Böcker utgivna av Reaktion Books

A visual exploration of the Buddhist stupa or reliquary mounds at one of ancient India's most remarkable monuments at Amarāvatī. In this book, Jaś Elsner presents a fresh perspective on the rich visual culture of ancient South Asia, connecting the stupa's artistic innovations with advancements in Buddhist philosophy and practice. He offers new insights into early Buddhist art in South India, as well as a new understanding of the relationship between early Buddhism and its material culture. The photographs collected here, particularly those featuring objects from the British Museum in London, reveal in detail how the stupa communicated Buddhist teachings and practices to its followers, making this book an invaluable resource for students and scholars alike.

An illustrated history of Korean ceramics from ancient origins to today. This book is a captivating, richly illustrated history of fired clay in Korea, spanning ancient times to the present day. Drawing on the latest research, this book features a wide range of examples from archaeological sites and museums. In addition, it offers a rare glimpse into the world of modern North Korean ceramics. The authors devote substantial chapters to the refined celadons of the Goryeo and porcelains of the Joseon dynasties (tenth to twentieth centuries), as well as an array of blue-and-white vessels. Merging maritime archaeology, textual evidence, and kiln excavation reports, this overview reveals a remarkable and enduring ceramic tradition in Korea.

"Exhaustively researched. . . . Students of Japanese history and culture owe Cryns a debt of gratitude for this impressive achievement."--Wall Street Journal - "William Adams comes alive in the revelatory In the Service of the Shogun. . . . Fans of the novel Shogun and the television series would do well to pick this one up."--Washington Independent Review of Books From the historical advisor for the record Emmy Award-winning television series Shōgun, a gripping biography of the English ship pilot who would become one of the most influential Westerners in feudal Japan. In 1600, English helmsman William Adams washed ashore in Japan and was interrogated by Tokugawa Ieyasu, Japan's most powerful warlord and soon-to-be shogun. Far from executing Adams as a pirate, Ieyasu made him one of his most trusted advisers. This biography traces Adams's rise from a humble pilot to a position of immense influence in Japan's foreign relations. It unravels the subsequent diplomatic maneuvers of the Western powers in the Shogun's empire and Adams's eventual downfall. The first full biography of Adams based on original Dutch, English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Japanese sources, In the Service of the Shogun includes much previously unknown information. Frederik Cryns tells the authentic story of Adams's checkered life in its historical context, taking us on a compelling journey into Adams's complex inner feelings and cosmopolitan heart.

"This is the tale of how Hollywood, inspired by the success of Easy Rider, sold a cycle of films as the new dirty real. Dennis Hopper, Peter Fonda, Monte Hellman, Jack Nicholson, Kris Kristofferson, and Sam Peckinpah, among others, drew on a nostalgia for the gutter and donned bohemian personae, pulling on soiled shirts and scuffed boots to better counter the glamour and phoniness of Tinseltown. With great care for the historical record and displaying a refined critical acuity, Peter Stanfield captures that pivotal moment when Hollywood tried to sell a begrimed vision of itself to the world."--

A new critical biography of medieval England's most famous poet. For over six centuries, Chaucer has epitomized poetic greatness, though more recent treatments of The Canterbury Tales' lively and often risqué style have made his name more synonymous with bawdy humor. But beyond his poetic achievements, Chaucer assumed various roles including those of royal attendant, soldier, customs official, justice of the peace, and more. In this book, Mary Flannery chronicles Chaucer's life during one of the most turbulent periods of English history, illuminating how he came to be known not only as the father of English poetry but also as England's "merry bard."

A visual history of the artists, fans, and fanzines of widely influential British punk. Zerox Machine is an immersive journey through the vibrant history of British punk and its associated fanzines from 1976 to 1988. Drawing on an extensive range of previously unpublished materials sourced from private collections across the United Kingdom, Matthew Worley describes and analyzes this transformative era, providing an intimate glimpse into the hopes and anxieties that shaped a generation. Far more than a showcase of covers, Zerox Machine examines the fanzines themselves, offering a rich tapestry of firsthand accounts, personal stories, and subcultural reflections. With meticulous research and insightful analysis, this book captures the spirit and essence of British youth culture, shedding new light on a pivotal movement in music history and offering a unique alternative history of Britain in the 1970s and '80s.

