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?.

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.

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.

Dvadeset godina nakon epohalne promjene 1989., koja je na postjugoslavenski prostor djelovala na posve druk?iji na?in nego na druge prija?nje realsocijalisti?ke europske zemlje, ova studija predstavlja poku?aj analiti?kog osvrta na dva desetlje?a razvoja civilnog dru?tva na zapadnom Balkanu. Njen autor Sr?an Dvornik iz Hrvatske, u to je dobro upu?en. Nije slu?ajno ?to se kroz cijeli sadr?aj i u strukturi ove knjige ispreple?u teorija i praksa te odnosi unutar i izvan “civilnodru?tvenog” razvoja. (...) Ova je studija va?an doprinos, dosad nedostatnim, razmatranjima o mogu?nostima i ograni?enjima akter? civilnog dru?tva u (post)autoritarnim dru?tvima. Istovremeno ona donosi i pouku da instrumenti zapadne politike demokratizacije imaju pred sobom jo? dug put razvoja do to?ke na kojoj ?e posve iscrpsti svoje dosada?nje organizacijske i politi?ke potencijale, da bi potom na nove me?unarodne izazove, koje nam novi svjetski (ne)red postavlja posljednja dva desetlje?a, mogli primjerenije reagirati. dr. Azra D?aji?-Weber

Te mit tennél kockára azért, hogy teljesüljenek a vágyaid?A testi épségedet?A lelkedet?Rona ?r?mlányként dolgozik, de minden vágya, hogy írón? válhasson bel?le. Ahhoz, hogy be tudja fejezni élete els? regényét, bele kell merülnie a BDSM számára eddig ismeretlen világába. Ahogy egyre mélyebbre hatol a k?telek, bilincsek és ostorcsapások k?z?tt, úgy ébred rá, hogy ez az egész nem csupán a szexr?l szól, annál sokkal t?bbr?l.Régóta dédelgetett gyerekkori sérelmek szabadulnak fel a pálcacsapások nyomán, és kalandjai során egészen új emberré válik.Vajon a szex k?zben elszenvedett fájdalom gyógyír lehet mindenre?Mit szól majd a k?rnyezete, a szerelme? Képesek lesznek elfogadni új énjét? Milyen áldozatok árán válhat valóra élete nagy álma?Rona Fire valós élményeken alapuló, szenvedéllyel és romantikával teli igaz t?rténete olyan világba repíti el az olvasót, ahova csak kevesen merészkednek.

Vajon van esélye Hanna és Olivér szerelmének?Túlélheti a fiatal lány a végzetesnek hitt balesetet? ?s ha túl is éli, visszaállhat-e az élete a normális kerékvágásba?Mire képes a szerelem, mit bír el a szív? Elfogadni, megbocsátani, elengedni, újrakezdeni. A másik oldalról els? részében megismert szerepl?ké mellett új kapcsolatok alakulását is nyomon k?vethetjük. Együtt sírhatunk és nevethetünk a hétk?znapi h?s?kkel, akikkel végtelen természetességük miatt igazán k?nny? azonosulni. A korábbi k?tethez hasonlóan ezúttal is számtalan komoly téma vet?dik fel, a bonyodalmakkal dúsított, meglep?, néhol megd?bbent? fordulatokban gazdag t?rténet mégis k?nnyed, szórakoztató kikapcsolódást ígér. Papp Csilla legújabb k?nyvében, mely ott kezd?dik, ahol az els? regény véget ér, újra és újra rácsodálkozhatunk a szerelem erejére, mik?zben minden kétséget kizáróan el fogjuk hinni, hogy biztosan nincsenek véletlenek.

Sorsdráma. Szrny, barbár mese. Véres és szexuális talányok. Elnyomott emlékek és gyermekkori borzalmak flkeverése. Hirtelen, képtelen, elre tudott és mégis elháríthatatlan katasztrófa. Babona, vallás és matematika külns fonadékú szvete. A sors irracionális gykereinek ízeit érezzük. Micsoda ellentét forma és tartalom kzt! Ilyen vad, si, nyers, babonás mélyeket éppen csak az emberi tudat és kultúra leglucidasabb mvészete tár fl: annál megrendítbb! A Szophoklész mvészete” – írja Babits Mihály Az európai irodalom trténeté-ben.

