Since the first edition of The Financial Times Guide to ETFs was published in 2009, the number of ETFs in issue has doubled and ETFs are now common both on investor platforms and increasingly amongst financial advisors. This massive increase in demand has highlighted an urgent debate - just how dangerous are ETFs and how much do investors and advisers understand about the structure of the index tracker? The second edition of this book attempts to answer this debate and is the indispensable bible on trackers for professional advisers and serious private investors. This new edition also features a chapter based around the theme of Due Diligence and a new chapter on How to use ETFs and Index Funds for theLong-term, as well as a new Jargon busting section and a-new appendix looking at new ideas beginning to emerge.

Financial Times Guide to Income Investing is the complete reference guide for all investors wanting their shares and investments to provide market beating — and continuous — income.

This book provides you with the necessary tools of the trade so you can work out the best strategy to follow guiding you through the mainstream, and not so mainstream, investment vehicles.

Beginning with an introduction describing the basics of risk, return, volatility, structure, inflation and investing, the book introduces the simplest and safest products and funds before moving on to those higher risk strategies that will pay the highest income.

Evolution of the Earth focuses on the formation of Earth. Topics include the differention of the core, mantle and crust; the formation of the ocean basins and continents; outgassing and volcanism; the initiation of plate tectonics, the origin and persistence of Earth's magnetic field; the growth of the inner core; changes in mantle convection through time; and the impact of life on the planet. The volume takes an interdisciplinary viewpoint that emphasizes the interplay of geophysics, other aspects of earth science and biological evolution. Some outstanding questions are identified and debated.
Self-contained volume starts with an overview of the subject then explores each topic with in depth detail
Extensive reference lists and cross references with other volumes to facilitate further research
Full-color figures and tables support the text and aid in understanding
Content suited for both the expert and non-expert

This volume provides the first comprehensive history of the arms racing phenomenon in modern international politics, drawing both on theoretical approaches and on the latest historical research. Written by an international team of specialists, it is divided into four sections: before 1914; the inter-war years; the Cold War; and extra-European and post-Cold War arms races. Twelve case studies examine land and naval armaments before the First World War; air, land, and naval competition during the 1920s and 1930s; and nuclear as well as conventional weapons since 1945. Armaments policies are placed within the context of technological development, international politics and diplomacy, and social politics and economics. An extended general introduction and conclusion and introductions to each section provide coherence between the specialized chapters and draw out wider implications for policymakers and for political scientists. Arms Races in International Politics addresses two key questions: what causes arms races, and what is the connection between arms races and the outbreak of wars?

The global impact of the First World War dominated the history of the first half of the twentieth century. This major reassessment of the origins of the war, based on extensive original research in several countries, is the first full analysis of the politics of armaments in pre-1914 Europe. David Stevenson directs attention away from the Anglo-German naval race towards the competition on land between the continental armies. He analyses the defence policies of the Powers, and the interaction between the growth of military preparedness and the diplomatic crises in the Mediterranean and the Balkans that culminated in the events of July-August 1914. Drawing on insights from political science, the book offers a fresh conceptual framework for the origins of the First World War, and provides a thought-provoking case-study of the broader relationships between armaments and international conflict.

This edited collection calls for a greater understanding of ‘the local’ within the ways the arts, culture and creative practices are governed and promoted, regulated, resourced and valued. Cultural policy studies tends to marginalise the ‘local’, emphasising its value as a case study, rather than a topic of study in its own right. There is also privileging of the national (and international) as the primary site at which cultural policy is enacted, and thus can be reformed. While this may make global policy transfer manageable for national policy agencies, there are contingent relationships between policy and ‘the local’ which inform practice, and which reflect diverse geographies with distinct identities. This volume interrogates our conceptualisations of ‘the local’ in cultural policy studies. The book is structured around three themes: disciplining the local, through examination of particular understandings of the key concepts from different academic fields of study; managing the local, through examination of policy approaches that engage with the idea of ‘the local’ in different ways; and practising the local, through case studies of how ‘local’ cultural policies are being enacted in places of differing scale and geography.This is an open access book.

