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The Book of the Courtesans
by Susan GriffinFrom Pulitzer-Prize-nominated author Susan Griffin comes an unprecedented, provocative look at the dazzling world of the West's first independent women, whose lively liaisons brought them unspoken influence, wealth, and freedom.While they charmed some of Europe's most illustrious men honing their social skills as well as their sexual ones, the great courtesans gained riches, power, education, and sexual freedom in a time when other women were denied all of these. From Imperia of sixteenth-century Rome, who personified the Renaissance ideal of beauty; Mme. de Pompadour, the arbiter of all things fashionable in eighteenth-century Paris and Versailles; Liane de Pougy, known in France during the Belle Epoque as "Our National Courtesan"; to Sarah Bernhardt, who, following in her mother's footsteps, supported herself in her early career with a second profession, The Book of the Courtesans tells the life stories and intricacies of the lavish lifestyles of these women. Unlike their geisha counterparts, courtesans neither lived in brothels nor bent their wills to suit their suitors. They were strong- willed, autonomous, and plucky.An open secret, their presence can be felt throughout our culture. The muses who enflamed the hearts and imaginations of our most celebrated artists, they were also artists in their own right. They wrote poetry and novels, invented the cancan at the Moulin Rouge, and presented celebrated acts at the Folies Bergères. They helped to influence and shape the sensibility of modern literature, painting, and fashion. When Greek sculptor Praxiteles wanted to depict Venus he used a famous courtesan as a model, as in later centuries Titian, Veronese, Raphael, Giorgione, and Boucher did when they painted goddesses. When Marcel Proust was a young man it was the courtesan Laure Hayman who took him under her wing, introducing him to the right people, and providing inspiration for one of literature's greatest masterpieces. And they often had considerable political influence too. When King Louis XV needed advice on foreign affairs or appointments of state he turned to Jeanne du Barry as well as Pompadour.In her witty and insightful prose, as Griffin celebrates these alluring and fascinating women, she restores a lost legacy of women's history. She gives us the stories of these amazing women who, starting from impoverished or unimpressive beginnings, garnered chateaux, fine coaches, fabulous collections of jewelry, and even aristocratic titles along the way. And through a brilliant exploration of their extraordinary abilities, skills, and talents which Griffin playfully categorizes as their virtues "Timing, Beauty, Cheek, Brilliance, Gaiety, Grace, and Charm" her book explains how, while helping themselves, through their often outrageous, always entertaining examples, the great courtesans not only enriched our cultural heritage but helped to liberate women from the social, sexual, and economic strictures that confined them.Intensively researched and beautifully crafted, The Book of the Courtesans delves into scintillating but often hidden worlds, telling stories gleaned from many sources, including courtesans' memoirs, presented along with stunning rare photographs to create memorable portraits of some of the most pivotal figures in women's history.
The Book of the Courtier
by Baldassare CastiglioneWidely acknowledged as the sixteenth century's most significant handbook on leadership, The Book of the Courtier offers an insider's view of court life and culture during the Renaissance. Set in 1507, when the author himself was an attaché to the Duke of Urbino, the book consists of a series of fictional conversations between members of the Duke's retinue. All aspects of leadership come under discussion, but the primary focus rests upon the relationship between advisors and those whom they counsel. Ever-relevant subjects include the decision-making process, maintaining an ethical stance, and the best ways of interacting with authority figures. Frequently assigned in university courses on literature, history, and Renaissance studies, the Dover edition of this classic work will be the lowest-priced edition available.
The Book of the Courtier
by Baldesar CastiglionePeter Hainsworth's sparkling, eminently readable new English translation of The Book of the Courtier, Baldesar Castiglione's (1478–1529) literary and philosophical masterpiece, captures all the nuance, stylistic flair, and humor of this foundational work of Renaissance humanism.
The Book of the Courtier: An Authoritative Text, Criticism
by Charles S. Singleton Baldesar Castiglione Daniel JavitchThe book features ten essays on "The Book of the Courtier", which represent the best interpretations from the United States, Italy, and England including the backgrounds-rich essays by Amedeo Quondam and James Hankins. A Selected Bibliography, a Chronology, and an Index are included.
