Книги издательства Daedalus Books
Название: The Britannica Guide to Russia
Жанр: Daedalus Books
Год: 2009
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Russia is a land of superlatives: By far the world's largest country, it extends across the whole of northern Asia and the eastern third of Europe, spanning eleven time zones. Since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1989, Russia has undergone a radical change from a communist country to a hyper capitalist market of vast wealth and resources. Offering a panoramic view of Russia, and the history of the nation since 1917 as well as the culture, arts, and literature, particular focus is paid to the contemporary nation since the fall of the Berlin Wall, including the rise of the Oligarchs, the presidency of Putin, and the role of Russia in the new world order.
Жанр: Daedalus Books
Год: 2009
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Modern Islam can appear so diverse as to defy description, yet it is held together by stronger forces than almost any other world group-the annual hajj to Mecca itself attracts more than 1,000,000 Muslims. And despite significant religious differences, Islam remains one of the least sectarian of world religions. Most Muslims live in societies in which the influence of tradition is very strong, and in which modernization has also penetrated to some extent. The Britannica Guide to the Islamic World introduces the ideas that are the least understood to those outside the religion, and where Islam is practiced throughout the world.
Название: The Canterbury Tales
Жанр: Daedalus Books
Год: 2009
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A fresh, modern prose retelling captures the vigorous and bawdy spirit of Chaucer's classic Renowned critic, historian, and biographer Peter Ackroyd takes on what is arguably the greatest poem in the English language and presents the work in a prose vernacular that makes it accessible to modern readers while preserving the spirit of the original. A mirror for medieval society, Chaucer's Canterbury Tales concerns a motley group of pilgrims who meet in a London inn on their way to Canterbury and agree to take part in a storytelling competition. Ranging from comedy to tragedy, pious sermon to ribald farce, heroic adventure to passionate romance, the tales serve not only as a summation of the sensibility of the Middle Ages but as a representation of the drama of the human condition. Ackroyd's contemporary prose emphasizes the humanity of these characters as well as explicitly rendering the naughty good humor of the writer whose comedy influenced Fielding and Dickens yet still masterfully evokes the euphonies and harmonies of Chaucer's verse. This retelling is sure to delight modern readers and bring a new appreciation to those already familiar with the classic tales.
Название: The Cardturner
Жанр: Daedalus Books
Год: 2010
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When Alton is asked by his ageing, blind uncle to attend bridge games with him, he does as he's told. After all, it's better than a crappy summer job in the local shopping mall, and Alton's mother thinks it might secure their way to a good inheritance sometime in the future. But, like all apparently casual choices in any of Louis Sachar's wonderful books, this choice soon turns out to be a lot more complex than Alton could ever have imagined. As his relationship with his uncle develops, and he meets the very attractive Toni, deeply buried secrets are uncovered and a romance that spans decades is finally brought to a conclusion. Alton's mother is in for a surprise!
Название: Dodsworth in London
Жанр: Daedalus Books
Год: 2009
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Dodsworth and his duck have just arrived in London via hot air balloon. There is so much to see. Double-decker buses. Palaces. Fog. But a crowded bus stop leads to a hilarious case of mistaken identity and... a lost duck. Time to call in Scotland Yard?
Название: Don't Know Much about History: Everything You Need to Know about American History But Never Learned
Жанр: Daedalus Books
Год: 2011
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Here, celebrating the twentieth anniversary of its debut as a New York Times bestseller, is the revised, updated, and expanded edition of the classic anti-textbook that changed the way we look at history. First published two decades ago, when the closing of the American mind was in the headlines, Don't Know Much About History proved Americans don't hate history — just the dull version that was dished out in school. With wit and irreverence, in question-and-answer form, Don't Know Much About History took readers on a rollicking ride through more than five hundred years of American history, from Columbus's voyages to recent events. The book became an instant classic and has sold more than 1.6 million copies. Now Davis has brought his groundbreaking work up to the present, including the history of an Era of Broken Trust, from the end of the Clinton administration through the recent Great Recession. This additional material covers the horrific events of 9/11 and the rise of conspiracy theorists, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Hurricane Katrina and the failure of the New Orleans levees, the global financial meltdown, the election of Barack Obama, and the national controversy of same-sex marriage. For history buffs and history-phobes alike, for longtime fans who need a refresher course, and for a new generation of Americans who are still in the dark about America's past, Davis shows once more why People magazine said, Reading him is like returning to the classroom of the best teacher you ever had.
