Habsburgi, Windsori, Romanovi, Hohenzollerni, familii regale ale Belgiei, Olandei, Italiei, Iugoslaviei, Bulgariei, Rom?niei sau Greciei – monarhiile europene s-au aflat ?n inima celor dou? R?zboaie Mondiale.?ntr-o incursiune istoric? fascinant?, punctat? de portrete, anecdote, momente-cheie, ?nt?lniri decisive, jocuri de alian?e, Jean des Cars ne introduce ?n culisele cur?ilor europene prinse ?n v?rtejul celor dou? conflagra?ii care au zguduit secolul al XX-lea.?Jean des Cars, eminent specialist al marilor dinastii europene, realizeaz? – ?ar? dup? ?ar?, deceniu dup? deceniu – un expozeu al faptelor istorice marcante, construind o lucrare plin? de vivacitate ?i bine documentata, o lectura cu at?t mai captivanta, cu c?t cele aproape 170 de subcapitole care o compun istorisesc, fiecare ?n parte, o adev?rat? poveste." - Le Figaro Magazine?Una dintre cele mai bune c?r?i ale autorului ?i un succes de libr?rie: urm?rim pe parcursul acestor conflicte comportamentele monarhilor, majoritatea ?nrudi?i ?ntre ei. Un secol de istorie a marilor familii, a destinelor europene, iar pentru Europa de Est, o memorie reg?sit?." - Valeurs Actuelles?n vara lui 1914, Europa este majoritar monarhic?: din dou?zeci ?i dou? de state, nou?sprezece sunt regate, imperii, principate sau mari ducate. Ast?zi, nu au mai r?mas dec?t zece. Primul R?zboi Mondial provoac? pr?bu?irea a patru imperii (Germania, Rusia, Austro-Ungaria, Imperiul Otoman), iar al Doilea spulber? patru regate (Italia, Iugoslavia, Rom?nia, Bulgaria).Cine erau ace?ti suverani? Dar femeile care le ?mp?rt??eau destinul?De la ambi?ie la orbire, de la curaj la sl?biciune, de la gelozie la abnega?ie, care au fost triumfurile ?i e?ecurile lor? Cum ?i-au tr?it gloria, dramele, cum s-au confruntat cu ascensiunea extremismelor interbelice, cu apari?ia totalitarismelor? Erau con?tien?i de consecin?ele gesturilor lor? Sau au fost incapabili s? stopeze avansul na?ionalismelor? Care au fost vie?ile lor personale, iubirile ?i pasiunile secrete? Ace?ti monarhi, care se vor alia, se vor ?nfrunta ?i uneori tr?da, sunt to?i ?nrudi?i, uni?i prin leg?turi de s?nge ?i matrimoniale. Astfel, ?r?zboiul regilor" va fi o incredibil? reglare de conturi familial? – la scar? continental?, apoi mondial?.

This story belongs to the year 1837, and was regarded by the generations of that and a succeeding time as the most miraculous of all the recorded deliverances from death at sea. It may be told thus: Mr. Montagu Vanderholt sat at breakfast with his daughter Violet one morning in September. Vanderholt's house was one of a fine terrace close to Hyde Park. He was a rich man, a retired Cape merchant, and his life had been as chequered as Trelawney's, with nothing of romance and nothing of imagination in it. He was the son of honest parents, of Dutch extraction, and had run away to sea when about twelve years old. Nothing under the serious heavens was harsher, more charged with misery, suffering, dirt, and wretchedness, than seafaring in the days when young Vanderholt, with an idiot's cunning, fled to it from his father's comfortable little home. He got a ship, was three years absent, and on his return found both his father and mother dead. He went again to sea, and, fortunately for him, was shipwrecked in the neighbourhood of Simon's Bay. The survivors made their way to Cape Town, and presently young Vanderholt got a job, and afterwards a position. He then became a master, until, after some eight or ten years of heroic perseverance, attended by much good luck, behold Mr. Vanderholt full-blown into a colonial merchant prince. How much he was worth when he made up his mind to settle in England, after the death of his wife, and when he had disposed of his affairs so as to leave himself as free a man as ever he had been when he was a common Jack Swab, really signifies nothing. It is certain he had plenty, and plenty is enough, even for a merchant prince of Dutch extraction. Besides Violet, he had two sons, who will not make an appearance on this little brief stage. They are dismissed, therefore, with this brief reference—that both were in the army, and both, at the time of this tale, in India. Violet was Vanderholt's only daughter, and he loved her exceedingly. She was not beautiful, but she was fair to see, with a pretty figure, and an arch, gay smile. You saw the Dutch blood in her eyes, as you saw it in her father's, whose orbs of vision, indeed, were ridiculously small—scarcely visible in their bed of socket and lash. An English mother had come to Violet's help in this matter. Taking her from top to toe, with her surprising quantity of brown hair, soft complexion, good mouth, teeth, and figure, Violet Vanderholt was undoubtedly a fine girl. THE LAST ENTRY "OPINIONS OF THE PRESS ON THE LAST ENTRY": '"The Last Entry" is a rattling good salt-water yarn, told in the author's usual breezy, exhilarating style.'-”Daily Mail. 'In this new novel Mr. Russell has cleverly thrown its events into the year 1837, and there are one or two ingenious passages which add to the Diamond Jubilee interest which that date suggests.... "The Last Entry" is as certain of general popularity as any of Mr. Russell's former tales of the marvels of the sea.'-”Glasgow Herald. 'We do not think it possible for anyone to dip into this novel without desiring to finish it, and it adds another to the long list of successes of our best sea author.'-”Librarian. 'In addition to mutiny and murder, "The Last Entry" contains many of those good things which have made Mr. Russell's pages a joy to so many lovers of the sea during the last twenty years.... "The Last Entry" is a welcome addition to Mr. Clark Russell's library.'-”Speaker. 'The writer is as realistic and picturesque as usual in his vivid descriptions of the stagnant life on board the homeward-bound Indiaman.'-”Times. 'It is full of pleasant vigour.... As is always the case in Mr. Clark Russell's books, the elements are treated with the pen of an artist.'-”Standard. 'We expected plenty of go, of fresh and vigorous description of sea-faring life, coupled with a story which would not be wanting in interest. All this we have here.'”-Tablet.

