Book Description
No Other Way Out provides a powerful explanation for the emergence of popular revolutionary movements, and the occurrence of actual revolutions, during the Cold War era. This sweeping study ranges from Southeast Asia in the 1940s and 1950s to Central America in the 1970s and 1980s and Eastern Europe in 1989. Goodwin demonstrates how the actions of specific types of authoritarian regimes unwittingly channeled popular resistance into radical and often violent directions. By comparing the historical trajectories of more than a dozen countries, Goodwin also shows how revolutionaries were able to create opportunities for seizing state power.
Book Description
The Cambridge Illustrated History of Warfare provides a unique account of Western warfare from antiquity to the present. The book treats all aspects of the subject from the Greeks to the nuclear age: the development of warfare on land, sea and air; weapons and technology; strategy and defense; discipline and intelligence. Throughout, there is an emphasis on the socio-economic aspects of war: who pays for it, how can its returns be measured, and to what extent does it explain the rise of the West to global dominance over two millennia? Geoffrey Parker is one of the world's leading authorities on military history and is the editor of The Times Atlas of World History (1993) and the author of The Military Revolution (Cambridge,1988).
Customer Reviews:
Exactly the overview for which I was searching .......2007-03-19
This book offers an excellent overview of warfare throughout the ages, from the Assyrians to the present day, and covering the personalities, weapons, strategies, tactics and technologies used. It should be noted that it covers only warfare as it has impacted and been fought in the Western culture, with no reference at all to important forces like the Mongols and only very brief interludes relating to the likes of China and Japan (except insofar as their wars involved Western opponents as in the Russo-Japanese War or World War II).
It is not a work for experts, in my opinion, but a terrific primer for those who are new to the subject and looking to ground themselves in the subject before moving on to more focussed and analytical works.
One very helpful feature of the book is that it contains diagrams of several key battles, showing troop deployments and movements. Many other overview texts on the history of warfare which I have seen merely describe the battles, and I found the diagrams particularly useful in clarifying how these fights developed. My one criticism of the book is that might have used more such diagrams, but that is a quibble.
Good Solid Book.......2006-03-11
This book is a great guide to the history of warfare. I have looked at and read a lot of books on this subject, and I find this book to be pretty good. What makes it better than most are the pictures, special boxes highlighting neat events, maps, and graphics.
The Cambridge Illustrated History of Warfare.......2005-08-18
A nice straightforward history compilation. The book is a collection of summaries that read easily and are well written.
Excellent Summary On The Evolution of Western Warfare.......2005-03-16
As with its political and economic systems, Western Europe came to develop very unique military institutions that had evolved from Greco-Roman military doctrines applying war as a science and as a precise instrument towards defined political ends: emphasizing on uniform training and equipment as well as strict discipline. This book studies the evolution of Western military institutions from antiquity to modern times and demonstrates how these progressive changes contributed to the modern doctrines of Western warfare that are used today by every nation-state.
Geoffrey Parker did an excellent job in this work. Although many illustrative books are just that, this book has very detailed explanations in addition to very useful illustrations such as photos, maps, and diagrams. The book covers all of the important aspects of Western military evolution. For example, it will start by explaining how the early Greek phallanx comprised of citizen farmers was a significant factor to developing the citizen armies of the Roman legions to the later nation-state armies of 18th century Europe. The book looks at the impact of important military/political thinkers such as Thucydides, Caesar, Machiavelli, and Clausewitz, in the evolution of military doctrine. The book of course makes sure to cover how advances in science and engineering such as siege engines, firearms, and explosives changed the conduct of warfare and how armies adapted to such changes.
This is nothing short of an excellent book that has the right balance between text and illustrations. Unlike other illustrative texts that are mostly pictures with little substance, this book is extremely thorough and detailed as to the main factors responsible towards the unique evolution of western military institutions and their impact on the world. I strongly recommend it.
