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A panoramic view of the cosmos must begin with the tension of a single political moment. In Quantum History, Slavoj Žižek brings together Hegelian dialectics, Lacan psychoanalysis and quantum mechanics to rethink history, reality and political possibility.Taking up Lenin’s challenge to radically reconsider materialism in the wake of each big scientific discovery, and rejecting the recent vogue for giving a vague spiritualist spin to wave mechanics, Žižek embraces the philosophical implications of quantum mechanics with characteristic erudition and verve. Drawing on the central themes of the holographic universe, non-commutativity and the collapse of superpositions, Žižek evolves a quantum-inspired ontology which reinvents the historical materialism of Hegel and Heidegger – and compels a brutal, often darkly funny, inquisition into the chances of radical emancipatory acts today.Quantum History takes the reader from the absolute contradiction of the primordial void through quantum oscillations to our ordinary reality, weaving in Lacan and Deleuze, Rovelli and Schelling, opera, cinema, sex and war. Žižek is at his sharpest, saddest, most provocative best as he demonstrates that there is no way of extracting ourselves from the texture of history, no neutral position from which the workings of the world can be observed transparently – we must act from a contingent, complex and inscrutable political moment, in sadness and in doubt, but defiantly.

Critical thinking isn’t just about doing what’s needed to score higher marks in your assignments; it’s about developing a questioning mindset and an ability to question and interrogate information. The ability to weigh up arguments and make informed judgements is a skill that will benefit students in their academic work, in their placements, and in their professional lives.This book outlines what critical thinking and critical reflection mean in the context of studying Education or Childhood Studies. It begins by defining what critical thinking means, and shows readers how to get into a critical mindset. Subsequent chapters chart how to go about the process of critical analysis at each stage of working on an assignment, including how to read critically, how to analyse sources and how to write critically. The book also contains guidance on critical reflection and how to demonstrate critical thinking in professional life. Delivering presentations is a common form of assessment and the book contains a dedicated chapter on how to present critical thinking in spoken communication. In addition to a glossary, the book also features critical thinking sentence starters which help students to convey critical analysis using appropriate language in their assignments.

The essential guide to the most transferable of all student skills: delivering a presentation clearly, coherently and confidently.Written in a friendly and accessible style, Presentation Skills for Students takes the fear out of public speaking and helps students to acquire the skills they need to deliver effective presentations at university and in their future careers. With a range of practical examples and exercises to help build confidence, it takes students through every step in the process from choosing a topic, preparing presentation material and visual aids to what to do on the day itself. This revised and restructured edition also includes practical guidance on:- Online and recorded presentations- Working in groups- Making presentations accessible and inclusive- Managing your nerves - Job interview presentations This is an invaluable resource for students of all disciplines in further or higher education who have to give presentations as part of their course. It is also ideal for recent graduates looking to hone their presentation skills as they enter the job market.

Guru Dutt’s final film as a director, Kaagaz Ke Phool/Paper Flowers (1959), follows the successful film-maker Suresh Sinha (played by Dutt himself) as rumours of his affair with his actress Shanti (Waheeda Rehman) lead him to lose his family, descend into alcoholism and ultimately retreat from the film industry. Initially met with critical and commercial failure, the film is now revered for its technical prowess and considered one of the finest self-reflexive works in Indian cinema.Lalitha Gopalan explores Kaagaz’s innovative visual style, being the first Indian film shot in CinemaScope, highlighting cinematographer V. K. Murthy’s essential contribution. She also analyses the soundtrack, composed by S. D. Burman with lyrics by Kaifi Azmi, examining the now-classic picturisations of songs such as ‘Waqt Ne Kiya Kya Haseen Sitam’. Drawing on interviews with practitioners and people close to Dutt, Gopalan reconstructs the original contexts of the film’s production and reception. Finally, using Kagaaz as a lens, she assesses Dutt’s influence on popular Indian cinema during the 1950s, as well as on global film melodrama more broadly.

