Najnovšie - Encyklopédie populárno-náučné strana 116 z 148
História 
Príroda 
Vesmír, veda a technika 
Ľudské telo, človek 
Encyklopédie - ostatné
zobraziť:
Halls for All
Rural life in England has changed for the better over the past century, thanks in no small part to the 10,000 village and community halls that provide a home for fitness classes, WIs, amateur dramatics, dances, toddler groups, parish councils, polling stations and many other locally based activities. Managed by volunteers, the buildings represent a combination of historic legacy and modern design worth some L12 billion. Here Louise Beaton and David Clark tell the story of how rural communities garnered the confidence and skill to build and run their own halls, how they raised the money and briefed architects and builders, their wartime service, the century of support and advice from charities now forming the ACRE (Action with Communities in Rural England) network of county Rural Community Councils, and of the challenges halls have faced and overcome – from funding to licensing, VAT to the Covid-19 pandemic, and rising energy costs.Carefully researched and featuring a wealth of fascinating images, this book celebrates village halls across the whole of the United Kingdom and the vital role they play in community life.
American Horizons
American Horizons presents an opportunity to view the nation''s history as more than a mere sequence of events for students to memorize. Although adhering to a familiar chronological organization, its narrative style and structure provide the flexibility of shifting emphasis from time to time to the global aspects of American history. Although the story of the United States is always at the center, that story is told through the movement of people, goods, and ideas into, within, or out of the United States. This unique approach provides a fully integrated global perspective that seamlessly contextualizes American events within the wider world.
Isle of Wight's Military Heritage
The Isle of Wight has been a popular holiday destination since the Victorian times, with the island known for its mild climate, beautiful scenery and historic connections. It also sits right at the entrance to the important Southampton and Portsmouth docks and because of this, there are a number of impressive castles and fortifications located on the island, including Carisbrooke Castle. Throughout history, the importance of the Isle of Wight has been recognised by invaders, and the island was attacked by the Vikings, the Normans, the French and most recently the Germans during the Second World War. Cowes was the home of Saunders-Roe, the military aircraft and vehicle manufacturer and in the Cold War, the Needles Battery was the testing site for Britain’s Blue Streak nuclear deterrent missile.This book will be of interest to all those who would like to know more about the Isle of Wight’s remarkable military history.
The Airborne Mafia
The Airborne Mafia explores how a small group of World War II airborne officers took control of the US Army after World War II. This powerful cadre cemented a unique airborne culture that had an unprecedented impact on the Cold War US Army and beyond. Robert F. Williams reveals the trials and tribulations this group of officers faced in order to bring about their vision. He spotlights the relationship between organizational culture, operational behavior, and institutional change in the United States Army during the Cold War, showing that as airborne officers ascended to the highest ranks of the army they transmitted their culture throughout their service in four major ways—civil-military relations, preparation for potential atomic combat, helicopter airmobility, and strategic response forces. Experiences of training and commanding airborne divisions in World War II led these men to hold sway in army doctrine by the mid-1950s. Dominating institutional thought and imparting their values, beliefs, and norms throughout the service they enjoyed a special privilege within the group culture. Williams demonstrates this impact, privilege, and power by focusing on the paratrooper triumvirate of Matthew Ridgway, Maxwell Taylor, and James Gavin and the lasting impression they made on how the US Army fought. The Airborne Mafia illuminates the power subcultures can have in changing their parent cultures over time, particularly one as set in its ways and as large as the US Army. With a deft touch, deep research, and an unwavering eye for the human stories behind organizational change, Williams helps explain the existence and importance of the paratrooper mystique that remains within the military still today.
