- Table View
- List View
Shah Abbas: The Ruthless King Who Became an Iranian Legend
by David BlowA ruthless autocrat who blinded and killed his own sons, but was revered as a hero by his own people. A brilliant warrior who restored his nation's pride and territorial integrity by waging war on the foreign occupying forces, but chose an English knight to be his ambassador in the West. An aesthete whose artistic patronage made his country a centre of art and culture, whose religious devotion combined with realpolitik, helped convert Shi'i Islam into a geoploitcal phenomenon. Arguably Iran's greatest ruler since the Arab invasion in the 7th century AD, Shah Abbas was an immensely complex and much misunderstood character who, despite often contradictory behaviour, changed the face of the Middle East forever.
Shah Abbas: The Ruthless King Who Became an Iranian Legend
by David BlowShah Abbas (1571-1629) was shah of Iran from 1588 (when he assumed power by deposing his father, whom he later murdered) until his death in 1629. He is of critical importance in the history of Iran, restoring the power of the Safavids through war and the strategic negotiation of peace. He is still acclaimed for his strong and decisive rule and the architectural achievements of his reign although he is also recognised as a tyrant, whose paranoia (probably justified) caused him to imprison and assassinate many of his own relatives including his own son, ultimately leaving the throne to his grandson.Remarkably, this is the first biography of Shah Abbas in English. "On a Persian Throne" combines rigorous scholarship with a popular style to produce the definitive, accessible and objective biography of this seminal figure in Iranian history.
The Shah's Iran - Rise and Fall: Conversations with an Insider
by Abdolreza AnsariA chance encounter diverted Abdolreza Ansari from completing his doctorate in the US, and set him on a professional journey which mirrored the prolific rise and the precipitous fall of the regime of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi of Iran. Appointed a cabinet minister at the age of just 34, Ansari consistently and methodically used his skills in an attempt to institute modern managerial systems and solid foundations in his various assignments. He went on to have a high-ranking ministerial career ending up in the all-important role of Minister of Interior. His appointment as Managing Director of the Imperial Organisation for Social Services placed him at the centre of power, giving him extraordinary insights into the Iranian political scene of that era. Ansari's proximity to the Iranian royal court, his encounters with a multitude of well-known personalities and his perceptions of the political culture in 1970s Tehran make this book an important historical source and a fascinating portrayal of the inner workings of the Shah's Iran.
Shakar: From Refugee to Cancer Pioneer (G - Reference,information And Interdisciplinary Subjects Ser.)
by Shakardokht Jafari‘A deeply emotional and inspiring book that will stay with you long after you turn the last page.’ Waseem Mahmood, author of Good Morning AfghanistanBorn in rural Afghanistan, Shakardokht Jafari became a refugee aged just six, after a harrowing half-year trek to Iran. There, at twelve, she discovered she had been promised in marriage at birth to an older cousin. Resisting no fewer than three arranged marriages, she fought to choose her own husband, education and career, defying convention to study radiation technologies at Tehran University. Returning to Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban, she was asked to re-establish a cancer facility in Kabul, which meant studying first for higher qualifications in the UK. With Islamist insurgency on the rise again, her lawyer husband fled to join her, driving a minicab to make ends meet. The inventor of a method for improving outcomes of radiotherapy on cancer patients, Shakar has become one of Britain's leading medical entrepreneurs. Ironically, at the same time she has faced one of her biggest battles – to save her own health. This remarkable woman, winner of a string of awards for business innovation, is also a leading campaigner for girls’ education in Afghanistan. She tells her extraordinary story with disarming candour.
Shakedown Cruise: Lessons and Adventures from a Cruising Veteran as He Learns the Ropes
by Nigel CalderLong before he was one of America's leading yachting writers, Nigel Calder was a novice cruiser with ambitions grander than his experience. Nigel and his partner Terrie were young and foolish, with a home-built boat that was new and untested, one child already and another on the way - but they were determined to complete an adventurous 18-month voyage from New Orleans to Venezuela and back.It was the voyage that made Calder the yachtsman he is today, a marvellous romp through the West Indies, seeing an unspoilt Caribbean, while learning hard-won lessons from direct experience - troubleshooting engines, kedging off shoals and reefs, and most importantly navigating Nada, a yacht that quickly became very much part of the burgeoning Calder family too.An adventure story and a colourful travelogue in one, Shakedown Cruise is a must-read for all who are curious about what it takes to become a cruising sailor or create an adventurous life, as well as those who are just looking to sail along with Nigel and his family.
