A guide to protecting your copyright and making money from your creativity, touches on music, art, photography and other artistic areas.

Cartea de fa?? vrea s? relateze succint, dar temeinic, evenimentele petrecute în cei dou?zeci de ani de insecuritate ?i criz? ce au urmat Marelui R?zboi. Indiferent cât de puternice sau de durat? au fost for?ele ce au dus la izbucnirea celui de-al Doilea R?zboi Mondial, a existat un moment când principalii actori pe scena istoriei s-au v?zut nevoi?i s? se confrunte cu aceste for?e ?i s? ia anumite decizii. Marile evenimente ale istoriei î?i genereaz? o dinamic? ?i o desf??urare proprii. Din perspectiva noastr?, a celor de acum, al Doilea R?zboi Mondial pare s? fi izbucnit din cauza crizei interna?ionale provocate de Germania lui Hitler. Îns? nimic din ce se întâmpl? în istorie nu este inevitabil, dup? cum va încerca s? demonstreze acest volum. Dialogul straniu între sistem ?i actorii lui se afl? la baza relat?rii istorice. Evenimentele înse?i pot fi, în acela?i timp, cauz? ?i efect – la fel cum s-a întâmplat ?

Istoria serviciilor de informa?ii sovietice continu? s? fie un mister“, m?rturise?te Boris Volodarski, fost c?pitan în Serviciul de Informa?ii Militare din URSS (GRU), unul dintre cei mai mari exper?i în studierea serviciilor secrete sovietice. ?i tot Volodarski este de p?rere c? majoritatea materialelor publicate pe aceast? tem? este plin? de falsuri ?i de informa?ii distorsionate, incluzând aici ?i memoriile publicate de fo?tii agen?i. Noile documente disponibile ast?zi ne permit s? cunoa?tem mult mai bine adev?rul despre interven?ia sovietic? în Spania ?i rolul jucat de agen?ii URSS: Gerö, Grigulevici, Philby (ini?ial trimis cu misiunea de a-l asasina pe Franco), Kol?ov ?i, mai ales, Lev Nikolski, cunoscut drept Aleksandr Orlov – omul care i-a în?elat pe Stalin ?i pe cei de la CIA, ?i chiar lumea întreag? cu memoriile sale. Acesta a condus, din februarie 1937, sta?ia NKVD din Spania ?i a fost responsabil de o etap? important? a regimului de teroare sângeroas?, care a inclus asasinarea lui Kurt Landau ?i a lui Andreu Nin. Cartea de fa??, care demonteaz? o cantitate impresionant? de fabula?ii, falsuri ?i minciuni, ce continu? s? fie propagate ?i ast?zi, va fi, f?r? îndoial?, o referin?? indispensabil? pentru to?i cei care î?i propun s? studieze R?zboiul Civil din Spania.

Junimea ?i revista Convorbiri literare, pentru o ?ar? ca a noastr?, a tuturor nea?ez?rilor, au fost un suflu de temeinicie care s-a mai repetat ?n perioada interbelic?, f?r? a reu?i s? se coaguleze ca urmare a r?zboiului ?i dictaturilor ce l-au ?nso?it ?i urmat; suflu care pare ?nc? departe, ca s? nu spunem imposibil s? revin? ?n cultura rom?n? sub presiunea globalismului ?i multiculturalismului, a deconstruc?iei cu program ?n toate manifest?rile social-culturale, materiale ?i spirituale. E un model care, dup? o sut? cincizeci de ani, ?nc? ??i trimite razele f?r? a primi o reflectare pe m?sur?.Ceea ce deosebe?te criticismul junimist de criticile epocii ?i, ?n parte, ?i de al ?nainta?ilor este atitudinea comun?, afirmat? de Maiorescu, respectul adev?rului.Importan?a ?i influen?a junimismului ?n sfera politic? sunt de acela?i nivel cu cele afirmate ?n plan cultural ?i literar, e drept, nu cu aceea?i durabilitate, politicul este mult mai efemer, dar nu mai pu?in implicat ?i cu efecte imediate ?i adesea pe termen mediu ?i lung ?n via?a social? a ??rii. (Cassian Maria Spiridon)

In this work, 19th century physician John Ellis attempts to persuade the medical community to give serious consideration to the practise of Homeopathy.

