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Books > Earth & environment > Geography > Historical geography
With his meticulously crafted, hand-drawn maps of America's complex and extensive railroad network, Richard C. Carpenter recaptures a time when steam locomotives were still king and passenger trains stopped at nearly every town. Before railroad mergers forced the abandonment of thousands of miles of line and passengers chose to hop behind the wheel of a car rather than buy a train ticket, the United States, at its post-World War II apex, boasted what many considered the finest passenger railroad system in the world. The fourth volume in this acclaimed series illustrates in stunning detail the rail system in Illinois, Wisconsin, and upper Michigan. Charting not only the exact direction and distance of each rail line, Carpenter also includes with precision the railroad's operational details: both existing and long-since-demolished signal towers, interlockings, passenger stations, major rail yards, repair shops, crew change points, trackage rights and joint operations, and other rarely mapped, rail-specific sites. The book's unique format allows easy cross-referencing with U.S. Geological Survey maps and DeLorme state road atlases. Also highlighted are rivers, lakes, and state and county boundaries, as well as the mileposts for every line. These beautifully rendered maps tell the fascinating story of America's unparalleled railroad network in 1946. Anyone interested in how people and goods moved around the country will find much to learn and appreciate in Richard Carpenter's one-of-a-kind railroad atlases.
The third volume in The Cambridge Urban History of Britain examines the process of urbanisation and suburbanisation from the early Victorian period to the twentieth century. Twenty-eight leading scholars provide a coherent, systematic, historical investigation of the rise of cities and towns in England, Scotland and Wales, examining not only the evolving networks and types of towns, but their economic, demographic, social, political, cultural and physical development. The contributors discuss pollution and disease, the resolution of social conflict, the relationships between towns and the surrounding countryside, new opportunities for leisure and consumption, the development of local civic institutions and identities, and the evolution of municipal and state responsibilities. This comprehensive volume gives unique insights into the development of the urban landscape. Its detailed overview and analyses of the problems and opportunities which arise shed historical light on many of the issues and challenges that we face today.
This book examines the importance of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) and how it can provide models for a time-tested form of sustainability needed in the world today. The essays, written by a team of scholars from diverse disciplinary backgrounds, explore TEK through compelling cases of environmental sustainability from multiple tribal and geographic locations in North America and beyond. Addressing the philosophical issues concerning indigenous and ecological knowledge production and maintenance, they focus on how environmental values and ethics are applied to the uses of land.Grounded in an understanding of the profound relationship between biological and cultural diversity, this book defines, interrogates, and problematizes, the many definitions of traditional ecological knowledge and sustainability. It includes a holistic and broad disciplinary approach to sustainability, including language, art, and ceremony, as critical ways to maintain healthy human-environment relations.
Between the 17th and 19th centuries, the sport of hunting was transformed: the principal prey changed from deer to fox, and the methods of pursuit were revolutionized. Questioning the traditional explanation of the hunting transition-namely that change in the landscape led to a decline of the deer population-this book explores the terrain of Northamptonshire during that time period and seeks alternative justifications. Arguing that the many changes that hunting underwent in England were directly related to the transformation of the hunting horse, this in-depth account demonstrates how the near-thoroughbred horse became the mount of choice for those who hunted in the shires. This book shows how, quite literally, the thrill of the chase drove the hunting transition.
A Spectator Book of the Year 2020 A Times and Sunday Times Best Book of 2020 A Mail on Sunday Book of the Year 2020 'Inspired ... Lowe's sensitive, disturbing book should be compulsory reading for both statue builders and statue topplers' MAX HASTINGS, SUNDAY TIMES What happens when our values change, but what we have set in stone does not? Humankind has always had the urge to memorialise, to make physical testaments to the past. There's just one problem: when we carve a statue or put up a monument, it can wind up holding us hostage to bad history. In this extraordinary history book, Keith Lowe uses monuments from around the world to show how different countries have attempted to sculpt their history in the wake of the Second World War, and what these memorials reveal about their politics and national identity today. Amongst many questions, the book asks: What does Germany signal to today's far right by choosing not to disclose the exact resting place of Hitler? How can a bronze statue of a young girl in Seoul cause mass controversy? What is Russia trying to prove and hide, still building victory monuments at a prolific rate for a war now seventy years over? As many around the world are questioning who and what we memorialise, Prisoners of History challenges our idea of national memory, history, and the enormous power of symbols in society today.
