Cartea este rezultatul anchetelor desf??urate ?n paginile revistei Contemporanul – anchete ce au abordat o problema delicat?, ocolit? de nu pu?ini c?rturari: ?Problema evreiasc?". Se pronun?? pe marginea acestei disputate teme actuale personalit??i ca, de pild?, Dumitru ?epeneag, Matei C?linescu, Ion Vianu, Irina Cajal, Ion Iano?i, Nicolae Breban, ?i nu pu?ini al?i importan?i actan?i ai vie?ii sociale, politice ?i culturale din Rom?nia de azi.Un manual indirect de istorie, cartea e destinata studen?ilor, elevilor, profesorilor, precum ?i publicului larg de cititori.

Materialele reunite in acest volum reprezinta o suma de contributii si studii publicate in ultimii ani. Toate materialele au fost selectate pentru a corespunde titlului stabilit: BATALIA PENTRU BASARABIA. Este explicabil de ce, in atare conditii, preocuparile colectivului de autori s-au concentrat asupra epocii celui de-al Doilea Razboi Mondial, cu predilectie tratand sfartecarea teritoriala a Romaniei Mari in 1940 sau rolul si locul Maresalului Ion Antonescu in reluarea luptei nationale pentru eliberarea Basarabiei de sub dominatia Imperiului Rosu stalinist, dupa 1941. Nu au fost neglijate nici anume fapte si consideratii din rastimpul 1945-1989, cand batalia s-a desfasurat indeosebi pe plan politico-diplomatic, dar si ideologic ori istoriografic.

Imaginea Romaniei prin turism, targuri si expozitii universale, in perioada interbelica, este titlul unei noi carti extrem de interesante, adresata atat specialistilor cat si publicului larg. Lucrarea elaborata de dr. Claudiu-Alexandru Vitanos reprezinta bilantul unor eforturi sistematice ale autorului de cercetare a modului in care a fost elaborata politica nationala privind dezvoltarea turismului si, totodata, politica de promovare a Romaniei prin intermediul targurilor si expozitiilor universale de-a lungul deceniilor interbelice.

Ac?iunea informativ? Nichita Smochin? reprezint? rezultatul cercet?rii ?n Arhiva CNSAS.Documentele publicate sub egida Institutului de Istorie ?George Bari?iu“ al Academiei Rom?ne au ca subiect urm?rirea informativ? a lui Nichita Smochin? de c?tre Securitate ?n perioada 1952-1962. Dup? abandonarea Rom?niei ?n sfera de influen?? sovietic?, activitatea academic?, publicistic? ?i umanitar?, desf??urat? ?n perioada interbelic? ?i ?n timpul celui de al Doilea R?zboi Mondial, dar mai ales calitatea de consilier al mare?alului Ion Antonescu, l-au plasat pe cel mai important militant pentru afirmarea spiritului rom?nesc ?n Transnistria ?n fruntea listei du?manilor URSS.FragmentDin nota privind ?nt?lnirea agentului ?Speran?a“ cu Nichita Smochin?: ?n ziua de 17 octombrie 1952, informatorul ?Speran?a“, sub pretextul c? vrea s? primeasc? lec?ii de limba rus? ?n scris, s-a dus la Smochin? Nichita, din str. N. Golescu nr. 14. La intrare ?Speran?a“ a fost ?nt?mpinat? de fiica lui Smochin?, care nu prea vroia s? o primeasc? ?n?untru. Dup? ce a fost primit? ?n?untru, a venit ?i Smochin?, cu care a ?nceput discu?ia. Din discu?ii a rezultat c? Smochin? ?n prezent traduce din limba rus? ?n limba rom?n? diferite c?r?i, pe care le prime?te de la o redac?ie din apropiere de locuin?a sa. A mai rezultat c? el, p?n? ?n anul 1938, a locuit ?n Ia?i, dup? care s-a mutat ?n Bucure?ti. Este v?duv, locuie?te ?mpreun? cu fiica sa, ginerele s?u ?i un nepot. Este o fire ?nchis?, necomunicativ?, ?ns? fa?? de ?Speran?a“ s-a ar?tat foarte binevoitor, mai ales v?z?nd c? ?tie la perfec?ie s? vorbeasc? limba rus?. Toat? conversa?ia a fost dus? ?n limba rus?. Sursa: ?Speran?a“. Valoarea: serioas?. Nota biroului: S-au trasat instruc?iuni informatorului s? se mai duc? la Smochin? ?i s? primeasc? lec?ii ?n scris, iar deocamdat? s? nu deschid? discu?ia despre trecutul s?u, pentru a putea c?p?ta ?ncrederea lui Smochin?, iar la a treia vedere s? deschid? discu?ia. Nota superiorului: ?S? se urm?reasc? ?n continuare ac?iunea lui Smochin?, p?n? vom primi noi dispozi?iuni de la Cabinet. Informatorului s? i se dea bani pentru a pl?ti medita?ia pe care o prime?te de la Smochin? (ss)“.

