0
Your cart

Your cart is empty

Browse All Departments
Price
  • R50 - R100 (119)
  • R100 - R250 (17,376)
  • R250 - R500 (412,217)
  • R500+ (1,272,695)
  • -
Status
Format
Author / Contributor
Publisher

Books > History

Legends and Lore of the North Shore (Paperback): Peter Muise Legends and Lore of the North Shore (Paperback)
Peter Muise
R452 R422 Discovery Miles 4 220 Save R30 (7%) Ships in 18 - 22 working days

For over three hundred years, stories of witches, sea serpents and pirates have amazed and terrified residents of Massachusetts's North Shore. In the summer of 1692, phantom men were spotted in the fields of Gloucester. Farther north, "A" marks the spot for pirate treasure in the marshes of Newbury, while to the east, full moons might bring out the werewolf of Dogtown. The devil himself has burned his mark on the boulder-strewn landscape, while shaggy humanoids have been sighted loping along the coast. From Boston to New Hampshire, Massachusetts's North Shore is filled with remarkable stories and legendary characters. Join author Peter Muise and discover the North Shore's uncanny legends and tales of the paranormal.

The Silk Road - Connecting Histories and Futures (Hardcover): Tim Winter The Silk Road - Connecting Histories and Futures (Hardcover)
Tim Winter
R2,805 Discovery Miles 28 050 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

From the Great Game to the present, an international cultural and political biography of one of our most evocative, compelling, and poorly understood narratives of history. The Silk Road is rapidly becoming one of the key geocultural and geostrategic concepts of the twenty-first century. Yet, for much of the twentieth century the Silk Road received little attention, overshadowed by nationalism and its invented pasts, and a world dominated by conflict and Cold War standoffs. In The Silk Road, Tim Winter reveals the different paths this history of connected cultures took towards global fame, a century after the first evidence of contact between China and Europe was unearthed. He also reveals how this remarkably popular depiction of the past took hold as a platform for geopolitical ambition, a celebration of peace and cosmopolitan harmony, and created dreams of exploration and grand adventure. Winter further explores themes that reappear today as China seeks to revive the Silk Roads for the twenty-first century. Known across the globe, the Silk Road is a concept fit for the modern world, and yet its significance and origins remain poorly understood and are the subject of much confusion. Pathbreaking in its analysis, this book presents an entirely new reading of this increasingly important concept, one that is likely to remain at the center of world affairs for decades to come.

Taos Pueblo & Its Sacred Blue Lake (Hardcover, Anniversary): Marcia Keegan Taos Pueblo & Its Sacred Blue Lake (Hardcover, Anniversary)
Marcia Keegan; Foreword by Stewart L. Udall, Frank Waters
R665 R568 Discovery Miles 5 680 Save R97 (15%) Ships in 10 - 15 working days

In the mountains of northern New Mexico above Taos Pueblo lies a deep, turquoise lake which was taken away from the Taos Indians, for whom it is a sacred life source and the final resting place of their souls. The story of their struggle to regain the lake is at the same time a story about the effort to retain the spiritual life of this ancient community. Marcia Keegan's text and historic photographs document the celebration in 1971, when the sacred lake was returned to Taos Pueblo after a sixty year struggle with the Federal government.

This revised and expanded edition celebrates the 40th anniversary of this historic event, and includes forwards from the 1971 edition by Frank Waters, and from the 1991 20th anniversary edition by Stewart L. Udall. Also contained here is new material: statements from past and current tribal leaders, reflections from Pueblo members, historic tribal statements made at the 1970 Congressional hearings and a 1971 photograph o

The Viking Great Army and the Making of England (Paperback): Dawn Hadley, Julian Richards The Viking Great Army and the Making of England (Paperback)
Dawn Hadley, Julian Richards
R326 Discovery Miles 3 260 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