The Creation of the American States teaches readers how and why all fifty American states were formed and carved into becoming a part of mankind's greatest social experiment. Every state has a unique history that deserves a separate book. The Creation of the American States provides readers with essential information on how each of the fifty American states came into being from the time of the first explorers and settlers to becoming a state. It tells the story of how the United States was established over the course of four hundred years. A. Ward Burian examines what motivated brave souls to venture into an unknown wilderness and then delves into the time frame for each state's discovery, settlement, and consolidation into the United States. With brief biographies interjected that spark human interest and provide perspective to what was taking place, The Creation of the American States shares a better understanding of how the North American continent was transformed from a wilderness into a powerful nation-state by state.
In 1770, Thomas Forrest (c.1729-c.1802) was involved in establishing a new free port at Balambangan, Malaysia, which would improve the British East India Company's trade routes eastwards. In 1774 he agreed to lead an expedition on the Company's behalf to find out more about the waters between Malaysia and New Guinea. This 1779 publication (reissued in the Dublin edition) tells the story of Forrest's fifteen-month voyage in a small local vessel crewed by Malaysians, exploring the archipelago between the Philippines and present-day Indonesia. A French translation appeared in 1780, and linguist Wilhelm von Humboldt referred to the book fifty years later. Forrest describes the islands, their populations, and their vegetation, including different spices. He discusses relations between local rulers, and the rivalries between the British and the Dutch, particularly as regards control of the spice trade. The book also contains a substantial vocabulary of the Maguindanao language.
John Creedon has always been fascinated by place names, from growing up in Cork City as a young boy to travelling around Ireland making his popular television show. In this brilliant new book, he peels back the layers of meaning of familiar place names to reveal stories about the land of Eireann and the people who walked it before us. Travel the highways, byways and boreens of Ireland with John and become absorbed in the place names, such as 'The Cave of the Cats', 'Artichoke Road', 'The Eagle's Nest' and 'Crazy Corner'. All hold clues that help to uncover our past and make sense of that place we call home, feeding both mind and soul along the way. 'That Place We Call Home will foster or feed a love of local lore and cultivate an appreciation for the historical remnants scattered in plain sight all over Ireland's 63,000 townlands' Irish Independent 'Marvellous' Paddy Kehoe, RTE 'A beautiful book' Daithi O Se, The Today Show
Maps fascinate us. They chart our understanding of the world and they log our progress, but above all they tell our stories. From the early sketches of philosophers and explorers through to Google Maps and beyond, Simon Garfield examines how maps both relate and realign our history. With a historical sweep ranging from Ptolemy to Twitter, Garfield explores the legendary, impassable (and non-existent) mountains of Kong, the role of cartography in combatting cholera, the 17th-century Dutch craze for Atlases, the Norse discovery of America, how a Venetian monk mapped the world from his cell and the Muppets' knack of instant map-travel. Along the way are pocket maps of dragons, Mars, murders and more, with plenty of illustrations and prints to signpost the route. From the bestselling and widely-adored author of Just My Type, On The Map is a witty and irrepressible examination of where we've been, how we got there and where we're going.
Relive all the thrills and adventure of Alan Moorehead's classic bestseller The White Nile -- the daring exploration of the Nile River in the second half of the nineteenth century, which was at that time the most mysterious and impenetrable region on earth. Capturing in breathtaking prose the larger-than-life personalities of such notable figures as Stanley, Livingstone, Burton and many others, The White Nile remains a seminal work in tales of discovery and escapade, filled with incredible historical detail and compelling stories of heroism and drama.