The surprising origin story of Britain's love affair with suburban gardening. It is said that Britain is a nation of gardeners and its suburban gardens with roses and privet hedges are widely admired and copied across the world. But how and why did millions across the United Kingdom develop an obsession with colorful plots of land to begin with? Behind the Privet Hedge seeks to answer this question and reveals how, despite their stereotype as symbols of dull middle-class conformity, these open spaces were once seen as a tool to bring about social change in the early twentieth century. The book restores to the story a remarkable but long-forgotten figure, Richard Sudell, who spent a lifetime evangelizing for gardens as the vanguard of a more egalitarian society.

A collection of highlights from Mary Ann Caws's long, highly distinguished career writing about literature, art, and modernism. Throughout her long, highly distinguished career writing about literature and art, Mary Ann Caws has excavated, illuminated, and examined in depth the most intriguing works and personalities of Symbolism, Dada, Surrealism, and beyond. In these concise, but always colorful and insightful articles, Caws brings us fresh portraits of the most famous figures and introduces us to the writers and artists who merit more attention than they've received, with a special focus on female writers and artists. The author's sensitivity to the intersections of eccentric literature and eccentric life infuses each critical essay with the human passions that these essential modernists lived. From Dickinson and Mallarmé to Duchamp and Mina Loy, Caws applies the art of close looking to shrewdly framed slices of the modernist experience.

A comprehensive overview of Japanese art between 1865 and 1915. The Splendour of Modernity presents a comprehensive overview of Japanese art from 1865 to 1915, including painting, calligraphy, sculpture, prints, ceramics, lacquerware, textiles, basketry, metalwork, and cloisonné. It challenges misconceptions that foreign influence diluted the supposed authenticity of Japanese art during this era. Instead, Rosina Buckland highlights the development of distinctively Japanese artistic practices in response to new stimuli from overseas. The book also dispels assumptions of artistic decline in the early Meiji era by examining the period from 1865 to 1885. Meticulously researched and beautifully illustrated, this captivating book showcases the resilience, innovation, and enduring beauty of Japanese art during a transformative period marked by Japan's global engagement and artistic evolution.

"This is the story of the zest for life that gripped New York in the postwar years of the 1920s. The decade ushered in an era of almost unprecedented prosperity and economic expansion that made New York the powerhouse of America and the fueled a wave of creativity in music, fashion, literature, and architecture. Strike up the Band explores how the city became a magnet for a host of outstanding personalities, from literary figures to sports stars, musicians, composers, and journalists, and pays a visit to the places the frequented, such as the Cotton Club and Broadway theaters. From the skyline to the sidewalk, the city itself also transformed as it was redeveloped in the 1930s building boom, with Art Deco becoming the style that dominated the new era."--Provided by publisher.

A new account of urban Victorian life told through the dubious day-to-day of London's police courts. Nether World presents a rich, often humorous glimpse into everyday life in Victorian London through a revealing account of nineteenth-century police courts. People of all classes brought complaints to this court about those who had hurt, abused, or stolen from them--drunks, pickpockets, wife-beaters, and fraudsters--who were each in their turn judged by magistrates wielding broad summary powers. Delving into underexamined court records and the pages of a fast-developing newspaper industry, Drew D. Gray offers a fresh description of a vibrant, ever-changing metropolis and considers ongoing issues such as poverty, homelessness, violence, substance abuse, prostitution, and--of course--crime.