The hidden story of a little-known but transformative period in the formation of England as a nation. The Viking Great Army that swept through England between AD 865 and 878 altered the course of British history. Since the late 8th century, Viking raids on the British Isles had been a regular feature of life, but the winter of 865 saw a fundamental shift that would change the political, economic and social landscape forever. Instead of making quick smash-and-grab summer raids for silver and slaves, Vikings now remained in England for the winter and became immersed in its communities. Some settled permanently, acquiring land and forming a new hybrid Anglo-Scandinavian culture. The Viking army was here to stay. Its presence was a catalyst for new towns and new industries, while transformations in power politics would ultimately see the rise of King Alfred the Great and make Wessex the pre-eminent kingdom of Anglo-Saxon England. Drawing on the most up-to-date discoveries and the latest scientific techniques, the authors' recent research at the Viking Great Army's winter camp at Torksey in Lincolnshire has revolutionized what we know about its size, activities and social makeup, as has the wealth of newly recovered evidence from metal-detectorists. Unfolding like a great detective story, this account traces the movements of the Great Army across the country, piecing together a new picture of Viking Age England in unprecedented detail, from swords, coins, jewelry and the burials of great warriors to the everyday objects that ordinary farmers and craftsmen discarded. It is the definitive story of a vital period in British history.

Wetumpka (Paperback): Jan Wood, Joe Allen Turner Wetumpka (Paperback)
Jan Wood, Joe Allen Turner
R561 R515 Discovery Miles 5 150 Save R46 (8%) Ships in 18 - 22 working days

Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne, seeking to create a strategic outpost for New France, built Fort Toulouse in Creek territory. This area would eventually become Wetumpka, located on the banks of the Coosa River and standing at the foot of the Appalachian Mountains. The fort became the headquarters for Gen. Andrew Jackson during the War of 1812, and later it was where Creek Indians ceded their lands to the federal government. Wetumpka's presence was also large outside of military endeavors. During the cotton boom, two years after the city's incorporation in 1834, a New York newspaper declared it and Chicago, Illinois, the "two most promising cities in the West." Although fire, floods, and the Civil War hindered growth, infrastructural transformations and cultural additions have helped mold modern Wetumpka into the "City of Natural Beauty" and propel it to occasional roles on the big screen.

The Architecture of Lucknow and Oudh 1722-1856 - Its Evolution in an Aesthetic and Social Context (Hardcover): Banmali Tandan The Architecture of Lucknow and Oudh 1722-1856 - Its Evolution in an Aesthetic and Social Context (Hardcover)
Banmali Tandan
R6,457 R5,277 Discovery Miles 52 770 Save R1,180 (18%) Ships in 10 - 15 working days

This study examines the hundreds of secular and religious buildings, urban residential and commercial foundations, and public monuments commissioned in Lucknow and Oudh between 1722 and 1856 by the fabulously rich Nawabs of Oudh and their Court, the English East India Company, and others.

Stately Lancashire - Country houses in the Red Rose county (Paperback): Barry McLoughlin Stately Lancashire - Country houses in the Red Rose county (Paperback)
Barry McLoughlin
R380 Discovery Miles 3 800 Ships in 10 - 15 working days
The Lay Community of Saint Benedict - A Short History: 1971-2021 (Paperback): Martin Hollins The Lay Community of Saint Benedict - A Short History: 1971-2021 (Paperback)
Martin Hollins
R416 Discovery Miles 4 160 Ships in 10 - 15 working days
History of the Waldenses - A Light Shining in Darkness (Hardcover): James Wylie History of the Waldenses - A Light Shining in Darkness (Hardcover)
James Wylie
R499 Discovery Miles 4 990 Ships in 10 - 15 working days
Wrestling in Akron (Paperback): Dale Pierce Wrestling in Akron (Paperback)
Dale Pierce
R560 R514 Discovery Miles 5 140 Save R46 (8%) Ships in 18 - 22 working days

From the time it was founded in 1825, Akron was a town on the move. Once known as the "Rubber Capitol of the World," it brought droves of new workers to downtown and the suburban areas. With expansion came a need for entertainment, and wrestling was there for the multitudes. From the contrast of high school amateurs on mats to snarling villains and heroes in the professional ring, the sport thrived. There were the early days of traveling carnivals, with circuit-riding wrestlers who would take on all comers from the audience, to secretive fights set by shifty promoters in railroad yards with onlookers placing bets. There were the glory days of the Akron Armory--offering the crowd a chance to see such luminaries as the cigar-chewing Killer Tim Brooks, the smiling Johnny Powers, or the devious Don Kent--and beyond after the famed arena closed.

