Najnovšie - Encyklopédie populárno-náučné strana 20 z 183
História 
Príroda 
Vesmír, veda a technika 
Ľudské telo, človek 
Encyklopédie - ostatné
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Moonlight Crusaders
This engrossing history explores the creation, development and actions of the Special Duties squadrons, which carried spies, political figures and documents in and out of Occupied Europe. In 1940, Winston Churchill famously set in motion the Special Operations Executive. However, the creation of secret agent networks required a clandestine transport infrastructure to support nascent resistance movements in Occupied Europe. With only the moon to guide their way, the daring pilots of 161 Squadron constantly faced danger: their locations could be discovered, German night-fighters and flak had to be contended with and, of course, they dealt with the worst of European weather. Despite these extra risks, these Special Duties pilots were remarkably successful. Packed with first-hand accounts and expert research, this book dives into the history of the men who flew these dangerous missions and the main aircraft they used – unarmed Lysanders. Author Paul Smiddy, an RAF-trained pilot, explores the origins of the Lysander, the dangers it posed to its pilots and how operational techniques were developed. Facing political interference and limited resources from the RAF, these brave and under-recognised pilots provided a critical role in the war – bringing back agents with important information to help Britain and the Allies defeat the Germans.
The Portuguese
An intimate portrait of this fascinating country, capturing its contradictions and charms. Though a founding member of NATO and the euro, Portugal is often overlooked, a small country on Europe’s southwestern edge. In The Portuguese, veteran journalist Barry Hatton blends historical insight with personal anecdotes to explore this enigmatic nation. During the 1400s and 1500s, Portuguese explorers led Europe into the Atlantic and helped connect Asia with Europe, creating a vast four-continent empire. This legacy still resonates today, particularly through the Portuguese language, spoken by over 220 million people worldwide. Hatton examines Portugal’s vibrant yet turbulent past—from the 1755 Lisbon earthquake, which shook European thinking and began a long decline, through António Salazar’s dictatorship, to its end in the 1974 Carnation Revolution, briefly thrusting Portugal into Cold War geopolitics. Hatton also explores the country’s complex ties with neighbouring Spain, and its oldest ally, England. With diverse landscapes, rich cultural heritage, a love of food and fine wine, an easy-going lifestyle and a rebellious streak, the Portuguese are uniquely compelling. Hatton’s portrait is intimate and revealing, capturing the charms and contradictions of a fascinating country. .
Plaid Cymru
In his ground-breaking study of Plaid Cymru’s political philosophy, Dr Alan Sandry challenges the conventional assumption that the party conforms to the traditional model of a nationalist party, contending that it shares the political ideologies of the environmentalist Green, decentralist Liberal and welfarist Socialist agendas. Referencing party literature and numerous interviews conducted with leading figures, Plaid Cymru – An Ideological Analysis investigates the party’s philosophical development since its establishment in 1925 and, using the ideological model created by the eminent political scientist Professor Michael Freeden, concludes that Plaid Cymru is primarily a socialist party.
Water, History and Style
In December 1987, UNESCO bestowed its greatest honour on Bath when it declared the city a World Heritage Site for its outstanding cultural heritage – including its natural thermal spa waters – and landscape setting. Bath was one of the first ten sites to be recognised in the United Kingdom and received its award along with Blenheim Palace, Hadrian’s Wall and the Palace of Westminster. Published to coincide with the 25th anniversary of Bath’s inscription as a World Heritage Site, Water, History & Style is a celebration of Bath’s Outstanding Universal Values. With informative and lively text by Bath scholar Dr Cathryn Spence, Water, History & Style explains the significance of UNESCO’s award in the context of Bath’s economic, social and architectural history. The 25 locations and themes are richly illustrated with a wealth of fascinating historic images representing Bath’s six millennia of human history.