Nicholas Ray’s 1955 film Rebel Without a Cause is a globally recognised landmark of post-war American cinema. The film follows twenty-four hours in the life of troubled teen Jim Stark (James Dean), the new boy in town, who becomes drawn into a maelstrom of shifting social allegiances, emotional turmoil, and violence. Rebel tackled head-on the thorny political issue of juvenile delinquency from the perspective of the adolescents, contributed to the genesis of the teen movie, and was pivotal in bringing The Method acting style to wider audiences. Dean’s nuanced and dextrous performance as the film’s lead character was paramount in establishing the actor’s iconicity.In his study of the film, Glyn Davis foregrounds the concept of rebellion, exploring in detail what it meant to be a rebel in the 1950s, the role that cinema has played in articulating rebellion and providing a haven for rebels, and why James Dean’s archetypal depiction of a teenage rebel has endured. Combining sharp close analysis with perceptive contextualisation, Davis scrutinises Nicholas Ray’s status as a maverick director, the challenges that The Method presented to calcified standards of performance in Hollywood, and the ways in which Rebel contributed to the shaping of new articulations of masculinity and sexuality. Ray’s film, Davis ultimately argues, has an ambiguous stance on rebellion, depicting both the lure and the terror of rejecting conformity.Davis examines the significant contributions to Rebel Without a Cause made by an array of cast and crew members: from screenwriter Stewart Stern to composer Leonard Rosenman, from production designer Malcolm Bert to costume designer Moss Mabry, from lead actors such as Dean and Mineo to secondary players such as Marietta Canty and Edward Platt. Highlighting the film''s shifting critical reception, he unpacks its legacy and the reasons that it continues to resonate with contemporary audiences.

This book tells the true story of a young girl growing up during the Kosovo war and its immediate aftermath following Kosovo’s liberation by NATO troops in 1999. Through her embodied experiences, the book exposes the tangible and everyday acts and events of the war, providing brutal insight into the impact of war and the politics of subjugation. At the outset of the book (in 1998), Vjosa’s view of the world, as a young child, is organized in clear dichotomies: the good Albanians and the evil Serbs; the brutal Serbian military shelling Albanian civilians and the angelic NATO airplanes bombing Serbian military sites. This Manichean worldview starts to unravel after Vjosa and her family are chased away from their home by the Serbian military and moved to the suburbs. There, surrounded by mostly poor and uneducated fellow Albanians, she gradually discovers the layers of her family’s socio-economic privileges. Though unequipped with the language to verbalize it, she is tormented by the idea that her family’s comparatively higher socio-economic status is the reason why they are spared by the Serbian military. When the war ends in 1999, and the NATO tanks fill the narrow streets of her hometown as Serbian military tanks leave, Vjosa believes she received her own ‘happily ever after’. She celebrates her thirteenth birthday happily wearing a US military uniform, holding an unbearably heavy unloaded gun as she becomes the favorite interpreter of the American NATO troops. She spends several months after the war occasionally translating between angry Albanians who now seek revenge against Serbs and NATO troops who insist on not picking sides; showcasing the impossibility of (re)building Kosovo with “both-sides-ism” becoming the modus operandi of the international intervening structures.

