This chronologically organized survey of Vienna from its origins to the present does not presuppose any advance knowledge of Central European history. Accenting the cultural, political, and social influences, the authors cover all of the major periods of development: the Roman settlements, the medieval residence of the Babenbergers and the early Habsburgs; the Turkish sieges; the Reformation and Counter Reformation; the culture of the Baroque court; reforms of the Enlightenment; the lifestyle of Viennese Biedermeier; political and cultural transformations in the age of Emperor Francis Joseph; interwar Vienna; the Nazi occupation; post-World War II four-power occupation; and the development of the city from 1955 till today. In all cases the authors show how past historical events and developments still influence the city today. Special attention is given to the development of traditions and attitudes which are peculiar to Vienna and the Viennese.

The historian Lonnie Johnson provides in compact form a comprehensive overview of Austria's rich past and present. Each chapter and subchapter approaches Austria's diverse, thousand-year-old heritage from a different perspective to illuminate its essential features. In detailing Austria's turbulent history from 1918 to the present, controversial issues are presented objectively and without oversimplification. Overall the book conveys a differentiated picture of the country and its people which gives readers a feeling for the continuity and change of the Austrian idea.

The Early Masters of American Blues series provides the unique opportunity to study the true roots of modern blues. Stefan Grossman, noted roots-blues guitarist and musicologist, has compiled this fascinating collection of 16 songs, transcribed exactly as performed by legendary blues master Lonnie Johnson. In addition to Stefan's expert transcriptions, the book includes a CD containing the original recordings of Lonnie Johnson so you can hear the music as he performed it.
One of the most influential blues artists of the 20th century, Lonnie Johnson began his 50-year music career in the early 1920s, and continued to perform and record until his passing in 1970. Recording both as a soloist and with legends like Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and Eddie Lang, Lonnie Johnson's influence can still be heard today, from the work of blues guitar greats like T-Bone Walker and B.B. King, to a whole new generation of blues players.