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Books > Humanities > History > History of specific subjects > Local history
Orkney lies only 20 miles north of mainland Scotland, yet for many
centuries its culture was more Scandanavian than Scottish. Strong
westerly winds account for the scarcity of trees on Orkney and also
for the tradition of well-constructed stone structures. As a
result, the islands boast a large number of exceptionally
well-preserved remains, which help us to form a detailed picture of
Orcadian life through the ages. Sites and remains to be explored
include settlements from the Stone Age, stone circles and burials
from the Bronze Age, Iron Age brochs, Viking castles, the
magnificent cathedral of St Magnus in Kirkwall, Renaissance
palaces, a Martello tower from the Napoleonic Wars and numerous
remains from the Second World War. In this updated edition of her
best-selling book, Caroline Wickham-Jones, who has worked
extensively on Orcadian sites for many years, introduces the
history of the islands and provides a detailed survey of the
principal places and sites of historic interest.
Beginning in the 1970s Chicana and Chicano organizers turned to
community radio broadcasting to educate, entertain, and uplift
Mexican American listeners across the United States. In rural
areas, radio emerged as the most effective medium for reaching
relatively isolated communities such as migrant farmworkers. And in
Washington's Yakima Valley, where the media landscape was dominated
by perspectives favorable to agribusiness, community radio for and
about farmworkers became a life-sustaining tool. Feminista
Frequencies unearths the remarkable history of one of the United
States' first full-time Spanish-language community radio stations,
Radio KDNA, which began broadcasting in the Yakima Valley in 1979.
Extensive interviews reveal the work of Chicana and Chicano
producers, on-air announcers, station managers, technical
directors, and listeners who contributed to the station's success.
Monica De La Torre weaves these oral histories together with a
range of visual and audio artifacts, including radio programs,
program guides, and photographs to situate KDNA within the larger
network of Chicano community-based broadcasting and social movement
activism. Feminista Frequencies highlights the development of a
public broadcasting model that centered Chicana radio producers and
documents the central role of women in developing this
infrastructure in the Yakima Valley. De La Torre shows how KDNA
revolutionized community radio programming, adding new depth to the
history of the Chicano movement, women's activism, and media
histories.
Unique multi-disciplinary study of a key part of the Oxfordshire
Chilterns over a thousand years, based on intensive new research
and exploring landscape, settlement, farming, and social and
religious life. Drawing on intensive new research, this volume
covers a dozen ancient parishes straddling the south-west end of
the Chiltern hills, set within a large southwards loop of the
Thames close to Reading, Wallingford, and Henley-on-Thames. London,
connected by river, road, and (later) rail, lies some 40 miles
east. The uplands feature the dispersed settlement and wood-pasture
typical of the Chilterns, contrasted with nucleated riverside
villages such as Whitchurch and Goring. Caversham, formerly "a
little hamlet at the bridge", developed from the 19th century into
a densely settled suburb of Reading (across the river), while other
recent changes have largely obliterated the ancient pattern of
"strip" parishes stretching from the river into the hills, which
bound vale and upland together and had its origins in 10th-century
estate structures. The economy was predominantly agricultural until
the 20th century, with woodland playing a significant role
alongside rural crafts and industry. Crowmarsh Gifford (near
Wallingford) had an early market and fair. Gentrification and
tourism gained momentum from the mid 19th century, accelerated by
the arrival of the railway from 1840 and especially affecting
riverside villages such as Goring and Shiplake, which saw extensive
new building by wealthy incomers. Goring was earlier the site of an
Augustinian nunnery and (probably) of a small pre-Conquest minster,
while Mapledurham and several other places became foci for
post-Reformation Roman Catholic recusancy, with Protestant
Nonconformity expanding from the 19th century. Major buildings
include mansion houses at Hardwick (in Whitchurch) and Mapledurham,
alongside timber or brick vernacular structures and some striking
modernist additions.
In the waning days of World War I, William K. Dean was brutally
murdered, his body hog-tied and dumped in a rainwater cistern on
his farm in the quiet town of Jaffrey, New Hampshire. Suspicion
quickly fell on Dean's wife, an invalid in the early stages of
dementia. Her friends, outraged at the accusations, pointed instead
to a former tenant of Dean's, whom many suspected of being a German
spy. Others believed that Dean's best friend, a politically
powerful banker and judge, was involved. Deep Water is based on
extensive research into the Dean murder, including thousands of
pages of FBI documents, Grand Jury testimonies, newspaper accounts,
private correspondence, and the archives of the Jaffrey Historical
Society.