Good Overview of Warfare.......2004-01-09
This book provides a good first glance at the various stages of warfare that have come and gone throughout human history, from Greek Hoplites to guerilla warfare. The illustrations in this book are very beautiful and informative, and a number of insets provide interesting factoids.
This book is ideally suited for those wanting a good overview of the history of warfare. Be forewarned, though, that this book should not be used as a reference except for general facts in the history of warfare. Battle formations, major skirmishes and important people make up the majority of the content. Smaller details are not included, for the most part.
Overall, this is a great book to own. I bought it for a college course a few years back and kept it afterwards. This is a good starting-off point for any interested in military history.
Book Description
Employing analytical tools borrowed from game theory, Carles Boix offers a complete theory of political transitions. It is one in which political regimes ultimately depend on the nature of economic assets, their distribution among individuals, and the balance of power among different social groups. Backed by detailed historical research and extensive statistical analysis from the mid-nineteenth century, the study reveals why democracy emerged in classical Athens. It also covers the early triumph of democracy in nineteenth-century agrarian Norway, Switzerland and northeastern America as well as its failure in countries with a powerful landowning class.
Customer Reviews:
Asset Specificity, Equality, and Democracy.......2007-02-11
Boix seeks to explain the emergence of various political systems; particularly the transitions between democratic governments, right-wing authoritarian regimes, and left-wing dictatorships. However, Boix's use of triangulated research - the combination of quantitative and qualitative measures - provides a more accurate explanation of regime transition than Lipset's original work.
Boix uses three main independent variables to explain political outcomes. First, Boix examines rates of inequality. He suggests that a nation with a more equitable distribution of assets is likely to see the emergence of a democratic regime. Boix writes, "A more unequal distribution of wealth increases the redistributive demands of the population and the ultimate level of taxes in a democratic system. As the potential level of transfers become larger, the authoritarian inclination of the wealthy increase and the probabilities of democratization and democratic survival decline" (37).
Second, Boix examines the specificity of assets, that is, whether or not assets are expropiatable to other countries. The author contends that the more liquid an asset, the more likely a democratic regime will emerge. Boix asserts that if the wealthy are able to expropriate their assets to other nations, these assets are less likely to be taxed heavily by the poor. As such, the upper classes will be more receptive to a democratic regime. On the other hand, assets that are nontransferable - such as oil wealth - are likely to be subject to heavy taxation by the poor if a democratic regime took hold. As such, it is in the best interest of the wealthy elite to repress the poor and protect their monopoly of assets.
Lastly, Boix looks at the impact of political resources on regime transition. The costs and benefits of repression or revolt fluctuate between social classes under various circumstances. Boix argues that, holding inequality and specificity constant, the conflict between these oppositional groups, and their relative political strengths and weaknesses, lead to the emergence of specific regime types. He writes, "rich and poor assess both the income and benefits associated with each political regime and the costs of achieving their preferred solution" (44). For example, an authoritarian regime often operates in the interests of the ruling elite. So long as the costs of repressing the poor are less than the costs of granting universal suffrage, authoritarianism will continue. On the other hand, if a shift in the balance of power between classes occurs, transition becomes more likely. Boix argues that as the poor gain political resources, and overcome the problems of collective action, they are likely to put pressure on the upper classes (45). The cost of repression to the wealthy then becomes too high to justify continued authoritarianism and democracy emerges. If the poor believe that they have gained political power, or that the cost of being repressed has become unbearable, revolt ensues, and a left-wing dictatorship takes over.
Boix's combination of econometric techniques and qualitative analysis has reexamined the modernization and democratization debate and will prove a lasting contribution to the field.
Book Description
Hind Swaraj is Mahatma Gandhi's fundamental work, and a key to the understanding both of his life and thought, and South Asian politics in the twentieth century. This volume presents for the first time the original 1910 edition of this work, including Gandhi's Preface and Foreword, not found in other editions. This is the first fully annotated edition of the work, and the volume also includes Gandhi's correspondence with Tolstoy, Nehru and others. Anthony Parel's introduction sets the work in its historical and intellectual contexts. Short bibliographical notes on prominent figures mentioned in the text and a chronology of important events are also included as aids to the reader.