A guide to the cultural history of liqueurs from a celebrated spirits journalist. The original recreational spirit, liqueurs traveled the Silk Road, awaited travelers at the Fountain of Youth, and traversed the globe from ancient times through the industrial revolution and beyond. In this thrilling exploration of liqueur's global history, Lesley Jacobs Solmonson describes how a bitter, medicinal elixir distilled by early alchemists developed into a sugar- and spice-fueled luxury for the rich before garnishing a variety of cocktails the world over. The book invites readers on a multi-faceted journey through culinary history, driven by humanity's ages-long desire for pleasure.

An intimate biography of an eminent historian of art and culture, exploring his life both within and away from the academy. Tangled Paths tells the life story of Aby Warburg (1866-1929), one of the most influential historians of art and culture of the twentieth century. It also tells the story of a man who, throughout his life, struggled to assert his place in the world. Charting Warburg's many projects and identities--groundbreaking historian, public intellectual, ethnographer, shrewd academic administrator, and founder of a library--the book explores not only the vagaries of an academic career but also the personal demons of a man who relentlessly sought to live up to his own expectations. In this biography--the first in English in over fifty years--Hans C. Hönes presents an evocative and richly detailed portrait of Warburg's personality and career, and of his attempts to make sense of the tangled paths of his life.

A revisionist biography of Andreas Vesalius--the father of modern anatomy--as deeply shaped by Renaissance culture. In 1543 the young and ambitious physician Andreas Vesalius published one of the most famous books in the history of medicine, On the Fabric of the Human Body. While we often think of dissection as destroying the body, Vesalius believed that it helped him understand how to construct the human body. In this book, Sachiko Kusukawa shows how Vesalius's publication emerged from the interplay of Renaissance art, printing technology, and classical tradition. She challenges the conventional view of Vesalius as a proto-modern, anti-authoritarian father of anatomy through a more nuanced account of how Vesalius exploited cultural and technological developments to create a big and beautiful book that propelled him into imperial circles and secured his enduring fame.

"Outposts of diplomacy traces the evolution of the embassy from its ancient origins to its enduring presence in the modern world. Beginning with the embassy's precursors in antiquity, this book explores its emergence on the cusp of the Italian Renaissance, its pinnacle during the nineteenth century and its navigation through the challenges of twentieth-century conference diplomacy"--Front jacket flap.

An eye-opening and richly detailed history of women's sexuality that upends entrenched perceptions of the long eighteenth century. Libertine London investigates the sex lives of women throughout the period 1680 to 1830, known as the long eighteenth century. The book uncovers the various experiences of women, whether as mistresses, adultresses, or as participants in the sex trade. From renowned courtesans to downtrodden streetwalkers, it examines the multifaceted lives of these women within brothels, on stage, and even behind bars. Based on new research in court transcripts, asylum records, magazines, pamphlets, satires, songs, theater plays, and erotica, Libertine London reveals the gruesome treatment of women who were sexually active outside of marriage. Julie Peakman looks at sex from women's points of view, undercutting the traditional image of the bawdy eighteenth century to expose a more sordid side, which often left women distressed, ostracized, and vilified for their sexual behavior.

A revealing new account of the life and work of this early modern German printmaker. This captivating biography brings Lucas Cranach the Elder into the spotlight for the twenty-first century. The illuminating narrative unveils an artist whose vision transcended personal brilliance as he sought to elevate a nascent nation and foster a sense of community with his work. Perhaps Cranach's most remarkable achievement lay in forging a robust Lutheran community, endowed with a resounding message of salvation. Using prints (the prevailing medium of mass communication) and multiple versions of paintings, he developed an intricate symbolism that resonated with the populace in early modern Germany. Jennifer Nelson also explores his extensive repertoire of female nudes and shows how these seductive artworks not only tantalized his patrons but constructed for them a deep history of Germany's notional connections with ancient Greece and Rome.