Lucrarea abordeaza teme majore ale politicii despre parlamentarism, parlament, parlamentari, care au suscitat si suscita si astazi aprige controverse, antrenand eforturi si pasiuni in toate mediile culturale si politice ale societatii in decursul vremilor.In analiza Discursurilor si dezbaterilor parlamentare, specialistii si nespecialistii au la dispozitie un bogat material arhivistic alaturi de presa timpului, rod al eforturilor parlamentarilor indiferent de sistemele de reprezentare existente in stat la un moment dat – unicameral sau bicameral.De semnalat in cuprinsul volumului este Mesajul Tronului, sustinut de Al.I. Cuza, alaturi de care intalnim maestri ai elocintei parlamentare romanesti cum ar fi M. Kogalniceanu, Titu Maiorescu, P.P. Carp, I.I.C. Bratianu, Take Ionescu, N. Iorga, O. Goga, N. Titulescu, A.C. Cuza, Al. Vaida-Voievod si multi altii.

Necesitatea acestei carti s-a impus in campul istoriografiei contemporane ca un raspuns ce se cerea stringent intr-un moment in care istoriografia in ansamblul ei a intrat intr-un serios impas girat si incurajat de predominanta agresiva si interferenta unor scoli si curente inconsistente, care de care mai zgomotoase, mai belicoase, mai ?originale“, concomitent cu intensificarea presiunii factorului politic (guverne, parlamente, tribunale, ong-uri etc).Tematica lucrarii o constituie evenimentele care au tulburat intreaga lume in perioada celui de-al Doilea Razboi Mondial.Studiile din aceasta carte au aparut sub semnatura celor mai prestigiosi istorici ai neamului nostru din aceasta perioada: acad. Dan Berindei, acad. Florin Constantiniu, prof. univ. dr. Gh. Buzatu (coordonatorul editiei), Stela Cheptea si multi altii.

O istorie politico-sentimental? a capitalei noastre. De ce o istorie politico-sentimental?? Pentru c?, ?n evolu?ia Bucure?tiului, de-alungul secolelor, afacerile politice s-au ?mpletit adesea, inevitabil, cu b?t?ile inimii. Chiar prima perioad? a cet??ii, ca ?i capital? domneasc?, tutelat? de figu ra dominant? a doamnei Chiajna, poate fi b?nuit? de un senzualism crud care a deschis drum acelui fenomen pe care Ionescu-Gion ?l numea at?t de plastic ?ginecolatrie“, adic? ascultarea dovedit? de domnitorii valahi fa?? de so?iile lor.

Cartea t?n?rului universitar Mihai-Bogdan Marian consacrat? analizei conflictelor interna?ionale este o invita?ie la luciditate, la reflec?ie autonom?, dezinhibat?, la cercetare aplicat?, f?r? prejudec??i ?i partizanate apriorice. Autorul este un analist pentru care exerci?iul ?n sine al disec?rii cauzelor ?i ?mprejur?rilor ce favorizeaz? apari?ia ?i acutizarea conflictelor interna?ionale nu este unul fortuit sau gratuit. Ideea sa tutelar? este c? orice astfel de conflict poate fi pre?nt?mpinat. Iar dac?, fatalmente, el s-a declan?at ?i s-a dezvoltat, sc?p?nd poate de sub control, poate fi dezamorsat, factorii angrena?i ?n acest proces av?nd la ?ndem?n? algoritmi ?i proceduri standard care nu trebuie s? fac? obiectul unei ac?iuni in extremis, care s? justifice de fapt prin e?ec escaladarea ?n continuare a conflictului ca atare. (Mihai Milca)