Hammer of the Gods
Weaving together Norse sagas and Anglo-Saxon chronicles to vividly depict the violence and spectacle of the Viking age, Don Hollway brings the legendary Olaf Tryggvason to life. Hammer of the Gods tells the extraordinary saga of Olaf Tryggvason – warlord, wanderer, king, and crusader – whose life rivals the most legendary figures of Viking lore. Born in exile and hunted from birth, Olaf survived slavery, betrayal, and shipwreck to become a fearsome warrior across the Viking world from the icy fjords of Norway to the courts of Kyiv, the slave markets of the Baltics, and the battlefields of England and Ireland. His rise would shake the foundations of Norse society, forge new kingdoms, and ignite a holy war against the old gods themselves. In an age of axe and flame, when the Viking world stood at the crossroads of pagan traditions and the spread of Christianity, Olaf emerged as the fiercest adherent to the new faith – a sword in one hand and a cross in the other. Drawing on a vast array of early medieval sources from Icelandic sagas and skaldic verse to Byzantine and Anglo-Saxon chronicles, Don Hollway brings the world of Olaf Tryggvason vividly to life cutting through the legend to reveal the man behind the myth. For readers of Bernard Cornwell and lovers of Viking history, Hammer of the Gods is the epic history of a great Norse king whose story shaped the fate of a civilization.
Scorched Earth
A HISTORY TODAY BOOK OF THE YEAR'Powerful, absorbing and endlessly thought-provoking' SINCLAIR MCKAYA radical new history of history's most brutal struggle for survival between imperial powers. In popular memory, World War II was an unalloyed victory for freedom over totalitarianism, and democratic order over the age of empires. Scorched Earth dispatches the myth of World War II as a 'good' war. Instead, it reveals the conflict as a massive battle beset by vicious racial atrocities, fought between rival empires across huge stretches of Asia and Europe. The war was sparked by German and Japanese invasions that threatened the old powers' dominance, not by Allied opposition to fascism. The Allies achieved victory not through pluck and democratic idealism but through savage firebombing raids on civilian targets and the slaughter of millions of Soviet soldiers. The Soviet Union and the United States emerged as hyper-militarized new imperial powers, each laying claim to former Axis holdings across the globe before turning on one another and triggering a new forever war. Dramatically rendered and persuasively argued, Scorched Earth shows that World War II marked the culmination of centuries of colonial violence and ushered in a new era of imperial struggle.
Atlas of Botany
Plants first emerged on a very different looking Earth 500 million years ago. As land masses moved, plants were brought together in fierce competition with one another, or separated to continue their lives in very different conditions. On this evolutionary journey, they developed ingenious strategies to disperse and extend their range, and increase their diversity.
Plants have populated almost every part of Earth’s land surface – from tropical zones to cracks in city pavements – and have fundamentally shaped Earth's natural regions. Mapping the changing conditions and continents of the ancient world and the biomes of the modern one, Atlas of Botany explores how plants have overcome the challenges of survival, and how they have interacted with pollinators and people along the way.
In the pages of this sumptuous botanical book, you will discover:
• A unique blend of information that brings plant science, geography, nature, and human history together for an unparalleled view of plant life on Earth
• The intricate and sometimes bizarre ways that plants have adapted to live everywhere
• A detailed understanding of where plants come from and the conditions they prefer to grow in
Produced in association with the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh this beautiful book combines the best elements of gardening books, science books, and nature books – featuring botanical illustrations, detailed photography, and clear, concise explanations – to tell the story of how plants evolved and survived – and continue to thrive.
Siege of Kazan 1552
Russian expert Mark Galeotti provides an in-depth look at the siege that pitted Ivan the Terrible and Russia's first standing army against the Khanate of Kazan, leading to Muscovy's rise. The Khanate of Kazan, one of the greatest Turkic successor states to the Mongol Golden Horde, had for generations been a thorn in Muscovy's side, raiding its lands for slaves and plunder. The newly crowned Ivan IV, who would become known as Ivan the Terrible, was determined to end the threat once and for all, leading a massive army against Kazan in 1552, comprising the Streltsy (musketeers), Russia's first standing army, and a massive artillery and engineer train, including an English expert in siegecraft. Kazan was finally taken and brought directly into Muscovy's control, making it a truly multi-ethnic empire. The next four years would see a bitter guerrilla war against the Russians, but they were committed to the march south – going on to conquer the Astrakhan Khanate and the move east into Siberia, setting the scene for the rapid expansion of the Russian Empire under Ivan's Romanov successors. In this gripping tale of Russian history, expert historian Mark Galeotti explores the major land and river offensive that saw Kazan fall to Ivan the Terrible's Army. With colourful battlescenes, detailed 2D maps and 3D diagrams, this book showcases how this siege marked the rise of Muscovy and ultimately helped lead to the Russian state today.
