A global exploration of the many writing systems that are on the verge of vanishing, and the stories and cultures they carry with them. If something is important, we write it down. Yet 85% of the world's writing systems are on the verge of vanishing - not granted official status, not taught in schools, discouraged and dismissed. When a culture is forced to abandon its traditional script, everything it has written for hundreds of years - sacred texts, poems, personal correspondence, legal documents, the collective experience, wisdom and identity of a people - is lost. This Atlas is about those writing systems, and the people who are trying to save them. From the ancient holy alphabets of the Middle East, now used only by tiny sects, to newly created African alphabets designed to keep cultural traditions alive in the twenty-first century: from a Sudanese script based on the ownership marks traditionally branded into camels, to a secret system used in one corner of China exclusively by women to record the songs and stories of their inner selves: this unique book profiles dozens of scripts and the cultures they encapsulate, offering glimpses of worlds unknown to us - and ways of saving them from vanishing entirely.

The minstrel show occupies a complex and controversial space in the history of American popular culture. While it is seen as a relic of America's deeply shameful and racist past, it also provided the first vehicle by which African-Americans were able to enter the entertainment world. This book investigates the often ignored 20th century history of minstrelsy as it entered the age of mass media, addressing such minstrel stars as Al Jolson, Bing Crosby, and Mickey Rooney. Tracing the history of minstrelsy through to its abrupt end in the 1950s, this book is a chronicle of "modern" minstrelsy and America's rapidly changing values.

This book examines the important issue of British propaganda to France during the Second World War and aims to show the value of the propaganda campaign to the British war effort. British Propaganda to France is a unique contribution to the field, not only in its examination of one of the least well-studied areas of British activity during the Second World War but also in the breadth of its approach. It surveys the organisation, operation and nature of the British propaganda effort towards the French people, including both white propaganda (BBC broadcasts and leaflets dropped by the RAF) and black propaganda (secret broadcasting stations, documents purporting to come from the Germans in France or distributed in France using clandestine methods, and rumours). Finally it examines the contemporary British understanding of the French and German reception of and reaction to this propaganda material, to show whether the campaign was an effective and well-directed use of resources. Almost all examinations of British foreign propaganda during the Second World War have focused on propaganda directed towards Germany. British propaganda to France, which in terms of quantity of output was actually the most important area of British propaganda, has never been examined in depth until now. This book adds a further chapter to our knowledge of propaganda in the Second World War, especially in the conduct of psychological warfare. It also touches on better-known areas such as RAF Bomber Command and its Operational Training Units, which handled aerial dissemination of British white propaganda leaflets over France, and the Special Operations Executive in France, which worked closely with the Political Warfare Executive in delivering much black propaganda.

How did a small, humble folk instrument become an American icon? How did the guitar come to represent freedom, the open road, protest and rebellion, the blues, youth, lost love, and sexuality? In this intensely personal memoir and informative history, National Public Radio commentator and essayist Tim Brookes recounts his quest to build the perfect guitar. Pairing up with a master artisan from the Green Mountains of Vermont, Brookes sees how a rare piece of cherry wood is hued, dovetailed, and worked on with saws, rasps, and files. As his prized instrument takes shape, Brookes also narrates the long and winding history of the guitar in the United States. Arriving with conquistadors and the colonists, the guitar has found itself in an extraordinary variety of hands: miners and society ladies, lumberjacks and presidents' wives. In time, the guitar became America's vehicle of self-expression, its modern soundtrack. "Guitar" is a rare glimpse of one man's search for music. It is sure to resonate with musicians and non-musicians alike.

Know your Mornington Crescent from your Cheddar Gorge? Are you partial to a bad-tempered clavier? Would you like some unhelpful travel advice? Featuring the very best moments from a forty-year history of broadcasting, Stephen Fry introduces this indispensable companion to I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue, the Radio 4 comedy series which attracts millions of listeners each week. Featuring hilarious excerpts from the show's favourite games including: The Uxbridge English Dictionary, Famous First Words, the Trail of the Lonesome Pun and Late Arrivals as well as much much more, this book is essential for Clue fans young and old. For those new to Clue, there's a Beginner's Guide on how to play Mornington Crescent and numerous games which are fun and easy to play at home and guaranteed to entertain.

