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Ninjutsu The Art of Invisibility
By Donn F. Draeger. 1989
Ninja-the very word inspires awe and terror in equal measure. Master of espionage and assassination, stealth and concealment, the ninja's…
ability to move swiftly and silently gave rise to popular legends of amazing exploits, invincibility and supernatural powers.In Ninjutsu: The Art of Invisibility, Donn Draeger draws back the veil of mystery shrouding the arcane practices of feudal Japan's shadow warriors. Stripping away myth and exaggeration, Draeger reveals the secret tactics, exotic weapons, tricks and disguises that earned the ninja a reputation as history's most feared secret agents.The Lost Art of Reading: Books and Resistance in a Troubled Time
By David L. Ulin. 2018
The new introduction and afterword bring fresh relevance to this insightful rumination on the act of reading--as a path to…
critical thinking, individual and political identity, civic engagement, and resistance.The former LA Times book critic expands his short book, rich in ideas, on the consequence of reading to include the considerations of fake news, siloed information, and the connections between critical thinking as the key component of engaged citizenship and resistance. Here is the case for reading as a political act in both public and private gestures, and for the ways it enlarges the world and our frames of reference, all the while keeping us engaged.War, Denial and Nation-Building in Sri Lanka
By Rachel Seoighe. 2017
This book begins from a critical account of the final months of the Sri Lankan civil war, tracing themes of…
nationalism, discourse and conflict memory through this period of immense violence and into its aftermath. Using these themes to explore state crime, atrocity and its denial and representation, Seoighe offers an analysis of how stories of conflict are authored and constructed. This book examines the political discourse of the former Rajapaksa government, highlighting how fluency in international discourses of counter-terrorism, humanitarianism and the 'reconciliation' expected of states transitioning from conflict can be used to conceal and deny state violence. Drawing on extensive interviews with activists, academics, politicians, state representatives and international agency staff, and three months of observation in Sri Lanka in 2012, Seoighe demonstrates how the Rajapaksa government re-narrativised violence through orchestrated techniques of denial and mass ritual discourse. It drew on and perpetuated a heightened majoritarian Sinhala-Buddhist nationalism which consolidated power under Sinhalese political elites, generated minority grievances and, in turn, sustained the repression and dispossession of the Tamil community of the Northeast. A detailed and evocative study, this book will be of special interest to scholars of conflict studies, political violence and critical criminology.Letters to Palestine
By Vijay Prashad. 2015
Operation Protective Edge, Israel's seven-week bombing campaign and ground invasion of Gaza in the summer of 2014, resulted in half…
a million displaced Gazans, tens of thousands of destroyed homes, and more than 2,000 deaths--and, yet, it was only the latest in a long series of assaults endured by Palestinians isolated in Gaza. But, following the conflict, polls revealed a startling fact: for the first time, a majority of Americans under thirty found Israel's actions unjustified. Jon Stewart aired a blistering attack on Israeli violence, and a video of a UN spokesperson weeping as he was interviewed in Gaza went viral, appearing on Vanity Fair and Buzzfeed, among other sites. This book traces this swelling American recognition of Palestinian suffering, struggle, and hope, in writing that is personal, lyrical, anguished, and inspiring. Some of the leading writers of our time, such as Junot Díaz and Teju Cole, poets and essayists, novelists and scholars, Palestinian American activists like Huwaida Arraf, Noura Erakat, and Remi Kanazi, give voice to feelings of empathy and solidarity--as well as anger at US support for Israeli policy--in intimate letters, beautiful essays, and furious poems. This is a landmark work of controversial, committed literary writing.From the Trade Paperback edition.Freddie Mercury: The Biography
By Laura Jackson. 2011
This fascinating biography of Freddie Mercury which received outstanding acclaim from Queen and rock fans worldwide, has now been updated…
for reissue to coincide with the release of the film about his life. Laura Jackson addresses topics including:* The reality behind Queen's flamboyant front man and lead singer* Mercury the star of mystery - amusing, loyal and generous, yet revealing a dark side to his personality* His frequent use of cocaine and how it heightened his tendency to excess - both on and off stage* The women in his life - his bizarrely enduring relationships with his first love, Mary Austin, and his long-time confidante, Barbara Valentin, who speaks for the first time in this bookThe book also includes new and intimate stories by those who knew him well, such as Tim Rice, Richard Branson, Cliff Richard, Bruce Dickinson, Mike Moran, Wayne Eagling, Zandra Rhodes and Susannah York.When Marian Sang: The True Recital of Marian Anderson, The Voice of a Century
