วันอังคารที่ 17 กุมภาพันธ์ พ.ศ. 2552

Expansion And Crisis In Louis XIV's France: Franche-Comté And Absolute Monarchy, 1674-1715 (Changing Perspectives On Early Modern Europe)

Expansion and Crisis in Louis XIVs France: Franche-Comt and Absolute Monarchy, 1674-1715 (Changing Perspectives on Early Modern Europe)

Product Description


Driven by a desire for glory and renown, Louis XIV presided over Frances last great burst of territorial expansion in Europe. During the first three decades of his rule, his armies conquered numerous territories along Frances borders. After 1688, however, the tide of conquest turned as the kingdom was plunged into crisis. For the remainder of his reign, the king and his people endured wars against grand alliances of European powers, ecological disasters, economic depression, state bankruptcy, and demographic stagnation. Expansion and Crisis in Louis XIVs France examines these central yet understudied aspects of the age of the Sun King through the experience of Franche-Comt, a possession of the Spanish empire with a long history of autonomy, conquered by Louis XIV in 1674. Dees detailed research reconstructs the ensuing dialogue -- sometimes harmonious, sometimes discordant -- between the king and the elites who ruled this province. The integration of Franche-Comt into France proved to be a protracted process involving confrontation, negotiation, and compromise. The resulting regime was then severely tested by the challenges of Louis XIVs late reign its survival demonstrated how the king had brought a distinctly early modern state to the height of its development. This study offers significant new insights on the growth of the territorial state in early modern Europe, the nature of the French absolute monarchy, and the political legacy of the Sun King. Darryl Dee is assistant professor of history, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Canada.
Binding :Hardcover
Label :University of Rochester Press
Manufacturer :University of Rochester Press
ProductGroup :Book
Studio :University of Rochester Press
Publisher :University of Rochester Press
EAN :9781580463034
Price :$80.00USD
Lowest Price :$50.40USD

วันจันทร์ที่ 16 กุมภาพันธ์ พ.ศ. 2552

The Culture Of Merit: Nobility, Royal Service, And The Making Of Absolute Monarchy In France, 1600-1789 (Studies In Medieval And Early Modern Civilization)

The Culture of Merit: Nobility, Royal Service, and the Making of Absolute Monarchy in France, 1600-1789 (Studies in Medieval and Early Modern Civilization)

Product Description


The eighteenth centurys critique of privilege and its commitment to the idea of advancement by merit are widely regarded as sources of modernity. But if meritocratic values were indeed the product of the Enlightenment and the French Revolution, how do we explain earlier attention to merit--especially the nobility whose values the Revolution rejected? The Culture of Merit probes this paradox by analyzing changing perceptions of merit among the old nobility from the age of Louis XIII to the eve of the French Revolution.
Jay M. Smith argues that the early modern nobility instinctively drew a correlation between the meaning of merit and an image of the "sovereigns gaze." In the early seventeenth century, merit meant the qualities traditionally associated with aristocratic values: generosity, fidelity, and honor. Nobles sought to display those qualities before the appreciative gaze of the king himself. But the expansion of the monarchy forced the routinization of the sovereigns gaze, and Louis XIV began to affirm and reward new qualities--talent and application--besides those thought innately noble.
The contradictions implicit within the absolute monarchys culture of merit are demonstrated by the eighteenth-century French army, which was dominated by the nobility, but also committed to efficiency and expertise. Smith shows that the armys continuous efforts to encourage and reward "merit" led to a clash of principles. The ever-growing emphasis on talent and discipline led reformers--the great majority of them noble--to attack the most egregious examples of privilege and favoritism in the army. Smiths analysis of the long-term evolution in conceptions of royal service suggests a new explanation for the shift in values signified by the French Revolution. The transition away from the "personal" gaze of the king toward the "public" gaze of the monarchy and nation foretold the triumph of a new culture of merit in which noble birth would have no meaning.
The Culture of Merit will interest historians and other social scientists concerned with issues of aristocratic identity, state formation, professionalization, and the changing political culture of pre-Revolutionary France.
Jay M. Smith is Assistant Professor of History, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Binding :Hardcover
Label :University of Michigan Press
Manufacturer :University of Michigan Press
ProductGroup :Book
Studio :University of Michigan Press
Publisher :University of Michigan Press
EAN :9780472096381
Price :$65.00USD
Lowest Price :$125.13USD