A Corner of Every Foreign Field is an innovative and thought-provoking take on the history of cricket, looking beyond the scorecards to the pivotal issues of class, politics and imperialism that have shaped the game today. It charts how cricket has vied with football for power, commercial muscle and global reach, growing from a simple boys' game in England to a modern worldwide sport. In exploring cricket's evolution, Tim Brooks calls on the views and anecdotes of greats like W. G. Grace, Don Bradman, Viv Richards and Virat Kohli. Along the way, he peers deep into the game's soul and poses questions on behalf of every cricket fan. Is cricket truly global? Why did the game take root in some countries but not in others? What are the threats and opportunities for the sport? Who are the next cricket superpowers? How do you strike a balance between honouring tradition and reforming to capture the imagination of future generations? Written by an expert in the global development of cricket, the book sets out a unique vision for the future.

College Radio Days offers an overview of the history of college radio followed by an in-depth study of one institution, Dartmouth College. Dartmouth's stations reflect practically the entire history of college radio in the U.S., from the experimental stations of the 1920s to the wired, campus-limited stations of the 1940s and 1950s, the full power broadcast stations of the 1960s, and Internet radio today. Their evolution has been navigated by successive waves of students who were just learning how to lead, to communicate, and deal with the challenges of learning to run a business with an exceptionally prominent voice in the region. At Dartmouth challenges included fierce opposition from local commercial broadcasters, faculty who wanted to "take over," war protesters in the '60s, staff revolts, demands from women and minorities, and pressure from right and left wing groups determined to use the station's wide voice to pursue their own agendas. It is also a portrait of changes in campus life over more than 70 years. The book includes a description of the station's extensive news operation, which interviewed numerous national figures, and a listing of more than 700 student leaders over the years with their subsequent professions.

Do words fail you? Never again, once you've become the proud owner of The Complete Uxbridge English Dictionary. Every word has a meaning, but over the years those meanings change. Dip into these helpfully illustrated pages and you'll find many of the words you use every day without ever realising that their up-to-date definition is something entirely different. Words like 'bunny' (rather like a bun), or 'cherish' (rather like a chair), 'Cardiology' (the study of knitwear) or 'buggery' (the study of insects), 'Venezuala' (a gondola with a harpoon) or 'Norway' (a Geordie exclamation of surprise), 'ivy' (the Roman for "four") or 'faculty' (cockney for "there's no more PG Tips"). Thanks to The Complete Uxbridge English Dictionary you can now use familiar, everyday words in total confidence, fully appraised of their latest meanings. Happy wording!

Four more extended episodes from the award-winning BBC Radio 4 series, specially compiled by producer Jon Naismith 'ISIHAC is still unmissable. It remains the most thrillingly anarchic panel show in any media you care to name' Simon Mayo, Mail on Sunday 'The funniest comedy quiz show of them all' Sue Arnold, The Observer The antidote to panel games returns with this sixteenth glorious collection, in which Jack Dee gives regular panelists Tim Brooke-Taylor, Barry Cryer and Graeme Garden silly things to do. Joining them in this compilation are special guests Rob Brydon, Victoria Wood, Susan Calman and David Mitchell. Highlights include Uxbridge English Dictionary, One Song to the Tune of Another, French Monopoly, Swanee Kazoo, Sound Charades, Pensioner's Film Club, Complete Cats, 84 Chicken Cross Road, Hirsute Film Club, Unromantic Endings, Just a Minim, the delightful Add a Word, Ruin a Film and, of course, Mornington Crescent. Get ready to chuckle along with the gang as they deploy the finest wit and wordplay, accompanied by Colin Sell on the piano and the lovely Samantha keeping score. Duration: 2 hours 20 mins approx.