Pennsylvania Books

I used this book as a reference for a term paper on two African American burial grounds in Philadelphia. Contains information on major and some obscure archaeological finds in Philadelphia. History of Philadelphia as well.

Mr John Cotter and Group have written a wonderful book. If you are into "digging up the past" this is the material you've been looking. Just the wonderful pencil sketchs of the long past "Slate Roof House" makes this a absolute read. The digging up of the historical area and the great "finds" that were discovered. I feel any true Philadelphian will enjoy something out of this manual.

Hugh Gaitskell is largely a forgotten presence in the Labour Party of today but as Brian Brivati (intentionally or otherwise) manages to convey to the reader, this neglect may have something to do with the fact that this former British Labour Party leader had a style and a substance that has rarely been seen since. Although clearly not as sympathetic towards his subject as Gaitskell's earlier biographer, Philip Williams, he still leaves us with an impression of a man who was much misunderstood and maligned by many at the time in his own party.

Hugh Gaitskell was a passionate orator who for much of his life, struggled with the twin impulses to on the one side conceal that passion in favour of reason and sense, and on the other, to realize that that same passion could be useful as a political weapon to disarm his opponents not just in his own party but also beyond in the Conservative and Liberal parties of his day. For much of his short political life, Brivati contends that when the former wasn't predominating, the latter could appear to disastrous party political consequences. The dispute over 'specs and false teeth' around the time of Gaitskell's one and only budget points to the stubbornness of a futile passion for the Atlanticist policies of the post war Attlee Government over what could have been a more reasonable accommodation with Nye Bevan as the Minister for Health and powerful ex-officio leader of the Left. Gaitskell then went on to foolishly support the expulsion of Nye Bevan for his controversial attempts to foist a left wing direction on the opposition when Labour left office in 1951. Brivati shows us that the always deeply complex and fascinating Gaitskell was at his most ineffective when his drive for what was `reasonable' could become a `passion' not justifiable by the facts that at other times he could be equally passionate to elicit both from himself and others.

However, another more effective and controlled passion dominates his years as leader of the Labour Party afte! r 1955. See in particular, Brivati's account of the 1956 Suez crisis, the defense debates/ of 1960-61 and the famous Common Market speech of 1962. These controversies contain some of Gaitskell's finest and most brilliant speeches, and with the proper access to the video and sound recordings, this would be self-evident to anyone who listened.

Brian Brivati has written a biography from the perspective of someone who likes distance from his subject - he wasn't born until two years after Gaitskell died. The ultimate achievement of this biography is that it is finely balanced between the 'hero' of Philip Williams'' richly documented 1978 biography, and the villain of Michael Foot's biography of his 'hero' Nye Bevan. Unlike Brivati, both Williams and Foot had the fortune or misfortune to have known Gaitskell personally. Where these two had been inspired to write dramatically diverse but equally passionate accounts, Brivati 's sense of balance leads him to weave a careful line in and around the two sides to Gaitskell's reputation - both then and subsequently. He therefore succeeds in dropping by at both camps. Unfortunately. this approach is likely to be infuriating to the supporters of both left and right for its seeming willingness to play the part of appreciative guest at both houses and to then show that what was offered was far from being the poisoned chalice that each side would like to claim of the other. As an admirer of Gaitskell to the point where I once lobbied hard to meet his first major biographer, Philip Williams, I have to admit to sharing in that infuriation whilst also rejoicing that by the end, the side Brivati chooses to leave us with, veers more conclusively towards the 'hero'. In the final analysis, it is his interpretation of the depressing years for the Labour Party subsequent to Gaitskell's death in 1963 which become their own justification for why it is still hard for some people to move beyond their fascination with Gaitskell's style, democratic socialist beliefs and rare ! sense of integrity. Brian Brivati is no less caught and trapped than Philip Williams and Michael Foot once were.....

Hugh Gaitskell was leader of the British Labour Party from 1955 till his tragic premature death in 1963. That period, in which Labour was continuously in opposition, was marked by internal strife between Right and Left within Labour's ranks, on such issues as nuclear disarmament, with Gaitskell representing the pro-Nato, Atlanticist wing of British social democracy.
Brivati's book is a model biography: balanced, historically-informed, and original. It portrays Gaitskell as a politician of immovable convictions about the proper end-state of a good society, and fewer fixed ideas about the means to achieve them. Most important, it relates Gaitskell's ideas to the changes in western society that have taken place since his death, and tries to assess his historical significance. And it compares him with his obvious successor, Tony Blair, who succeeded where Gaitskell failed in getting Labour to jettison its historic commitment to public ownership. Brivati sympathetically portrays Gaitskell's revisionism, which was 30 years ahead of its time; his irrevocable commitment to the values of western liberal democracy, an instinct that led to his courageous and historically vindicated stand opposing unilateral nuclear disarmament; and his insights into the political implications of what was then known as the Common Market. But Brivati also makes a telling point that Gaitskell's belief in equality and indicative planning has been rendered largely irrelevant by modern economic developments. There are still aspects of Gaitskell's political judgement that are timeless strengths and that stand out from this book. Brivati comments, "Gaitskell's revisionism offered a process of asking of each institution and relationship in our society: What is it for? Who [sic] does it benefit? Should it be changed?" That process of interrogation is an essential one for a healthy democracy, even if Gaitskell's criteria for answering those questions have been superseded by events. Moreover, Gaitskell, so far from his image of a dry technocrat, was a man of passion combined with a critical intellect. Though the collectivist ideology that informed his egalitarian principles has now (as Brivati again rightly comments) slipped into history, the wish for a more tolerant and gentle society has not. To that extent, Brivati's book is an inspiring as well as a scholarly and informative read.