Carte nominalizat? la premiile Samuel Johnson, Duff Cooper ?i Marsh Biography?O biografie splendid scris?, o carte care reu?e?te s? ne surprind? ?n multiple feluri. Nu numai c? scoate din umbra istoriei personalitatea lui Potemkin ?i cariera sa excentric?, dar aduce la via?? Rusia aristocratic? a secolului al XVIII-lea… Este evident c? ceea ce l-a fascinat pe Sebag Montefiore este ?nsu?i omul – personalitatea, realiz?rile, rela?ia sa de o via?? cu suverana-amant? –, iar aceast? fascina?ie transpare ?n fiecare pagin? a c?r?ii.“ – Anne Applebaum?O carte magnific?… Reabilitarea plin? de pasiune ?i de devotament a eroului lui Montefiore este numai unul dintre nenum?ratele atuuri minunate ale acestei c?r?i. Realizat? ?n urma cercet?rii am?nun?ite a arhivelor ruse?ti, este o lucrare ?tiin?ific? deosebit?… O biografie superb?… greu de imaginat c? va putea fi ?ntrecut? vreodat?.“ – Frank McLynn?Entuziasmul ?i erudi?ia lui Montefiore fac din aceast? carte mult mai mult dec?t o biografie captivant?, lectura ei este un galop n?valnic… Un triumf al muncii de cercetare ?i o bucurie a lecturii.“ – Antony BeevorCa t?n?r ofi?er de gard?, Grigori Potemkin a atras aten?ia Ecaterinei, la acea vreme Mare Duces? a Rusiei, cu un gest teatral plin de mare galanterie ?n timpul loviturii de palat care a adus-o pe aceasta la tron. ?n cei treizeci de ani care au urmat, avea s? devin? iubitul ei, partener la domnie ?i so? ?ntr-o c?s?torie secret?, care l?sa libertate am?ndurora pentru satisfacerea propriilor extravagan?e sexuale. Potemkin s-a dovedit a fi unul dintre cei mai sclipitori oameni de stat ai secolului al XVIII-lea, ajut?nd-o pe Ecaterina s? extind? Imperiul Rus ?i manipul?nd cu ?ndem?nare alia?i ?i adversari, de la Constantinopol p?n? la Londra.Aceast? biografie recreeaz? cu ?nsufle?ire personalitatea flamboaiant? ?i realiz?rile lui Potemkin ?i ?i red? locul cuvenit ca un adev?rat colos al secolului al XVIII-lea.Volumul este o cronic? a rela?iei tumultuoase dintre Potemkin ?i Ecaterina, a extraordinarei pove?ti de dragoste dintre dou? personalit??i puternice care au influen?at cursul istoriei. Aduc?nd la via?? aceste personaje cu destine romane?ti, Montefiore relateaz? totodat? povestea cre?rii Imperiului Rus. O biografie la superlativ – intim? ?i panoramic?, explod?nd de via?? ?i pasiune.?Una dintre marile pove?ti de dragoste ale istoriei, ?n aceea?i lig? cu Joséphine ?i Napoleon, Antoniu ?i Cleopatra… O carte excelent?, scris? cu o extraordinar? m?iestrie a detaliului ?i un talent literar uluitor.“ – The Economist