วันเสาร์ที่ 14 กุมภาพันธ์ พ.ศ. 2552

Inspector Morse - Dead On Time

Inspector Morse - Dead on Time

Rate Points :5.0
Binding :DVD
Label :Bfs Entertainment
Manufacturer :Bfs Entertainment
MPN :D98591D
ProductGroup :DVD
Studio :Bfs Entertainment
Publisher :Bfs Entertainment
UPC :066805915918
EAN :9780773315914
Price :$19.98USD
Lowest Price :$9.00USD
Customer ReviewsThe Romantic Morse
Rating Point :5 Helpful Point :2
A dead man, an inquest ruling suicide, case closed! That may be all right for the average mystery, but not for Morse - his cases never are thats part of the attraction of this series. Upon further probing we learn this is really a murder or is it? With a Dignity Society involved and several potential suspects, this case could go in several directions. Plenty of twists and turns before this one is over. For icing from the personal Morse we usually find something intellectual or cultural, but this time we are given romance. It seems Morse was heavily involved with the deceaseds wife, prior to her marriage when Morse was at University - involved to the extent that they were engaged to be married. Now that she is no longer committed, the old spark is re-kindled mutually. This involvement affects Morses objectivity in handling the case causing Lewis to engage himself more than usual in the investigation he learns some details which he is reluctant to reveal to Morse because of his respect and fondness for his superior. How the mystery and the romance play out and how Lewis handles his dilemma are all revealed in the video. This is first rate stuff and belongs near the top of any list of Morse episodes.
The Love of His Life
Rating Point :5 Helpful Point :18
How could any Inspector Morse fan resist this one for the ultimate in romantic poignancy? It begins with a startled look on Morses face when he realizes the dead body belongs to the husband of his lover who broke his heart (and ruined his university career) by leaving him many years ago. It ends with Sergeant Lewis protecting his partner with a touching loyalty expressed through subtly phrased lines. Susan Fallon (Joanna David) is the lovely, accomplished blonde with whom we would imagine Morse falling in love (and surely never completely out of love.) Despite Morses usual ill temper and irritation with the world, we forgive him his faults in those scenes when his blue eyes soften and tear with the pain of loving this woman. (Havent we all loved and lost?) The script skillfully balances the dark side of human nature and its need for revenge with the hope that no matter how much we lose, love can still endure. This is a special episode to be savored many times for its intimate glimpses into our favorite detectives heart. And, yes, he wears it on his sleeve with a resonance only the late John Thaw could deliver.
Inspector Morse at his most "human."
Rating Point :5 Helpful Point :1
In what may be John Thaws most powerfully acted episode in the Inspector Morse series, Inspector Morse (John Thaw) investigates the alleged suicide of Henry Fallon, an Oxford don who has been suffering from a fatal neurological illness. Morse soon discovers that the mans widow is Susan Fallon (Joanna David), his former fiance, the woman who jilted him and left him unable to love anyone else.

Several issues arise during the investigation, one of which involves the Dignity Society, a group which believes in suicide as a dignified death when there is no hope left. Morse, however, believes that this was no suicide, and as he investigates what he believes is a murder, he focuses on Susan Fallons son-in-law, a young man who owed Henry Fallon a great deal of money and who was responsible for the car crash which killed the Fallons only daughter and grandson.

The drama here is largely internal, as Morse becomes more and more involved with Susan and less and less objective about the case. Sgt. Lewis (Kevin Whately), sympathetic to what he is discovering about his usually taciturn boss, tries to keep the case on track without interfering with Morses renewed feelings for Susan.

As always, the acting is superb, but here there are powerful confrontations involving Morse and those around him, and much more attention is paid to the personal aspects of Morses life. The conclusion, involving Sgt. Lewis, highlights Lewiss sensitivity and empathy toward Morse. A powerful, dramatic insight into the inner life of Inspector Morse, and arguably the best acted episode of this outstanding series. n Mary Whipple