National Book Critics Circle Award 2005 pentru carte de nonfic?iune. Premiul pentru Pace Erich-Maria-Remarque, 2001 Carte interzis? ?n Bielorusia ?Explozia reactorului num?rul 4 va deveni cel mai mare dezastru nuclear civil din istoria omenirii. Zona este o realitate ?n toat? monstruozitatea ei. La fel ca ?n cartea SF a fra?ilor Struga?ki, Picnic la marginea drumului, Zona este un infern pe p?m?nt, guvernat de propriile legi. Aici danseaz? lumini deasupra c?mpului, praful ridicat de v?nt are culori ciudate, se nasc copii cu muta?ii genetice, popula?ia a fost evacuat?, regiunea, interzis? ?i p?zit? de patrule militare, dar oameni stranii ?i-au f?cut din Zon? locul ?n care tr?iesc. Ei sunt C?l?uzele reale ?n Zona reactorului de la Cernob?l.“ – Ion M. Ioni?? C?nd fra?ii Arkadi ?i Boris Struga?ki publicau ?n 1972 celebrul lor roman SF Picnic la marginea drumului, nu ?i-ar fi putut imagina, nici ?n cele mai negre vise, c? Zona descris? ?n roman va deveni realitate paisprezece ani mai t?rziu, ?n ?ara lor, URSS. Conform ideologiei oficiale, Zona nu avea cum s? apar? ?n patria sovietelor. Doar URSS construia cele mai sigure reactoare nucleare din lume care ?ar fi putut fi instalate chiar ?n Pia?a Ro?ie, at?t de fiabile erau“. Nu a fost a?a. Pe 26 aprilie 1986, lumea avea s? intre ?n epoca Cernob?l. Explozia reactorului num?rul patru va deveni cel mai mare dezastru nuclear civil din istoria omenirii. Zona este o realitate ?n toat? monstruozitatea ei. La fel ca ?n cartea SF a fra?ilor Struga?ki, Zona este un infern pe p?m?nt, guvernat de propriile legi. Aici lumini danseaz? deasupra c?mpului, praful ridicat de v?nt are culori ciudate, se nasc copii cu muta?ii genetice, popula?ia a fost evacuat?, regiunea, interzis? ?i p?zit? de patrule militare, dar oameni stranii ?i-au f?cut din Zon? locul ?n care tr?iesc. ?O istorie oral? mi?c?toare a catastrofei din 1986 de la reactorul nuclear de la Cernob?l, ?n care curajul fatalist ?i stoic este dublat de un umor incredibil de negru. Jurnalista rus? Svetlana Aleksievici a ?nregistrat o serie de m?rturii pe care le-a prezentat sub forma unor ?monologuri?, ?n stil romanesc, care zugr?vesc imaginea vie a atmosferei generale de nemul?umire de la sf?r?itul perioadei comuniste, ?n care liderilor de partid agresivi, propagandei paranoice ?i mobiliz?rilor haotice li se opun sarcasmul deprimant, g?ndurile amare ?i abuzul de votc?. Rezultatul este o radiografie de neuitat a sufletului rus.“ – Publishers Weekly

Conservatorismul pragmatic, conservatorismul lui David Hume, Edmund Burke i, n secolul XX, al lui Michael Oakeshott, se deosebete profund de reacionarism i de ultraconservatorismul virulent. Un conservator pragmatic este un om care gndete fr mituri caluzitoare i fr adevruri absolute, ce confisc i paralizeaz inteligena; este un adversar, i nu un adept, al utopiilor inverse, care aspir la restaurarea trecutului. El este un adept al moderaiei i al gradualismului – nu pentru ca ar avea oroare de schimbrile profunde, ci pentru ca tie c nimic important, nrdcinat ntr-o form de via omeneasc, nu poate fi schimbat brusc. Se comite adesea o confuzie ntre conservatorismul pragmatic i radicalismul de dreapta. Dar este vorba de o eroare de neiertat, cci cele doua forme ale Dreptei se opun diametral: Ostilitatea fa de radicalism, ostilitatea nencetat, implacabil, este definiia esenial a conservatorismului (Robert Cecil, Marchiz de Salisbury). Au existat i n Romania figuri celebre apropiate conservatorismului pragmatic, spre exemplu P. P. Carp. ns, din pcate, tradiia autohton este dominat de radicalismul de dreapta, ilustrat (virulent) de Eminescu i (seren) de Maiorescu, iar ulterior de generaia rtcit: Nae Ionescu, Mircea Eliade, Cioran i Noica.“ (Adrian-Paul Iliescu)

