Najnovšie - Encyklopédie populárno-náučné strana 57 z 152
História 
Príroda 
Vesmír, veda a technika 
Ľudské telo, človek 
Encyklopédie - ostatné
zobraziť:
Mary Queen of Scots’ Downfall
In the early hours of 10 February 1567 a large explosion ripped through the Old Provost’s lodgings at Kirk o’ Field, Edinburgh, where Mary Queen of Scotland’s consort, Henry Lord Darnley, was staying. Darnley’s body was found with that of his valet in a neighbouring garden the next morning. The Queen’s husband had been suffocated and the ramifications for Mary and Scottish history would be far-reaching.Lord Darnley cuts an infamous figure in Scottish and Tudor history. In life he proved a controversial character, and his murder at Kirk o’ Field in 1567 remains one of British history’s great, unsolved mysteries – establishing whether Mary was implicated has taxed historians ever since.In this engaging and well-researched biography, Robert Stedall re-examines Darnley’s life and his murder. It is not to be missed; his investigation brings new light and compelling conclusions to a story surrounded by political betrayal, murder, falsified evidence and conspiracy.
The U-2 Over the Soviet Union
On 1 May 1960, a traditional military parade was held in Moscow. What stood it out from the previous ones, however, was the number of missiles, and in particular the ground-to-air anti-aircraft variants, that were present.There was perhaps nothing surprising in this dominance of missiles, for Nikita Khrushchev had already declared that the so-called Rocket Troops were to be the ‘main branch of the armed forces’. Not for nothing had the Politburo allocated huge sums of money and the best scientific minds to the on-going development of these weapons and units. In fact, there was no fly-past over the Red Square in 1960 as Khrushchev considered aircraft to be a ‘dying species’. From then on, it was being stated, military aviation would be assigned little more than an auxiliary role in the defence of the Soviet Bloc.Khrushchev’s assessment of the future of aircraft was seemingly confirmed by an incident that occurred more than 1,000km to the east of Moscow. For what the spectators and participants of the grand ‘rocket’ parade did not know was, that in one of the key events of the Cold War, an American high altitude reconnaissance Lockheed U-2 jet had, barely hours before, been shot down over the Urals by one of the types of missiles that were passing before them.Based on documents held in the CIA’s archives, declassified documents released by the Russian Ministry of Defence, and the memoirs of participants in the events in question, this book explores the true story of the preparation, implementation, and consequences of the U-2 reconnaissance flights over the Soviet Union, Eastern Europe and Cuba between 1956 and 1962. For the first time, the author reveals the military plans that were activated in the Eastern Bloc to combat the U-2 missions, and how the Soviets tried unsuccessfully to create a fighter-interceptor to operate in the stratosphere. This book also reveals which secret locations and objects were photographed by the U-2, including those which remained unidentified, and investigates where the secret centre of the Russian atomic project was actually located and whether the U-2 was able to find it. What was the true reliability and value of the information received from America’s U-2 operation? he reader will discover which objects were confiscated from Francis Gary Powers, the pilot of the U-2 brought down, following his capture, and why was he had been issued with women’s jewelry and watches before his fateful flight? The Soviet view of the incursions by Powers and his fellow U-2 pilots is laid bare – revealing just why the Powers’ name is as widely known in Russia as that of the cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin.
A Dark History of Tea
Uncovers tea''s dark history, from empire-building and opium smuggling to cultural traditions and seduction.A Dark History of Tea explores our long relationship with this most revered of hot beverages. Renowned food historian Seren Charrington-Hollins digs into the history of one of the world?s oldest drinks, tracing the significance of tea on the tables of both the wealthy and the working classes.This humble herbal infusion has been used in burial rituals and as a dowry payment for aristocrats. It has fueled wars, spelled fortunes and built empires, gradually forming an integral part of the cultural fabric of British life. This book delves into the distasteful history of a drink that is now considered to be quintessentially British. It tells a story of cruelty, slavery and illicit opium smuggling, all practices that enabled tea to flow into the cups of British society.The story of tea takes the reader on a fascinating journey through myth, fable and folklore; through stories of swindling, adulteration, greed and war. Learn of the importance of tea to the naval trade and how it spurred the first impulses of modern capitalism. Discover how tea played a part in the globalization of the world economy.Scattered throughout this fascinating history are interesting facts about tea etiquette and tradition. Discover the link between tea and seduction and read about the illicit liaisons that occurred as a result of teatime meetings. This is an enjoyable rollercoaster of dark discoveries that will cast away any thoughts of tea as something that merely accompanies breaks, sit downs and biscuits.