We Have a Library in Mind
The Imperial War Museum archived Anthony Smelt’s personal papers because he spent three years of the Second World War interned in Batu Lintang, a camp in Borneo. He had been working as a civil servant in British North Borneo until the Japanese invaded at the beginning of 1942. In those years of captivity, he was an active member of the camp, documenting the diet of his fellow internees and contributing to various aspects of their lives. He was later awarded an OBE for his services during internment, when POWs and civilian internees alike endured food shortages, disease, forced labour, brutal treatment, and lack of adequate clothing and living quarters. Of the approximately 2,000 British POWs held at Batu Lintang, over two-thirds died during or as a result of their captivity.An additional cruelty was enforced boredom. With so many types of recreation forbidden, however, a dozen of the men – all identified by the author from an encoded list in her grandfather Anthony’s papers – decided to invent a magical library.Offering short biographies of the main protagonists, descriptions of their experiences in camp and a concise examination of the ‘library’ itself, Lucy Alexander has revealed an astonishing exercise in mental survival under the most appalling circumstances.
The Battle of Lens 1648
The Battle of Lens marked the climax of a decade of war between France and Spain; the two contenders were exhausted, having fought in Spain, France, Flanders, Italy and Germany. The conflict would be settled in a pitched battle near the city of Lens, Flanders, in the summer of 1648.The Spanish had neutralised the Dutch for the campaign of 1648, so they prepared to launch a major offensive against the French, who had occupied important cities in Flanders for years. Thus, the new governor, Archduke Leopold William, brother of Emperor Ferdinand III of Habsburg, took charge of an army of almost 20,000 troops.The French were commanded by the Prince of Condé, who knew how to instil a spirit of resistance in his troops.The two armies carried out marches and countermarches to outwit their opponent and seize cities: Condé conquered Ypres, but the Archduke took Lens. Condé tried to rescue the city, but arrived too late. However, the campaign was not lost for France; the brilliant Condé decided to deploy his army on the plain to decide the campaign, its own prestige, and the fate of the war.
Texas
An exploration of the multifaceted characters and complex events that have defined the Lone Star State from its inception through today When Americans turn on their laptops, play video games, go to church, vote, eat TexMex, shop for groceries, listen to music, grill steaks, or watch football, they are, knowingly or not, paying tribute to Texas. Tracing the profound and surprising story of the Lone Star State, Benjamin Heber Johnson shines new light on why Texas has had such a powerful influence on U.S. history. Texas is known to outsiders for mob violence, swaggering self-conception, and conservative politics, but Johnson reveals that the state has also been on the forefront of taming frontier violence, establishing LGBTQ rights, and developing modern businesses such as organic food and personal computing. Neither looking away from the dark chapters of Texas history nor letting them overshadow the achievements of democracy and pluralism that are some of the state’s greatest legacies, Johnson offers a balanced and inclusive history of an often contentious and stereotyped region, covering such topics as the persistence of Native Americans, the frontier story of the Alamo, agrarian populism, racial segregation, the state’s porous border with Mexico, and the way historical memory continues to shape the state’s identity. The reality of Texas, Johnson shows us, is even bigger than we think it is.
The Abduction of Betty and Barney Hill
A gripping account of an alien abduction and its connections to the breakdown of American society in the 1960s “Excellent and exhaustive.”—Colin Dickey, Slate In the mid-1960s, Betty and Barney Hill became famous as the first Americans to claim that aliens had taken them aboard a spacecraft against their will. Their story—involving a lonely highway late at night, lost memories, and medical examinations by small gray creatures with large eyes—has become the template for nearly every encounter with aliens in American popular culture since. Historian Matthew Bowman examines the Hills’ story not only as a foundational piece of UFO folklore but also as a microcosm of 1960s America. The Hills, an interracial couple who lived in New Hampshire, were civil rights activists, supporters of liberal politics, and Unitarians. But when their story of abduction was repeatedly ignored or discounted by authorities, they lost faith in the scientific establishment, the American government, and the success of the civil rights movement. Bowman tells the fascinating story of the Hills as an account of the shifting winds in American politics and culture in the second half of the twentieth century. He exposes the promise and fallout of the idealistic reforms of the 1960s and how the myth of political consensus has given way to the cynicism and conspiratorialism and the paranoia and illusion of American life today.