The dual purpose of the revision of this work has been simplification and amplification.?The language has been recast in parts and there have been added sub-titles within each chapter, cross-references and an index. Ideas such as "Religion as law," the Logos of Philo and the development of Messianism have been made as simple as these subjects admit of.??In seeking illustrations to vivify the narrative it is unfortunate that so little is available. Ah! if we had pictures of Hillel, of Akiba the Martyr, of Judah the Saint, of the Jamnia Academy, of the splendor of the Babylonian Exilarch. But this very absence of pictures is in itself a bit of Jewish history.??This new edition contains quotations from the literature of the periods covered, from the Apocrypha, Philo, Josephus and the Mishna. Three chapters have been added, two on "Stories and Sayings of the Sages of the Talmud" and one on "Rabbi Judah and his times."?Other chapters have been placed in more logical sequence. Both the Chronological Tables and the Notes are fuller. A new feature has been introduced in a "theme for discussion" at the close of each chapter that may be found helpful to study circles and Chautauqua societies. This has also been introduced in the recently issued "Modern Jewish History."??The author expresses his grateful indebtedness to Dr. David de Sola Pool for a most careful reading of the manuscript and for many corrections and suggestions; also to Mr. Philip Cowen for the aid rendered in collecting the illustrations. The author has availed himself of writings that have appeared on this epoch since the edition of 1904. He hopes he has succeeded in producing a more readable book.??When the impatient youth demands, like the heathen from Hillel, a definition of Judaism, bid him "go and learn" the history of the Jew. Let him follow the fascinating story from hoar antiquity, when the obscure Hebrews, "leaving kindred and father's house," took a bold and new departure for the land that God would show—the land that would show God.??Point to the colossal figure of Moses on Sinai, "greatest of the prophets," who gave the first uplifting impulse with his Ten Words of Faith and Duty. Trace with him the soul struggle of this "fewest of all peoples" to reach the truth of divinity—beginning with a crude conception that became steadily more exalted and more clarified with each successive age, until, at last, the idea is realized of an all-pervading Spirit, with "righteousness and justice as the pillars of His throne," the "refuge of all generations."??Make clear to him how the revelation of the divine will came to be expressed in Law. And, how the preservation and development of this Law, in the interpreting hands of prophets, scribes, rabbis, poets and philosophers, became henceforth the controlling motif of the history of the Jew, his modus vivendi, whether under Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Arabians or Franks. Help him to see that through it the Jew held in his keeping the religious fate of Orient and Occident, that took from him their respective impressions of Islamism and Christianity.??Let him see the "God-intoxicated" teaching his message by living it; the Suffering Servant whose martyrdom brought healing to his smiters.??Then, perhaps, he may understand that no one definition can completely express the Faith of the Jew and his place in the divine economy. But with this glimpse of his history the grandeur of his inheritance will sink into his consciousness, becoming part of himself, and he will be thrilled with the tremendous responsibility devolving upon him as a member of the priest-people, the witnesses of God, whose mission was and is to "bring light to the Gentiles—that salvation may reach to the ends of the earth."??By e-Kitap Projesi, Illustrated by Murat Ukray..

We sailed from Peru, (where we had continued for the space of one whole year) for China and Japan, by the South Sea; taking with us victuals for twelve months; and had good winds from the east, though soft and weak, for five months space, and more. But the wind came about, and settled in the west for many days, so as we could make little or no way, and were sometime in purpose to turn back. But then again there arose strong and great winds from the south, with a point east, which carried us up (for all that we could do) towards the north; by which time our victuals failed us, though we had made good spare of them. So that finding ourselves, in the midst of the greatest wilderness of waters in the world, without victuals, we gave ourselves for lost men and prepared for death. Yet we did lift up our hearts and voices to God above, who showeth his wonders in the deep, beseeching him of his mercy, that as in the beginning he discovered the face of the deep, and brought forth dry land, so he would now discover land to us, that we might not perish. And it came to pass that the next day about evening we saw within a kenning before us, towards the north, as it were thick clouds, which did put us in some hope of land; knowing how that part of the South Sea was utterly unknown; and might have islands, or continents, that hitherto were not come to light. Wherefore we bent our course thither, where we saw the appearance of land, all that night; and in the dawning of the next day, we might plainly discern that it was a land; flat to our sight, and full of boscage; which made it show the more dark. And after an hour and a half's sailing, we entered into a good haven, being the port of a fair city; not great indeed, but well built, and that gave a pleasant view from the sea: and we thinking every minute long, till we were on land, came close to the shore, and offered to land. But straightways we saw divers of the people, with bastons in their hands (as it were) forbidding us to land; yet without any cries of fierceness, but only as warning us off, by signs that they made. Whereupon being not a little discomforted, we were advising with ourselves, what we should do. During which time, there made forth to us a small boat, with about eight persons in it; whereof one of them had in his hand a tipstaff of a yellow cane, tipped at both ends with blue, who came aboard our ship, without any show of distrust at all. And when he saw one of our number, present himself somewhat before the rest, he drew forth a little scroll of parchment (somewhat yellower than our parchment, and shining like the leaves of writing tables, but otherwise soft and flexible,) and delivered it to our foremost man. In which scroll were written in ancient Hebrew, and in ancient Greek, and in good Latin of the school, and in Spanish, these words: Land ye not, none of you; and provide to be gone from this coast, within sixteen days, except you have further time given you. Meanwhile, if you want fresh water or victuals, or help for your sick, or that your ship needeth repairs, write down your wants, and you shall have that, which belongeth to mercy. This scroll was signed with a stamp of cherubim: wings, not spread, but hanging downwards; and by them a cross. This being delivered, the officer returned, and left only a servant with us to receive our answer. F. BACON About Author: Francis Bacon, 1561 – 1626), was an English philosopher, statesman, scientist, jurist, orator, essayist, and author. He served both as Attorney General and Lord Chancellor of England. After his death, he remained extremely influential through his works, especially as philosophical advocate and practitioner of the scientific method during the scientific revolution.Bacon has been called the father of empiricism. His works established and popularised inductive methodologies for scientific inquiry, often called the Baconian method, or simply the scientific method. His demand for a planned procedure of investigating all things natural marked a new turn in the rhetorical and theoretical framework for science, much of which still surrounds conceptions of proper methodology today.Bacon was knighted in 1603, and created Baron Verulam in 1618 and Viscount St. Alban in 1621; as he died without heirs, both peerages became extinct upon his death. He famously died of pneumonia, contracted while studying the effects of freezing on the preservation of meat. The succession of James I brought Bacon into greater favour. He was knighted in 1603. In another shrewd move, Bacon wrote his Apologies in defence of his proceedings in the case of Essex, as Essex had favoured James to succeed to the throne. The following year, during the course of the uneventful first parliament session, Bacon married Alice Barnham. In June 1607 he was at last rewarded with the office of solicitor general. The following year, he began working as the Clerkship of the Star Chamber. Despite a generous income, old debts still co

