Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Baby-Preschool    2. Christianity - Christian Life - General    3. Christianity - History - General    4. Religion    5. Spanish: Adult Nonfiction    6. Christian Interest    7. Religion / Christian Life   

Reviews (1)

Fine prints from a great museum
This book contains fine prints of great art from a wonderful museum. It will be valued by persons who like great art, or by people who have visited the Prado and want a momento that they can page through to jog their memory of what they saw there. Some of the prints will be new to them: the Prado's collection is so vast that only a small portion of it can be displayed at a time.Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions - Museum    4. History - General    5. History Of Art / Art & Design Styles    6. Museum, historic sites, gallery & art guides    7. Museums & Museology    8. Spain   

Subjects:  1. Anthropology - Cultural    2. Anthropology - General    3. Ethnology    4. History    5. History - General History    6. Indians    7. Native American    8. Native American Anthropology    9. North American    10. Public opinion    11. Social Science    12. Sociology    13. Spain    14. Anthropology    15. Ethnology--History    16. Social Science / Anthropology / General    17. South America   

Reviews (9)

historical adventure
You can walk through the past in the past, as you view sailing to America through the eyes of a first timer explorer.

The real pirates of the Caribbean.
The Buccaneers of America is a first-hand account of the life and exploits of real-life pirates in the seventeenth century Caribbean region. There are apparently rather few such eyewitness publications, and this one must surely rank highly among them. Alexander Exquemelin was a buccaneer himself, and relates those stories that he actually witnessed or those that he heard. His own participation is always left vague, and while he witnesses plenty he claims few actions for his own.
A Real Pirate Wrote this Account of the Buccaneering Way of Life
BUCCANEERS OF AMERICA was fascinating.It is an easy-to-read narrative about the real-life environment and adventures of the first pirates of the Caribbean - and it's written by a 17th-century buccaneer!
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Subjects:  1. Buccaneers    2. Caribbean & West Indies - General    3. Caribbean Area    4. Early works to 1800    5. History - General History    6. History: World    7. Maritime History    8. Pirates    9. Ships & Shipbuilding - History    10. Spanish Main    11. American history    12. Transportation / Ships & Shipbuilding / History    13. USA   

Subjects:  1. Antiquities    2. Archaeology    3. Archaeology / Anthropology    4. Caribbean & West Indies - General    5. Dominican Republic    6. Ethnic Studies - Native American Studies    7. Excavations (Archaeology)    8. First contact with Europeans    9. Historical Archaeology    10. History    11. Indians    12. La Isabela (Dominican Republic    13. Native American Archaeology    14. Social Science    15. Sociology    16. Spaniards    17. History / Caribbean & West Indies   

Features

• Illustrated

Subjects:  1. 1515-1582    2. Avila    3. Avila (Spain)    4. Biography    5. Biography / Autobiography    6. Christian saints    7. Christianity - History - Catholic    8. Church History    9. Religious    10. Spain    11. Teresa,    12. of Avila, Saint,    13. Biography & Autobiography / Religious    14. Saints & hagiography    15. TERESA, OF AVILA, SAINT, 1515-1582    16. Teresa   

Reviews (1)

GOLD FEVER!!
This is a very detailed book on the history of the 1715 fleet. The story is so well written it is hard to set this book down before the ending. In depth historical information and amazing illustration combine to make this a book of dreams, dreams that came true for a few and lost for many. It leaves many more dreams for me...."GOLD FEVER".... ... Read more

Subjects:  1. History - Military / War    2. Military - General   

Subjects:  1. 19th century    2. 20th century    3. Anthropology - Cultural    4. Arts, Spanish    5. Civilization    6. Europe - Spain & Portugal    7. European - Spanish & Portuguese    8. History    9. History Of Civilization And Culture (General)    10. History: World    11. Literature - Classics / Criticism    12. Spain    13. Spain And Portugal - History    14. Anthropology    15. Cultural studies    16. Literary Criticism & Collections / General    17. Spanish    18. c 1800 to c 1900   

Subjects:  1. History    2. History - U.S.    3. History: American    4. Military - United States    5. Military - World War I    6. Military History (General)    7. U.S. History - Late 19th Century (1877-1900)    8. United States - Reconstruction Period (1865-1877)    9. American history: c 1800 to c 1900    10. Spain    11. USA    12. c 1800 to c 1900   

Reviews (1)