The Odyssey (Greek:Odysseia) is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is, in part, a sequel to the Iliad, the other work ascribed to Homer. The poem is fundamental to the modern Western canon, and is the second oldest extant work of Western literature, the Iliad being the oldest. It is believed to have been composed near the end of the 8th century BC, somewhere in Ionia, the Greek coastal region of Anatolia. The poem mainly centers on the Greek hero Odysseus (known as Ulysses in Roman myths) and his journey home after the fall of Troy. It takes Odysseus ten years to reach Ithaca after the ten-year Trojan War. In his absence, it is assumed he has died, and his wife Penelope and son Telemachus must deal with a group of unruly suitors, the Mnesteres or Proci, who compete for Penelope's hand in marriage. It continues to be read in the Homeric Greek and translated into modern languages around the world. Many scholars believe that the original poem was composed in an oral tradition by an aoidos (epic poet/singer), perhaps a rhapsode (professional performer), and was more likely intended to be heard than read. The details of the ancient oral performance, and the story's conversion to a written work inspire continual debate among scholars. The Odyssey was written in a poetic dialect of Greek—a literary amalgam of Aeolic Greek, Ionic Greek, and other Ancient Greek dialects—and comprises 12,110 lines of dactylic hexameter. Among the most noteworthy elements of the text are its non-linear plot, and the influence on events of choices made by women and serfs, besides the actions of fighting men. In the English language as well as many others, the word odyssey has come to refer to an epic voyage. The Odyssey has a lost sequel, the Telegony, which was not written by Homer. It was usually attributed in Antiquity to Cinaethon of Sparta, but in one source was said to have been stolen from Musaeus by Eugamon or Eugammon of Cyrene (see Cyclic poets). ABOUT AUTHOR: Homeros, In the Western classical tradition, Homer (Ancient Greek: Homeros) is the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, and is revered as the greatest of ancient Greek epic poets. These epics lie at the beginning of the Western canon of literature, and have had an enormous influence on the history of literature. When he lived is unknown. Herodotus estimates that Homer lived 400 years before his own time, which would place him at around 850 BC, while other ancient sources claim that he lived much nearer to the supposed time of the Trojan War, in the early 12th century BC. Most modern researchers place Homer in the 7th or 8th centuries BC. The formative influence of the Homeric epics in shaping Greek culture was widely recognized, and Homer was described as the teacher of Greece. Homer's works, which are about fifty percent speeches, provided models in persuasive speaking and writing that were emulated throughout the ancient and medieval Greek worlds. Fragments of Homer account for nearly half of all identifiable Greek literary papyrus finds. PeriodFor modern scholars "the date of Homer" refers not to an individual, but to the period when the epics were created. The consensus is that "the Iliad and the Odyssey date from around the 8th century BC, the Iliad being composed before the Odyssey, perhaps by some decades," i.e. earlier than Hesiod, the Iliad being the oldest work of Western literature. Over the past few decades, some scholars have argued for a 7th-century BC date. Oliver Taplin believes that the conclusion of modern researchers is that Homer dates to between 750 to 650 BC. Some of those who argue that the Homeric poems developed gradually over a long period of time give an even later date for the composition of the poems; according to Gregory Nagy for example, they only became fixed texts in the 6th century BC. The question of the historicity of Homer the individual is known as the "Homeric question"; there is no reliable biographical information handed down from classical antiquity. The poems are generally seen as the culmination of many generations of oral story-telling, in a tradition with a well-developed formulaic system of poetic composition. Some scholars, such as Martin West, claim that "Homer" is "not the name of a historical poet, but a fictitious or constructed name."

A magyar k?nyvkiadás legnagyobb adósságainak egyike ez a k?nyv. A világ t?bb országában a holokausztirodalom egyik legjelent?sebb remekm?veként tartják számon, Magyarországon 1982-ben jelent meg utoljára.Zsolt Béla, nagyváradi író, újságíró, a zsidót?rvények után nem folytathatta a pályáját. Munkaszolgálatra Ukrajnába került, az út onnan haza, majd a váradi gettóba, kés?bb Bergen-Belsenbe vezetett, egészen a szabadulásig.Zsolt Béla regénye nem artisztikus memoár. Vad, olykor az elviselhet?ség határáig kegyetlen és ?szinte visszaemlékezés, felzaklató olvasmány.Az olykor egymás kínjának is ?rül? társairól. Az elmebajig kegyetlen, egyszersmind a megtorlástól retteg? csend?r?kr?l. ?rulásról, kétségbeesésr?l, az újra és újra feltámadó hamis reményr?l, és mindennek okáról és céljáról: a zsidók kifosztásáról.Aki elolvassa a Kilenc koffert, megérti, miért nem tud a rémálomból eszmélni sok európai ország azóta sem.Zsolt Béla feleségének egész családja odaveszett, k?ztük az a Heyman ?va, akinek gettónaplója megjelent már t?bb nyelven, magyarul Piros bicikli címen.

