Bloomsbury Publishing Plc Books






Anonymous histories -- In the atelier : modistes and independent designers -- Into the mainstream : Seventh Avenue and beyond -- The star designer : national and international impact.
Philosophers on Consciousness
- 176 pages
- 7 hours of reading
We know, more intimately than anything else, what it's like to undergo a rich world of experiences: agonizing pains, dizzying pleasures, heady rage and existential doubts. But, despite the incredible advances of physical science, it seems that we're no closer to an explanation of how this inner world of experiences comes about. No matter how detailed our description of the physical brain, perhaps we'll always be left with this same question: how and why does the brain produce consciousness? This book is a short, accessible and engaging guide to the mystery of consciousness. Featuring remastered interviews and original essays from the world's leading thinkers, Philosophers on Consciousness sheds new light on the most promising theories in philosophy and science. Beyond understanding the mind, this is a journey into personal identity, the origin of meaning, the nature of morality and the fundamental structure of reality. Contributors include: Miri Albahari, Susan Blackmore, David Chalmers, Patricia Churchland, Daniel Dennett, Keith Frankish, Philip Goff, Frank Jackson, Casey Logue, Gregory Miller, Michelle Montague, Massimo Pigliucci and Galen Strawson.
The Science of Story
- 208 pages
- 8 hours of reading
Bringing together a diverse range of writers, The Science of Story is the first book to ask the question: what can contemporary brain science teach us about the art and craft of creative nonfiction writing? Drawing on the latest developments in cognitive neuroscience the book sheds new light on some of the most important elements of the writer's craft, from perspective and truth to emotion and metaphor.The Science of Story explores such questions as:· Why do humans tell stories?· How do we remember and misremember our lives - and what does this mean for storytelling?· What is the value of writing about trauma?· How do stories make us laugh, or cry, make us angry or triumphant?Contributors: Nancer Ballard, Mike Branch, Frank Bures, J.T. Bushnell, Katharine Coles, Christopher Cokinos, Alison Hawthorne Deming, David Lazar, Lawrence Lenhart, Alan Lightman, Dave Madden, Jessica Hendry Nelson, Richard Powers, Sean Prentiss, Julie Wittes Schlack, Valerie Sweeney Prince, Ira Sukrungruang, Nicole Walker, Wendy S. Walters, Marco Wilkinson, Amy Wright.
Decolonizing the Theatre Space
- 208 pages
- 8 hours of reading
2020 was a year in which global politics radically shifted, catalyzed by the Covid-19 pandemic and the #BlackLivesMatter movement. This book is a response to that year, asking was it a moment or is it a movement and what fundamental changes within the arts industry need to come out of this time?The book includes 20 interviews with some of the most pioneering black cultural leaders from a wide range of senior executive positions in the arts within the UK, US and Africa. It documents the sea of change in arts leadership post the height of the #Blacklivesmatter movement, the pressure on organizations to confront and change their racial and ethnic make-up, and shines a light on the guiding ambitions, strategic plans and visions for the future to support the ongoing decolonization of arts organizations across the world. Learn from those who have walked the walk to support your vision for the future.
The EU is in crisis. This crisis extends beyond the challenges of Covid-19, Brexit, the Eurozone, and mass migration. It cuts to the core of the EU itself. This text unpacks all dimensions of the EU in crisis, and analyses its implications for the EU and its member states. It argues that crises and challenges are no longer individual events facing the EU, but rather are a sustained condition that has changed the relationship between member states, the functioning of institutions, the nature of public engagement and the prospects for integration. Written by a team of leading experts, this book covers: - Cutting-edge theory - Recent high-impact crisis cases, including health, the environment and threats to democracy - Institutional effects of crises - Political dynamics - Discussion of longer-term implications of the EU This is the perfect companion for those studying and researching contemporary challenges facing the EU, European integration, and crisis management and transboundary crises more broadly.
School Leadership and Education System Reform
- 360 pages
- 13 hours of reading
'School Leadership and Education System Reform' considers the ways in which school leadership and its practice has changed and developed in response to a rapidly changing educational scenario over the last decade to meet the ever-growing and changing demands of children, policy-makers and other stakeholders and considers future developments. Drawing together leading thinkers and researchers in the field of leadership and management it takes an international perspective to consider what we know about school leadership and learning, and its practice.
The First Book of Fashion
- 432 pages
- 16 hours of reading
This captivating study reproduces arguably the most extraordinary primary source documents in fashion history. Providing a revealing window onto the Renaissance, it chronicles how style-conscious accountant Matthäus Schwarz and his son Veit Konrad experienced life through clothes, and climbed the social ladder through fastidious management of self-image. These bourgeois dandies' agenda resonates as powerfully today as it did in the 16th century: one has to dress to impress, and dress to impress they did.
The Role of Monarchy in Modern Democracy
- 328 pages
- 12 hours of reading
How much power does a monarch truly possess, and what autonomy do they have? This edited collection explores these questions regarding European monarchies, featuring contributions from experts in Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and the UK. It examines the constitutional and political roles of monarchy, including its powers, functions, laws of succession, royal finances, media relations, and public popularity. Since Bagehot's analysis in The English Constitution (1867), no new political theory on monarchy has emerged, and this holds true for other European monarchies as well. Despite their diminished formal powers, these ancient institutions have persisted. The book investigates the modern monarch's role and the lessons that can be drawn from various European monarchies in the context of advanced democracies. While the public seeks continuity, stability, and tradition from the monarchy, there is also a desire for it to embody modern values and serve as a symbol of national identity. The institution is rife with contradictions, myths, and misunderstandings. This collection aims to foster a more realistic discussion about the monarchy's expectations, its role, and its future.
Women's Labour and the History of the Book in Early Modern England
- 336 pages
- 12 hours of reading
This collection reveals the labours of women printers and publishers, authors and editors, owners and readers in the production and reception of early modern English books.
Frankenstein in Theory
- 304 pages
- 11 hours of reading
This collection provides new readings of Frankenstein from a myriad of established and burgeoning theoretical vantages including narrative theory, cognitive and affect theory, the new materialism, media theory, critical race theory, queer and gender studies, deconstruction, psychoanalysis, and others. Demonstrating how the literary power of Frankenstein rests on its ability to theorize questions of mind, self, language, matter, and the socio-historic that also drive these critical approaches, this volume illustrates the ongoing intellectual richness found both in Mary Shelley's work and contemporary ways of thinking about it.
The Words of Kings and Prophets
- 480 pages
- 17 hours of reading
AVAILABLE TO PREORDER NOW - THE PAPERBACK EDITION! The sequel to the acclaimed The Children of Gods and Fighting Men, this powerful historical fantasy novel by Shauna Lawless is set in war-torn medieval Ireland. In 1000 AD, as clouds of war loom, the Irish kingdoms vie for supremacy. Gormflaith, the discontented queen of Brian Boru, plots to eliminate the Descendants, her Fomorian enemies. As her schemes unfold, Gormflaith uncovers a deeper magic within herself—though it comes with unforeseen consequences. Meanwhile, Descendant healer Fodla lives in disguise among mortals, determined to protect her young nephew, who harbors his own secrets. Fodla must shield him from those who would exploit his gifts for malevolent purposes. The arrival of a mysterious man at King Brian's court threatens both Gormflaith and Fodla, as well as the fate of Ireland. This man, Tomas, is an ambitious immortal willing to do whatever it takes to achieve his goals. Reviewers praise Lawless for her ability to blend fantasy with historical fiction, celebrating Ireland's rich history and cultural traditions while highlighting the influential women of the era.