Painting in Spain, 1500-1700 by Jonathan Brown
I am delighted with this book.It is ideal for teaching university students.It not only provides fresh insights into the social milieu as well as the the paintings themselves, it also has an excellent updated bibliography of the literature on the subject.For the past two decades Ihave lamented the fact that the Kubler-Soria Pelican book on Art andArchitecture in Spain had become first increasingly outdated and then outof print.This book fills that gap splendidly - although I do wish it hadbeen possible to include sculpture in the book as well:the interactionsbetween these two art forms is very important.One other minor criticism: the book emphasizes the importance of the regional schools of painting inthe 16th century, yet nowhere in the book is there a map of Spain showingthose regions!Next edition of the book, I hope one is included. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 16th century    2. 17th century    3. Art    4. Art & Art Instruction    5. European    6. History - General    7. Painting, Spanish    8. Techniques - Painting    9. Art / History / European    10. History of art & design styles: c 1400 to c 1600    11. Painting & paintings    12. Spain    13. c 1500 to c 1600    14. c 1600 to c 1700   

Reviews (2)

A renowned collection
This is an exquisite table top book that you won't want to shelve anytime soon. Lavish in detail the book has 275 paintings that are world famous. The time period covered is the 12th right up through the 20th century. No easy task to get a sampling from the Prado, one of the greatest museums in the world. The author manages just that as he doesn't over emphasive the "known" masters and unveils some of the lesser and even unknown artists.Since the author, Santiago Alcolea Blanch, a renowned art historian, is Spanish, there is a leaning towards the works of the well known Spanish masters like El Greco and Velasquez, right up to the more modern Picasso. This is not to say that it only features Spanish artists as it includes the masters from throughout Europe. Anyone interested in art will love and benefit from this book. There is much to be learned from superb works that have withstood world wars and other atrocities of mankind and been viewed by millions of people. The first paintings revealed are those painted on murals and board, eventually working its way to oil on canvas. Since much of the works from the masters is of a religious nature one will find superb paintings inspired from the divine, mans earliest works as manifested through his interpretations of God and his glory. Marveling at these works leaves no doubt about the everlasting impression this subject matter must have had on the artists. That we would be given the opportunty to view such inspirational works from the comforts of our living rooms is an additional blessing. The works are not limited to religious themes as there are countless portraits of the nobility and loyalty that shaped the world events of their time and even directed the course of history. These were the photographs of their day, long before digital images could be loaded instantly on a computer, only the wealthy could afford such a luxury. The works, as percieved through the eyes of the artist are uncommon and magnificent testimonials of a bygone era. As an additional bonus the book is also a history book. The first 139 pages are a concise explanation of the origins of the Royal Collection and the Academy of Fine Arts. Included in the historical tour are great black and white photographs of the Prado in various time periods, including draft plans for the additions. Each director is profiled in story book fashion to illustrate the achievements and problems encountered during their time as directors. Captivating and informative, the written word in this book is an excellent source of information for the art historian. Follow the trial and tribulations of those most influential in giving the world one of it's greatest museums. For furhter exploration there is also a pretty extensive bibliography. This is a quality book that any lover of art will cherish, highly recommended for those that like the works of the masters.

The Best book on the Prado available (maybe ever!)
Take a tour of the fabulous Prado museum with this lavishly illustrated volume. Featuring over 300 full page photos, this work reveals the astounding depth of the Prado's collection. The book is arranged by"schools" of nationalities, just as the museum is, and featuresmany of the most classic and cherished paintings Europe has produced frommedieval triptychs to Picasso's "Guernica". These aren't the onlypaintings featured, however. The reader is invited to see the collectionlongitudinally. I really enjoyed, for example, seeing the wonderful varietyof Velasquez' paintings - those he did in the employ of the royal courtwere markedly different than his early work. Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Art Museums And Galleries    4. Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions - Private    5. History - General    6. Madrid    7. Museo del Prado    8. Painting    9. Spain   

Reviews (5)

