Richard Podaný Books

This book is a definitive work on Japan's history, offering a comprehensive overview from ancient pre-history to the post-Cold War era and the early 1990s economic collapse. It integrates recent findings that illuminate the origins of Japanese civilization and culture, providing an in-depth analysis of religion, arts, and society from the 6th century B.C.E. to the present. The revised edition is essential for Japanese studies, featuring classic illustrations and unique images. It covers key periods such as Archaic Japan, including the Yamato state formation, the Nara and Heian periods; Medieval Japan, highlighting the military houses, Ashikaga rule, and the influence of Buddhism; and Early Modern Japan, focusing on feudalism, Tokugawa administration, and cultural developments. The Modern Japan section discusses the Meiji Era's modernization efforts, the political climate from 1912 to 1937, and the use of force as a solution to crises. This contemporary classic remains vital for anyone interested in Japanese history, culture, or language.

"My wife of more than forty-five years shot herself yesterday afternoon. At least that is what the police assume, and I am playing the part of grieving widower with enthusiasm and success... It was I who killed her." Thus begins the much-hyped first novel by 20-year-old Oxford undergraduate Richard Mason. Your typical murder mystery The Drowning People is not, for we are given the identity of the killer--the who --immediately. The puzzle in this introspective novel is why --why did 70-year-old James Farrell murder his aristocratic wife, Sarah? The answer lies nearly 50 years into the past as the book ranges from Prague to London, from France to a remote castle in Cornwall. At its core is an intoxicating love affair between 22-year-old James, a talented violinist and hopeless romantic, and Ella Harewood, an American heiress to an English title, trapped by her heritage and destiny. A beautifully written exploration of self-absorbed first love and its tragic consequences, The Drowning People soars beyond the highest of expectations placed upon it.

Sul cartello è scritto "Non cogliere questi fiori". Ma per il vento è inutile, perché il vento non sa leggere" recita un'antica poesia giapponese. Solo una forza cieca potrebbe infatti annientare la passione tra un ufficiale inglese e una ragazza giapponese. Il destino però può rivelarsi più spietato degli uomini...

Schatten über den blauen Bergen - bk801; Verlag Buch und Welt; Richard Mason; Paperback; 1950

Julian fristet sein Leben als Lehrer in London und ist sogar in den Augen des eigenen Vaters ein Langeweiler. Adrienne lebt mehr oder weniger glücklich an der Seite ihres zwanzig Jahre älteren Mannes, einem New Yorker Film Mogul. Jake ist ein Concept-Art-Künstler, dem einfach nichts mehr einfallen will und dem sein Galerist im Nacken sitzt. Drei Menschen, die nichts miteinander zu verbinden scheint. Doch die Wahrheit ist eine andere: Der Tod der schönen Studentin Maggie, der dreizehn Jahre zurückliegt, ist das unauflösbare Band zwischen den dreien. Sie ist die unsichtbare Vierte, die durch aller Leben geistert. Als Julian, Adrienne und Jake sich auf einer Ausstellung wieder begegnen, wird die Vergangenheit lebendig ...

Die faszinierende Geschichte eines jungen Aufsteigers und Lustreisenden im glanzvollen Amsterdam der Belle Époque. Amsterdam 1907. Der junge Piet Barol kommt als Hauslehrer in die Familie eines reichen Hoteliers. Gut aussehend, intelligent und überaus charmant, bezirzt er alle im Haus seines Arbeitgebers. Dessen Gattin Jacobina entdeckt darüber hinaus im geheimen Stelldichein bald seine erotischen Talente. Doch trotz allen Luxus‘ und Vergnügens verliert Piet nie sein Ziel aus den Augen: in Amerika sein Glück zu machen. »Richard Mason hat einen amüsanten Glückspilz geschaffen, halb Musketier, halb Felix Krull, einen Mann, der sich aus jeder Falle und gefährlichen Liebschaft herauswindet. « Stern

A truly thrilling murder mystery set partly in Cornwall, in the tradition of Du Maurier's REBECCA: dark, English and very much a classic. At 21, James Farrell has the world at his feet. A gifted violinist, his successful career seems assured. Until a chance encounter with Ella changes everything. Ella, bewitching, irresistible, haunted by the ghosts of her family's past - James cannot help falling in love with her, and she with him. But as the power and dangerous fragility of their relationship overwhelm them, James can only watch helplessly as the most beautiful thing in his life is strangled by deception, betrayal and ultimately murder ...