A beautifully illustrated pocket guide to 40 of the most iconic World War II tanks. From the rapid blitzkrieg assaults to the great battles in North Africa and desperate clashes on the Eastern Front, tanks played a vital role in World War II, becoming one of the key components of the 'combined arms' philosophy of warfare. But how well do you know the most famous and infamous tanks of the period, and how their speed, armour and armament compare? Which Soviet tank proved impervious to German firepower? Which stopgap design turned out to the one of the best-armed tanks of its day? The World War II Tank Spotter's Guide answers all of these questions and more, providing essential information on 40 legendary tanks, such as the Panther, Sherman, and T-34. Featuring full-colour artwork to aid recognition, as well as all the details you need to compare their performance, this is the perfect pocket guide to the Allied and Axis tanks of World War II.
Students are encouraged to think beyond simple identifiers of “Muslim,” “American,” “Canadian,” or “Mexican”, and to consider how these identifiers exist in conversation with one another, and with others such as gender, class, race, sexuality, and ability. The overview chapter provides students with an introductory grounding in the field. Chapters take a multidisciplinary approach, and focus on the expressions of Islam in its diverse forms. The book is illustrated throughout with over 75 images and each chapter contains suggested further reading. A glossary of key terms and concepts is included. Case studies include Islam in Cuba, Islam and the Black experience, and the Hijab. Topics covered include Muslims and Politics in the US, Islamophobia as/and racism, Muslims in American popular media, the Latinx Muslim experience, and religious diversity in Canada. From tracing street names, such as Malcom X Boulevard in Harlem, to exploring how Islam has been constructed as a normatively male religion, this book provides a much-needed resource for students and instructors that acknowledges that Muslims navigate their identities in a world where Orientalist ideas continue to dominate politics, policy, and public imagination.
Crossing continents and traveling through the centuries, Key Concepts in World Philosophies brings together 45 of the core ideas associated with the major Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Islamic, African, Ancient Greek, Indigenous and modern European philosophers. What connects these foundational ideas is the universal theme of transformation: how has each concept sought to change our way of understanding the world we live in or the life we are living? From Chinese xin and karma in Buddhist traditions to okwu in African philosophy and equity in Islamic thought, an international team of experts cover a diverse set of ideas and theories originating from thinkers such as Confucius, Buddha, Dogen, Nietzsche and Zhuangzi. Divided into three sections organised around the major themes of knowledge, metaphysics, and aesthetics, each short chapter provides an introductory overview with contextual background, supported by discussion questions and further reading suggestions. Beginning with an introduction about the need of valuing diversity for navigating the 21st century, this one-of-a-kind study guide allows you to read philosophical texts from all over the world, understand how to practice cross-cultural philosophy and find out how philosophical ideas can be applied to your own life.
The BBC Proms Guide is the official companion to the world’s greatest classical music festival.
Media Narratives in Popular Music
- 256 pages
- 9 hours of reading
An evaluation of the role the media (including television, magazines, and documentaries) plays in creating popular music narratives, and a discussion of alternative histories.
Kew: Lift and Look Bees
- 12 pages
- 1 hour of reading
"The bees are busy and buzzing! Where does the honey bee live? What does the honey bee do best and why does it like to dance? Lift the flaps to discover all the answers to these fun questions. With bright illustrations and simple, accessible and interactive text, this is the perfect first introduction to trees for preschoolers. Little ones will even meet the queen bee! Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is a world famous centre for botanical and mycological knowledge. With two inspiring gardens at Kew in London, and Wakehurst in Sussex, visitors are enchanted with the wonder of plant diversity. Over the past 250 years Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew has made innumerable contributions to increasing the understanding of plants and fungi, with many benefits for humankind."--Provided by publisher
The Microgenre
- 224 pages
- 8 hours of reading
Everybody knows, and maybe even loves, a microgenre. Plague romances and mommy memoirs. Nudie-cutie movies, Nazi zombies, and dinosaur erotica. Baby burlesks, Minecraft fiction, grindcore, premature ejaculation poetry...microgenres come in all varieties and turn up in every form of media under the sun, tailor-made for enthusiasts of all walks of life. Coming into use in the last decade or so, the term "microgenre" classifies increasingly niche-marketed worlds in popular music, fiction, television, and the Internet. Netflix has recently highlighted our fascination with the ultra-niche genre with hilariously specific classifications -- “independent supernatural dramedy featuring a strong female lead” – that can sometimes hit a little too close to home. Each contribution in this collection introduces readers to a different microgenre, drawn from a range of historical periods and from a variety of media. The Microgenre presents a previously untreated point of cultural curiosity, revealing the profound truth that humanity's desire to classify is often only matched by the unsustainability of the obscure and hyper-specific. It also affirms, in colorful detail, what most people suspect but have trouble fathoming in an increasingly homogenized and commercial West: that imaginative projects are just that, imaginative, diverse, and sometimes completely and hilariously inexplicable.
Field Guide to the Caterpillars of Great Britain and Ireland
- 432 pages
- 16 hours of reading
A brand new identification guide to the caterpillars of Great Britain and Ireland with exceptional illustrations. This beautifully illustrated field guide covers caterpillars of the moth and butterfly species that are most likely to be encountered in the British Isles. The helpful introduction includes information on caterpillar structure and function, behavior and evolution, while the species accounts cover status, field characters, similar species, habitat, foodplant and field notes, and are accompanied with up-to-date distribution maps.
Hanoch Levin: Selected Plays Two
- 488 pages
- 18 hours of reading
Plays Two is the second volume of brand-new English translations of selected volumes of Hanoch Levin, one of Israel's leading dramatists, aiming to bring one of the most important playwrights of the Middle East to English speaking audiences.
National Climate Change Acts
- 256 pages
- 9 hours of reading
Introduction / Thomas L Muinzer -- What do we mean when we talk about national 'climate change acts' and how important are they in the context of international climate law ? / Thomas L Muinzer -- 'Paris compatible' climate change acts? national framework legislation in an international world / Matthias Duwe and Ralph Bodle --The UK's Climate Change Act / Richard Macrory and Thomas L Muinzer -- Mexico's framework legislation on climate change : key features, achievements and challenges ahead / Alina Averchenkova -- Denmark's Climate Change Act(s) / Sarah Louise Nash -- Ireland's Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015 : symbolic legislation, trojan horse, stepping stone? / Andrew Jackson -- The Swedish climate policy framework including the climate act / Åsa Romson and Kristina Forsbacka -- The Dutch response to climate change : evaluating the Netherlands' Climate Act and associated issues of importance / Otto Spijkers and Sofie Oosterhuis -- The New Zealand legislation : pursuing the 1.5 °C target using a net zero approach / Prue Taylor -- Conceptualising and formulating national climate change acts / Thomas L Muinzer.
A Cultural History of Gardens in the Age of Empire
- 294 pages
- 11 hours of reading
As much as the nineteenth and early twentieth century gardens and their designs were a product and representation of industrialisation and urbanisation, they were also motors of change. Gardens became an industry in and of themselves. They were both the last resting places of the dead and cultivated plots for surv ival. Gardens were therapeutic environments regarded as civilising, socialising and assimialting institutions, and they were designed and perceived as social landscapes and community playgrounds. Rich with symbolism, gardens were treated as the subject and the setting for literature and painting and were often considerd works of art in themselves. In a time of empire, when plants were drawn from across the globe, gardens also reflected territorial conquest and expansion and they fostered national, regional and local identities. A Cultural History of Gardens in the Age of Empire presents an overview of the period with essays on issues of design, types of gardens, planting, use and reception, issues of meaning, verbal and visual representation of gardens, and the relationship of gardens to the larger landscape.