The Book of the Crossbow: With an Additional Section on Catapults and Other Siege Engines
by Ralph Payne-GallweyThis fascinating study, the only book devoted exclusively to the crossbow, traces its use as a military and sporting weapon as well as its construction and management in medieval and modern times. The work also covers such related weapons as the balista, catapult, Turkish bow, and more. Over 240 illustrations.
The Book of the Damned
by Charles FortThe signature edition of Charles Fort's classic of paranormal discovery--reset with a new index.Welcome to a record of the damned. "By damned," wrote Charles Fort in 1919, "I mean the excluded. We shall have a procession of the data that Science has excluded."Fort's record of the unknown was one of the first to expose us to visitors from space, monsters, poltergeists, and floating islands. Frogs fall from the sky. Mysterious airships take flight in an age before the airplane. People disappear, reappear, and spontaneously combust. This stand-alone, handsome edition exposes today's readers to the core work of Fort's extraordinary career--in which he pushed us to ask: What is out there?From the Trade Paperback edition.
The Book of the Damned
by Charles FortIn the Book of the Damned, Charles Fort investigates UFOs, poltergeists, mysterious planets, stigmata, strange falls of both organic and inorganic materials from the sky, odd weather patterns, the possible existence of mythological creatures, disappearances of people under strange circumstances, and much, much more. Fort writes in a caustic entertaining style as he exposes the flaws in modern science's handling of these paranormal phenomena.
The Book of the Damned: Suppressed Science
by Charles FortThis fascinating chronicle of unexplained phenomena is a foundational work of paranormal science In the early passages of The Book of the Damned, Charles Fort explains: "by the damned, I mean the excluded. We shall have a procession of data that Science has excluded." Drawing upon countless articles, newspaper clippings, and arcane books, Fort assembles hundreds of real-life tales of the bizarre--from unidentified flying objects falling from the sky to the disappearance of several hundred people during the Lisbon earthquake of 1755 to rumors of poltergeists. Rendered in the unique style that established Fort as a legend in the world of the paranormal, The Book of the Damned is an underground classic. This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.
The Book of the Damned
by Charles FortFlying saucers, telekinesis, sudden showers of fish from the sky, poltergeists, spontaneous combustion: these are a few of the unexplained phenomena Charles Fort (1874-1932) labeled "damned," his term for mysteries ignored or dismissed by scientific orthodoxy. This volume, based on 27 years of research, explores this gray area between science and fantasy. Although branded as "irregular, whimsical, mutually exclusive, elliptical and contrary," Fort's manner of writing was admired by many notable figures, and his research and interpretations became the prototype for latter-day extraterrestrial speculations and helped promote the development of science fiction #151; a genre that embraces what are known today as "Fortean themes. "
The Book of the Damned
by Jim Steinmeyer Charles FortThis Encyclopedia Forteana anthologizes the cult hero's four classic works on the strange, the unexplained, and the just plain weird: The Book of the Damned, Lo!, Wild Talents, and New Lands. It features Fort's complete, unabridged text and a subject index. Here are the four books that invented our understanding of the paranormal. These are cult hero Charles Fort's defining records of bizarre, haunting, strange, and inexplicable "facts" for which science cannot account: Frogs falling from the skies. Mysterious airships in an age before flight. Monsters. Poltergeists. Floating islands. Teleportation (a term Fort invented). These are the works that moved novelist Theodore Dreiser to write: "To me no one in the world has suggested the underlying depths and mysteries and possibilities as has Fort. To me he is simply stupendous." Now, Fort's classic investigations are newly collected with a preface by biographer Jim Steinmeyer. Complete with a full subject index, here is the definitive Fort anthology for our times.
The Book of the Dead: An Agent Pendergast Novel
by Douglas PrestonThe final battle between good and evil. Only one will survive… The New York Museum of Natural History receives their stolen gem collection back…ground down to dust. Diogenes, the psychotic killer who stole them in DANCE OF DEATH, is throwing down the gauntlet to both the city and to his brother, FBI Agent Pendergast, who is currently incarcerated in a maximum security prison. To quell the PR nightmare of the gem fiasco, the museum decides to reopen the Tomb of Senef. An astounding Egyptian temple, it was a popular museum exhibit until the 1930s, when it was quietly closed. But when the tomb is unsealed in preparation for its gala reopening, the killings - and whispers of an ancient curse - begin again. And the catastrophic opening itself sets the stage for the final battle between the two brothers: an epic clash from which only one will emerge alive.
