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.

KING CHARLES THE SECOND was the son and successor of King Charles the First. These two are the only kings of the name of Charles that have appea-red, thus far, in the line of English sovereigns. Nor is it very probable that there will soon be another. The reigns of both these monarchs were stained and tarnished with many vices and crimes, and darkened by national disasters of every kind, and the name is thus connected with so many painful associations in the minds of men, that it seems to have been dropped, by common consent, in all branches of the royal family.??The reign of Charles the First, as will be seen by the history of his life in this series, was characterized by a long and obstinate contest between the king and the people, which brought on, at last, a civil war, in which the king was defeated and taken prisoner, and in the end beheaded on a block, before one of his own pala-ces. During the last stages of this terrible contest, and before Charles was himself taken prisoner, he was, as it were, a fugitive and an outlaw in his own dominions. His wife and family were scattered in various foreign lands, his cities and castles were in the hands of his enemies, and his oldest son, the prince Charles, was the object of special hostility. The prince incurred, therefore, a great many dangers, and suffered many heavy calamities in his early years. He lived to see these calamities pass away, and, after they were gone, he enjoyed, so far as his own personal safety and welfare were concerned, a tranquil and prosperous life. The storm, however, of trial and suffering which enveloped the evening of his father's days, darkened the morning of his own. ??The life of Charles the First was a river rising gently, from quiet springs, in a scene of verdure and sunshine, and flowing gradually into rugged and gloomy regions, where at last it falls into a terrific abyss, enveloped in darkness and storms. That of Charles the Second, on the other hand, rising in the wild and rugged mountains where the parent stream was engulfed, commences its course by leaping frightfully from precipice to precipice, with turbid and foaming waters, but emerges at last into a smooth and smiling land, and flows through it prosperously to the sea.

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.

n iunie 2015 am publicat n revista Permanene” (nr. 6) articolul Vladimir Tismneanu - ieri i azi”, motivat de faptul c Preedintele Comisiei Prezideniale pentru Analiza Dictaturii Comuniste din Romnia a devenit brusc un atacator al celor susinute n Raportul Final al Comisiei pe care a prezidat-o. Pn n prezent nu exist niciun fel de opinie a dlui Tismneanu i nici a celor de la Institutul Elie Wiesel” - MCA referitor la acest punct de vedere.

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

C eti un artist dramatic care se zbate s supravieuiasc sau c eti un om care nu se identific cu sexul cu care a fost nzestrat i ncearc disperat s remedieze aceast problem, c eti un geniu ajuns n zdrene, care cerete ansa de a-i spune povestea, c eti un ndrgostit iremediabil, care ncaseaz doar indiferen, c eti un nimeni urmrit venic de autoriti, de probleme i eecuri, c eti captiv n lumea ta, singurul loc n care nu eti perceput ca fiind nebun tocmai fiindc sfideaz noiunea unanim acceptat de normalitate, c eti un scriitor care i aterne realitatea bidimensional, pe foaie, n replici, n didascalii, n uniti de msur a emoiei – numite cuvinte –, i ridic n alii realiti tridimensionale, c eti o ntmplare care citete aceste rnduri, tii foarte bine c orice fapt consumat d singur startul la o continuare i c exist mereu o a doua ans, la fel cum Moartea tie cnd trebuie s lase ceva s continue, cnd s-i spun stop sau cnd s nchid ochii, fiindc intervenia ar descalifica-o. Totul poart eticheta cu va urma i depinde doar de noi s lsm eticheta acolo i s urmm indicaia.Teatrul prelungete viaa fiindc este o prelungire a vieii. Nu e att parte a ei, ct o extensie, ca o pereche de aripi cu care plonjm ntr-un bar supraaglomerat, ntr-un dormitor n care ncap fix dou persoane, ntr-un vis policrom cu iz de psihotrope, sau ntr-o scen care ne va marca fiindc urmeaz s se petreac n acel interval de timp pe care niciodat nu suntem n stare s-l dibuim, dar tim atunci cnd se ntmpl c nu putea fi altcndva.Trei piese care ne zguduie, ne las simurile bulversate, creierii bruscai, inima n aritmie, dar sufletul cumva ridicat. Trei piese de prelungit viaa, chiar i a celor care cred c aceasta urmeaz abia dup ce vor muri. Moartea strig: Bis!“ cnd se vede aplaudnd de una singur, fiindc nu are de ales dect s lase spectacolul s continue n momentul n care tocmai se dezintegreaz.ndrznete i citete!“ – Andrei Vornicu

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.