Shakedown Cruise: Lessons and Adventures from a Cruising Veteran as He Learns the Ropes
by Nigel CalderLong before he was one of America's leading yachting writers, Nigel Calder was a novice cruiser with ambitions grander than his experience. Nigel and his partner Terrie were young and foolish, with a home-built boat that was new and untested, one child already and another on the way - but they were determined to complete an adventurous 18-month voyage from New Orleans to Venezuela and back.It was the voyage that made Calder the yachtsman he is today, a marvellous romp through the West Indies, seeing an unspoilt Caribbean, while learning hard-won lessons from direct experience - troubleshooting engines, kedging off shoals and reefs, and most importantly navigating Nada, a yacht that quickly became very much part of the burgeoning Calder family too.An adventure story and a colourful travelogue in one, Shakedown Cruise is a must-read for all who are curious about what it takes to become a cruising sailor or create an adventurous life, as well as those who are just looking to sail along with Nigel and his family.
Shakespeare: Shakespeare (Explore! #11)
by Jane BinghamThis photographic book gives you an overview of Shakespeare and the time that he lived in. From his upbringing and family life, to his world famous plays and the Globe Theatre. Learn about the world in the time of Shakespeare from London and England to the wider world. You can read about a day in the life of a boy actor, and even learn how to make your own model theatre.
Shakespeare: The World as a Stage (PDF)
by Bill BrysonIn this much anticipated addition to the Eminent Lives series, Bill Bryson's biography of William Shakespeare unravels the superstitions, academic discoveries and myths surrounding the life of our greatest poet and playwright. Shakespeare's life, despite the scrutiny of generations of biographers and scholars, is still a thicket of myths and traditions, some preposterous, some conflicting, arranged around the few scant facts known about the Bard - from his birth in Stratford to the bequest of his second best bed to his wife when he died. Following his international bestsellers A Short History of Nearly Everything' and The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid', Bill Bryson has written a short biography of William Shakespeare for the Eminent Lives series - which seeks to pair great subjects with writers known for their strong sensibilities and sharp, lively points of view.
Shakespeare: The World As Stage
by Bill BrysonInternational bestseller Bill Bryson brings us this brilliantly readable biography of the world’s greatest playwright, William Shakespeare.
Shakespeare: A Story Of Shakespeare's Love-life (Vintage Lives #11)
by Anthony BurgessAmong Shakespeare's many biographers none brings to his subject more passion and feeling for the creative act than Anthony Burgess. He breathes life into Shakespeare the man and invigorates his times. His portrait of the age builds upon an almost personal tenderness for Shakespeare and his contemporaries (especially Ben Jonson), and on a profound sense of literary and theatrical history. Anthony Burgess's well-known delight in language infuses his own writing about Shakespeare's works. And in the verve of his biography he conveys the energy of the Elizabethan age.
Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays The Rent (Shakespeare On Stage Ser. #7)
by Judi DenchTHE SUNDAY TIMES TOP 10 BESTSELLER This Christmas let Dame Judi Dench take you behind the scenes as she shares her life with, and love of Shakespeare. 'A wonderful mixture of appreciation and anecdote' Financial Times, Books of the Year 'A MAGICAL LOVE LETTER TO SHAKESPEARE' Sir Kenneth Branagh‘Companionable and compelling – it genuinely feels like you’re sitting at her kitchen table with her. If you love Judi Dench or Shakespeare (and most of us do), look no further’ Guardian‘It swirls and dances with brilliance and mischief’ Daily Mail‘Gloriously entertaining’ Observer Taking a curtain call with a live snake in her wig... Cavorting naked through the countryside painted green... Acting opposite a child with a pumpkin on his head... These are just a few of the things Dame Judi Dench has done in the name of Shakespeare. For the very first time, Judi opens up about every Shakespearean role she has played throughout her seven-decade career, from Lady Macbeth and Titania to Ophelia and Cleopatra. Here she reveals her behind the scenes secrets; inviting us to share in her triumphs, disasters, and backstage shenanigans, all brightened by her mischievous sense of humour and striking honesty. Witty, provocative and inspiring, this is ultimately Judi's love letter to Shakespeare, or rather, The Man Who Pays The Rent. ‘An utterly delightful book… Shakespeare from a great actor’s perspective – that repeatedly strikes to the heart of the matter with a sharp instinctive intelligence that puts fancy-pants literary critics to shame’ Telegraph ‘A wonderful ode to the bard’ I‘The book is pure enchantment. It swirls and dances with brilliance and mischief, so forget traditional Shakespearean criticism and analysis. Sack the Eng. Lit. professors. As never before, this book brings the subject to wild, authentic life.’ Daily Mail‘Riveting, revealing and witty’ Gazette and Herald
Shakespeare and Biography (Shakespeare & #8)
by Katherine Scheil Graham HoldernessFrom Shakespeare’s religion to his wife to his competitors in the world of early modern theatre, biographers have approached the question of the Bard’s life from numerous angles. Shakespeare & Biography offers a fresh look at the biographical questions connected with the famous playwright’s life, through essays and reflections written by prominent international scholars and biographers.
The Shakespeare and Company Book of Interviews
by Sylvia Whitman and Adam BilesShakespeare and Company, Paris, is one of the world’s most iconic and beautiful bookshops. Located on the banks of the Seine, opposite Notre-Dame, it’s long been a meeting place for anglophone writers and readers. In that tradition, determined for the bookshop to remain a place of meaningful and transformative conversation, owner Sylvia Whitman and novelist and literary director Adam Biles have hosted several hundred interviews with writers, ranging from prize-winning novelists to visionary non-fiction writers. The Shakespeare and Company Book of Interviews is a selection of the best of these interviews from the last decade. Packed with warmth, sensitivity and humour, it’s a celebration of the greatest writers of our age and an insight into the lives and thoughts behind some of today’s most talked-about books.
Shakespeare and His Authors: Critical Perspectives on the Authorship Question
by William LeahyThe Shakespeare Authorship question - the question of who wrote Shakespeare's plays and who the man we know as Shakespeare was - is a subject which fascinates millions of people the world over and can be seen as a major cultural phenomenon. However, much discussion of the question exists on the very margins of academia, deemed by most Shakespearean academics as unimportant or, indeed, of interest only to conspiracy theorists. Yet, many academics find the Authorship question interesting and worthy of analysis in theoretical and philosophical terms. This collection brings together leading literary and cultural critics to explore the Authorship question as a social, cultural and even theological phenomenon and consider it in all its rich diversity and significance.
Shakespeare and His Authors: Critical Perspectives on the Authorship Question
by William LeahyThe Shakespeare Authorship question - the question of who wrote Shakespeare's plays and who the man we know as Shakespeare was - is a subject which fascinates millions of people the world over and can be seen as a major cultural phenomenon. However, much discussion of the question exists on the very margins of academia, deemed by most Shakespearean academics as unimportant or, indeed, of interest only to conspiracy theorists. Yet, many academics find the Authorship question interesting and worthy of analysis in theoretical and philosophical terms. This collection brings together leading literary and cultural critics to explore the Authorship question as a social, cultural and even theological phenomenon and consider it in all its rich diversity and significance.
Shakespeare and His Biographical Afterlives (Shakespeare & #6)
by Paul Franssen & Paul EdmondsonNew Shakespeare biographies are published every year, though very little new documentary evidence has come to light. Inevitably speculative, these biographies straddle the line between fact and fiction. Shakespeare and His Biographical Afterlives explores the relationship between fiction and non-fiction within Shakespeare’s biography, across a range of subjects including feminism, class politics, wartime propaganda, children’s fiction, and religion, expanding beyond the Anglophone world to include countries such as Germany and Spain, from the seventeenth century to present day.
