Najnovšie - Encyklopédie populárno-náučné strana 2 z 175
História 
Príroda 
Vesmír, veda a technika 
Ľudské telo, človek 
Encyklopédie - ostatné
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The Little Book of Irish Landmarks
Did You Know? Before work commenced on the majestic Castletown House in County Kildare in 1722, the owner, William Conolly, instructed that only Irish materials were to be used in every part of the building. The iconic ‘Dark Hedges’ in County Antrim has been used as a filming location for the ‘King’s Road’, in HBO’s epic television series Game of Thrones. Blarney Castle in County Cork is arguably most famous for its ‘stone of eloquence’, better known as the Blarney Stone; kissing it is said to bestow the ‘gift of the gab’. The Little Book of Irish Landmarks is a compendium of fascinating, obscure, strange and entertaining facts about some of Ireland’s most iconic landmarks and popular tourist attractions. Here you will find out about the Giant’s Causeway, Bunratty Castle, Blarney Castle, Newgrange, the Cliffs of Moher, GPO Dublin, Tory Island, Skellig Michael, the Hill of Tara and much more. A reliable reference book and a quirky guide, this can be dipped into time and time again to reveal something new about the people, the heritage and the secrets of the Emerald Isle.
Manners and Mischief
Filled with sparkling anecdotes and tales of living life to the full, featuring previously unseen photographs from Lady Glenconner's personal collection. Lady Anne Glenconner, Lady-in-Waiting to Princess Margaret and Maid of Honour at the Queen’s Coronation, returns with a rich, sparkling memoir told through an A to Z of her life. From affairs of the heart and Basil’s Bar to dinners with the King and the art of entertaining each chapter reveals a vivid moment of joy, mischief or resilience. Whether offering tips on getting out of the bath with grace, or how to lose at cards with Princess Margaret, she shares wisdom and memory in equal measure. This book is a love letter to a disappearing world and a reminder that life, at any age, should be faced with laughter, a stiff upper lip, and the odd vodka tonic.
Notebooks for the Grandchildren
Notebooks for the Grandchildren is an indispensable resource for anyone seeking to understand what went wrong after the great Russian Revolution of 1917. Through the eyes of young Ukrainians like himself, who came of age fighting for the Revolution but were murdered in the late 1930s, Mikhail Baitalsky recounts the Revolution’s hopes—and its tragic unraveling under Stalin. He narrates how Stalin rose to power and carried out the “political counterrevolution” that silenced so many. Arrested three times by the Stalin regime, Baitalsky survived to tell the story of what happened.
Beyond the Tricolour
Beyond the Tricolour explores the history of internationalism through individuals and political organizations who took practical action in defense of internationalist principles. Birchall looks at committed internationalists who argued against nationalism, racism and war but have too often been neglected by mainstream history. The book focuses on the context of French history, and the French socialist and working-class movement in particular. Beginning from the defense of Dreyfus against anti-Semitism, it covers antimilitarism before 1914, opposition to the First World War, the advent of Communism, then the rise of Stalinism, fraternization with German soldiers during the Nazi occupation, and support for national independence in Indochina and Algeria.
The Political Economy of South Africa's Post-apartheid Transition: The Rejection of Alternatives to Neoliberalism
South Africa’s post-apartheid transition has proven disastrous. But what caused this unfortunate trajector? oday, the country is marked by the emergence of a black elite of enriched capitalists who have benefitted from the globalization, neoliberalization and financialization of the economy in general, and from its Minerals-Energy and Financial Complex in particular. By contrast, inequalities, poverty and failing social provision have persisted. Recent attention has shifted to how this trajectory was initiated, with some suggesting a lack of available alternative policy options at the time of transition. The Political Economy of South Africa’s Post-apartheid Transition shows this to be false. In fact, a full range of progressive alternatives were rejected, leading to corresponding consequences from “state capture” to electoral defeat.
Desk Revolutionaries
The French Directory is often dismissed as an uninspiring interlude between revolutionary fervour and Napoleonic legend, yet its story is far richer than its reputation suggests. This book shifts the focus from the regime to the remarkable men who shaped it – a cohort of jurists, engineers and administrators who survived the Reign of Terror and set out to safeguard the Revolution’s most important achievements. Working not on battlefields but in offices and council chambers, they built durable laws and institutions that still underpin modern France. The first English-language study on the topic in fifty years, Desk Revolutionaries offers an engaging, character-driven narrative that also sheds light on the enduring power of technical experts in government, inviting reflection on how democracies are made – and maintained.