Indezirabilii, publicat sub egida Institutului de Istorie ?George Bari?iu“ al Academiei Rom?ne, scoate la lumin? informa?ii pu?in cunoscute despre exodul etnicilor evrei, rom?ni, ru?i ?i ucraineni din URSS ?n Rom?nia.Cauzele, mijloacele emigr?rii, reac?ia autorit??ilor, a popula?iei autohtone ?i a organiza?iilor interna?ionale, fenomenele conexe sunt relevate ?n contextul profundelor transform?ri sociale ?i politice din perioada 1919-1939. Prezentarea unor texte scrise de ?i despre emigran?i ofer? detalii asupra atrocit??ilor comise de regimul sovietic, a modului ?n care au fost percepu?i ?i a celui ?n care au perceput indezirabilii statul na?ional unitar rom?n.Fragment din subsec?iunea ?Trecerea Nistrului ?n ambele sensuri: motive ?i consecin?e“Unul din efectele masacrelor de la Nistru din lunile februarie-martie 1932 ?i ale noului val de refugia?i din RASS Moldoveneasc? asupra opiniei publice din Rom?nia a constat ?n exprimarea pozi?iei fa?? de evenimentele tragice ?n publica?ii. Jurnali?tii ?i cercet?torii nu s-au limitat la analiza evenimentelor, ci au publicat o serie ?ntreag? de materiale despre istoria regiunii transnistrene ?i a rom?nilor de acolo. De exemplu, potrivit lui Pamfil ?eicaru, amplificarea represiunilor din URSS reprezenta unul din aspectele luptei ?mpotriva tradi?iei (familia, p?m?ntul, religia), iar rom?nii transnistreni – un bastion de ?nd?r?tnic? rezisten?? a tradi?iei. ?n fapt, purificarea regiunii transnistrene, echivala cu desfiin?area pseudo-autonomiei moldovene?ti, iar dispari?ia entit??ii intra ?n linia necesit??ilor de via?? ale centraliz?rii Moscovei, trec?nd peste particularit??ile provinciale. Motivele extermin?rii sunt rezumate ?n finalul analizei: ?Moldovenii n-au fost buni, n-au slujit scopurilor pentru care li se d?duse chiar ?i titlul de Republic? Moldoveneasc?, dispari?ia lor a ap?rut ca o porunc? nivelatoare a standardului na?ional conceput de Stalin. ?i de pe p?m?nturile unde tr?iesc de veacuri, de pe malurile Nistrului, sunt porni?i ?n dep?rt?rile pustii ?i ?nghe?ate ale Siberiei. Drumul lung ?i greu, foamea, bolile, le va tot ?mpu?ina num?rul, p?n? ce nu va mai r?m?ne niciunul din neamul blestemat al moldovenilor, ace?ti ?nd?r?tnici adversari ai uniformiz?rii staliniste. De-a lungul Rusiei ro?ii (tot at?t de milostiv? ca ?i Rusia ?arist?) mormintele lor vor ?nsemna drumul crucific?rii moldave. ?i ieri ?i azi Pohod na Sibir! Numai imbecilii ??i ?nchipuie c? esen?a na?iilor se schimb? prin revolu?ii“. La 23 martie 1932, sub impresia cazurilor, individuale sau de grup, aproape zilnice, de ?mpu?care a ??ranilor rom?ni care ?ncercau s? p?trund? din Transnistria ?n Rom?nia, Pamfil ?eicaru dezvolta ideea de standardizare spiritual? prin represiune masiv?, exterminatorie, ?ntr-un articol cu accente directe antiminoritare ?i indirecte antiguvernamentale. Raportat la incapacitatea sau imposibilitatea opririi crimelor de la frontiera sovieto-rom?n?, directorul Curentului propunea efectuarea unui schimb de popula?ie cu URSS, mediat de Societatea Na?iunilor: ?[…] exact ?n propor?ia numeric? a moldovenilor de peste Nistru ce ni s-ar trimite, am expedia comuni?ti ruteni, oameni converti?i ce nu ar mai necesita at?ta trud? uciga?? c?te sunt constr?nse autorit??ile sovietice s? fac?“. O critic? explicit? viza rolul activ pe care ar fi trebuit s?-l joace Societatea Na?iunilor: ?Un mijloc foarte simplu de a curma un asasinat, un semn de prezen?? uman? a institu?iei de asisten?? a popoarelor, de activ? prezen?? a Societ??ii Na?iunilor“. Trebuie men?ionat ?ns? faptul c?, ?ntr-un articol ulterior, se consemna sprijinul acordat de A. ?ulghin, reprezentantul ucrainean la Geneva, delega?iei Rom?niei, care a cerut condamnarea masacrelor de la Nistru ?n format multilateral. Mai mult dec?t at?t, putem observa c? ucrainenii sunt men?iona?i pe l?ng? etnicii rom?ni ca victime ale atrocit??ilor: ?Masacrele s-au repetat, ??ranii au fost ?mpu?ca?i f?r? mil?, rom?ni ?i ucraineni laolalt?“.

Un fascinant discurs despre unul dintre cei mai celebri ?i cei mai disputa?i actori ?i regizori, cu istorii scandaloase al c?ror personaj atipic a fost, cu via?? – nu totdeauna lipsit? de r?sp?ntii ?i suspans – de culise a acestui filosof al scenei ?i bufon metafizic al existen?ei. Autoarei i s-a decernat pentru aceast? carte Premiul Uniunii Cinea?tilor din Rom?nia.

Specialist ?n domeniul avangardei, scriitorul – extrem de incomod uneori! – Ovidiu Morar, scrie despre scriitorii evrei din Rom?nia ?ntr-un stil incomod, m?nat de un zeu al drept??ii, impar?ial ?i feroce. Cine sunt scriitorii evrei? ?n ce m?sura ei se deosebesc de rom?ni, unguri, francezi, ?i ?n ce m?sur? se aseam?n?? Aceste ?i multe alte ?ntreb?ri mai mult sau mai pu?in comode revin aidoma unui laitmotiv pe parcursul c?r?ii, scrise ?ntr-un stil alert, incitant, cu note v?dit incomode, iar pe aclouri de-a dreptul provocatoare.

