) DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS - in recognition of the organization's pioneering humanitarian work on several continents; (2000) D J KIM - for his work for democracy and human rights in South Korea and in East Asia in general, and for peace and reconciliation with North Korea in particular.

The Thomas Jefferson Foundation Medal in Architecture is one of the most prestigious honors awarded in the discipline of architecture and its related fields, arising from the unique environment afforded by Jefferson's design for the University of Virginia. Since 1966, the medal has recognized the architects, historians, politicians, and benefactors behind some of the most influential designs of the last half century, including Shigeru Ban, Tod Williams and Billie Tsien, Richard Rogers, Jane Jacobs, Frank Gehry, Robert Venturi, Vincent J. Scully, Lawrence Halprin, Philip Johnson, I. M. Pei, Kenzo Tange, Marcel Breuer, Alvar Aalto, and Mies van der Rohe.

This handsome volume catalogues the first forty recipients of this honor, outlining their achievements in brief biographies and showcasing their most famous work in color photographs. As School of Architecture Dean Karen Van Lengen writes in the introduction, the Medal "acknowledg es] the comprehensive nature of the design and development of our public realm.... As democracy is a process, so too is design a process that shapes current aesthetic and technological innovations and gives our culture meaning. The Medalists in this book reflect these values and principles in many different ways."

"There is a romantic, nostalgic, pleasantly melancholy feeling to old cemeteries that is hard to define but easy to experience. Perhaps it is because we can feel the direct link to our past that no history book, no movie, no historical fantasy can ever convey. These stones and these unkempt grounds are the hard evidence of lives that came before us. Once, these people lived and breathed, loved, worked, fought, hoped and despaired, and experienced their triumphs and failures just as we do today. And, although we seldom care to acknowledge it, we will inevitably go where they have gone."--from the Preface

For the many people who enjoy walking through old cemeteries, exploring forgotten and overgrown graveyards, and reading the names, dates, and epitaphs of the dead, the Chesapeake Bay region offers a rich assortment of final resting places, many dating back to the early 1600s. From Williamsburg to Havre de Grace, it is not uncommon to see a number of the living wandering among the markers of the dead. Some are genealogists and historians, others come in search of quietude and a tangible connection to the past.

In "The Chesapeake Book of the Dead," Helen Chappell and photographer Starke Jett survey this rich legacy, from the vast and imposing Arlington National Cemetery to lone graves so modest as to have been lost almost as soon as they were dug. Chappell and Jett visit graveyards of the famous and the obscure, wander through cemeteries dotted with both elaborate funerary and simple, weather-beaten headstones, and discover epitaphs that range from the literary to the amusing to the poignant. As old grave sites disappear under developers' bulldozers, through neglect, and at the hands of unscrupulous headstone collectors, this remarkable book offers a unique and elegiac look at our past and its tales of love and tragedy.

Among the cemeteries explored are Southeast Washington's Congressional Cemetery (posthumous home to composer John Philip Sousa, FBI head J. Edgar Hoover, pioneering feminist and muckraking journalist Anne Royall, and Choctaw chief and notable military tactician Pushmataha); Baltimore's Green Mount Cemetery (built in the 1830s as Baltimore's first sylvan graveyard); and Westminster Burying Ground in downtown Baltimore. At Westminster lies the grave of Edgar Allan Poe, which a mysterious figure visits each year on Poe's birthday to leave roses and a bottle of brandy. The book also describes the final resting places for such celebrities as Dorothy Parker (Chappell located her ashes at the NAACP headquarters in Baltimore), F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald (buried in Rockville at Scott's wish, because, he insisted, "I belong here," in Maryland, "where everything is civilized and gay and rotted and polite"), and cosmopolitan actress Tallulah Bankhead (interred in a plot her sister provided near Chestertown).

Included throughout this fascinating book are essays on mourning fashion and deathbed performances, graveyard ghost stories, discussions of efforts to save historic cemeteries, and notes from the diary of a nineteenth-century doctor who today is buried in Rising Sun Cemetery alongside many of his patients. Chappell's lively prose, accompanied by Jett's haunting black-and-white photographs, will delight all those drawn to the seclusion, peacefulness, and melancholy of old graveyards.

Jacket illustration: Lower Hooper's Island, Maryland