Customer Reviews:
Awesome book.......2001-10-23
This book is simply awesome. I call this one of the best books I've ever read. It presents Gandhi's views lucidly and you understand the clarity of thought and spirituality of a person who lead India to freedom.
To all Indians who are unaware of their own civilization, this book also contains portions where Gandhi gives reasons for why he regards Indian civilization to be the best. (I accept that I'm being chauvinistic).
However, this book is not meant for Indians alone, it is for people who wish to be open-minded, who dare to think outside the box, who wish to understand the world, mainly who wish to search for the all-pervading truth.
Satyameva Jayathe (Truth always wins)
Gandhian Politics.......1999-12-10
Gandhi explains in Hind Swaraj some of his fundamental ideas on how to obtain Home Rule in India. One aspect of Indian society Gandhi criticizes is the relationship between Muslims and Hindus. Gandhi tries to convey the idea that religious identity does not constitute for nationality. He feels that in order to obtain swaraj, India's people must unify themselves as a nation. By disbanding disagreements between the two religions, with acceptance and without imposition, Gandhi implies that what is important- Mother India- can be saved. Both Hindus and Muslims should stop seeking concessions from the British, begin the swadeshi movement (Indian-made goods), and that a universal language (Hindi) would also help the cause. Another factor which will lead to swaraj is passive resistance. (Gandhi launched the Civil Disobedience Movement 1931-34). Unlike Nehru, Gandhi opposed modernization/industrialization. These views, as well as views about education and economic reform are also included.
excellent new edition of Hind Swaraj.......1997-10-14
This excellent new edition of Hind Swaraj fulfills the needs of all readers, either for private and academic purposes. Extraordinary is especially the introduction which covers all major subjects which should be taken into account for understanding "Hind Swaraj", e.g. wesetern and eastern influences on Gandhis thoughts, the London & South African years etc. The text itself is issued with a lot of explaining footnotes which also refer on the original (written in Gujarati). It's so far the first edition I know which compares between the english and gujatati text ! The only, minor manko might be the fact that the South African years are treated rather short, but the bibliography and advices for further reading lead the ambitious reader to new sources.
Book Description
The three centuries following the discovery of the New World was a period of unprecedented global expansion, spearheaded by the lusty armies of the imperial European powers. This volume of The Cambridge Illustrated Atlases of Warfare is a lively and elaborately illustrated study of warfare during the early modern period, ranging from the European Renaissance to the American Revolution. Unique color maps and authoritative text illuminate the major military and naval developments that characterized the period. Feature boxes describe key events, important military confrontations, individual tacticians, battle strategies and weapons. Throughout, the author pays particular attention to the effects of European military expansion on the Americas, Africa, Asia, and the Mediterranean. This comprehensive and accessible book about a fascinating and important period will appeal to war buffs and historians alike.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent reference.......2004-01-06
This book, and its companion, covering The Middle Ages, 768-1487 and Renaissance to Revolution, 1492-1792, though with different authors, form an elegant pair of references. They cover a period that is infrequently covered in much detail, and rarely illustrated with any maps, much less the excellent examples here. My primary use for these books is as aids when reading both history and, even more, historical fiction such as Sharon Kay Penman, Dorothy Dunnett and Neal Stephenson. These authors write intricately plotted tapestries that rely heavily on movements in historical time, but their publishers include only incidental maps. These volumes supply a much needed reference for readers who are not quite au courant with the 3rd Anglo Dutch War, or the rise of Maratha India. The accompanying text gives an adequate survey of the time, but the primary emphasis is `rightly on the illustrated portion. The maps are beautifully designed, and easily deciphered, covering both individual battles and broader strategic concepts.
It's not bad...not great, but not bad.......2001-12-14
This isn't a bad book especially if you are looking for a good, general history of warfare during this time period.
