Najnovšie - Encyklopédie populárno-náučné strana 16 z 183
História 
Príroda 
Vesmír, veda a technika 
Ľudské telo, človek 
Encyklopédie - ostatné
zobraziť:
French Navy 1939–42
An authoritative, illustrated analysis of the official French Navy in World War II, under the command of the Third Republic and of Vichy. At the outbreak of World War II, the Marine Nationale was the most powerful navy in continental Europe, unified in its purpose of defending the nation and the colonial empire. It was the product of the unique 1920s–30s French naval doctrine and armaments development, as a continental power with worldwide interests. The fall of France shattered this unity, as the fleet split between loyalty to Vichy and Free France. In this book, Hugues Canuel presents a sharp, focused operational study of the official French Navy in World War II, from action alongside its British allies in 1939–40 to the fiery end of the Vichy fleet in Toulon harbour in 1942. Based on a wealth of French, British, and American archive material and drawing on the author's years of research, it explores France's warships and their capabilities, the roles the fleet was structured to perform, and the combat they saw – including operations off Norway and tackling German raiders in the Atlantic, operations in Indochina, and the battle with the Allies in Operation Torch. Illustrated throughout with rare photos, spectacular battlescenes, 3D diagrams of engagements and fleet formations, and a map of France’s naval responsibilities, this book is an essential guide to one of the least-known major navies of World War II.
50 Gems of Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire may be amongst England’s smallest counties but its 700,000 residents and increasing numbers of visitors have a wealth of places to explore within its boundaries. Alongside the urban areas of Luton and Bedford, the county offers plenty of green spaces, including the Chiltern Hills. The county has connections with John Bunyan, author of Pilgrim’s Progress, Catherine of Aragon and the Whitbread family, dating back some 250 years when the brewing pioneer was MP for Bedford. In this book local authors John and Jenny Jackson reveal the vital role a Bedfordshire barn played during World War, exactly why Luton Town Football Club are appropriately nicknamed ‘The Hatters’, the churchyard that inspired J. M. Barrie’s character, Wendy, in Peter Pan, and much more.50 Gems of Bedfordshire explores the many places and their history that make this part of the country so special, including natural features, towns and villages, buildings and places of historical interest. Alongside justly famous attractions, others will be relatively unknown but all have an interesting story to tell.
Tracing Your Ancestors Using What They Left Behind
Old photographs without names. Family heirlooms with unknown origins. Objects whispering stories lost to time. In this fascinating journey of historical detective work, experienced genealogist Simon Wills pieces together the mysteries behind everyday artefacts, from portraits and tobacco jars to diaries, and even a simple silver cigarette case, allowing us to create a complete picture of the lives of those lost to history and time. Through meticulous research, many examples and case studies, this book delves into incomplete histories, revealing the identities and achievements of people once on the brink of anonymity. If you’ve ever wondered about the past behind an old family possession, this book will inspire you to look closer, search deeper, and discover the extraordinary tales sometimes hidden in the seemingly ordinary, allowing us to know and understand our ancestors from a different perspective.
Colorblind
With this book, Amy Motlagh considers how racial thinking underpins cultural practices in Iran and the Iranian diaspora. Despite cultural traditions depicting black people and the documented presence of black Iranians, many have insisted that race is not an important aspect of Iranian culture, that "blackness" does not exist in Iran. Instead, it is the notion of being "Persian" that binds all Iranians together. But, as Motlagh argues, the word "Persian" masks a long racial history that depends on the specter of blackness to define what is truly Iranian. Colorblind critically examines how these concepts express themselves in folklore, ethnography, literature, and films to show how understandings of race and slavery have moved from home country to host, and from host to home. In particular, ambivalence surrounding the concepts of "race" and "blackness" prevents Iranians from fully interrogating their own racial thinking, even while some diasporic Iranians position themselves as racially liminal and non-white. By closely examining these efforts, as well as the cultural and historical foundations they were built on, this book reveals how ideas about race and slavery in Iran have forged a specific conception of modern Iranian cultural identity.