To my thinking, all modern English books on the Devil and his works are unsatisfactory. They all run in the same groove, give the same cases of witchcraft, and, moreover, not one of them is illustrated. I have endeavoured to remedy this by localizing my facts, and by reproducing all the engravings I could find suitable to my purpose. I have also tried to give a succinct account of demonology and witchcraft in England and America, by adducing authorities not usually given, and by a painstaking research into old cases, carefully taking everything from original sources, and bringing to light very many cases never before republished. For the benefit of students, I have given—as an Appendix—a list of the books consulted in the preparation of this work, which, however, the student must remember is not an exhaustive bibliography on the subject, but only applies to this book, whose raison d’être is its localization. The frontispiece is supposed to be the only specimen of Satanic caligraphy in existence, and is[Pg vi] taken from the ‘Introductio in Chaldaicam Linguam,’ etc., by Albonesi (Pavia, 1532). The author says that by the conjuration of Ludovico Spoletano the Devil was called up, and adjured to write a legible and clear answer to a question asked him. Some invisible power took the pen, which seemed suspended in the air, and rapidly wrote what is facsimiled. The writing was given to Albonesi (who, however, confesses that no one can decipher it), and his chief printer reproduced it very accurately. I am told by experts that in some of the characters may be found a trace of Amharic, a language spoken in its purity in the province of Amhara (Ethiopia), and which, according to a legend, was the primeval language spoken in Eden. JOHN ASHTON. CHAPTER IUniversal Belief in the Personality of the Devil, as portrayed by the British Artist—Arguments in Favour of his Personality—Ballad—‘Terrible and Seasonable Warning to Young Men.’ The belief in a good and evil influence has existed from the earliest ages, in every nation having a religion. The Egyptians had their Typho, the Assyrians their Ti-a-mat (the Serpent), the Hebrews their Beelzebub, or Prince of Flies,[1] and the Scandinavians their Loki. And many religions teach that the evil influence has a stronger hold upon mankind than the good influence—so great, indeed, as to nullify it in a large degree. Christianity especially teaches this: ‘Enter ye by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many be they that enter in thereby. For narrow is the gate, and straitened the way, that leadeth unto life, and few be they that find it.’ This doctrine of the great power of the Devil, or evil influence over man, is preached from every pulpit, under every form of Christianity, throughout the world; and although at the present time it is only confined to the greater moral power of the Devil over man, at an earlier period it was an article of belief that he was able to exercise a greater physical power. This was coincident with a belief in his personality; and it is only in modern times that that personality takes an alluring form. In the olden days the Devil was always depicted as ugly and repulsive as the artist could represent him, and yet he could have learned a great deal from the modern Chinese and Japanese. The ‘great God Pan,’ although he was dead, was resuscitated in order to furnish a type for ‘the Prince of Darkness’; and, accordingly, he was portrayed with horns, tail and cloven feet, making him an animal, according to a mot attributed to Cuvier, ‘graminivorous, and decidedly ruminant’; while, to complete his classical ensemble, he was invested with the forked sceptre of Pluto, only supplemented with another tine.

