Nic Leipzig's Books

Central Nervous System Tissue Engineering

Current Considerations and Strategies

By: A. Wilkinson,Nic Leipzig,Aleesha McCormick

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Central Nervous System Tissue Engineering

Current Considerations and Strategies

By: A. Wilkinson,Nic Leipzig,Aleesha McCormick

Combating neural degeneration from injury or disease is extremely difficult in the brain and spinal cord, i.e. central nervous system (CNS). Unlike the peripheral nerves, CNS neurons are bombarded by physical and chemical restrictions that prevent proper healing and restoration of function. The CNS is vital to bodily function, and loss of any part of it can severely and permanently alter a person's quality of life. Tissue engineering could offer much needed solutions to regenerate or replace damaged CNS tissue. This review will discuss current CNS tissue engineering approaches integrating scaffolds, cells and stimulation techniques. Hydrogels are commonly used CNS tissue engineering scaffolds to stimulate and enhance regeneration, but fiber meshes and other porous structures show specific utility depending on application. CNS relevant cell sources have focused on implantation of exogenous cells or stimulation of endogenous populations. Somatic cells of the CNS are rarely utilized for tissue engineering; however, glial cells of the peripheral nervous system (PNS) may be used to myelinate and protect spinal cord damage. Pluripotent and multipotent stem cells offer alternative cell sources due to continuing advancements in identification and differentiation of these cells. Finally, physical, chemical, and electrical guidance cues are extremely important to neural cells, serving important roles in development and adulthood. These guidance cues are being integrated into tissue engineering approaches. Of particular interest is the inclusion of cues to guide stem cells to differentiate into CNS cell types, as well to guide neuron targeting. This review should provide the reader with a broad understanding of CNS tissue engineering challenges and tactics, with the goal of fostering the future development of biologically inspired designs. Table of Contents: Introduction / Anatomy of the CNS and Progression of Neurological Damage / Biomaterials for Scaffold Preparation / Cell Sources for CNS TE / Stimulation and Guidance / Concluding Remarks

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112

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Springer Nature

Published Date

ISBN 10

3031025822

ISBN 13

9783031025822

The Cimbrian War 113–101 BC

The Rise of Caius Marius

By: Nic Fields

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The Cimbrian War 113–101 BC

The Rise of Caius Marius

By: Nic Fields

A gripping illustrated narrative of the Cimbrian (or Cimbric) War, in which the armies of the Roman Republic finally defeated the Germanic tribes of the Cimbri, Teutons, Ambrons and Tigurini. Rome's victory in the Cimbrian War was born of a number of huge and devastating defeats at the hands of the Germanic tribes (chiefly the Cimbri and Teutones), who had migrated en masse southwards in the late 2nd century BC. These included the defeat in 113 BC of the consul Cnaeus Papirius Carbo at Noreia; the smashing of Marcus Iunius Silanus' army near Burdigala (Bourdeaux) in 109 BC, and the humiliating destruction of two consular armies at Arausio (Orange) four years later. This work explores how, in the autumn of 105 BC, Caius Marius managed to contain the Germanic threat in the north, before crushing it in two successful battles, at Aquae Sextiae (Aix-en-Provence) in Gallia Transalpina in 102 BC and at Vercellae (Vercelli) in Gallia Cisalpina in 101 BC. Packed with stunning illustrations covering the major clashes of this epic and drawn-out war of the late Republic, this work brings to life for the first time Rome's vital quashing of the Germanic threat to its very existence. It also documents the rise of Marius, one of Rome's most important martial figures, who was highly significant in the transformation of its armed forces.

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194

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Bloomsbury Publishing

Published Date

ISBN 10

1472854942

ISBN 13

9781472854940

Theatre Across Oceans

Mediators of Transatlantic Exchange, 1890–1925

By: Nic Leonhardt

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Theatre Across Oceans

Mediators of Transatlantic Exchange, 1890–1925

By: Nic Leonhardt

Theatre Across Oceans: Mediators Of Transatlantic Exchange allows the reader to enter and understand the infrastructural 'backstage area' of global cultural mobility during the years between 1890 and 1925. Located within the research fields of global history and theory, the geographical focus of the book is a transatlantic one, based on the active exchange in this phase between North and South America and Europe. Emanating from a rich body of archival material, the study argues that this exchange was essentially facilitated and controlled by professional theatrical mediators (agents, brokers), who have not been sufficiently researched within theatre or historical studies. The low visibility of mediators in the scientific research is in diametrical contrast to the enormous power that they possessed in the period dealt with in this book.

