The years since New Labour came to power in 1997 have seen changes to the British institutions of political power on an unprecedented scale. The reforms have been widespread, ranging from devolution of power in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, to the reform of the House of Lords and the changing role of the Monarchy. This book is the first to examine these changes collectively and in detail, placing each in its historical context, analysing problems, solutions and what the future holds for this ambitious period of reforms. The book is comprehensive in coverage, and accessibly written. As such it should be the ideal resource for undergraduate students of British Politics seeking to make sense of this complex subject.
Timekeeping is an essential activity in the modern world, and we take it for granted that our lives are shaped by the hours of the day. Yet what seems so ordinary today is actually the extraordinary outcome of centuries of technical innovation and circulation of ideas about time. Shaping the Day is a pathbreaking study of the practice of timekeeping in England and Wales between 1300 and 1800. Drawing on many unique historical sources, ranging from personal diaries to housekeeping manuals, Paul Glennie and Nigel Thrift illustrate how a particular kind of common sense about time came into being, and how it developed during this period. Many remarkable figures make their appearance, ranging from the well-known, such as Edmund Halley, Samuel Pepys, and John Harrison, who solved the problem of longitude, to less familiar characters, including sailors, gamblers, and burglars. Overturning many common perceptions of the past-for example, that clock time and the industrial revolution were intimately related-this unique historical study will engage all readers interested in how 'telling the time' has come to dominate our way of life.
Seventh son of the penurious Laird of Balfour, the fiercely ambitious David Beaton was determined to rise in the world - by whatever means available. Never one to be burdened by scruples, he cynically used the Church for his own ends to become one of the most able statesmen of his century and the real ruler of James V's Scotland. An astute, courageous man, an accomplished fighter, fond of women, it was inevitable that Cardinal David Beaton would make many enemies. And that one day one of those embittered men would wreak a terrible revenge. The compelling 16th century story of the rise and fall of David Beaton - the Cardinal who was no saint. Set against the background of war and Reformation, this is a thrilling story from Nigel Tranter, master of Scottish History.
A polish bear in World War II rose to the rank of colonel. Penguins can't taste fish. The ashes of the man who invented the Pringles container are buried in one one. On Neptune it rains diamonds. 'Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia' is the fear of long words. These are just 0.1% of all the facts in this incredible tome! Written by seven authors and covering subjects as diverse as The Universe, Art and Literature, The Natural World and Movies, The Colossal Book of Incredible Facts for Curious Minds is the ultimate trivia book! Why not amaze family and friends with the reasons pandas do handstands, the sinister source of the term 'rule of thumb', or that the patent for the fire hydrant was destroyed... in a fire. Every entry is weird, wonderful, inspiring and quite brilliantly, true!
This volume covers the battlefields of Arras around Vimy Ridge dealing with the activities of the French and the British and the start of the Battle of Arras. Vimy Ridge gives a balanced view of the fighting by detailed descriptions of various units and individuals.
This valuable resource for developers and designers will help to develop design solutions sympathetic to the environment and improve the sustainability of residential landscapes. The landscapes around housing have a crucial role in creating a more sustainable future with carbon-neutral homes. This book shows how to improve the sustainable profile of new residential developments through landscape planning, design and management – by conserving resources and minimising pollution, and by enhancing ecological diversity. This may be achieved without significant additional capital outlay. The residential landscape sustainability checklist gives housing developers, landscape architects, architects and planners a tool with which to assess the environmental implication of their schemes throughout the design process – from site planning to detailed design. The checklist focuses on residential housing developments but many features of the tool - including improving energy efficiency, materials selection, planting design and management - can also be applied to a wide range of different types of development, from school grounds to retail parks.
Living Through History is a complete Key Stage 3 course which brings out the exciting events in history. The course is available in two different editions, Core and Foundation. Every core title in the series has a parallel Foundation edition. Each Evaluation Pack includes the Assessment and Resource Pack and a free compendium volume student book. The resource packs include a variety of tasks which students should find interesting and enjoyable. They also include differentiated exercises to provide support for less able students and challenging work for more able students. Assessment exercises for the compulsory study units aim to help teachers monitor progress through NC levels.