As in the case of "The Bases of Design," to which this is intended to form a companion volume, the substance of the following chapters on Line and Form originally formed a series of lectures delivered to the students of the Manchester Municipal School of Art. There is no pretension to an exhaustive treatment of a subject it would be difficult enough to exhaust, and it is dealt with in a way intended to bear rather upon the practical work of an art school, and to be suggestive and helpful to those face to face with the current problems of drawing and design. These have been approached from a personal point of view, as the results of conclusions arrived at in the course of a busy working life which has left but few intervals for the elaboration of theories apart from practice, and such as they are, these papers are now offered to the wider circle of students and workers in the arts of design as from one of themselves. They were illustrated largely by means of rough sketching in line before my student audience, as well as by photographs and drawings. The rough diagrams have been re-drawn, and the other illustrations reproduced, so that both line and tone blocks are used, uniformity being sacrificed to fidelity.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?WALTER CRANE. Outline, one might say, is the Alpha and Omega of Art. It is the earliest mode of expression among primitive peoples, as it is with the individual child, and it has been cultivated for its power of characterization and expression, and as an ultimate test of draughtsmanship, by the most accomplished artists of all time. The old fanciful story of its origin in the work of a lover who traced in charcoal the boundary of the shadow of the head of his sweetheart as cast upon the wall by the sun, and thus obtained the first profile portrait, is probably more true in substance than in fact, but it certainly illustrates the function of outline as the definition of the boundaries of form.Silhouette As children we probably perceive forms in nature defined as flat shapes of colour relieved upon other colours, or flat fields of light on dark, as a white horse is defined upon the green grass of a field, or a black figure upon a background of snow.Definition of BoundariesTo define the boundaries of such forms becomes the main object in early attempts at artistic expression. The attention is caught by the edges—the shape of the silhouette which remains the paramount means of distinction of form when details and secondary characteristics are lost; as the outlines of mountains remain, or are even more clearly seen, when distance subdues the details of their structure, and evening mists throw them into flat planes one behind the other, and leave nothing but the delicate lines of their edges to tell their character. We feel the beauty and simplicity of such effects in nature. We feel that the mind, through the eye resting upon these quiet planes and delicate lines, receives a sense of repose and poetic suggestion which is lost in the bright noontide, with all its wealth of glittering detail, sharp cut in light and shade. There is no doubt that this typical power of outline and the value of simplicity of mass were perceived by the ancients, notably the Ancient Egyptians and the Greeks, who both, in their own ways, in their art show a wonderful power of characterization by means of line and mass, and a delicate sense of the ornamental value and quality of line. Formation of LettersRegarding line—the use of outline from the point of view of its value as a means of definition of form and fact—its power is really only limited by the power of draughtsmanship at the command of the artist. From the archaic potters' primitive figures or the rudimentary attempts of children at human or animal forms up to the most refined outlines of a Greek vase-painter, or say the artist of the Dream of Poliphilus, the difference is one of degree.