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350

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Springer Nature

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ISBN 10

3030763552

ISBN 13

9783030763558

Everyday Culture in Europe

Approaches and Methodologies

By: Máiréad Nic Craith

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Everyday Culture in Europe

Approaches and Methodologies

By: Máiréad Nic Craith

This book discusses the history and contemporary practice of studying cultures 'at home', by examining Europe's regional or 'small' ethnologies of the past, present and future. With the rise of nationalism and independence in Europe, ethnologies have often played a major role in the nation-building process. The contributors to this book offer case studies of ethnologies as methodologies, showing how they can address key questions concerning everyday life in Europe. They also explore issues of European integration and the transnational dimension of culture in Europe today, and examine how regional ethnologies can play a crucial part in forming a wider 'European ethnology' as local participants have experience of combining identities within larger regions or nations.

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201

Publisher

Routledge

Published Date

ISBN 10

1317138465

ISBN 13

9781317138464

Warlords of Republican Rome

Caesar Against Pompey

By: Nic Fields

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Warlords of Republican Rome

Caesar Against Pompey

By: Nic Fields

The fateful clash between two of history's greatest generals . . . The war between Caesar and Pompey was one of the defining moments in Roman history. The clash between these great generals gripped the attention of their contemporaries and it has fascinated historians ever since. These powerful men were among the dominant personalities of their age, and their struggle for supremacy divided Rome. In this original and perceptive study Nic Fields explores the complex, often brutal world of Roman politics and the lethal rivalry of Caesar and Pompey that grew out of it. He reconsiders them as individuals and politicians and, above all, as soldiers. His highly readable account of this contest for power gives a vivid insight into the rise and fall of two of the greatest warlords of the ancient world. Dr Nic Fields is an ancient historian with special expertise in the history of Greek and Roman warfare. He has published many articles and several monographs on the subject. Before turning to ancient history, he served as an officer in the Royal Marines. He is a former assistant director at the British School at Athens, and he has worked as a lecturer and guide, in particular for the Smithsonian Institute. He has also taught American undergraduates on study-abroad programs at institutions such as Beaver College in Athens and The Athens Centre.

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257

Publisher

Casemate Publishers

Published Date

ISBN 10

1935149067

ISBN 13

9781935149064

Alesia 52 BC

The final struggle for Gaul

By: Nic Fields

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Alesia 52 BC

The final struggle for Gaul

By: Nic Fields

52 BC is the key year of the Gallic Revolt, with the near-disastrous Roman defeat at Gergovia followed by the climactic victory over the Gallic chieftain Vercingetorix at Alesia. In 52, BC Caesar's continued strategy of annihilation had engendered a spirit of desperation, which detonated into a revolt of Gallic tribes under the leadership of the charismatic young Arvernian noble Vercingetorix. Major engagements were fought at Noviodunum, Avaricum, and Gergovia, with the last action being the most serious reverse that Caesar faced in the whole of the Gallic War. However, Vercingetorix soon realized that he was unable to match the Romans in pitched battle. Taking advantage of the tribesmen's superior knowledge of their home territory, Vercingetorix began a canny policy of small war and defensive manoeuvres, which gravely hampered Caesar's movements by cutting off his supplies. For Caesar it was to be a grim summertime – his whole Gallic enterprise faced disaster. In the event, by brilliant leadership, force of arms, and occasionally sheer luck, Caesar succeeded in stamping out the revolt in a long and brutal action culminating in the siege of Alesia. Vercingetorix finally surrendered and Alesia was to be the last significant resistance to the Roman will. Never again would a Gallic warlord independent of Rome hold sway over the Celts of Gaul.

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203

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Bloomsbury Publishing

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ISBN 10

178200923X

ISBN 13

9781782009238

The Battle of the Frigidus River, AD 394

Theodosius' Miracle

By: Nic Fields

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The Battle of the Frigidus River, AD 394

Theodosius' Miracle

By: Nic Fields

Nic Fields draws on detailed knowledge of available sources and his own visits to the battlefield to set the battle within the context of its political situation and religious impact upon history. The Battle of the Frigidus River, fought on 5 and 6 September 394 in what is now Slovenia, was a crucial clash between the Eastern Roman emperor, Theodosius (later ‘the Great’), and the usurper Eugenius, who had seized power in the Western Empire. The battle was hard fought and lasted two days. At the end of the first, Theodosius was on the brink of defeat but the following day a great wind blowing against his enemy resulted in him securing a decisive victory. Eugenius, like Theodosius, was a Christian but, unlike Theodosius, he was tolerant of pagans, so this wind was seen as miraculous and the victory was attributed to God’s favour. Nic Fields’ narrative sets the battle in the context of the political situation within the empire and the campaigns leading up to this pivotal showdown. The armies of both protagonists are described, the tactics and strategy of the time discussed. Drawing on his detailed knowledge of the sources, the latest research and his own visits to the battlefield and surrounding terrain, the author then recounts the battle itself. Importantly he reveals the natural phenomenon behind the ‘miracle’ that saved Theodosius. Finally, the author analyzes and assesses the aftermath and consequences of this significant clash, which included Eugenius’ execution and the temporary reunification of the Eastern and Western Roman empires.

