Nepal emerged as a unified state over two hundred years ago, centred on the Kathmandu Valley with its two thousand years of urban civilisation. While John Whelpton`s history focuses on the period since the overthrow of the Rana family autocracy in 1950-51, the early chapters are devoted to the origins of the kingdom & the evolving relations of its diverse peoples. By drawing on research on Nepal`s environment, society & political institutions, the author portrays a country of extraordinary contrasts, which has been constantly buffeted by its neighbours, the two Asian giants, China & India. Economic & political turmoil over the last fifty years came to a climax in the massacre of the royal family in 2001, when the country erupted into civil war. The book is comprehensive & its accessible approach will appeal to students, professionals & those visiting the region. ...

This survey of Ottoman architecture treats the subject chronologically & within its historical perspective, making reference to Byzantine, Persian & Selcuk examples. There is a discussion of the effects of conquests, religions & social organization, & alongside the descriptions of mosques are studies of the layout & function of the buildings which came to be grouped around the mosques
- schools, baths, hostels, kitchens, fountains, mausolea, & shops. Seeking to appeal to those interested in Islamic art as well as architectural history, buildings are described with a minimum of technical terminology. A glossary of Turkish words is provided & there is a chronological table listing Ottoman rulers & historical events.
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This updated edition analyses the challenges, both internal & external, facing Saudi Arabia in the twenty-first century. Two new chapters discuss the political, economic & social developments in the aftermath of 9/11, painting a vivid picture of a country shocked by terrorism & condemned by the international community. Madawi Al-Rasheed reveals that fragmentation of royal politics, a failing economy & fermenting Islamist dissent posed serious threats to state & society in 2001. She assesses the consequent state reforms introduced under pressure of terrorism, international scrutiny & a social mobilisation of men, women & minorities struggling to shape their future against a background of repression & authoritarian rule. While Saudi Arabia is still far from establishing a fourth state, there are signs that the people are ready for a serious change that will lead them to a state of institutions rather than princes. ...

This lively, accessible book is the first new history of Thailand in English for two decades. Drawing on new Thai-language research, it ranges widely over political, economic, social, & cultural themes. Chris Baker & Pasuk Phongpaichit reveal how a world of mandarin nobles & unfree labour evolved into a rural society of smallholder peasants & an urban society populated mainly by migrants from Southern China. They trace how a Buddhist cosmography adapted to new ideas of time & space, & a traditional polity was transformed into a new nation-state under a strengthened monarchy. The authors cover the contests between urban nationalists, ambitious generals, communist rebels, business politicians, & social movements to control the nation-state & redefine its purpose. They describe the dramatic changes wrought by a booming economy, globalization, & the evolution of mass society. ...

In a work of profound & lasting importance, Albert Hourani tells the definitive history of the Arab peoples from the seventh century, when the new religion of Islam began to spread from the Arabian Peninsula westwards, to the present day. A History of the Arab Peoples is a masterly distillation of a lifetime of scholarship & a unique insight into a perpetually troubled region. For this edition, Malise Ruthven continues the history to include such recent events as the crisis in Iraq, the civil war in Algeria & the aftermath of September 11th. ...

Cold & isolated, yet home to some 4 million people; harsh & unyielding, yet receding dramatically every year: the Arctic is an area that defies definition. No landscape has stood out in the modern mind as so quintessentially timeless: imagined & described as a realm of crystalline purity, as a grey kingdom of frozen death, eternal & unchanging. Possessing a unique ecosystem, & home to some of the world`s most robust peoples, the Arctic has both fascinated & unsettled outsiders throughout history. Today it stands at the epicentre of an unprecedented environmental crisis. Yet for all its renown the Arctic remains far from perfectly understood. In A History of the Arctic, award-winning polar historian John Mc Cannon provides a far-reaching overview from the Stone Age to the present, examining all major aspects of this vital region from a global perspective. Covering the history of each Arctic nation, Mc Cannon discusses many topics, including polar exploration & science, nation-building & diplomacy, environmental issues & climate change, & the role of indigenous populations in Arctic history. With Arctic territorial claims & resource- extraction assuming ever greater importance in the twenty-first century, this book

Includes:: a timely assessment of current diplomatic & environmental realities, along with the increasingly dire risks the region is likely to face in the near future.

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J.H. Elliott sets Prescott`s work against the background of the growth of historical research. This book contains a substantial extract from William H. Prescott`s major work ”A History of the Conquest of Mexico”. Prescott lived from 1796-1859 & his book was a pioneering view of the Aztec civilisation. The country of the ancient Mexicans or Aztecs, as they were known, formed but a very small part of the extensive territories which make up modern Mexico. The story of the life of Hernando Cortes, the Conqueror & the tragic story of Moctezuma the Aztec king are essential to this history. It has been immortalised in works such as the play ” The Royal Hunt of the Sun”. In his fascinating introduction J.H. Elliott sets Prescott`s work against the background of the growth of historical research. The extracts from Prescott`s book demonstrate that he is among the finest of English prose stylists. ...

A History of the English Language in 100 Places is a joyous ride through time, where readers can criss-cross the British Isles & the world at large to land in a hundred contrasting places & light on a hundred wonderful topics that bring the extraordinary story of the English language alive. Any selection of places is inevitably personal. Nevertheless, a number of criteria have directed the selection process in this book. Some places represent historic firsts, some are tied to significant people & some have seen events that have shaped the future of English. Each one takes the reader on an unmissable journey into the rich past of the English tongue. What began as the language of the Angles, Saxons, & Jutes on a small island has become a global property owned & shaped by almost 2 billion English speakers across the world. English has borrowed words from more than 350 languages, & many more languages have borrowed words from English. In an age of cheap air travel & internet communication we have become a global village. If you`ve ever been curious about the global language that binds us all together, A History of the English Language in 100 Places is for you. ...

Mark Tessler`s highly praised, comprehensive, & balanced history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from the earliest times to the present
- now fully updated for students in the 21st century
- provides a constructive framework for understanding recent developments & assessing the prospects for future peace. Drawing upon a wide array of documents & on research by Palestinians, Israelis, & others, Tessler assesses the conflict on both the Israelis` & the Palestinians` terms. New chapters in this expanded edition elucidate the Oslo peace process, including the reasons for its failure, & the political dynamics in Israel, the West Bank, & Gaza at a critical time of transition.

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Over the centuries the Middle East has confounded the dreams of conquerors & peacemakers alike. This now-classic book, last updated in 2010, follows the historic struggles of the region over the last two hundred years, from Napoleon's assault on Egypt, through the slow decline & fall of the Ottoman Empire, to the painful emergence of modern nations, the Palestinian question & Islamic resurgence. For this third edition, Economist journalist & Middle East correspondent Nicolas Pelham has written an extensive new chapter examining recent developments throughout the Middle East, including the invasions of Iraq & Afghanistan, the situation in Iran, the continuing Arab-Israeli conflict & relations with the US under President Obama. ...