Morse loves and loses... or does he?
Rating Point :5 Helpful Point :17
This one, penned by the always reliable Daniel Boyle (who also wrote "Second Time Around" and "Deadly Slumber" among others), has to be one of the best Morse episodes. True, it would most certainly make Morse purists shudder because its plot developments are inconsistent with the Morse character as he is developed in the novels (in the novel "The Riddle of the Third Mile," which was later adapted for television as "The Last Enemy," refers to a character named Wendy who was Morses lost love back at school in "Dead on Time" this lost love of Morses is named Susan). And true, the plot developments are at times illogical. But, this films plot is only secondary what is of primary importance is the character of Morse and the kind of sensitivity John Thaw gives this character when he is confronted with this, perhaps his most emotionally charged case. The plot: Morse is called to investigate the apparant suicide of Oxford don Henry Fallon. To make things complicated, the investigation leads Morse to suspect that the suicide was indeed murder set up to look like suicide. To make things more complicated, Henry Fallon was the husband of Susan Fallon, the woman Morse was engaged to so many years ago. To top off all these complications, there is a reemergence of feeling on the part of Morse, a rekindling of this love that he once had. You throw into the mix a bit of Shubert, some hard detective work by Lewis, an uneaten chocolate digestive in Stranges dest, and what you have is vintage Morse. Kudos to John Thaw, as always. Hes a marvel and a skilled actor, capable of portraying a Morse that is both angry and tender. Buy this already.

วันพฤหัสบดีที่ 12 กุมภาพันธ์ พ.ศ. 2552

Inspector Morse - Deadly Slumber

Inspector Morse - Deadly Slumber

Rate Points :5.0
Binding :DVD
Label :Bfs Entertainment
Manufacturer :Bfs Entertainment
ProductGroup :DVD
Studio :Bfs Entertainment
Publisher :Bfs Entertainment
UPC :066805916113
EAN :9780773316119
Price :$19.98USD
Lowest Price :$10.42USD
Customer ReviewsMorse at his best, part two
Rating Point :5 Helpful Point :23
The Inspector Morse series is one of the greatest in detective drama. While Colin Dexters books are marvels of intricate (and occasionally bizarre) plot twists, the movies focus more on the characters involved...and in this movie (and "Who Killed Harry Field") especially so. The mystery is good, but the kinship between Morse and chief suspect Michael Steppings is best thing about this particular episode. Its one of those great films where the bad guys and good guys seem to have reversed roles, and the whole mystery hinges on one small slip...#2 on the list of the five greatest Morses!
And Then There Were Two
Rating Point :5 Helpful Point :1
This compact entry features a relatively small cast of major participants - one is in hospital, brain dead, while another is murdered during the opening scenes, leaving four suspects. A heart attack eliminates one more, and a second murder brings our number to two. This size cast makes it easy to follow their movements but the plot is so well done we are left in the dark as to the fate of the last two until all is revealed. Morse and the father of the brain dead girl find crosswords and pubs in common - Morse also forms an empathetic attachment to the father as he sees how the father is overwhelmed with the condition of his daughter. One of those involved is a part time artist and it is one of her paintings that provides a significant clue to aid Morse. James Grout, one of our recurring characters, participates in this one -- more so then any of his many other appearances. Of the guest stars Brian Cox as Michael Steppings is outstanding. This variation on Morse mysteries is another one of our top ten.
revenge and retribution
Rating Point :5 Helpful Point :11
This is one of the finest Morse episodes for a number of reasons. One characteristic of this entry is that the viewer is exposed to a number of false leads and to elements of evidence which either point to criminality or to innocence-- only to find that the seemingly obvious conclusions yielded by the evidence have been premature and inaccurate. The plot basically involves the possibility that a wealthy man, whose daughter suffered irreversible brain damage during a minor operation, has decided to take vengeance on the medical personnel involved in the surgery. When the surgeon who performed the operation is found dead in his own garage, the grief stricken father (Michael Steppings) becomes a prime suspect in the murder case. As the investigation unfolds, we learn that there are two or three other people, including the surgeons wife and son, who had a possible motive to murder the good doctor. In the final analysis, the viewer is exposed to a premeditated and carefully constructed plot to inveigle the police and to destroy the lives and/or reputations of those involved in the botched surgical procedure. Naturally, he who would seek to take vengeance on others must be prepared for the possibility that he, himself, will suffer some form of retribution. The end is predictable-- with the architect of the diabolical revenge scheme experiencing "justice" rendered by one of his intended victims. As played by Brian Cox, the character of Michael Steppings is someone we are forced to sympathize with, even if we cannot condone the measures he takes to punish the medical malefactors. In this episode, even Morse displays a level of emotional involvement which is unusual. Two murders are solved in this episode, with one solution aided by a small detail (a scene in a painting) which does not escape the shrewd analysis of Inspector Morse. All things considered, this really is one of the best entries in the Morse series and is characterized by outstanding performances in the lead roles.