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369

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Pen and Sword Military

Published Date

ISBN 10

1399096281

ISBN 13

9781399096287

Narratives of Place, Belonging and Language

An Intercultural Perspective

By: Máiréad Nic Craith

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Narratives of Place, Belonging and Language

An Intercultural Perspective

By: Máiréad Nic Craith

Examining identity in relation to globalization and migration, this book uses narratives and memoirs from contemporary authors who have lived 'in-between' two or more languages. It explores the human desire to find one's 'own place' in new cultural contexts, and looks at the role of language in shaping a sense of belonging in society.

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211

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Springer

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ISBN 10

023035551X

ISBN 13

9780230355514

Mutina 43 BC

Mark Antony's struggle for survival

By: Nic Fields

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Mutina 43 BC

Mark Antony's struggle for survival

By: Nic Fields

In the aftermath of the murder of Gaius Julius Caesar, his self-declared successor Mark Antony struggled to hold together his legacy. Following an abortive coup attempt by Caesar's adopted son Octavian, two of Antony's legions declared for him, leading to a renewed outbreak of civil war. Antony moved into northern Italy and invaded the city of Mutina, which was held by Decimus Brutus. There they were quickly sandwiched between the city walls on one side and the newly arrived Senate-backed forces of Octavian on the other. These two heirs of Caesar then fought to claim their former mentor's legacy. Fully illustrated with specially commissioned artwork and maps, this is the full story of the battles which would see Octavian move from being a young, inexperienced aristocrat to the dominating figure of Augustus.

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Bloomsbury Publishing

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ISBN 10

1472831195

ISBN 13

9781472831194

God's City

Byzantine Constantinople

By: Nic Fields

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God's City

Byzantine Constantinople

By: Nic Fields

Byzantium. Was it Greek or Roman, familiar or hybrid, barbaric or civilized, Oriental or Western? In the late eleventh century Constantinople was the largest and wealthiest city in Christendom, the seat of the Byzantine emperor, Christs vice-regent on earth, and the center of a predominately Christian empire, steeped in Greek cultural and artistic influences, yet founded and maintained by a Roman legal and administrative system. Despite the amalgam of Greek and Roman influences, however, its language and culture was definitely Greek. Constantinople truly was the capital of the Roman empire in the East, and from its founding under the first Constantinus to its fall under the eleventh and last Constantinus the inhabitants always called themselves Romaioi, Romans, not Hellniks, Greeks. Over its millennium long history the empire and its capital experienced many vicissitudes that included several periods of waxing and waning and more than one golden age.Its political will to survive is still eloquently proclaimed in the monumental double land walls of Constantinople, the greatest city fortifications ever built, on which the forces of barbarism dashed themselves for a thousand years. Indeed, Byzantium was one of the longest lasting social organizations in history. Very much part of this success story was the legendary Varangian Guard, the lite body of axe-bearing Northmen sworn to remain loyal to the true Christian emperor of the Romans. There was no hope for an empire that had lost the will to prosecute the grand and awful business of adventure. The Byzantine empire was certainly not of that stamp.

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506

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Pen and Sword

Published Date

ISBN 10

1473895103

ISBN 13

9781473895102

Carrhae 53 BC

Rome's Disaster in the Desert

By: Nic Fields

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Carrhae 53 BC

Rome's Disaster in the Desert

By: Nic Fields

Explores the critical battle of Carrhae, a fascinating tale of treachery, tactics, and topography in which Rome experienced one of its most humiliating defeats. The Battle of Carrhae is from a heady moment in Roman history – that of the clever carve-up of power between the 'First Triumvirate' of Caius Iulius Caesar, Cnaeus Pompeius Magnus and Marcus Licinius Crassus (the Roman general who had famously put down the Spartacan revolt). It is a fascinating tale of treachery, tactics, and topography in which Rome experienced one of its most humiliating defeats at the hands of the Parthians, not far from a trade-route town hunkered down on the fringes of the arid wastes of northern Mesopotamia, sending shock waves through the Roman power structure. In this work, classical historian Dr Nic Fields draws out the crucial psychological and political factors (including Crassus' lust for military glory and popular acclaim) that played a key role in this brutal battle. Despite being heavily outnumbered, the Parthian general Surena's horsemen completely outmanoeuvered Crassus' legionaries, killing or capturing most of the Roman soldiers. The detailed battlescene artworks reveal the tactics and techniques of the Parthian horse archers, and Roman and Parthian equipment and weaponry, and the approach to battle is clearly explained in 2d maps and 3D bird's-eye views.

