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História 
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Vesmír, veda a technika 
Ľudské telo, človek 
Encyklopédie - ostatné
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Excavating Ancient Egypt: Fifty Years of Archaeological Memories
The excavation of archaeological sites in Egypt involves much more than the careful recovery and documentation of monuments and small finds. These activities take place in the context of a wide range of logistic and other tasks necessary for their initiation and smooth operation, an aspect of the work generally absent from scientific reports. This book describes this background to operating an archaeological project, with the day-to-day preoccupations of administration, acquisition of equipment and provisions, organizing transport and arranging accommodation. Mention of the key discoveries made over the years shows how evidence is recovered from the ground, with all the associated problems and procedures, to assemble new insight into the history of a site. Living in a small rural village for months and interacting with the local population reveals much about the nature of village life in the Nile Delta and the hospitality of the people, giving insight into the local culture.
Dog Doing Well
In this poignant and darkly humorous memoir, Sonya Vesterholt recounts her experiences growing up in Leningrad during the Stalin era and the post-Stalin "thaw."This collection of memories, stories, and jokes conveys personal experiences of historical events in the Soviet Union. Characters collide with the oppressive state espionage system that interferes in their personal lives and explore key moments from the author’s childhood and youth. With both humor and bitterness, readers discover Sonya’s routine heroism and resistance to state power as well as ironic details of everyday life. Under these circumstances, something as seemingly straightforward as a short message about the dog’s health becomes a symbol of victory over fear and absurdity.
Armies of the Byzantine Empire, 395-1204
The Byzantine Empire originated in AD 395 from the definitive subdivision of the Roman Empire into two distinct political entities: the Western Empire and the Eastern Empire. While the Western Empire disappeared in 476, due to Germanic invasions, the Eastern Empire endured for centuries. During Justinian’s reign (527-565) a good portion of the western territories were reconquered for a time and the Empire retained a distinctive ‘Roman’ nature at least until the reign of Heraclius (610-641). But during his reign, the Eastern Empire came under attack from the expanding Muslim Arabs, losing a much of its original Eastern territories. With Imperial power weakened and restricted largely to the Balkans and Anatolia, the ‘Roman’ nature of the Eastern Empire became progressively more Greek and transformed into what we know as ‘the Byzantine Empire’ (though they called themselves Romans to the end).Despite being surrounded by enemies, the Byzantines defended their remaining domains for a further half a millenium, their territories expanding and contracting with fluctuating fortunes. This tenacious survival was largely due to the ability of their military to adapt (as Roman armies always had) to emerging threats from a wide variety of enemies. The Byzantine Empire collapsed only in 1204, when attacked by forces of the Fourth Crusade, its ostensible allies. In addition to presenting an overview and analysis of the various campaigns of the period, Gabriele Esposito provides a complete review of Byzantine military organization, weapons, tactics and equipment. The clear text is lavishly illustrated with dozen of colour photographs of replica arms, armour and costume in use.
Glider Pilots in Sicily
The British Airborne landings on Sicily are the least known and, without doubt, the most fraught with political and technical strife. Newly formed Airlanding troops were delivered into battle in gliders they knew little about. The men of the Glider Pilot Regiment (GPR) had self-assembled the gliders while living in the empty packing cases. They accomplished this complex and technically challenged task while living on fly-ridden, dusty North African airfields. After only a few hours of conversion training they took off for a night flight across the Mediterranean Sea that was to end in near-catastrophe.With over three hundred soldiers drowned off Sicily that night in July 1943, the first major operation attempted by the British using gliders almost ended in total disaster. In fact a few Airborne troops reached dry land and attacked their objectives. Shining examples of collective and individual acts of courage rocked the Italian and German defenders. This book tells the controversial story of that first mass glider operation and the men who proved the GPR motto Nothing is Impossible.This is the first account of the Sicily air landing operation.