Milyen állambiztonsági kockázatokat rejtett magában egy futball-világbajnokság? Vajon miért volt olyan fontos a titkosszolgálat számára Puskás, hogy még a hatvanas évek végén is érkeztek róla jelentések? Valóban kiváltságos klubként kezelte a rendszer Kádár kedvenc csapatát, a Vasast? A politikai rend?rség szempontjából miért voltak kiemelten veszélyesek a Ferencváros mérk?zései? ?s vajon mi igaz abból, hogy a magyar válogatott nem nyerhetett a Szovjetunió ellen? ?s egyáltalán: miért érdekelte mindez az állambiztonságot? TAK?CS TIBOR k?nyvéb?l kiderül, hogy a sport, így a futball egyre fokozódó állambiztonsági ellen?rzését mindenekel?tt a kiszélesed? nemzetk?zi kapcsolatok indokolták, de egyes sportvezet?ket, játékosokat és szurkolókat is folyamatosan megfigyelés alatt tartottak. Ezzel együtt a kádári politikai rend?rség olykor maga sem tudta pontosan, mi dolga a labdarúgás k?rül – ilyenkor aztán m?k?désbe lépett az állambiztonsági paranoia, amely egy egyszer? szurkolói megnyilvánulásban is ?ellenséges tevékenységet” szimatolt. A t?rténész arra vállalkozik, hogy bemutassa: milyen tevékenységet végzett a Kádár-korszak állambiztonsága a legnagyobb t?megeket vonzó t?megsport, a labdarúgás k?rül. Futball és állambiztonság kapcsolatáról kül?nb?z?, néha párhuzamosan futó, olykor egymást metsz? t?rténeteken keresztül ad átfogó képet, mik?zben felvázolja az 1956 utáni állami sportirányítási rendszer és a politikai rend?rség m?k?désének f?bb vonásait és jellemz?it is. TAK?CS TIBOR Nyíregyházán született 1974-ben. A Kossuth Lajos Tudományegyetem B?lcsészettudományi Karán diplomázott 1997-ben. Ezt k?vet?en doktori ?szt?ndíjas volt, majd a nyíregyházi levéltárban dolgozott. 2002-t?l a T?rténeti Hivatal, illetve utódintézménye, az ?llambiztonsági Szolgálatok T?rténeti Levéltára munkatársa. 2005-ben a Debreceni Egyetemen doktori címet szerzett. F? kutatási területe az 1945 utáni magyar t?rténelem, kül?n?s tekintettel a politikai rend?rség m?k?désére

K?ztudott, hogy a pártállami diktatúra idején minden jobboldali gondolat eredend?en üld?zend?nek számított. De vajon hogyan élték túl a hagyományos politikai felosztás szerint jobboldalinak tekintett személyek és mozgalmak a Rákosi-, majd a Kádár-rendszer üld?ztetéseit? Kik választották az évtizedekre szóló, csendes ?alámerülést”, és kik azok, akik továbbra is aktívan képviselték korábbi eszméiket? ?s vajon a rendelkezésünkre álló dokumentumok alapján meg lehet-e kül?nb?ztetni a jobboldalhoz k?thet? valós társadalmi jelenségeket az állambiztonság konstruált ügyeit?l? Az UNGV?RY KRISZTI?N által szerkesztett tanulmányk?tet a Kádár-rendszer állambiztonsága szempontjából ?jobboldalinak” tekintett hagyomány és gondolkodás, illetve az ezt képvisel? csoportok 1945 és 1990 k?z?tti t?rténetéb?l ad reprezentatív válogatást. Mivel e meglehet?sen széles – a progresszív konzervatív eszmét?l a kisgazdákon át az egyetemi szervezkedésekig és a radikális széls?jobboldali mozgalmakig terjed? – politikai paletta szerepl?i és nézetei a kommunista és államszocialista diktatúra idején egyként ?ellenségesnek” min?sültek, a k?tet tanulmányai mindenekel?tt az állambiztonsági iratok feldolgozására épülnek. Az ?sszeállítás áttekintést nyújt az olvasónak a belügyminisztérium ?jobboldali” ellenségképér?l, részletesen tárgyalja a prominens kisgazda és kereszténydemokrata politikusok sorsát, illetve nyomon k?veti a háború el?tti széls?jobboldalhoz k?thet? mozgalmak utóéletét is. E hiánypótló k?tet kit?n? írásai nem csupán arra világítanak rá, hogy a jobboldali hagyományok hogyan élték túl búvópatakszer?en a háborút k?vet? fél évszázadot, de a ma jobboldalinak tekintett attit?d?ket és mentalitásokat is jobban érthet?vé teszik.

What is the magic of pastoral Greece? What is it that gives to you a sensation of being gently released from the cares of life and the boredom of modern civilization, with its often unmeaning complications, its unnecessary luxuries, its noisy self-satisfactions? This is not the tremendous, the spectacular release of the desert, an almost savage tearing away of bonds. Nothing in the Greece I saw is savage; scarcely anything is spectacular. But, oh, the bright simplicity of the life and the country along the way to Marathon! It was like an early world. One looked, and longed to live in those happy woods like the Turkish Gipsies. Could life offer anything better? The pines are small, exquisitely shaped, with foliage that looks almost as if it had been deftly arranged by a consummate artist. They curl over the slopes with a lightness almost of foam cresting a wave. Their color is quite lovely. The ancient Egyptians had a love color: well, the little pine-trees of Greece are the color of happiness. You smile involuntarily when you see them. And when, descending among them, you are greeted by the shining of the brilliant-blue sea, which stretches along the edge of the plain of Marathon, you know radiance purged of fierceness.? The road winds down among the pines till, at right angles to it, appears another road, or rough track just wide enough for a carriage. This leads to a large mound which bars the way. Upon this mound a habitation was perched. It was raised high above the ground upon a sort of tripod of poles. It had yellow walls of wheat, and a roof and floor of brushwood and maize. A ladder gave access to it, and from it there was a wide outlook over the whole crescent-shaped plain of Marathon. This dwelling belonged to a guardian of the vineyards, and the mound is the tomb of those who died in the great battle. PICTURESQUE DALMATIA ? Chapter I: PICTURESQUE DALMATIA IN AND NEAR ATHENS ? Chapter II: IN AND NEAR ATHENS THE ENVIRONS OF ATHENS ? Chapter III: THE ENVIRONS OF ATHENS DELPHI AND OLYMPIA ? Chapter IV: DELPHI AND OLYMPIA IN CONSTANTINOPLE ? Chapter V: IN CONSTANTINOPLE STAMBOUL, THE CITY OF MOSQUES ? Chapter VI: STAMBOUL, THE CITY OF MOSQUE