Tiziano Vecelli or Tiziano Vecellio (1488/1490 – 27 August 1576) known in English as Titian was an Italian painter, the most important member of the 16th-century Venetian school. He was born in Pieve di Cadore, near Belluno (in Veneto), in the Republic of Venice. During his lifetime he was often called da Cadore, taken from the place of his birth. Recognized by his contemporaries as "The Sun Amidst Small Stars" (recalling the famous final line of Dante's Paradiso), Titian was one of the most versatile of Italian painters, equally adept with portraits, landscape backgrounds, and mythological and religious subjects. His painting methods, particularly in the application and use of color, would exercise a profound influence not only on painters of the Italian Renaissance, but on future generations of Western art. During the course of his long life, Titian's artistic manner changed drastically but he retained a lifelong interest in color. Although his mature works may not contain the vivid, luminous tints of his early pieces, their loose brushwork and subtlety of tone are without precedent in the history of Western art. Early years This early portrait (c. 1509), described by Giorgio Vasari in 1568, was long wrongly believed to be of Ludovico Ariosto; it is now thought to be a portrait of Gerolamo Barbarigo, and the composition was borrowed by Rembrandt for his own self-portraits. The exact date of Titian's birth is uncertain; when he was an old man he claimed in a letter to Philip II, King of Spain, to have been born in 1474, but this seems most unlikely. Other writers contemporary to his old age give figures which would equate to birthdates between 1473 to after 1482, but most modern scholars believe a date nearer 1490 is more likely; the Metropolitan Museum of Art's timeline supports c.1488, as does the Getty Research Institute.He was the son of Gregorio Vecelli and his wife Lucia. His father was superintendent of the castle of Pieve di Cadore and managed local mines for their owners. Gregorio was also a distinguished councilor and soldier. Many relatives, including Titian's grandfather, were notaries, and the family of four were well-established in the area, which was ruled by Venice. At the age of about ten to twelve he and his brother Francesco (who perhaps followed later) were sent to an uncle in Venice to find an apprenticeship with a painter. The minor painter Sebastian Zuccato, whose sons became well-known mosaicists, and who may have been a family friend, arranged for the brothers to enter the studio of the elderly Gentile Bellini, from which they later transferred to that of his brother Giovanni Bellini. At that time the Bellinis, especially Giovanni, were the leading artists in the city. There Titian found a group of young men about his own age, among them Giovanni Palma da Serinalta, Lorenzo Lotto, Sebastiano Luciani, and Giorgio da Castelfranco, nicknamed Giorgione. Francesco Vecellio, his older brother, later became a painter of some note in Venice.A fresco of Hercules on the Morosini Palace is said to have been one of Titian's earliest works; others were the Bellini-esque so-called Gypsy Madonna in Vienna, and the Visitation of Mary and Elizabeth (from the convent of S. Andrea), now in the Accademia, Venice.

Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez (June 6, 1599 – August 6, 1660) was a Spanish painter who was the leading artist in the court of King Philip IV and one of the most important painters of the Spanish Golden Age. He was an individualistic artist of the contemporary Baroque period, important as a portrait artist. In addition to numerous renditions of scenes of historical and cultural significance, he painted scores of portraits of the Spanish royal family, other notable European figures, and commoners, culminating in the production of his masterpiece Las Meninas (1656). From the first quarter of the nineteenth century, Velázquez's artwork was a model for the realist and impressionist painters, in particular ?douard Manet. Since that time, famous modern artists, including Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dalí and Francis Bacon, have paid tribute to Velázquez by recreating several of his most famous works. Early lifeBorn in Seville, Andalusia, Spain, Diego, the first child of Jo?o Rodrigues da Silva and Jerónima Velázquez, was baptized at the church of St Peter in Seville on Sunday, June 6, 1599. This christening must have followed the baby's birth by no more than a few weeks, or perhaps only a few days. Velázquez's paternal grandparents, Diego da Silva and Maria Rodrigues, had moved to Seville from their native Porto, Portugal decades earlier. As for Jo?o Rodrigues da Silva and his wife, both were born in Seville, and were married, also at the church of St Peter, on December 28, 1597. They came from the lesser nobility and were accorded the privileges generally enjoyed by the gentry. Velázquez was educated by his parents to fear God and, intended for a learned profession, received good training in languages and philosophy. Influenced by many artists he showed an early gift for art; consequently, he began to study under Francisco de Herrera, a vigorous painter who disregarded the Italian influence of the early Seville school. Velázquez remained with him for one year. It was probably from Herrera that he learned to use brushes with long bristles. After leaving Herrera's studio when he was 12 years old, Velázquez began to serve as an apprentice under Francisco Pacheco, an artist and teacher in Seville. Though considered a generally dull, undistinguished painter, Pacheco sometimes expressed a simple, direct realism in contradiction to the style of Raphael that he was taught. Velázquez remained in Pacheco's school for five years, studying proportion and perspective and witnessing the trends in the literary and artistic circles of Seville.To Madrid (early period) By the early 1620s, his position and reputation were assured in Seville. On April 23, 1618, Velázquez married Juana Pacheco (June 1, 1602 – August 10, 1660), the daughter of his teacher. She bore him two daughters—his only known family. The elder, Francisca de Silva Velázquez y Pacheco (1619–1658), married painter Juan Bautista Martínez del Mazo at the Church of Santiago in Madrid on August 21, 1633; the younger, Ignacia de Silva Velázquez y Pacheco, born in 1621, died in infancy. Velázquez produced notable works during this time. Known for his compositions of amusing genre scenes (also called bodegones), such as Old Woman Frying Eggs, his sacred subjects include Adoración de los Reyes (1619, The Adoration of the Magi), and Jesús y los peregrinos de Emaús (1626, Christ and the Pilgrims of Emmaus), both of which begin to express his more pointed and careful realism.