Lightning
The English Electric/BAC Lightning, a product of Britain’s once-thriving aviation industry, is arguably the most iconic single-seat interceptor ever created. Those who remember its arrow-shaped form hurtling skywards love to regale anyone who will listen with tales of its incredible performance, eardrum-assailing reheat and near-vertical climbs. The Lightning was advanced for its time and required considerable investment and research to take it from the drawing board to active service as an effective fighting machine. Significant strides were made in the early years after the award of the contract—all of which could have come to nothing when it was deemed in the 1957 Defence White Paper that piloted aircraft had had their day. The design was saved only by its advanced stage of development; as is often the case in flight, turbulence is to be expected. But despite the obstacles put in its path, the Lightning prevailed to become one of Britain’s most admired and respected fast jets. Taking the reader through the politics that threatened its development, its groundbreaking design, its service career and many other aspects of its extraordinary history, Lightning: From Inception to Preservation is a comprehensive study of Britain’s first and only truly homegrown supersonic jet-powered interceptor.
Titus Oates and the Popish Plot to Kill King Charles II
Reviled by his contemporaries and historians alike, ''the monstrous Titus Oates'' masterminded the fabricated Popish Plot of 1678–1681, a conspiracy that led to the wrongful execution of 27 Catholics. His story is one of staggering ambition, lies, and betrayal. Yet Oates’ life also opens a window into an age of religious tension, political intrigue, and moral complexity. Was he truly ''the vilest liar in the world,'' or has his story been shaped by the biases of his tim? rawing on a wealth of contemporary sources, from state papers to private letters and trial records, Jonathan Oates untangles fact from fiction, uncovering the truth about Oates’ character, his actions, and his legacy. By exploring his life in its full context, the author reveals a fascinating portrait of a man who played a pivotal role in shaping the political landscape of Britain.The Catholic Conspiracy to Kill King Charles II is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the turbulent world of Restoration England, and the shadow cast by one of its most controversial figures.
Daughters of the Sun: Small Human Images in Megalithic Iberia, 4th-3rd Millennium BC
Prehistoric human images have fascinated archaeological, anthropological and social researchers for many generations. They are known from the Upper Palaeolithic, but in the Neolithic their number increased significantly, forming part of the archaeological record throughout Europe. In Iberia, especially in the south, thousands of figurines have been preserved. These are small human figures of men, women, boys and girls, with female images predominating in funerary and domestic contexts. This volume brings us closer to the current state of knowledge in Iberia, from romantic archaeology to processual and post-processual archaeology. The book explores the number, geographical spread and extended chronology of the figurines – from the 6th to the 3rd millennium BC – and the social practices that lay behind their production and use. From goddesses to women, this exceptional legacy indicates an unprecedented role for women in these societies. The figurines illuminate the representation of identity, its chronological depth, the existence of workshops and distribution circuits, and the continued manipulation of these pieces over generations.