Bestselling historian Frank McDonough tackles the subject in the same way as his brilliantly reviewed and bestselling titles in this series. The penultimate title in the Hitler''s Germany series, the book marks the end of the Second World War, and the end of the Nazi regime, offering the reader a sweeping narrative tackling the major characters, significant events of this horrific period of Nazi doctrine formed in their early years of the 1920s, that would evolve into full-blown genocide of a race of people by the end of World War Two.The Hitler Years: Holocaust 1933–1945 describes in detail the development of early persecution formulated by Adolf Hitler from as far back as the early 1920s, placing in context what was to come once the Nazi Party gained power in 1933; the Nuremberg Laws to constrain the German-Jewish population. It covers the country’s slow slide into a pre-war policy of intimidation that would culminate in the murderous attacks on ‘Kristallnacht’ (the ‘Night of Broken Glass’). As Europe marched into another global conflict in 1939, tens of thousands of German Jews had fled the country only to be swept up as Hitler’s armies conquered all Western Europe. With the invasion of the Soviet Union, the secret meeting in early 1942 (the Wannsee Conference) would utilise the war in the east to plan in intricate detail the annihilation of the Jewish population on the continent – known to all now as the ‘Final Solution’.The fully illustrated book draws together and engages with the latest scholarly research, makes extensive use of primary research, presenting a vivid and shocking narrative. A tragic and deadly period in German and European history is brought to life by one of the country’s premier scholars.

AVAILABLE TO PRE-ORDER NOWTHE POIGNANT STORY OF HOW A GROUP OF ELITE PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALLERS WENT TO WAR1914. Britain is slowly becoming football-obsessed: players are becoming household names, attendance is increasing and George V attends the FA Cup Final in May. Then the war breaks out.In this fascinating work, equal parts footballing and military history, Christopher Evans explores how, once the war began, footballers were put under immense pressure to sign up, resulting in the formation of Football Battalions in England and Scotland. He tells the story of World War I, particularly what happened in the trenches of Northern France, through the eyes of leading footballers of the day. Some would return to leave their mark on the game; some would fade into obscurity; and some would never make it back.Among them are Vivian Woodward, an Olympic gold medallist and football''s first superstar; Frank Buckley, who would emerge from the war a hero and go on to redefine the role of a football manager; and Walter Tull, Tottenham and Northampton hero, who faced racism both on the football field and battlefield before becoming the first Black man to win a commission and command a unit in the British Army.Deeply researched and drawing on archival material, this is a captivating exploration of this remarkable army battalion.

Margaret Tudor, the elder sister of her more famous brother Henry VIII, is the single most important Tudor figure of this era that historians have consistently overlooked. Married at thirteen to the charismatic James IV of Scotland, a man more than twice her age, she would learn the skills of statecraft that would enable her to survive his early death, and to construct a powerful position in her adopted country of Scotland as she dealt with domestic issues as well as navigating international relations with England and France.Often reviled for her hasty remarriage (and therefore the loss of the regency) the book shows that Margaret was damned if she did remarry and damned if she didn’t. Her two subsequent marriages were both disastrous personally, but she never gave up. Her son attained the throne in his own right in 1528, largely through his mother’s determination.Margaret’s story is also one of fierce sibling rivalry with her younger brother, Henry VIII, a series of matrimonial mishaps, and fighting off an unearned reputation as an over-sexed whinger fixated by clothes and jewels, Margaret was a complex (not always likeable) woman who had the true Tudor attributes of self-expression and a flair for the dramatic. She knew that you had to look like a queen.Drawing on Margaret’s extensive correspondence (more of her letters survive than of all the other Tudor queens put together), and contemporary poems and literature, Linda Porter fashions a compelling story of a misunderstood and underestimated Tudor monarch, whose determination to fight for the rights of her son, James V, is at the core of her dramatic life and indeed laid the groundwork for a future British state.

Packed with humour, romance and a love affair with nature, Escape to the Northern Lights is a story of transformation, second chances and finding home in the most unexpected places.High-powered lawyer Sara thought she had life figured out – until her whirlwind marriage ends in divorce, her dream promotion slips away and a burnout diagnosis forces her to take a break.Desperate for a reset, she books a four-week spa retreat in Norway, imagining a luxurious escape. Instead, she finds herself in the rugged wilderness of Firefly Forest, knee-deep in reindeer droppings and stuck with an annoyingly bohemian – and ridiculously attractive – outdoorsman, Henrik.What starts as a nightmare turns into a journey of self-discovery as Sara swaps designer heels for bare feet, legal briefs for tree-hugging, and fleeting flings for something far deeper...Readers LOVE Escape to the Northern Lights:''I read this in a day... Stunning!'' 5* NetGalley review''Cosy and comforting... Everything you want from a romance novel'' 5* NetGalley review''I loved this book... You won''t be able to put it down'' 5* NetGalley review

