Najnovšie - Encyklopédie populárno-náučné strana 121 z 183
História 
Príroda 
Vesmír, veda a technika 
Ľudské telo, človek 
Encyklopédie - ostatné
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The Lost Orchid
A New Yorker Best Book of the YearAn Economist Best Book of the YearThe forgotten story of a decades-long international quest for a rare and coveted orchid, chronicling the botanists, plant hunters, and collectors who relentlessly pursued it at great human and environmental cost. In 1818, a curious root arrived in a small English village, tucked—seemingly by accident—in a packing case mailed from Brazil. The amateur botanist who cultivated it soon realized that he had something remarkable on his hands: an exceptionally rare orchid never before seen on British shores. It arrived just as “orchid mania” was sweeping across Europe and North America, driving a vast plant trade that catered to wealthy private patrons as well as the fast-growing middle classes eager to display exotic flowers at home. Dubbed Cattleya labiata, the striking purple-and-crimson bloom quickly became one of the most coveted flowers on both continents. As tales of the flower’s beauty spread through scientific journals and the popular press, orchid dealers and enthusiasts initiated a massive search to recover it in its natural habitat. Sarah Bilston illuminates the story of this international quest, introducing the collectors and nurserymen who funded expeditions, the working-class plant hunters who set out to find the flower, the South American laborers and specialists with whom they contracted, the botanists who used the latest science to study orchids in all their varieties, and the writers and artists who established the near-mythic status of the “lost orchid.” The dark side of this global frenzy was the social and environmental harm it wrought, damaging fragile ecologies on which both humans and plants depended. Following the human ambitions and dramas that drove an international obsession, The Lost Orchid is a story of consumer desire, scientific curiosity, and the devastating power of colonial overreach.
Strange and Surprising Ireland
This captivating book takes you on a journey through the heart of Irish culture, unravelling quirky traditions, little-known myths, and fascinating stories that have shaped the unique spirit of Ireland. From fairies and mythical beasts to curious customs and age-old legends, you''ll explore the hidden gems of Irish history that often go unnoticed. Whether you''re a lover of folklore, a history buff, or simply curious about the world''s most enchanting island, Strange and Surprising Ireland offers bite-sized titbits, trivia, and stories sure to fascinate and enchant. Let this book be your guide to the unique and delightful world of Ireland, where every story has a twist and every tradition hides a secret. Perfect for the curious traveller, the avid reader, the trivia lover, or anyone in search of the unexpected.
Land Is All That Matters
In eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Europe everyone lived ‘off the land’ in one way or another. In Ireland, however, almost everyone lived ‘on the land’ as well. Agriculture was the only economic resource for the vast majority of the population outside the north-east of the country. Land was vital. But most of it was owned by a class of Protestant, English and often aristocratic landlords. The dream of having more control over their farms, even of owning them, drove many of the most explosive conflicts in Irish history. Rebellions against British rule were rare, but savage outbreaks of murder related to resentments over land ownership, and draconian state repression, were a regular feature of Irish rural life. The struggle for the land was also crucial in driving support for Irish nationalist demands for Home Rule and independence.In this epic narrative, Myles Dungan examines two hundred years of agrarian conflict from the ruinous famine of 1741 to the eve of World War Two. It explores the pivotal moments that shaped Irish history: the rise of ''moonlighting'', the infamous Whiteboys and Rightboys, the insurrection of Captain Rock, the Tithe War of 1831–36, the Great Famine of 1845 that devastated the country and drastically reduced the Irish population, and the Land War of 1878–1909, which ended by transferring almost all the landlords'' holdings to their tenants. These events take place against the backdrop of prevailing British rule and stark class and wealth inequality.Land Is All that Matters tells the sweeping story of the agrarian revolution that fundamentally shaped modern Ireland.