King's Road: for King and Country (Paperback): Judy Sutton, Helen Little King's Road: for King and Country (Paperback)
Judy Sutton, Helen Little
R645 Discovery Miles 6 450 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

Born out of a desire to commemorate those men from King's Road, St Albans, who lost their lives in the Great War, the road's current residents suggested the idea of a lasting memorial. Then came the task of researching the lives and the families of those men. It involved many hours of leafing through old newspapers and archives, obtaining advice from local and national bodies and seeking help from relatives of the deceased. A further memorial - this book, which includes a brief history of this street - is the result. The book was compiled by Compiled by Judy Sutton & Helen Little with help and support from many others.

Tutankhamun's Trumpet - The Story of Ancient Egypt in 100 Objects (Paperback): Toby Wilkinson Tutankhamun's Trumpet - The Story of Ancient Egypt in 100 Objects (Paperback)
Toby Wilkinson
R468 Discovery Miles 4 680 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

'Beautifully written, sumptuously illustrated, constantly fascinating' The Times On 26 November 1922 Howard Carter first peered into the newly opened tomb of an ancient Egyptian boy-king. When asked if he could see anything, he replied: 'Yes, yes, wonderful things.' In Tutankhamun's Trumpet, acclaimed Egyptologist Toby Wilkinson takes a unique approach to that tomb and its contents. Instead of concentrating on the oft-told story of the discovery, or speculating on the brief life and politically fractious reign of the boy king, Wilkinson takes the objects buried with him as the source material for a wide-ranging, detailed portrait of ancient Egypt - its geography, history, culture and legacy. One hundred artefacts from the tomb, arranged in ten thematic groups, are allowed to speak again - not only for themselves, but as witnesses of the civilization that created them. Never before have the treasures of Tutankhamun been analysed and presented for what they can tell us about ancient Egyptian culture, its development, its remarkable flourishing, and its lasting impact. Filled with surprising insights, unusual details, vivid descriptions and, above all, remarkable objects, Tutankhamun's Trumpet will appeal to all lovers of history, archaeology, art and culture, as well as all those fascinated by the Egypt of the pharaohs. 'I've read many books on ancient Egypt, but I've never felt closer to its people' The Sunday Times

Winslow (Paperback): Ann-Mary J Lutzick, The Old Trails Museum Archives Winslow (Paperback)
Ann-Mary J Lutzick, The Old Trails Museum Archives
R561 R515 Discovery Miles 5 150 Save R46 (8%) Ships in 18 - 22 working days

In 1880, the Atlantic & Pacific Railroad laid out the Winslow townsite along its new transcontinental line through northeastern Arizona Territory because the nearby Little Colorado River supplied a vital water source. The river had sustained the prehistoric Homol'ovi villages, and a passable ford across the river brought trails, wagon roads, and Mormon settlers to the area before the railroad arrived. This high desert boomtown blossomed into a bustling city when the Santa Fe Railway bought the A&P and transferred division headquarters to Winslow. Along with a shipping point for area ranches, trading posts, and lumber mills, the railroad provided passenger service to the alluring Southwest. Travelers enjoyed fine dining by Fred Harvey and the Harvey Girls and lodging at architect Mary Colter's La Posada Hotel. As automobiles replaced rail travel in the 1920s, the highway running through downtown Winslow became part of the famed US Route 66. Interstate 40 eventually bypassed downtown, but Winslow's historic attractions, Standin' on the Corner Park, and nearby Hopi and Navajo lands continue to lure visitors from around the world.

Belonging To 2 Troop - A memoir of the Falkands War 1982 (Hardcover): Robbie Burns Belonging To 2 Troop - A memoir of the Falkands War 1982 (Hardcover)
Robbie Burns
R569 Discovery Miles 5 690 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

This authentic account is a tribute to the courage and resolve with which soldiers and their loved ones confront uncertainty, fear, hardship and the loss of their comrades. Subjected to continual changes of affiliation as the Falklands campaign unfolds, 2 Troop has to create its own identity and sense of belonging drawing on its professional belief, strength of leadership, and intrinsic camaraderie. This is the story of how they did it, and the contribution they made, in one of the toughest campaigns since World War 2. A 'must read' for aspiring junior commanders and students of the realities of war. -- General Sir Peter Wall GCB, CBE, DL, FREng