The Rise and Fall of the Second American Republic
We are told that the present moment bears a strong resemblance to Reconstruction, when freed-people and the federal government attempted to create an interracial democracy in the south after the American Civil War. That effort was overthrown and serves as a warning today about violent backlash to the mere idea of black equality. In The Rise and Fall of the Second American Republic, acclaimed historian Manisha Sinha expands our view beyond the usual temporal and spatial bounds of Reconstruction (1865–1877) to explain how the American Civil War, the overthrow of Reconstruction, the conquest of the west, labour conflict in the north, Chinese exclusion, women’s suffrage and the establishment of an overseas American empire were part of the same struggle between the forces of democracy and those of reaction. Highlighting the critical role of black people in redefining American citizenship and governance, Sinha’s book shows that Reconstruction laid the foundation of our democracy.
Reconstructing Past Monastic Life: Volume 2: Diet, Landscape and Monastic Space
Monasticism is a form of religious life in which participants renounce worldly activities to dedicate themselves primarily to spiritual matters, living in small communities subject to a set of rules and isolated from the secular world. Christian monasticism, which originated at the end of the 3rd century in Egypt and North Africa, spread to different parts of Europe in the 6th century. However, it was not until the Middle Ages that monastic communities became one of the most powerful institutions in Europe. Monasteries and convents played a very important role not only as centers of spirituality but also as focal points of economic, technological and cultural activity. This multiplicity of activities carried out alongside their religious, social and political roles make monasteries spaces that can be studied from very different perspectives and that unfailingly provide essential information about our history.This second of two titles originates from an international conference that took place in Barcelona in January 2024, which sought to examine different aspects related to monastic life in the past and to promote and disseminate the results obtained in the latest studies undertaken within the framework of monastic complexes and their environments. These include contributions and multidisciplinary studies from archaeological, bioanthropological and/or documentary perspectives. Specialists from different disciplines present developments on the topic of monasticism from different fields of study, such as zooarchaeology, bioanthropology, palaeopathology, archaeology, history, documentary disciplines, archives, cultural heritage, etc.Volume 2 focuses on diet, food practices, water management, and the organization and use of space within monastic complexes and landscapes.
On Wars
A history of wars through the ages and across the world, and the irrational calculations that so often lie behind them Benjamin Franklin once said, “There never was a good war or a bad peace.” But what determines whether war or peace is chosen? Award-winning sociologist Michael Mann concludes that it is a handful of political leaders—people with emotions and ideologies, and constrained by inherited culture and institutions—who undertake such decisions, usually irrationally choosing war and seldom achieving their desired results. Mann examines the history of war through the ages and across the globe—from ancient Rome to Ukraine, from imperial China to the Middle East, from Japan and Europe to Latin and North America. He explores the reasons groups go to war, the different forms of wars, how warfare has changed and how it has stayed the same, and the surprising ways in which seemingly powerful countries lose wars. In masterfully combining ideological, economic, political, and military analysis, Mann offers new insight into the many consequences of choosing war.
dostupné aj ako:
We, the Decolonized
We, the Decolonized is a passionate reflection on the pitfalls of the decolonial venture in postcolonial countries, with particular reference to North Africa. Hélé Béji shows that in many formerly colonized countries, the reality of independence took the form of elusive freedom, widespread disillusionment and the insidious survival of forms of domination bequeathed by former colonial powers. Béji delivers an trenchant critique of decolonization: the saddest of all liberties, because it has not kept its promises. Those who had vanquished colonialism, vindicated civilization and struggled free from the yoke of illegitimate government found themselves ensnared in a new trap, having achieved emancipation without liberation. They remained entangled in a compulsive recycling of colonial impulses. To re-embark on the route to a truly free society, intellectuals and political figures must lead by example in acknowledging the reality of the past, adopting tolerant attitudes towards religions and embracing a new and secular democratic mentality. Béji’s important contribution to the decolonial canon will be of great interest to anyone concerned with the politics of decolonization in Africa and the Maghreb and in the Global South more broadly.