The Ultra Spy
Few people had a career that spanned two world wars and which involved some of the most dramatic and dangerous moments of the 20th century. Group Captain Frederick Winterbotham CBE, however, was one of them.Following the outbreak of war in the summer of 1914, a young Frederick, then still just 17 years old and only freshly back from a trip around the world, enlisted in the ranks of the Royal Gloucestershire Hussars Yeomanry. Soon, though, Winterbotham’s thoughts turned in a new direction – and a transfer to the Royal Flying Corps followed. Having gained his pilot’s ‘Wings’, Winterbotham was posted to 29 Squadron, then on the Western Front in France, in April 1917.Early in 1930, Winterbotham rejoined the Air Staff with the official duties of a liaison officer; unofficially he was to operate an Air Department in Britain’s Secret Service. It was in this role that, in the 1930s, he made a number of visits to Germany where he undertook a valuable intelligence and high-level espionage role among many of the top Nazis – meetings that he reveals here in dramatic detail. These encounters included Hitler himself. During the war Winterbotham was based at Bletchley Park and reported directly to the head of MI6, Sir Hugh Sinclair, as well as his successor, Sir Stewart Menzies. He was subsequently appointed as the organisation’s deputy and tasked with safeguarding the distribution and use of top secret intelligence throughout the Allied forces, which included the Enigma and Ultra transcripts. So important was this work, that Winterbotham would often report information they contained directly, and personally, to Winston Churchill.Winterbotham remained an unsung war hero, because the cracking of Enigma was considered so secret it was not revealed for some thirty years after the war, when he published his best-selling book The Ultra Secret. This autobiography is the story of one man’s remarkable service to his nation through two world wars.
Sex and Scandals in Georgian England
Sex and Scandal in Georgian England examines the fun, fascinating, and folly-filled lives of leading Georgians to provide exciting and compelling insights into the role played by extra-marital relationships in the Georgian world. Concerned with the timely issues of gender, power, and class privilege, Sex and Scandal in Georgian England provides a fascinating re-telling of the ways in which marriage, sex, and affairs were conducted in the past.By drawing upon new developments in social and cultural history, this work challenges the notion of Georgian libertinism, demonstrating instead a complex, well-accepted, and strictly enforced social code of behaviour. This is important for too long have historians contrasted the ‘wild’ Georgians with the ‘staid’ Victorians. Neither of these assumptions are true nor borne out in a careful reading of history.Sex and Scandal in Georgian England challenges some of our modern assumptions about affairs and what is considered normative behaviour while connecting today’s ‘scandal-ridden’ society with the past. In a world where politicians, athletes, and celebrities are under a microscope and are often criticised for their private behaviour, including extra-marital affairs, how were similar issues dealt with in the past? Why is it, just like during the Georgian period, that some people are celebrated for their infidelities while others are shamed and forced into social exile for what appears, on the surface, to be similar behaviour? Ultimately, Sex and Scandal in Georgian England connects the past with current issues allowing us to not only learn about history but to enjoy the process.
Broken Eagles – Napoleon and his German Allies in the 1813 Campaign
Traditional accounts of the campaigns of 1813 concentrate on the major powers: Napoleon’s France versus Russia, joined successively by Prussia, Sweden and Austria, and how, as in the French catastrophe of 1812, early successes were transformed into ruinous defeat. However, the smaller German states in Napoleon’s alliance system, the Confederation of the Rhine, or Rheinbund, also played an important part.Despite its significance, there are few books, especially in English, that explore the Rheinbund’s creation, evolution and demise. This groundbreaking new work seeks to redress this. Based on years of research in archives across Germany and France, as well as battlefield visits, this unprecedented study provides the first comprehensive analysis of the confederation’s military campaigns of 1813 – culminating in Napoleon’s defeat and the collapse of his German alliance.Presented in two parts, the first volume opens with an overview and brief history of the Rheinbund and an examination of the campaigns, battles and sieges of 1813. This second volume continues with an analysis of the forces of Württemberg, Baden and Hesse-Darmstadt, Westphalia and the multitude of smaller states that comprised the Rheinbund. Supplemented by more than 100 maps, charts and orders of battle, this is an essential reference work for any Napoleonic scholar and all those with an interest in the historical development of Germany.