Revisiting the Critical Legacy of Shah Ismail
A groundbreaking reassessment of the legacy of the enigmatic Shah Ismail. Seyed Javad Miri presents Shah Ismail not merely as a historical figure but as a mystic, poet, and thinker who profoundly influenced Iranian and global intellectual landscapes. Through critical approaches to knowledge, language, and social theory, the book unearths the marginalized Gnostic tradition of Khatai, revealing its enduring significance. By challenging Eurocentric and nationalist historiographies, Miri invites readers to rethink the intersections of Irfan, governance, and cultural identity.
Stalin’s Top Spies
Formed a mere two months after the Bolshevik Revolution, the Cheka, the Soviet Security and Intelligence Agency, was formed to gather intelligence and promote revolution abroad. This organisation underwent a series of transformations over the following decades and achieved some remarkable successes against Nazi Germany, Imperial Japan, the USA, and the United Kingdom. Throughout the 1930s, the Soviets pursued their ambition of gaining influence in Eastern Europe. It was a plan that inevitably brought them into conflict with Nazi Germany, against which they began setting up clandestine organisations that were meant to become operational in the event of war. The USA had been of peripheral interest to the Soviets up until the prospect of war loomed ever closer. Then, when it became known that Britain and the USA were exploring the potential of atomic weapons, espionage in the western hemisphere became of paramount importance. Despite their being allies against the Nazis, the Soviets significantly increased spying activity against both nations in an effort to develop their own atomic bomb programme. After the end of the Second World War, a new and ominous threat hung over the world in the guise of the Cold War when the Soviets brought into play their British spy network which became known as the Cambridge Five. These were agents who had been radicalised and recruited during the 1930s and then embedded within the British security services. In Stalin’s Top Spies the author explores five of the Soviet Union’s greatest spies: Leopold Trepper (and the Red Orchestra), Ursula Kuczynski (the Atomic Spy), Richard Sorge (a Soviet agent in Tokyo), Kim Philby (the Cambridge Spy), and Rudolf Abel (a Soviet intelligence officer who was arrested in the USA on charges of espionage in 1957). The book not only reveals their successes and failures, but assessing the extent to which they influenced world events from the Second World War through to the early years of the Cold War. In so doing, it also highlights the failures of the target nations to recognise the threat posed to them and exposes their lack of success in dealing with it.
B-29 Superfortress
The B-29 Superfortress was a vital and iconic strategic bomber of the Second World War. It was designed with a range and warlord capability that made it viable for operation in the vast regions of Asia Pacific. This bomber played a key part in the defeat and unconditional surrender of Japan, principally using fire-bombing techniques. The complex role and effectiveness of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are reviewed critically. The work has 21st century connection in the 80th anniversary of VJ Day. The United States Navy, US ground forces and the B-29 wings were brought together to fight, in the author's words, 'he most massive air war the world had ever seen'. Technical aspects including bomb-load and range - vital for the vast Asia Pacific, are set out for all readers, service, academic and lay. The narrative takes readers through the history of the major air wars commencing with Europe, where the US Army Air Corps was allied with Britain's RAF. After victory in Europe in 1944 the combined war effort shifted to the war with Japan on land, sea, and in the air. The great sea battles follow with the Coral Sea, Midway and combined operations in the Guadalcanal Campiagn of 1942 seen as a turning-point. The Philippine Sea carrier battle brought about the end of the Japanese navy's carrier strength and the following battle of Leyte was seen as a ‘grudge-match' for Pearl Harbor'. The invasion of the Marianas secured air bases that at last brought B-29 operations within striking range of Japan. Preparation of crews for combat takes readers into sharing combat experience with crews and personal flying experience is graphic - problems affecting sighting targets, bomb-aiming, escape from attack, danger and fear of loss. In this campaign the B-29 played the most important combat role of its career. It was an aircraft unique in the history of aviation.