By Pam Muñoz Ryan. 2002
An introduction to the life of Marian Anderson, extraordinary singer and the first African American to perform with the Metropolitan…
Opera, whose life and career encouraged social change. Winner of the Sibert HonorRemnants of the Sikh Empire: Historical Sikh Monuments in India & Pakistan
By Bobby Singh Bansal. 2015
A fascinating chronicle that focuses on architectural gems of the Sikh Empire. Remnants of the Sikh Empire is a unique…
guide to the many important Sikh monuments located both in India and Pakistan. It catalogues numerous structures historically associated with the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh during the early nineteenth century. From Mughal to Sikh edifices, this book shines a spotlight on undiscovered masterpieces including forts, havelis (mansions), memorials and palaces across these countries, pictures of which have never been published before. The author travelled extensively across remote regions along the Afghan?Pakistan border with the assistance of the Pakistan Army in order to compile rare footage that documents these habitations. Some of the structures include strategic forts built in the tribal areas of Pakistan by the legendary Sikh hero Hari Singh Nalwa, the existence of which is completely unknown to the general public. Not only does this volume narrate the aesthetic and strategic history behind these structures but it also sheds light on the rich cultural traditions associated with the powerful nobles and courtiers of the Lahore Durbar who reshaped the architectural landscape of Punjab and Kashmir in the nineteenth century. Remnants of the Sikh Empire catapults the reader into an unforgettable journey, retracing the rich heritage of the Punjab in these countries where numerous iconic monuments still stand testament to the power and influence of the Sikh Empire.Dean Worcester’s Fantasy Islands brings to life one of the most significant (but under examined) figures in the history of U.…
S. colonialism in the Philippines. Upon the outbreak of the Spanish-American War, Worcester, a scientist who had traveled twice to the Philippines on zoological expeditions, established himself as one of America’s leading experts on the Philippines. Over a fourteen-year career as a member of the U. S. colonial regime, Worcester devoted much of his time and energy to traveling among and photographing non-Christian minority groups in the Philippines. He amassed an archive of several thousand photographs taken by him or by government photographers. Worcester deployed those photographs in books, magazine articles, and lectures to promote his belief that the United States should maintain control of the Philippines for decades to come. While many historians have examined American colonial photography in the Philippines, this book is the first lengthy treatment of Worcester’s role in shaping American perceptions of the Philippines in the early twentieth century.Bit of a Blur: The Autobiography
By Alex James. 2007
I was the Fool-king of Soho and the number-one slag in the Groucho Club, the second drunkest member of the…
world's drunkest band. This was no disaster, though. It was a dream coming true.'For Alex James, music had always been a door to a more eventful life. But as bass player of Blur - one of the most successful British bands of all time - his journey was more exciting and extreme than he could ever have predicted. In Bit of a Blur he chronicles his journey from a slug-infested flat in Camberwell to a world of screaming fans and private jets - and his eventual search to find meaning and happiness (and, perhaps most importantly, the perfect cheese), in an increasingly surreal world.Revolution, Resistance, and Reform in Village China
By Edward Friedman, Mark Selden, Paul G. Pickowicz. 2005
Drawing on more than a quarter century of field and documentary research in rural North China, this book explores the…
contested relationship between village and state from the 1960s to the start of the twenty-first century. The authors provide a vivid portrait of how resilient villagers struggle to survive and prosper in the face of state power in two epochs of revolution and reform. Highlighting the importance of intra-rural resistance and rural-urban conflicts to Chinese politics and society in the Great Leap and Cultural Revolution, the authors go on to depict the dynamic changes that have transformed village China in the post-Mao era. This book continues the dramatic story in the authors' prizewinningChinese Village, Socialist State. Plumbing previously untapped sources, including interviews, archival materials, village records and unpublished memoirs, diaries and letters, the authors capture the struggles, pains and achievements of villagers across three generations of social upheaval.Mahadevbhai, 1892-1942, and Insomnia