From US Marine to Provincial Military Governor in Iraq
The book is an account of the U.S. Marine Corps 3rd Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment ("3/23"), who were tasked with governing Wasit Province immediately after the Coalition invasion as part of the 1st Marine Division. Then Lt. Col. David Couvillon, was appointed provincial military governor—a position for which he had zero training and preparation.His instructions were simple: "If anything happens, it''s your responsibility." As simple as that order was, it was also very complicated. It’s difficult to grasp the challenge the 3/23 faced after the Coalition’s invasion of Iraq, overseeing a population of over a million people scattered across 6600 sq. miles: the breakdown of normal society, interruption and outright devastation of infrastructure, political and religious schisms, and the collapse of a functioning economy. The province was in shambles. 3/23 had to provide basic security for both military personnel and the populace, while also thwarting insurgency. Couvillon and his men had very little direction—sometimes without sufficient resources.Marines are not trained for long-term occupation. They are trained in first-strike operations. Establishing city councils, creating women''s political parties, holding local elections, creating a functioning police force, instituting a civilian judicial system, instituting a free press and independent TV and radio stations, reopening primary schools, engaging in diplomacy with imams and sheiks, bolstering the regional economy, brokering peace agreements between rival tribes, overseeing trade agreements between towns: none of this is within the purview of the Marines.3/23 strolled the streets of Al Kut and Numaniyah, talking with people, playing with children, and trying to solve the myriad problems of everyday life. Despite being the public face of the American occupation, Lt. Col. Couvillon traveled throughout the province apparently unarmed: no helmet, no armor, no visible weapon. The Marines (and, later, soldiers and sailors) came under attack more than once.Nor was 3/23 completely without fault. There were substantiated instances of excessive force and even the death of innocent civilians. A military occupation is, at best, a necessary evil.But 3/23 came to Wasit, Iraq, not as conquerors, but as allies: friends who wanted to help overthrow, not just a dictator, but Wasit so that its people could experience individual freedom and self-government.From US Marine to Provincial Military Governor in Iraq is the story of how the battalion faced immense and perilous challenges without much in the way of direction from above—Couvillon’s only real guidance came from the Small Wars Manual, a sixty-year-old Marine Corps handbook on low intensity conflicts. It’s about citizen-soldiers-sometimes derided as “weekend warriors ”-who turned their civilian life skills into an assets for their mission. It’s the personal story of Lt. Col. David Couvillon, who in an instant was transformed into a military governor responsible for the welfare not only of his 900 leathernecks, but the approximately 1.5 million inhabitants of an Iraqi province. The narrative doesn’t shrink from criticism of higher-ups who made consequential misjudgments that made the 3/23’s job harder and ultimately undermined its achievements. Understanding the successes of the 3/23 can help prevent future mistakes.
Hitler’s Holocaust in the Ukraine 1941-1944
Prior to the German invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941, Ukraine was home to one of the largest Jewish populations in Europe. It is estimated that almost one million Jews were murdered in the Ukraine between 1941 – 1944. Many of those Jews killed in 1941 were by the Einsatzgruppen death squads, Order Police Battalions, Ukrainian Police Auxiliary units, collaborators and Wehrmacht forces. Most of those people executed were killed close to where they lived.Holocaust in the Ukraine tells the plight of the Jewish community in the Ukraine and the mass killings that took place there. It shows how German forces occupied a large part of German-occupied Ukraine, and incorporated it into what was known as the Reichskommissariat Ukraine.Within a week of the German invasion of the Ukraine police units and their auxiliaries, under the guidance of members of the Einsatzgruppen began murdering Jewish communities. There were various massacres including Babyn Yar where some 33,000 Jews were executed during a two-day period in August 1941.One of the first massacres in the Ukraine was ordered only days after the start of the German invasion known as the Lviv pogroms where 6,000 Jews were murdered by Einsatzgruppen and Ukrainian nationalist. This was followed by other wholesale murders which included the Kamianets-Podilsky massacre where some 23,000 residents were killed. Other killings too included the Pavoloch, Berdychiv, Odessa Artemivsk Sarny massacrews and numerous other killings across the country.With detailed captions and text together with a host of rare photographs, this Images of War book is an important study of how Ukraine was subjected to a Nazi policy of terror with an ideological goal of eradicating communism and destroying the Jews and the Ukrainians, who were all classed as sub-human.