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

New adaptation of 'Hamlet' for a modern black theatrical production. Remember me… Denmark, a Black Empire of modern England, where an intelligent young student discovers the world he once knew has crumbled. Implored to defend what is left of his father’s decaying legacy, Hamlet now faces the greatest moral challenge – to kill or not to kill. Directed by Jeffery Kissoon (RSC, National Theatre, Robert Lepage, Peter Hall and in Peter Brook’s seminal production of The Mahabharata) and adapted with Shakespeare’s text by award-winning playwright Mark Norfolk, this fast-moving version gets straight to the heart of a young man’s dilemma. This first all-black production of Hamlet in Britain makes a striking contribution to the Shakespeare 400 anniversary celebration. For ages 12+

A life of fascination, obsession and deep scientific curiosity. William Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck is an eccentric Nottinghamshire aristocrat whose imagination and curiosity know no bounds. This deceptively simple man struggles to come to terms with a world that is teeming with new knowledge, ill-founded opinion and?gossip. Why does he hide himself away? What is his fascination with tunnels? Will he ever unearth the secrets hidden in his memory? In a sequence of events that are often curious and frequently hilarious he reveals moments of surprising perception and wisdom. Nottingham Playhouse and ajtc have combined their talents to co-produce Nick Wood’s stage adaptation of Mick Jackson’s Booker Prize shortlisted novel. The result is a free-flowing, innovative performance which features live music and a specially commissioned score. The Underground Man is a delectable blend of fact and fiction in which the intriguing details of a complex life are richly explored through the vibrant imagination of a gentle soul.

The Metamorphoses, or The Golden Ass, is the only Ancient Roman novel to survive in its entirety. The protagonist of the novel is called Lucius. At the end of the novel, he is revealed to be from Madaurus, in ancient Algeria, the hometown of Apuleius himself. The plot revolves around the protagonist's curiosity and insatiable desire to see and practice magic. While trying to perform a spell to transform into a bird, he is accidentally transformed into an ass. This leads to a long journey, literal and metaphorical, filled with in-set tales. He finally finds salvation through the intervention of the goddess Isis, whose cult he joins.

Today the women at the festival are going to kill me for insulting them!' This bold statement by Euripides is the absurd premise upon which the whole play depends. The women are incensed by his plays' portrayal of the female sex as mad, murderous, and sexually depraved, and they are using the festival of the Thesmophoria (an annual fertility celebration dedicated to Demeter) as an opportunity to debate a suitable choice of revenge.