Macbeth (full title The Tragedy of Macbeth) is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare, and is considered one of his darkest and most powerful works. Set in Scotland, the play dramatizes the corrosive psychological and political effects produced when evil is chosen as a way to fulfil the ambition for power. The play is believed to have been written between 1599 and 1606, and is most commonly dated 1606. The earliest account of a performance of what was probably Shakespeare's play is the Summer of 1606, when Simon Forman recorded seeing such a play at the Globe Theatre. Macbeth is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy, and tells the story of a brave Scottish general named Macbeth who receives a prophecy from a trio of witches that one day he will become King of Scotland. Consumed by ambition and spurred to action by his wife, Macbeth murders King Duncan and takes the throne for himself. He is then wracked with guilt and paranoia, and he soon becomes a tyrannical ruler as he is forced to commit more and more murders to protect himself from enmity and suspicion. The bloodbath and consequent civil war swiftly take Macbeth and Lady Macbeth into the realms of arrogance, madness, and death. The play opens amidst thunder and lightning, and the Three Witches decide that their next meeting shall be with Macbeth. In the following scene, a wounded sergeant reports to King Duncan of Scotland that his generals—Macbeth, who is the Thane of Glamis, and Banquo—have just defeated the allied forces of Norway and Ireland, who were led by the traitorous Macdonwald and the Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth, the King's kinsman, is praised for his bravery and fighting prowess.In the following scene, Macbeth and Banquo discuss the weather and their victory. As they wander onto a heath, the Three Witches enter and greet them with prophecies. Though Banquo challenges them first, they address Macbeth, hailing him as "Thane of Glamis," "Thane of Cawdor," and that he shall "be King hereafter." Macbeth appears to be stunned to silence. When Banquo asks of his own fortunes, the witches inform him that he will father a line of kings, though he himself will not be one. While the two men wonder at these pronouncements, the witches vanish, and another thane, Ross, arrives and informs Macbeth of his newly bestowed title: Thane of Cawdor, as the previous Thane of Cawdor shall be put to death for his traitorous activities. The first prophecy is thus fulfilled, and Macbeth immediately begins to harbour ambitions of becoming king.King Duncan welcomes and praises Macbeth and Banquo, and declares that he will spend the night at Macbeth's castle at Inverness; he also names his son Malcolm as his heir. Macbeth sends a message ahead to his wife, Lady Macbeth, telling her about the witches' prophecies. Lady Macbeth suffers none of her husband's uncertainty, and wishes him to murder Duncan in order to obtain kingship. When Macbeth arrives at Inverness, she overrides all of her husband's objections by challenging his manhood, and successfully persuades him to kill the king that very night. He and Lady Macbeth plan to get Duncan's two chamberlains drunk so that they will black out; the next morning they will blame the chamberlains for the murder. They will be defenseless, as they will remember nothing.While Duncan is asleep, Macbeth stabs him, despite his doubts and a number of supernatural portents, including a hallucination of a bloody dagger. He is so shaken that Lady Macbeth has to take charge. In accordance with her plan, she frames Duncan's sleeping servants for the murder by placing bloody daggers on them. Early the next morning, Lennox, a Scottish nobleman, and Macduff, the loyal Thane of Fife, arrive. A porter opens the gate and Macbeth leads them to the king's chamber, where Macduff discovers Duncan's body. ABOUT AUTHOR: William Shakespeare ( 1564 (baptised) – 1616) was an English poet, playwright and actor, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon". His extant works, including some collaborations, consist of about 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and a few other verses, the authorship of some of which is uncertain. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright. Shakespeare was born and brought up in Stratford-upon-Avon. At the age of 18, he married Anne Hathaway, with whom he had three children: Susanna, and twins Hamnet and Judith. Between 1585 and 1592, he began a successful career in London as an actor, writer, and part-owner of a playing company called the Lord Chamberlain's Men, later known as the King's Men. He appears to have retired to Stratford around 1613 at age 49, where he died three years later. Few records of Shakespeare's private life survive, and there has been considerable speculation about such matters as his physic

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

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.

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.

THE history, the features, and the most famous examples of European architecture, during a period extending from the rise of the Gothic, or pointed, style in the twelfth century to the general depression which overtook the Renaissance style at the close of the eighteenth, form the subject of this little volume. I have endeavoured to adopt as free and simple a mode of treatment as is compatible with the accurate statement of at least the outlines of so very technical a subject. Though it is to be hoped that many professional students of architecture will find this hand-book serviceable to them in their elementary studies, it has been my principal endeavour to adapt it to the requirements of those who are preparing for the professional pursuit of the sister arts, and of that large and happily increasing number of students who pursue the fine arts as a necessary part of a complete liberal education, and who know that a solid and comprehensive acquaintance with art, especially if joined to some skill in the use of the pencil, the brush, the modelling tool, or the etching needle, will open sources of pleasure and interest of the most refined description. The broad facts of all art history; the principles which underlie each of the fine arts; and the most precious or most noteworthy examples of each, ought to be familiar to every art student, whatever special branch he may follow. Beyond these limits I have not attempted to carry this account of Gothic and Renaissance architecture; within them I have endeavoured to make the work as complete as the space at my disposal permitted. THE architecture generally known as Gothic, but often described as Christian Pointed, prevailed throughout Europe to the exclusion of every rival for upwards of three centuries; and it is to be met with, more or less, during two others. Speaking broadly, it may be said that its origin took place in the twelfth century, that the thirteenth was the period of its development, the fourteenth that of its perfection, and the fifteenth that of its decline; while many examples of its employment occur in the sixteenth. In the following chapters the principal changes in the features of buildings which occurred during the progress of the style in England will be described. Subsequently, the manner in which the different stages of development were reached in different countries will be given; for architecture passed through very nearly the same phases in all European nations, though not quite simultaneously. It must be understood that through the whole Gothic period, growth or at least change was going on; the transitions from one stage to another were only periods of more rapid change than usual. The whole process may be illustrated by the progress of a language. If, for instance, we compare round-arched architecture in the eleventh century to the Anglo-Saxon form of speech of the time of Alfred the Great, and the architecture of the twelfth century to the English of Chaucer, that of the thirteenth will correspond to the richer language of Shakespeare, that of the fourteenth to the highly polished language of Addison and Pope, and that of the fifteenth to the English of our own day. We can thus obtain an apt parallel to the gradual change and growth which went on in architecture; and we shall find that the oneness of the language in the former case, and of the architecture in the latter, was maintained throughout. For an account of the Christian round-arched architecture which preceded Gothic, the reader is referred to the companion volume in this series. Here it will be only necessary briefly to review the circumstances which went before the appearance of the pointed styles.