The Arab Bureau
A fascinating study of the British Empire’s Middle Eastern intelligence section during the First World War, drawing on government files and secret publications. In the midst of the First World War, an extra- ordinary intelligence unit operated from Cairo’s Savoy Hotel, combining the skills of archaeologists, academics and soldiers to revolutionise how Britain gathered information and shaped events in the Middle East. Overshadowed by Lawrence of Arabia, the Arab Bureau’s true significance has remained hidden in plain sight ever since. This fascinating study uncovers the Bureau’s remarkable story through newly discovered Arabic documents and previously overlooked archives. At its heart lies an astonishing find: Thawrat al-Arab, an ambitious Arabic-language book and the longest piece of British propaganda produced during the war. From the Arab Bulletin’s secret intelligence reports to sophisticated propaganda campaigns, the Bureau was decades ahead of its time. The team—including archaeologists fresh from desert digs and scholars fluent in local dialects— developed new methods of cultural intelligence that would influence future generations. Eamonn Gearon’s compelling narrative reveals how this unique organisation navigated the complexities of Arab politics, tribal rivalries and Ottoman intelligence, while developing techniques that resonate with today’s challenges in intelligence-gathering. Essential reading for anyone interested in intelligence history, the Middle East or how innovation occurs in wartime, this book transforms our understanding of a crucial moment in world history.
Germany and the Middle East
For over a century, the Middle East has weathered seemingly endless conflicts, ensnaring political players from around the world. And perhaps no nation has displayed a greater range of policies toward, and experiences in, the region than Germany, as this short and accessible volume demonstrates. Beginning with Kaiser Wilhelm’s intermittent support for Zionism, it follows the course of German-Mideast relations through two world wars and the rise of Adolf Hitler. As Steininger shows, the crimes of the Third Reich have inevitably shaped postwar German Mideast policy, with Germany emerging as one of Israel’s staunchest supporters while continuing to navigate the region’s complex international, religious, and energy politics.
Emperor of Rome
When Theoderic the Great entered the city of Rome in 500, as an Ostrogothic king, the citizens in Rome could have been forgiven for thinking an Emperor had returned. Everything he did, from his journey, to his arrival, and actions in the city itself, were in imitation of Roman expressions of imperial power. The role of the Emperor, however, remains complex and multifaceted, and the very powers Theoderic was seeking to emulate had complex histories of their own. It was only when Augustus, Rome’s first Emperor, died in 14 AD that Rome at last admitted the truth that a Princeps now ruled, where the Senate had once held power.Anthony Smart provides a new study of the Roman Emperor, from Augustus through the late fifth century AD, with interwoven studies on later medieval imperial rulers. The book is divided into three. The first section looks at sources (e.g. coins, speeches, histories). The second looks at themes (such as war, peace, religious unity and emotional control). The final section looks at specific examples of imperial power, and how these figures altered or modified the very nature of imperial rule. Throughout the book the author returns to the following questions: what did it mean to be an Emperor in this world? How did they govern? Were they proactive, or reactive? Is it right to say that an Emperor is what an Emperor does, or is the reality rather more complex than that? And crucially, who creates the image of the Emperor? The court, the senate, or the people of Rome?
A-Z of Colchester
Colchester is popularly the oldest recorded city in England, dating from before the Roman invasion. Under the Romans, Camulodunum, as it was known, was a major city. Later, Saxon settlers and the Normans used Roman ruins for their buildings, not least for the Norman castle. During the late Middle Ages Colchester became rich again on the wool trade and by the eighteenth century became known as a garrison town. Today, Colchester is at the heart of a fast-growing area and was awarded city status in 2022. A–Z of Colchester reveals the history behind the city, its streets and buildings, industries, and the people connected with it. Alongside the famous historical connections are unusual characters, tucked-away places and unique events that are less well known. Readers will discover tales of scandal, clockmakers, radicals, the Great British Earthquake of 1883 which destroyed many local buildings, and zedonks in Colchester Zoo, among many other fascinating facts in this A–Z tour of Colchester’s history. Fully illustrated throughout, this book will appeal to all those with an interest in this ancient Essex city.