The Book of the Dead, Volume I: The Chapters of Coming Forth By Day or The Theban Recension of The Book of the Dead (Routledge Revivals)
by E. A. BudgeE. A. Wallis translated and transcribed this work. The Book of the Dead is the name given by the ancient Egyptian funeral text 'The Book of Coming '[or 'Going']' Forth By Day'. The book details the Egyptian view of the afterlife. Included are spells, hymns and instructions for the dead to pass through obstacles in the afterlife. This papyrus scroll was placed in the coffin of the deceased. The Book of the Dead was first thought to be a Bible but is it not a religious work. It is an instruction manual for the recently departed.
Book of the Disappeared: The Quest for Transnational Justice (Ethnic Conflict: Studies in Nationality, Race, and Culture)
by Jennifer Heath Ashraf ZahediBook of the Disappeared confronts worldwide human rights violations of enforced disappearance and genocide and explores the global quest for justice with forceful, outstanding contributions by respected scholars, expert practitioners, and provocative contemporary artists. This profoundly humane book spotlights our historic inhumanity while offering insights for survival and transformation.
The Book Of The Eclipse
by David OvasonAs David Ovason shows, eclipse have always marked turning points in history and in the lives of individuals: the foundation of Rome, the crucifixion, the saving of the live of Christopher Columbus, the foundation of Washington DC, the death of Diana, Princess of Wales and even the future fall from grace of President Clinton are among Ovason's many examples. Ovason also shows how stone circles were linked to eclipses and how these events have always been supposed by initiates to create shadow-tunnels into the spiritual world, allowing special possibilities of communication with the spiritual world.
Book of the Eskimos
by Dagmar FreuchenPeter Freuchen was a Danish explorer who had spent many years among the Eskimo people. This book is crammed full of information on the history, life-styles, and rapid changes in this civilization's lives.
The Book of the Honeycomb's Flow: Sepher Nopheth Suphim by Judah Messer Leon
by Isaac Rabinowitz Judah Messer LeonThe Book of the Honeycomb's Flow. Sepher Nopheth Suphim. A critical edition and translation by Isaac Rabinowitz.
The Book of the Jihad of 'Ali ibn Tahir al-Sulami (d. 1106): Text, Translation and Commentary
by Niall ChristieIn 1105, six years after the first crusaders from Europe conquered Jerusalem, a Damascene Muslim jurisprudent named ’Ali ibn Tahir al-Sulami (d. 1106) publicly dictated an extended call to the military jihad (holy war) against the European invaders. Entitled Kitab al-Jihad (The Book of the Jihad), al-Sulami’s work both summoned his Muslim brethren to the jihad and instructed them in the manner in which it ought to be conducted, covering topics as diverse as who should fight and be fought, treatment of prisoners and plunder, and the need for participants to fight their own inner sinfulness before turning their efforts against the enemy. Al-Sulami’s text is vital for a complete understanding of the Muslim reaction to the crusades, providing the reader with the first contemporary record of Muslim preaching against the crusaders. However, until recently only a small part of the text has been studied by modern scholars, as it has remained for the most part an unedited manuscript. In this book Niall Christie provides a complete edition and the first full English translation of the extant sections (parts 2, 8, 9 and 12) of the manuscript of al-Sulami’s work, making it fully available to modern readers for the first time. These are accompanied by an introductory study exploring the techniques that the author uses to motivate his audience, the precedents that influenced his work, and possible directions for future study of the text. In addition, an appendix provides translations of jihad sermons by Ibn Nubata al-Fariqi (d. 985), a preacher from Asia Minor whose rhetorical style was highly influential in the development of al-Sulami’s work.
The Book of the Kings of Egypt: Vol. I: Dynasties I - XIX (Routledge Revivals)
by E. A. BudgeSir E. A. Wallis Budge (1857-1934) was Keeper of the British Museum’s department of oriental antiquities from 1894 until his retirement in 1924. Carrying out many missions to Egypt in search of ancient objects, Budge was hugely successful in collecting papyri, statues and other artefacts for the trustees of the British Museum: numbering into the thousands and of great cultural and historical significance. Budge published well over 100 monographs, which shaped the development of future scholarship and are still of great academic value today, dealing with subjects such as Egyptian religion, history and literature. First published in 1908, this is the first of two volumes dealing with the kings of Egypt. Using a variety of material from the British Library’s extensive collections, Budge meticulously collated the names of the Pharaohs and royal personages from the 1st to the 19th Dynasties of Egypt. With a detailed discussion concerning Egyptian chronology, this classic work will be of great interest and value to scholars and students of Ancient Egyptian history and archaeology.