Hogyan váltak a lovak az emberiség kiszolgálóivá?A lovak évezredek óta jelen vannak az emberek életében: hatalmas erejüket és engedelmességüket kihasználva dolgoznak, küzdenek, hódítanak.De hogyan lehetséges, hogy a 60-65 millió éve a F?ld?n él? állatokat végül az ember igába hajthatta? Ez a regény err?l is szól, fantasztikus, mesés elemekkel telet?zdelve. Kül?n?s mozzanat a t?rténetben a lovak találkozása az emberekkel, akik a F?ldész nev?, egy a F?ldh?z hasonló élhet? bolygóról érkeztek, és egyedül ezekben csodás állatokban találták meg azt az akarater?t és intelligenciát, ami alkalmassá teszi ?ket majd a f?ldi emberi társadalmak kialakítására.Fuli Sándor kalandos regénye az életigenlésr?l felhívja fiatal olvasói figyelmét a minden nehézséggel való bátor szembenézés fontosságára.

A Kádár-kori titkosszolgálatok m?k?dése a rendszerváltás óta mind a mai napig a magyar k?zélet egyik meghatározó és kibeszéletlen témájának számít. Az 1962-ben új m?k?dési kereteket kialakító egykori szervezet legismertebb részlege – els?sorban egyes k?zéleti szerepl?k utóbb leleplez?d? ügyn?kmúltja miatt – a bels? elhárítással foglalkozó III/III. Csoportf?n?kség lett. E részleg tényleges tevékenysége ugyanakkor ma is csak t?redékesen ismert, mik?zben továbbra is számtalan félreértés, legenda és mítosz él a III/III-mal kapcsolatban. TABAJDI G?BOR k?tete az elmúlt évek kutatási eredményeinek felhasználásával a pártállami titkosszolgálatok, azon belül is a bels?reakció-elhárítás m?k?désének átfogó krónikáját adja. A k?nyv az események id?rendi tárgyalása során a sok esetben félrevezet? ügyn?kt?rténetek helyett magára a szervezetre helyezi hangsúlyt, így a jól dokumentálható, konkrét esetek kapcsán a bels? elhárítás nagyszabású akciói mellett a III/III-asok mindennapjait befolyásoló egyéb hatásokat is igyekszik bemutatni, a pártutasítások fogadtatásától kezdve a szabadid?s tevékenységeken át egészen az állomány társadalmi helyzetéig. Az egyes szócikkekhez tartozó események arra is rávilágítanak, hogy a ?létez? szocializmus” világában milyen hétk?znapi tevékenységi formák válhattak politikai kérdéssé, és melyek voltak azok, amelyek a hatalom megtorló intézkedéseit kiváltották. A szócikkekkel párhuzamosan futó k?zt?rténeti kronológia és a kor hangulatát megidéz? dokumentumok ugyanakkor eddig kevésbé érzékelt ?sszefüggéseket is megvilágítanak. A Budapest a diktatúrák árnyékában cím? nagy siker? t?rténelmi útikalauz szerz?je új néz?pontból, a III/III szervezeti oldaláról láttatja e sz?k három évtized t?rténéseit, és ennek k?sz?nhet?en az olvasó el?tt oldalról oldalra feltárul a pártállami Magyarország titkos t?rténete. A Kádár-kori titkosszolgálatok m?k?dése a rendszerváltás óta mind a mai napig a magyar k?zélet egyik meghatározó és kibeszéletlen témájának számít. Az 1962-ben új m?k?dési kereteket kialakító egykori szervezet legismertebb részlege – els?sorban egyes k?zéleti szerepl?k utóbb leleplez?d? ügyn?kmúltja miatt – a bels? elhárítással foglalkozó III/III. Csoportf?n?kség lett. E részleg tényleges tevékenysége ugyanakkor ma is csak t?redékesen ismert, mik?zben továbbra is számtalan félreértés, legenda és mítosz él a III/III-mal kapcsolatban. TABAJDI G?BOR k?tete az elmúlt évek kutatási eredményeinek felhasználásával a pártállami titkosszolgálatok, azon belül is a bels?reakció-elhárítás m?k?désének átfogó krónikáját adja. A k?nyv az események id?rendi tárgyalása során a sok esetben félrevezet? ügyn?kt?rténetek helyett magára a szervezetre helyezi hangsúlyt, így a jól dokumentálható, konkrét esetek kapcsán a bels? elhárítás nagyszabású akciói mellett a III/III-asok mindennapjait befolyásoló egyéb hatásokat is igyekszik bemutatni, a pártutasítások fogadtatásától kezdve a szabadid?s tevékenységeken át egészen az állomány társadalmi helyzetéig. Az egyes szócikkekhez tartozó események arra is rávilágítanak, hogy a ?létez? szocializmus” világában milyen hétk?znapi tevékenységi formák válhattak politikai kérdéssé, és melyek voltak azok, amelyek a hatalom megtorló intézkedéseit kiváltották. A szócikkekkel párhuzamosan futó k?zt?rténeti kronológia és a kor hangulatát megidéz? dokumentumok ugyanakkor eddig kevésbé érzékelt ?sszefüggéseket is megvilágítanak. A Budapest a diktatúrák árnyékában cím? nagy siker? t?rténelmi útikalauz szerz?je új néz?pontból, a III/III szervezeti oldaláról láttatja e sz?k három évtized t?rténéseit, és ennek k?sz?nhet?en az olvasó el?tt oldalról oldalra feltárul a pártállami Magyarország titkos t?rténete.