Disputing Disaster
In Disputing Disaster, Perry Anderson picks from the highly charged historiography on the First World War one leading historian from each of the major powers that survived the conflagration: Fritz Fischer, celebrated champion of German war guilt; Pierre Renouvin, a disabled serviceman and preeminent authority on the conflict in France; Luigi Albertini, the Italian newspaper tycoon who, unique among scholars of the Great War, played a part in pitching his country into it; Paul W. Schroeder, the American expert on the system of European interstate relations and its breakdown in 1914; Keith Wilson, the one radical deviant from a patriotic consensus about Britain's role in the outbreak of the fighting; and, from Australia (summoned into the war as a dominion), Christopher Clark, acclaimed author of The Sleepwalkers. Disputing Disaster offers a compelling analysis of the major competing versions of the genesis of the Great War; fresh light on the political background of its leading historians; and a novel synthesis of the determining pressures that brought the conflict to pass.
Hitler's War Against the French Resistance
In 1941, a year after France formally surrendered, Charles de Gaulle, the leader of the Free French forces, appointed Jean Moulin to coordinate the various resistance movements that had sprung up all over France. His mission was to unify the diverse and often fragmented resistance groups into a more cohesive organization. He successfully brought together various resistance factions under the umbrella of the National Council of the Resistance (CNR), which was a crucial step toward creating a united front against both the Nazis and the Vichy French regime. Since the start of the Occupation, the Germans realized that resistance to their rule was inevitable. With this in mind, they went about establishing total control of France, not only through the German Army forces stationed in the country, but using the entire Nazi security apparatus. From 1941 onwards, the Germans began to encounter frequent and increasingly more damaging acts of resistance, which required not only intelligence and counter-intelligence work, but the launching of raids and small operations. The intensity of partisan attacks began to increase even more in 1942. This level of resistance grew even greater in 1943. By then, the partisans were selectively challenging local German garrisons and collaborator forces in the French countryside. By the beginning of 1944, the Resistance, or Maquis as it was also known, became bolder, even establishing so-called Free-French republics in various regions of the country. Employing primary source documents from several archives, author Antonio Munoz has produced a one-volume study that fully covers the partisan and anti-partisan struggle in France from 1940 through to 1944. Hitler’s War Against the French Resistance, 1940-1944 is a valuable reference source for those who wish to study the guerrilla and anti-guerrilla struggle during the Second World War.
A People's History of London
For nearly 2,000 years, London has been a breeding ground for radical ideas, home to thinkers, heretics and rebels. A People's History of London presents fascinating portraits of the heroic idealists who made the city their home. Lindsey German and John Rees bring to life the dissident priest John Wycliff and the Levellers' Civil War struggle. They delve into the travails of the silk weavers, match girls and dockers who crusaded for workers' rights. And they recount the Battle of Cable Street, where East Enders took on Oswald Mosley's Blackshirts. This updated edition recounts the battles of recent years: the Grenfell disaster, the inspiring Palestine movement, and the fight for a city fit for its people, not one hobbled by developers and landlords.
Images of War: Panzertruppe, Panzer I, 1934–1941
During the 1920s, Germany defied the Treaty of Versailles by rebuilding its military and pioneering new forms of mechanised warfare. This detailed study traces the development of the German tank during this crucial time, from experimental prototypes to Adolf Hitler’s first mass-produced tank, the Panzer I – a tank that would help German forces train for and execute their Blitzkrieg operations. The performance of this small, lightly armed tank was limited, nevertheless it participated in the opening campaigns of the war, including the invasions of Poland, Denmark and Norway, the Low Countries, France and Russia. It provided a valuable training platform for Panzer crews and helped pave for the way for the subsequent heavier and more powerful German models. Covering the design innovations of the various models and variants, as well as their combat history and performance, this is a fascinating look at the Panzer I during pre-war training and later operational service. Part of the Images of War series, combining a treasure trove of rare and unpublished photographs with well-researched text, this is a valuable source for students of the war, modellers and anyone fascinated by military technology, armoured warfare and the evolution of the tank.