At times the author gets a little heavy handed with the political correctness. For example, he states in the preface how he wanted to move away from the "customary dominance by western European developments". Then on the very next page he says "it is all too easy to take a Eurocentric perspective..."
Whatever. Can't historians just write their books nowadays without having to drag all this PC baggage around with them?
If you can slog through the rhetoric this book isn't so bad.
Not for the Wargamer or Military Historian.......2001-06-25
This Atlas is too general for the Military Historian and wargamer, but is a nice worldwide historical overview. It does have some good political maps, but there are not a lot of them, and they are only snapshots far apart in time. When I think of an Atlas I think of page followed by page of maps. This book is mostly text with many illustrative maps, and lots of non-map pictures. It is not as detailed as some other historical Atlases. I do not mean to disparage this work, it is a very good, very colorful overview, and puts military history in context. It is not however, a book that will provide informative maps for the Military Historian, or gaming enthusiast. Definately a book to check out of the library, It would be a good buy as a color paperback, unfortunately I paid for a hard copy.
Brilliant and provoking.......2000-05-15
Black's clear advantage was that the timeline span of the subject was avoided by most historians, probably because it's difficult to compile into a single piece of work. But, Black have done it in a fashion, arguably, very original than most historical atlases.
The special maps and themes are divided into daunting blocks of adventure and you'll not stop until the last pages. There are new insights into the clashes between Portugal and Utsmani Devlet in and around the Indian Ocean.
Let's hope more works come out from this author, at least from the Cambridge Series. In the end, you'll wish the pages were much longer as your thirst grew unbearable.
Book Description
Is economic development conducive to political democracy? Does democracy foster or hinder material welfare? These two questions are examined by looking at the experiences of 135 countries between 1950 and 1990. Descriptive information, statistical analyses, and historical narratives are interwoven to gain an understanding of the dynamic of political regimes and their impact on economic development. The often surprising findings dispel any notion of a tradeoff between democracy and development. Economic development does not generate democracies, but democracies are much more likely to survive in wealthy societies.
Customer Reviews:
Interesting Work.......2004-06-16
I had a love/hate relationship with this book. First, and this is purely a stylistic point, I believe it could have been far better edited. It was an avalanche of statistics, statistical analyses, and presented results without a lot of discussion of why relationships emerged. Their first goal -- showing development does not "cause" democratization is, I believe, a revamp of earlier published work. It is, nonetheless, an important finding that is worth repeating.
More interesting is the relationship between dictatorships and demography, but, again, aside from a little theorizing and a few statistical tests I believe the authors do little to shed much light on why different regimes affect demography differently. They begin to flesh out an argument the crux of which revolves around the ability of democratic polities to "commit" to providing social welfare over the long run, but this seems to run counter to their initial dismissal earlier in the book of the Neo-Institutional economics claim put forth by Douglass North, among others, as to the importance of institutions in "binding the hands of the sovereign."
Finally, their results do show that democracies tend to survive in wealthy states, in essence becoming "unkillable" after a certain level of wealth is reached. They do little to really explain why this is, but the result gives credence to Lipset's thesis that devolpment, at the very least, helps sustain democracies.
Overall I liked to book and would reccommend it as an assigned book in a comparative politics/political economy class.
Monumental Work!!!.......2001-04-24
Too many conjectures and too many theories have been addressed concerning the relationship between polities and material well-being in the world. But they have been raised without a proper test of them, without empirics. This book completely cleans all kinds of intellectual garbages, clarifies the existing arguments, and above all provides a series of the sohpisticated tests. Adam Przeworski and his comrades did a marvelous job.
Book Description
South America is still the least known continent in the world. Ancient South America encompasses ten millennia of cultural development and diversity on this great continent. From the first hunters to the magnificent empire of the Incas it covers the immense variety of cultures, their unique arts and industries and the important contributions these little known peoples have made to the modern world. Accessibly written and abundantly illustrated, this book will be enjoyed by students of archaeology, anthropology and art history.