วันอังคารที่ 13 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2552

วันอาทิตย์ที่ 11 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2552

Modern European History

Modern European History

Product Description


Confusing Textbooks?

Missed Lectures?

Tough Test Questions?

Fortunately for you, theres Schaums Outlines. More than 40 million students have trusted Schaums to help them succeed in the classroom and on exams. Schaums is the key to faster learning and higher grades in every subject. Each Outline presents all the essential course information in an easy-to-follow, topic-by-topic format. You also get hundreds of examples, solved problems, and practice exercises to test your skills.

This Schaums Outline gives you

  • Practice problems with full explanations that reinforce knowledge
  • Coverage of the most up-to-date developments in your course field
  • In-depth review of practices and applications

Fully compatible with your classroom text, Schaums highlights all the important facts you need to know. Use Schaums to shorten your study time-and get your best test scores!

Schaums Outlines-Problem Solved.


Rate Points :4.5
Binding :Paperback
Label :McGraw-Hill
Manufacturer :McGraw-Hill
ProductGroup :Book
Studio :McGraw-Hill
Publisher :McGraw-Hill
UPC :639785401056
EAN :9780070674530
Price :$16.95USD
Lowest Price :$9.51USD
Customer ReviewsModern European History
Rating Point :5 Helpful Point :0
Very helpful book. It has maps in it and its written in a very good language and nothing fancy.
Must Have for the AP Euro Exam
Rating Point :5 Helpful Point :1
I had one of the most boring textbooks invented for the AP Euro class. I couldnt stand reading it and as a result, I was not one of the top scorers on the tests in my class. However, I used this book to study for my in-class final and the AP exam and I did well on both. Thanks to this book, I got a 5 on the AP. The book has good information and it helped me learn things that my AP teacher did not teach in our class. I recommend that you buy this book in order to do well on the AP. My only negative comment is that it has no practice exams but since the book is not associated with AP, it is a flaw that is easy to forgive.
its great
Rating Point :5 Helpful Point :0
i just took the ap euro exam last year (got a 5) and this was my favorite prep book out of all prep books (also had barrons and REA). concise, easy to carry around, excellent index, even smells nice (if youre a weirdo like me who likes to sniff bookpaper)- mod euro history condensed my piles of lecture notes to little easy-to-read paragraphs. altho i wouldnt recommend solely studying from this book (read your textbook and notes too. make flashcards till your hand falls off.), I definitely recommend getting it.


Other than your textbook, this is your best friend for the AP Euro class and exam
Rating Point :5 Helpful Point :0
Other than McKays A History of Western Thought textbook, this book was my best friend in my AP Euro class. This book provides a detailed review of all the important events in all the eras of Modern European History, which allowed me to pass all my teachers in-class tests. I only wished it summarized the big picture concepts of each era it just provides a bunch of details. Although it was not the most helpful tool for the actual AP multiple choice, which tended to be more big-picture questions,I credit this book, along with my textbook, for helping me tremendously on the AP free-response questions. I would also recommend Cliff Notes AP European History and Princeton Review AP European History if you want more of the big picture concepts and good multiple choice practice. Along with the help of a great AP teacher, the McKay textbook,this book, and the other review books, I got a 5!
A very fine, accurate, brief review of European History
Rating Point :4 Helpful Point :2
The student above who felt this review book was too LONG completely misses the point. One does not read through a book like this as a substitute for the textbook -- which is what I imagine this poor young student though he could do. One relies on it to clarify areas of confusion. As a good reference and review book to read either before a chapter or as review afterward, this is a genuinely excellent book.

First, its a nice size. Its smaller (height and width) than most of the enormously giant-sized review books available so its like a real book. And its printed on real paper, not cheap newsprint like most of the AP review books are. Small enough that you can easily grab it off the shelf or carry it around with you. And, the page layout makes it easy to find things. Everything is treated in brief paragraphs with clear topic headings. Pages are brief so you move through it page-after-page very quickly. It really couldnt be easier to use.

As a history teacher, I look into this book from time to time to double-check an historical issue or event or to check up on correct chronology of events I cant quite recall. It saves a lot of time compared to paging through much longer, denser books.