Doamna Marusia CIRSTEA, doctor in stiinte istorice, a investigat, in baza cercetarii unei extrem de bogate bibliografii si a unor studii intense in arhivele diplomatice si militare interne (Arhiva Ministerului de Externe al Romaniei - Bucuresti, Arhivele Militare Nationale – Bucuresti si Pitesti, Arhivele Nationale ale Romaniei - Bucuresti, Biblioteca Nationala si Biblioteca Academiei Romane, ambele din Bucuresti), o problema de mare interes, abordata pana acum de numerosi istorici romani si straini (Paul D. Quinlan, Elisabeth Barker, V. F. Dobrinescu, Gh. Pascalau, Ion Patroiu s.a.). Tocmai de aceea, meritul autoarei este cu totul deosebit, intrucat, bazandu-se pe rezultatele cercetarilor anterioare, dar, aprofundandu-le si completandu-le substantial cu documente inedite, este in masura sa realizeze o contributie stiintifica de reala valoare pe marginea evolutiei raporturilor politico-diplomatice intre Romania si Marea Britanie intr-una din perioadele cele mai captivante si mai dificile ale epocii contemporane – ajunul conflagratiei mondiale din 1939-1945. Asa dupa cum se subliniaza in ampla Introducere, problema cercetata ?constituie o tema de studiu si de reflectie importanta, interesanta si plina de invataminte, nu numai pentru istoricul de astazi, dar si pentru omul simplu, pasionat de istorie si, indeosebi, pentru politicianul si diplomatul care trebuie sa gaseasca solutii practice unor aspecte interesand raporturile internationale“ (p. 3). Astfel, dupa o pertinenta si documentata Introducere, care elucideaza si aspectele istoriografice ale cercetarii, autoarea realizeaza o consistenta monografie privind relatiile dintre Bucuresti si Londra intre 1936 si 1939, in cuprinsul a patru capitole judicios repartizate pentru a se asigura tratarea globala si unitara a materiei. De un mare interes si cu o importanta pondere in economia lucrarii se dovedesc, nu mai putin, Concluziile (pp. 200-213), Bibliografia (pp. 214-232) si cele 25 de Anexe (pp. 233-350).Ultimele luni de pace si inceputul celui de-al doilea razboi mondial, evolutia raporturilor anglo-romane in context fac obiectul celui de-al IV-lea capitol. Principalele evenimente tratate sunt, in ordine cronologica, faimosul caz Tilea; garantiile franceze si britanice acordate Poloniei, Greciei si Romaniei; rostul pactului sovieto-german din 23 august 1939 in politica europeana; declansarea razboiului si atitudinea Romaniei si, in sfarsit, proclamarea neutralitatii Romaniei in razboi vizavi de implicarea Marii Britanii in ostilitati. Temeinicia cercetarii este atestata de o bogata si sistematica Bibliografíe, care, fara indoiala, intregeste, in chip fericit, textul lucrarii. In acelasi timp, Anexele ingaduie specialistului si cititorului interesat sa aprecieze amploarea si seriozitatea investigatiilor arhivistice.

Apokrif evangélium vagy egyszer? imak?nyv? Hamisítvány vagy hiteles t?rténeti emlék? Elfeledett írás vagy szuperbiztos kód, esetleg mesterséges nyelv? Magyar, román, szanszkrit, latin, netalán t?r?k? A Rohonci kódex hírnevét kül?n?s kett?sség jellemzi: helyet kapott a világt?rténelem megfejtetlen írásainak illusztris társaságában, mik?zben a legutóbbi id?kig komoly kísérlet nem t?rtént rejtélyes jeleinek elolvasására. L?NG BENEDEK k?nyve egy izgalmas nyomozás t?rténete, amelyet a szerz? e Budapesten ?rz?tt, titokzatos és gazdagon illusztrált kódex megfejtése érdekében folytatott. A fiatal tudományt?rténész minden részletre kiterjed?, alapos vizsgálata során az olvasó beavatást nyerhet a máig megfejtetlen, rejtélyes k?nyvek világába, a titkosírások és a kódok t?rténetébe, valamint a rejtjelfejtés hagyományos és modern módszereibe is. Láng Benedek 1974-ben született Budapesten. T?rténészként végzett az ELTE b?lcsészkarán, jelenleg a Budapesti M?szaki és Gazdaságtudományi Egyetemen oktat humán és társadalomtudományi tárgyakat. Kutatóként az elfogadott és elutasított tudomány határterületei érdeklik mind t?rténeti, mind elméleti szempontból. Ez utóbbi kérdésk?rr?l t?bb k?nyve is megjelent. Budapesten él, n?s, két gyermek apja.