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.

For more than 400 years, the big-gun warship stood as the supreme naval war machine. It was not only a major instrument of warfare, but a visible emblem of a nation’s power, wealth and pride. The World’s Greatest Battleships features 52 of the greatest warships to have sailed in the last 500 years. Beginning with English king Henry VIII’s flagship, Henry Grace a? Dieu , the book covers all the main periods of battleship development, including the great sail ships, such as Sovereign of the Seas, Santissima Trinidad and HMS Victory . The advent of steam-driven warships provides the core of the book, beginning with the introduction of Gloire in 1859, and continuing through all the major pre-Dreadnoughts, such as Inflexible, Maine and Tsessarevitch . There is detailed coverage of the great battleships of the two world wars, including Derfflinger , Yamato and Iowa , while the book closes with the last new battleship to be commissioned, Vanguard , in 1946. Each entry includes a brief description of the battleship’s development and history, a colour profile artwork, key features and specifications. Packed with more than 200 artworks and photographs, The World’s Greatest Battleships is a colourful guide for the military historian and naval warfare enthusiast.

A collection of three enchanting plays adapted from popular fairy tales and suitable for family audiences:?Tin Soldier (adapted from The Steadfast Tin Soldier by Hans Christian Andersen), A Tasty Tale (Hansel and Gretel), Hood in the Wood (Little Red Riding Hood). Acclaimed playwright Noel Greig, has recreated these well-known tales for the stage with wit and imagination. All three plays have been performed throughout the UK by Tangere Arts, winning a? Time Out Critics' Choice Award . Teachers, youth theatres and amateur groups working with young performers will use this collection time and again for productions, drama classes and workshops - whether for one performer or many. Suitable for children aged 7+ The simple form and language of the plays belie their theatrical and psychological sophistication. Tin Soldier ' a powerful poetic drama, an epic fable for our times.' **** ?Independent A Tasty Tale (Hansel and Gretel) ' Delicious moments... fashioned into a rhyming feast.' ****?Time Out Hood in the Wood (Little Red Riding Hood) ' a first-rate piece of storytelling that will make children squeal with terrified delight and parents shiver with recognition. ' **** ?Guardian

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.

“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.