Para Handy has been sailing his way into the affections of generations of Scots since he first weighed anchor in the pages of the Glasgow Evening News in 1905. The master mariner and his crew - Dougie the mate, Macphail the engineer, Sunny Jim and the Tar - all play their part in evoking the irresistible atmosphere of a bygone age when puffers sailed between West Highland ports and the great city of Glasgow. This definitive edition contains all three collections published in the author's lifetime, as well as those that were unpublished and a new story which was discovered in 2001. Extensive notes accompany each story, providing fascinating insights into colloquialisms, place-names and historical events. This volume also includes a wealth of contemporary photographs, depicting the harbours, steamers and puffers from the age of the Vital Spark.

Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made available for future generations to enjoy.

Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made available for future generations to enjoy.

Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made available for future generations to enjoy.

Since the fall of communism Russia has undergone a treble transformation of its political, social and economic system. The government is an autocracy in which the Kremlin manages elections and administers the law to suit its own ends. It does not provide the democracy that most citizens desire. Given a contradiction between what Russians want and what they get, do they support their government and, if so, why? Using the New Russia Barometer - a unique set of public opinion surveys from 1992 to 2005 - this book shows that it is the passage of time that has been most important in developing support for the new regime. Although there remains great dissatisfaction with the regime's corruption, it has become accepted as a lesser evil to alternatives. The government appears stable today, but will be challenged by constitutional term limits forcing President Putin to leave office in 2008.

All forms of government require popular support to survive, whether voluntary or involuntary. Following the collapse of the Soviet system, Russia s rulers took steps toward democracy, yet under Vladimir Putin Russia has become increasingly undemocratic. This book uses a unique source of evidence, eighteen surveys of Russian public opinion from the first month of the new regime in 1992 up to 2009, to track the changing views of Russians. Clearly presented and sophisticated figures and tables show how political support has increased because of a sense of resignation that is stronger than the uncertain economic reliance on exporting oil and gas. Russia is not only an outstanding example of popular support increasing for a government that rejects democracy, but is also representative of a surprising number of regimes around the world that have been able to mobilize popular support for undemocratic regimes. Richard Rose is Director of the Centre for the Study of Public Policy and Sixth Century Professor of Politics at the University of Aberdeen. William Mishler is Professor of Government and Public Policy at the University of Arizona, Visiting Professor of Political Science at the University of Aberdeen, and co-editor of the Journal of Politics. Neil Munro is currently a visiting lecturer in the Department of Asian Studies at the University of Edinburgh and was formerly a senior research fellow in the Centre for the Study of Public Policy at the University of Aberdeen.

ONE SAVVY SCOT SKIPPER

Ever wonder what it was like to be the Captain of a Clyde Puffer -- that is, a steamship on the beautiful lochs of the Scots highlands at the beginning of the twentieth century?

Enter now the captivating world of Captain Para Handy and the irascible crew of "The Vital Spark, " called by it's captain "the best boat in the tread."

Join Para Handy, (or, rather, Captain John Macfarlane, his real name) and his crew of characters, the wondrous Hurricane Jack, the effete engineer Dan Macphail, the superstitious ship's mate Dougie, Colin the Tar and his cousin Davie Green.

Para Handy loses command of his beloved boat -- for a while. Read about a lost child, and the startling fate of a canary. Chuckle over Dougie's payday trouble with his wife. Plus a very odd Scots recipe.

Take a deep whiff of the distillery, keep an eye out for Nessie, grab yourself a bagpipe and a bowlful of haggis and get the kilt charmed off you in these delightful tales

Modern weaponry and warfare have entered a new era where death and destruction are produced electronically and with appalling speed and accuracy. This book shows for the first time how electronic combat and the battle for intelligence are changing every aspect of the battlefield of the future - from nuclear warfare to espionage. It is the first of its kind to show how the new technology and tactics are used, and how they shape strategy and peacetime planning.

Illustrating the power, simplicity, and generality of the concept of flatness, this reference explains how to identify, utilize, and apply flatness in system planning and design. The book includes a large assortment of exercises and models that range from elementary to complex classes of systems. Leading students and professionals through a vast array of designs, simulations, and analytical studies on the traditional uses of flatness, Differentially Flat Systems contains an extensive amount of examples that showcase the value of flatness in system design, demonstrate how flatness can be assessed in the context of perturbed systems and apply static and dynamic feedback controller design techniques.

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union near the end of the Twentieth Century, the former satellite nations in East Europe have moved toward the democratic process of free and fair elections. Now two prominent election experts have set out in one book all the basic information - text and tabular - that scholars and students of elections would want to know about free elections in post-Communist Europe since 1990. In Elections & Parties in New European Democracies, Professors Richard Rose and Neil Munro provide an overview and systematic comparison of electoral systems, parties, and voting in eleven countries including comparisons with established democracies such as the United States and Britain. In addition to chapters explaining and analyzing recent elections, the authors provide a country-by-country set of tables with a full list of all party names and acronyms in English and the national language; vote and seat totals; and details of the electoral system; and, where appropriate, a brief reference to elections in the pre-Communist era. Their examination includes basic socio-demographic data, such as population and standard of living, as well as examinations about the degree of fre