Meddig él velünk a kommunista diktatúra emléke? ?s mit kezdjünk vele, ha már nem tudjuk elfelejteni? – így fogalmazhatók meg r?viden Kukorelly Endre Rom cím? k?nyvének alapkérdései. Pontosabb volna egyes szám els? személyben kérdezni, hiszen a k?nyv mindvégig így és innen beszél k?z?s t?rténetünkr?l: már ezzel elhárítva a hamis k?z?sségiség mítoszait és nyomasztó beszédmódjait. Ironikusan, ?nironikusan rákérdez arra, amit ma a térség legszívesebben elfelejtene, illetve amir?l kínzóan ostoba ?nigazoló t?rténeteket gyárt. Kukorelly Endre kikezdi ezt a fárasztó, ?nigazoló retorikát, ám a k?nyv beszél?je nem áltatja az olvasót, hogy ? kívülálló lenne, aki már akkor is átlátott a szitán. Nem, csak éppen meg?rizte ízlését és humorát, ami talán elég ahhoz, hogy hitelesen beszélhessen az ízléstelenség és kedélytelenség világáról. Ami nem csak a múlt.?

This book, re-edited and illustrated by e-kitap projesi and published again in ebook format. In this book, telling that Boyhood stories of the Most famous persons in the world, and so These 21 famous persons lay out from Christopher Colombus –The pre-founder of the America- to Otto von Bismarc. For example: “When he was sixteen Napoleon and his best friend, a boy named Desmazis, were ordered to join the regiment of La Fère which was then quartered in the south of France. Napoleon was glad of this change which brought him nearer to his island home, and he also felt that he would now learn something of actual warfare. The two boys were taken to their regiment in charge of an officer who stayed with them from the time they left Paris until the carriage set them down at the garrison town. The regiment of La Fère was one of the best in the French army, and the boy immediately took a great liking to everything connected with it. He found the officers well educated and anxious to help him. He declared the blue uniform with red facings to be the most beautiful uniform in the world. He had to work hard, still studying mathematics, chemistry, and the laws of fortification, mounting guard with the other subalterns, and looking after his own company of men. He seemed very young to be put in charge of grown soldiers, but his great ability had brought about this extraordinarily rapid promotion. He had a room in a boarding-house kept by an old maid, but took his meals at the Inn of the Three Pigeons. Now that he was an officer he began to be more interested in making a good appearance before people. He took dancing lessons and suddenly blossomed out into much popularity among the garrison. Older people could not help but see his great strength of character, and time and again it was predicted that he would rise high in the army.”

Volumul top t – festivalul rezisten?ei rock (re)aduce ?n discu?ie istoria celui mai important festival rock al Rom?niei. Ap?rut ?n seria STRATONE, cu Nelu Stratone coordonator, volumul beneficiaz? de un cuv?nt introductiv semnat de Gabi Gombo? plus o potfa?? de Florin-Silviu Ursulescu, doi grei ai istoriei rockului rom?nesc ?i prieteni ai festivalului. Structura este una cumva istoricizant?: un palmares al edi?iilor, un amplu interiviu cu Cornel Constantinescu, Tolea Po?tovei ?i Florin Artene, trei dintre artizanii organizatori, un capitol dedicat scenei rock buzoiene, impresii ale participan?ilor la festival, interviuri realizate de-a lungul timpului ?n caietele program. Ve?i reg?si ?i multe fotografii din edi?iile top t. Cartea-document este ?i o pledoarie pentru revenirea festivalului ?n circuitul na?ional, editura Casa de pariuri literare propun?nd ?n noiembrie 2016, la t?rgul Gaudeamus, un stand personalizat al festivalului.