1513; King James IV lies dead on Flodden's field, his young heir entrusted to two low-born lairds. There are many who seek to supplant or control the boy-king, and only his loyal protectors stand in their way . . . Two hundred years earlier, Robert the Bruce had driven out the English and restored his nation's pride. But now the King of Scotland lay dead amongst the bloody slaughter of Flodden. Now as fate decreed, the new king, James V, was a child, just seventeen months old. And that same fate had in store intriguing roles for two young men. David Lindsay and David Beaton - neither high-born, each the son of a lowland laird - were caught up in the very centre of the storm of hatred, fear, treachery and ambition that followed the young king's coming to the throne. Buffeted by events that would involve England, France, the Empire and even the Vatican, each was to win his own very special place in history... 'Through his imaginative dialogue, he provides a voice for Scotland's heroes' Scotland on Sunday
• Looks at the age-old spiritual principles, folklore, and esoteric traditions behind the creation of magical objects as well as the use of numbers, colors, sigils, geometric emblems, knots, crosses, pentagrams, and other symbols • Explores hundreds of artifacts, such as hagstones, Norse directional amulets, car hood mascots, objects made from bones and teeth, those connected with plants and animals, charms associated with gambling, and religious relics • Includes photos of artifacts from the author’s extensive collection Offering an illustrated exploration of the origins and history of amulets, lucky charms, talismans, and mascots, including photos of unique and original artifacts from his extensive collection, Nigel Pennick examines these objects from a magical perspective, from ancient Egypt to the present. He looks at the age-old spiritual principles, folklore, and esoteric traditions behind their creation as well as the use of numbers, colors, sigils, geometric emblems, knots, crosses, pentagrams, and other symbols. Pennick explores magical charms and objects manufactured from bones, teeth, claws, and horns and those that include symbols of the human body. He also discusses religious relics as well as the combining of charms to make more powerful objects, from the bind runes of the Norse and the crowns of ancient Egypt to the Mojo hand and the medicine pouch. Revealing the lasting power of amulets, talismans, charms, and mascots, Pennick shows that these objects and symbols have retained their magic across the centuries.
This book provides an introduction to the Austrian state,legal system and laws. It provides a guide to a number of areas of Austrian substantive law, concentrating on the most important areas of public and private law. The book considers in depth, the historical, political, social and economic aspects of the Austrian State to give more background for those coming afresh to Austrian studies. This book will appeal to academic comparative lawyers across a range of disciplines and academics who require fundamental information on the Austrian state and legal systems. It will make attractive supplementary reading on comparative law courses, especially for those students spending a third year in Austria. It will also prove useful for politics and economics or multidisciplinary studies students who study Austria either directly or for comparison with other countries.
Crowther offers a fascinating look at the role of sport as practiced in several important civilizations in the ancient world. He not only probes the games themselves, but explores the ways in which athletics figured into cultural arenas that extended beyond physical prowess to military associations, rituals, status, and politics. Sport in Ancient Times has four distinct parts: the Prehistoric Age, historic Greece, ancient Italy, and the Byzantine Empire. Beginning with the earliest civilizations, Crowther examines the military and recreational aspects of sports in prehistoric Egypt, with brief references to other river-valley cultures in Sumeria, Mesopotamia, and Persia. He looks at the rituals of Cretan bull-leaping and boxing in the Bronze Age, the high status of sports in Mycenaean Greece, and the funeral games in the Trojan War as described by the epic poet Homer. In what he terms the historic period, Crowther examines the significance of the ancient Olympic Games, the events of Greek athletics, and the attitude of other civilizations (notably Rome) towards them. He attempts to discover to what extent the Romans believed in the famous ideal of Juvenal, a sound mind in a sound body, and discusses the significance of the famous Baths not only for sport, but also for culture and society. He likewise explores the Roman emphasis on spectator sports and the use of gladiatorial contests and chariot racing for political purposes (the concept of bread and games). The section on the Byzantine Empire focuses, notably, on chariot racing and the riots at sporting contests—riots reminiscent of crowd violence in modern sports such as soccer. Crowther closes with perspectives that bring to life some of the issues revealed in previous chapters. These include a comparison of the social status and significance of a famous Olympic athlete (Milo), a Roman gladiator (Hermes), and a Byzantine chariot racer (Porphyrius). He also addresses the changing role of women in sports in antiquity. Women were prominent in sport in Egypt, for example, but almost entirely absent from the ancient Olympic Games. The final chapter discusses team sports and ball games. Although these were comparatively rare in the ancient world, one may see in those that did exist the forerunners of modern football and hockey.
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