By Ramu Ramanathan, Ninaz Khodaiji. 2006
MAHADEVBHAI (1892 - 1942) is a one-person play, which attempts to remind us of the times that were, and their…
devotion to truth. INSOMNIA consists of 4 Monologues by Ninaz Khodaiji.Asha Bhosle: A Musical Biography
By Raju Bharatan. 2016
The definitive saga at once riveting and revelatory studded with rare nuggets of information and…
fascinating anecdotes that sparkingly brings out the life and times of an internationally acclaimed incredibly versatile singer Asha Bhosle a Guinness world record holder plus recipient of the Padma Vibhushan and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award has held one and all spellbound for six decades now Her voice both fluid and flexible has infused neo life into a variety of genres from the melancholy melody to the rollicking rock- n -roll from the soulful creation to the vibrant disco from the romantic rhapsody to the rambunctious folk song from the dainty ghazal to the boisterous qawwali and from the pathos-filled rendition to the naughty-naugthy seductive number The author on the strength of his vast and varied exposure and experience turns the focus on enthralling behind-the-scenes happenings that shaped the advance of this artiste with a remarkable range and a noteworthy body of work The world has no time for losers has remained Asha s performing credo This volume captures Asha Bhosle in her numberless shades It is about how in her silken rivalry with elder sister Lata Mangeshkar she moved with panache from O P Nayyar to S D Burman to R D Burman It is about how she served a galaxy of composers about how in the end she reached the pinnacle all by herself Against odds that would have driven any other woman into quitting No quitter ever Asha Bhosle as the supernova supreme just went on to underline the adage No power like woman power No more can you stay away from this marvel of a musical biography than you can stay away from the matchless musicality of Asha Bhosle If she is one of a kind so is this musical masterpiece capturing all the resonances and nuances going with her piquant persona Here is a long-awaited career study shedding light on the twists and turns marking the starry-eyed world of Hindustani film musicFantasy
By Emma Holly, Christine Feehan, Sabrina Jeffries, Elda Minger. 2002
In these four novellas by today's hottest romance writers, a Victorian widow auctions off her most prized possession: herself. .…
. a beautiful jungle explorer discovers her own wild side. . . a bloodthirsty beauty gives in to her darkest desires. . . and a young woman turns an all-male academy into a school for seduction. You have nothing to lose. . . but your inhibitions. .Never Broken: Songs Are Only Half the Story
By Jewel. 2015
New York Times bestselling poet and multi-platinum singer-songwriter Jewel explores her unconventional upbringing and extraordinary life in an inspirational memoir…
that covers her childhood to fame, marriage, and motherhood.When Jewel's first album, Pieces of You, topped the charts in 1995, her emotional voice and vulnerable performance were groundbreaking. Drawing comparisons to Joan Baez and Joni Mitchell, a singer-songwriter of her kind had not emerged in decades. Now, with more than thirty million albums sold worldwide, Jewel tells the story of her life, and the lessons learned from her experience and her music. Living on a homestead in Alaska, Jewel learned to yodel at age five, and joined her parents' entertainment act, working in hotels, honky-tonks, and biker bars. Behind a strong-willed family life with an emphasis on music and artistic talent, however, there was also instability, abuse, and trauma. At age fifteen, she moved out and tasked herself with a mission: to see if she could avoid being the kind of statistic that her past indicated for her future. Soon after, she was accepted to the prestigious Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan, and there she began writing her own songs as a means of expressing herself and documenting her journey to find happiness. Jewel was eighteen and homeless in San Diego when a radio DJ aired a bootleg version of one of her songs and it was requested into the top-ten countdown, something unheard-of for an unsigned artist. By the time she was twenty-one, her debut had gone multiplatinum. There is much more to Jewel's story, though, one complicated by family legacies, by crippling fear and insecurity, and by the extraordinary circumstances in which she managed to flourish and find happiness despite these obstacles. Along her road of self-discovery, learning to redirect her fate, Jewel has become an iconic singer and songwriter. In Never Broken she reflects on how she survived, and how writing songs, poetry, and prose has saved her life many times over. She writes lyrically about the natural wonders of Alaska, about pain and loss, about the healing power of motherhood, and about discovering her own identity years after the entire world had discovered the beauty of her songs.From the Hardcover edition.Vietnam: An American Ordeal