Empire on the Cheap
In the nineteenth century, France embarked on the colonization of whole swathes of Africa and Asia. What drove this policy, and what methods did it use to establish and enforce French domination? What disruptive effects did this have on the colonized societies, and what did it mean for their economic and social development? Today, can we say they have been completely decolonized? Empire on the Cheap offers new answers to these ever-controversial questions. Drawing on extensive archival work and statistical analysis, Denis Cogneau offers a richly detailed description of the colonial states and how they functioned, with a particular focus on issues of taxation, military recruitment, capital flows and inequalities. He shows that the Empire cost France little until the wars of independence following World War II, and that capital from France did not trickle down to the colonies. The French Republic proclaimed its 'civilizing mission', but its rule did not lead to the development of the occupied countries, and instead established violent colonial regimes with ambiguous and sometimes conflicting goals. Such regimes mainly benefited a small minority of French colonists and capitalists. Yet, even after winning independence, nationalist elites in the former colonies most often maintained an authoritarian and deeply unequal state order. Examining both the evolution of the colonized societies and what has become of them after independence, Cogneau makes a major contribution to our understanding of imperialism, past and present.
SAS The Great Train Raid
A WARTIME MISSION UNLIKE ANY OTHERAutumn 1943: the SAS hijack a train, raid deep into enemy territory, and liberate a concentration camp. A mission so extraordinary, yet so secret, that barely any record exists. Via first-hand testimonies and long-hidden files, Damien Lewis has unearthed the incredible details, bringing to life an astonishing tale of bravery, daring and determination which showcases the SAS at their very finest. ****PRAISE FOR SAS THE GREAT TRAIN RAID'A staggering feat of bravery kept secret for decades, but now the SAS train raid on a concentration camp during the Second World War is detailed in an incredible new book' SUNDAY EXPRESS'Long-hidden files and unseen personal accounts reveal a daring rescue mission from an Italian concentration camp' DAILY TELEGRAPH'There is an enduring appeal about the SAS in Britain, the United States and beyond, in an age when we need heroes who were fighting the good fight more than ever' SUNDAY TIMES'In autumn 1943 the SAS pulled off one of the most audacious missions of the Second World War. And yet the Great Train Raid to liberate Pisticci concentration camp has been relatively unknown until now' TIMES RADIO'Fittingly titled as it features a train and was totally crazy. An unbelievable mission deep into enemy territory to free prisoners from arguably the first concentration camp to come to the attention of the allies... I've read the book cover to cover and it's absolutely astonishing what these people did' TONY LIVESEY, BBC RADIO 5 LIVE
Junkers Ju 88C Day and Nightfighters
An illustrated account of the action-packed combat missions carried out by the Luftwaffe's powerfully armed Junkers Ju 88C day and nightfighters. The Junkers Ju 88A was the Luftwaffe's most effective medium bomber during much of World War 2, and its high speed and surprising agility made it an ideal candidate for conversion into a Zerstörer (destroyer) fighter. Initially designed to be used as a long-range bomber escort, the solid-nosed Ju 88C fighter boasted powerful cannon that made the aircraft ideally suited to the nightfighter role. Its unrivalled endurance also meant the Ju 88C could undertake sweeps of the Bay of Biscay from the French Atlantic coast in search of Allied maritime patrol aircraft hunting U-boats. Luftwaffe historian Chris Goss charts the action-packed service history of the Ju 88C through first-hand accounts and combat reports from the crews that flew the twin-engined Zerstörer into combat. Newly commissioned profile artworks and more than 50 photographs of aircraft and crews help detail the aircraft’s conversion from a fast bomber into a deadly heavy fighter that proved to be the scourge of Allied bomber and patrol aircraft.
Wrong Women
Tucked away in Dublin's north inner city, Monto made headlines for wild tales of debauchery. However, what happened to the women and girls within its brothels in life and death is less well known. Weaving together oral histories, historical records and family memories, Caroline West delivers an investigation into the heartbreaking treatment of the women that worked there, while delving into the impact of class, sexual violence and British colonialism on the women's survival.
