|
Showing 1 - 8 of
8 matches in All Departments
Among the revolutionary movements which shook the
nineteenth-century world, the change of government in Japan in 1868
occupies a special place. A new, dynamic ruling class provoked the
overthrow of the old rule of the shogun and in a few years the
visible structure of feudal society disappeared. The founders of
the new Meiji rule had themselves been warriors and thought they
were able to resist foreign pressure, but very quickly they adopted
western dress gave their country a modern army, built railways and
contributed to establishing a great empire. The nature of this
transformation has been regarded by western historians as
"revolution" and "restoration" - two quite contradictory ideas. But
in this book Paul Akamatsu clarifies the picture of the forces at
work in this conversion of a backward feudal state into a modern
power in a few decades.
The Jewish community in Rome is the oldest in Europe, the only one
to have existed continuously for over 2,000 years. This detailed
study of the Jewish banking community in Italy is therefore of
special value and interest. Poliakov's classic account of the rise
and fall of the Jewish bankers is at the same time the story of
medieval finance in general, its decline, and the birth of 'modern'
finance. The author traces the economic and theological implication
of each stage in the ambiguous relationship that developed between
the Jewish money trade and the Holy See. He shows that the
protection enjoyed by the Jews from the Holy See had not only
theological, but also economic roots. The study ends with an
account of the introduction of modern, 'capitalist' techniques and
of the consequent inevitable decline of the Jewish money trade.
The Jewish community in Rome is the oldest in Europe, the only one
to have existed continuously for over 2,000 years. This detailed
study of the Jewish banking community in Italy is therefore of
special value and interest. Poliakov's classic account of the rise
and fall of the Jewish bankers is at the same time the story of
medieval finance in general, its decline, and the birth of 'modern'
finance. The author traces the economic and theological implication
of each stage in the ambiguous relationship that developed between
the Jewish money trade and the Holy See. He shows that the
protection enjoyed by the Jews from the Holy See had not only
theological, but also economic roots. The study ends with an
account of the introduction of modern, 'capitalist' techniques and
of the consequent inevitable decline of the Jewish money trade.
Covering the story of prejudice against Jews from the time of
Christ through the rise of Nazi Germany, "The History of
Anti-Semitism" presents in elegant and thoughtful language a
balanced, careful assessment of this egregious human failing that
is nearly ubiquitous in the history of Europe.
"From Voltaire to Wagner" reviews the period of the European
Enlightenment in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries when
anti-Semitism gradually stopped being an official state policy in
most countries. Highlighting the emancipation of Jews as it spread
across Europe, Poliakov shows how philosophers, statesmen, and some
theologians became concerned with civil rights, yet the
anti-Semitic beliefs of many highly regarded and influential
persons remained a major roadblock to true equality and justice.
The volume ends with the development of racial anti-Semitic
theories bound up in the emerging modern sciences.
Before the outbreak of WWII, French fashion represented the very
pinnacle of style, and French women the epitome of chic. At home
and abroad, couturiers' wealthy clients eagerly awaited the latest
collections, and design houses throughout the world looked to Paris
for inspiration. Unparalleled for glamour and elegance, all things
French were noted and emulated - and especially French fashion.One
morning in September 1939, into this idyllic world of haute couture
and Cafe society came the shattering experience of war, followed by
the German Occupation. French women, determined not to give way to
the inevitable austerities, sought innovation: hats made from
blotting paper or newspapers - the latter signalling political
allegiances - and blouses made out of parachute silk, often
obtained through dubious means. Not only did life go on, but
creativity flourished - culottes, which enabled stylish bicycle
journeys, became the vogue, and couturiers capitalized on
deprivation with wit - dubbing designs 'Coal' and 'Black Coffee',
or naming an entire collection after Metro stops.Fashion under the
Occupation provides the only in-depth history of these blackest
years in French history, long overlooked by fashion history because
of the impoverished industry and deprivations that affected design.
Widely acknowledged as the authoritative work on fashion during
this period, it is available in English for the first time and will
be essential reading for anyone interested in fashion, French
cultural history, and particularly the German Occupation of France.
Before the outbreak of WWII, French fashion represented the very
pinnacle of style, and French women the epitome of chic. At home
and abroad, couturiers' wealthy clients eagerly awaited the latest
collections, and design houses throughout the world looked to Paris
for inspiration. Unparalleled for glamour and elegance, all things
French were noted and emulated - and especially French fashion.
One morning in September 1939, into this idyllic world of haute
couture and Cafe society came the shattering experience of war,
followed by the German Occupation. French women, determined not to
give way to the inevitable austerities, sought innovation: hats
made from blotting paper or newspapers - the latter signalling
political allegiances - and blouses made out of parachute silk,
often obtained through dubious means. Not only did life go on, but
creativity flourished - culottes, which enabled stylish bicycle
journeys, became the vogue, and couturiers capitalized on
deprivation with wit - dubbing designs 'Coal' and 'Black Coffee',
or naming an entire collection after Metro stops.
Fashion under the Occupation provides the only in-depth history of
these blackest years in French history, long overlooked by fashion
history because of the impoverished industry and deprivations that
affected design. Widely acknowledged as the authoritative work on
fashion during this period, it is available in English for the
first time and will be essential reading for anyone interested in
fashion, French cultural history, and particularly the German
Occupation of France.
In this study, Bat Ye'or gives an analysis of the dogma and
strategies of jihad, offering a vast panorama of the history of the
Jews and Christians under the rule of Islam. A pioneer in a virgin
field of research for which she has coined the term "dhimmitude,"
the author has included a documentary section illuminating the
process of Eastern Christianity's Islamization. In two waves of
Islamic expansion, the Christian and Jewish populations of the
Mediterranean regions and Mesopotamia, who had developed the most
prestigious civilizations, were conquered by jihad. Millions of
Christians from Spain, Egypt, Syria, Greece, and Armenia; Latins
and Slavs from southern and central Europe; as well as Jews, were
henceforth governed by the shari'a (Islamic law). A knowledge of
this historical background is essential in order to understand
contemporary events.
|
|