The Liberation Line
''Highly original'' Simon Heffer, Telegraph''Masterful... A gripping tale'' Giles MiltonThey certainly were not soldiers, yet they suddenly found themselves in uniform, in a foreign land. But, as locomotive drivers, track-workers, conductors, porters, signalmen and engine cleaners, they knew how to run trains. And their job was to bring them back to life.The Liberation Line tells the thrilling story of the British and American railway engineers who, in the months after D-Day, worked around the clock and in great danger to rebuild the ravaged railways of Europe and keep the Allied forces fuelled as they pushed on into Germany. As territory was taken, these soldier-railroaders were close behind, rebuilding the lines, putting up telegraph wires, replacing bridges and laying track, all the while dodging bullets, shells and booby traps.Tales of extraordinary feats and heroism abound, including how 10,000 men rebuilt a 135-mile-long railway in just three days; the reconstruction of the bridge over the Seine in two weeks while under bombardment; and the use of cigarette lighters as improvised signalling systems. Despite being critical to Allied victory, the role of the railwaymen has been largely forgotten or ignored. In a vivid and gripping narrative, Christian Wolmar brings to life this colourful cast of generals and engineers, without whose extraordinary bravery the liberation of France and invasion of Germany might well have foundered - and the course of history changed.
Exterminating ISIS
“In 2016, I was responsible for the deaths of over 600 people. But they deserved to die—all of them. They were the bad guys, the evil of our time. History will not grant the Islamic State a redemption arc…. I don’t lose sleep over what we did. However, I still struggle with how easy it was. Technology turned warfare into a game, and we treated it as such.”Brennan Deveraux deployed to Iraq from January 2016 to August 2016, serving in the Strike Cell as the theater-level rocket artillery liaison for Operation Inherent Resolve, firing over 500 rockets and killing over 600 enemy fighters. His account relates a personal journey, addressing how US soldiers dealt with slaughtering a technologically inferior foe. This includes detailed and honest accounts of numerous artillery missions. He is open about having had a desire to rack up statistics and is candid about some choices he is not proud of. He shares the dark humor of war that he and his fellow soldiers sought refuge in when dealing with death, helping them escape their actions. Even so, at times they realized that they had lost their humanity, and the reality of warfare once again set in. When Brennan returned home, he was forced to face what he had done overseas in a life-changing moment with his family, experiencing an anxiety attack he could not explain.Brennan’s story is important because it paints a very different picture of what it means to be a soldier in a 21st-century military, exposing the impact of “remote” warfare on service members. It is a reflection on war and a soldier’s role in it, emphasizing the importance of empathy—even for the bad guys—and an appreciation for the families impacted by the inherent violence.
Patrimonio antes del patrimonio
Patrimonio antes del patrimonio presents a critical reflection on the concept of cultural heritage and its association with archaeological practice in Mexico during the nineteenth century. The study asks what were the historical circumstances that facilitated the development of a set of uniquely conceived relationships between emerging comprehensions of Mexican antiquity and a nascent scientific discipline in these contexts? To address this query, three key processes are considered: the foundation and institutionalization of the incipient Mexican nation-state; the formation of new visual and semantic conceptions surrounding the material objects of the past; and the development of academic fields for their study.‘Patrimonialist thought’ is proposed as a category for the analysis. This elucidates two fundamental transformations, derived from Enlightenment-era thinking, surrounding the conception of the antiquities and monuments of the past: first, the generation and consolidation of novel linguistic frameworks, values, and methods to mediate the study of such objects; and second, the constitution of bases that legitimized the physical and ideological appropriation of the national – and pre-Hispanic – past by diverse social actors and groups. This perspective permits a deeper appreciation of the historical contexts that allowed individuals and institutions to produce and reproduce both conceptual categories and knowledge linked to Mexican history, both in the burgeoning nation and in other centres of power and influence.This book critically confronts the “natural” discourses – focused on the monumentalization of characters, names, things, and places – that make up the ‘official history’ of the relationship between Mexican archaeological practice and cultural heritage.