Sir Robert Moray (1608-1673) was one of the most active of the twelve founding members of the Royal Society, and as a close friend of King Charles, was a key figure in obtaining the royal patronage that was crucial to its status and growth. Whilst not an active or original researcher, Moray's role as enthusiastic and widely read participant in, and inspirer of, the Society's activities, place him at the centre of the seventeenth-century British scientific scene. As well as being an active member of the Royal Society, Moray was a prolific letter writer, sending a steady stream of news and correspondence to his friend Alexander Bruce, Earl of Kincardine, whose ill-health often kept him away from events. Providing a complete modern edition of the letters written between 1657 and 1673, this collection offers a unique insight into the attitudes and aspirations of the early scientific community. Ranging widely across a broad range of subjects, including medicine, magnetism, horology, politics, current affairs, the coal and salt industries, fishing, freemasonry, literature, heraldry and symbolism, the letters display Moray's knowledge of a formidable range of subjects and authors. As well as being a lively example of the letter writers art, they are a rich source for anyone with an interest in early modern medical and scientific history, as well as those investigating the broader social and cultural milieu of Restoration society.

The creative and cultural industries are a dynamic and rapidly expanding field of enterprise. Yet all too often the dominant narrative about arts organisations is one of crisis, collapse, and closure. This edited collection seeks to challenge that narrative through pursuing a focus on organisational success in the management of creative and cultural organisations. This book offers a robust and in-depth analysis of nine international case studies exploring how different organisations have achieved their objectives through effectively managing their resources. Spanning a broad cross section of the cultural sector including Theatres; Multi-Arts Venues; Performing Arts Companies; Museums and Galleries; and Festivals and Events, these cases highlight the importance of examining an individual organisation's success in relation to its environmental context, revealing not only how arts organisations work in practice, but also providing inspiration and encouragement for those wishing to emulate such success. With an explicit focus on examining theory in practice, this unique collection will be of great interest to students, academics, and practitioners alike. While traditional approaches have often been overly theoretical, this pragmatic approach will help students to gain a richer understanding of how to manage cultural and creative organisations more effectively.

The First World War has been described as the "primordial catastrophe of the twentieth century." Arguably, Italian Fascism, German National Socialism and Soviet Leninism and Stalinism would not have emerged without the cultural and political shock of World War I. The question why this catastrophe happened therefore preoccupies historians to this day. The focus of this volume is not on the consequences, but rather on the connection between the Great War and the long 19th century, the short- and long-term causes of World War I. This approach results in the questioning of many received ideas about the war's causes, especially the notion of "inevitability."

The First World War has been described as the "primordial catastrophe of the twentieth century." Arguably, Italian Fascism, German National Socialism and Soviet Leninism and Stalinism would not have emerged without the cultural and political shock of World War I. The question why this catastrophe happened therefore preoccupies historians to this day. The focus of this volume is not on the consequences, but rather on the connection between the Great War and the long 19th century, the short- and long-term causes of World War I. This approach results in the questioning of many received ideas about the war's causes, especially the notion of "inevitability."

This open access book examines how and why the UK's approach towards increasing cultural participation has largely failed to address inequality and inequity in the subsidised cultural sector despite long-standing international policy discourse on this issue. It further examines why meaningful change in cultural policy has not been more forthcoming in the face of this apparent failure. This work examines how a culture of mistrust, blame, and fear between policymakers, practitioners, and participants has resulted in a policy environment that engenders overstated aims, accepts mediocre quality evaluations, encourages narratives of success, and lacks meaningful critical reflection. It shows through extensive field work with cultural professionals and participants how the absence of criticality, transparency, and honesty limits the potential for policy learning, which the authors argue is a precondition to any radical policy change and is necessary for developing a greater understanding of the social construction of policy problems. The book presents a new framework that encourages more open and honest conversations about failure in the cultural sector to support learning strategies that can help avoid these failures in the future.

Sir Robert Moray (1608-1673) was one of the most active of the twelve founding members of the Royal Society, and as a close friend of King Charles, was a key figure in obtaining the royal patronage that was crucial to its status and growth. Whilst not an active or original researcher, Moray's role as enthusiastic and widely read participant in, and inspirer of, the Society's activities, place him at the centre of the seventeenth-century British scientific scene. As well as being an active member of the Royal Society, Moray was a prolific letter writer, sending a steady stream of news and correspondence to his friend Alexander Bruce, Earl of Kincardine, whose ill-health often kept him away from events. Providing a complete modern edition of the letters written between 1657 and 1673, this collection offers a unique insight into the attitudes and aspirations of the early scientific community. Ranging widely across a broad range of subjects, including medicine, magnetism, horology, politics, current affairs, the coal and salt industries, fishing, freemasonry, literature, heraldry and symbolism, the letters display Moray's knowledge of a formidable range of subjects and authors. As well as being a lively example of the letter writers art, they are a rich source for anyone with an interest in early modern medical and scientific history, as well as those investigating the broader social and cultural milieu of Restoration society.