An Alternative Perception of the Spanish-American and Philippine American War
In a somewhat flamboyant pose with his tails and pinstripe pants, Uncle Sam breaks out of his regular pose .Kristin L. Hoganson uses the illustration to depict a rather loose portrait of American symbolism in her examination of how gender and cultural studies ties in with the historical narrative of the Spanish-American and Philippine-American Wars, FIGHTING FOR AMERICAN MANHOOD:HOW GENDER POLITICS PROVOKED THE SPANISH-AMERICAN AND PHILIPPINE-AMERICAN WARS. Hoganson's study is unique, and is yet an additional perspective about US history's most overlooked conflicts and possible blunders.Her interdisciplinary approach defines the roots of the conflict, which relates to the political, social, and cultural atmosphere that occurred during the late nineteenth century - women's suffrage, social Darwinism, and imperialism.
Murderous Pissing Contest
Studying how gender norms and ideals contribute to, and at times create, historical events is not a revolutionary idea; but applying gender norms and ideals to how late nineteenth and early twentieth century Americans understood war and empire comes very close to being just that.Professor Hoganson's short study of how bellicose ideals of male virility which glorify physical prowess and anxieties about an altering gender landscape in the years just before and after the Spanish and Philippine-American wars adds a new level of complexity to the study of those wars, and the path which American foreign policy took during the twentieth century.Using the time tested method of simply taking seriously what policy makers and popular media outlets said and wrote, she builds a rock solid case for reinterpreting American foreign policy in particular, and war in general, through humans' more visceral conceptions of themselves.
Taken a Bit Too Far
Kristin L. Hoganson's Fighting for American Manhood does an interesting job of walking the thin line between gender definitions, interpretations of discourse and traditional explanations of behavior in two fields that have been difficult for many newer historians to break into, international relations and military history. Although primarily a work explaining American motives in the first, Hoganson does bring some new insights on the latter to light. The work is a somewhat successful attempt to synthesize the various answers historians have previously put forward to the question, "Why did the United States go to war in 1898?" Hoganson suggests that by understanding the very real phenomenon of cultural perceptions of "manliness," and how these perceptions affected the nation as a whole and those in power in particular, we may reach a more well defined answer.Read more

Subjects:  1. Gender Studies    2. History    3. History - General History    4. History: American    5. Men's Studies - Masculinity    6. Psychohistory    7. U.S. History - Late 19th Century (1877-1900)    8. United States - General    9. United States - Reconstruction Period (1865-1877)    10. American history    11. International relations    12. Social Science / Gender Studies    13. USA    14. Warfare & Defence    15. c 1800 to c 1900   

Reviews (7)

Un cl�sico de la literatura cubana
Para quien quiera adentrarse dentro del mundo m?gico de la santer?a no hay nada mejor como leerse este libro. Es de aquellas obras que te atrapan desde las primeras p?ginas y no te dejan libre hasta despu?s de muchas d?cadas de lectura.
Good Honest book
Lydia Cabrera's book is a very informative book.I also own the 3 books on the subject that she has written. As a practioner you can always look back and read a little bit just to widen the spectrum on opinion from a different person ( or from different branch) It;s a great book I would recommend it to anyone who speaks/reads spanish fluently who is interested on the subject of Magico/afro/religeous systems.

Historically Informative
Lydia's books are all very nice when it comes to the explanation of things and their history.
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Subjects:  1. Foreign Language Study    2. General    3. Language    4. Religion - Church History    5. Spanish   

Reviews (2)

An American Treasure - both the man and the works
Reading this magnificent volume was a joy on many levels.First and foremost, Theodore Roosevelt could write.His prose is always strong, active, and colorful.In "The Rough Riders" he handles action better than most novelists.He picks just the right details about the situation to make it come alive.Whether it is talking about the sound of the bullets buzzing by and the value of smokeless powder because of the difficulty of spotting those using it against you or the plague of sand crabs picking at the dead the reader feels as if he were there.
What a War, What a Life!
In rankings of the American Presidents, the consensus pick as the first great president of the twentiety century was also the youngest man ever to serve in the office: Theodore Roosevelt. Reformer, rancher, conservationist, hunter, historian, police commissioner, and soldier, Theodore roosevelt led a rich and varied life that he vividly recorded in autobiographical writings, letters, and speeches.
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Subjects:  1. Army    2. Biography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. General    5. History    6. History: American    7. Military - Other    8. Military History - Modern    9. Personal Memoirs    10. Personal narratives    11. Presidents    12. Presidents & Heads of State    13. Regimental histories    14. Spanish-American War, 1898    15. U.S. President    16. United States    17. United States - 19th Century    18. United States - 20th Century    19. Volunteer Cavalry, 1st    20. Biography & Autobiography / Presidents   

Reviews (1)