Our Island Stories
''An essential and fascinating book ... enriches and deepens our understanding of this nation'' Bernardine Evaristo''A powerful book that brings the history of the Empire home – literally'' David OlusogaThe countryside is cherished by many Britons. There is a depth of feeling about rural places, the moors and lochs, valleys and mountains, cottages and country houses. Yet the British countryside, so integral to our national identity, is rarely seen as having anything to do with British colonialism. Where the countryside is celebrated, histories of empire are forgotten. In Our Island Stories, historian Corinne Fowler brings rural life and colonial rule together with transformative results. Through ten country walks, roaming the island with varied companions, Fowler combines local and global history, connecting the Cotswolds to Calcutta, Dolgellau to Virginia, and Grasmere to Canton.Empire transformed rural lives for better and for worse: whether in Welsh sheep farms or Cornish copper mines, it offered both opportunity and exploitation. Fowler shows how the booming profits of overseas colonial activities, and the select few who benefited, directly contributed to enclosure, land clearances and dispossession. These histories, usually considered separately, continue to shape lives across Britain today.To give an honest account, to offer both affection and criticism, is a matter of respect: we should not knowingly tell half a history. This new knowledge of our island stories, once gained, can only deepen Britons'' relationship with their beloved landscape.
Chernobyl Roulette
'A necessary book – and I can think of no writer better qualified to write it' Cal Flyn What if Chernobyl was just the beginnin? he acclaimed winner of the Baillie Gifford Prize returns to Chernobyl to tell the gripping story of thirty-five days of warOn 24 February 2022, the first day of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, armoured vehicles approached the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in northern Ukraine. It was the most direct way for them to reach the capital - and an extraordinarily reckless plan after the disaster that had taken place there three decades earlier. Russian occupation of the plant had begun. It would last thirty-five days. Closely reported and narrated from multiple perspectives, this is the story of the Ukrainians who were held hostage and worked shifts for weeks instead of days to spare the world a new nuclear accident. We meet Valentyn Heiko, the foreman who had also been there for the clean-up of the Chernobyl accident in 1986 and turned sixty during the occupation; plant workers who found a way to celebrate International Women’s Day despite all odds; Russian officers who had no knowledge of nuclear reactors; and four stalkers who were caught in the middle and stood in for the overworked cook. Gripping and unforgettable, Chernobyl Roulette sounds the alarm about the dangers of nuclear sites in an unprecedented time, when plant workers are left to fight on their own while the world holds its breath. In a book that reads like a thriller, Serhii Plokhy tells a remarkable story about human nature, uncertainty and courage.
My First 18 Years - Born in 1985
From rave music to the Discman, from shell suits and Blockbuster Video to the Gameboy and mobile phones, this book will have you exclaiming ‘Oh I remember that!’ every time you turn the page!You’ll rekindle literally hundreds of happy, sad and often hilarious memories – whether of favourite cuddly toys, fly-by-night fads or fashionable brands, trendy haircuts garish styles you’ll be amazed that you ever wore. They’re all here, alongside coverage of those eye-popping news stories and seismic world events that helped shape the world you grew up in – and memories, too, of the much-loved stars of sport, stage, music, film and TV who lit up our lives from 1984 to 2001.And to really bring back the memories of your first 18 years, scan our Spotify QR code to hear the Top 10 from each of these years and live that awkward school dance, brilliant birthday party or summer romance all over again.?Start browsing and relive your youth!
Cannabis
Cannabis: A Global History explores the abundant history, pharmacology and cultural significance of a controversial plant. From its origins as a food source in Southeast Asia, the book describes culinary cultures that have evolved around it over centuries, its spread across the Atlantic and its modern renaissance in cuisine. This book also investigates its mood-altering forms of consumption, from smoking to infused edibles and drinks. Richly illustrated, this timely volume offers a nuanced perspective on cannabis use throughout history.