Haruki Murakami's the Wind-up Bird Chronicle
- 96 pages
- 4 hours of reading
A reader's guide to one of the most popular novels of the past ten years. Includes a biography of the novelist, analysis of the novel, reviews of the novel, the novel's standing today vis-a-vis TV, film, prizes, etc, and further reading, discussion questions, websites.
Iconic Designs
- 240 pages
- 9 hours of reading
Iconic Designs is a beautifully designed and illustrated guide to fifty classic 'things' – designs that we find in the city, in our homes and offices, on page and screen, and in our everyday lives. In her introduction, Grace Lees-Maffei explores what makes a design 'iconic', and fifty essays by leading design and cultural critics tell the story of each iconic 'thing', its innovative and unique qualities, and its journey to classic status. Subjects range from the late 19th century to the present day, and include the Sydney Opera House, the Post-It Note, Coco Chanel's classic suit, the Sony WalkmanTM, Hello KittyTM, the typeface Helvetica, the Ford Model T, Harry Beck's diagrammatic map of the London Underground and the Apple iMac G3. This handsome volume provides a treasure trove of 'stories' that will shed new light on the iconic designs that we use without thinking, aspire to possess, love or hate (or love to hate) and which form part of the fabric of our everyday lives.
A Cultural History of Democracy in the Age of Enlightenment
- 296 pages
- 11 hours of reading
This volume surveys the burst of political imagination that created multiple Enlightenment cultures in an era widely understood as an age of democratic revolutions. Enlightenment as precursor to liberal democratic modernity was once secular catechism for generations of readers. Yet democracy did not elicit much enthusiasm among contemporaries, while democracy as a political system remained virtually nonexistent through much of the period. If seventeenth- and eighteenth-century ideas did underwrite the democracies of succeeding centuries, they were often inheritances from monarchical governments that had encouraged plural structures of power competition. But in revolutions across France, Britain, and North America, the republican integration of constitutional principle and popular will established rational hope for public happiness. Nevertheless, the tragic clashes of principle and will in fraught revolutionary projects were also democratic legacies. Each chapter focuses on a distinct theme: sovereignty; liberty and the rule of law; the "common good"; economic and social democracy; religion and the principles of political obligation; citizenship and gender; ethnicity, race, and nationalism; democratic crises, revolutions, and civil resistance; international relations; and the transformations of sovereignty--a synoptic survey of the cultural entanglements of "enlightenment" and "democracy."
Governance and Domestic Policymaking in Saudi Arabia
- 256 pages
- 9 hours of reading
Saudi Vision 2030 and the National Transformation Plan 2020 are governmental initiatives to diversify Saudi Arabias economy and implement nationwide social changes. Media and scholarly attention often describe the success or failure of these ambitious visions. This book shifts the focus to instead examine and evaluate the actual processes of domestic policymaking and governance that are being mapped out to achieve them. The book is unique in its breadth, with case studies from across different sectors including labour markets, defence, health, youth, energy and the environment. Each analyses the challenges that the countrys leading institutions face in making, shaping and implementing the tailored policies that are being designed to change the country's future. In doing so, they reveal the factors that either currently facilitate or constrain effective and viable domestic policymaking and governance in the Kingdom. The study offers new and ground-breaking research based on the first-hand experiences of academics, researchers, policy-makers and practitioners who have privileged access to Saudi Arabia. At a time when analysis and reportage on Saudi Arabia usually highlights the high politics of foreign policy, this book sheds light on the low politics to show the extent to which Saudi policy, society, economics and culture is changing
Curating Fascism
- 320 pages
- 12 hours of reading
Rethinking Labour's Past
- 304 pages
- 11 hours of reading
The Labour Party after Jeremy Corbyn is charting a new direction. Here, Nathan Yeowell has brought together a remarkable array of contributors to provide expert insight into twentieth-century British history and Labour politics – and how they might shape thinking about Labour's future.Reframing the span of Labour history and its effects on contemporary British politics, the book provides fresh thinking and analysis of various traditions, themes and individuals. These include the shifting significance of 1945, the need for more grounded interpretations of Tony Blair's legacy, and the enduring importance of place, identity and aspiration to the evolution of the party. Contributions from leading historians such as Patrick Diamond, Steven Fielding, Ben Jackson, Glen O' Hara and Florence Sutcliffe-Braithwaite are supplemented by those with experience of Labour electoral politics, such as Rachel Reeves and Nick Thomas-Symonds.The result is an intellectually rich and politically relevant roadmap for Labour's future.
“A thick, tangled and deliciously idiosyncratic history of hair.” Times Literary Supplement The Middle Ages were a time of great innovation, artistic vigor, and cultural richness. Appearances mattered a great deal during this vibrant era and hair was a key marker of the dynamism and sophistication of the period. Hair became ever more central to religious iconography, from Mary Magdalen to the Virgin Mary, while vernacular poets embellished their verses with descriptions of hairstyles both humble and elaborate, and merchants imported the finest hair products from great distances. Drawing on a wealth of visual, textual and object sources, the volume examines how hairstyles and their representations developed-often to a degree of dazzling complexity-between the years AD 800 and AD 1450. From wimpled matrons and tonsured monks to adorned noblewomen, hair is revealed as a potent cultural symbol of gender, age, sexuality, health, class, and race. Illustrated with approximately 80 images, A Cultural History of Hair in the Middle Ages brings together leading scholars to present an overview of the period with essays on politics, science, religion, fashion, beauty, the visual arts, and popular culture.
Communicative Approaches for Ancient Languages
- 288 pages
- 11 hours of reading
This book is the first in its field. It showcases current and emerging communicative practices in the teaching and learning of ancient languages (Latin and Greek) across contemporary education in the US, the UK, South America and continental Europe. In all these parts of the globe, communicative approaches are increasingly being accepted as showing benefits for learners in school, university and college classrooms, as well as at specialist conferences which allow for total immersion in an ancient language. These approaches are characterised by interaction with others using the ancient language. They may include various means and modalities such as face-to-face conversations and written communication. The ultimate aim is to optimise the facility to read such languages with comprehension and engagement.The examples showcased in this volume provide readers with a vital survey of the most current issues in communicative language teaching, helping them to explore and consider adoption of a wider range of pedagogical practices, and encouraging them to develop tools to promote engagement and retention of a wider variety of students than currently find ancient languages accessible. Both new and experienced teachers and learners can build on the experiences and ideas in this volume to explore the value of these approaches in their own classrooms.
Narrative Retellings
- 256 pages
- 9 hours of reading
Presenting pioneering work at the intersection of stylistics and narrative study, this volume provides a more considered understanding of narratives and the many ways in which they are retold in literary and non-literary texts. Taking an empirical stylistic approach, chapters analyse the process of retelling across a rich variety of genres, mediums and contexts, including literary classics, contemporary horror, personal traumatic experience, news stories and cosmetic advertising. Common types of retelling, such as translation, adaptation and textual interpretation in reading groups, are reconceptualised in the chapters, and fresh insights are offered into experiences retold as autofiction, witness statements and advertorials on social media. From modernising the most cherished novels of Jane Austen to deciphering conflicting testimonials following the Hillsborough disaster, this volume is broad in scope and reveals the complexities involved in all forms of narrative retellings. As such, it makes a valuable contribution to the interdisciplinary study of stylistics and to the understanding of narrative texts.