The story of the Luftwaffe fighter arm’s desperate defence of the Third Reich from the growing Allied bomber offensive in World War II.The Reichsverteidigung (Defence of the Reich) was a do or die campaign that saw the very best fighter pilots in the Luftwaffe attempt to defend German skies from increasingly large formations of RAF and USAAF medium and heavy bombers. Flying both piston-engined and, eventually, the first jet-engined fighters to see operational service, the Jagdflieger employed a wide range of weapons and tactics in an effort to blunt the Allied air offensive across Nazi Germany and Occupied Europe. Defenders of the Reich focusses on the story of the pilot, his aircraft, his weaponry, his draining, dangerous missions and Luftwaffe tactics against the USAAF and the RAF bombers from the summer of 1942 through to VE Day. They fought until they were all but obliterated as USAAF and RAF fighters decimated their ranks in the air and targeted their airfields in devastating strafing attacks.leading Luftwaffe historian Robert Forsyth uses German and Allied archival documents coupled with interviews with former Jagdwaffe pilots, to tell the history of this last-ditch aerial campaign from the perspective of the Luftwaffe.

The fascinating history of St Stephen''s Chapel in the Palace of Westminster, a building at the heart of British life for over 700 years. Begun in 1292, the royal chapel of St Stephen was the crowning glory of the old palace of Westminster – a place of worship for kings and a showcase of the finest architecture, ritual and music the Plantagenets could muster. But in 1548, as the Protestant Reformation reached its height, St Stephen''s was given a new purpose as the House of Commons. Burned out in the great palace fire of 1834, the Commons chamber was then recreated on a remarkably similar medieval design, perpetuating a way of doing politics that is recognisable to this day.St Stephen''s has been part of many lives over the centuries, from the medieval masons who worked through the Black Death to complete the chapel, to the generations of MPs who locked horns in the Commons chamber. Threading together religion, politics, art, architecture and narrative history, John Cooper tells the story of the lost chapel, an iconic building that reflects the national transition from medieval divine-right monarchy to modern parliamentary democracy.

The thrilling new historical adventure in the Tales of the Lawless Land series set in 1350s Europe, from New York Times bestselling author Boyd Morrison and expert medievalist Beth Morrison.Croatia, 1351. Daring knight Gerard Fox and his adventurous wife Willa, fresh from a dangerous quest across Italy and Greece, soon find themselves embroiled in a new intrigue as they sail toward the walled city of Dubrovnik.Having inadvertently hindered a rescue mission, Fox and Willa make amends by helping a desperate Croatian couple forced into a terrible dilemma: either they betray their hometown to a treacherous nobleman and the brutal warlord he serves, or their abducted child will be murdered.A century-old prophecy and a lost codex written by fabled explorer Marco Polo are key to stopping the warlord’s conquest, which could spark a devastating war along the entire Adriatic coast. Fox and Willa race against time to devise a plan for saving a child, a town, and a country – knowing it could cost them everything if they fail...''The Morrisons bring the Middle Ages to life in vivid detail'' Graham Brown