Feathered with illustrations, a deep dive into the meaning of this half-lion, half-bird creature over millennia of human history. Griffinology is a fascinating exploration of the mythical creature's many depictions in human culture. Drawing on a wealth of historical and literary sources, this book shows how the griffin has captured the imagination of people for over five thousand years, representing power, transcendence, and even divinity. It explores the history and symbolism of griffins in art, from their appearances in ancient Egyptian magic wands to medieval bestiaries, and from medieval coats of arms to modern corporate logos. The use of the griffin as a symbol of power and protection is surveyed throughout history and into modern times, such as in the Harry Potter series. Beautifully illustrated, this book should appeal to all those interested in monsters, magic, and the mystical, as well as art and history.

The untold story of women artists in the United States and the social impact of their work during the crucial decades of the 1950s to the 1970s. In Women Artists in Midcentury America, readers embark on a journey spanning two decades, delving into the evolving social and artistic landscapes through the lens of all-women exhibitions. These groundbreaking projects courageously confronted issues of sexual and racial discrimination, igniting profound discussions about women's roles within modernism and democracy. Looking closely at the inception and reception of these exhibitions by curators, artists, critics, and the public, the book sheds light on the remarkable contributions of numerous artists, from Ruth Asawa to Marguerite Zorach. By foregrounding the accomplishments of women artists during a conservative period overshadowed by the feminist movement of the 1970s, Daniel Belasco provides a fresh perspective on the complex history of women's art in America and its significance in the broader art world.

A thrilling account of the 1911 Siege of Sidney Street--when a young Winston Churchill allowed two immigrant revolutionaries to burn to death in London's East End. On January 3, 1911, police discovered Latvian revolutionaries on the lam in London's East End. A six-hour gunfight ensued until fire consumed the building where the radicals had taken refuge. When a not-yet-prime-minister Winston Churchill arrived at the scene, he ordered officials to let the fire run its course. At least two people burned to death in the blaze, but the Latvian ringleader, Peter the Painter, remained at large. Known as the Siege of Sidney Street, the event was a nationwide sensation and ignited fierce debates about immigration, extremism, and law enforcement. This book unravels the full story of the siege, the Latvian expatriates, and London's vibrant anarchist movement in the early twentieth century.

From celebrated historian and writer Peter Ackroyd, a magisterial portrayal of English Christianity over the centuries. This book portrays the spirit and nature of English Christianity, as it has developed over the last fourteen hundred years. During this time, Christianity has been the predominant faith of the people and the reflection of the English soul. This fascinating new history is an account of the Christian English soul, which recognizes the fact that Christianity has been the anchoring and defining doctrine of England while accepting respectfully that other powerful and significant faiths have influenced the religious sensibility of this nation. Peter Ackroyd surveys the lives and faith of the most important figures of English Christianity from the Venerable Bede to C. S. Lewis, exploring the mysticism of Julian of Norwich and William Blake; the tumultuous years of the Reformation; the emergence of the English bible; the evangelical tradition, including John Wesley; and the contemporary contest between tradition, revival, and atheism. This is an essential, comprehensive, and accessible survey of English Christianity.

An original survey of the Renaissance painter's life and work. This book is a concise survey of the life of the Florentine painter Piero di Cosimo (1462-1522) within his social and cultural surroundings. Delving into the artist's deliberately idiosyncratic life, the book shows how di Cosimo chose to live in squalor--eating nothing but boiled eggs cooked fifty at a time in his painting glue. Sarah Blake McHam shows how the artist became a favorite among sophisticated patrons eager for pagan artworks featuring Greco-Roman mythological subjects as well as orthodox, but never ordinary, religious altarpieces and private devotional paintings. The result is a newly accessible introduction to the life of this important Renaissance artist.