Defining Shugendo
- 304 pages
- 11 hours of reading
"Defining Shugendo brings together leading international experts on Japanese mountain asceticism to discuss what has been an essential component of Japanese religions for more than a thousand years. Contributors explore how mountains have been abodes of deities, a resting place for the dead, sources of natural bounty and calamities, places of religious activities, and a vast repository of symbols. The book shows that many peoples have chosen them as sites for ascetic practices, claiming the potential to attain supernatural powers there. This book discusses the history of scholarship on Shugendo, the development process of mountain worship, and the religious and philosophical features of devotion at specific sacred mountains. Moreover, it reveals the rich material and visual culture associated with Shugendo, from statues and steles, to talismans and written oaths."-- Provided by publisher
Contemporary Queer Plays by Russian Playwrights
- 312 pages
- 11 hours of reading
Contemporary Queer Plays by Russian Playwrights is the first anthology of LGBTQ-themed plays written by Russian queer authors and straight allies in the 21st century. The book features plays by established and emergent playwrights of the Russian drama scene, including Roman Kozyrchikov, Andrey Rodionov and Ekaterina Troepolskaya, Valery Pecheykin, Natalya Milanteva, Olzhas Zhanaydarov, Vladimir Zaytsev, and Elizaveta Letter. Writing for children, teenagers, and adults, these authors explore gay, lesbian, trans, and other queer lives in prose and in verse. From a confession-style solo play to poetic satire on contemporary Russia; from a play for children to love dramas that have been staged for adult-only audiences in Moscow and other cities, this important anthology features work that was written around or after 2013-the year when the law on the prohibition of “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations among minors” was passed by the Russian government. These plays are universal stories of humanity that spread a message of tolerance, acceptance, and love and make clear that a queer scenario does not necessarily have to end in a tragedy just because it was imagined and set in Russia. They show that breathing, growing old, falling in love, falling out of love, and falling in love again can be just as challenging and rewarding in Moscow and elsewhere in Russia as it can be in New York, Tokyo, Johannesburg, or Buenos Aires.
Concentrationary Memories has, as its premise, the idea at the heart of Alain Resnais's film Night and Fog (1955) that the concentrationary plague unleashed on the world by the Nazis in the 1930s and 1940s is not simply confined to one place and one time but is now a permanent presence shadowing modern life. It further suggests that memory (and, indeed art in general) must be invoked to show this haunting of the present by this menacing past so that we can read for the signs of terror and counter its deformation of the human. Through working with political and cultural theory on readings of film, art, photographic and literary practices, Concentrationary Memories analyses different cultural responses to concentrationary terror in different sites in the post-war period, ranging from Auschwitz to Argentina. These readings show how those involved in the cultural production of memories of the horror of totalitarianism sought to find forms, languages and image systems which could make sense of and resist the post-war condition in which, as Hannah Arendt famously stated 'everything is possible' and 'human beings as human beings become superfluous.'
Styling Shanghai
- 304 pages
- 11 hours of reading
Styling Shanghai is the first book dedicated to exploring the city's fashion cultures, examining its growing status as one of the world's foremost fashion cities. From its origins as an international treaty port in the 19th century, Shanghai has emerged as a global leader in the production, mediation and consumption of fashion. This book reveals how the material and imaginative context of this thriving urban centre has produced vivid interpretations of fashion as object, image and idea. Bringing together contributions by a range of leading international fashion historians and theorists, and drawing on extensive original research, Styling Shanghai offers an interdisciplinary analysis of the mega-city's shifting position as a fashion capital. Rooted in collaboration between leading UK, Australian and Shanghai-based institutions, it considers the impact of local and global textile manufacturing, the representation and marketing of 'Shanghai Style', bodies and gender in the 'Paris of the East', and the challenges of globalization, commercialization and digital communication in contemporary Shanghai.
A collection of letters written through the ages from historical figures who have been incarcerated, including Anne Boleyn, Bertrand Russell, Sylvia Pankhurst and Al Capone.
Reflections on British Royalty
- 320 pages
- 12 hours of reading
In this original volume, Jennifer J. Purcell and Fiona Courage curate and contextualize Mass-Observation's rich archival materials on the British popular imagination of the monarchy and the royal family between 1937 and 2022. A 2016 telephone poll of British adults by Ipsos Mori conducted on the occasion of Queen Elizabeth II's 90th birthday declared that 'the monarchy remains as popular as ever'. The survey also found that a substantial majority favored a monarchy over a republic. What lies behind the generalisations and statistical data generated by such opinion polls? How does the British public imagine the monarchy and its role in British society and governance? What is the relationship between the British people and the Crown? Using material from the social research organisation, Mass-Observation, which has been asking these questions for over 80 years, Reflections on British Royalty gets to the heart of these issues and more besides. From the coronation of George VI in 1937 to the wake of Elizabeth II's death- via war, weddings, a jubilee and a tragedy - this book incorporates everything from diaries and detailed responses to questionnaires, to children's essays on royalty, internal organisational documents and published reports on popular attitudes to royalty in order to reveal the true nature of Britain's relationship with its monarchy in the modern era.
Contemporary Black Theatre and Performance
- 240 pages
- 9 hours of reading
How are Black artists, activists, and educators using acts of rebellion and solidarity to drive change? This collection addresses the impact of contemporary performances on Black cultural, social, and political struggles, examining how these acts engage diverse Black identities and shared histories. It highlights the relationship between performance, intersectionality, and activism in North America and beyond. Featuring contributions from scholars, artists, and activists, it bridges disciplinary divides to explore the nuances of 21st-century Black performance. By incorporating performance-based methodologies and queer and Black feminist theories, it addresses a critical gap in understanding contemporary Black identity, performance, and activism. Topics include Black queer identity formation in playwriting, antiracist pedagogy, digital blackface, and subversive practices by Black women in popular culture. The collection analyzes dramatic works like Lynn Nottage's "Sweat" and Tarell Alvin McCraney's "Choir Boy," alongside acts of resistance such as the Black Lives Matter protests in summer 2020. It also features conversations with artists and scholars at the intersection of rebellion and solidarity, including playwrights Christina Anderson and Donja R. Love, and Willa Taylor, Director of Education and Community Engagement at the Goodman Theatre, Chicago.
After Universal Design
- 240 pages
- 9 hours of reading
This interdisciplinary book, written by disability scholars, practitioners, activists, and disabled users and makers, pushes beyond ideas of universal design to argue for a new user-initiated design that can enable people with disabilities to participate more fully in their social, professional, creative, and domestic lives. After Universal Design illuminates how design often works in the real world, forcing a rethink of the top-down professionalized practice of universal design which has dominated thinking and practice around design for disability for decades. Contributors explore questions around design and personal agency, hardware, spaces and legislation. They examine the nuances of prosthetics wearing, conventional hearing aid devices designed to suit personal style, and ways to facilitate pain self-reporting. Using critical perspectives on disability, race, and gender, this book challenges prevalent ideas of inclusive design and social justice and explores how we might envisage developing with, not for.