As a review book, I imagine this would be very good to refresh a students memory of lots of important (and, frankly, many less important!) events, people, and ideas. However, students who are looking for a book to replace their textbook will be disappointed as this book assumes you have some idea what is going on historically. You could read it alone and understand the history pretty well, but I doubt youd be very confident without the analysis of the textbook which this does not have.

The one thing most lacking from books like this is overall themes and ideas. Most review books lack this so this is not so much a criticism as something to be aware of. History has patterns, themes, and MAJOR themes to be aware of (The rise of democracy, the clash of civilizations, the struggle for equality, impact of the Enlightenment, the impact of economic changes . . . and so on). If all you know are facts, events, and dates, you will be lost--but you already knew that!

This book assumes you are aware of these themes (See your textbook or your teacher if you arent -- believe me, they are very important) and is designed simply to remind you of all that pesky information you might not have understood so well the first time. In that respect, this is a very fine book and clearly worth the money as one of the better European History review books.

Another caveat: It is NOT designed specifically to prepare you to "ace" the AP exam. It doesnt have the usual tips and tricks stuff that most review books have. It is designed for students who want to understand and remember the history, not for students that want quick shortcuts to faking out the exam. Of course, it goes without saying that students who understand the history tend to "ace" the exam -- without shortcuts and so-called "insider" information that isnt really very useful.

4 stars only because of lack of larger themes, but Im a very tough grader!
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    วันพฤหัสบดีที่ 8 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2552

    From Renaissance Monarchy To Absolute Monarchy: French Kings, Nobles, And Estates

    From Renaissance Monarchy to Absolute Monarchy: French Kings, Nobles, and Estates

    Product Description


    Scholars of early modern France have traditionally seen an alliance between the kings and the bourgeoisie, leading to an absolute, centralized monarchy, perhaps as early as the reign of Francis I (1515-47). In From Renaissance Monarchy to Absolute Monarchy, eminent historian J. Russell Major draws on forty-five years of research to dispute this view, offering both a masterful synthesis of existing scholarship and new information concerning the role of the nobility in these changes.

    Renaissance monarchs, Major contends, had neither the army nor the bureaucracy to create an absolute monarchy they were strong only if they won the support of the nobility and other vocal elements of the population. At first they enjoyed this support, but the Wars of Religion revealed their inherent weakness. Major describes the struggle between such statesmen as Bellivre, Sully, Marillac, and Richelieu to impose their concept of reform and includes an account of how Louis XIV created an absolute monarchy by catering to the interests of the nobility and other provincial leaders. It was this "carrot" approach, accompanied by the threat of the "stick," that undergirded his absolutism.

    Major concludes that the rise of absolutism was not accompanied, as has often been asserted, by the decline of the nobility. Rather, nobles were able to adapt to changing conditions that included the decline of feudalism, the invention of gunpowder, and inflation. In doing so, they remained the dominant class, whose support kings found it necessary to seek.


    Rate Points :2.5
    Binding :Paperback
    Label :The Johns Hopkins University Press
    Manufacturer :The Johns Hopkins University Press
    ProductGroup :Book
    Studio :The Johns Hopkins University Press
    Publisher :The Johns Hopkins University Press
    EAN :9780801856310
    Price :$22.95USD
    Lowest Price :$13.60USD
    Customer ReviewsA Cure for Insomnia
    Rating Point :2 Helpful Point :0
    If you want a good history of this era, this is not it - unless you are an economist. Only then could you want all of the transactions that occurred in the history of French economics and that is what this book gives you. Everything is told in terms of taxes, fees, and more taxes.
    I am currently reading "The Course of French History," by Pierre Goubert. It is much more enlightening!
    lots of statistics
    Rating Point :3 Helpful Point :12
    The book should be called "from the Middle Ages, skimming lightly over the Renaissance to absolutism". There was a lot on the period of the 2-3 kings just prior to Francois I. Then the book glosses over Francois I through Henri III and fast forwards to Henri IV. Most of the book is not on the Renaissance period per se (which arguably started with Francois I). The Wars of religion are almost ignored... This book is of a type currently in vogue with academic historians: there is much statistical analysis of government data, e.g. 2 of 5 people in 1585 did blah-blah. A little dry for my taste. Also, terms are not well defined prior to use. Not a book for the beginner, but, in all fairness, I believe this book was written to be an academic text, not for mass consumption.
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