Richard Duke of York, Father of Kings
Richard of York, Father of Kings explores the life and legacy of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, shedding new light on his role in the Wars of the Roses and the events surrounding the Battle of Wakefield. While Richard III often dominates historical discussions, his father’s impact has been comparatively overlooked.The Battle of Wakefield in December 1460 marked a turning point in the Wars of the Roses. Richard of York’s death paved the way for his son Edward IV’s ascent to the throne and ultimately the Tudor dynasty through his grandchildren, Edward V and Elizabeth of York. Elizabeth’s marriage to Henry VII linked Richard of York’s legacy to the English monarchy. Historian Paul Dawson, however, presents a provocative reinterpretation of these events.Utilizing previously unseen archival documents from institutions such as the Bibliotheque nationale de France and The National Archives at Kew, Paul Dawson uncovers fresh insights into the Battle of Wakefield. These sources reveal a complex web of alliances stretching across Europe, challenging traditional narratives and recontextualizing Richard’s role in the geopolitical struggles of the era.This ground-breaking work provides a nuanced understanding of Richard of York’s influence on both English and European history, reshaping perceptions of this pivotal period in the late medieval world.
The People's Story of the Great Fire of London
The Great Fire of London which destroyed much of England''s capital city in the autumn of 1666 was one of those seminal events that stand out in history, enthralling, fascinating and yet repulsive in the damage and destruction it caused.The story of the fire, which began in the early hours of Sunday 4th September, has been told many times. Phil Carradice''s new re-telling of the disaster is different in focusing mainly on the people involved. From Thomas Bloodworth, the inept Lord Mayor, to diarists Samuel Pepys and John Evelyn, from the supposed arsonist Robert Hubert to Puritan foretellers of disaster like Humphrey Smith, these people witnessed the Great Fire first-hand. Their views and descriptions make compelling reading.The book does not necessarily give reasons and causes for the fire. Rather it explores how people responded to what was, in reality, the greatest challenge they had faced in their lives. Heroes, cowards and villains are presented in illuminating fashion. King Charles and his brother James, the Duke of York, emerge with nothing but credit, leaving you to wonder how and why James switched from hero of the hour to a position of villain once he became king on the death of his brother.The upsurge of anti-Dutch and French emotion, the panic which seized the population as they tried to flee the stricken city, the breadth and width of the disaster, along with the gradual re-building of London, are all dealt with in Phil Carradice''s easy and elegant style. Historical facts and individual characterisation make this book a compelling and accurate read.
SS Panzer Battalion 501
The Peiper Kampfgruppe was the spearhead of the 6th Panzer Army. Most often mentioned for its actions on Ardennes soil, today the Gepanzerte Kampfgruppe "Peiper" remains an object of interest for its actions during the engagements between Stavelot and La Gleize, as well as the engagement of its Tiger II against the American armoured units.Although the unit had exceptional crews, including some of the most emblematic aces of the Panzerwaffe, and benefited from the element of surprise, it suffered a bitter failure in the Ardennes. How could a vehicle considered to be among the most powerful of the conflict suffer almost 100 percent losses? In hindsight, can we speak of a tactical failur? his study, carried out by a duo of Ardennes authors experienced in this episode of the Second World War, meets the dual objective of reconstructing the facts and explaining why, in the end, the Tiger tank battalion N°501 (schwere SS-Panzer Abteilung 501) was able to survive the Battle of the Bulge. It includes a summary of their confrontations, a history of the unit, as well as a tank-by-tank analysis of the causes of destruction. In total, the authors found sixteen different examples, and the machines lost one by one in the Ardennes make it possible to follow the unit''s course throughout the conflict.