Books of instruction in the practice of painting have rarely been successful. Chiefly because they have been too narrow in their point of view, and have dealt more with recipes than with principles. It is not possible to give any one manner of painting that shall be right for all men and all subjects. To say "do thus and so" will not teach any one to paint. But there are certain principles which underlie all painting, and all schools of painting; and to state clearly the most important of these will surely be helpful, and may accomplish something. It is the purpose of this book to deal practically with the problems which are the study of the painter, and to make clear, as far as may be, the principles which are involved in them. I believe that this is the only way in which written instruc-tion on painting can be of any use. It is impossible to understand principles without some statement of theory; and a book in order to be practical must therefore be to some extent theoretical. I have been as concise and brief in the theoretical parts as clearness would permit of, and I trust they are not out of proportion to the practical parts. Either to paint well, or to judge well of a painting, requires an understanding of the same things: namely, the theoretical standpoint of the painter; the technical problems of color, composition, etc.; and the practical means, processes, and materials through which and with which these are worked out. It is obvious that one cannot become a good painter without the ability to know what is good painting, and to prefer it to bad painting. Therefore, I have taken space to cover, in some sort, the whole ground, as the best way to help the student towards becoming a good painter. If, also, the student of pictures should find in this book what will help him to appreciate more truly and more critically, I shall be gratified. There is a false implication in the saying that "a poor workman blames his tools." It is not true that a good workman can do good work with bad tools. On the contrary, the good workman sees to it that he has good tools, and makes it a part of his good workmanship that they are in good condition. In painting there is nothing that will cause you more trouble than bad materi-als. You can get along with few materials, but you cannot get along with bad ones. That is not the place to economize. To do good work is difficult at best. Econo-mize where it will not be a hindrance to you. Your tools can make your work harder or easier according to your selection of them. The relative cost of good and bad materials is of slight importance compared with the relative effect on your work.The way to economize is not to get anything which you do not need. Save on the non-essentials, and get as good a quality as you can of the essentials. Save on the number of things you get, not on the quantity you use. You must feel free in your use of material. There is nothing which hampers you more than parsimony in the use of things needful to your painting. If it is worth your while to paint at all, it is worth your while to be generous enough with yourself to insure ordinary freedom of use of material.The essentials of painting are few, but these cannot be dispensed with. Put it out of your mind that any one of these five things can be got along without:—You must have something to paint on, canvas or panel. Have plenty of these.

In June 1863, General Robert E. Lee and the 75,000-strong Army of Northern Virginia launched a second invasion of the North, crossing into Maryland and Pennsylvania to try to win a decisive victory over Federal forces. On July 1, Lee’s army encountered Major General Meade’s 90,000 strong Army of the Potamac at the small town of Gettysburg. After some initial success in dispersing the Federal advance guard, Lee launched attack after attack against the main army, but everywhere the Union line held. On July 3, Lee ordered a final assault of 12,500 Confederates at the center of the Union line on Cemetery Ridge, known as Pickett’s Charge. The charge was repulsed with huge loss of life, bringing the battle to an end. Today, Gettysburg is recognized as the turning point in the Civil War and one of the iconic battles of the great struggle between North and South. Lee’s gamble didn’t pay off, leaving the Army of Northern Virginia fatally weakened and unable to continue its invasion of the North. Gettysburg is divided into five chapters, outlining the campaign, the fighting on July 1, July 2, and July 3, as well as a chapter dealing with the aftermath; an extended appendices provides biographical background of the main Federal and Confederate leaders who fought in the battle. Through letters, journal entries, and official reports, the book includes numerous first-hand accounts from those who survived. Color maps show the battle as it unfolded over three days of fighting in places that have a place in Civil War legend: Seminary Ridge, Little Round Top, Cemetery Hill, Devil’s Den, the Wheat Field, Culp’s Hill, the Peach Orchard. Including more than 200 archival photographs, illustrations, paintings, and maps, Gettysburg is a colorful, accessible guide to the great battle that marked the turning point in the Civil War.