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

Mit jelent az, hogy széls?jobboldal? Kikkel szimpatizálnak és mit képviselnek az újhungaristák? Mit jelképez a 88-as szám? Miféle ideológia áll a széls?jobboldali irányzatok hátterében? Mikor és miért válnak sikeressé a radikálisok? K?tetünk ezeken a kérdéseken kívül arra is választ ad, hogy melyek voltak a magyar széls?jobboldali mozgalmak megszületésének hazai el?zményei, külf?ldi szellemi el?képei és testvérmozgalmai. Mindemellett rávilágít a széls?jobboldaliság kritériumaira az irányzat 1919-es születését?l napjainkig, és feltárja a széls?jobboldali szubkultúrák változatos, markáns ismertet?jegyeit. A Jobbik és a Magyar Gárda tevékenységéig ível? áttekintés azt is megmutatja, milyen sokszín? jelenség a magyarországi széls?jobboldal, pontosabban az a radikális politikai mozgalmakat t?m?rít? gy?jt?fogalom, amelyet ma így szokás nevezni. A szerz?, PAKSA RUDOLF 1981-ben született Ajkán, az ELTE-n doktorált t?rténelemb?l és 2009 októberét?l az MTA T?rténettudományi Intézetének a munkatársa. ?rdekl?dési területe a modern kori magyar t?rténelem; kutatásai súlypontja a 19–20. századi historiográfia, a régi E?tv?s Collegium, valamint a Horthy-kori széls?jobboldali irányzatok.

UNGV?RY KRISZTI?N és TABAJDI G?BOR rendhagyó útikalauza a 20. század politikai diktatúrái és legmegrázóbb t?rténelmi eseményei mentén veszi lajstromba Budapest emlékeit. A szerz?páros olyan f?városi helyszíneket mutat be olvasóinak, amelyek jobbára ismeretlenek a turisták el?tt, a városlakók számára pedig már a félmúlt homályába vesznek. A fiatal kutatók budapesti sétáin feltárulnak az 1919-es Tanácsk?ztársaság és az azt k?vet? fehérterror, a német megszállás, a nyilas rémuralom és a zsidóüld?zés, a világháborús f?város, a szovjet megszállás és a Rákosi-diktatúra, az 1956-os forradalom és szabadságharc, végül a Kádár-korszak elfeledett vagy épp szándékosan titokban tartott t?rténeti helyszínei és emlékhelyei. Az egyes t?rténelmi eseményekhez k?thet? szobrok és m?emlékek kapcsán a szerz?k múlt és jelen emlékezetpolitikai t?rekvéseit is áttekintik. A t?rténészpáros kíméletlen és fájdalmas ?szinteséggel mutat rá: a múlt századi véres diktatúrák emlékei jel?letlenül bár, de ma is ott kísértenek a f?város utcáin – ideje lenne hát mindenkinek megismerni ?ket. UNGV?RY KRISZTI?N 1969-ben született Budapesten. Tanulmányait az ELTE BTK t?rténelem-német szakán végezte. Budapest ostromát feldolgozó doktori disszertációja k?nyv formájában is megjelent, és számos hazai, illetve külf?ldi kiadást megélt. 2001-t?l az 1956-os Intézet tudományos munkatársa, t?bb nemzetk?zi tudományos testület tagja. Kutatási területe a 20. század politika- és hadt?rténete, a széls?jobb mozgalmak, valamint az állambiztonság t?rténete. TABAJDI G?BOR 1980-ban született Budapesten. Az ELTE B?lcsészettudományi Karán t?rténelmet, politikaelméletet és filozófiát tanult. Jelenleg az Országos Széchényi K?nyvtár 1956-os Intézetének munkatársa. Eddig f?ként a 20. századi Magyarország politikat?rténetével kapcsolatos publikációi jelentek meg. F? kutatási területei: a magyar állambiztonsági szervek, illetve a pártállami rendszer m?k?désének t?rténete. A fiatal kutatókat t?m?rít? ?Fehér Hollók” munkacsoport koordinátora.