Interiors in the Era of Covid-19
- 312 pages
- 11 hours of reading
The Covid-19 lockdowns caused people worldwide to be confined to their homes for longer and on a greater scale than ever before. This forced many unprecedented changes to the way we treat domestic space – as relationships shifted between the public and the private worlds, and homes were rapidly adapted to accommodate the additional roles of schools, offices, gyms, restaurants, making-spaces and more. Above all, our understanding of the home as a site to support and enhance the well-being of its inhabitants changed in a variety of novel ways.Interiors in the Era of Covid is a collection of essays which explore the complex ways in which our inside spaces (contemporary and historical) have responded to Covid-19 and other human crises. With case studies ranging from US and Europe to Japan, China, Colombia, and Bangladesh, this is a truly global work which examines wide-ranging subjects from home-working and home technologies, to the impact of lockdown on people's identities, gender roles in the home, and the realities of domestic living with Covid in refugee camps.Exploring the roles played by designers (both amateur and professional) in accommodating changing requirements and anticipating future ones – whether Covid or beyond – this book is a must-read for students and researchers in interior design, architecture, architectural and design history, and anyone interested in the home and the relationships between health and design.
The Relevance of Hegel's Concept of Philosophy
- 544 pages
- 20 hours of reading
In a systematic treatment of Hegel's concept of philosophy and all of the different aspects related to it, this collection explores how Hegel and his understanding of his discipline can be put into dialogue with current metaphilosophical inquiries and shed light on the philosophical examination of the nature of philosophy itself. Taking into account specific aspects of Hegel's elaboration on philosophy such the scientificity of philosophy as a self-grounding rational process and his explanation of the relationship between philosophy and the history of philosophy, an international line-up of contributors consider: - Hegel's concept of philosophy in general from skepticism, idealism, history and difference, to time, politics and religion - The relation of Hegel's concept of philosophy to other philosophical traditions and philosophers including Kant, Fichte, Schelling, and Jacobi - Hegel's concept of philosophy with reference to philosophy's relation to other forms of rationality and disciplines - The relation of Hegel's concept of philosophy to specific issues in present metaphilosophical debates. Reflecting the renewed and widespread interest in Hegel seen in Analytic philosophy and Continental thought, this volume advances study of Hegel's conceptual tools and provides new readings of traditional philosophical problems.
A Cultural History of Dress and Fashion in the Medieval Age
- 256 pages
- 9 hours of reading
During the medieval period, people invested heavily in looking good. The finest fashions demanded careful chemistry and compounds imported from great distances and at considerable risk to merchants; the Church became a major consumer of both the richest and humblest varieties of cloth, shoes, and adornment; and vernacular poets began to embroider their stories with hundreds of verses describing a plethora of dress styles, fabrics, and shopping experiences.Drawing on a wealth of pictorial, textual and object sources, the volume examines how dress cultures developed – often to a degree of dazzling sophistication – between the years 800 to 1450.Beautifully illustrated with 90 images, A Cultural History of Dress and Fashion in the Medieval Age presents an overview of the period with essays on textiles, production and distribution, the body, belief, gender and sexuality, status, ethnicity, visual representations, and literary representations.
Virgil Aeneid XII: A Selection
- 184 pages
- 7 hours of reading
This is the OCR-endorsed publication from Bloomsbury for the Latin AS and A-Level (Group 3) prescription of Aeneid Book XII, lines 1–106, 614–727, and the A-Level (Group 4) prescription of Aeneid Book XII, lines 728–952, giving full Latin text, commentary and vocabulary, with a detailed introduction that also covers the prescribed text to be read in English for A Level.Aeneid XII is the final book of Virgil's Roman epic. The war fought between Aeneas' refugee Trojans and the people of Latium here reaches a bloody, moving climax. The OCR selection contains two scenes of rich emotion focussed on the Italian war-leader Turnus as he reacts to military defeat and crisis, followed by the full narrative of the decisive single combat between Turnus and Aeneas with which the poem concludes. This is one of the great passages in Latin literature – grand in content and style, complex and challenging in its subject matter. Resources are available on the Companion Website.
"Explores the role of the dressed and undressed body in the making of the modern Middle East, from perspectives such as nation, gender, post-colonialism and historiography"--
Problems in Epistemology and Metaphysics
- 416 pages
- 15 hours of reading
Problems in Epistemology and Metaphysics takes a pro and con approach to two central philosophical topics.Each chapter begins with a question: Can We Have Knowledge? How are Beliefs Justified? What is the mind? Contemporary philosophers with opposing viewpoints are then paired together to argue their position and raise problems with conflicting standpoints. Alongside an up-to-date introduction to a core philosophical stance, each contributor provides a critical response to their opponent and clear explanation of their view.Discussion questions are included at the end of each chapter to guide further discussion.With chapters covering core questions surrounding religious beliefs, scientific knowledge, truth, being and reality, this is a comprehensive introduction to debates lying at the heart of what we know, how we know it and the nature of the world we live in.
Staging Fashion
- 256 pages
- 9 hours of reading
The fashion show and its spaces are sites of otherness; representing everything from rebellion and excess through to political and social activism. This conceptual and stylistic variety is reflected in the spaces they occupy, whether they are staged in an industrial warehouse, on a city street, or out in the open landscape. Staging Fashion is the first collection of essays about the presentation and staging of fashion in runway shows in the period from the 1960s to the 2010s. It offers a fresh perspective on the many collaborations between artists, architects and interior designers to reinforce their interdisciplinary links. Fashion, architecture and interiors share many elements, including design, history, material culture, aesthetics and trends. The research and ideas underpinning Staging Fashion address how fashion and the spatial fields have collaborated in the creation of the space of the fashion show. The 15 essays are written by fashion, interior, architecture and design scholars focusing on the presentation of fashion within the runway space, from avant-garde practices and collaboration with artists, to the most spectacular and commercial shows of recent years, from Prada to Chanel.
The Carol J. Adams Reader gathers together Adams s foundational and recent writings as well as relevant interviews and conversations identifying key concepts and new developments in her work.
Feminist Judgments
- 471 pages
- 17 hours of reading
In this book a group of feminist legal scholars write the 'missing' feminist judgments in key cases.
BBC Proms 2021
- 120 pages
- 5 hours of reading
The BBC Proms is the world's biggest and longest-running classical music festival and one of the jewels in the crown for the BBC. Held every summer at the Royal Albert Hall in London, it is one of the strongest brand names in the music world and attracts a glittering array of artists and orchestras. Whether you're a first-time visitor or an experienced Prommer, watching at home or listening on radio or online, the BBC Proms Guide will be an excellent companion to a remarkable summer of music, which you can treasure and return to in years to come.Filled with the latest programme details and illuminating articles by leading experts, journalists and writers, the BBC Proms Guide gives a wide-ranging insight into the performers and repertoire, as well as thought-provoking opinion pieces about audiences, music and music-making. The contents for 2021 include a specially commissioned short story by award-winning author Chibundu Onuzo; an exploration of music and silence by author, commentator and broadcaster Will Self; a celebration of the history and influence of the iconic Royal Albert Hall 150 years after its opening by historian, author, curator and television presenter Lucy Worsley; a tribute to anniversary composer Igor Stravinsky; and an article spotlighting the remarkable Kanneh-Mason siblings (spearheaded by royal-wedding cellist Sheku).