Shakespeare and the Countess: The Battle that Gave Birth to the Globe
by Chris LaoutarisShortlisted for the Tony Lothian PrizeOne of the Telegraph's 'Best Books of 2014''A gripping tale that enables us to see Shakespeare in a new light...I could not recommend it highly enough.' Alison WeirIn November 1596 a woman signed a document which would nearly destroy the career of William Shakespeare . . . Who was the woman who played such an instrumental, yet little known, role in Shakespeare's life? Never far from controversy when she was alive - she sparked numerous riots and indulged in acts of bribery, breaking-and-entering, and kidnapping - Elizabeth Russell has been edited out of public memory, yet the chain of events she set in motion would be the making of Shakespeare as we all know him today. Providing new pieces to the puzzle, Chris Laoutaris's thrilling biography reveals for the first time the life of this extraordinary woman, and why she decided to wage her battle against Shakespeare.'A splendid and original book' Sunday Telegraph'A work of historical and literary detection which takes us straight to the heart of religious politics in Elizabethan England.' Frances Wilson, New Statesman 'I'm in love with the brilliant research on display in Shakespeare and the Countess by Christopher Laoutaris and how it brings to light Lady Elizabeth Russell, a force to be reckoned with and a trailblazing early feminist.' Amma Asante, Observer (Books of the Year)
Shakespeare and the First Hamlet (Shakespeare & #9)
by Terri BourusThe first edition of Hamlet – often called ‘Q1’, shorthand for ‘first quarto’ – was published in 1603, in what we might regard as the early modern equivalent of a cheap paperback. Yet this early version of Shakespeare’s classic tragedy is becoming increasingly canonical, not because there is universal agreement about what it is or what it means, but because more and more Shakespearians agree that it is worth arguing about. The essays in this collected volume explore the ways in which we might approach Q1’s Hamlet, from performance to book history, from Shakespeare’s relationships with his contemporaries to the shape of his whole career.
Shakespearean: On Life & Language in Times of Disruption
by Robert McCrum'I can’t think of anything better than listening to Robert McCrum talk about Shakespeare. And this enchanting book is the next best thing - like a gentle chat with a genuine expert.' Simon Russell BealeWhen Robert McCrum began his recovery from a life-changing stroke, described in My Year Off, he discovered that the only words that made sense to him were snatches of Shakespeare. Unable to travel or move as he used to, McCrum found the First Folio became his ‘book of life’, an endless source of inspiration through which he could embark on ‘journeys of the mind’, and see a reflection of our own disrupted times.An acclaimed writer and journalist, McCrum has spent the last twenty-five years immersed in Shakespeare's work, on stage and on the page. During this prolonged exploration, Shakespeare’s poetry and plays, so vivid and contemporary, have become his guide and consolation. In Shakespearean he asks: why is it that we always return to Shakespeare, particularly in times of acute crisis and dislocation? What is the key to his hold on our imagination? And why do the collected works of an Elizabethan writer continue to speak to us as if they were written yesterday?Shakespearean is a rich, brilliant and superbly drawn portrait of an extraordinary artist, one of the greatest writers who ever lived. Through an enthralling narrative, ranging widely in time and space, McCrum seeks to understand Shakespeare within his historical context while also exploring the secrets of literary inspiration, and examining the nature of creativity itself. Witty and insightful, he makes a passionate and deeply personal case that Shakespeare’s words and ideas are not just enduring in their relevance – they are nothing less than the eternal key to our shared humanity.
Shakespeare's Bastard: The Life of Sir William Davenant
by Simon Andrew StirlingSir William Davenant (1606–1668) – Poet Laureate and Civil War hero – is one of the most influential and neglected figures in the history of British theatre. He introduced ‘opera’, actresses, scenes and the proscenium arch to the English stage. Narrowly escaping execution for his Royalist activities during the Civil War, he revived theatrical performances in London, right under Oliver Cromwell’s nose. Nobody, perhaps, did more to secure Shakespeare’s reputation or to preserve the memory of the Bard. Davenant was known to boast over a glass of wine that he wrote ‘with the very spirit’ of Shakespeare and was happy to be thought of as Shakespeare’s son. By recounting the story of his eventful life backwards, through his many trials and triumphs, this biography culminates with a fresh examination of the vexed issue of Davenant’s paternity. Was Sir William’s mother the voluptuous and maddening ‘Dark Lady’ of Shakespeare’s Sonnets, and was he Shakespeare’s ‘lovely boy’?