The Museum of Mankind
The Museum of Mankind was an innovative and popular showcase for minority cultures from around the non-Western world from 1970 to 1997. This memoir is a critical appreciation of its achievements in the various roles of a national museum, of the personalities of its staff and of the issues raised in the representation of exotic cultures. Issues of changing museum theory and practice are raised in a detailed case-study that also focuses on the social life of the museum community. This is the first history of a remarkable museum and a memorable interlude in the long history of one of the world’s oldest and greatest museums. Although not presented as an academic study, it should be useful for museum and cultural studies as a well as a wider readership interested in the British Museum.
The Fall of the House of Montagu
The House of Drogo Montagu is the family name of the Dukes and Earls of Manchester who served the British monarchy for five centuries. But by 1927, when Alexander, the eldest son of the 9th Duke, married an enterprising young Australian woman named Nell Stead, the family was on its knees financially.Faced with war and a legacy of excess and indulgence, ''Mandy'' and Nell tried to rescue the family''s fortunes and revive a dying estate that included Kimbolton Castle, the home of Catherine of Aragon in her final years. This compulsive account of extravagance and eccentricity shows how one house crumbled through four generations.
A History Shared and Divided
By and large, the histories of East and West Germany have been studied in relative isolation. And yet, for all their differences, the historical trajectories of both nations were interrelated in complex ways, shaped by economic crises, social and cultural changes, protest movements, and other phenomena so diffuse that they could hardly be contained by the Iron Curtain. Accordingly, A History Shared and Divided offers a collective portrait of the two Germanies that is both broad and deep. It brings together comprehensive thematic surveys by specialists in social history, media, education, the environment, and similar topics to assemble a monumental account of both nations from the crises of the 1970s to—and beyond—the reunification era.
Iron and the Iron Age
Iron and the Iron Age presents a comprehensive account of the adoption of ironworking in Europe and Western Asia. The study is mainly based on archaeological evidence, but the early introduction of iron in the Near East also takes account of the written sources. After the fundamental innovation of iron production by smelting iron ores, iron use spread at an ever-increasing rate between the 12th and 9th centuries BC – eventually reaching a vast area between the Atlantic coast in the west and the North China Plain in the east.The book mainly concentrates on the adoption of iron in the Near East and southern Europe, but also includes discussions of early ironworking in Central Europe, the North Pontic steppe and the regions north and south of the Caucasus. The changing conceptualization of bronze and iron is another theme which receives detailed attention.In the final part of the book, the study turns to the concept of an ‘Iron Age’, and the fundamental culture-historical disjunctions and transformations which can be observed in many regions at the time of the introduction of iron.
On Guard
This new book deals with a subject that will be close to the hearts of many aviation enthusiasts in that it is commemorating the gate guardians that for decades were a feature at the entrance to many RAF, Fleet Air Arm and Army bases. Who knows how many were inspired to take an interest in military aviation, to join the Air Cadets or even pursue a career in aviation by these potent symbols of Britain''s military aviation heritag? ack in the 1970s and 1980s it was rare for a military aviation base in the UK not to be graced by a gate guardian and these airframes have always fascinated enthusiasts. Prominently located and usually kept in good condition, these retired aircraft allowed passers-by to see up close examples of historic and significant aircraft types, such as the Hurricanes and Spitfires which won the Battle of Britain. As time moved on, other retired aircraft took their places on these plinths, early military jets and helicopters among them.The book traces gate guardians on a location-by-location basis. It presents full histories of significant examples and details all aircraft that have been displayed at military establishments across Great Britain and its Crown Territories. As well as the fascinating aircraft, the book provides background on many long-forgotten military bases.Another feature of the books is the ''harvesting'' of Spitfire and Hurricanes as ''extras'' in the epic film Battle of Britain; the scheme that replaced original aircraft used as gate guardians with full-scale replicas, allowing the return of precious original airframes back to the skies. In addition, for the first time the histories and fates of the hundreds of aircraft used for instruction and display by Air Cadet squadrons since the early days of World War Two are detailed.On Guard is a wonderfully nostalgic journey back in time, copiously illustrated throughout and including colour images taken over a period of six decades.