The Rising Down
‘Remarkable.’ THE TIMES''Wonderful.’ GUARDIAN''Fascinating.'' DAILY TELEGRAPH''A landscape-keyhole onto the whole world . . . Glorious.'' Robert Macfarlane''A thrill akin to discovering buried treasure.'' RICHARD MABEYWhen Alexandra Harris returned to her childhood home of West Sussex, she realised that she barely knew the place at all. As she probed beneath the surface, excavating layers of archival records and everyday objects, hundreds of unexpected stories and hypnotic voices emerged from the area’s past. These electrifying encounters – ranging from those with the painter John Constable and the modernist writer Ford Madox Ford to the lost local women who left little trace – inspired her to imagine lives that, though seemingly distant, are deeply connected through this shared landscape. By focusing on one small patch of England, Harris opens vast new horizons.
Victory to Defeat
‘A compelling history.’ – The Sunday Times‘Thought-provoking.’ – The Spectator‘Interesting and well-researched.’ – The Sunday TelegraphA fascinating account of the decline of an army from the triumph of victory in 1918 to defeat in 1940 and why this happened. A salutary warning for modern Britain.The British Army won a convincing series of victories between 1916 and 1918. But by 1939 the British Army was an entirely different animal. The hard-won knowledge, experience and strategic vision that delivered victory after victory in the closing stages of the First World War had been lost. In the inter-war years there was plenty of talking, but very little focus on who Britain might have to fight, and how. Victory to Defeat clearly illustrates how the British Army wasn’t prepared to fight a first-class European Army in 1939 for the simple reason that as a country Britain hadn’t prepared itself to do so. The failure of the army’s leadership led directly to its abysmal performance in Norway and France in 1940. Victory to Defeat is a captivating history of the mismanagement of a war-winning army. It is also a stark warning that we neglect to understand who our enemy might be, and how to defeat him, at the peril of our country. The British Army is now to be cut to its smallest size since 1714. Are we, this book asks, repeating the same mistakes again?
Lost Voices of the Falklands War
‘Remarkable and unique’ Daily Express‘I never dreamed we’d go to war with Argentina.’ Rear-Admiral John WoodwardOn 2 April 1982, Argentina invaded and occupied the Falkland Islands. Britain was quick to mobilise a task force to recover its territory, but the ensuing conflict, lasting over two months, would cost the British military 255 lives, seven ships and many aircraft.From the initial Argentine landing on South Georgia, to dynamic combat on land, sea and air, Britain faced extreme adversity. However, despite the harsh realities of battle, the British task force maintained morale through humour, camaraderie and the close bonds they formed in the crucible of war.Lost Voices of the Falklands War is the definitive oral history of the conflict, compiled by historian Max Arthur. Through a series of interviews, Arthur delivers a raw, unfiltered account of the violence and the emotional toll it took on the soldiers, sailors and airmen that fought.This is the true story of the heroes of the Falklands war, in their own words.‘Nowhere will you read a record of more concentrated courage, and of the will to win’ Manchester Evening News
A History of the World in Six Plagues
'If everyone read Edna Bonhomme's incredible, humane, insightful book-and I hope they do-we might stand a chance' Ed Yong, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of An Immense World'Fascinating and thought-provoking' Jonathan Kennedy, author of Pathogenesis: How Germs Made History'Tender as it tackles some of the most stigmatized subjects of our time' Morgan Jenkins, author of Wandering in Strange LandsA History of the World in Six Plagues unveils a powerful and unsettling truth: epidemic diseases enter the world by chance, but they become catastrophic by human design. In this groundbreaking work, Bonhomme explores how six pivotal diseases - Cholera, HIV/AIDS, the Spanish Flu, Sleeping Sickness, Ebola and COVID-19 - have shaped the trajectory of human history. With vivid storytelling and rigorous research, she reveals how pandemics have consistently widened the gaps in racial, economic and sociopolitical divides, from the slave ships of the Atlantic to today's fractured healthcare systems. How did a colonial obsession with sugar amplify the devastation of Cholera? Why did sleeping sickness become a weapon of empire in Tanzania? And how has COVID-19 magnified inequities in our modern, interconnected worl? onhomme's incisive analysis transforms our understanding of public health, not as a neutral force but as a stage where power, policy and prejudice collide. Urgent and illuminating, A History of the World in Six Plagues is not just a history of disease - it is a call to reimagine a more equitable future in the face of ongoing global health challenges. 'This book tells the accounts of people who deserved better. It is also a story of redemption, and of the little child in all of us, curled up alone in a huge bed, without her parents, who wants to be healthy and free.'