Shakespeare’s Book: The Intertwined Lives Behind The First Folio
by Chris Laoutaris‘A lively picture of multiple operators scrambling to steal a march on the competition . . . Lavishly detailed’FINANCIAL TIMES
Shakespeare’s House: A Window onto his Life and Legacy
by Professor Richard SchochIn the wide realm of Shakespeare worship, the house in Stratford-upon-Avon where William Shakespeare was born in 1564 – known colloquially as the 'Birthplace' – remains the chief shrine. It's not as romantic as Anne Hathaway's thatched cottage, it's not where he wrote any of his plays, and there's nothing inside the house that once belonged to Shakespeare himself. So why, for centuries, have people kept turning up on the doorstep? Richard Schoch answers that question by examining the history of the Birthplace and by exploring how its changing fortunes over four centuries perfectly mirror the changing attitudes toward Shakespeare himself.Based on original research in the archives of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust in Stratford-upon-Avon and the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, DC, and featuring two black and white illustrated plate sections which draw on the wide array of material available at the Folger Shakespeare Library and the Victoria and Albert Museum, this book traces the history of Shakespeare's birthplace over four centuries. Beginning in the 1560s, when Shakespeare was born there, it ends in the 1890s, when the house was rescued from private purchase and turned into the Shakespeare monument that it remains today.
Shakespeare’s House: A Window onto his Life and Legacy
by Professor Richard SchochIn the wide realm of Shakespeare worship, the house in Stratford-upon-Avon where William Shakespeare was born in 1564 – known colloquially as the 'Birthplace' – remains the chief shrine. It's not as romantic as Anne Hathaway's thatched cottage, it's not where he wrote any of his plays, and there's nothing inside the house that once belonged to Shakespeare himself. So why, for centuries, have people kept turning up on the doorstep? Richard Schoch answers that question by examining the history of the Birthplace and by exploring how its changing fortunes over four centuries perfectly mirror the changing attitudes toward Shakespeare himself.Based on original research in the archives of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust in Stratford-upon-Avon and the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, DC, and featuring two black and white illustrated plate sections which draw on the wide array of material available at the Folger Shakespeare Library and the Victoria and Albert Museum, this book traces the history of Shakespeare's birthplace over four centuries. Beginning in the 1560s, when Shakespeare was born there, it ends in the 1890s, when the house was rescued from private purchase and turned into the Shakespeare monument that it remains today.
Shakespeare's Life and Times: A Pictorial Record
by Roland Mushat FryeThis handsomely illustrated biography provides a dramatic, human view of Shakespeare as he lived his life. Narrative and pictures follow Shakespeare from his birth and boyhood in Stratford, through his career in the London theatre, and back to Stratford during the last years of his life, in retirement. Included in the 114 illustrations—many of them taken from sixteenth- and seventeenth-century originals—are two authentic portraits of Shakespeare. Pictures of the houses in which he lived, the theatres in which he acted, the other actors with whom he worked, and the faces of many people who knew him and wrote about him—all add a sense of immediacy to the biographical narrative and make Shakespeare come alive within the context of his own age.Originally published in 1967.The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.
Shakespeare's Sisters: Four Women Who Wrote the Renaissance
by Ramie TargoffDiscover the lives and work of four ambitious Renaissancewomen who, against all odds, made themselves heard-and read-in the time of ShakespeareIn an innovative and engaging narrative of everyday life in Shakespeare's England, Ramie Targoff carries us from the sumptuous coronation of Queen Elizabeth in the mid-16th century into the private lives of four women writers working at a time when women were legally the property of men. Some readers may have heard of Mary Sidney, accomplished poet and sister of the famous Sir Philip Sidney, but few will have heard of Aemilia Lanyer, the first woman in the 17th century to publish a book of original poetry, which offered a feminist take on the crucifixion, or Elizabeth Cary, who published the first original play by a woman, about the plight of the Jewish princess Mariam. Then there was Anne Clifford, a lifelong diarist, who fought for decades against a patriarchy that tried to rob her of her land in one of England's most infamous inheritance battles. These women had husbands and children to care for and little support for their art, yet against all odds they defined themselves as writers, finding rooms of their own where doors had been shut for centuries. Targoff flings them open to uncover the treasures left by these extraordinary women; in the process, she helps us see the Renaissance in a fresh light, creating a richer understanding of history and offering a much-needed female perspective on life in Shakespeare's day.