From fantasy novels and cosplay to Renaissance festivals and roleplaying games, the love for medieval weapons runs deep. But how were they actually used? In The Use of Medieval Weaponry, historical fencing instructor and competitive fighter, Eric Lowe brings together the words of over a dozen medieval masters, as well as the practical experience of contemporary historical European martial artists, to answer this deceptively simple question. For the first time, learn to see weapons from the perspective, not of ancient generals or modern museum curators, but the people holding the sword. Compare weapons in combat, consider the pros and cons of different types and styles, and discover how medieval warriors adapted their art to their favorite tools. Whether you are an armchair enthusiast or a fighter ready to step up your game, Lowe takes you inside the world of medieval martial arts as no one else can.

This book examines how and why Americans built an informal trading empire and why the British Empire needed to be removed before a Pax Americana could be built. The Pax Americana is a phenomenon of global significance, and this fascinating book, now available in paperback, offers a systematic explanation for the rise of this super empire and examines in detail how it is governed. A core feature of the book is a concern with America's vision of the world and how the USA has attempted (especially since 1945) to export this vision across the globe. The book identifies and examines the underlying discourses and belief systems that gave rise to a Pax Americana. An eclectic range of methodologies and theories are deployed to explain the phenomenon of this informal empire, ranging from materialist (political economy) explanations of 'US imperialism' through to those explanations grounded in the non-materialist realm of values, ideas and world views. The result is an exploration of the curious phenomenon of an 'anti-imperialist' empire with both 'economic' and 'moral' roots. -- .

How have professional communicators transformed the business of politics? How do political bodies use the media to sell domestic and foreign policies to the public? This fully revised new edition of The Media and Political Process assesses the impact of spin doctoring and media activity in liberal democracies that are just as concerned with impression management and public relations as with policy. Political processes never stand still, and this revised second edition explores the mediatisation of the political process in light of recent developments, from Vladimir Putin's growth into a political celebrity, to the activities of spin doctors in the 2008 US Presidential Elections. Providing a comprehensive overview of the evolution, operation and terminology of political communication, this text is an accessible, lively resource for students of political communication and media and politics, and will be important further reading for students of journalism, public relations and cultural studies.

In this accessible narrative, Louw effectively tells the story of 20th-century South Africa by examining three political periods: British Hegemony (1900-1948), the Afrikaner Nationalist Period (1948-1993), and the post-1994 Black Nationalist Period. He argues that apartheid was premised upon the notion of "political partition" and not "white supremacy." Apartheid was a political strategy, constructed by the ethnic minority in order to prevent them from becoming politically powerless. Unfortunately the partition plan failed, causing an era of pain for South Africa. With apartheid now formally over, Louw presents a comprehensive overview of this important 20th-century phenomenon. Topics covered include: The roots and causes of apartheid. What was apartheid? The struggle against apartheid Why did Afrikaner Nationalists negotiate their own demise in the 1990s? The impact of apartheid in contemporary South Africa.

Forgotten Conscripts: Prelude to Palestine's Struggle for Survival is a book of two parts. The first part is an outline of the events and circumstances leading to a savage conflict that raged from 1945 to 1948. The author was posted to Palestine in 1947. When the British withdrew in 1948 they left 784 British troops in two military cemeteries. He was one of many thousands of eighteen-year-old post war conscripts sent to replace those who had served there during the war years. The Palestine conflict was seemingly forgotten, it was never listed with other post war conflicts and no memorial existed for the dead, yet for over fifty years it was seldom out of the news. In 1998 the veterans formed an association, paid for and erected a memorial. Eric Lowe researched the history of the Palestine-Israeli dispute and collated sufficient information to provide readers with an outline of the events leading up to 1945. The taking of Palestine from the Turks in 1917 had brought closer the dream of a homeland for European Jews.
The main part of the book deals with the last three years of the Mandate and covers the atrocities that created ripples- the explosion that killed 91 people including 63 civilians and caused a change in strategy- a double murder that shocked the world, created a storm in Parliament, caused riots in Britain and saw one newspaper editor in court for seditious libel. During the withdrawal a colonel, a war hero, was tempted to sell weapons to the enemy and two sergeants sold two stolen tanks. Forgotten Conscripts is rich with personal memories and experiences of Palestine camp life and the friendly population.

How have professional communicators transformed the business of politics? How do political bodies use the media to sell domestic and foreign policies to the public? This fully revised new edition of The Media and Political Process assesses the impact of spin doctoring and media activity in liberal democracies that are just as concerned with impression management and public relations as with policy. Political processes never stand still, and this revised second edition explores the mediatisation of the political process in light of recent developments, from Vladimir Putin's growth into a political celebrity, to the activities of spin doctors in the 2008 US Presidential Elections. Providing a comprehensive overview of the evolution, operation and terminology of political communication, this text is an accessible, lively resource for students of political communication and media and politics, and will be important further reading for students of journalism, public relations and cultural studies.