The British Soldier
Many of us have at least one ancestor who served in the British Army during the Second World War. We probably know where they served and what regiment they served with but we are not aware of exactly how they became soldiers.The British Soldier: Training for War focuses on those who became infantry soldiers, commandos and paratroopers and the training they received in the British Isles to fight ''at the sharp end'' of combat all over the world during the years 1939 to 1945.Drawing on contemporary training manuals, battalion histories, magazines and newspaper articles, personal memoirs, regimental museum archives, declassified military files and interviews with those who experienced wartime military training first-hand, a vivid and authentic account is presented of training from ''square bashing'' and skill at arms to the evolution of battle schools, assault courses, battle drill and significant training exercises.All infantrymen were trained hard but it gave them the skills, fighting spirit, endurance and confidence they needed in themselves, their comrades and their unit when in battle. By the end of the Second World War, nearly three million men had served in the British Army. Every one of them had to be trained to become soldiers. This is their story.
The Suffragette Story and the Pankhurst Family
With their founding of the suffragette movement and passionate pursuit of votes for women, Emmeline Pankhurst and her three daughters—Christabel, Sylvia and Adela—forever altered the course of British history.This book offers a compelling exploration of their pivotal role in the women’s suffrage movement while uncovering the personal stories behind these trailblazing women. What motivated this post-Victorian middle-class family to risk everything—their reputations, their livelihoods, even their very lives—for the cause of female suffrag? hrough an intimate examination of their relationships with one another, as well as with those who inspired and challenged them, this book reveals the love, resentments and ruthlessness that stirred these four women into action.Emmeline and her daughters were far from alone in the fight for suffrage, and the contributions of many of the exceptional women and men who supported them are highlighted here.Nevertheless, it is the Pankhurst’s extraordinary journey that lies at the heart of this story. Above all, this is a look into one remarkable family whose struggles and sacrifices ultimately left a lasting mark on history.
The Roman Empire in Crisis, 248–260
This book is a narrative history of a dozen years of turmoil that begins with Rome’s millennium celebrations of 248 CE and ends with the capture of the emperor Valerian by the Persians in 260. It was a period of almost unremitting disaster for Rome, involving a series of civil wars, several major invasions by Goths and Persians, economic crisis, and an empire-wide pandemic, the ‘plague of Cyprian’. There was sustained persecution of the Christians. A central theme of the book is that this was a period of moral and spiritual crisis in which the traditional state religion suffered greatly in prestige, paving the way for the eventual triumph of Christianity.The sensational recent discovery of extensive fragments of the lost Scythica of Dexippus sheds much new light on the Gothic Wars of the period. The author has used this new evidence in combination with in-depth investigations in the field to develop a revised account of events surrounding the great Battle of Abritus where the army of the emperor Decius was annihilated by Cniva’s Goths. The reigns of the emperors Gallus, Aemilian and Valerian are treated in detail, and new ideas are presented regarding mysterious characters of the age such as Silbannacus and Sponsian.This period is pivotal for understanding the transition between Classical civilisation and the period known as Late Antiquity.
Tank Craft 46 Panther Medium Tank German Army Waffen-SS and Luftwaffe Units
During the spring and summer of 1944 a series of Soviet offensives, culminating in Operation Bagration which was launched on 22 June, threatened to destroy the entire German army on the Eastern Front. As infantry units scrambled to hold makeshift defensive positions the mobile Panzer battalions were the only formations that were able to plug the increasing number of gaps in the frontline. One of the most important weapons in the Wehrmacht''s arsenal at that time was the Pzkpfw V Panther tank which had gone into combat for the first time in July 1943. Armed with a powerful 7.5cm main gun, these tanks were capable of penetrating the armour of the strongest Soviet designs and it was planned that every Panzer regiment would eventually contain a battalion of these impressive vehicles. In his latest volume in the TankCraft series Dennis Oliver continues the story of these remarkable vehicles using archive photos and extensively researched colour illustrations to examine the Panther battalions that fought to hold back the Red Army''s push to the borders of Germany during 1944. A key section of his book displays available model kits and aftermarket products, complemented by a gallery of beautifully constructed and painted models in various scales. Technical details as well as modifications introduced during production and in the field are also examined providing everything the modeller needs to recreate an accurate representation of these historic tanks.