AUTHOR OF "POOR BOYS WHO BECAME FAMOUS," "GIRLS WHO BECAME FAMOUS," "STORIES FROM LIFE," "FAMOUS AMERICAN AUTHORS," "FAMOUS AMERICAN STATESMEN," "SOCIAL STUDIES IN?ENGLAND," "FROM HEART AND NATURE,"?"FAMOUS MEN OF SCIENCE," ETC. "Do not act as if you had ten thousand years to throw away. Death stands at your elbow. Be good for something while you live, and it is in your power." —Marcus Aurelius. "Every line, every road, every gable, every tower, has some story of the past present in it. Every tocsin that sounds is a chronicle; every bridge that unites the two banks of the river, unites also the crowds of the living with the heroism of the dead."The beauty of the past goes with you at every step in Florence. Buy eggs in the market, and you buy them where Donatello bought those which fell down in a broken heap before the wonder of the crucifix. Pause in a narrow by-street in a crowd, and it shall be that Borgo Allegri, which the people so baptized for love of the old painter and the new-born art. Stray into a great dark church at evening time, where peasants tell their beads in the vast marble silence, and you are where the whole city flocked, weeping, at midnight, to look their last upon the dead face of their Michael Angelo. Buy a knot of March anemones or April arum lilies, and you may bear them with you through the same city ward in which the child Ghirlandaio once played amidst the gold and silver garlands that his father fashioned for the young heads of the Renaissance. Ask for a shoemaker, and you shall find the cobbler sitting with his board in the same old twisting, shadowy street-way where the old man Toscanelli drew his charts that served a fair-haired sailor of Genoa, called Columbus." Florence, Shelley's "Smokeless City," was the ardently loved home of Michael Angelo. He was born March 6, 1475, or, according to some authorities, 1474, the Florentines reckoning time from the incarnation of Christ, instead of his birth. Lodovico Buonarotti, the father of Michael Angelo, had been appointed governor of Caprese and Chiusi, and had moved from Florence to the Castle of Caprese, where this boy, his second child, was born. The mother, Francesca, was, like her husband, of noble family, and but little more than half his age, being nineteen and he thirty-one. After two years they returned to Florence, leaving the child at Settignano, three miles from the city, on an estate of the Buonarottis'. He was intrusted to the care of a stone-mason's wife, as nurse. Living among the quarrymen and sculptors of this picturesque region, he began to draw as soon as he could use his hands. He took delight in the work of the masons, and they in turn loved the bright, active child. On the walls of the stone-mason's house he made charcoal sketches, which were doubtless praised by the foster-parents.

Leonardo Da Vinci, the many-sided genius of the Italian Renaissance, was born, as his name implies, at the little town of Vinci, which is about six miles from Empoli and twenty miles west of Florence. Vinci is still very inaccessible, and the only means of conveyance is the cart of a general carrier and postman, who sets out on his journey from Empoli at sunrise and sunset. Outside a house in the middle of the main street of Vinci to-day a modern and white-washed bust of the great artist is pointed to with much pride by the inhabitants. Leonardo's traditional birthplace on the outskirts of the town still exists, and serves now as the headquarters of a farmer and small wine exporter.Leonardo di Ser Piero d'Antonio di Ser Piero di Ser Guido da Vinci—for that was his full legal name—was the natural and first-born son of Ser Piero, a country notary, who, like his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, followed that honourable vocation with distinction and success, and who subsequently—when Leonardo was a youth—was appointed notary to the Signoria of Florence. Leonardo's mother was one Caterina, who afterwards married Accabriga di Piero del Vaccha of Vinci. His BirthLeonardo Da Vinci, the many-sided genius of the Italian Renaissance, was born, as his name implies, at the little town of Vinci, which is about six miles from Empoli and twenty miles west of Florence. Vinci is still very inaccessible, and the only means of conveyance is the cart of a general carrier and postman, who sets out on his journey from Empoli at sunrise and sunset. Outside a house in the middle of the main street of Vinci to-day a modern and white-washed bust of the great artist is pointed to with much pride by the inhabitants. Leonardo's traditional birthplace on the outskirts of the town still exists, and serves now as the headquarters of a farmer and small wine exporter. His ArtLeonardo, whose birth antedates that of Michelangelo and Raphael by twenty three and thirty-one years respectively, was thus in the forefront of the Florentine Renaissance, his life coinciding almost exactly with the best period of Tuscan painting.Leonardo was the first to investigate scientifically and to apply to art the laws of light and shade, though the preliminary investigations of Piero della Francesca deserve to be recorded.He observed with strict accuracy the subtleties of chiaroscuro—light and shade apart from colour; but, as one critic has pointed out, his gift of chiaroscuro cost the colour-life of many a noble picture. Leonardo was "a tonist, not a colourist," before whom the whole book of nature lay open. His MindWe can readily believe the statements of Benvenuto Cellini, the sixteenth-century Goldsmith, that Francis I. "did not believe that any other man had come into the world who had attained so great a knowledge as Leonardo, and that not only as sculptor, painter, and architect, for beyond that he was a profound philosopher." Leonardo anticipated many eminent scientists and inventors in the methods of investigation which they adopted to solve the many problems with which their names are coupled. Among these may be cited Copernicus' theory of the earth's movement, Lamarck's classification of vertebrate and invertebrate animals, the laws of friction, the laws of combustion and respiration, the elevation of the continents, the laws of gravitation, the undulatory theory of light and heat, steam as a motive power in navigation, flying machines, the invention of the camera obscura, magnetic attraction, the use of the stone saw, the system of canalisation, breech loading cannon, the construction of fortifications, the circulation of the blood, the swimming belt, the wheelbarrow, the composition of explosives, the invention of paddle wheels, the smoke stack, the mincing machine! It is, therefore, easy to see why he called "Mechanics the Paradise of the Sciences."Leonardo was a SUPERMAN.