French Aircraft Carriers
French carrier aviation traces its origins to the Foudre, a highly original ship initially designed to carry torpedo boats into action but later converted into a seaplane carrier. During the First World War this was supplemented by a number of merchant ships requisitioned to support aircraft and the former sloop Bapaume became the first French ship to launch wheeled aircraft while underway.The Washington Treaty of 1922 prevented the completion of traditional capital ships, so France, like the other major naval powers, decided to convert an incomplete battleship, the Béarn, to an experimental carrier. Between 1929 and 1936 there were fifteen ‘paper designs’, all covered in this book, but the only aviation ship added to the inter-war French navy was the highly unusual Commandant Teste, whose tactical rationale and service history is explored at length. France’s first purpose-designed carriers, Joffre and Painlevé were ordered just before the outbreak of the Second World War but the Armistice of 1940 meant that neither was ever completed.Some design work continued during the war, which culminated in the projected PA28 Clemenceau of 1948, but the ship proved too expensive and was cancelled in 1949. Instead, France acquired four second-hand ships from Britain and the USA which, as Dixmude, Arromanches, Lafayette and Bois Belleau, played a significant role in the postwar conflict in French Indochina.After budgeting and planning delays, the Marine National finally obtained its first modern indigenously built carriers with Clemenceau (1961) and Foch (1963). These important ships enjoyed long and successful careers, and their evolution and service histories form a major focus of this book. The final chapters cover developments up to the nuclear-powered Charles de Gaulle and an epilogue looks at the French Navy’s plans for future naval aviation, making this a complete history from the earliest days to the present.
The Early Years of the FA Cup
The 2021-2022 season marked the 150th anniversary of the first FA Cup, the world’s oldest football knockout tournament. The inaugural matches began on 11 November 1871, with the final played at Kennington Oval on 16 March 1872, featuring the Royal Engineers.During the first decade, military teams played a pivotal role in the competition. Teams like the Royal Engineers, 1st Surrey Rifles, and 105th Regiment competed in 74 matches, winning over half and scoring 154 goals. Major Francis Marindin was instrumental as a player, referee, and administrator, shaping the FA Cup''s legacy.Military figures achieved notable milestones in football history. The Royal Engineers reached the first FA Cup final. Lieutenant James Prinsep of the Essex Regiment was the youngest player to feature in a full match at the time, while Lieutenant William Maynard played in the first official international match for England. Captain William Kenyon-Slaney scored the first international goal for England, and Lieutenant Henry Renny-Tailyour scored Scotland’s first goal.The Early Years of the FA Cup explores the intersection of Victorian football and military history. It recounts FA Cup matches involving military players, their contributions to infrastructure and mapping, and their roles in conflicts such as the Zulu War, Afghanistan, and the Western Front, many sacrificing their lives.
The Sterling Redemption
Engineering entrepreneur James Edmiston acquired the Sterling Armament Company in 1971 while still in his twenties. The company was notable for manufacturing one of the most famous sub-machine guns ever produced. The Sterling had seen limited use in the Second World War and by 1953 had been formally adopted by the British Army. Sterling guns were even the basis for the weapons used by the Storm Troopers in the Star Wars films.By the beginning of the 1970s the Sterling Armament Company had been in operational difficulties. James set about putting its troubles to rights and building on its reputation for manufacturing the best quality, high-performance machine guns that could be obtained. By the age of 40 he had turned the business around and was successfully selling Sterling guns to legitimate purchasers all around the world adhering strictly to the rigorous British licensing and export regulations.But all this suddenly changed when James, along with arms dealer Reginald Dunk, was wrongly charged with illegal arms exports through Jordan to Iraq at a time when British policies were reacting to rapidly fluctuating foreign regime changes and allegiances.Their defence resulted in a merry-go-round of legal wrangles involving the British Foreign Office, Ministry of Defence and Customs & Excise.In 1985 Reginald Dunk was persuaded to plead guilty to the charges after an important witness reneged on assurances to come to court to prove his innocence. James was acquitted and it later transpired that the authorities had only been after Dunk anyway perhaps to settle another, unrelated, score. So James had all along been a pawn in a wider game that seemed incomprehensible to him at the time.The case was to have serious repercussions in Whitehall when the Scott Report (commissioned in 1992 to inspect cases of reported arms sales in the 1980s to Iraq by British companies) discovered a cover-up in the Sterling case and that senior officials had blocked Dunks witnesses. The Report condemned the misconduct as disgraceful.Though his conviction was quashed and Dunk received more than 2m for wrongful conviction in 1999, compensation for James seemed impossible because of a curious anomaly in the legal system.It was only through the efforts of Lawrence Kormornick, the lawyer who had helped Dunk receive eventual acquittal and compensation, that James could have any hope of recompense. Another fifteen years of legal battles would ensue before the matter was brought to some sort of conclusion in 2008.The book follows a period of more than twenty-five years from the sudden and unimaginable accusation of illegal arms dealing, through the ensuing legal and personal struggles that James Edmiston experienced.Packed with ironies, twists of fate and many unanswered questions it is a compelling read for anyone interested in political intrigue and abuse of power, miscarriage of justice and learning about how an individual took on the state.