"The untold story of the engineering behind the empire, showing how imperial Spain built upon existing infrastructure and hierarchies of the Inca, Aztec, and more, to further its growth. Sixteenth-century Spain was small, poor, disunited, and sparsely populated. Yet the Spaniards and their allies built the largest empire the world had ever seen. How did they achieve this? Felipe Fernâandez-Armesto and Manuel Lucena Giraldo argue that Spain's engineers were critical to this venture. The Spanish invested in infrastructure to the advantage of local power brokers, enhancing the abilities of incumbent elites to grow wealthy on trade, and widening the arc of Spanish influence. Bringing to life stories of engineers, prospectors, soldiers, and priests, the authors paint a vivid portrait of Spanish America in the age of conquest. This is a dazzling new history of the Spanish Empire, and a new understanding of empire itself, as a venture marked as much by collaboration as oppression"--

"Insurrection offers a profound and incisive analysis of the underlying factors that culminated in the assault on Washington's Capitol on that fateful day in January 2021. Going far beyond journalistic accounts, this book delves into structural trends within the United States, providing a broader and deeper context for comprehending the magnitude for the uprising. It explores the crisis of democracy, escalating violence, widening inequality, and the prominence of conspiratorial discourse within American politics. By examining the long-term issues as well as the tumultuous events of 2020, including the COVID-19 pandemic, policing challenges, and the fiercely contested presidential election, this book uncovers the catalysts behind conspiracy theories and the politics of outrage to create a compelling narrative about the contemporary face of the USA."--Back cover.

"Olson deftly sketches a lively portrait of the man. . . . She gives us his rich inner life as well. . . . Riveting. . . . Refreshing."--Wall Street Journal Exquisitely illustrated and innovative, an investigation of the artistic evolution of John James Audubon. John James Audubon (1785-1851), artist, naturalist, and creator of the celebrated The Birds of America, is widely regarded as America's first exceptional watercolorist. This book offers a unique exploration of Audubon's artistic journey intertwined with the drama of his life, unveiling how he studied both past and contemporary artists to forge something entirely innovative. Through this book, readers are invited to rediscover Audubon's groundbreaking watercolors as exemplary works of fine art. Moreover, the book delves into the controversies surrounding this legendary figure, who, for the first time in history, accurately represented all avian species life-size. Beautifully illustrated, it chronicles how Audubon infused ornithological illustration with a sense of exhilaration, breathing new life into once-conventional formulas and transforming them into awe-inspiring masterpieces.

"The celebrated art nouveau architect Antoni Gaudâi was a contradictory figure: deeply religious and politically right-wing, he nevertheless created revolutionaly, lyrical buildings. This book explores Gaudâi's life, work and influences, from Catalan nationalism to the Industrial Revolution. Michael Eaude expertly guides readers through Gaudâi's great works--including the Sagrada Famâilia, which attracts millions of tourists to Barcelona each year--and examines his monumental life, from the architect's provincial upbringing in Reus to his time in Barcelona, where he became a dandy whose only attempt at marriage was rejected. Gaudâi later suffered a nervous breakdown, became obsessively religious, and fused Gothic, Baroque and Orientalist architecture into his unique style" --

From cave paintings to Google, a thought-provoking investigation of how maps do not just reflect the world around us, but shape the way we live. Maps go far beyond just showing us where things are located. All Mapped Out is an exploration of how maps impact our lives on social and cultural levels. This book offers a journey through the fascinating history of maps, from ancient cave paintings and stone carvings to the digital interfaces we rely on today. But it's not just about the maps themselves; it's about the people behind them. All Mapped Out reveals how maps have affected societies, influenced politics and economies, impacted the environment, and even shaped our sense of personal identity. Mike Duggan uncovers the incredible power of maps to shape the world and the knowledge we consume, offering a unique and eye-opening perspective on the significance of maps in our daily lives.

The life, work, and legacy of one of the twentieth century's most published African American women. This book explores the life and legacy of Zora Neale Hurston (1891-1960), the most-published African American woman of the first half of the twentieth century. Famous today as the author of Their Eyes Were Watching God, Hurston was also an anthropologist and a folklorist. In this new biography, Cheryl Hopson casts Hurston as a modern woman on the move, particularly as a collector of stories in and around the Jim Crow South. Hopson details her rejection by the Harlem Renaissance as well as her recovery by Black feminists such as Alice Walker years after her death. The result is an accessible and fresh account of the celebrated writer's life and work.