POW Escape and Evasion covers everything you need to know about making a successful return to friendly territory. Beginning from the point where a combatant finds himself or herself trapped in enemy territory, the book offers useful tips and solid advice on how to evade capture and, if that fails, how to escape. Key topics include the will to survive; handling stress in captivity; escape techniques; survival in a variety of environments, including urban, rural, jungle and desert; how to forage for food; tracking and how to cover your tracks; navigation, with or without a map; and seeking recovery by friendly forces. The book also includes a number of real life accounts of POW escape from World War II (including The Great Escape story and Colditz), the Vietnam War (Dieter Dengler, with others, escaping from Laos), the Balkans, Iraq (Thomas Hamill in 2004) and Afghanistan. With more than 120 black-&-white artworks and with easy-to-follow text, POW Escape and Evasion is for anyone who wants to know how to survive in the most stressful of circumstances and emerge a winner. Presented in a handy, pocket-size format, this is a book you could take with you into the field. And it could save your life.

The Second World War saw elite units take a prominent role on the battlefield for the first time. The Encyclopedia of Elite Forces in World War II is a wide-ranging guide to the excellent units on land, sea or in the air whose success was usually hard-won against the odds, and whose actions had an impact on the course of the fighting around them. The best units from both sides of the fighting are represented, as are the two main theatres of war. Arranged by combatant nation, the book covers such famous units as the US Rangers, British SAS and German Waffen-SS, as well as some of the less well-known units like Popski’s Private Army, the LRDG and Merrill’s Marauders. Not all the units featured in the book were officially designated as elite forces – indeed, some of those involved were only ordinary soldiers – but they achieved elite status through their deeds. Illustrated with action photographs, The Encyclopedia of Elite Forces in World War II is a comprehensive guide to the elite forces of both sides during the 1939-45 war. Each entry describes the unit’s strength, date of formation and gives a brief overview of its combat record during the war. Covering all aspects of warfare and both the European and Pacific theatres in World War II, the book will appeal to anyone with an interest in either World War II or elite units at war.

Leonardo's views of aesthetic are all important in his philosophy of life and art. The worker's thoughts on his craft are always of interest. They are doubly so when there is in them no trace of literary self-consciousness to blemish their expression. He recorded these thoughts at the instant of their birth, for a constant habit of observation and analysis had early developed with him into a second nature. His ideas were penned in the same fragmentary way as they presented themselves to his mind, perhaps with no intention of publishing them to the world. But his ideal of art depended intimately, none the less, on the system he had thrown out seemingly in so haphazard a manner. The long obscurity of the Dark Ages lifted over Italy, awakening to a national though a divided consciousness. Already two distinct tendencies were apparent. The practical and rational, on the one hand, was soon to be outwardly reflected in the burgher-life of Florence and the Lombard cities, while at Rome it had even then created the civil organization of the curia. The novella was its literary triumph. In art it expressed itself simply, directly and with vigour. Opposed to this was the other great undercurrent in Italian life, mystical, religious and speculative, which had run through the nation from the earliest times, and received fresh volume from mediaeval Christianity, encouraging ecstatic mysticism to drive to frenzy the population of its mountain cities. Umbrian painting is inspired by it, and the glowing words of Jacopone da Todi expressed in poetry the same religious fervour which the life of Florence and Perugia bore witness to in action. Italy developed out of the relation and conflict of these two forces the rational with the mystical. Their later union in the greater men was to form the art temperament of the Renaissance. The practical side gave it the firm foundation of rationalism and reality on which it rested; the mystical guided its endeavour to picture the unreal in terms of ideal beauty.The first offspring of this union was Leonardo. Since the decay of ancient art no painter had been able to fully express the human form, for imperfect mastery of technique still proved the barrier. Leonardo was the first completely to disengage his personality from its constraint, and make line express thought as none before him could do. Nor was this his only triumph, but rather the foundation on which further achievement rested. Remarkable as a thinker alone, he preferred to enlist thought in the service of art, and make art the handmaid of beauty. Leonardo saw the world not as it is, but as he himself was. He viewed it through the atmosphere of beauty which filled his mind, and tinged its shadows with the mystery of his nature. From his earliest years, the elements of greatness were present in Leonardo. But the maturity of his genius came unaffected from without. He barely noticed the great forces of the age which in life he encountered. After the first promise of his boyhood in the Tuscan hills, his youth at Florence had been spent under Verrocchio as a master, in company with those whose names were later to brighten the pages of Italian art. At one time he contemplated entering the service of an Oriental prince. Instead, he entered that of Caesar Borgia, as military engineer, and the greatest painter of the age became inspector of a despot's strongholds. But his restless nature did not leave him long at this. Returning to Florence he competed with Michelangelo; yet the service of even his native city could not retain him. His fame had attracted the attention of a new patron of the arts, prince of the state which had conquered his first master. In this his last venture, he forsook Italy, only to die three years later at Amboise, in the castle of the French king.