B-29 Superfortress vs Japanese Nightfighter
An illustrated study of the clashes between B-29s conducting night raids on Japan and the Japanese nightfighters protecting the Home Islands from 1944–45.The USAAF’s B-29-led strategic bombing offensive against Japan succeeded when XX Bomber Command switched from high-level daytime precision bombing to low-level night time area bombing. The latter tactic required Superfortresses to attack their target individually, without a formation or escorting fighters for protection. Despite this, Japanese nightfighters proved unable to stop the B-29s. In this study, Mark Lardas examines the capabilities of the aircraft involved, and reveals the conditions under which both sides fought. He evaluates the cutting-edge technology of both sides and how it affected the outcome of the battle. Maps, tactical diagrams, photographs and specially commissioned artwork bring the action to life as the individual US bombers and Japanese nightfighters fight a classic military duel.
Dark Waters, Starry Skies
Esteemed Pacific War historian Jeffrey Cox has produced a fast-paced and absorbing read of the crucial New Georgia phase of the Guadalcanal-Solomons Campaign during the Pacific War. Thousands of miles from friendly ports, the US Navy had finally managed to complete the capture of Guadalcanal from the Japanese in early 1943. Now the Allies sought to keep the offensive momentum won at such a high cost. Determined not to repeat their mistakes at Guadalcanal, the Allies nonetheless faltered in their continuing efforts to roll back the Japanese land, air and naval forces. Dark Waters, Starry Skies is an engrossing history which weaves together strategy and tactics with a blow-by-blow account of every battle at a vital point in the Pacific War that has not been analyzed in this level of detail before. Using first-hand accounts from both sides, this book vividly recreates all the terror and drama of the nighttime naval battles during this phase of the Solomons campaign and the ferocious firestorm many Marines faced as they disembarked from their landing craft. The reader is transported to the bridge to stand alongside Admiral Walden Ainsworth as he sails to stop another Japanese reinforcement convoy for New Georgia, and vividly feels the fear of an 18-year-old Marine as he fights for survival against a weakened but still determined enemy.
Rot
''A vigorous and engaging new study of the Irish famine . . . Richly underpinned by research in contemporary sources and firmly rooted in historical scholarship.'' Fintan O''Toole''A vivid, polemical narrative that does justice to victims and explains the ideologies that worsened the disaster.'' Irish Independent''Scanlan''s history of the ''''Great Hunger'' and its repercussions is meticulous, measured and damning.'' Financial Times''Mr. Scanlan''s haunting and terrible book is undoubtedly a history title of the year.'' Wall Street JournalIn the 1800s, as Britain became the world''s most powerful industrial empire, Ireland starved. The Great Famine fractured long-held assumptions about political economy and ''civilisation'', threatening disorder in Britain. Ireland was a laboratory for empire, shaping British ideas about colonisation, population, ecology and work.In Rot, Padraic Scanlan reinterprets the history of this time and the result is a revelatory account of Ireland''s Great Famine. In the first half of the nineteenth century, nowhere in Europe - or the world - did the working poor depend as completely on potatoes as in Ireland. To many British observers, potatoes were evidence of a lack of modernity among the Irish. However, Ireland before the famine more closely resembled capitalism''s future than its past. While poverty before and during the Great Famine was often blamed on Irish backwardness, it did in fact stem from the British Empire''s embrace of modern capitalism. Uncovering the disaster''s roots in Britain''s deep imperial faith in markets and capitalism, Rot reshapes our understanding of the Famine and its tragic legacy.
V kategórii populárno - náučné encyklopédie nájdete široký výber kníh, ktoré vám poskytnú poznatky z rôznych oblastí zaujímavým a zrozumiteľným spôsobom. Encyklopédie vám pomôžu získať komplexný prehľad o rôznych témach, ako ľudské telo a človek, príroda, vesmír, veda a technika a história.
Naša ponuka encyklopédií populárno-náučného charakteru vám umožní objaviť fascinujúci svet poznania a rozšíriť svoje vedomosti o rôznych témach.