Edinburgh: The Autobiography
Relive the history of Edinburgh through the eyes of those who witnessed it. From one of the earliest mentions of its name in the sixth century to the Covid lockdowns of the twenty-first, this is a magnificent portrait of one of the world’s great cities in its many iterations, from ‘Edinburgh, the sink of abomination’ to the Athens of the North and everything – including the home of the Enlightenment, the Festival City, the Aids Capital of Europe and a Mecca for tourists seeking tartan tat – in between. As the nation’s capital it has been critical to its progress and a witness to epochal events, such the tumultuous reign of Mary, Queen of Scots, the Reformation, the Forty-Five rebellion, the Disruption of the Church of Scotland and the reconvening of the Scottish Parliament. All of these and more feature. But this is not simply a book about the great and good, the famous and infamous. There is testimony aplenty from ordinary folk who may not have made their mark on history but who have contributed to Edinburgh’s ever-expanding tapestry. There are stories of body snatching and murder, drunkenness and drug-taking, sex and shopping, as well rants against inclement weather and the city council.
Mary Boleyn
‘One of Tudor history’s rising stars.’ - Steven Veerapen, author of The Wisest FoolFIVE HUNDRED YEARS AFTER HER DEATH, MARY BOLEYN DESERVES HER STORY TO BE TOLD CORRECTLYMary Boleyn has long been dismissed as the ‘great and infamous whore’, her story overshadowed by scandal and myth. But what if everything we thought we knew about her was wron? rawing on newly retranslated original sources and rare archival material, Mary Boleyn: The Queen’s Slandered Sister peels away centuries of rumour to reveal the true Mary Boleyn. Far from the reckless wanton of legend, she emerges as a woman of ambition, resilience, and intelligence. Acclaimed historian Sylvia Barbara Soberton challenges outdated narratives, uncovering the real extent of Mary’s relationships with Henry VIII and Francis I, her role in the rise and fall of her younger sister Anne, and her life beyond the royal spotlight. This revelatory biography rewrites Mary Boleyn’s story – a must-read for Tudor history enthusiasts.
Lest We Forget
A moving account of how war is remembered – and by whom 'Impressive. A hundred individual histories, skillfully assembled, built into a poignant meditation on why they still matter' David Olusoga 'Brilliant' Piers Morgan Bestselling historian Tessa Dunlop travels the length and breadth of the United Kingdom on a quest to uncover a story of national warring and national mourning, of fighting each other and of fighting together. Along the way, she summons a stellar cast of veterans, military experts and families of the fallen to reveal what our monuments and war heroes say about us, both then and now. Why did Scotland take nearly 600 years to commemorate its most famous freedom fighter? When did Wellington become anti-Establishment? Who are the Glorious Dead? Can the Cenotaph stay above politics? And how do you commemorate contested, asymmetrical wars? Through powerful veteran testimony from individuals such as Falklands hero Simon Weston and HRH The Duke of Kent, Tessa brings to life the pride and the pain of commemoration across these isles. Lest We Forget, freedom is not free. 'In this wonderfully incisive, moving and timely book about commemoration, Dunlop breathes life into 100 British monuments – some famous, others less so – that together reveal our island story. A stunning achievement.' Saul David
Rainbow Wales
Who are the Queer figures, past and present, who have made, and continue to make, Welsh history? Discover the diverse array of LGBTQ+ figures influencing Wales – and the world – in an exploration of the household names and hidden icons who have shaped their fields and driven forward Queer representation. From Jan Morris to Ivor Novello, Kenneth Williams to Callum Scott Howells, Jess Fishlock to Lauren Price, via Terrence Higgins, The Vivienne and Owain Wyn Evans, Welsh people have marked the breadth and variety of Queer achievement. Rainbow Wales is an exciting, inspiring tour of figures from culture and sport to politics and activism, and a jubilant exploration of the rich tapestry of Queer identity in Wales.
