The most internationally acclaimed Japanese author of the twentieth century, Yukio Mishima (1925?70) was a prime candidate for the Nobel Prize. But the prolific author shocked the world in 1970 when h
From Charles Darwin’s enlightening voyage to the Galapagos Islands to moat-encased prisons incarcerating the world’s deadliest prisoners, islands have been sites of immense scientific, political, and
Scottish inventor and mechanical engineer James Watt (1736–1819) is best known for his pioneering work on the steam engine that became fundamental to the incredible changes and developments wrought by
Made from distilled wine, brandy has a long, noble tradition of refined consumption, but it has also recently experienced a surge in popularity thanks to new cocktail trends. Brandy chronicles the his
Figs, fresh and dried, have become the fruit of celebrations and festivities throughout the western world, and have been the typical fruit of Christmas since at least the time of Charles Dickens. In F
From jambalaya to risotto, curry to nasi kandar, few foods are as ubiquitous in our meals as rice. A dietary staple and indispensable agricultural product from Asia to the Americas, the grain can be f
Where would eggs benedict be without hollandaise, spaghetti without Bolognese, tortilla chips without salsa, or French fries without ketchup? A world without sauces is a dull and dry world indeed. But
French artist Eugene Henri Paul Gauguin (1848?1903) once reproached the Impressionists for searching ?around the eye and not at the mysterious centre of thought.” But what did he mean by this enigmati
Icon and Devotion offers the first extensive presentation in English of the making and meaning of Russian icons. The craft of icon-making is set into the context of forms of worship that emerged in th
Kasimir Malevich’s (1878?1935) sudden and startling realization of a nonrepresentational way of painting?which he called Suprematism?stands as a transformative moment in twentieth-century art. In this
With Brazil hosting the FIFA World Cup this summer and the Olympic Games in 2016, all eyes are on Latin America. But what vision of these countries will we be given? Will our airwaves be full of cultu
Everyone knows Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower, and the chateaux of the Loire Valley, but French architects have also produced some of the most iconic buildings of the twentieth century, playing a centra
Raskolnikov is a poor student living in St Petersburg. Desperate to escape his poverty, he murders his pawnbroker and her sister, and flees with a few watches and bits of jewellery. Although at first
The author has been visiting the same village in Mauritania on the remote edge of the Sahara for over twenty years. This is the story of his most recent journey there—an intense and engaging day-by-da
An educational resource to help children explore the issue of fair trade by allowing them to see through the eyes of the children of banana farmers in the Windward Islands. The author spent time with
Early historic Scotland - from the fifth to the tenth century AD - was home to a variety of diverse peoples and cultures, all competing for land and supremacy. Yet by the eleventh century it had becom