The Guardian Angel
Recounts Michel Hollard?s heroic discovery of Hitler?s V-1 weapon, saving London from devastation.This book tells the story of an important yet little-known episode of 20th century history. Just as General de Gaulle did, Lieutenant Michel Hollard refused to accept France?s surrender in June 1940. A spirited soldier during the First World War, a rebel officer in the Second, he worked out a bold defence strategy to counter Adolf Hitler?s barbarity and megalomaniac madness.In 1943, Michel Hollard learned that the occupying army was carrying out suspicious construction work in north-western France. His enquiries led him to discover Hitler?s top-secret weapon pointing at London; the V-1. The accuracy of the intelligence that Michel Hollard revealed to the English avoided the worst for London. The sinister machines were bombed before being able to do their work of death as planned.Betrayed, he was captured by the enemy, tortured and sent to Neuengamme concentration camp, then thrown into the hold of a ship destined to be sunk. Miraculously, he survived. By saving London, Michel Hollard greatly contributed to the success of the Normandy landings and therefore the final victory. In honour of his achievements, a Eurostar train (the high-speed London-Paris service through the Channel Tunnel) was christened Michel Hollard in 2004.
The Jewel of Knightsbridge
In 1836, Charles Henry Harrod found himself in a prison hulk awaiting transportation to Tasmania for seven years’ hard labour. He had been convicted at the Old Bailey of receiving stolen goods, and this should have been the beginning of the end for his fledgling business and his family. And yet, in miraculously escaping his fate and vowing to turn his back on crime, he would become the much esteemed founder of the now legendary Harrods in London’s fashionable Knightsbridge district. Some years later Charles was succeeded by his son, who brought with him the necessary energy and drive to take the shop from a successful local grocer’s to a remarkable and complex department store, patronised by the wealthy and famous.Robin Harrod’s fascinating family story reveals the previously unknown origins of the store, and follows its remarkable fortunes through family scandal, the devastating fire of 1883 and its subsequent rise from the ashes, to the end of the nineteenth century when its shares were floated on the stock exchange, thus completing one of the most extraordinary comeback stories in the history of commerce.
City of Kashmir
City of Kashmir offers readers a journey into the 2,000-year history of Srinagar, exploring its written history, legends and oral traditions to take a living pulse. In exploring the city''s geography, it maps the daily rituals of life and the accompanying material culture, as well as the crafts for which Srinagar is justly famed worldwide. Based on twenty years'' research in Srinagar as a heritage consultant, Sameer Hamdani''s narrative is shaped and populated by glimpses of the historical built environment and other rich personal reflections, as well as selected translations of Sanskrit, Persian and Kashmiri poetry from the medieval and early modern periods. Hamdani provides a detailed overview of the origin and development of Srinagar on a scale never previously attempted, covering the entirety of the pre-Muslim and Muslim eras in medieval Kashmir, with a focus on the cultural life of the city. Richly illustrated with drawings, sketches and other images, this inviting book will be a timely addition to our expanding knowledge of regional cultures across South Asia, especially as witnessed through their material production and legacies.
