This book is the first authoritative volume in English on Yasukuni, the controversial Shinto shrine in the heart of Tokyo, dedicated to the Japanese war dead. Twelve convicted and two suspected Class A war criminals are enshrined at Yasukuni, while the shrine's museum narrates an account of Japan's actions in the Second World War that is best described as revisionist. Visits to the shrine by cabinet members often set off protests at home and abroad, especially in China, Korea and Taiwan, and Yasukuni remains a source of considerable mistrust between the Chinese and Japanese governments. Despite the controversy, the former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi made annual visits from 2001-6. The distinctive feature of this volume is that it sets out neither to commend Yasukuni nor to condemn it; it seeks, rather, to present authoritative yet divergent views, thereby allowing the contributors to render more complex an issue which, in the media at least, has long been portrayed in starkly simplistic terms. It accommodates chapters by leading pro-Yasukuni and anti-Yasukuni Japanese intellectuals; it carries multiple Chinese perspectives; and there are also contributions from Western commmentators who offer their own insights on the shrine and its place in post war Japanese diplomacy, ideology and history.

George Washington was an affluent slave owner who believed that republicanism and social hierarchy were vital to the young country's survival. And yet, he remains largely free of the "elitist" label affixed to his contemporaries, as Washington evolved in public memory during the nineteenth century into a man of the common people, the father of democracy. This memory, we learn in The Property of the Nation, was a deliberately constructed image, shaped and reshaped over time, generally in service of one cause or another. Matthew R. Costello traces this process through the story of Washington's tomb, whose history and popularity reflect the building of a memory of America's first president-of, by, and for the American people. Washington's resting place at his beloved Mount Vernon estate was at times as contested as his iconic image; and in Costello's telling, the many attempts to move the first president's bodily remains offer greater insight to the issue of memory and hero worship in early America. While describing the efforts of politicians, business owners, artists, and storytellers to define, influence, and profit from the memory of Washington at Mount Vernon, this book's main focus is the memory-making process that took place among American citizens. As public access to the tomb increased over time, more and more ordinary Americans were drawn to Mount Vernon, and their participation in this nationalistic ritual helped further democratize Washington in the popular imagination. Shifting our attention from official days of commemoration and publicly orchestrated events to spontaneous visits by citizens, Costello's book clearly demonstrates in compelling detail how the memory of George Washington slowly but surely became The Property of the Nation.

Co-winner of the 2017 Gilder Lehrman Lincoln Prize Lincoln's White House is the first book devoted to capturing the look, feel, and smell of the executive mansion from Lincoln's inauguration in 1861 to his assassination in 1865. James Conroy brings to life the people who knew it, from servants to cabinet secretaries. We see the constant stream of visitors, from ordinary citizens to visiting dignitaries and diplomats. Conroy enables the reader to see how the Lincolns lived and how the administration conducted day-to-day business during four of the most tumultuous years in American history. Relying on fresh research and a character-driven narrative and drawing on untapped primary sources, he takes the reader on a behind-the-scenes tour that provides new insight into how Lincoln lived, led the government, conducted war, and ultimately, unified the country to build a better government of, by, and for the people.

At the height of her career, Bell journeyed into the heart of the Middle East retracing the steps of the ancient rulers who left tangible markers of their presence in the form of castles, palaces, mosques, tombs and temples. Among the many sites she visited were Ephesus, Binbirkilise and Carchemish in modern-day Turkey as well as Ukhaidir, Babylon and Najaf within the borders of modern Iraq. Lisa Cooper here explores Bell's achievements, emphasizing the tenacious, inquisitive side of her extraordinary personality, the breadth of her knowledge and her overall contribution to the archaeology of the Middle East. Featuring many of Bell's own photographs, this is a unique portrait of a remarkable life.

This is a captivating addition to New Holland's London walks list, focusing on important, memorable or beautiful statues, sculptures and monuments around London. The 13 walks featured take around one to two hours to complete and each take in between 20 and 40 works. The reader is given all the relevant information about both the walk and the work of art, which include themes such as historical, armed forces, theatre and all current sculpture in London from Hyde Park to Greenwich, including Canary Wharf (with a view to the 2012 Olympics). The book is elegantly illustrated with artworks of the statues drawn in pen and ink with a colour wash. With classical and modern sculptures to visit, the book provides a fascinating overview of the people and events the capital has chosen to commemorate and the way different artists have undertaken their commissions.

Legislative buildings are the most important public structures in the provincial capitals of Halifax, Charlottetown and Fredericton. Each was built to communicate ideals, ideas and arrangements of government unique to these three provinces. In Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, these buildings were built to house colonial governments where a popular assembly was matched with an appointed council of local notables, advising an all-powerful governor appointed by Westminister and representing the British crown. Over the years they have been modified as the structure of provincial governments have changed to a single elected legislative assembly with full provincial powers. Fredericton's legislature, built in 1882, is a bold and beautiful building with unmatched interior features. This book tells the fascinating story of why each building was designed as it was, and the styles and ideas their designers drew upon. Author James Macnutt takes the reader on a tour of all three buildings, with text and visuals highlighting their many features and details.

Les ?difices parlementaires sont les b?timents publics les plus importants dans les capitales provinciales de Halifax, de Charlottetown et de Fredericton. Chacun a ?t? construit pour communiquer des id?aux, des id?es et une organisation gouvernementale qui conviennent ? chacune des trois provinces. En Nouvelle-?cosse et ? l'?le-du-Prince-?douard, les ?difices devaient abriter des gouvernements coloniaux compos's d'une assembl?e ?lue associ?e ? un conseil de notables locaux nomm's pour conseiller un gouverneur qui repr?sentait la couronne britannique. Au fil des ann?es, les b?timents ont ?t? modifi's pour ?tre utilis's comme assembl?es l?gislatives ?lues jouissant de pleins pouvoirs provinciaux. L'?difice de l'Assembl?e l?gislative du Nouveau-Brunswick, construit en 1882, est un magnifique b?timent audacieux dont les caract?ristiques int?rieures sont in?gal?es. Le pr?sent livre raconte l'histoire fascinante de la raison pourquoi la conception de chaque ?difice diff?re ainsi que des id?es et styles qui ont inspir's les concepteurs. L'auteur James Macnutt fait visiter aux lecteurs les trois ?difices, avec textes et photographies ? l'appui pour souligner les nombreuses caract?ristiques et les nombreux d?tails.