Pathbreaking work on race and revolution
Insurgent Cuba tracks the transformation of racial and gendered narratives of the revolution from the abolition of slavery to the war of independence.In this fascinating and pathbreaking book, Professor Ferrer reveals that,with the emergence of late 19th century Cuban nationalism, narratives ofrace, slavery, and the place of black people in the revolution shiftdramatically. Through the voices of leaders like Jose Marti, blackinsurgents were constructed as color-blind patriots committed to theliberation of Cuba, not slaves and ex-slaves attempting to overthrow theregime of slavery and demand equal rights.Black people were transformedin these three decades from a problem and threat to the republic to thesymbols of Cuban nationalism's commitment to multiracial democracy.Anti-racism became a weapon in the hands of Cuban revolutionaries in theirbattle against Spain, which changed the status of black insurgents, putthem on a pedestal in a way, and made their stories fundamental to thenarrative of the new republic--one that is colorblind and willing toincorporate everyone as long as they are patriots. For blacks andmulattoes, this discourse gave them a platform to complain about racism inthe ranks of the army, in everyday life, everywhere.On the other hand,the ellision of racism in the discourse of Cuban nationalism and thecelebration of multiracial republicanism was often used against critics ofracism in Cuba."To speak of race, then," Ferrer writes, "was to challengethe depth of racial and national unity."Any attempts to mobilize on thebasis of racial solidarity was then dismissed as divisive and unpatriotic.By reconstructing these different narratives in the context of specificrevolts and campaigns, Ferrer offers us a stunning alternative narrative ofthe struggle for Cuban Independence.Insurgent Cuba is perhaps the bestbook available on race and Cuba. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1878-1895    2. 19th century    3. Blacks    4. Caribbean & West Indies - General    5. Cuba    6. Discrimination & Racism    7. Ethnic Studies - General    8. History    9. History - General History    10. History: World    11. Insurrection, 1868-1878    12. Politics and government    13. Racism    14. Revolution, 1895-1898    15. History / Caribbean & West Indies    16. History of other lands    17. Racism & racial discrimination    18. Revolutions & coups    19. Social history    20. c 1800 to c 1900    21. nineteenth century; racism; imperial expansion; Spain; black; white; mulatto; segregation; United States; nationalism; Cuba   

Reviews (4)

Restall's Flawed Analysis
Restall's conclusions add nothing to what Tzvetan Todorov has already said in The Conquest of America-which Seven Myths gets wrong in its dismissal of Todorov's crucial point about the role of writing in the Conquest.Merely being able to put information down on paper isn't the issue.What Todorov means is much more complex, and is grounded in evidence from anthropology to neuroscience (e.g., Ong, Goody, Havelock, Panksepp).First, with written words fixed in front of you, you can re-read, check for inconsistencies, compare to other accounts to assess accuracy and consider alternatives, even elaborate.You, in fact, practice thinking skills you have little opportunity to develop unless literate.Restall also sees no reason to prefer an alphabetic system over, say, Aztec pictographs that interpreters used to recall memorized speeches embodying the culture.But only with an alphabet can you unambiguously set down every single thing a person can think; and only then can an idea be fully worked out and fully critiqued.Evidence shows that the way you think when you internalize an alphabetic written language is significantly more abstract, analytical, and adaptable than when you rely primarily on speech.Second, as Restall claims, "disease," "native disunity," "Spanish steel," and "the culture of war," are causes of the Aztec defeat, but, as Todorov rightly argues, they are only the immediate causes.Underlying them is the ability to productively command signs (whether words or behaviors)-an ability that hinges on writing.It's because the Spaniards had an extensive body of written knowledge that they had steel.It's because of Cort�s' writing-based innovative thinking that he could exploit information about the "native" situation to win allies.It's because of the Aztecs' speech-based tradition-dominated thinking that they didn't see the Spaniards as a dangerous new breed of enemy that needed to be dispatched-long before smallpox arrived with a later expedition-and didn't effectively adapt battle conventions to fight this new, unpredictable enemy.Aztec society, as Todorov emphasizes, was NOT inferior to Spanish society in any absolute way.The Aztecs clearly had a complex and highly successful culture.But, at that moment in history, faced with a new kind of enemy shaped by written language, they did not successfully compete.Restall uncritically dismisses Todorov's argument instead of getting it straight.

Seven Myths of the Spanish Conquest
Iconoclastic, restrained and erudite, this outstanding contribution to historical truth was judged by the Economist to be one of the ten best history books of 2003.

Underscoring seven key myths and the misconceptions
Seven Myths Of The Spanish Conquest by Matthew Restall (Associate Professor of Latin American History, Women's Studies, and Anthropology, and Director of Latin American Studies, Pennsylvania State University) presents an informed and informative survey of the events of war, dominance, and assimilation associated with the Spanish conquest of the New World and which have all too often been misinterpreted or skewed down through the ages. Underscoring seven key myths and the misconceptions and fallacies surrounding them, Seven Myths Of The Spanish Conquest unravels oversimplified and all too commonly held precepts to show the Spanish Conquest as a far more tangled and complex web of events and motives than popular memory or the remnants of high school textbooks convey. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. America    2. Conquest, 1519-1540    3. Europe - Spain & Portugal    4. Historiography    5. History    6. History - General History    7. History: World    8. Latin America - General    9. Mexico    10. Myth    11. Spaniards    12. World - Colonial Studies    13. American history: c 1500 to c 1800    14. European history (ie other than Britain & Ireland)    15. History / Latin America    16. History, World | Latin American    17. Modern period, c 1500 onwards    18. Spain    19. The Americas   