Hermenegildvs Rex: Prince, Usurper, and Martyr
The rebellion of Hermenegild and his conversion form one of the most controversial and darkest episodes in the history of Spain. Even at the time, this event was the subject of widely differing interpretations which influenced subsequent versions. Today, there is still no consensus among researchers on the real reasons for the crisis that finally led to civil war between Leovigild and his son. However, from the outset, the issue was polarised between those who saw it as a simple usurpation motivated by ambition for the crown and those who considered the rebellion as a legitimate defence of the true faith. Beyond the controversy, the crisis caused by the prince’s royal anointing was a decisive episode in the historical development of the kingdom of Toledo, preparing the ground for the conversion of Reccared to Catholicism and accelerating the unification of Arians and Catholics, Goths and Romans. This study aims to provide a coherent response to the main questions raised by this important historical episode (the nature of the rebellion, the true motivations and reactions, personal responsibilities, political and religious consequences, etc.), as well as highlighting the importance of Hermenegild’s conversion in relation to the subsequent sacralisation of the Visigothic royal institution.
South Pacific Air War Volume 6
Volume Six of this series chronicles aerial warfare in the New Guinea theatre in the critical period of January to March 1943. It can be read alone or as a continuation of the previous five volumes which span the first thirteen months of the Pacific War.January 1943 saw a successful Japanese supply and reinforcement convoy arrive at Lae from Rabaul, in the face of fierce opposition from Allied air power. The fresh troops soon threatened to overrun the Australian mountain stronghold of Wau, before a massive airlift by Fifth Air Force C47s delivered reinforcements just in time.Meanwhile the air war over New Guinea was increasingly fought by newly arrived JAAF units who shared the air war burden alongside their veteran IJN counterparts. Against this background many of the Fifth Air Force bomber squadrons moved up from Australia to Port Moresby. This greatly increased the combat efficiency of these units, enabling, among other things, sustained daily pressure on the Japanese bastion of Rabaul.Then in March 1943 the Japanese sent a second convoy from Rabaul to Lae which resulted in the Battle of the Bismarck Sea, one of the landmark combats of the entire Pacific War. Using refined attack and bombing tactics, Fifth Air Force and RAAF squadrons conducted an allout shipdestroying effort which made world headlines.Never before has this campaign been chronicled in such detail, with Allied and Japanese accounts matched for a factual and thoroughly detailed account of the conflict.
The Library of Congress
The first comprehensive history of the Library of CongressThe Library of Congress is the research arm of Congress, home of the US Copyright Office, and a public forum for artistic and literary culture. It is generally considered the national library of the United States, and it has influenced cultural affairs worldwide in myriad ways since its founding more than two centuries ago. In The Library of Congress, Jane Aikin draws on a wealth of primary and secondary sources to weave a narrative of the individuals, events, and controversies that have shaped the history of this venerable institution. Punctuated by stories about key donors and pivotal performances by poets, authors, and celebrities, this engaging and informative narrative sheds new light on the world's largest library and its global impact on knowledge and culture.
Wings of Argentina
The Argentinian Aircraft Factory, Fábrica Argentina de Aviones SA (FAdeA), is Argentina''s main aircraft manufacturer. Founded in 1927 and located in Córdoba for most of its existence it was known as Fábrica Militar de Aviones (FMA) until its privatisation in the 1990s when it became part of Lockheed Martin. In 2009, it was renationalised and the company is now once again wholly owned by the Argentine government.Initially, the factory produced aircraft built under licence from companies such as Avro but it is best known for making the first jet fighter aircraft in Latin America: the Pulqui I (1947) and the Pulqui II (1950) under the director of engineers Emile Dewoitine and Kurt Tank respectively. The post World War Two era was a particularly interesting one at the FAdeA with creative and innovative designers such as Reimar HOrten being involved with the business.This book is a history of the company and the aircraft it produced from the 1920s to the present day. It covers all the aircraft that were produced by the company, both those built under licence and original designs. It also examines the many projects and prototypes which were developed over the years. For all those with an interest in some of the less well-known aspects of aviation history, this book will be a revelation.
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.