Britain's Armaments Industry in the Second World War
This is the history of Britain’s armaments industry during the Second World War. It begins with the rearmament before the war and shows how a shadow industry was prepared, in response to German aggression. See how industry was organised and programmed, before learning how armaments were researched, designed and developed. The narrative then looks at how enlistment was controlled, how skilled workers were deployed and how manufacturing was diluted, to allow tens of thousands of unemployed men and women to play their part. The story continues with an explanation of the importance of the coal and oil industries, followed by the development of the metal industries. It then looks at the huge amounts of imports and merchant shipping required, as well as the American Lend Lease programme. See how factories equipped the Royal Air Force, so it could fight the Battle of Britain, and reequipped the British Army following the disaster at Dunkirk. Also learn how the shipyards worked around the clock on warships and merchant ships, so the Royal Navy could defend the nation and protect the supply convoys. See how the lessons learnt on the battlefield helped modify early factory designs into practical ones. Learn how the war changed relations between the government, the employers, the unions, and the workforce. See how issues could cause widespread industrial unrest, as the cost of living rose and the rules became stricter. Also learn how the desire to improve production improved health and safety at work, welfare arrangements and developed management and human resources. We also see how the Luftwaffe attempt to cripple British industry with its aerial Blitz. The story ends with a nation being pushed to its limits for a second time in thirty years, before suddenly demobilising, again leaving the British people wondering what the future would hold for them.
The Battle of Cherbourg
In developing plans for the Allied invasion of France, from the very beginning, SHAEF planners considered the vital need to secure deepwater ports to bring in all the supplies needed to support an army of hundreds of thousands of troops. Cherbourg, at the tip of the Cotentin Peninsula, was the closest to the landing beaches chosen for Operation ‘Overlord’. The planners therefore decided to land forces at the base on the peninsula, in order to enable the rapid capture of Cherbourg, and also to widen the front of the landing. The First US Army was tasked to capture it as quickly as possible. In the early hours of June 6, paratroopers from the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions landed inland from Utah Beach to capture the beach exits, and secure the crossings over the Douve River at Carentan. On June 10, the 101st Airborne Division captured Carentan, thus liaising with the Omaha beachhead and ensuring the Allies a continuous front. This success allowed VII Corps to advance westward to isolate the Cotentin Peninsula. On June 18, the 9th Infantry Division reached the west coast of the peninsula, and within 24 hours, the 4th, 9th, and 79th Infantry Divisions advanced northward. Within two days, they were within striking distance of Cherbourg, but the German commander, Generalleutnant Karl-Wilhelm von Schlieben, rejected a summons to surrender and began demolitions of the port. The VII Corps launched a general assault on June 22. Resistance was initially strong, but the Americans gradually drove the German defenders from their bunkers and pillboxes. Allied warships and cruisers bombarded the defences on the 25th, and the 79th Division captured Fort du Roule, which dominated Cherbourg and its defences, on the 26th. General von Schlieben surrendered the same day, and the port and arsenal capitulated on the 27th. Fregattenkapitän Witt, the port commander, escaped by boat to the Fort de l’Ouest, a bastion on the breakwater, and took command of the small forces holding this fort and the Fort du Centre. After two days of artillery hammering and several bombing raids, the two strongholds surrendered on June 29. The Battle of Cherbourg was over. In the battle for the Cotentin and Cherbourg, VII Corps had suffered over 22,000 casualties, while the Germans had lost 39,000 men taken prisoner, in addition to an unknown number killed. The early capture of Cherbourg was a major defeat for the Germans. In their plan to deny the Allies access to French ports, the German high command had anticipated that Cherbourg could hold out for several weeks (as Brest was soon to do). The capitulation of the Festung came much earlier than expected, and Hitler’s inner circle considered the fortress’s commander, General von Schlieben, a very poor commander. However, his engineers had carried out intensive demolition of the port, which was so thoroughly destroyed and mined that it was only put back into very limited use by mid-August. This, then, is the story of the capture of Cherbourg, the first Allied victory in Normandy, told through more than a hundred ‘Then and Now’ comparison photographs, which really bring history to life. You will thus be able to walk precisely in the footsteps of the heroes of this great moment in history.