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

1. The architect should be equipped with knowledge of many branches of study and varied kinds of learning, for it is by his judgement that all work done by the other arts is put to test. This knowledge is the child of practice and theory. Practice is the continuous and regular exercise of employment where manual work is done with any necessary material according to the design of a drawing. Theory, on the other hand, is the ability to demonstrate and explain the productions of dexterity on the principles of proportion. 2. It follows, therefore, that architects who have aimed at acquiring manual skill without scholarship have never been able to reach a position of authority to correspond to their pains, while those who relied only upon theories and scholarship were obviously hunting the shadow, not the substance. But those who have a thorough knowledge of both, like men armed at all points, have the sooner attained their object and carried authority with them. 3. In all matters, but particularly in architecture, there are these two points:—the thing signified, and that which gives it its significance. That which is signified is the subject of which we may be speaking; and that which gives significance is a demonstration on scientific principles. It appears, then, that one who professes himself an architect should be well versed in both directions. He ought, therefore, to be both naturally gifted and amenable to instruction. Neither natural ability without instruction nor instruction without natural ability can make the perfect artist. Let him be educated, skilful with the pencil, instructed in geometry, know much history, have followed the philosophers with attention, understand music, have some knowledge of medicine, know the opinions of the jurists, and be acquainted with astronomy and the theory of the heavens. 4. The reasons for all this are as follows. An architect ought to be an educated man so as to leave a more lasting remembrance in his treatises. Secondly, he must have a knowledge of drawing so that he can readily make sketches to show the appearance of the work which he proposes. Geometry, also, is of much assistance in architecture, and in particular it teaches us the use of the rule and compasses, by which especially we acquire readiness in making plans for buildings in their grounds, and rightly apply the square, the level, and the plummet. By means of optics, again, the light in buildings can be drawn from fixed quarters of the sky. It is true that it is by arithmetic that the total cost of buildings is calculated and measurements are computed, but difficult questions involving symmetry are solved by means of geometrical theories and methods. 5. A wide knowledge of history is requisite because, among the ornamental parts of an architect's design for a work, there are many the underlying idea of whose employment he should be able to explain toGree inquirers. For instance, suppose him to set up the marble statues of women in long robes, called Caryatides, to take the place of columns, with the mutules and coronas placed directly above their heads, he will give the following explanation to his questioners. Caryae, a state in Peloponnesus, sided with the Persian enemies against Greece; later the Greeks, having gloriously won their freedom by victory in the war, made common cause and declared war against the people of Caryae. They took the town, killed the men, abandoned the State to desolation, and carried off their wives into slavery, without permitting them, however, to lay aside the long robes and other marks of their rank as married women, so that they might be obliged not only to march in the triumph but to appear forever after as a type of slavery, burdened with the weight of their shame and so making atonement for their State. Hence, the architects of the time designed for public buildings statues of these women, placed so as to carry a load..

In writing upon any matter of experience, such as art, the possibilities of misunderstanding are enormous, and one shudders to think of the things that may be put down to one's credit, owing to such misunderstandings. It is like writing about the taste of sugar, you are only likely to be understood by those who have already experienced the flavour; by those who have not, the wildest interpretation will be put upon your words. The written word is necessarily confined to the things of the understanding because only the understanding has written language; whereas art deals with ideas of a different mental texture, which words can only vaguely suggest. However, there are a large number of people who, although they cannot viibe said to have experienced in a full sense any works of art, have undoubtedly the impelling desire which a little direction may lead on to a fuller appreciation. And it is to such that books on art are useful. So that although this book is primarily addressed to working students, it is hoped that it may be of interest to that increasing number of people who, tired with the rush and struggle of modern existence, seek refreshment in artistic things. To many such in this country modern art is still a closed book; its point of view is so different from that of the art they have been brought up with, that they refuse to have anything to do with it. Whereas, if they only took the trouble to find out something of the point of view of the modern artist, they would discover new beauties they little suspected. If anybody looks at a picture by Claude Monet from the point of view of a Raphael, he will see nothing but a meaningless jargon of wild paint-strokes. And if anybody looks at a Raphael from the point of view of a Claude Monet, he will, no doubt, only see hard, tinny figures in a setting devoid of any of the lovely atmosphere that always envelops form seen in nature. So wide apart are some of the points of view in painting. In the treatment of form these differences in point of view make for enormous variety in the work. Works showing much ingenuity and ability, but no artistic brains; pictures that are little more than school studies, exercises in the representation of carefully or carelessly arranged objects, but cold to any artistic intention. At this time particularly some principles, and a clear intellectual understanding of what it is you are trying to do, are needed. We have no set traditions to guide us. The times when the student accepted the style and traditions of his master and blindly followed them until he found himself, are gone. Such conditions belonged to an age when intercommunication was difficult, and when the artistic horizon was restricted to a single town or province. Science has altered all that, and we may regret the loss of local colour and singleness of aim this growth of art in separate compartments produced; but it is unlikely that such conditions will occur again. Quick means of transit and cheap methods of reproduction have brought the art of the whole world to our doors. Where formerly the artistic food at the disposal of the student was restricted to the few pictures in his vicinity and some prints of others, now there is scarcely a picture of note in the world that is not known to the average student, either from personal inspection at our museums and loan exhibitions, or from excellent photographic reproductions. Not only European art, but the art of the East, China and Japan, is part of the formative influence by which he is surrounded; not to mention the modern science of light and colour that has had such an influence on technique. It is no wonder that a period of artistic indigestion is upon us. Hence the student has need ixof sound principles and a clear understanding of the science of his art, if he would select from this mass of material those things which answer to his own inner need for artistic expression.