Royal Childbirth in the Middle Ages
In 1441, Eleanor Cobham, Duchess of Gloucester, was convicted of trying to bring about King Henry VI`s death through witchcraft. Her defence was that she had simply tried to become pregnant with the help of a well-known wise woman, using sorcery only for this aim.While one of the most widely publicised cases of such a fertility treatment, it was certainly not the only one in the Middle Ages. In fact, due to the lack of knowledge surrounding not only fertility but also pregnancies and birth, there was a flourishing market offering spiritual and secular aids.This book provides a history of the concerns and the common problems for women struggling with fertility problems, being pregnant and giving birth, and looks especially at the religious and societal ramifications of these issues.
Luftwaffe Aces in the Battle of Britain
The term ?fighter ace? grew in prominence with the introduction and development of aerial combat in the First World War. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ?ace? has varied but is usually considered to be five or more.For the Luftwaffe, a number of its fighter pilots, many of whom had fought with the Legion Condor in Spain, had already gained their Experte, or ace, status in the Battle of France. However, many more would achieve that status in the hectic dogfights over southern England and the Channel during the Battle of Britain in the summer of 1940. A number would also be either killed or captured. Some of these men, individuals such as Adolf Galland, Werner Mölders, and Helmut Wick, who between them had claimed 147 aerial victories by 31 October 1940, are well-known, but most are less so.In this book, the story of each of the Luftwaffe?s 204 Messerschmitt Bf 109 ?aces? from the summer of 1940 is examined, with all of the individual biographies, detailing individual fates during the war, being highly-illustrated throughout. Original German records from the summer of 1940, have been examined, providing a definitive list of each pilot?s individual claims. It also covers, to a lesser extent, those forgotten fifty-three Messerschmitt Bf 110 pilots who also achieved ace status by day and also by night between 10 July and 31 October 1940.
Ancient Greek Oracular Texts
This book offers a comprehensive and systematic—rather than historical—approach to ancient Greek oracular texts, showing their conceptual and formal unity and patternization, as well as their meaningful diversity. It provides even coverage of both oracular texts ascribed to major institutions, including Delphi, Dodona, Didyma, Clarus, and Abonoteichus, and those attributed to mythical poets such as the Sibyl, Bacis, and Musaeus. Chapters analyse the metre and phraseology of the texts and how they were recorded, transmitted, archived, and collected, as well as their narrative functions and authors. It also takes into account the later reception of Greek oracular texts: ‘theological oracles’; epigraphically attested lot oracles (dice and alphabet oracles); three extant Greek oracular texts which survived from the Libri Sibyllini of the Roman Republic; adoptions into—or imitations in—Latin literature of Greek oracular texts. With a lengthy appendix offering relevant texts in ancient Greek and English, readers gain a fuller understanding of the linguistic nuances and conventions of such texts and their place in the wider corpus of Greek literature. The volume provides a fascinating resource and reassessment of oracular texts, suitable for students and scholars working on Greek and Roman oracles, divination, and ancient religion more broadly, as well as classicists, archaeologists, theologians, and epigraphists.