The creative and cultural industries are a dynamic and rapidly expanding field of enterprise. Yet all too often the dominant narrative about arts organisations is one of crisis, collapse, and closure. This edited collection seeks to challenge that narrative through pursuing a focus on organisational success in the management of creative and cultural organisations. This book offers a robust and in-depth analysis of nine international case studies exploring how different organisations have achieved their objectives through effectively managing their resources. Spanning a broad cross section of the cultural sector including Theatres; Multi-Arts Venues; Performing Arts Companies; Museums and Galleries; and Festivals and Events, these cases highlight the importance of examining an individual organisation's success in relation to its environmental context, revealing not only how arts organisations work in practice, but also providing inspiration and encouragement for those wishing to emulate such success. With an explicit focus on examining theory in practice, this unique collection will be of great interest to students, academics, and practitioners alike. While traditional approaches have often been overly theoretical, this pragmatic approach will help students to gain a richer understanding of how to manage cultural and creative organisations more effectively.

1914-1918, David Stevenson's history of the First World War, has been acclaimed as the definitive one-volume account of the conflict In the summer of 1914 Europe exploded into a frenzy of mass violence. The war that followed had global repercussions, destroying four empires and costing millions of lives. Even the victorious countries were scarred for a generation, and we still today remain within the conflict's shadow. In this major analysis David Stevenson re-examines the causes, course and impact of this 'war to end war', placing it in the context of its era and exposing its underlying dynamics. His book provides a wide-ranging international history, drawing on insights from the latest research. It offers compelling answers to the key questions about how this terrible struggle unfolded: questions that remain disturbingly relevant for our own time. 'It's harder to imagine a better single-volume comprehensive history of the conflict than this superb study' Ian Kershaw 'Perhaps the best comprehensive one-volume history of the war yet written' New Yorker 'David Stevenson is the real deal ... His defining characteristic is his outstanding rigour as an historian ... tremendously clever' Niall Ferguson 'This history of the 1914-1918 conflict surpasses all others. It is tough, erudite and comprehensive' Independent

1917 was a year of calamitous events, and one of pivotal importance in the development of the First World War. In 1917: War, Peace, and Revolution, leading historian of World War One, David Stevenson, examines this crucial year in context and illuminates the century that followed. He shows how in this one year the war was transformed, but also what drove the conflict onwards and how it continued to escalate. Two developments in particular-the Russian Revolution and American intervention-had worldwide repercussions. Offering a close examination of the key decisions, Stevenson considers Germany's campaign of 'unrestricted' submarine warfare, America's declaration of war in response, and Britain's frustration of German strategy by adopting the convoy system, as well as why (paradoxically) the military and political stalemate in Europe persisted. Focusing on the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II, on the disastrous spring offensive that plunged the French army into mutiny, on the summer attacks that undermined the moderate Provisional Government in Russia and exposed Italy to national humiliation at Caporetto, and on the British decision for the ill-fated Third Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele), 1917 offers a truly international understanding of events. The failed attempts to end the war by negotiation further clarify the underlying forces that kept it going. David Stevenson also analyses the global consequences of the year's developments, showing how countries such as Brazil and China joined the belligerents, Britain offered 'responsible government' to India, and the Allies promised a Jewish national home in Palestine. Blending political and military history, and moving from capital to capital and between the cabinet chamber and the battle front, the book highlights the often tumultuous debates through which leaders entered and escalated the war, and the paradox that continued fighting could be justified as the shortest road towards regaining peace.

The global impact of the First World War dominated the history of the first half of the twentieth century. This major reassessment of the origins of the war is the first full analysis of the politics of armaments in pre-1914 Europe. Based on extended original research in several countries, the book contains many new insights on the interconnections between armaments and politics. David Stevenson offers a fresh conceptual framework for those studying the origins of the First World War, and provides a thought-provoking case-study of the broader relationships between armaments and international conflict.