Documentele publicate sub egida Institutului de Istorie ?George Bari?iu“ al Academiei Rom?ne au fost structurate ?n dou? p?r?i: Emigra?ia albgardist? ?i Biserica Rus? din Bucure?ti. Prima parte cuprinde r?spunsul direc?iilor regionale la Ordinul Direc?iei Generale a Securit??ii Statului nr. 354/81558 privind albgardi?tii din raza acestora de competen??, iar cea de a doua – materiale ale Direc?iei Regionale a Securit??ii Bucure?ti despre personalul, emigran?ii ?i refugia?ii care frecventeaz? Biserica Rus?. Sursele relev? destinul, starea de spirit ?i material? a fo?tilor membri ai armatelor ruse ?i ucrainene stabili?i ?n Rom?nia, supravie?uitori ai celor dou? r?zboaie mondiale, liderii fiind deja aresta?i.Din sinteza informativ? a Direc?iei Regionale a Securit??ii Bac?u din 27 octombrie 1951:??n urma ac?iunilor contrarevolu?ionare desf??urate ?n t?n?rul Stat Sovietic de c?tre bandele conduse de Denikin, Kerenski ?i Vranghel, bande ce au fost distruse de c?tre t?n?ra Armat? Ro?ie Sovietic? ?i alungate peste grani?ele Statului Sovietic, ?i ?n ?ar? la noi au venit o serie de elemente ce au f?cut parte din aceste armate, care ?i-au stabilit domiciliul ?n diferite ora?e ale ??rii noastre, unde sub regimul burghezo-mo?ieresc ce se afla ?n acel timp la c?rma ??rii noastre au g?sit azil ?i ocrotire.Astfel ?i ?n regiunea Bac?u din aceste elemente identificate p?n? ?n prezent sunt ?n num?r de 6 persoane, ?i anume: Mateevski Konstantin, ?n prezent domiciliat ?n Piatra-Neam?, de profesie electrician ?i mecanic, angajat ?n aceast? func?ie la Sovromlemn Piatra-Neam?; Petrovski Vasile, fost colonel de artilerie ?i avia?ie ?n armata alb? a lui Vranghel, ?n prezent domiciliat ?n Piatra-Neam?, fiind angajat ca magazioner la fabrica Bistri?a din Piatra-Neam?; Galini?cenko Alexandru, domiciliat ?n Piatra-Neam?, f?r? ocupa?ie, ?n prezent fiind b?tr?n; Kazimirov Mark, de profesie ?ofer angajat ?n aceast? calitate la fabrica ?Reconstruc?ia“ Piatra-Neam?, fost ofi?er ?n Armata Alb? ucrainean?, ?n prezent lucreaz? ca t?mplar, ?i Babici Ifrim, fost ofi?er ?n armata lui Vranghel, actualmente domiciliat ?n comuna Tarc?u, raionul Piatra-Neam?, cu serviciul la Sovromlemn.?n leg?tur? cu susnumi?ii trebuie s? ar?t?m c? dac? ?n trecut existau unele rela?ii de prietenie ?ntre d?n?ii, ?nt?lniri ?n care ??i reaminteau cu pl?cere de trecutul lor, ast?zi, fiind elemente b?tr?ne, nu se mai observ? aceste leg?turi, mai ales c? majoritatea sunt c?s?tori?i cu cet??ence rom?ne ?i parte dintre d?n?ii au chiar ?i copii.De asemeni, din cele cunoscute de noi rezult? c? ace?tia nu ?ntre?in leg?turi prin coresponden?? cu str?in?tatea ?i nici cu elementele dubioase ?i du?m?noase din locurile unde tr?iesc ei. S-a putut constata c? aceste elemente sunt extrem de fricoase ca nu cumva s? vin? o dispozi?ie care s?-i pun? ?n situa?ia s? se ?ntoarc? ?n URSS, obliga?i. Comentarii ?n acest gen au fost extrem de multe ?n r?ndurile lor, ?n special ?ntre anii 1945-1946, c?nd ei credeau sigur c? vor fi evacua?i din ?ara noastr? ?i trimi?i ?n Uniunea Sovietic?. Totu?i ?i ?n prezent, de?i b?tr?ni, exist? ?i ?n r?ndurile lor unele comentarii ?i nemul?umiri, pe care ?ns? ?i le arat? ?n anturajul restr?ns pe care eventual ?l au.“

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.

T?rténik Olivér házában, Frigyes herceg udvarában, valamint az Ardeni-erd?ben – vélhet?leg Franciaországban. Egy nagy erej? vitéz, miként nálunk majd Toldi, legy?z egy bajnokot. Bár testvére ármánya miatt meg kellett volna halnia a párviadalban, mégis az ? homlokára kerül a gy?ztesnek kijáró koszorú. ?s ezzel kezdetét veszi vessz?futása. El?bb csak bátyja, majd uralkodója haragja el?l, utóbb egyenest a szám?zetésbe. Vigaszul csupán egy mosoly, egy fehér lánykézb?l kapott amulett és ?reg szolgája sírig h? ragaszkodása szolgál. ?m az ardeni erd? mélyén további barátokra, igaz szerelemre, és el?z?tt hercegének birodalmára talál.

