A History of the World in 100 Objects

A History of the World in 100 Objects
Author: Neil MacGregor
Publisher: Penguin UK
Total Pages: 564
Release: 2011-10-06
Genre: History
ISBN: 0141966831

This book takes a dramatically original approach to the history of humanity, using objects which previous civilisations have left behind them, often accidentally, as prisms through which we can explore past worlds and the lives of the men and women who lived in them. The book's range is enormous. It begins with one of the earliest surviving objects made by human hands, a chopping tool from the Olduvai gorge in Africa, and ends with an object from the 21st century which represents the world we live in today. Neil MacGregor's aim is not simply to describe these remarkable things, but to show us their significance - how a stone pillar tells us about a great Indian emperor preaching tolerance to his people, how Spanish pieces of eight tell us about the beginning of a global currency or how an early Victorian tea-set tells us about the impact of empire. Each chapter immerses the reader in a past civilisation accompanied by an exceptionally well-informed guide. Seen through this lens, history is a kaleidoscope - shifting, interconnected, constantly surprising, and shaping our world today in ways that most of us have never imagined. An intellectual and visual feast, it is one of the most engrossing and unusual history books published in years.

The Home Front: 1939–1945 in 100 Objects

The Home Front: 1939–1945 in 100 Objects
Author: Austin J. Ruddy
Publisher: Pen and Sword
Total Pages: 492
Release: 2020-02-19
Genre: History
ISBN: 1526740877

A colorful catalogue of objects that illustrate what everyday life was like in wartime Britain. A lifesaving gas mask. A ration book, essential for the supply of food. A shelter stove that kept a family warm while they huddled in their Anderson shelter. A leaflet dropped by the Luftwaffe that was designed to intimidate Britain’s populace during the threat of invasion. A civilian identity card over-stamped with the swastika eagle from the occupied Channel Islands. A rare, previously unpublished, snapshot of legendary bandleader Glenn Miller playing at a UK air base. A twisted remnant of German V2 rocket that went to space and back before exploding over London, the result of equally twisted military science. Colorful flag bunting that saw the VE celebrations in 1945. These disparate objects and many more together tell the moving and important story of Britain’s home front during the Second World War. The ordinary objects featured in this book, supplemented with facts, figures, dates, stories, and statistics, portray the highs and lows the British people experienced during six years of war—from the deprivations of rationing and the bombing of the Blitz, to the cheery songs, elegant fashions, and “Dig For Victory” spirit.

A History of Women in 100 Objects

A History of Women in 100 Objects
Author: Professor Maggie Andrews
Publisher: The History Press
Total Pages: 538
Release: 2018-02-23
Genre: History
ISBN: 0750987197

The history of the world has been told in objects. But what about the objects that tell the history of women? What are the items that symbolise the journey of women from second-class citizens with no legal rights, no vote and no official status to the powerful people they are today? And what are the objects that still oppress women, even now? From the corset to the contraceptive pill, the bones of the first woman to Rosa Parks's mugshot and the iconic Mary Quant cape, A History of Women in 100 Objects documents the developing role of women in society through the lens of the inanimate objects that touched women's lives, were created by women or that at some time – perhaps even still – oppressed them. Woven by two leading historians, this complex, fascinating and vital tale of women and womanhood is told with a lightness of touch and depth of experience that will appeal to all those interested in women's history.

A Little History of the World

A Little History of the World
Author: E. H. Gombrich
Publisher: Yale University Press
Total Pages: 401
Release: 2014-10-01
Genre: History
ISBN: 0300213972

E. H. Gombrich's Little History of the World, though written in 1935, has become one of the treasures of historical writing since its first publication in English in 2005. The Yale edition alone has now sold over half a million copies, and the book is available worldwide in almost thirty languages. Gombrich was of course the best-known art historian of his time, and his text suggests illustrations on every page. This illustrated edition of the Little History brings together the pellucid humanity of his narrative with the images that may well have been in his mind's eye as he wrote the book. The two hundred illustrations—most of them in full color—are not simple embellishments, though they are beautiful. They emerge from the text, enrich the author's intention, and deepen the pleasure of reading this remarkable work. For this edition the text is reset in a spacious format, flowing around illustrations that range from paintings to line drawings, emblems, motifs, and symbols. The book incorporates freshly drawn maps, a revised preface, and a new index. Blending high-grade design, fine paper, and classic binding, this is both a sumptuous gift book and an enhanced edition of a timeless account of human history.

The Book of the Earthworm

The Book of the Earthworm
Author: Sally Coulthard
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 154
Release: 2021-01-07
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 1789544742

'I thought I knew quite a bit about earthworms – until I picked up this charming little book' Nick Baker 'Many wonderful wormy tales unearthed by Coulthard' BBC Countryfile Magazine 'A gem of a book' Country Smallholding Without these little engineers of the earth, the world's soils would be barren, and our gardens and fields wouldn't be able to grow the food we need to survive. Worms recycle decaying plants, putting nutrients back into the soil; they provide a food source for wildlife; and their constant burrowing helps heavy rain soak away. Sally Coulthard's fascianting guide offers a wealth of information and practical advice about the world's msot industrious but little understood creature.

Peranakan Chinese Home

Peranakan Chinese Home
Author: Ronald G. Knapp
Publisher: Tuttle Publishing
Total Pages: 486
Release: 2013-03-10
Genre: Antiques & Collectibles
ISBN: 1462911854

Discover the rarified Peranakan (native-born Chinese of Southeast Asia) aesthetics that are today highly sought-after for their beauty: distinctive furniture and ceramics, textiles and jewelry, and many other art objects. Peranakan Chinese Home displays these extraordinary objects, visible markers of a highly developed culture. The broad range of beautiful objects which the Peranakan Chinese created and enjoyed in their daily lives is astounding. Each chapter in The Peranakan Chinese Home focuses on a different area and presents objects used or found in those spaces. Each piece is described in the context of their utility as household objects, as part of periodic celebrations to mark the Chinese New Year and other holidays, or in important life passage rituals relating to ancestor worship, birth, marriage, mourning and burial. The meaning of the rich symbolic and ornamental motifs found on the objects is discussed in detail and key differences are highlighted between Peranakan objects and similar ones found in China. A fascinating mix of Chinese, European and Southeast Asian influences, the distinctly Peranakan identity of a people and their culture is beautifully portrayed through objects and archival photographs in this lovely and exotic book.

Gardenalia

Gardenalia
Author: Sally Coulthard
Publisher: Rizzoli International Publications
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2012
Genre: Garden ornaments and furniture
ISBN: 9780847838776

Provides design ideas for gardens, highlighting the use of reused and salvaged items for decoration.