Sunday Best
An evocative celebration of the seventh day in all its rich variety Closed shops and roast dinners. Bulky newspapers and the hum of lawnmowers. Strolls to nowhere in particular and visiting snoozing grandparents. Television theme tunes cueing bath time and a sudden dread of the looming week ahead… Through an assortment of rituals and activities, Sundays came to be the unique day in our week – whether tedious, pleasant or somewhere in-between. But have they changed over time? Has anything interesting ever happened on a Sunday? Have we forgotten how to do Sunday? And, in our rushed modern lives, should we now try to recapture that distinctive, unhurried Sunday feel? Offering answers to those questions and more through a mix of travelogue and social history, Sunday Best entertainingly charts the story of what author Daniel Gray argues is the People’s Day. Told through Sundays whiled away in places from the Hebrides to Hyde Park – via Sunderland, Scarborough, the Peak District and beyond – Gray’s latest book is a charming journey in time and place.
US Heavy Tanks of World War II
Through World War II the US Army worked on projects for new heavy tanks, which are charted in this illustrated study of the M6 and the never-built T14, T28, and Pershing-derived designs. In this book, world-renowned armour expert Steven J. Zaloga examines the US Army's efforts to field a heavy tank in World War II. The first design was the M6, which never saw combat use despite being type classified. The heavy T14 assault tank, earmarked for the British under Lend-Lease, was also developed, while the M4A3E2 assault tank went into production as a stopgap for the 1944 campaign in France. The most outrageous US tank project of the war was the T28/T95 superheavy tank, which was so large that it required four sets of suspension bogies instead of the usual two. The M26 Pershing medium tank program also spawned a number of heavy tank projects, such as the T29, T30 and T34, which are also examined. Although production of these was envisioned in 1945–46, the end of the war put an end to any possibility of serial manufacture. Nevertheless, these tanks were heavily influenced by World War II lessons and their development and technical features are examined. Illustrated with rarely seen archive photos and meticulously illustrated new profiles of the key designs, this book traces the US Army’s efforts to develop heavy tanks comparable to the German Tigers, and the reasons why such monstrous machines were never required.
Summer of Fire and Blood
The definitive history of the sixteenth-century uprising that revolutionized Europe. The German Peasants' War was the greatest popular uprising in Western Europe before the French Revolution. In 1524 and 1525, it swept across Germany with astonishing speed as thousands of people massed in armed bands to demand a new and more egalitarian order. The peasants took control of vast areas of southern and middle Germany, torching and plundering the monasteries, convents, and castles that stood in their way. But they would prove no match for the forces of the lords, who put down the revolt by slaying somewhere between seventy and a hundred thousand peasants in just over two months. In Summer of Fire and Blood, the first history of the German Peasants' War in a generation, leading historian Lyndal Roper uncovers the far-reaching ramifications of this doomed rebellion. Though the victors portrayed the uprising as naive and chaotic, Roper's deeply researched account reveals instead a coherent mass movement inspired by the radical principles of the Protestant Reformation. Told through the voices of and beliefs of the people themselves, this is the thrilling, tragic story of the peasants' fight to change the world.
The Mad and the Brave
A Telegraph Best Book 2025 'Elegant and terrifying, the story of those who gave up life in the West for Ukraine's frontlines – some to save democracy, some to save themselves. A modern-day Homage to Catalonia – and Fight Club on steroids.' – Oliver Poole, London Standard ‘A great read’ – Mark Galeotti 'Brilliant' – The Daily Express With real-life echoes of SAS Rogue Heroes – this is an astonishing account of Europe’s biggest major conflict, told through the eyes of a ragbag collection of foreign fighters Three days after Russian tanks roll into Ukraine, President Volodymr Zelensky issues a desperate appeal for foreign military volunteers to help defend his country. Thousands answer the call from all over the world: some of them experienced soldiers, others novices who’ve never held a gun before. Among their ranks are high-minded idealists, adventure-seekers bored with civilian life, and ex-criminals seeking redemption – all risking their lives against the world's most vicious superpower. Some flee at the first sign of trouble, others become heroes; many are killed, and a few turn their guns on each other. This is their story – often terrifying, often tragic, sometimes comic, and sometimes glorious…
Dad’s Army