Название: Halfway to Hollywood: Diaries 1980-1988
Жанр: Daedalus Books
Год: 2011
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The second volume of Michael Palins diaries covers the bulk of the 1980s, a decade in which the ties binding the Pythons loosened — they made their last film Monty Pytons Meaning of Life in 1983. For Michael, writing and acting took over much of his life, culminating in his appearances in A Fish Called Wanda, in which he played the hapless, stuttering Ken, and won a BAFTA for Best Supporting Actor. Halfway to Hollywood follows Palins torturous trail through seven movies and ends with his final preparations for the documentary that was to change his life. Around the World in 80 Days.During these years he co-wrote and acted in Terry Gilliams Time Bandits as well as spearing in Gilliams follow-up success Brazil. Palin co-produced, wrote and played the lead in The Missionary opposite Maggie Smith, who also appeared with him in A Private Function, written by Alan Bennett. In television the decade was memorable for East of Ipswich, inspired his links with Suffolk. Such was his fame in the US, he was enticed into once again hosting the enormously popular show Saturday Night Live. He filmed one of the BBCs Great Railway Journeys as well as becoming chairman of the pressure group Transport 2000. His life with Helen and the family remains a constant, as the children enter their teens. Palins joy of writing is evident once more in Halfway to Hollywood as he demonstrates his continuing sense of wonder at the world in which he finds himself. A world of screens large and small.
Название: Leningrad: State of Siege
Жанр: Daedalus Books
Год: 2010
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All offers of surrender from Leningrad must be rejected, wrote Adolph Hitler on September 29, 1941. In this struggle for survival, we have no interest in keeping even a proportion of the city's population alive. During the 900-day siege that followed, the German High Command deliberately planned to eradicate the city's population through starvation. By the time the siege ended in January 1944, almost a million people had died. In Leningrad, military historian Michael Jones chronicles the horrors of this epic siege, while at the same time portraying the astonishing power of the human will in the face of even the direst catastrophe. Drawing on newly available sources, Leningrad is a riveting account of one of the most harrowing sieges of world history.
Жанр: Daedalus Books
Год: 2006
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Where can you find the 'Devil's footprints'? What happened at the 'hangman's stone'? Did Sweeney Todd, the demon barber of Fleet Street, ever really exist? Where was King Arthur laid to rest? Bringing together tales of hauntings, highwaymen, family curses and lovers' leaps, this magnificent guide will take you on a magical journey through England's legendary past.
Название: Luka and the Fire of Life
Жанр: Daedalus Books
Год: 2010
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You've reached the age at which people in this family cross the border into the magical world. It's your turn for an adventure — yes, it's finally here! So says Haroun to his younger brother, twelve-year-old Luka, in Salman Rushdie's thrilling, delightful, lyrically crafted fable for the young and young at heart. The adventure begins one beautiful starry night in the land of Alifbay, where a terrible thing happens: Luka's father, Rashid, the legendary storyteller of Kahani, falls suddenly and inexplicably into a sleep so deep that nothing and no one can rouse him. To save him from slipping away entirely, Luka must embark on a journey through the world of magic with his loyal companions, Bear the dog and Dog the bear, as they encounter a slew of fantastical creatures, strange allies, and challenging obstacles along the way — all in the hopes of stealing the Fire of Life, a seemingly impossible and exceedingly treacherous task. Filled with frolicking wordplay and unexpected twists, and fueled by the power of words and the imagination, this is Salman Rushdie at his best.
Название: The Marriage Plot
Жанр: Daedalus Books
Год: 2012
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'There is no happiness in love, except at the end of an English novel'. Anthony Trollope It's the early 1980s. In American colleges, the wised-up kids are inhaling Derrida and listening to Talking Heads. But Madeleine Hanna, dutiful English major, is writing her senior thesis on Jane Austen and George Eliot, purveyors of the marriage plot that lies at the heart of the greatest English novels. As Madeleine studies the age-old motivations of the human heart, real life, in the form of two very different suitors, intervenes. Leonard Bankhead — charismatic loner and college Darwinist — suddenly turns up in a seminar, and soon Madeleine finds herself in a highly charged relationship with him. At the same time, her old friend Mitchell Grammaticus — who's been reading Christian mysticism and generally acting strange — resurfaces, obsessed with the idea that Madeleine is destined to be his wife. Over the next year, as the members of the triangle in this spellbinding novel graduate from college and enter the real world, events force them to reevaluate everything they have learned. Leonard and Madeleine move to a biology laboratory on Cape Cod, but can't escape the secret responsible for Leonard's seemingly inexhaustible energy and plunging moods. And Mitchell, traveling around the world to get Madeleine out of his mind, finds himself face-to-face with ultimate questions about the meaning of life, the existence of God, and the true nature of love. Are the great love stories of the nineteenth century dead? Or can there be a new story, written for today and alive to the realities of feminism, sexual freedom, prenups, and divorce? With devastating wit and an abiding understanding of and affection for his characters, Jeffrey Eugenides revives the motivating energies of the novel, while creating a story so contemporary and fresh that it reads like the intimate journal of our own lives.