This book was immediately recognised on its publication in 1894 as a major work of scholarship, and reached twenty-five editions during its author's lifetime. The intention of George Adam Smith (1856 1942) was to produce a work which would 'give a vision of the land as a whole' and help the reader 'to hear through it the sound of running history'. Smith, an enthusiastic alpinist, had studied divinity in Edinburgh, and first visited Palestine in 1880, travelling around the country on foot. The book was written while Smith was teaching at Glasgow, and working on various social projects in Scotland. His detailed knowledge of the territory, together with his wide familiarity with the archaeological and historical background, gives the work authority. The book places the land in its historical context, and describes the physical geography and climate; the readability of its style is enhanced by detailed maps, some in colour."
How has water been perceived in different societies and across different eras of world history? How have these changing conceptions informed and influenced our ideas about society and ourselves? In "The Idea of Water" leading international scholars explore the rich record of our ideas, from the beliefs of early societies to the latest scientific views on the nature of this unique substance. Ranging across all aspects -- scientific, cultural and religious -- this important work both challenges conventional nterpretations and understanding of water in nature and represents one of the first attempts to provide a history of our changing conceptions of the role and significance of water in human society.
A guide to exploring 365 of Scotland's most scenic, wildlife-rich and historically significant woodlands. From the precious fragments of Caledonian pine forest to lesser-known wildwoods and urban copses, Scottish woodlands offer places of sanctuary, both for wildlife and for people. In this practical guide, Gabriel Hemery brings together the beauty, purpose, history, wildlife and ownership of some of the most extraordinary woodland sites in the country, from the largest (the Forest of Ae, which covers more than 10,000 hectares) to the smallest (Halligarth in the Shetland Islands, measuring less than a third of a hectare), and everything in-between. Some woods are notable for having the tallest or rarest trees, others are the best places in the country for spotting ospreys or red squirrels, or even marine mammals; some are known as the best places to explore preserved archaeological features, discovering hidden histories or simply enjoying spectacular scenery. Divided into 14 regions, each beginning with a summary of the region's woodland heritage, this guide features 365 sites, including details of ownership, designation, area, forest type, how to access it (including grid reference, post code and 'what3words' reference), alongside a description of the site's key features. Featuring more than 200 stunning photographs of Scotland's plants, animals and spectacular landscapes and expert region maps to help guide you to your nearest forest site, this is an essential book for adventurers, ramblers and wildlife enthusiasts. Wherever you may be in Scotland, with this guide you will never be far from a fascinating forest site!
The most sensational and intriguing murders from across the USA are re-examined in this disquieting volume, which introduces readers to the most lethal killers from every state. Spanning the period from the end of the Civil War to the beginning of the Second World War, these are homicides from a seminal period of American criminal history, an era that saw the formation of the first state police agency, the first murderer convicted using fingerprints and the birth of the FBI laboratory. Every murder case is accompanied by an elegant contemporary map or bespoke floorplan on which the precise movements of both killer and victim are meticulously plotted, offering unrivalled insight into the vital components of the crime. The macabre picture is completed with early mugshots and unnerving crime scene photographs, bringing to life bloodsoaked Wild West saloons, inner city ganglands and the deadly machinations behind famous assassinations. The killers featured range from the 'Mad Butcher of Kingsbury Run', who attacked and dismembered his victims in Cleveland's most unsavoury suburb, to the black widow Belle Gunness, who lured numerous victims to her Illinois farm, and from the infamous Texan bank robbers Bonnie and Clyde to the devious Petrillo cousins in Philadelphia and their contract killing service. Crime expert Adam Selzer illuminates the details of each case, recounting both the outrageous details of the crimes themselves and the ingenious detective work and breakthrough forensics that solved them. His bloodthirsty tour of America's criminal underworld uncovers the ruthless scheming of murderers both infamous and little-known, providing a hair-raising anthology to appeal to anyone with a taste for murder. With 764 illustrations in colour
Originally published in 1921, as part of a series of geographical studies of Ireland, this book examines the geographical, botanical, geological, zoological, architectural, administrative and historical points of interest found in Ireland, including Ulster. The text is illustrated with many reproductions of pertinent historic artefacts and paintings, as well as photographs of local vegetation, animal life and landscapes. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in Ireland and the history of geography education.