Berlin
Written by one of the world's leading experts on the Eastern Front, this captivating history explores the final battle for Berlin and the heart of Germany. This sweeping saga takes us from the banks of the River Oder as the Red Army begins it relentless drive towards the still beating heart of the Third Reich: Berlin. Only the Seelow Heights stood between the Soviet forces and the capital. Over the course of three days in May 1945 almost one million Soviet troops would attack these final entrenched positions. Once these defences were breached it was guaranteed that a bitter street-by-street battle would take place in the city itself between a vengeful Red Army and desperate, fanatical Nazis until final capitulation. Using vivid first-hand accounts, Prit Buttar reveals the brutal combat that defined the final death throes of the Third Reich. Not only was the outcome of the war at stake. As the Red Army rolled into Berlin this was already a foregone conclusion even if it would take its toll in blood. Already battle lines for the forthcoming Cold War were being drawn. Stalin, fearful that the Western Powers would not honour their agreements, was determined to have boots on the ground to ensure his control of what would become the Soviet occupation zone. Berlin: Endgame 1945 is the brilliant account of the ferocious climax to World War II and a chilling prologue to the Cold War.
Join the Conspiracy
Dive into the electrifying tale of a Brooklyn-born patriot turned radical activist, in an era when America was torn by its ideological extremesIn the shadow of recent turmoil, Join the Conspiracy transports readers to a pivotal moment of division and dissent in American history: the late 1960s. Against the backdrop of the Vietnam War and a nation grappling with internal conflict, this compelling narrative follows the life of George Demmerle, a factory worker whose political odyssey encapsulates the era’s tumultuous spirit. From his roots as a concerned citizen wary of his country’s leftward tilt, Demmerle’s journey takes a dramatic turn as he delves into the heart of radical activism. Participating in iconic protests from the March on Washington to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Demmerle’s story is a whirlwind of political fervor, embodying the struggle against what was perceived as imperialist war and racial injustice. His transformation is marked by alliances with key figures of the time, including Abbie Hoffman, and an eventual leadership role within an East Coast Black Panther affiliate. Yet, beneath his radical veneer lies a secret: Demmerle is an FBI informant. Join the Conspiracy reveals Demmerle’s complex role in a society at war with itself, where his deepening involvement with the radical left and a bombing collective forces him to confront his loyalties. The narrative, enriched by a rare trove of period documents, candid photos taken from inside the radical movement, and underground art—more than a hundred of which are included in the book—not only charts Demmerle’s saga but also reflects the broader story of a nation struggling to find its moral compass amidst chaos. As Demmerle navigates the dangerous waters of political extremism, readers are invited to ponder the price of ideology, the nature of loyalty, and the fine line between activism and betrayal. This book is not just a recounting of historical events but a vibrant portrait of a man and a movement that sought to reshape America.
Blood, Sweat and Tears
Our ancestors didn't just take the piss. They used it too.The human body leaks. It oozes. It sweats and spits. It bursts, it bleeds and it squirts. Over the history of humanity, our bodies have evolved into sophisticated vessels for survival, leaving a long trail of fluids in our wake. Whether we're coughing it up or swallowing it down, our bodily fluids are essential to our life and health. Yet, in the past couple of centuries, we have developed a difficult relationship with these fluids: today we find pus, poo and vomit unhygienic and even repellent. But this has not always been the case. In Blood, Sweat and Tears, Ruben Verwaal embarks on a deep dive into the story of our bodily fluids, the changing perceptions around them and the practical uses that have trickled down through the generations. Whether it's bile or breastmilk, semen or snot, Verwaal examines how each one of our bodily fluids is dripping with symbolism, mythology and its own rich cultural history. So the next time you have a runny nose, waxy ears, or sweat through your clothes, remember it wasn't always as gross as you think.