Gloria Steinem - A Life in American History (Hardcover): William H. Pruden Gloria Steinem - A Life in American History (Hardcover)
William H. Pruden
R1,922 Discovery Miles 19 220 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

This book details the life and activism of Gloria Steinem, using her life as a lens through which readers can examine the evolution of women's rights in the United States over the past half-century. This work traces the life and career of feminist activist Gloria Steinem, providing an examination of her life and her efforts to further equal opportunity among all people, especially women, in the United States from the second half of the 20th century to the present. It follows Steinem in a primarily chronological fashion to best convey the impact of her own efforts as well as the changing nature of women's status in American society during Steinem's half-century as an active reformer and public figure. The book notably includes her work with Ms. Magazine and details of her personal life. This book's wider coverage of Steinem's life, from her early childhood to the present, adds to previous works, which tend to stop with the end of the heyday of the women's movement and the rise of the Conservative movement in the early 1980s. With one of the defining aspects of Steinem's work being her lifelong commitment to women's rights and human equality, the treatment of her whole life helps readers understand the full extent of both her commitment and impact. More than just a biography, this book presents a life that is at once an engine for the change Gloria Steinem sought to achieve and an example and inspiration for future activists The text offers lessons from the past as guidance for the future 20 sidebars provide intriguing details about Steinem's life and accomplishments Five primary source documents give readers a sense of Steinem's powerful voice and her ability to speak truth to power

Eagle River (Paperback): Craig Moore, Susie Wilkinson, Jodi McKeever, Eagle River Historical Society Eagle River (Paperback)
Craig Moore, Susie Wilkinson, Jodi McKeever, Eagle River Historical Society
R559 R513 Discovery Miles 5 130 Save R46 (8%) Ships in 18 - 22 working days
John Knox (Hardcover): William Taylor John Knox (Hardcover)
William Taylor
R464 Discovery Miles 4 640 Ships in 10 - 15 working days
Bessie Quinn Survivor Spirit - From Galashiels Mills to Garden Cities - the story of an Irish family in Scotland 1845-1922... Bessie Quinn Survivor Spirit - From Galashiels Mills to Garden Cities - the story of an Irish family in Scotland 1845-1922 (Paperback)
Ursula Howard
R730 Discovery Miles 7 300 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

Bessie Quinn was an early 20th century New Woman, a mother living her love story in the enchanted world of the Garden City. When she died in the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918-19, her shattered husband abandoned her memory, belongings and life history. Her disappearance reverberated down generations. Starting with only an Arts and Crafts kettle, one photo and a linen smock, Ursula has restored her grandmother to life. After long searches she found Bessie in the Scottish Borders, eighth child of working-class Irish parents who'd fled hunger after the Great Famine of the 1840s. This biography of a poor family unearths hard journeys of love, luck and loss, weaving historical fact with memory and imagination into a compelling story.

Finlaystone (Paperback): George MacMillan, John MacMillan, Judy Hutton, David MacMillan, Andrew MacMillan, Arthur MacMillian Finlaystone (Paperback)
George MacMillan, John MacMillan, Judy Hutton, David MacMillan, Andrew MacMillan, Arthur MacMillian
R960 Discovery Miles 9 600 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

The illustrated biography of a Scottish country house, set beside the River Clyde, and of the people who made it their home over the past 850 years Written by four brothers, their sister and the eldest member of the next generation, Finlaystone offers an insidersa view of the house, its beautiful gardens and the surrounding estate. They tell about the lives of its former owners, many of whom played prominent roles in Scottish military, political, religious and cultural affairs. As Scotland moved forward from centuries of feuds between large feudal landowners to the reformation, the age of enlightenment and the industrial revolution, the building evolved from a fortress to a modest but attractive family home in 1746. Its present form as an imposing late Victorian mansion dates from when it was modernised and extended in 1900 by George Jardine Kidston, the great-grandfather of the older authors, who had grown wealthy from running one of the worlda s earliest steamship companies. In its hey-day, Finlaystone was managed for the comfort and leisure of its owners by a bevy of household servants living in a wing of the house, and by an army of workers, including gardeners, foresters, game-keepers, joiners and a laundry-maid. The prosperity that had made such a lavish life possible, however, soon started to decline, with George Kidstona s death in 1909, followed just 5 years later by war, the economic depression in the 1930s, and then World War II. Unlike many other large country houses, Finlaystone remains a family home, kept afloat largely by the hard work and adaptability of the members of the family who reflect in this book on the joys and travails that this implied.