By George Donelson Moss. 2010
This book provides a comprehensive narrative history of U.S. involvement in Southeast Asia, from 1942 to 1975--with a concluding section…
that traces U.S.-Vietnam relations from the end of the war in 1975 to the present. Unlike most general histories of U.S. involvement in Vietnam--which are either conventional diplomatic or military histories--this volume synthesizes the perspectives to explore both dimensions of the struggle in greater depth, elucidating more of the complexities of the U.S.-Vietnam entanglement. It explains why Americans tried so hard for so long to stop the spread of Communism into Indochina, and why they failed. Key topics: The Fall of Saigon: The End as Prelude. Vietnam: A Place and A People. The Elephant and the Tiger. An Experiment in Nation Building. Raising the Stakes. Going to War. The Chain of Thunders. The Year of the Monkey. A War to End a War. The End of the Tunnel. Market: For anyone curious to know about the long American involvement in Southeast Asia, 1942-1975.The Cambridge Companion to Roman Satire
By Kirk Freudenburg. 2005
Satire as a distinct genre was first developed by the Romans and regarded as completely 'their own'. This Companion's international…
contributors provide a stimulating introduction to the genre and its individual proponents aimed particularly at non-specialists. Roman satires are explored both as generic, literary phenomena and as highly symbolic and effective social activities. Satire's transformation in late antiquity and reception in more recent centuries is also covered.The Ladies Killing Circle Anthology 4-Book Bundle: Fit to Die / Bone Dance / When Boomers Go Bad / Going Out With a Bang
By Barbara Fradkin, Joan Boswell, Sue Pike. 2000
This ebook bundle present all four of the Ladies Killing Circle’s wicked collections of twisted and witty crime fiction. Includes…
Fit to Die Bone Dance When Boomers Go Bad Going Out With a BangCareless at Work: Selected Canadian historical studies
By J M S Careless. 1996
This sampling of the work of J.M.S. Careless in the area of Canadian historical studies was selected by the eminent…
scholar himself, and represents much of his finest work. The collection spans the years from 1940 to 1990 in the long and distinguished career of one of Canada’s best-known historians. In Careless’s own words, History is dated. Its very claim is that the past does not fade into nothing but continues to matter, whether or not the purely present-minded are able to recognize that basic fact. These essays cover the main lines of Careless’s career in Canadian scholarship. The collection is divided into four general subject areas each covering a main preoccupation in a distinguished career of over forty years. The first section concentrates on the earliest theme in his writing, George Brown and his times. The second centres on exploring various aspects of frontierism and metropolitanism in Canadian history. The third part deals with cities and regions focusing particularly on the West and nineteenth century Ontario. The final section picks up the threads of other themes including limited identities Canada and multiculturalism.The Kurillian Knot: A History of Japanese-Russian Border Negotiations
By Mark Ealey, Hiroshi Kimura. 1996
This book provides an answer to the mystery of why no peace treaty has yet been signed between Japan and…
Russia after more than sixty years since the end of World War Two. The author, a leading authority on Japanese-Russian diplomatic history, was trained at the Russian Institute of Columbia University. This volume contributes to our understanding of not only the intricacies of bilateral relations between Moscow and Tokyo, but, more generally, of Russia's and Japan's modes of foreign policy formation. The author also discusses the U.S. factor, which helped make Russia and Japan distant neighbors, and the threat from China, which might help these countries come closer in the near future. It would be hardly possible to discuss the future prospects of Northeast Asia without having first read this book.The Way of Tea
By Aaron Fisher. 2010
In today's world, the lives of ancient tea masters, living in mountainside huts and picking tea leaves fresh off wild…
plants, seem inapplicable to our hectic lives. The Way of Tea shows modern readers how you can bring this serenity to your daily life. You don't need a mountainside hut or hours for endless contemplation; just a few quiet moments with a steaming cup of your favorite tea.Aaron Fisher, noted tea expert and author, illustrates the way of tea for modern readers. It does not need to be a somber religious ceremony, but instead can be a path to experience inner peace, to relax the ego and to allow oneself to be free and open--an excellent recipe for a life well lived.