Philadelphia has long been a crucial site for the development of
Black politics across the nation. If There Is No Struggle There Is
No Progress provides an in-depth historical analysis-from the days
of the Great Migration to the present-of the people and movements
that made the city a center of political activism. The editor and
contributors show how Black activists have long protested against
police abuse, pushed for education reform, challenged job and
housing discrimination, and put presidents in the White House. If
There Is No Struggle There Is No Progress emphasizes the strength
of political strategies such as the "Don't Buy Where You Can't
Work" movement and the Double V campaign. It demonstrates how Black
activism helped shift Philadelphia from the Republican machine to
Democratic leaders in the 1950s and highlights the election of
politicians like Robert N. C. Nix, Sr., the first African American
representative from Philadelphia. In addition, it focuses on
grassroots movements and the intersection of race, gender, class,
and politics in the 1960s, and shows how African Americans from the
1970s to the present challenged Mayor Frank Rizzo and helped elect
Mayors Wilson Goode, John Street, and Michael Nutter. If There Is
No Struggle There Is No Progress cogently makes the case that Black
activism has long been a powerful force in Philadelphia politics.
Philadelphia has long been a crucial site for the development of
Black politics across the nation. If There Is No Struggle There Is
No Progress provides an in-depth historical analysis-from the days
of the Great Migration to the present-of the people and movements
that made the city a center of political activism. The editor and
contributors show how Black activists have long protested against
police abuse, pushed for education reform, challenged job and
housing discrimination, and put presidents in the White House. If
There Is No Struggle There Is No Progress emphasizes the strength
of political strategies such as the "Don't Buy Where You Can't
Work" movement and the Double V campaign. It demonstrates how Black
activism helped shift Philadelphia from the Republican machine to
Democratic leaders in the 1950s and highlights the election of
politicians like Robert N. C. Nix, Sr., the first African American
representative from Philadelphia. In addition, it focuses on
grassroots movements and the intersection of race, gender, class,
and politics in the 1960s, and shows how African Americans from the
1970s to the present challenged Mayor Frank Rizzo and helped elect
Mayors Wilson Goode, John Street, and Michael Nutter. If There Is
No Struggle There Is No Progress cogently makes the case that Black
activism has long been a powerful force in Philadelphia politics.
The old kingdom of Gwynedd - the mountains of Eryri (Snowdonia),
Ynys (Anglesey) and the Llyn Peninsula - may be the most mythic
landscape in Britain. The ancient Druids and from it sprang the
tales of Blessed Bran who protected the land, wizards who made a
Woman of Flowers, and Merlin the dragon whisperer whose prophecy
echoes still. The poet Taliesin walked these hills, Welsh bards
told stories of Arthur by these hearths and saints made pilgrimages
along these paths. From these hidden nooks the Tylwyth Teg (Fair
Folk) emerged to tease the people, and through these mountain
passes rode Llywelyn the Great and Owain Glyndw r, living lives
that would be spun into legend. Storyteller and singer Eric Maddern
has gathered these old tales here and breathed fresh life into
them.
The book provides a comprehensive history of the third-largest
Jewish community in Britain and fills an acknowledged gap in both
Jewish and urban historiography. Bringing together the latest
research and building on earlier local studies, the book provides
an analysis of the special features which shaped the community in
Leeds. Organised in three sections, Context, Chronology and
Contours, the book demonstrates how Jews have influenced the city
and how the city has influenced the community. A small community
was transformed by the late Victorian influx of poor migrants from
the Russian Empire and within two generations had become
successfully integrated into the city's social and economic
structure. More than a dozen authors contribute to this definitive
history and the editor provides both an introductory and concluding
overview which brings the story up to the present day. The book
will be of interest to both historians and general readers. -- .
Oxford Botanic Garden has occupied its central Oxford site next to
the river Cherwell continuously since its foundation in 1621 and is
the UK's oldest botanic garden. The birthplace of botanical science
in the UK, it has been a leading centre for research since the
1600s. Today, the garden holds a collection of over 5,000 different
types of plant, some of which exist nowhere else and are of
international conservation importance. This guide explores Oxford
Botanic Garden's many historic and innovative features, from the
walled garden to the waterlily pool, the glasshouses, the rock
garden, the water garden and 'Lyra's bench'. It also gives a
detailed explanation of the medicinal and taxonomic beds and
special plant collections. Lavishly illustrated with photographs
taken throughout the seasons, this book not only provides a
fascinating historical overview but also offers a practical guide
to the Oxford Botanic Garden and its work today. Featuring a map of
the entire site and a historical timeline, it is guaranteed to
enhance any visit, and is also a beautiful souvenir to take home.
A modern-day explorer's guide to the Old West From the famed Oregon
Trail to the boardwalks of Dodge City to the great trading posts on
the Missouri River to the battlefields of the nineteenth-century
Indian Wars, there are places all over the American West where
visitors can relive the great Western migration that helped shape
our history and culture. This guide to the states Along the
Mississippi, including Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, and
Minnesota--one of the five-volume Finding the Wild West
series--highlights the best preserved historic sites as well as
ghost towns, reconstructions, museums, historical markers, statues,
works of public art that tell the story of the Old West. Use this
book in planning your next trip and for a storytelling overview of
America's Wild West history.