Customer Reviews:
Good text, but VERY sparsely illustrated.......2007-02-21
This is an excellent, affordable reference for those looking for a general coverage of ancient cultures in South America. It is quite approachable for someone new to this area of study, and is very commendable for being quite comprehensive. However, those interested in antiquities or the cultural output of these cultures will be quite disappointed with the lack of illustrations and photographs. Pick this one up to learn the ropes, and move on to more specific, better-illustrated references for the cultures that interest you.
Book Description
In this collection of essays, Theda Skocpol, author of the award-winning States and Social Revolutions (CUP, 1979), updates her arguments about social revolutions. How are we to understand recent revolutionary upheavals in countries across the globe? Why have social revolutions happened in some countries, but not in others that seem similar? Skocpol shows how she and other scholars have used ideas about states and societies to identify the particular types of regimes that are susceptible to the growth of revolutionary movements and vulnerable to transfers of state power to revolutionary challengers.
Book Description
This volume provides a synthesis of some of the most important themes to emerge from the recent proliferation of specialized scholarship on the period of India's transition to colonialism and seeks to reassess the role of Indians in the politics and economics of early colonialism. It discusses new views of the "decline of the Mughals" and the role of the Indian capitalists in the expansion of the English East India Company's trade and urban settlements. It considers the reasons for the inability of indigenous states to withstand the British, but also highlights the relative failure of the Company to transform India into a quiescent and profitable colony. Finally it deals with changes in India's ecology, social organization, and ideologies in the early nineteenth century, and the nature of Indian resistance to colonialism, including the Rebellion of 1857.
Customer Reviews:
A great historiography of how the British Empire formed out of the India.......2007-09-15
This book covers the historiography of how Indian developed in the British Empire up through the Mutiny in 1857. The rise of British dominance in the Punjab as well as the surrounding countryside is broken up by category and analyzed through the relevant literature at the time. This book does a wonderful job of assessing where the debate on empire was at the end of the 1980's and while it is important to update for current literature it is still a very thorough and useful account. It looks at how the rise of a farming class gave way to the caste system that was a development of the British Raj. This is mostly an account of the pre European and early days of the East India Company that developed into the British Empire following the Mutiny. Overall this is a very useful book on how the British Empire came into formation and the effect that Indian society had on forming the crown jewel of the empire.
Book Description
This volume gathers together seventeen original essays that represent the new directions being taken by historians of the Florentine Renaissance. Florence has often been studied in the past for its distinctive urban culture and society, while insufficient attention has been paid to the important Tuscan territorial state that was created by Florence in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. These essays offer new and exemplary approaches toward state-building, political vocabulary, political economy, civic humanism, local history and social patronage.
Books:
- Operations Research: An Introduction (8th Edition)
- Our Toxic World: A Wake Up Call
- Pat the Bunny (Touch and Feel Book)
- Pattern-Oriented Software Architecture Volume 1: A System of Patterns
- Precious Records: Women in China's Long Eighteenth Century
- Prescription for Nutritional Healing, 4th Edition: A Practical A-to-Z Reference to Drug-Free Remedies Using Vitamins, Minerals, Herbs & Food Supplements ... A-To-Z Reference to Drug-Free Remedies)
- Primates and Philosophers: How Morality Evolved (The University Center for Human Values Series)
- Roark's Formulas for Stress and Strain
- Scientific Computing
- Speaking of Slavery: Color, Ethnicity, and Human Bondage in Italy (Conjunctions of Religion and Power in the Medieval Past)
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Revolutionary
| Historical Study
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Revolutions: Theoretical, Comparative, and Historical Studies
States and Social Revolutions: A Comparative Analysis of France, Russia and China
Revolutions And Revolutionary Movements
Theorizing Revolutions
Social Revolutions in the Modern World (Cambridge Studies in Comparative Politics)