Reviews (3)

The Very Dark Side of Human Imagination
In this excellent work, the author makes the statement that "... [the human] ability to conjure up methods of torture and death is .... infinite". Indeed, after reading this book, one cannot agree with him more. In a rich and most elegant (and often tongue-in-cheek) prose, the author clearly describes in excess of 69 ways used throughout history to officially execute human beings, frequently with various accompanying methods of torture. These execution methods are presented in alphabetical, as opposed to chronological, order; hence, the book can be read all at once or in dribs and drabs without any loss of continuity. The descriptions are agonizingly detailed and, well, quite colorful. In many cases, several fascinating anecdotes are provided to further enrich the reader's reading experience; these include personal information on some of the executioners and their many clients, the nature of the crimes committed and the attitudes of the attending crowds - all this weaved in the backdrop of the times in which these people lived (and died). This well-written book should be of interest, not only to those interested in the gory, the horrific and the macabre, but also to ordinary history buffs.

history buffs will appreciate this deep look at the darker side of societies
Surprisingly considering the topic of historical references to torture and execution techniques, this tome is a enthralling well written look at how it was applied in western society over the centuries. The book is arranged in alphabetical order with the sizes of each entry varying based on available information and to a degree frequency of usage.The fascination is typically with the smaller sized less known entries.Though more information is valuable on the "popular" techniques such as Madame Guillotine, lethal injection, or hanging, the methods that most people have never heard of like being sewn inside an animal's stomach, the Spanish Donkey or Flayed alive, etc., which are relatively one or two paragraphs are the ones that hook the audience.Though the Guantomino crowd might insist this book is barbaric, history buffs will appreciate this deep look at the darker side of governments and societies.
Macabre reading
Over the course of over ten books, Geoffrey Abbott has developed a reputation for covering topics of "medieval" (in the Pulp Fiction sense) violence.This book will not disappoint anyone looking to jar themselves with a little bit of cruelty.
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Subjects:  1. Capital Punishment    2. Criminology    3. Encyclopedias    4. Executions and executioners    5. General    6. History    7. History - General History    8. Penology    9. Social Science    10. Sociology    11. History / General   

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Civilization    3. Encyclopedias    4. Europe - Spain & Portugal    5. History    6. Popular Culture - General    7. Reference    8. Sociology    9. Spain    10. Spain And Portugal - History    11. Anthropology    12. Cultural studies    13. POLITICS & GOVERNMENT    14. Postwar period, 1945 to c 2000    15. Reference / General    16. Reference works    17. Second World War, 1939-1945   

Reviews (3)

Good stuff
This collection of primary sources concerning the history of Medieval Iberia is quite good for undergraduate study of Muslim Spain, with useful introductions to each source.The predominance of Christian sources may be explained by the fact that many Muslim sources are no longer extant(or did not exist in the first place), particularly concerning the Mozarabic population(Christians under Arab-Berber dominion).

The best anthology of primary sources available
This is the most thorough and up-to-date collection of primary sources relating to the history of medieval Spain yet available.It brings together a vast ocean of important and illustrative Jewish, Christian andMuslim sources, many of which have never before been translated. Readers,especially historians, will find much of value in this carefully-selectedand thoughtfully arranged anthology.Few other collections give such asense of the richness and diversity of medieval Iberian society.

Peculiar, but an adequate introduction to Christian sources
This book actually focuses largely (almost entirely) on Christian sources for medieval Spain (hardly "Iberia," since with one exception Portugal, for instance, is not mentioned).Muslim sources are few and the obvious ones, and the rare and altogether inadequate Jewish sources are thrown in as an afterthought.Still, a useful undergraduate textbook, perhaps. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 711-1516    2. Civilization    3. Civilization, Medieval    4. Europe - Spain & Portugal    5. History - General History    6. History: World    7. Portugal    8. Sources    9. Spain    10. To 1500    11. Christianity    12. European history: c 500 to c 1500    13. Islamic studies    14. Jewish studies   

Subjects:  1. Europe - Spain & Portugal    2. History    3. History - General History    4. History: World    5. Moriscos    6. Muslim women    7. Religion, Politics & State    8. Spain    9. European History    10. European history: c 1500 to c 1750    11. European history: c 500 to c 1500    12. History / Spain & Portugal    13. Middle Eastern Studies    14. Religion    15. c 1500 to c 1600