Survivor. Rebel. Conspirator. Mother and grandmother of kings. Margaret Beaufort was one of the most remarkable and influential women of the Middle Ages.Born the daughter of the Duke of Somerset into a century of conflict, and a descendant of Edward III, she was married at twelve; a mother, orphan and widow at thirteen; and rode the vicissitudes of the Wars of the Roses, and two further marriages, to see her only son Henry ascend the throne of England as the first monarch of the Tudor dynasty. She helped to bring about the marriage of Henry VII to Elizabeth of York, a union that helped heal the wounds of a bitterly divided nation.During Henry’s reign, she exerted considerable influence at court, and played a part in the upbringing of her grandson, the future Henry VIII.She was a lifelong artistic patron and supporter of academia. In old age she founded a professorship of divinity and two colleges at Cambridge University. By the time of her death in June 1509, she had outlived by two months the son whose birth fifty-two years previously had so nearly killed her.Lauren Johnson’s life of Margaret Beaufort brings its subject vividly and memorably to life. She delineates the decades of political upheaval that were the backdrop to her long and resilient career, and highlights the shrewdness that kept her afloat amid the churning waters of a brutal civil war, but she also tells Margaret’s story with a profound and touching humanity. This was a woman whose body had to endure the trauma of childbirth when she was little more than a child; who saw her baby boy on only a handful of occasions before he reached manhood; who braved decades of danger and uncertainty, but succeeded in guiding her son – through courage, political astuteness and sheer persistence – to the greatest prize of all: the crown of England.

A definitive new biography of General Franco that offers a new insight into his lasting legacy in Spain.From a scrawny, overlooked military graduate to the youngest general in Europe, Francisco Franco was known for his ambition, talent and calculated risk-taking. Yet his reputation remains a topic of fierce debate. Did he destroy Spain and stifle its democracy or rescue the nation from left-wing tumult? In this compelling biography, Giles Tremlett unravels the complex life and legacy of the enigmatic dictator who shaped twentieth-century Spanish history.This book will delve into the complexities of Franco''s character, exploring his volatile relationship with a domineering father, his traumatic experiences fighting in Morocco and the formation of his authoritarian ideology. The narrative follows Franco''s ruthless leadership during the Civil War, his alignment with Hitler and Mussolini and the subsequent Cold War era that brought him international rehabilitation. Tremlett interrogates Franco''s transformation of Spain through a lens that challenges the conventional view of him as a bumbling leader. Instead, he argues that Franco was a deliberate and pragmatic dictator who wielded terror to maintain an iron grip on power, and whose lasting (and most surprising) contribution was the period of peace that allowed Spain to challenge the absolutist spirit he embodied. Nuanced and comprehensive, El Generalísimo offers a fresh perspective that reveals the intricate interplay of ambition and fearlessness of Francisco Franco; and examines his enduring legacy that continues to shape Spain''s political and cultural landscape.PRAISE FOR GILES TREMLETT:''Tremlett''s work will bring many who think we know Spain to confront what we have hesitated to acknowledge even to ourselves'' Matthew Parris''Tremlett writes with humour, modesty and a great affection for his subject'' Daily Telegraph''Tremlett is a fascinating socio-cultural guide'' Guardian

Sherlock Holmes is dead. But his nemesis is not.James Moriarty is severely wounded, his organisation has been dismantled and Sherlock Holmes is dead. Fleeing to recover, desperate to rebuild his empire, Moriarty must assume a new identity. Months after Sherlock''s death, aspiring doctor Clara Mendel returns to Schloss Alber after a six-year absence. The vast estate, which hangs high upon the cliffs of Bavaria, is home to the noble Alber family. A priceless sword, on which the family''s wealth and reputation depends, has been stolen from the grave of the intended heir, Clara''s step-father.Lord Alber has placed his trust firmly in his esteemed new friend, a Mr Hugo Strahm, to find the sword and prevent the noble family''s ruin. Once they have spent more time together, Clara becomes intrigued by Strahm''s formidable intellect: finally she has an equal at Schloss Alber.But Clara isn''t naive. She knows the secrets a great house like Schloss Alber can hide. And as she spends more time in Mr Strahm''s company. she begins to suspect him of hiding his true identity. Can she really trust him to find the missing sword?The start of a fiendishly inventive and enjoyable new historical mystery series. Jack Anderson’s Moriarty Mystery books see Sherlock Holmes’ iconic villain re-invented for a whole new generation of readers.