Italy and the Middle East
- 304 pages
- 11 hours of reading
Italy played a vital role in the Cold War dynamics that shaped the Middle East in the latter part of the 20th century. It was a junior partner in the strategic plans of NATO and warmly appreciated by some Arab countries for its regional approach. But Italian foreign policy towards the Middle East balanced between promoting dialogue, stability and cooperation on one hand, and colluding with global superpower manoeuvres to exploit existing tensions and achieve local influence on the other.Italy and the Middle East brings together a range of experts on Italian international relations to analyse, for the first time in English, the country's Cold War relationship with the Middle East. Chapters covering a wide range of defining twentieth century events - from the Arab-Israeli conflict and the Lebanese Civil War, to the Iranian Revolution and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan – demonstrate the nuances of Italian foreign policy in dealing with the complexity of Middle Eastern relations. The collection demonstrates the interaction of local and global issues in shaping Italy's international relations with the Middle East, making it essential reading to students of the Cold War, regional interactions, and the international relations of Italy and the Middle East.
Tactics and Rules 5th Edition Rugby Skills
- 176 pages
- 7 hours of reading
A highly illustrated and fully revised guide to the key components of rugby union. Now in its fifth edition, Rugby Skills, Tactics and Rules has earned a reputation as the best book for learning the fundamental skills of rugby union. It provides an attractive, easy-to-read and straightforward discussion of the key components of the game, from player positions and tactics to different kinds of set plays, passes and moves. This great-looking book cuts through the jargon and tells coaches and players what they really need to know. Key features include: - Color photos of top players from around the world - Sections on the tactics and strategies needed to win the game, including the basic skills of running, passing and tackling - Specially created diagrams to explain critical aspects of moves and tactics - Drill variations - A user-friendly glossary This is essential reading for anyone looking to get the most from their game.
The Bloomsbury Handbook to Katherine Mansfield
- 464 pages
- 17 hours of reading
Through her formally innovative and psychologically insightful short stories, Katherine Mansfield is increasingly recognised as one of the central figures in early 20th-century modernism. Bringing together leading and emerging scholars and covering her complete body of work, this is the most comprehensive volume to Mansfield scholarship available today.The Bloomsbury Handbook to Katherine Mansfield covers the full range of contemporary scholarly themes and approaches to the author's work, · New biographical insights, including into the early New Zealand years· Responses to the historical the Great War, empire and orientalism· Mansfield's fiction, poetry, criticism and private writing· Mansfield and modernist culture – from Bloomsbury to the little magazines· Mansfield and her contemporaries – Woolf, Lawrence and von Arnim· Mansfield and the arts – visual culture, cinema and musicThe book also includes a substantial annotated bibliography of key works of Mansfield scholarship from the last 30 years.
Anatomy of Strength and Conditioning
- 160 pages
- 6 hours of reading
An essential part of any complete fitness programme, strength and conditioning could not be simpler with this clear and accessible illustrated guide. Anatomy of Strength and Conditioning is an ideal resource for everyone interested in exercise - from those new to training, to students and health and fitness professionals looking for detailed guide to anatomy. There is a logical progression through training and every exercise is fully supported with a detailed written description, photograph of the exercise being performed by a leading fitness personal trainer and a 3D anatomical illustration to show which muscle groups are being used.
Mirror of Obedience
- 200 pages
- 7 hours of reading
Simone Weil (1909-1943) was one of the foremost French philosophers of the 20th century; a mystic, activist, and writer whose profound work continues to intrigue and inspire today. Mirror of Obedience collects together Weil's poetry and autobiographical writings translated into English for the first time. It offers a rare glimpse into a more personal and introspective Weil than we usually encounter. She was writing and re-working her poems until the end of her life and in a letter from London to her parents, dated 22 January 1943, she expressed the wish for her verses to appear together in print in chronological order, a wish which this volume honours. Weil was a thinker who wrote with discipline and spareness and cherished the poetic form for its power to compress language and distill meaning. In these poems and literary writings, we see her own efforts to craft poems as essential expressions of thought, bringing into view another aspect of Weil's quest for beauty and truth.
How many places can fruit and vegetables grow?Lift the flaps to see what is inside the greenhouse, behind the orchard gate and growing underground. From leafy green vegetables, to colourful tropical fruit and jewel-like berries, there is lots to discover on every page. With vibrant illustrations and simple, accessible text, this is the perfect introduction to fruit and vegetables for little ones.Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is a world famous centre for botanical and mycological knowledge. With two inspiring gardens at Kew in London, and Wakehurst in Sussex, visitors are enchanted with the wonder of plant diversity. Over the past 250 years Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew has made innumerable contributions to increasing the understanding of plants and fungi, with many benefits for humankind.Bloomsbury's Lift and Look board books have large cut-out flaps, specially designed for small hands. They also feature bright and beautiful illustrations and fun, engaging text, which children will adore. Available in a range of young children's favourite topics, including Bugs, Garden, School, Dinosaurs and Space.
Rethinking Fashion Globalization is a timely call to rewrite the fashion system and push back against Eurocentric dominance within fashion histories by presenting new models, approaches and understandings of fashion from critical thinkers at the forefront of decolonial fashion discourse.This edited collection draws together original, diverse, and richly reflective critiques of the fashion system from both established and emerging fashion scholars, researchers and creative practitioners. Chapters straddle current calls for decolonization and inclusion, as well as reflections on de-westernization, post-colonialism, sustainability, transnationalism, national identities, social activism, global fashion narratives, diversity, and more. The volume is divided into three key themes, 'Disruptions in Time and Space', 'Nationalism and Transnationalism' and 'Global Design Practices'. These themes re-map fashion's origins, practices and futures, to present alternatives for reclaiming and rethinking fashion globalization in the 21st century.
The Art of Rehearsal
- 264 pages
- 10 hours of reading
What are the key elements that go into creating a work of art for the stage? Which are the most productive conditions and methods of rehearsal? In this collection of interviews, 18 international artists share their experience and offer practical advice on the creation of performance work. Their answers provide a goldmine of tried and tested approaches as they discuss the common problems and difficulties of creative work, their turning-point experiences, and ways in which they have challenged performers and themselves to go beyond conditioned reflexes to create groundbreaking new work.
Leith's Cookery Bible
- 864 pages
- 31 hours of reading
With over 1400 recipes, this cookbook contains many classic recipes as well as imaginative innovations, and numerous Oriental, Indian, Mexican and vegetarian dishes. There is also advice on wine with every meal recipe.
A fast-paced whirlwind of fantasy and mockery confined to a single room, The Alchemist offers a witty culmination of Jonson's experiments with city comedy. The play has been widely recognized as one of the most impressive achievements of the period's theatre; Coleridge famously described it as one of the three most perfect plots in literature. Yet it is a notoriously difficult play: its alchemical language has aged into obscurity, and its insiderly humour can seem impenetrable to students approaching it for the first time. This comprehensively annotated edition translates and illuminates the play's many pleasures and shows how Jonson's cynical, street-wise wit resonates with our contemporary sensibilities. Pollard highlights the play's witty ingenuity, while offering the information and guidance to enable students to understand and enjoy The Alchemist fully.