Time Trap two (Paperback): Richard Smith Time Trap two (Paperback)
Richard Smith
R387 Discovery Miles 3 870 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

Jamie and Todd are horrified to learn that the grand plan, which they thought had been defeated, might be about to be implemented in 1775, America. Hector and Catherine have to go back in time and thwart Travis - an agent of the grand plan - who is hell bent on world domination. Jamie and Todd go with Hector and Catherine on a mission to 1775, to prevent a super gun from being used in the battle of bunker hill, during the American war of independence, but they have only days to stop history from being altered.

A History of Wales - From the Earliest Times to the Edwardian Conquest (Paperback, 2nd edition): J.E. Lloyd A History of Wales - From the Earliest Times to the Edwardian Conquest (Paperback, 2nd edition)
J.E. Lloyd; Foreword by Leanne Wood
R818 Discovery Miles 8 180 Ships in 10 - 15 working days
Honours, Decorations, and Medals to The Royal Corps of Signals for Gallantry & Distinguished Service 1920-2020 (Hardcover):... Honours, Decorations, and Medals to The Royal Corps of Signals for Gallantry & Distinguished Service 1920-2020 (Hardcover)
Nick Metcalfe
R1,530 Discovery Miles 15 300 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

In every year since the formation of The Royal Corps of Signals in 1920, its officers and soldiers have been formally recognised for their gallantry and distinguished services on operations across the globe and their vital contribution to the wider tasks undertaken by the British Army. Published by the Royal Signals Institution in celebration of the 2020 centennial this volume records all honours, decorations, and medals awarded since 1920. It includes a wealth of long-forgotten and rarely-seen material and it also records many hundreds of awards that acknowledge the complexity of Royal Signals in its early years-its inextricable link to the Indian Signal Corps; the interweaving of units and personnel from across the Commonwealth during the Second World War and in Korea, Malaya, and Borneo; the role played by Queen's Gurkha Signals and by locally recruited personnel from Palestine, Malaya, Hong Kong, and Malta; and the crucial contribution made by women from the Auxiliary Territorial Service during the Second World War and the Women's Royal Army Corps in the post-Second World War period. The volume comprises three parts. To put the operational awards in context, Section One takes a chronological tour through the history of Royal Signals in three eras-the campaigns of the inter-war years, the Second World War, and global conflict and insurgency since 1945. Other chapters deal with non-combatant gallantry and exploration. With many awards no longer available and unfamiliar to many readers in the present-day, Section Two describes the various honours, decorations, and medals in three sub-sections-awards for bravery, awards for distinguished service, and the Mention in Despatches and the various King's and Queen's commendations for bravery and valuable service. The origin and use of each award are explained briefly, and detail is given about the number conferred; many of these chapters contain biographical details of the recipients. Section Three comprises the Register of Awards. It includes 682 honours, decorations, and medals for gallantry (the recommendations or citations for which are replicated in full), and 2,582 appointments to the various orders of chivalry and awards of the British Empire Medal, the Queen's Volunteer Reserves Medal, and the Polar Medal. It also records the recipients of a little under 6,200 mentions in despatches, 36 King's and Queen's Commendations for Bravery or Brave Conduct, 109 Queen's Commendations for Valuable Service, and a multitude of foreign awards. The Register is supported by ten appendices. Six record recipients from the various Empire and Commonwealth signal units linked to Royal Signals in time of conflict or war. The others document awards to personnel of the various women's services; to Queen's Gurkha Signals and to locally enlisted personnel from Malaya, Hong Kong and Malta; to military and civilian personnel attached to Royal Signals; and those recognised by the Royal Signals Institution.

