In 1880 a legendary spectre haunts the famous Opera House in Paris. There are all sorts of rumours about the Phantom of the Opera, sinister figure whose face remains hidden behind a grotesque mask. But what is the connection between the phantom, the mysterious Angel of Music, and the beautiful singer Christine?
Japan's legendary and fierce samurai warriors have an unrelenting hold on the public's imagination. The world's most renowned expert on these fierce fighters provides an exceptional, in-depth look at the samurai's unique combat skills and weaponry. Confront charismatic warlords and lone mercenaries as Dr. Turnbull examines battlefield tactics, personalities and practices, finding fascinating comparisons between the samurai and other medieval fare. Rare historic illustrations and specially commissioned paintings by Richard Hook bring you face to face with some of the planet's most terrifying battle scenes.
Over the centuries, naval relations between Japan and Korea appear to have alternated between peaceful trade and outright hostility. However, this impression can be misleading, as much of what passed for mercantile activity was in fact conducted by Japanese pirate fleets, who pillaged the coasts of Korea and China in a long-lasting tradition that culminated in the greatest pirate raid of all: Hideyoshi's invasion of Korea in 1592. This was the conflict that involved Ming China and almost dragged in Siam. It also led to Korea developing East Asia's most famous warship: the legendary turtle ship, which is described for the first time in full technical detail in this book.
The Florentine Villa - Architecture History Society
Scholarly and innovative with visually stunning line drawings and photographs, this volume provides readers with a compelling record of the unbroken pattern of reciprocal use and exchange between the countryside and the walled city of Florence, from the thirteenth century up to the present day.
Derrida, Literature and War: Absence and the Chance of Meeting
This is a fascinating examination of the relation between absence and chance in Derrida's work and through that a re-examination of the relation between war and literature. "Derrida, Literature and War" argues for the importance of the relation between absence and chance in Derrida's work in thinking today about war and literature. Sean Gaston starts by marking Derrida's attempts to resist the philosophical tradition of calculating on absence as an assured resource, while insisting on the (mis)chances of the chance encounter. Gaston re-examines the relation between the concept of war and the chances of literature by focusing on narratives of conflict set during the Napoleonic wars.