This 1889 book describes an unusual overland journey from Beijing to Calais, undertaken in 1887 by Harry de Windt (1856-1933), an explorer and travel writer, who later went from Paris to New York, also (mostly) by land. From a military family, he was the brother-in-law and aide-de-camp of Charles Brooke, the Rajah of Sarawak, but his official duties left him with plenty of time for eye-catching journeys like this one. His only guidebook was John Bell's 1763 account of travelling from St Petersburg to Beijing across Siberia, but with advice on the route from a Russian embassy official, de Windt set out from Gravesend with a companion to sail to China and commence the land journey back. Filled with anecdotes and observations (occasionally tinged with condescension), the book is an entertaining account not only of the journey but of the lands, people and customs that de Windt encountered.
A Sunday Times History Book of the Year 2019 Shortlisted for The Stanford Dolman Travel Book of the Year Award 'No Briton has written better than Winder about Europe' - Sunday Times In AD 843, the three surviving grandsons of the great Emperor Charlemagne met at Verdun. After years of bitter squabbles over who would inherit the family land, they finally decided to divide the territory and go their separate ways. In a moment of staggering significance, one grandson inherited what became France, another Germany and the third Lotharingia: the chunk that initially divided the other two. The dynamic between these three great zones has dictated much of our subsequent fate. In this beguiling, hilarious and compelling book we retrace how both from west and from east any number of ambitious characters have tried and failed to grapple with these Lotharingians, who ultimately became Dutch, German, Belgian, French, Luxembourgers and Swiss. Over many centuries, not only has Lotharingia brought forth many of Europe's greatest artists, inventors and thinkers, but it has also reduced many a would-be conqueror to helpless tears of rage and frustration. Joining Germania and Danubia in Simon Winder's endlessly fascinating retelling of European history, Lotharingia is a personal, wonderful and gripping story.
Originally published in 1922, this book presents an account regarding the geographical characteristics of Europe, excluding the British Isles. Illustrative figures are incorporated, along with questions and exercises. This text will be of value to anyone with an interest in the teaching of geography and the history of education.
From longtime Rolling Stone contributing editor and journalist Randall Sullivan, The Curse of Oak Island explores the curious history of Oak Island and the generations of individuals who have tried and failed to unlock its secrets. An investigation into the "curse" of Oak Island, where rumors of buried riches have beguiled treasure hunters over the past two centuries. In 1795, a teenager discovered a mysterious circular depression in the ground on Oak Island, in Nova Scotia, Canada, and ignited rumors of buried treasure. Early excavators uncovered a clay-lined shaft containing layers of soil interspersed with wooden platforms, but when they reached a depth of ninety feet, water poured into the shaft and made further digging impossible. Since then the mystery of Oak Island's "Money Pit" has enthralled generations of treasure hunters, including a Boston insurance salesman whose obsession ruined him; young Franklin Delano Roosevelt; and film star Errol Flynn. Perplexing discoveries have ignited explorers' imaginations: a flat stone inscribed in code; a flood tunnel draining from a man-made beach; a torn scrap of parchment; stone markers forming a huge cross. Swaths of the island were bulldozed looking for answers; excavation attempts have claimed two lives. Theories abound as to what's hidden on Oak Island-pirates' treasure, Marie Antoinette's lost jewels, the Holy Grail, proof that Sir Francis Bacon was the true author of Shakespeare's plays-yet to this day, the Money Pit remains an enigma. The Curse of Oak Island is a fascinating account of the strange, rich history of the island and the intrepid treasure hunters who have driven themselves to financial ruin, psychotic breakdowns, and even death in pursuit of answers. And as Michigan brothers Marty and Rick Lagina become the latest to attempt to solve the mystery, as documented on the History Channel's television show The Curse of Oak Island, Sullivan takes readers along to follow their quest firsthand.