A to Z of Creative Writing Methods
- 216 pages
- 8 hours of reading
The A to Z of Creative Writing Methods is an alphabetical collection of essays to prompt consideration of method within creative writing research and practice.Almost sixty contributors from a range of writing traditions and across multiple forms and genre are represented in this from poets, essayists, novelists and performance writers, to graphic novelists, illustrators, and those engaged in multi-media writing or writing-related arts activism. Contributors bring to this collection their distinct and diverse literary and cultural contexts, defining, expanding and enacting the methods they describe, and providing new possibilities for creative writing practice.Accessible and provocative, A to Z of Creative Writing Methods lays bare new developments and directions in the field, making it an invaluable resource for the teachers, research students and scholar-practitioners in the field of creative writing studies.
Armenia's Velvet Revolution
- 288 pages
- 11 hours of reading
In April 2018, Armenia experienced a remarkable popular uprising leading to the resignation of Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan and his replacement by protest leader Nikol Pashinyan. Evoking Czechoslovakia's similarly peaceful overthrow of communism 30 years previously, the uprising came to be known as Armenia's 'Velvet Revolution': a broad-based movement calling for clean government, democracy and economic reform.This volume examines how a popular protest movement, showcasing civil disobedience as a mass strategy for the first time in the post-Soviet space, overcame these unpromising circumstances. Situating the events in Armenia in their national, regional and global contexts, different contributions evaluate the causes driving Armenia's unexpected democratic turn, the reasons for regime vulnerability and the factors mediating a non-violent outcome. Drawing on comparative perspectives with democratic transitions across the world, this book will be essential reading for those interested in the regime dynamics, social movements and contested politics of contemporary Eurasia, as well as policy-makers and practitioners in the fields of democracy assistance and human rights in an increasingly multipolar world.
Research Methods in Linguistics
- 376 pages
- 14 hours of reading
"How do you approach research for the first time? What method is best for you? Covering topics such as developing research questions, corpus analysis and quantitative, qualitative and combined methods and designs, this book guides you through all the main issues, techniques and approaches to developing your research. Expanded throughout, this second edition features: - New chapters on ethics and transcription - Case studies in linguistic research - Further reading, online resources and a glossary of key terms Providing clear introductions to key concepts and discussions, this book takes you step-by-step through topics like how to conduct your own focus groups and interviews, how to build case studies and how to make sense of your data. Guiding you towards the research methods most appropriate to your work, and explaining them in detail, this is the only book you need in linguistic research methods"
Dexter
- 264 pages
- 10 hours of reading
Based upon the successful Jeff Lindsay novel Darkly Dreaming Dexter, Showtime's and FX's Dexter show chronicles the grisly exploits of a police blood spatter expert who moonlights as a serial killer (or vice versa). This title offers an investigation of this show's many issues, contexts, and complexities.
Hotel 21: The ´funny, poignant and completely heart-warming´ debut novel
- 288 pages
- 11 hours of reading
This beautifully told, heart-warming story explores female friendship and the complexities of life through the eyes of Noelle, a hotel cleaner with a peculiar habit of taking small 'souvenirs' from her guests. As she embarks on her 21st job at a five-star hotel, she aims to outlast her previous record of one month before anyone notices her quirks. However, her plans are soon complicated by her new colleagues, who are not just workers but women with rich lives filled with joy and struggles—experiences Noelle has never fully embraced. Their camaraderie challenges her to reconsider what friendship means and whether she can forge genuine connections. As she navigates her past habits and the possibility of a brighter future, Noelle must decide if she can claim the life she truly deserves. Readers are captivated by the unforgettable characters and the uplifting message about the power of friendship, making this a feel-good read that resonates deeply. The story is described as a warm, fuzzy hug, leaving a lasting impression and a sense of longing for the characters long after the last page is turned.
Test Signal
- 352 pages
- 13 hours of reading
bridges over the Tyne / crumbling coastlines / influencers' online worlds / asylum applications / packed train carriages / forgotten village social clubs / family in Nigeria / holidays in Greece / shining university campuses / ghosts in city cemeteries / jobs in London / teenage explorations / monstrous graffiti / suburban woodlandWe are the North.With ground-breaking new authors, a thriving independent publishing scene and vibrant grass-roots networks, the North is driving a revolution in new literature. This anthology showcases the best of its talent, from every corner of the region and across all its vibrant genres. Some contributors are well-known established names, others are newcomers; all of them are part of the new northern writing scene.This is 'TEST SIGNAL'. Contributors:Adam Farrer / Andrew Michael Hurley / Amy Stewart / Carmen Marcus / Crista Ermiya / Désirée Reynolds / Jane Claire Bradley / Jenna Isherwood / J. A. Mensah / Kit Fan / Lara Williams / Laura Bui / Matt Wesolowski / Melissa Wan / Naomi Booth / Rebecca Hill / Robert Williams / Sammy Wright / Sara Sherwood / Sharon Telfer / Tawseef Khan / Tricia Cresswell
Eat Pray Love Made Me Do It
- 240 pages
- 9 hours of reading
In the ten years since its electrifying debut, Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat Pray Love has become a worldwide phenomenon, empowering millions of readers to set out on paths they never thought possible. In this candid and captivating collection, nearly fifty of those readers - as diverse in their experiences as they are in age and background - share their stories.Eat Pray Love helped one woman to embrace motherhood, another to come to terms with the loss of her mother, and a third to find peace with not wanting to become a mother at all. One writer finds new love overseas; another embraces his sexual identity. The journeys they recount are transformative -sometimes hilarious, sometimes heartbreaking, but always inspiring. Entertaining and enlightening, Eat Pray Love Made Me Do It is a celebration for fans old and new.
Arden of Faversham
- 352 pages
- 13 hours of reading
Based on the true story of the murder of Thomas Arden by his wife, her lover and accomplices in 1551, Arden of Faversham is one of the earliest domestic tragedies and a play which has continued to thrill audiences since its first staging. This comprehensive edition situates the play in its social, cultural and political context while exploring its performance and critical history through a range of historical and contemporary productions, including William Poel's Lilies That Fester (1897) and the Royal Shakespeare Company's 2014 production. Throughout, the edition aims to reanimate the play's engagement with the material culture of domestic life, using little-known evidence for the objects and spaces implicated in the murder. The introduction also accounts for recent new thinking about the play's likely authorship, including claims that Shakespeare was a key co-author. The comprehensive, illustrated introduction combined with detailed on-page commentary notes and glosses make this an ideal edition for students and teachers.
Live Art in the UK
- 224 pages
- 8 hours of reading
Since entering the performance lexicon in the 1970s, the term Live Art has been used to describe a diverse but interrelated array of performance practices and approaches. This volume offers a contextual and critical introduction to the scene of contemporary Live Art in Britain. Focusing on key artists whose prolific body of work has been vital to the development of contemporary practice, this collection studies the landscape of Live Art in the UK today and illuminates its origins, as well as particular concerns and aesthetics. The introduction to the volume situates Live Art in relation to other areas of artistic practice and explores the form as a British phenomenon. It considers questions of cultural specificity, financial and institutional support, and social engagement, by tracing the work and impact of key organizations on the UK scene: the Live Art Development Agency, SPILL Festival of Performance and Compass Live Art. Across three sections, leading scholars offer case studies exploring the practice of key artists Tim Etchells, Marisa Carnesky, Marcia Farquhar, Franko B, Martin O'Brien, Oreet Ashery, David Hoyle, Jordan McKenzie, and Cosey Fanni Tutti.