From the famed Oregon Trail to the boardwalks of Dodge City to the
great trading posts on the Missouri River to the battlefields of
the nineteenth-century Indian Wars, there are places all over the
American West where visitors can relive the great Western migration
that helped shape our history and culture. This guide to the
Southwest states of Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas--one of the
five-volume Finding the Wild West series--highlights the best
preserved historic sites as well as ghost towns, reconstructions,
museums, historical markers, statues, works of public art that tell
the story of the Old West. Use this book in planning your next trip
and for a storytelling overview of America's Wild West history.
This book is the first comprehensive post-war history of one of
Europe's most vibrant cities throughout an extraordinary period of
social, cultural and economic change. The capital of Italy's
economic miracle of the 1950s and 60s, Milan was a magnet for
immigrants, as industry, design and culture created a heady mix of
wealth, innovation and conflict. By the 1980s, heavy industry had
all but disappeared and the city had reinvented itself as the world
capital of fashion and a dynamic post-industrial metropolis.
Meanwhile, the urban landscape was darkened by the bleak estates of
the peripheries and the corruption scandals that exploded in what
became known as 'Tangentopoli', or Bribesville.
This fascinating book traces Milan's 'biography' through its
buildings, design, fashion, cinema, families, immigrants and
television. The city emerges as a potent economic power-house and
laboratory for change, where art and culture converge in a modern
but problematic urban space. Anyone interested in Italian history,
urban studies or the future of Europe's cities will find this book
an essential read.
As settlements and civilization moved West to follow the lure of
mineral wealth and the trade of the Santa Fe Trail, prostitution
grew and flourished within the mining camps, small towns, and
cities the nineteenth-century Nevada and Utah. Whether escaping a
bad home life, lured by false advertising, or seeking to subsidize
their income, thousands of women chose or were forced to enter an
industry where they faced segregation and persecution, fines and
jailing, and battled the other hazards of their profession. Some
dreamed of escape through marriage or retirement, and some became
infamous and even successful, but more often found relief only in
death. An integral part of western history, the stories of these
women continue to fascinate readers and captivate the minds of
historians today. Nevada and Utah each had their share of working
girls and madams who remain notorious celebrities in the annals of
history, but Collins also includes the stories of lesser-known
women whose roles in this illicit trade help shape our
understanding of the American West.
What do the credit card, Oreo, school nurse, and crossword puzzle
have in common? All originated in New York City. These and about
300 other New York originals fill the pages of New York City
Firsts. From colonial times through the present day,
first-of-their-kind achievements occurred in New York in every
imaginable field, from the arts to sports, from business to social
welfare. These firsts ranged from life-changing accomplishments,
such as the invention of air conditioning, to the downright silly.
Cronuts, anyone? The book provides a broad picture of the social
history of America in general. What problems of the day cried out
for solutions by daring individuals and bold ideas? How did people
enjoy themselves at various points in history? In this most densely
populated American city, where did residents live, and how did they
get around? New York City Firsts is for history lovers and trivia
buffs regardless of where they live. It's a fun read, a great gift,
and a tantalizing diversion.
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Lichen Tufts, from the Alleghanies
(Hardcover)
Elizabeth C Wright; Introduction by Emily E. Vandette; Commentary by Emily E. Vandette; Afterword by Laurie Lounsberry Meehan
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R1,993
Discovery Miles 19 930
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Ships in 10 - 15 working days
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Among the greatest of tragedies of the American frontier-the Donner
Party, the Alamo, Wounded Knee-a little known but no less tragic
event was the Texas Mier Expedition. Originally part of a 1,200-man
invasion to retaliate against Mexican incursions on Texas soil in
1842, the Expedition unfolded when several hundred fighters
stubbornly defied President Sam Houston's orders to disband and
return home at once. Fiercely independent and recently reorganized
under new leadership, this motley mix of Texas volunteers and
militia turned south and proceeded to invade Mexico, determined to
avenge past humiliations at the hands of Mexican dictator Antonio
Lopez de Santa Anna. Drawing from over a dozen first-hand accounts,
the author extracts this exciting narrative recounting in
compelling detail the pathos of these fighting men--from the
blood-soaked Battlefields of Mier and the subsequent surrender to
their harrowing 1,300-mile forced march to Perote Prison. It was a
march of attrition during which many Texans were executed or died
from exposure, disease, or starvation. Once in Perote, they were
forced to sleep on stone floors in chains and put to hard labor. Of
the original three hundred and eight members of the rogue
expedition who survived, only half eventually left the prison
alive. After two years in captivity, the prisoners were finally
released only to be ignored and forgotten by their own countrymen
upon their return home.
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