Brave and Bold
A hundred years. Thousands of women. One extraordinary pond. I have learned about peacocks and terrapins, giant cobras and booming widgeons; I have heard about celebrity spottings and al-fresco lovemaking and digestive biscuits. These things make up the history of the Ladies’ Pond, but they also give us an insight into a hundred years of women’s lives. From code breakers to cake bakers, I have learned that there is no such thing as a ‘normal woman’; and over the last hundred years the Pond has played host to thousands of remarkable people. For a century, the Ladies’ Pond on Hampstead Heath has welcomed women from every walk of life: artists and activists, swimmers and sunbathers, friends and free spirits. As Britain’s most famous female open-air swimming spot, a pocket of wildness tucked away in the middle of the city, it has long attracted adventurous swimmers from all over the UK and the wider world. Brave and Bold celebrates one hundred years of this beloved London landmark through the rhythm of a single swimming year, from frozen Januarys to sun-drenched midsummers; through friendships, feminist activism and the exhilaration of open water. Created in collaboration with the Kenwood Ladies’ Pond Association and rich with previously unseen archive material and new interviews – from Dolly Alderton and Amy Liptrot to lifelong swimmers of every era – this is far more than the story of one pond. It’s a story of community, women and wild water across a century of social and political change, from suffragettes to soap stars, war to liberation, and shared flasks of tea to acts of quiet rebellion. Brave and Bold is both a love letter to Hampstead Heath and to every woman who has ever felt most at home bobbing about in open water.
The Visionaries
'A gripping, behind-the-curtain story of the men and women who rebuilt the world after the carnage of World War II—and, in the process, engineered an age of unprecedented peace and prosperity. A must-read for anyone trying to understand how stability is built, how prosperity scales, and how we can protect what those architects created. Essential reading for anyone who cares about leadership and the future.' Anthony Scaramucci, former White House Communications Director______Although the Second World War was still a long way from being won, even by early 1941, US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was already planning for peace. America’s entry of the war may still have been almost a year away, but he could already see the new world order that needed to emerge from the smouldering ashes of Europe. The business of war was very quickly going to have to become the business of peace. Three years later, under the guidance of his successor, President Harry S. Truman, the Marshall Plan would emerge, a forward-thinking combination of global philanthropy and canny self-interest, rooted in a profound sense of Christian and moral duty, and which kickstarted unprecedented European growth and a chance for the world as a whole to rebuild after the ruinous catastrophe of war. From the world on the eve of war in 1914 through to the Versailles Treaty and the global financial catastrophe of the late 1920s and early thirties, and the political earthquakes that followed, The Visionaries takes a broad sweep of history with important lessons for today. It’s a reminder that while history does not repeat itself, patterns of human behaviour certainly do. James Holland’s knowledge of the Second World War and its aftermath gives him unique insight into the far-reaching consequences of the financial policies of Roosevelt and Truman. The sustained period of economic stability they initiated delivered peace to the western democracies for over eighty years and stand in stark contrast to our transactional approach to the world today.
Aphrodisia
Was Ovid a surprising champion of women''s sexual pleasure? Or did he just want them to fake it? Where did the British Museum curators hide the most pornographic of frescoes? And what exactly was the phallic wooden object excavated in 90''s Northumberland?In APHRODISIA, Dr Jean Menzies dives into the hidden history of women''s sexuality in Ancient Greece and Rome. The classical world stretched across the Mediterranean for more than a millennium, its people and cultures wide and varied and its sexual proclivities equally so. Yet so often when we read about sex in antiquity it is about the men folk first and foremost: which brothels they were visiting, how they balanced wives and lovers, and what they got up to in the gymnasium. Delving into the literature, art and artefacts of the ancient world, from sex toys to seduction tips to kink, Dr Jean Menzies instead centres women and their desire. In doing so, she uncovers the many faces of women''s sexuality over the course of thousands of years, and asks intriguing, and sometimes provocative questions about women, sex and desire today.
Notorious
History loves a villain. Across the entire span of human civilisation, certain people and groups have been identified as being responsible for the ills of the world, and have remained hated for it. In his continuing desire to separate out the facts from the fiction of history, Otto English looks at how these legacies were constructed and who told us that they were evil. From how Bloody Mary became the figurehead of uppity women and how Judas's betrayal became a template for religious tensions for centuries to what the Peasants Revolt and the Illuminati shows us about power struggles throughout the ages, English exposes the agendas behind the 'truths' we've been told to believe. And in looking at how xenophobia was weaponised during the 'Spanish' Flu, he reveals how our past sometimes bleeds into the present day. Fascinating and fearless, Notorious will re-examine some of the history's biggest villains and change the way you see the world forever.
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.