As a young man, French naturalist Henri Mouhot (1826-61) taught languages in Russia and travelled widely in Europe with his brother Charles, sketching people and landscapes, and taking photographs. The brothers both married descendants of the explorer Mungo Park (whose journals are also reissued). Not long afterwards, possibly inspired by Bowring's 1857 book on Siam (also reissued), Henri decided to explore South-East Asia. He travelled independently for three years in Thailand, Cambodia and Laos, where he eventually died of a fever. This engaging two-volume account of his experiences was compiled by his brother from his papers, and published in 1864 with many illustrations based on Mouhot's sketches. Volume 1 focuses mainly on Thailand and Cambodia, where Mouhot met several kings, travelled by elephant through difficult terrain, and visited the ruins of Ayuthia and Angkor. Mouhot's enthusiasm for the region's wildlife, landscapes and people rarely wavers, despite the challenging conditions.
As a young man, French naturalist Henri Mouhot (1826-61) taught languages in Russia and travelled widely in Europe with his brother Charles, sketching people and landscapes, and taking photographs. The brothers both married descendants of the explorer Mungo Park (whose journals are also reissued). Not long afterwards, possibly inspired by Bowring's 1857 book on Siam (also reissued), Henri decided to explore South-East Asia. This vivid account of his experiences conveys his enthusiasm for untamed nature. It was compiled by Charles from Mouhout's papers, and published in two volumes in 1864 with many illustrations based on his sketches. Volume 2 focuses on Cambodia and Mouhot's journey through a particularly remote area of Laos. After travelling by elephant through inhospitable tropical forests, Mouhot fell ill and died. His companions arranged for the return of his notes and collections to Europe. The book ends with selected letters, translations of Chinese fables, and a Cambodian vocabulary.
The surgeon William Ainsworth (1807-96) acted as the geologist of the 1835 Euphrates Expedition, his account of which is also reissued in this series. Great interest was aroused by the scientific and archaeological findings of that journey, and a further expedition was funded, ostensibly to make contact with the Nestorian Christians of the region, but covertly to make further mineralogical investigations. Ainsworth was the leader of the expedition, and his two-volume account was published in 1842. Starting from Istanbul in 1839, Ainsworth took a route through Asia Minor, northern Syria, Kurdistan, Persia and Armenia, returning to Istanbul in 1840. The expedition was regarded as unsuccessful, as Ainsworth had massively overspent on the budget originally allotted by the sponsors, and his secret activities were discovered by the Ottoman authorities, but the work remains a vivid account of the area. Volume 1 covers events up to the battle of Nezib in 1839.
The surgeon William Ainsworth (1807-96) acted as the geologist of the 1835 Euphrates Expedition, his account of which is also reissued in this series. Great interest was aroused by the scientific and archaeological findings of that journey, and a further expedition was funded, ostensibly to make contact with the Nestorian Christians of the region, but covertly to make further mineralogical investigations. Ainsworth was the leader of the expedition, and his two-volume account was published in 1842. Starting from Istanbul in 1839, Ainsworth took a route through Asia Minor, northern Syria, Kurdistan, Persia and Armenia, returning to Istanbul in 1840. The expedition was regarded as unsuccessful, as Ainsworth had massively overspent the budget originally allotted by the sponsors, and his secret activities were discovered by the Ottoman authorities, but the work remains a vivid account of the area. Volume 2 describes the journey through Armenia, and the return via Trebizond. |
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