The Book of the Kings of Egypt: Vol II: Dynasties XX - XXX (Routledge Revivals)
by E. A. Wallis BudgeSir E. A. Wallis Budge (1857-1934) was Keeper of the British Museum’s department of oriental antiquities from 1894 until his retirement in 1924. Carrying out many missions to Egypt in search of ancient objects, Budge was hugely successful in collecting papyri, statues and other artefacts for the trustees of the British Museum: numbering into the thousands and of great cultural and historical significance. Budge published well over 100 monographs, which shaped the development of future scholarship and are still of great academic value today, dealing with subjects such as Egyptian religion, history and literature. First published in 1908, this is the second of two volumes dealing with the kings of Egypt. Using a variety of material from the British Library’s extensive collections, Budge meticulously collated the names of the Pharaohs and royal personages from the 20th to the 30th Dynasties of Egypt. With a detailed discussion concerning Egyptian chronology, this classic work will be of great interest and value to scholars and students of Ancient Egyptian history and archaeology.
Book of the Knowledge of All the Kingdoms, Lands, and Lordships that are in the World: And the Arms and Devices of each Land and Lordship, or of the Kings and Lords who possess them. Written by a Spanish Franciscan in the Middle of the XIV Century. Published for the First Time with Notes by Marcos Jiménez de la Espada, in 1877 (Hakluyt Society, Second Series #Vol. 29)
by Clements MarkhamTranslation of the Libro del Conoscimiento de todos los reynos. This is a new print-on-demand hardback edition of the volume first published in 1912.
The Book of the Law and The Book of Lies
by Aleister CrowleyThis single-volume edition unites two centerpieces of twentieth-century occult thinking by "the wickedest man in the world." Notorious mystic and esoterist Aleister Crowley (1875–1947) remains a towering figure among occultists. His long and noteworthy career encompassed countless writings and the creation of his own religion, Thelema, the chief precept of which was "Do what thou wilt." Crowley asserted that the content of The Book of the Law was dictated to him from the spirit world, and the 1909 publication formed the basis for Thelema. The volume's 1912 successor, The Book of Lies, features aphorisms and paradoxes that invoke the symbolism of Freemasonry and other traditions. The Book of the Law and The Book of Lies continue to rank among Crowley's most widely read writings. Both books have exercised a vast influence on popular culture and the practice of magic, offering fascinating glimpses into the author's mystic pursuits.
The Book of the Lion
by Michael CadnumIn twelfth-century England, after his master is brutally punished for alleged cheating, 17-year-old Edmund finds himself traveling to the Holy Land as squire to a knight crusader on his way to join Richard the Lionhearted.
The Book of the Master: (or The Egyptian Doctrine Of The Light Born Of The Virgin Mother) (The\esoteric Collection #Vol. 109)
by W. Marsham AdamsThis book, which followed “The House of the Hidden Places”, was and still is one of the deepest insights into the real meaning of the Pyramids and their significance as places of initiation for the ancient religion of Egypt. “And I have confined my efforts”, says the author, “to attempting to express in a clear and popular form, which all may easily follow, an outline of those deeply veiled doctrines of which I may have caught a glimpse; and thus to present such an account of the earliest recorded religion as may afford to all some conception of its transcendent majesty and supernal beauty.-Print ed.
The Book of the Middle Ages
by Dorothy MillsThe aim of this book has been to tell the story of the Middle Ages so as to bring out the most characteristic features of the period, and to emphasize those things in medieval life which have the most significance for us today. Examines how Christianity spread out across the world, building a new civilization on the remnants of the Roman Empire.
The Book of The Middle Ages
by Dorothy MillsThe Mills’ series concludes with The Book of the Middle Ages, where students are privileged to see how Christianity spread out, building a new civilization on the remnants of the Roman Empire. From the foundation of monasteries to the bell towers of universities, from the crowning of Charlemagne to the execution of Joan of Arc, the travel through Christendom unfolds beautifully.