Johannes Althusius (1557-1638) was a political theorist and a combative city politician who defended the rights of small communities against territorial absolutism. He designed a system of politics in which sovereignty would be shared and jointly exercised by a plurality of collectivities, spatial as well as social, on the basis of mutual consent and social solidarity. Early Modern Concepts For A Late Modern World: Althusius On Community And Federalism places Althusius in the context of his times and explains the principle features of his political thought and suggests why his theories continue to resonate in the democratic political science of today. This is a critically important, scholarly, and exceptional well presented contribution to the study of federalism, political democracy, and the history of western government.

Musgrave presents us with an excellent new interpretation of the early modern European economy. He challenges old ideas on poverty, lack of choice, the early consumer society, and the rise of North Western Europe (viz, the decline of Southern Europe). In his last chapter European economic history is also seen from a global perspective. Based on recent research and stylishly written in no nonsense English. Excellent (short) introduction on this topic for students of the period.

Levine has gathered a great group of political theorists, and presented them with an intriguing question: where does the notion of toleration come from in modern political thought? Their answers are well worth reading.

This book is a collection of primary sources about Joseph Smith, his family and his friends and detractors. The book recreates the original language, which makes it hard to read sometimes, in order to give us a picture of Early Mormonism and Joseph Smith. The book also has several Journals written by Joseph Smith about his life and the early LDS church. The book is well organized and well footnoted making it easy for any researcher or the curious person to find where the actual documents are located. It is recommended to anyone interested in the Mormon Church or is studying it.

This guy, Harry Haskell, sure knows his music history. I suppose this book is too esoteric for some, but if you like history and music as I do, then you'll love this book. I highly recommend it.

Alan Sawyer has a beautifully presented book here. It's not heavy on text, but that is partly due to the fact that as the author states, there have been virtually no proper excavations of Nasca burials to base information on.

What you get here is litrely pages of gorgeous photographs of existing early nasca needlework that the author was able to locate in various collections. He has concentrated on pieces with a provence in the nasca or ica valleys.

This book is illuminating, but to get the most out if it you should look at a book that has been written on the earlier, related Paracas style in order to really see the differences between the two styles, as they are often confused in non-specialist books.

Beautiful, colorful, inspiring and educational. This book is a must for anybody interested in ancient peruvian textiles or arts or who just wants to see rare textiles that are as good as anything else produced anywhere in the world over the last 2000 years.

Dorothy Porter's research that went into this book was not the slave trade or slave uprisings and the violence that characterized the 1760 (pre-revolutionary) through 1837 (pre-Civil War and Emancipation) period of American/African history although mention is made.

Porter introduces and reproduces significant documents of the period (at least 26 years before the Emancipation Proclamation - June 19th, 1863 - and the end of the Civil War) that tell of the trials, tribulations, day-to-day goings-on and achievements of "free" blacks throughout the period, typically in urban centers such as Boston, New York and Philadelphia, where newspapers and publishing houses were likely to be.

The result in fact closely mirrors the state of black society in urban United States today. Her chapter headings: I. Mutual and Fraternal Organizations -- II. Societies for Educational Improvement -- III. Significant Annual Conferences -- IV. To Emigrate or Remain at Home? -- V. Spokesmen in Behalf of Their "Colored Fellow Citizens" -- VI. Saints and Sinners -- VII. Narratives, Poems and Essays

Porter's book should be required reading if there is any interest in the nascency of the abolition, segregation and women's suffrage movements OR of the impact of the Revolution, changing economic conditions and markets, and burdensome influx of "freed" and "escaped" slaves coming up from the "slave" states on existing black communities in the "free" states.

Unlike just a few years ago, today there are many books about Netherlandish and Flemish art of all periods. "From Rogier van Der Weyden to Gerard David" is a beautiful book filled with excellent color and b/w illustrations of the works being discussed. The authors are experts who give adequate details about the artist and his immediate circle, as well as the wider European influence on him and even the artist's effect upon the art world at that time and afterward. While the style is sedate and professional, it's never stodgy or overly academic, the authors being quite good at balancing the two. There are few gaps or unincluded details or individuals, so I can heartily recommend this for anyone who already loves Flemish art or those who want to learn more and to see clear, sharp reproductions of these incredible artists' work.

This book is not only about gravestone rubbings, but also the early stonecarvers who had the skills to decorate these gravestones. I have repeatedly taken it out of my art school's library because I am fascinated with the different carvings on the gravestones. These rubbings of the carvings include faces of angels, portraits of the deceased, urns, willow trees, and other decorative motifs. It may seem morbid to enjoy such a book, yet I find it completely fascinating book!

This elegant small book of Photographs is touching and enlightening. The photographer eases the viewer through a wonder world of children and their reactions to the camera. I would strongly recommend this book to all who love children and Photography.