Н?л Фер?юсон зауважу?: ?Ще на початку XV стол?ття сама лише думка про те, що наступн? п’ять стол?ть Зах?д буде дом?нувати над рештою св?ту, здалася б дуже дивною. А вт?м, це сталося?. ? нин? могутн?сть Заходу вража? нав?ть найбагатшу уяву... То чому ж так трапилося? Чому ?вропа, що на 1500-й р?к поступалася Сходу за багатьма показниками — економ?чними, технолог?чними, демограф?чними, — зум?ла р?зко рвонути уперед ? досягти безперечного св?тового панування? Як? складов? усп?ху зах?дно? цив?л?зац??? Саме ц? дражлив? питання украй см?ливо, часом нав?ть зухвало, а проте надзвичайно захопливо висв?тлю? Н?л Фер?юсон.

"Where ocean bathes earth's footstool these sea-bowersBedeck its solid wavelets: wise was heWho blended shore with deep, with seaweed flowers,And Naiads' rivulets with Nereids' sea." Strictly speaking the peninsula on which the city stands is of the form of a trapezium. It juts out into the sea, beating back as it were the fierce waves of the Bosphorus, and forcing them to turn aside from their straight course and widen into the Sea of Marmora, which the ancients called the Propontis, narrowing again as it forces its way between the near banks of the Hellespont, which rise abrupt and arid from the European side, and slope gently away in Asia to the foot of Mount Ida. Northwards there is the little bay of the Golden Horn, an arm as it were of the Bosphorus, into which run the streams which the Turks call the Sweet Waters of Europe. The mouth of the harbour is no more than five hundred yards across. The Greeks of the Empire spanned it by a chain, supported here and there on wooden piles, fragments of which still remain in the Armoury that was once the church of S. Irene. Within is safe anchorage in one of the finest harbours of the world. South of the Golden Horn, on the narrow tongue of land—narrow it seems as seen from the hills of the northern shore—is the city of Constantine and his successors in empire, seated, like the old Rome, on seven hills, and surrounded on three sides by sea, on the fourth by the still splendid, though shattered, medi?val walls. Northwards are the two towns, now linked together, of Pera and Galata, that look back only to the trading settlements of the Middle Ages.The single spot united, as Gibbon puts it, the prospects of beauty, of safety, and of wealth: and in a masterly description that great historian has collected the features which made the position, "formed by Nature for the centre and capital of a great monarchy," attractive to the first colonists, and evident to Constantine as the centre where he could best combine and command the power of the Eastern half of his mighty Empire. Byzantium Before Constantine.It is impossible to approach Constantinople without seeing the beauty and the wonder of its site. Whether you pass rapidly down the Bosphorus, between banks crowned with towers and houses and mosques, that stretch away hither and thither to distant hills, now bleak, now crowned with dark cypress groves; or up from the Sea of Marmora, watching the dome of S. Sophia that glitters above the closely packed houses, till you turn the point which brings you to the Golden Horn, crowded with shipping and bright with the flags of many nations; or even if you come overland by the sandy wastes along the shore, looking across the deep blue of the sea to the islands and the snow-crowned mountains of Asia, till you break through the crumbling wall within sight of the Golden Gate, and find yourself at a step deep in the relics of the middle ages; you cannot fail to wonder at the splendour of the view which meets your eyes. Sea, sunlight, the quaint houses that stand close upon the water's edge, the white palaces, the crowded quays, and the crowning glory of the Eastern domes and the medi?val walls—these are the elements that combine to impress, and the impression is never lost. Often as you may see again the approach to the imperial city, its splendour and dignity and the exquisite beauty of colour and light will exert their old charm, and as you put foot in the New Rome you will feel all the glamour of the days that are gone by.

Книжку присвячено дол? радянсько? символ?чно? спадщини п?сля розпаду СРСР. На приклад? Центрально? Укра?ни. Олександра Гайдай показу?, як сп?в?снували ? конкурували р?зн? погляди на радянську ?стор?ю; як проявлялася на м?сцях м?нлива ?сторична пол?тика; як давали соб? раду з радянським минулим кра?ни Центрально-Сх?дно? ?вропи; як помирали пам’ятники Лен?ну — ?жив?шому за вс?х живих?.

Дарону Аджемо?лу ? Джеймсу Роб?нсону вдалося, здавалося б, неможливе — в?дпов?сти на питання, яке до них безрезультатно вивчали стол?ттями: чому одн? кра?ни багат?, а ?нш? — б?дн?????рунтуючись на п’ятнадцятир?чних досл?дженнях у галузях ?стор??, пол?толог?? та економ?ки, автори легко ? доступно пояснюють, чому економ?чний усп?х держав не залежить в?д культури, кл?мату чи географ?чного положення.??Аджемо?лу та Роб?нсон переконан?: кра?ни стали найусп?шн?шими через те, що ?хн? громадяни повалили владну ел?ту ? створили сусп?льства, де головною ц?нн?стю стали р?вн? економ?чн? та пол?тичн? права кожного. На ?хню думку, саме свобода робить св?т багатшим.??Книга ?Чому нац?? занепадають? — сво?р?дний пос?бник, який допоможе краще зрозум?ти причини, що сприяють процв?танню держав та ?хньому занепаду.