"Reportajele din aceast? carte vorbesc despre aspecte din istoria recent?, cum ar fi migra?ia, corup?ia, via?a ?n penitenciare sau problemele minorit??ilor, ?nchiderea spitalelor sau stresul care schimb? vie?i, crizele din s?n?tate, pove?ti ale unor oameni obi?nui?i, care fac lucruri speciale. Reg?sim, ?ns?, ?i pove?ti de demult, cum e cazul reportajelor despre lupt?torii anticomuni?ti din mun?i, despre tezaurul de la Pietroasele sau istoriile din satele s?se?ti. Reportajele surprind realit??i dintr-o Rom?nie aflat? ?n continu? schimbare, cu enorme discrepan?e. Sunt ca o fotografie a realit??ii. Cine le cite?te afl? cum se tr?ia sau cum se tr?ie?te ?n anumite locuri. Cum se schimb? sau de ce nu se schimb? lucrurile ?i mentalit??ile. Cartea cuprinde 30 de reportaje publicate ?n revista Dilema veche, dar ?i adapt?ri dup? reportaje sau documentare radio difuzate la Europa FM ?i Radio Rom?nia Actualit??i. Reportajul e un gen mai rar ?nt?lnit ast?zi ?n presa din Rom?nia. Dar asta nu se ?nt?mpl? din cauza lipsei de interes a publicului, ci din pricina lipsei de bani ?i de investi?ii ?ntr-o pres? de calitate. De fiecare dat? c?nd totu?i apar reportaje bine f?cute, se constat? c? publicul le urm?re?te cu interes, tot a?a cum urm?re?te reportajele ?i documentarele oferite de televiziunile str?ine. Asta fiindc? oamenii au nevoie de pove?ti. Un reportaj bine f?cut este de fapt o poveste adev?rat?. P?n? la urm?, ?i aceast? carte este o carte cu pove?ti adev?rate." (Liliana Nicolae)

A NEW AND FACETIOUS INTRODUCTION TO THE ENGLISH TONGUEBy Percival LeighEmbellished with upwards of forty-five Characteristic IllustrationsBy JOHN LEECH. Fashion requires, and like the rest of her sex, requires because she requires, that before a writer begins the business of his book, he should give an account to the world of his reasons for producing it; and therefore, to avoid singularity, we shall proceed with the statement of our own, excepting only a few private ones, which are neither here nor there. To advance the interests of mankind by promoting the cause of Education; to ameliorate the conversation of the masses; to cultivate Taste, and diffuse Refinement; these are the objects we have in view in submitting a Comic English Grammar to the patronage of a discerning Public. Few persons there are, whose ears are so extremely obtuse, as not to be frequently annoyed at the violations of Grammar by which they are so often assailed. It is really painful to be forced, in walking along the streets, to hear such phrases as, "That 'ere omnibus." "Where've you bin?" "Vot's the odds?" and the like. Very dreadful expressions are also used by cartmen and others in addressing their horses. What can possibly induce a human being to say "Gee woot!" "'Mather way!" or "Woa not to mention the atrocious "Kim aup!" of the barbarous butcher's boy. It is notorious that the above and greater enormities are perpetrated in spite of the number of Grammars already before the world. This fact sufficiently excuses the present addition to the stock; and as serious English Grammars have hitherto failed to effect the desired reformation, we are induced to attempt it by means of a Comic one. With regard to the moral tendency of our labors, we may be here permitted to remark, that they will tend, if successful, to the suppression of evil speaking ; and as the Spartans used to exhibit a tipsy slave to their children with a view to disgust them with drunkenness, and We will not allow a man to give an old woman a dose of rhubarb if he have not acquired at least half a dozen sciences; but we permit a quack to sell as much poison as he pleases. When one man runs away with another's wife, and, being on that account challenged to fight a duel, shoots the aggrieved party through the head, the latter is said to receive satisfaction. We never take a glass of wine at dinner without getting somebody else to do the same, as if we wanted encouragement; and then, before we venture to drink, we bow to each other across the table, preserving all the while a most wonderful gravity. This, however, it may be said, is the natural result of endeavoring to keep one another in countenance. The way in which we imitate foreign manners and customs is very amusing. Savages stick fish-bones through their noses; our fair countrywomen have hoops of metal poked through their ears. The Caribs flatten the forehead; the Chinese compress the foot; and we possess similar contrivances for reducing the figure of a young lady to a resemblance to an hour-glass or a devil-on-two-sticks. There being no other assignable motive for these and the like proceedings, it is reasonable to suppose that they are adopted, as schoolboys say, "for fun." We could go on, were it necessary, adducing facts to an almost unlimited extent; but we consider that enough has now been said in proof of the comic character of the national mind. And in conclusion, if any other than an English or American author can be produced, equal in point of wit, humor, and drollery, to Swift, Sterne, Dickens, or Paulding, we hereby engage to eat him; albeit we have no pretensions to the character of a "helluo librorum." "English Grammar," according to Lindley Murray, "is the art of speaking and writing the English language with propriety." The English language, written and spoken with propriety, is commonly called the King's English.