Mosquito Special Operations in the Second World War
The Mosquito was the most successful battle-winning multi-role combat aircraft of the Second World War. It was introduced by the de Havilland Aircraft Company as an unarmed, un-interceptable, long range, high speed, high altitude medium bomber. An unarmed bomber without protective armament was a concept that ran directly contrary to the tactical doctrines of both the Royal Air Force and the US Army Air Force. Notwithstanding, it was developed to carry out almost unlimited roles including ground-attack dive-bomber, anti-shipping strike aircraft, day, and night fighter, 'Pathfinder’ marking targets for a main heavy bomber force, and long-range reconnaissance aircraft. There seemed to be nothing it could not be adapted to do with unmatched success. Its most important role was as a deadly long-range, low level precision ground attack fighter-bomber, ideal for 'special duties' operations. The book examines the crucial role of designers and engineers from drawing board to production and company support. Powered by two Rolls-Royce Merlin engines it could carry the same bombload as four-engine heavy bombers but at much greater speeds and at altitudes from low-level to ultra-high. It was the combination of this performance with its prodigious range capability that made it a truly strategic weapon in air warfare, striking precision targets in the heart of Nazi-Germany and sapping morale. The text is of full of detailed and dramatic attacks from the aircrew point of view. “It makes me furious when I see the Mosquito. I run green and yellow with envy.”Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring.
Goering's Suicide
Ever since Reichsmarschall Hermann Goering, Commander-in-Chief of the Luftwaffe and deputy Führer, crunched a cyanide capsule between his teeth and died the night before his execution for war crimes, speculation about his death has never ended. The question of how Goering obtained the poison led to an official investigation, several reviews, intense debates, many books and articles, and several dramatizations and documentaries. Yet none have been able to provide a compelling and convincing explanation. The answer to this riddle was in fact unfathomable without the knowledge of key pieces of information contained within statements made by two military personnel who, late in their lives, revealed that they had been present during that history-defining moment of 1945. Combined with all the documentation previously obtained by investigators, and recently published records, the actual sequence of events of that fateful day can at last be understood. Just six US and British officers knew what took place on the day Goering received the cyanide capsule that allowed him to escape being hanged by his enemies and, in the eyes of his legions of followers, die a martyr – the very end the Allies were so desperate to avoid. Of those six Allied officers, four died taking their secrets with them. The revelations of the remaining two only came to light during casual meetings. The disclosures made by the first of the two former wartime officers, during an interview he gave in 2003, are as astounding as they are unequivocal – yet it seems they have never been fully scrutinised until now. Goering’s Suicide: ‘They Will Not Hang Me!’ chronicles events that occurred in Nuremberg during the crucial eight-week period in the autumn of 1945 that immediately preceded the start of the International Military Tribunal in which twenty-four leaders of Nazi Germany who had planned, carried out, or otherwise participated in the Holocaust and other war crimes, were tried. The author, Paul Hooley, believed the information received about Goering’s suicide was too important for it not to be shared with the world. Now, the truth has been revealed.
Exile
Discover a thrilling true story of treachery, deceit, hope and despair. From the moment Mary, Queen of Scots set foot on English soil in 1568 until her execution at Fotheringhay Castle on 8 February 1587, she was the prisoner of her cousin, Elizabeth I. Unlike Mary’s time on the Scottish throne, the dramatic events of these years – almost half her life – took place while she was a captive. But while trouble was perpetually simmering beyond her prison walls, within them Mary was constantly plotting. Only towards the end did she lose faith in returning to her homeland as rightful ruler. This is the story of Mary’s tumultuous later years, told through the many atmospheric locations where she was confined. Drawing on the latest research, including a treasure trove of recently decoded letters, Exile sheds fascinating new light on her captivity and the charged political climate of the period. Reading like a 16th-century thriller, this account of treachery, deceit, hope and despair is a penetrating and enthralling psychological portrait of one of history’s endlessly fascinating queens.
The Network Effect
From the birth of the first computer in the Middle East to the dizzying highs and lows of the 1990s dotcom era, this sweeping narrative traces the evolution of Israel into one of the world s most vibrant technology hubs--second only to Silicon Valley. With rich insights and untold stories, it explores the bold innovations, visionary minds, and unexpected turns that shaped a nation at the forefront of global innovation. The Network Effect is essential reading for entrepreneurs, investors, and anyone fascinated by the intersection of technology, business, history, and human ingenuity. Driven by a passion for history and a deep understanding of Israel s innovation ecosystem, Meir Valman wrote this book to reveal the untold story behind Israel s rise as a global high-tech powerhouse. With a background in history from the University of Cambridge and extensive experience in finance and Israel s tech sector, he offers a unique perspective on the factors that shaped the country s technological development.
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.