The remarkable story of the real 'Dad's Army', from the bestselling historian of The Secret Life of Bletchley Park'Impeccably researched and deliciously entertaining, Dad's Army shines a bright searchlight on to an organization dismissed for far too long as humorously incompetent' - Giles Milton, author of the The Stalin AffairWith the threat of invasion from Hitler's forces looming large in 1940, British men of all ages and backgrounds assembled under the banner of the Home Guard. At its height, this voluntary force, much later nicknamed ‘Dad’s Army’, was made up of almost two million volunteers prepared to defend every corner of the kingdom. Numerous notable figures were involved including George Orwell, A. A. Milne, and C. S. Lewis; many women took part too, including in the Women's Home Defence Force, which was formed in 1941. In Dad’s Army, Sunday Times bestselling author Sinclair McKay tells the remarkable story of these courageous, highly trained and often pioneering men and women through original archival research, vivid storytelling and insights into the beloved television comedy that has shaped the national memory of the Home Guard. Far from the stereotype of charming incompetence, McKay shows that the Home Guard were in fact entirely serious in their approach. Many volunteers had fought in the First World War, and radical veterans from the Spanish Civil War taught new techniques in lethal guerilla fighting. Chocolate-box village greens throughout the country were reimagined as bloody battlefields, with duties including rifle and mortar training, night-time patrols and manning anti-aircraft guns – all on top of volunteers’ everyday jobs. Yet all of this was underpinned by an essential good humour, with moments of levity and camaraderie vital in keeping up a much-needed spirit of defiance. With its vibrant personalities and touch of nostalgia, Dad's Army tells this extraordinary story in full colour. 'One of my favourite historians' Dan Snow
Kriegsmarine Southern Command 1941–45
Packed with illustrations, this is the first history of MarinegruppenkommandoSüd, Germany’s southern naval command that fought a fast and furious war at the far end of the Mediterranean. As Germany and Italy overran Yugoslavia and Greece in early 1941, the Kriegsmarine established a new theatre command, tasked with establishing German control over the eastern Mediterranean and coordinating actions with the Italian, Romanian and Bulgarian navies. With the invasion of the USSR that summer, the Black Sea would also become a battleground, and Naval Group South would be established. For the first time, Kriegsmarine historian Lawrence Paterson outlines the dizzying array of Kriegsmarine combat units that fought under Naval Group South – S-boats and U-boats, flotillas of escort ships, landing ships, artillery vessels, patrol boats, submarine hunters and minesweepers – and how they operated, including their organization, their complex logistics, and vital intelligence and communications. Combat was frequently fast and furious, ranging from pitched battles with the Soviet Black Sea Fleet and operations supporting Operation Barbarossa to combat against naval units of Tito’s Partisans off the Croatian coast. Superbly illustrated with rare photos, artwork of dramatic actions, 3D diagrams and maps, this explores the little-known naval war fought by Germany’s smaller craft, at the farthest reach of German naval power in Europe.
The Quest for El Dorado
'This is history at its most readable' MENSUN BOUND, author of The Ship Beneath the Ice'Engaging, engrossing and thoroughly enjoyable' MATTHEW RESTALL, author of When Montezuma Met Cortés'Vivid and capitivating' PROFESSOR JAMES CHESHIRE, author of The Library of Lost MapsA new history of one of the greatest feats of exploration – Walter Ralegh’s search for El Dorado, the legendary City of Gold. In 1594, English adventurer Sir Walter Ralegh heard the story of a lost city in South America from a Spanish conquistador. Setting out from Plymouth in February 1595, Ralegh reached the mouth of the Orinoco River and travelled over 400 miles inland to find it. Along the way, he captured galleons full of treasure, fought the Spanish and befriended the indigenous peoples. Hoping to win favour with Queen Elizabeth I, he was convinced that a ‘gold-rich empire more lucrative than Peru’ lay just beyond reach. He vowed to return once more, so he could finally earn fame and fortune. The book that he wrote about his voyage, Discoverie, reveals the worldview of Europeans on the cusp of the modern era and the enormous drive that the search for unimaginable riches gave men such as Ralegh during the Age of Exploration. But, after he was imprisoned by James I, with a death sentence hanging over him, his hopes were put on hold for years until he was finally granted a second chance to try again… The Quest for El Dorado is a compelling new narrative of one of the most enduring myths in history. Based on contemporary sources and his own researches as a maritime archaeologist, David Gibbins tells a story of exploration and plunder, shedding new light on Ralegh’s famous voyages.
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.