Fascinant – cea mai bun lucrare de istorie militar din ultimii ani i o analiz edificatoare a disputelor care continu s mocneasc amenintor i azi. O carte extraordinar sub toate aspectele." – The New York Times O relatare palpitant i revelatoare a uneia dintre cele mai zbuciumate i legendare perioade din istoria secolului al XX-lea – Revolta Arab i marele joc" secret de a controla Orientul Mijlociu. CARTE INCLUS PE LISTA CELOR MAI BUNE TITLURI ALE ANULUI DE New York Times Christian Science Monitor NPR Seattle Times St. Louis Dispatch Chicago Tribune American Library Association Bazat pe cercetri extinse i intense, munc asidu n arhive, Lawrence n Arabia aduce o nou perspectiv asupra modului n care s-a configurat lumea Orientului Mijlociu. Cu o aciune de proporii epice, portretizri expresive, accente critice n condamnarea distrugerilor provocate de comploturile coloniale europene, volumul surprinde strlucit felul n care nesbuina trecutului declaneaz suferina prezentului. Printre numeroasele istorii individuale din Primul Rzboi Mondial care vor fi povestite i repovestite n cadrul centenarelor commemorate ntre 2014 i 2018, cea a lui T.E. Lawrence iese n eviden… Cartea lui Anderson nu putea fi mai oportun. Acum, cnd atenia ntregii lumi se concentreaz asupra Siriei i Egiptului, este uluitor s priveti n urm cu o sut de ani i s vezi un tablou asemntor…. Apelnd la o distribuie bogat, Anderson reuete s exploreze haosul din Orientul Mijlociu de la nceputul secolului al XX-lea dintr-o varietate de perspective distincte i revelatoare totodat. O mrturie captivant, de o mare complexitate i profunzime. – The New York Times Book Review Vast, hipnotic i – s ndrznim s o spunem – cinematografic n detaliu, Lawrence n Arabia ilustreaz modul n care biografia i istoria se poteneaz reciproc. – The Wall Street Journal Absorbii de mcelul ce avea loc n traneele Europei n Primul Rzboi Mondial, combatanii occidentali acordau prea puin importan teatrului de lupt din Orientul Mijlociu. Ca urmare, conflictul de aici a fost influenat surprinztor de mult de o mn de aventurieri i ofieri de rang mrunt aflai departe de marile coridoare ale puterii: Curt Prüfer – universitar tern, ataat pe lng Ambasada German din Cairo, Aaron Aaronsohn – renumit agronom provenit din Romnia i sionist nflcrat. William Yale – descendent scptat al unei familii aristocratice americane. n centrul acestui cerc se afla Lawrence – la nceputul lui 1914, doar un arheolog care lucre la spturi prin deerturile Siriei. n 1917 ajunsese deja cea mai romantic figur din Primul Rzboi Mondial, luptndu-se att cu inamicii Marii Britanii, ct i cu propriul guvern pentru a-i transforma n realitate viziunea sa asupra destinului poporului arab. Drumurile ncruciate ale acestor patru personaje – intrigile pe care le-au pus la cale, btliile pe care le-au purtat, trdrile pe care le-au suferit sau le-au uneltit ei nii – oglindesc grandoarea, complexitatea i tragedia rzboiului din deert.

Cartea pe care o ?ine?i ?n m?n? este periculoas?. Incomod?, scor?oas?, incendiar? fiind, ?n mod cert, va deranja unele personaje, nelipsite de importan??, din arena politicii rom?ne?ti, care confund? adeseori politica cu diletantismul, tr?d?nd interesele sus?inute cu at?ta patos ?n campaniile electorale. ?n mod sigur, Nu tr?da?i, v? rog! va alarma edilii capitalei ce se ?ntrec ?n a distruge ?micul Paris“ de pe vremuri. Aceast? carte, a?adar, va deranja nu pu?in? lume prin scenele din via?a social-politic? post-decembrist?, cu at?t mai mult, cu c?t umorul ?fichiuitor nu-i este str?in nici pe departe autorului. Nici deta?area…

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

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

Are you the world's biggest Lionel Richie fan? Or do you want to find out everything there is to know about the former Commodores lead vocalist and one of the world's best-loved singer-songwriters? If so, then this is the book for you! Contained within are 101 amazing facts about how Lionel got started in the music industry, the numerous awards he has won, his family and much, much more. The book is easily organised into sections so you can find the information you want fast and is the perfect addition to any fan's bookshelf.

Celebrities' Favourite Pets has been put together in aid of the PDSA (People's Dispensary for Sick Animals) who provide free veterinary treatment to sick and injured animals.This fun book provides a fascinating insight into the favourite pets of people in the public eye and, along with the obvious choices, there are bound to be one or two surprises as we find out which animals celebrities choose to get close to. Hopefully the book will also get people thinking about the relationship we have with our pets.With a fitting forward by Bob Champion MBE, this book supports the work of the UK's leading veterinary charity and reminds us of the responsibility we all have towards ensuring that the nation's pets are happy and well looked after.

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.