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The Russian Revolution : a Very Short Introduction by S.A. Smith
Category: Non-Fiction | Series: Very Short Introductions
Provides an analytical narrative of the main events and developments in Soviet Russia between 1917 and 1936. This very short introduction examines the impact of the revolution on society as a whole - on different classes, ethnic groups, the army, men and women, and youth.
The Scientific Revolution by Lawrence M. Principe
Category: History | Series: Very Short Introductions
The sixteenth and seventeenth centuries witnessed such fervent investigations of the natural world that the period has been called the 'Scientific Revolution.' New ideas and discoveries not only redefined what human beings believed, knew, and could do, but also forced them to redefine themselves with re ...Show more
The Silk Road : a Very Short Introduction by James A. Millward
Category: History | Series: Very Short Introductions
The phrase "silk road" evokes vivid images: of merchants leading camel caravans over deserts and steppes to trade exotic goods in the bazaars of glittering Oriental cities, of pilgrims braving bandits and frozen mountain passes to gather scriptures and spread their faith across continental expanses. Bey ...Show more
The Trojan War by Eric H. Cline
Category: History | Series: Very Short Introductions
Homer's tale of the abduction of Helen to Troy and the ten-year war to bring her back to Greece has fascinated mankind for centuries since he related it in The Iliad and The Odyssey. More recently, it has given rise to countless scholarly articles and books, extensive archaeological excavations, epic mo ...Show more
The Vikings: A Very Short Introduction by Julian D. Richards
Category: History | Series: Very Short Introductions
A Very Short IntroductionThe Viking reputation is of bloodthirsty seafaring warriors, repeatedly plundering the British Isles and the North Atlantic throughout the early Middle Ages. Yet Vikings were also traders, settlers, and farmers, with a complex artistic and linguistic culture. Highlighting the la ...Show more
Theatre: A Very Short Introduction by Marvin Carlson
Category: Philosophy | Series: Very Short Introductions
From before history was recorded to the present day, theatre has been a major artistic form around the world. From puppetry to mimes and street theatre, this complex art has utilized all other art forms such as dance, literature, music, painting, sculpture, and architecture. Every aspect of human activi ...Show more
Very Short Introduction to Folk Music by Mark Slobin
Category: Philosophy | Series: Very Short Introductions
This stimulating Very Short Introduction throws open the doors on a remarkably diverse musical genre, with a world-wide reach that goes far beyond America's shores to discuss folk music of every possible kind and in every corner of the globe. Written by award-winning ethnomusicologist Mark Slobin this i ...Show more
Viruses by Dorothy H. Crawford
Category: Science | Series: Very Short Introductions Ser.
Viruses are big news. From pandemics such as HIV, swine flu, and SARS, we are constantly being bombarded with information about new lethal infections. In this Very Short Introduction Dorothy Crawford demonstrates how clever these entities really are. From their discovery and the unravelling oftheir intr ...Show more
Wittgenstein (A Very Short Introduction) by A.C. Grayling
Category: Non-Fiction | Series: Very Short Introductions
Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889-1951) was an extraordinarily original philospher, whose influence on twentieth-century thinking goes well beyond philosophy itself. In this book, which aims to make Wittgenstein's thought accessible to the general non-specialist reader, A. C. Grayling explains the nature and im ...Show more
World Music: a Very Short Introduction by Philip V. Bohlman
Category: History | Series: Very Short Introductions Ser.
World Music draws readers into a remarkable range of historical encounters, in which music had the power to evoke the exotic and to give voice to the voiceless. In the course of the volume's eight chapters the reader witnesses music's involvement in the modern world, but also the individual moments and ...Show more