Female Smugglers of the 19th Century
Writing Female Smugglers of the Nineteenth Century has proved quite a challenge, but a fascinating one. This was a century when the romantic notion of smuggling – bold runs onto beaches with kegs of alcohol – was diminishing as duties were slowly eroded on such highly desirable goods. But it was a century when more innovative and ingenious ways of smuggling a larger variety of goods came to the fore. Tobacco and alcohol, yes, but also lace, luxury fabrics and garments, jewellery and even looms were being smuggled in, and out of the U.K. This was not the century of the popular “pirate” figures of the eighteenth century with its famous female figureheads. The early part of the nineteenth century saw women involved in helping their husbands and family with unloading and distributing goods, seen as a survival necessity given their limited incomes … latterly, more well-heeled women on superior vessels were smuggling goods for themselves, often thanks to the fashion for bustles!Of course, as in all areas of history, women are often disregarded and demoted to second-rate roles, so finding out about such women has only been possible thanks to court records, oral history, and newspaper reports. As a result, the subject has not been covered elsewhere in any great detail and this book attempts to resolve that gap. It covers the whole of the U.K. and has chapters on the U.S.A. and Europe and is intended to entertain and amuse as well as, perhaps, to educate.
27th British Commonwealth Brigade in Korea 1950 – 1951
When North Korea mounted its audacious surprise invasion of South Korea in June 1950, the world was stunned. Within 3 days, the Soviet backed North Koreans had captured the South Korean capital of Seoul and threatened to soon take over the entire country. Facing imminent defeat, the South Koreans and their American allies put out the call for urgent reinforcements. Among the first to answer were the men of the 27th British Commonwealth Brigade.Comprising units from five countries - Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and India - the Commonwealth Brigade saw 9 months of brutal fighting. From the Pusan pocket in the far south, up to the border with Communist China, the disparate units of the Brigade were welded together into an extremely potent fighting force. The Commonwealth troops faced North Koreans, Chinese Communists and the equally brutal ‘General Winter’, emerging from numerous battles as a well-respected and effective force.This book is the first book which looks at the composition of each of the five countries which made up the Commonwealth Brigade and describes their commonalities and differences as well as how they were brought together to form a single effective unit. It also examines in detail the ‘friendly fire’ incident at Hill 282 when the Argylls were accidentally bombed by the US Airforce and the first VC of the war was awarded. This books also looks at the pivotal battle at Kapyong which helped to blunt the Chinese Spring Offensive of 1951. Unlike previous histories which often focussed on the actions of a single country, this book looks at the contributions of all of the Commonwealth forces as a whole and shows that it was the efforts of the Commonwealth troops together that led to their eventual success.
Guadalcanal
After the Pearl Harbor attack, the Japanese quickly captured Hong Kong, Guam, Wake Island, the Gilbert Islands and Rabaul. Japanese conquests of Malaya and Singapore, the Philippines, the Dutch East Indies and Burma followed into the spring of 1942. The Japanese juggernaut continued southwards with bases established at Salamaua and Lae in Northwest New Guinea followed by landings at Buna, Gona, and Sanananda along Papua’s northern coast as a prelude to capture Port Moresby over the Owen Stanley Range to threaten Australia.Despite a strategic American naval victory at the Battle of the Coral Sea and the sinking of four Japanese aircraft carriers at the Battle of Midway, the Allied situation remained desperate. Japanese naval troops invaded Tulagi Island and nearby islets off the coast of Florida Island on 3–4 May 1942 to construct a seaplane and naval base. Japan’s goal of advancing through the southern Solomon Islands and beyond to New Caledonia, Fiji, and Samoa was to create a defensive buffer against an attack by a slowly-recovering American Navy and further isolate the Antipodes. In July 1942, Allied coast watchers and reconnaissance aircraft observed the construction of an airfield on Guadalcanal 20 miles to the south of Tulagi and Florida Islands.On 23 July 1942, American military leaders prioritized securing the South Pacific’s lines of communication and halting the Japanese advance. The American invasion of Guadalcanal and Tulagi became operational entailing hellacious land, air and sea battles from 7 August 1942 to 3 February 1943. Guadalcanal became the essential struggle between Allied and Japanese forces, with the victor to eventually control the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific. The events of the campaign are expertly described here with contemporary images and detailed text.
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.