Жанр: Daedalus Books
Год: 2006
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New title! The first visual dictionary to incorporate dictionary-scale definitions. More than 20,000 clear and concise terms and 6,000 full-color, highly detailed illustrations are grouped into 17 chapters outlining subjects from astronomy to sports. ideal for teachers, parents, translators, and students.
Жанр: Daedalus Books
Год: 2012
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Here are the complete scripts for every one of the 45 episodes of Flying Circus and the most entertaining writing to have gone into television anywhere; every silly set-up, every clever conceit, every snide insult, every saucy aside, from these now classic skits, including The Ministry of Silly Walks, the Dead Parrot, Banter in a Cheese Shop, Spam, the Funniest Joke in the World, the Spanish Inquisition, Argument Clinic, the Fish-Slapping Dance, The Lumberjack Song, and all the rest. This celebration of Flying Circus covers the plethora of cultural, historical, and topical references touched upon by this landmark series. Virtually every allusion and reference that appeared in an episode is identified and explained. Sidebars and commentary include profiles of the principles and interviews with cast and crew. Each episode is highlighted with fascinating facts about technical concerns, set design, and shooting locations; insider stories from the set including arguments, accidents, and practical jokes; goofs and gaffes; and much more. Includes hundreds of photo-stills from the shows and Terry Gilliam's artwork.
Жанр: Daedalus Books
Год: 2011
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PATTERNS AND ORNAMENTS OF THE 19th CENTURY contains a striking collection of decorative designs from the period referred to in the English-speaking world as the Victorian Age. Design and the decorative arts in this period were known for their intricate ornamentation, reinterpretation of historic styles and the introduction of artistic and cultural influences from Asia and the middle east. This collection includes designs taken from textiles, household furnishings, architectural and interior design and weaponry.
Название: Wintersmith
Жанр: Daedalus Books
Год: 2007
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When Tiffany Aching — young witch — steps into a dance she shouldn't, the spirit of winter falls in love with her. He gives her roses and icebergs, says it with avalanches and showers her with snowflakes — and suddenly winter is all around her. All the time. With the help of the Nac Mac Feegle, first met in The Wee Free Men, and a bit of advice from witches Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg, Tiffany must put the mess right — or there will never be another springtime...
Название: Cinderella and Other Stories
Жанр: Daedalus Books
Год: 2012
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»You shall go to the ball!'' said Cinderella's fairy godmother. Discover the classic nursery story and three more in this beautiful book. Stories Included: Cinderella, Rapunzel, Clever Gretel, Belling the Cat.
Название: Hansel and Gretel and Other Stories
Жанр: Daedalus Books
Год: 2012
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Lost in the forest with nothing to eat, two children find a mysterious gingerbread house. Discover the classic nursery story and two more in this beautiful book. Stories Included: Hansel Gretel, Sleeping Beauty, Kate Crackernuts.
Жанр: Daedalus Books
Год: 2012
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Foolish Jack gets a big surprise when he sells the family cow for some magic beans! Discover the classic nursery story and three more in this beautiful book. Stories Included: Jack and the Beanstalk, The Wolf and the Seven Little Kids, The Hare and the Tortoise, The Three Sillies.
Название: The Little Mermaid and Other Stories
Жанр: Daedalus Books
Год: 2012
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When a little mermaid falls in love with a human prince she faces a terrible choice. Discover the classic nursery story and two more in this beautiful book. Stories Included: The Little Mermaid, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, The Sun and the Wind.
Название: Little Red Riding Hood and Other Stories
Жанр: Daedalus Books
Год: 2012
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»Oh, Grandma, what big eyes you have!» said Little Read Riding Hood. Discover the classic nursery story and three more in this beautiful book. Stories Included: Little Read Riding Hood, Puss in Boots, Three Wishes, The Musicians of Bremen.