O carte pasionant i minuios documentat.“ – Le Figaro Littéraire Dac exist o dinastie care s ntrupeze Europa, aceea este Casa de Habsburg“, scrie Jean des Cars n debutul acestei cavalcade pasionante prin istoria zbuciumat a Europei. Destinul prodigios al Habsburgilor ncepe, n cheie minor, n secolul al XI-lea, ntr-o fortrea situat n cantonul elveian Aargau, prinde aripi n 1273, odat cu alegerea, cu totul neateptat, a contelui Rudolf de Habsburg ca mprat al Sfntului Imperiu German, i i ncheie epopeea monarhic la Schnbrunn, pe 11 noiembrie 1918, cnd Carol al IV-lea semneaz actul de renunare la coroana imperial a Austriei. Vreme de apte secole, Habsburgii au dominat o mare parte a Europei, a Orientului Apropiat i a Americii de Sud. Cuceritorul Carol Quintul, reformatoarea Maria Tereza, Franz Joseph i legendara sa soie Sisi, Zita, suverana datoriei, sunt doar cteva dintre figurile emblematice ale acestei familii excepionale, care a marcat istoria. Nendoielnic, dispariia lor semnaleaz prbuirea unei lumi, dar numele lor rmne venic sinonim cu nflorirea artelor, grandoarea politic i identitatea european. Pentru alctuirea acestui volum incitant, n care faptul istoric documentat se ntlnete fericit cu excursul jurnalistic profesionist i bine calibrat, dar i cu o anecdotic ncnttoare, Jean des Cars, talentat raconteur i recunoscut cronicar al marilor monarhii europene, a consultat arhive, a vizitat toate locurile-reper ale dinastiei, a realizat interviuri i a cules mrturiile inedite ale mprtesei Zita i ale arhiducelui Otto de Habsburg. Istoria este plin de maiesti individuale, ns Habsburgii ntruchipeaz maiestatea dinastic. [...] A ajunge s nu mai constitui doar o familie, s nu mai reprezini doar o ar, ci un agregat de naiuni, a stpni jumtate din Europa i o mare parte din America, a purta o coroan mai grea chiar dect coroana Imperiului Britanic, dar a te plimba, n acelai timp, prin Prater, cu o umbrel sub bra, iat un spectacol pe care omenirea nul va mai vedea vreodat.“ – Paul Morand n 1919, prbuirea imperiilor i, apoi, o redivizare geografic arbitrar elimin de la conducere familii vechi i puternice, cum ar fi Romanovii, Hohenzollernii i Habsburgii. Dup veacuri de prestigiu i influen, vechile case domnitoare sunt terse de pe hart, asasinate sau surghiunite. Dar, n timp ce familiile imperiale din Rusia i din Germania au fost nevoite, ulterior, s se mulumeasc, dup caz, cu nostalgii discrete, compromisuri regretabile sau reabilitri tardive, Habsburgii au luptat mpotriva anihilrii progresive la care erau supui, ripostnd chiar fa de ostracizarea care le era impus. Nu fr eforturi sau adversiti umilitoare, ei au reuit s triasc, s i refac imaginea, s existe din nou, s impun respect fa de numele lor nainte de anii ’40 i s redobndeasc un loc att n memoria vechii Europe, ct i n noua construcie european, ceea ce este un lucru excepional.“ – Jean des Cars

“From the fury of the Northmen, good Lord deliver us.” – Anonymous monk, Noirmoutier, France, 9th century AD Beginning in 789AD, the Vikings raided monasteries, sacked cities and invaded western Europe. They looted and enslaved their enemies. But that is only part of their story. In long boats they discovered Iceland and America (both by accident) and also sailed up the Seine to Paris (which they sacked). They settled from Newfoundland to Russia, founded Dublin and fought battles as far afield as the Caspian Sea. A thousand years after their demise, traces of the Vikings remain all the way from North America to Istanbul. They traded walruses with Inuits, brought Russian furs to Western Europe and took European slaves to Constantinople. Their graves contain Arab silver, Byzantine silks and Frankish weapons. In this accessible book, the whole narrative of the Viking story is examined from the eighth to the eleventh centuries. Arranged thematically, Vikings: A History of the Norse People examines the Norsemen from exploration to religion to trade to settlement to weaponry to kingdoms to their demise and legacy. But today questions remain: what prompted the first Viking raids? What stopped their expansion? And how much of the tales of murder, rape and pillage is myth? Illustrated with more than 200 photographs, maps and artworks, Vikings: A History of the Norse People is an expertly written account of a people who have long captured the popular imagination.

A manhunt can involve helicopters, hounds and hundreds of military or police personnel, but it can also turn on the evidence of one broken spider’s web. Manhunts today might involve the technology of infrared cameras and surveillance devices such as powerful satellite technology, but they may also rely on examining the width, depth, tread and intervals of footprints, or observing minute changes in the natural environment. From searching for high-value enemy targets such as Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein to finding soldiers caught behind enemy lines, from escaped prisoners and serial killers to a missing child, SAS and Elite Forces Guide: Manhunt explores just how the military and police forces track people down. Including many case studies of high-value targets, suspected criminals and fugitives from justice, and with extensive background on the different techniques in tracking used, from traditional Native American trackers’ skills to the latest high-tech methods, Manhunt brings together the history and science of tracking. Illustrated with 150 maps and photographs, SAS and Elite Forces Guide: Manhunt is an authoritative examination of tracking from footprints to forensics and a must for anyone interested in the latest military practices, true crime and survival skills.

Small arms have developed hugely since the introduction of the machine gun in the 1870s. Magazine-fed rifles, submachine guns, automatic pistols and, later, assault rifles and personal defence weapons have changed the face of infantry warfare, offering a range of weaponry designed for both the specialist and novice. The World’s Greatest Small Arms features 52 weapons from the late 19th century to the present day. The book includes the best-known weapons from throughout the modern era, from the Gatling gun, SMLE rifle and Luger pistol, to the Uzi, FN MAG and the M110 sniper rifle. Great iconic weapons, such as the Colt M1911 pistol, Bren Gun, MP5 submachine gun, and Steyr AUG rifle are featured, as well as timeless classics still in use today: the M2 Browning 50 cal, AK-47 and M16 rifle. Each weapon is illustrated with a colour profile artwork and photographs, along with a description of the weapon’s development and history, key features and a full specifications box. Including more than 200 artworks and photographs, The World’s Greatest Small Arms is a colourful guide for the military historian.