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Bloomsbury Publishing

Published Date

ISBN 10

1472849078

ISBN 13

9781472849076

AD69

Emperors, Armies and Anarchy

By: Nic Fields

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AD69

Emperors, Armies and Anarchy

By: Nic Fields

The author of God’s Viking brings to life “a period in Roman history that provides many twists and turns as Rome emerged from the period of rule by Nero” (Firetrench). With the death of Nero by his own shaky hand, the ill-sorted, ill-starred Julio-Claudian dynasty came to an ignominious end, and Rome was up for the taking. This was 9 June, AD 68. The following year, commonly known as the “Year of the Four Emperors,” was probably one of Rome’s worst. In all previous successions, the new emperor had some relation to his predecessor, but the psychotic and paranoid Nero had done away with any eligible relatives. The new emperor had to secure his legal position and authority with regards to the Senate and to the army, as well as to those who had a vested interest in the system, the Praetorian Guard. Because imperial authority was ultimately based on control of the military, a player in the game of thrones had to gain an unshakable command over the legions. Of course, this in turn meant that the soldiers themselves could impose their own choice. It was to take a tumultuous year of civil war and the death of three imperial candidates before a fourth candidate could come out on top, remain there, and establish for himself a new dynasty. Nic Fields narrates the twists and turns and the military events of this short but bloody period of Roman history. “We appear to meet more people than the cast of Game of Thrones (with about the same mortality rate!) but with the added bonus of this being history, not fiction . . . hugely entertaining.”—Miniature Wargames Magazine

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493

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Pen and Sword

Published Date

ISBN 10

1473838142

ISBN 13

9781473838147

God's Viking: Harald Hardrada

The Life and Times of the Last Great Viking

By: Nic Fields

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God's Viking: Harald Hardrada

The Life and Times of the Last Great Viking

By: Nic Fields

An epic historical biography of the Norwegian king who laid claim to the thrones of Denmark and England. Harald Hardrada is perhaps best known as the inheritor of “seven feet of English soil” in that year of fateful change, 1066. But Stamford Bridge was the terminal point of a warring career that spanned decades and continents. Thus, prior to forcibly occupying the Norwegian throne, Harald had an interesting (and lucrative) career in the Varangian Guard, and he remains unquestionably the most notable of all the Varangians who served the Byzantine emperors. In the latter employment he saw active service in the Aegean, Sicily, Italy, Anatolia, Syria, Palestine, and Bulgaria, while in Constantinople he was the hired muscle behind a palace revolution. A man of war, his reign in Norway was to be taken up with a wasteful, vicious, and ultimately futile conflict against Denmark, a kingdom (like England) he believed was his to rule. We follow Harald’s life from Stiklestad, where aged fifteen he fought alongside his half-brother, King Olaf, through his years as a mercenary in Russia and Byzantium, then back to Norway, ending with his death in battle in England. Praise for God’s Viking “A gripping story of the last great Viking who is remembered most for his boast to the Saxons that he had come to conquer their land and ended up with just enough to contain his body . . . . Most highly recommended.” —Firetrench

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549

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Pen and Sword

Published Date

ISBN 10

1473889901

ISBN 13

9781473889903

EU Citizenship Law

By: Niamh Nic Shuibhne

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EU Citizenship Law

By: Niamh Nic Shuibhne

European Union citizenship is a novel and complex legal status. Since its formal conception in the Maastricht Treaty, EU citizenship has catalysed an extraordinary, and ongoing, legal experiment, the development and implications of which are traced comprehensively throughout this book. EU Citizenship Law articulates, explains, and analyses the legal framework and legal developments that have shaped the status of EU citizenship and the rights that it confers on Member State nationals. By examining how the rights and responsibilities produced by EU citizenship relate to other rights conferred by EU law, the distinctive meaning and scope - the added legal value - of EU citizenship is uncovered. But the legal story examined here sits in deeper and wider economic, political, social, and emotional contexts because EU citizenship is also an idea: a vector of European integration, collective personhood, and multi-layered identities that reflects the paradoxically inclusive and exclusive qualities of citizenship more generally. EU citizenship challenges us to consider the worth and deepen the protection of the person, and to shape a European Union where principles and values really matter. Thorough yet accessible, this work provides a comprehensive legal reference point for the progression of debates about what EU citizenship law actually 'is,' and for the continuing study and practice of EU citizenship law.

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