Reeds PBO Small Craft Almanac 2022
- 416 pages
- 15 hours of reading
In a practical handy format the Reeds PBO Small Craft Almanac, published in association with Practical Boat Owner, covers the North Atlantic coastline from Denmark to the Gironde. It contains essential navigational information for small craft sailors including tide tables, waypoints, tidal streams, tidal gates and weather information, and represents excellent value for money.
"Surveys religion, science and technology, including historical global context and issues specific to the North American context, such as Native American religion"--
A Cultural History of Disability in the Middle Ages
- 200 pages
- 7 hours of reading
The Middle Ages was an era of dynamic social transformation, and notions of disability in medieval culture reflected how norms and forms of embodiment interacted with gender, class, and race, among other dimensions of human difference. Ideas of disability in courtly romance, saints' lives, chronicles, sagas, secular lyrics, dramas, and pageants demonstrate the nuanced, and sometimes contradictory, relationship between cultural constructions of disability and the lived experience of impairment.An essential resource for researchers, scholars, and students of history, literature, visual art, cultural studies, and education, A Cultural History of Disability in the Middle Ages explores themes and topics such as atypical bodies; mobility impairment; chronic pain and illness; blindness; deafness; speech; learning difficulties; and mental health.
Digital Fashion
- 320 pages
- 12 hours of reading
This collection of topical essays by academics and industry professionals brings a unique lens to the issues broached, questions raised, and solutions offered regarding the history and advancement of digital fashion. While digital fashion's roots can be traced back to the development of the Jacquard loom, its modern-day antecedents are found in video games and Instagram filters - allowing users to apply virtual makeup, accessories, and clothes to their posts. With 12 essays and four specialist interviews, this collection begins with digital fashion's origins, its placement in the history of fashion, and its status as an aesthetic object. Part 2 focuses on the practice of making digital fashion, including NFTs, sneaker culture, cyborg vs skins and education. Part 3 provides a critical overview of digital fashion's potential to impact wider society, including questions of social equity, sustainability and African decoloniality and the future of the industry. Interviewees: Julie Zerbo, founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Fashion Law Idiat Shiole (Hadeeart), Web3 startup founder and 3D designer Jonathan M. Square, writer, historian, and curator of Afro-Diasporic fashion and visual culture Matthew Drinkwater, Head of Innovation Agency, London College of Fashion
A Cultural History of Disability in the Renaissance
- 216 pages
- 8 hours of reading
In Renaissance humanism, difference was understood through a variety of paradigms that rendered particular kinds of bodies and minds disabled. A Cultural History of Disability in the Renaissance, covering the period from 1450 to 1650, explores evidence of the possibilities for disability that existed in the European Renaissance, observable in the literary and medicinal texts, and the family, corporate, and legal records discussed in the chapters of this volume. These chapters provide an interdisciplinary overview of the configurations of bodies, minds and collectives that have left evidence of some of the ways that normativity and its challengers interacted in the Renaissance.An essential resource for researchers, scholars and students of history, literature, culture and education, A Cultural History of Disability in the Renaissance explores such themes and topics as: atypical bodies; mobility impairment; chronic pain and illness; blindness; deafness; speech; learning difficulties; and mental health.
A Cultural History of the Home in the Medieval Age
- 240 pages
- 9 hours of reading
The period covered by this volume, roughly 800-1450, was one of enormous change in the way people lived in their houses. Medieval people could call a grand castle, a humble thatched hut, or anything in between home, but houses were more than physical spaces. They changed according to technological developments, climatic needs, geological limitations and economic resources. They were also moral units that were themselves symbolic, economic, gendered, and social. At the beginning of our period, the movement of people, goods, and ideas, and the need for defense against some of this movement had an impact on how and where people lived. The codification of laws shaped how people understood the physical integrity of their homes, the reception they should give to those who wanted to enter, and their identification with the house itself. As European economies expanded in the twelfth century, householders increasingly had access to items that changed their day-to-day lives within their houses. This volume argues that through a house and its uses, occupants created, sustained, and understood their relationship to each other and their society.
A Cultural History of Comedy in the Modern Age
- 240 pages
- 9 hours of reading
Drawing together contributions by scholars from a variety of fields, including theater, film and television, sociology, and visual culture, this volume explores the range and diversity of comedic performance and comic forms in the modern age. It covers a range of forms and examples from 1920 to the present day, including plays, film, television comedy, live comedy, and comedy on social media. It argues that the period covered was marked by an explosion of comic forms and a flowering of comic creativity across a range of media. From the communal watching of silent films at the start of the period, to the use of Twitter and other online platforms to share and comment on comedy, technology has brought about significant changes in its form, consumption, and social effects. As comic forms have shifted and developed, so too have attitudes to what comedy can and cannot do. This study considers its role in entertainment and in provoking consideration of a range of social and political topics. Each chapter takes a different theme as its focus: form, theory, praxis, identities, the body, politics and power, laughter, and ethics. These eight different approaches to comedy add up to an extensive, synoptic coverage of the subject.
A Cultural History of the Home in the Modern Age
- 264 pages
- 10 hours of reading
A Cultural History of the Home presents an authoritative survey from ancient times to the present. The set of six volumes covers over 2800 years of history, charting the changing nature and uses of domestic space throughout history. This volume, A Cultural History of the Home in the Modern Age, explores the place of and the cultural practices associated with the home from 1920 to the present day. As with all the volumes in the illustrated Cultural History of the Home set, this volume presents essays on the meaning of home, family, the house as a physical space, furniture, work, gender, hospitality and religion. A Cultural History of the Home in the Modern Age is the most authoritative and comprehensive survey available on the home in the modern period.
A Cultural History of Sport in the Age of Enlightenment
- 256 pages
- 9 hours of reading
A Cultural History of Sport in the Age of Enlightenment covers the period 1650 to 1800, a period often seen as a time of decline in sporting practice and literature. In fact, a rich sporting culture existed and sports were practised by both men and women at all levels of society. The Enlightenment called into question many of the earlier notions of religion, gender, and rank which had previously shaped sporting activities and also initiated the commercialization, professionalization and associativity which were to define modern sport. The 6 volume set of the Cultural History of Sport presents the first comprehensive history from classical antiquity to today, covering all forms and aspects of sport and its ever-changing social, cultural, political, and economic context and impact. The themes covered in each volume are the purpose of sport; sporting time and sporting space; products, training and technology; rules and order; conflict and accommodation; inclusion, exclusion and segregation; minds, bodies and identities; representation. Rebekka von Mallinckrodt is Professor at the University of Bremen, Germany. Volume 4 in the Cultural History of Sport set General Editors: Wray Vamplew, Mark Dyreson, and John McClelland
A Cultural History of Objects in the Renaissance
- 296 pages
- 11 hours of reading
A Cultural History of Objects in the Renaissance covers the period 1400 to 1600. The Renaissance was a cultural movement, a time of re-awakening when classical knowledge was rediscovered, leading to an efflorescence in philosophy, art, and literature. The period fostered an emerging sense of individualism across European cultures. This sense was expressed through a fascination with materiality and the natural world, and a growing attachment to things. The 6 volume set of the Cultural History of Objects examines how objects have been created, used, interpreted and set loose in the world over the last 2500 years. Over this time, the West has developed particular attitudes to the material world, at the centre of which is the idea of the object. The themes covered in each volume are objecthood; technology; economic objects; everyday objects; art; architecture; bodily objects; object worlds. James Symonds is Professor at the University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Volume 3 in the Cultural History of Objects set. General Editors: Dan Hicks and William Whyte