This is a fascinating and erudite book that spans centuries of Hebrew printing. It would be worthwhile for the end-notes alone. It is a must read for anyone interested in the history of Jewish printing as well as anyone interested in the development and dynamic of censorship, both internal and self imposed.

This book is indeed first of its kind in its treatment of the history of books and book-culture in early modern Italy and Europe. Jewish-Christian dialogs and negotiations over questions of print and publishing are reviewed in a new and fresh light. The final outcome of what is otherwise simply viewed as a tool of coercion and persecution is surprising.

Because I had been a coal miner in the Anthracite region,I still am interested in the coal region history and customs. I have also purchased a few other mining books on your website.
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Am still looking for info on mining tools , job descriptions and what tests a miner had to pass to get his miner's certificate.
Sincerely, Anthony Sharayko

It's important to know that this book is not only about Centralia since the underground mine fires started. It does include pictures from that era but is also about the history of the town. It is fascinating stuff but know that it's not only a photo essay of the mine fire era.

This is not about the book, but about Amazon. Initially, the book arrived printed upside down in the binding and
with it cut badly with the tops of the pages missing. Following an email, Amazon reversed the charges and sent a new book which arrived in good condition. I would give Amazon high marks for addressing this problem.
The book itself is excellent.

Phenomenal book. It covers the entire ceramic process from the constituents of the clay to drying, firing and glazing or decorating. The descriptions border on the scientific but are written in such a way that you can pick the book up to read for leasure.

Within its pages you will find how to mix a clay for a specific purpose, how to support huge statues and keep small tiles straight. How to fire bisquit and how to glaze (in detail and with recepies, but this is not a glaze book) or decorate. Whether you want to cast 10 thee pots or make a lifesize sculpture of an giraffe you will find hints and tips on how to do it. Everything you need to take your ceramics over the edge.

The artworks that illustrate the book and are used as examples might not be to everyones taste (they come from a school for experimental ceramics afterall) but they fit the explanations perfectly.

If you are serious about your ceramics and want to buy one book that explains the process without specialising on only one type of application (tiles, pots, sculpture) look no further!

If you are new to pottery of sculpture the contents might be a bit daunting.

All ceramic artists interested in printing on ceramic surfaces should own a copy of this book.

Paul Scott Takes you through the historical and contemporary uses of print and clay. Very little has been written about the unusual marriage between print and clay. The book is written in an easy to follow dialogue that explains the processes involved and includes many color photographs. I recommend the book to anyone interested ceramics and imagery.

This is a good book about glazes used in China (with a few from neighboring countries). It puts the glazes and their use into historical context within the lineage of Chinese emperors/dynasties. It includes pictures of pottery decoration for functional pieces (bowls, plates, etc..). It includes a large number of glaze recipies in a very condensed format at the end of the book. I look forward to trying a few of them soon.

As an ardent Chinese antique ceramics for more than 5 years, I can confirm that Mr Wood's knowledge is vast and its information would be most useful for all parties interested in this aspect of art collecting. As a non-Chinese it is not at all easy to become an expert in this field, and the author must be congretulated on the production of such a superb book. The quality of the photos is exemplery.

Alex Yip, Hong Kong.

Setting the Christmas story in an Amish community is a wonderful idea and it really works with Mr. Stoltzfus' illustrations. This book is a wonderful addition to any library and will be enjoyed by all.

A work of art and caligraphy combined to tell "The Greatest Story Ever Told"

I'm actually the author's wife so i hope it's okay for me to use this category to let people know that A Civil Tongue just own an important prize: the Spitz Prize for the best political theory book in 1995 and 96

I'm actually the author's wife so I hope it's okay for me to use this category of review to let people know that A Civil Tongue just won an important prize: the Spitz prize for the best political theory book published in 1995 and 96

This book provides both a useful overview of urban social history in turn-of-the-century Rio de Janeiro and a unique and convincing analysis of how poor urban and suburban residents responded to urban renewal projects. The author places her analysis in an engaging, accessible, and accurate narrative of the city's broader history, weaving together the findings of a broad array of specialized secondary works. Her own primary research on popular protests provides a crucial part of this history, and her conclusions are suggestive of how popular movements might be understood elsewhere as well. The book shows that the effects of undemocratic urban administration can be disasterous for the least powerful sectors of the population. Yet is also shows that the urban poor were by no means "marginalized," nor did they decline to participate in orderly, legal forms of protest. Riots and violence exploded in Rio only after poor residents had tolerated arbitrary and violent government implementation of urban policies, and after they had found other avenues of appeal to government officials closed. This book is effective in undergraduate and graduate courses alike. In addition to providing an excellent overview of Rio's early twentieth-century history, the book stimulates students to think critically about urbanization, class conflict, forms of protest, and the peculiar concerns of non-industrial nations to create images of order and civilization in the early twentieth century.

This a major addition to the social history of urban life in Brazil, and Latin America generally. By shifting the emphasis from workplace struggles to conflict over urban space, Meade allows us to rethink dramatic and sometimes puzzling episodes of popular protest in turn-of-the-century Rio de Janeiro (such as the revolt against compulsory smallpox vaccination). Her argument that these protests should be seen as part of the contest over capitalist modernization, and are no less "modern" than workplace struggles in nearby Sao Paulo, adds to the ongoing discussion of political consciousness as forming in struggles both within and beyond the point of production. Meade also explores the implications of "urban beautification" for the popular classes in a way that connects processes in Rio with broader global tendencies during the Age of Imperialism. Finally, the book is highly readable and accessible to the non-specialist, and can be used in courses ranging from introductory undergraduate surveys to graduate seminars.