Deadline
In Deadline: 200 Years of Violence against Journalists in the United States, Elizabeth Atwood offers the first comprehensive look at the history of fatal attacks against journalists in the United States between 1829 and the present. Atwood describes the political, technological, and economic context of these assaults, and includes brief biographies of the victims and accounts of what happened both them and to their assailants after the attacks. To help us understand these attacks, Atwood presents a framework for categorizing them, built on John Nerone’s studies on assaults on American media workers. Atwood categorizes attacks against journalists as attacks against individuals, ideas, and media institutions, and undertaken to suppress reporting on certain topics and in the context of wars and other international or conflicts. Crucially, Deadline utilizes this framework to offer possible solutions to the issue of violence against journalists. Atwood was inspired to explore the pressing issue of violence against American journalists after the tragic death of one of her colleagues at the Baltimore Sun, Rob Hiaasen, in the Capital Gazette shooting in 2018. Throughout, she demonstrates that distrust of the media and violence against the press in the United States are hardly new developments. Her work examines how intimidation, violence, and censorship have, in fact, been used against the American press since both its and the nation’s founding.
Epic Earth
Earth’s history isn’t just ancient — it’s absolutely epic.From viral science creator Lindsay Nikole comes a bold, hilarious, and wildly fascinating journey through the history of our planet — packed with bizarre creatures, jaw-dropping facts, and all the chaotic drama Earth has to offer.Known for turning TikTok and YouTube into her own digital science classroom, Lindsay brings her signature energy and storytelling to Epic Earth — a book that transforms 4.6 billion years of history—from the Precambrian era until the present— into an unforgettable adventure.This is the story of Earth like you’ve never seen it before — from the first spark of life to prehistoric monsters to the rise of humans… and all the weird stuff in between. This book takes you through every era of the Earth’s history.Meet some prehistoric creatures too weird for Hollywood:Opabinia — a five-eyed, backward-facing, vacuum-nozzle-mouthed oddball that looks like it lost a bet with evolutionAnomalocaris — a giant ocean predator with sideways-facing claws (basically nightmare shrimp)Aegirocassis — a filter-feeding sea giant Lindsay calls “absolutely grotesque”Titanoboa — the largest snake to ever exist (yes, it could eat you)Smilodon — the legendary saber-toothed cat with a bite far scarier than its Instagram profile would suggestPlus: ancient sharks, giant bugs, and way too many creatures with way too many teethIn Epic Earth, you’ll uncover:The chaotic early days of Earth (volcanoes, meteors, and non-stop disaster)Paleozoic oceans teeming with alien-like lifeThe rise and fall of dinosaurs (plus some you''ve never heard of)Mass extinctions that hit like plot twistsIce Ages, megafauna, and why prehistoric animals were so extraHow life survived again and again — and how we fit into the storyThe history of Earth is a wild ride. Let Lindsay Nikole be your guide.Perfect for:Fans of Lindsay Nikole’s TikToks, YouTube videos, and animal contentCurious readers ages 10 and upScience lovers, animal nerds, dino-obsessed kids (and adults)Classrooms, science teachers, and homeschool families Anyone who loves fun facts, wild creatures, and epic storytelling
Scotland's Stone of Destiny
Scotland''s ''Stone of Destiny'' is the most famous symbol of both Scottish nationhood and the British monarchy. Nick Aitchison has produced the first fully researched and illustrated study of its history, mythology and cultural significance.Having first traced the origin, evolution and function of myths surrounding the Stone and the ancient prophecy that gives the Stone its name, he examines the stone itself and for the first time reveals the Stone''s original function and the origins of its symbolic sanctity. The Stone''s historic contexts and its role in royal inauguration and coronation rituals are also discussed, including an analysis of the rich symbolism surrounding the Stone and its changing nature over time. The book concludes with a discussion of the Stone''s symbolic significance with the creation of the Scottish parliament.
World War II: Book of Lists
Everything you ever wanted to know about the Second World War: from the highest-rated fighter aces to the most inventive escape equipment used to break out of Colditz; from army pay by rank to the largest battleships; from the most stirring speeches to the biggest tactical errors; from the strangest regimental mottoes to the plays most performed by ENSA; and from the dates each country joined the war to the most unlikely spies.All the major events and dates in the war are covered in detail, but equal emphasis is placed on the human experience of combat. Often poignant and always revealing, World War II: the Book of Lists offers a unique insight into the deadliest conflict in human history.
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.