The Winter's Tale is a play by William Shakespeare, originally published in the First Folio of 1623. Although it was grouped among the comedies, some modern editors have relabelled the play as one of Shakespeare's late romances. Some critics consider it to be one of Shakespeare's "problem plays", because the first three acts are filled with intense psychological drama, while the last two acts are comedic and supply a happy ending. The play has been intermittently popular, revived in productions in various forms and adaptations by some of the leading theatre practitioners in Shakespearean performance history, beginning after a long interval with David Garrick in his adaptation called Florizel and Perdita (first performed in 1754 and published in 1756). The Winter's Tale was revived again in the 19th century, when the third "pastoral" act was widely popular. In the second half of the 20th century The Winter's Tale in its entirety, and drawn largely from the First Folio text, was often performed, with varying degrees of success. Short Summary of the Tale: John Fawcett as Autolycus in "The Winter's Tale" (1828) by Thomas Charles WagemanFollowing a brief setup scene the play begins with the appearance of two childhood friends: Leontes, King of Sicilia, and Polixenes, the King of Bohemia. Polixenes is visiting the kingdom of Sicilia, and is enjoying catching up with his old friend. However, after nine months, Polixenes yearns to return to his own kingdom to tend to affairs and see his son. Leontes desperately attempts to get Polixenes to stay longer, but is unsuccessful. Leontes then decides to send his wife, Queen Hermione, to try to convince Polixenes. Hermione agrees and with three short speeches is successful. Leontes is puzzled as to how Hermione convinced Polixenes so easily, and Leontes suddenly goes insane and suspects that his pregnant wife has been having an affair with Polixenes and that the child is a bastard. Leontes orders Camillo, a Sicilian Lord, to poison Polixenes. Camillo instead warns Polixenes and they both flee to Bohemia. Furious at their escape, Leontes now publicly accuses his wife of infidelity, and declares that the child she is bearing must be illegitimate. He throws her in prison, over the protests of his nobles, and sends two of his lords, Cleomenes and Dion, to the Oracle at Delphi for what he is sure will be confirmation of his suspicions. Meanwhile, the queen gives birth to a girl, and her loyal friend Paulina takes the baby to the king, in the hopes that the sight of the child will soften his heart. He grows angrier, however, and orders Paulina's husband, Lord Antigonus, to take the child and abandon it in a desolate place. Cleomenes and Dion return from Delphi with word from the Oracle and find Hermione publicly and humiliatingly put on trial before the king. She asserts her innocence, and asks for the word of the Oracle to be read before the court. The Oracle states categorically that Hermione and Polixenes are innocent, Camillo an honest man, and that Leontes will have no heir until his lost daughter is found. Leontes shuns the news, refusing to believe it as the truth. As this news is revealed, word comes that Leontes' son, Mamillius, has died of a wasting sickness brought on by the accusations against his mother. Hermione, meanwhile, falls in a swoon, and is carried away by Paulina, who subsequently reports the queen's death to her heartbroken and repentant husband. Leontes vows to spend the rest of his days atoning for the loss of his son and his queen.