The Unsustainable American State (Hardcover, New): Lawrence Jacobs, Desmond King The Unsustainable American State (Hardcover, New)
Lawrence Jacobs, Desmond King
R1,922 Discovery Miles 19 220 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

The complexity of the American economy and polity has grown at an explosive rate in our era of globalization. Yet as the 2008 financial crisis revealed, the evolution of the American state has not proceeded apace. The crisis exposed the system's manifold political and economic dysfunctionalities.
Featuring a cast of leading scholars working at the intersection of political science and American history, The Unsustainable American State is a historically informed account of the American state's development from the nineteenth century to the present. It focuses in particular on the state-produced inequalities and administrative incoherence that became so apparent in the post-1970s era. Collectively, the book offers an unsettling account of the growth of racial and economic inequality, the ossification of the state, the gradual erosion of democracy, and the problems deriving from imperial overreach. Utilizing the framework of sustainability, a concept that is currently informing some of the best work on governance and development, the contributors show how the USA's current trajectory does not imply an impending collapse, but rather a gradual erosion of capacity and legitimacy. That is a more appropriate theoretical framework, they contend, because for all of its manifest flaws, the American state is durable. That durability, however, does not preclude a long relative decline.

The Barns of Maine - Our History, Our Stories (Paperback): Don Perkins The Barns of Maine - Our History, Our Stories (Paperback)
Don Perkins
R505 R473 Discovery Miles 4 730 Save R32 (6%) Ships in 18 - 22 working days

Although humble in their function, these carefully crafted barns have shaped the lives of Mainers for centuries. Built long before the days of plastic and plywood, the barns have survived for generations, each with a story to tell. In Bridgton, one barn offered comfort to a sixteen-year-old boy when his father was injured. Another New Gloucester barn was so important to one family that its likeness was engraved on their headstones. Some owners said they would rather see their houses burn than their barns, and others have dedicated their lives and livelihoods to restoring and preserving these buildings. From modest English to grand Victorian, Don Perkins examines the structures, origins and evolution of Maine's barns, demonstrating the vital and precious role they play in people's lives.

Making Sense of the Vietnam Wars - Local, National, and Transnational Perspectives (Hardcover, New): Mark Philip Bradley,... Making Sense of the Vietnam Wars - Local, National, and Transnational Perspectives (Hardcover, New)
Mark Philip Bradley, Marilyn B. Young
R1,379 Discovery Miles 13 790 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

Making sense of the wars for Vietnam has had a long history. The question why Vietnam? dominated American and Vietnamese political life for much of length of the Vietnam wars and has continued to be asked in the three decades since they ended. The essays in this inaugural volume of the National History Centres book series Reinterpreting History examine the conceptual and methodological shifts that mark the contested terrain of Vietnam war scholarship. They range from top-down reconsiderations of critical decision-making moments in Washington, Hanoi, and Saigon to microhistories of the war that explore its meanings from the bottom up. Some draw on recently available Vietnamese-language archival materials. Others mine new primary sources in the United States or from France, Great Britain, the former Soviet Union, China, and Eastern Europe. Collectively, these essays map the interpretative histories of the Vietnam wars: past, present, and future. They also raise questions about larger meanings and the ongoing relevance of the wars for Vietnam in American, Vietnamese, and international histories of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.

Free Delivery
Pinterest Twitter Facebook Google+
You may like...
Beautiful Collide
Ava Harrison Paperback R275 R246 Discovery Miles 2 460
Damsels in Distress
Greta Gerwig, Adam Brody, … DVD  (1)
R98 Discovery Miles 980
Eddie Winston is Looking for Love
Marianne Cronin Paperback R395 R353 Discovery Miles 3 530
Eukaryotic Transcription Factors
David S. Latchman Hardcover R1,869 Discovery Miles 18 690
Intermezzo
Sally Rooney Paperback R410 R366 Discovery Miles 3 660
Heat Convection
Latif M Jiji Mixed media product R3,137 Discovery Miles 31 370
A Hibiscus Coast
Nick Mulgrew Paperback R290 R268 Discovery Miles 2 680
Handbook of Parliamentary Studies…
Cyril Benoit, Olivier Rozenberg Hardcover R7,655 Discovery Miles 76 550
Computational Statistics with R, Volume…
Marepalli B Rao, C.R. Rao Hardcover R4,389 Discovery Miles 43 890
See No Evil, Hear No Evil
Richard Pryor, Gene Wilder, … DVD  (2)
R227 Discovery Miles 2 270

 

Partners