Edward Gibbon's presentation of character in both the History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire and in his posthumously published Memoirs demonstrates a prevailing interest in the values of transcendent heroism and individual liberty, but also an insistent awareness of the dangers these values pose to coherence and narrative order. In this study, Charlotte Roberts demonstrates how these dynamics also inform the 'character' of the Decline and Fall: in which ironic difference confronts enervating uniformity; oddity counters specious lucidity; and revision combats repetition. Edward Gibbon and the Shape of History explores the Decline and Fall as a work of scholarship and of literature, tracing both its expansive outline and its expressive details. A close examination of each of the three instalments of Gibbon's history reveals an intimate relationship between the style of Gibbon's narrative and the overall shape of his historiographical composition. The constant interplay between style and substance, or between the particular details of composition and the larger patterns of argument and narrative, informs every aspect of Gibbon's work: from his reception of established and innovative historiographical conventions to the expression of his narrative voice. Through a combination of close reading and larger literary and scholarly analysis, Charlotte Roberts conveys a sense of the Decline and Fall as a work more complex and conflicted, in its tone and structure, than has been appreciated by previous scholars, without losing sight of the grand contours of Gibbon's superlative achievement.

Edward Gibbon and the Shape of History

Literature & Fiction

Roberts, Charlotte

History & Criticism

Oxford University Press

Studies in Crime: An Introduction to Forensic Archaeology

The study of forensic evidence using archaeology is a new discipline which has rapidly gained importance, not only in archaeological studies but also in the investigation of real crimes. Archaeological evidence is increasingly presented in criminal cases and has helped to secure a number of convictions. Studies in Crime surveys methods of searching for and locating buried remains, their practical recovery, the decay of human and associated death scene materials, the analysis and identification of human remains including the use of DNA, and dating the time of death. The book contains essential information for forensic scientists, archaeologists, police officers, police surgeons, pathologists and lawyers. Studies in Crime will also be of interest to members of the public interested in the investigation of death by unnatural causes, both ancient and modern.

Martin, Anthony

Pollard, Mark

Hunter,John

Heron, Carol

Knupfer, Geoffrey

History

Routledge

Since Peter Senge published his groundbreaking book The Fifth Discipline, he and his associates have frequently been asked by the business community: "How do we go beyond the first steps of corporate change?"  They know that companies and organizations cannot thrive today without learning to adapt their attitudes and practices.  But companies that establish change initiatives discover, after initial success, that even the most promising efforts to transform or revitalize organizations can fail to sustain themselves over time.  That's because organizations have complex, well-developed immune systems, aimed at preserving the status quo.Now, drawing upon new theories about leadership and the long-term success change initiatives, and based upon twenty-five years of experience building learning organizations, the authors of The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook show how to accelerate success and avoid the obstacles that can stall momentum.  The Dance of Change, written managers and executives at every level of an organization, reveals how business leaders can work together to anticipate the challenges that profound change will ultimately force the organization to face. Filled with in-depth accounts of sustaining learning initiatives by managers and leaders in the field, and well-tested practical advice, The Dance of Change provides an insider's perspective on implementing learning and change initiatives at such corporations as Ford Motor Company, General Electric and Shell Oil.  It offers crucial advice for those who are struggling to put change initiatives into practice.

The Dance of Change (abridged)

Business & Money

SENGE, PETER M.

Smith, Bryan

Kleiner, Art

Ross, Richard

Roth, George

Management & Leadership

Random House Audio |

Health and Disease in Britain: From Prehistory to the Present Day

Taking into consideration many important factors that have influenced the patterns of health and disease in Britain, Charlotte Roberts and Margaret Cox take us on a fascinating journey through time. With the aid of primary and secondary sources the authors present a multi-disciplinary appraisal of the health of the British from Palaeolithic times to the twentieth century. Archaeological finds, skeletal remains, art, ancient medical texts, contemporary comment and personal papers all contribute to the findings examined. This is the first book of its kind to combine successfully all available data in order to provide a complete reconstruction of health and disease patterns across an extensive period of British history. This unity of skeletal, archaeological, artistic and documentary evidence is made possible by an increased focus on a biocultural approach. Key cultural landmarks in British history, such as the transition to agriculture from hunting and gathering, the discovery of metals and the development of urban centres, are integrated with biological data on disease and these provide interesting parallels between lifestyle and health. The carefully selected illustrations complement and reinforce the text.

Medical Books

Cox, Margaret

Medicine

Sutton Pub Ltd

The Archaeology of Disease shows how the latest scientific and archaeological techniques can be used to identify the common illnesses and injuries that humans suffered from in antiquity. In order to give a vivid picture of ancient disease and trauma the authors present the results of the latest scientific research and incorporate information gathered from documents, from other areas of archaeology and from art and ethnography. This comprehensive approach to the subject throws fresh light on the health of our ancestors and on the conditions in which they lived, and it gives us an intriguing insight into the ways in which they coped with the pain and discomfort of their existence.

The Archaeology of Disease

Politics & Social Sciences

Archaeology

The History Press

The Archaeology of Disease shows how the latest scientific and archaeological techniques can be used to identify the common illnesses and injuries that humans suffered from in antiquity. The authors study the evidence that can be gained from written records and works of art as well as from ancient human remains, and they combine a clinical interpretation of prevalent diseases with a graphic description of their social, economic and cultural consequences. This completely revised editon of the book includes case studies from all over the world and gives a full account of the rapid technical advances which have dramaticallly increased our knowledge of illness in the distant past.In order to give a vivid picture of ancient disease and trauma the authors present the results of the latest scientific research and incorporate information gathered from documents, from other areas of archaeology and from art and ethnography. The clinical knowledge that can be gained about specific ailments and accidents is set in context by considering ancient demography, basic bone biology, funerary practices and prehistoric medicine.The book provides a practical, up-to-date account of this important topic, and it is written in a clear and accessible style which should make it a stimulating introduction for readers who are not specialists in the field. It will also be required reading for undergraduate and postgraduate archaeology and anthropology students, professional and amateur archaeologists and medical historians.

MANCHESTER, Keith

Anthropology

Cornell Univ Pr

Praise for earlier editions— 
"This book is recommended as a good reference source which will provide both historical background and cultural data on disease. It will be most valuable to the person who seeks information about diseases past, their virulence, and their effect upon a population. As new techniques come into being, they can be adapted to the investigation of old bones and bodies."—Journal of the American Medical Association 
"Well structured, clearly written, and extremely accurate from both a historical and scientific point of view."—The Lancet 
"A concise, informative, and very readable introduction to the field of paleopathology."—Journal of the History of Medicine 
The Archaeology of Disease shows how the latest scientific and archaeological techniques can be used to identify the common illnesses and injuries from which humans suffered in the past. Charlotte Roberts and Keith Manchester study evidence gleaned from written records and works of art as well as from ancient human remains. They combine a clinical interpretation of prevalent diseases with a graphic description of their social, economic, and cultural consequences. This fully revised third edition includes 90 black-and-white illustrations and has been updated to encompass the rapidly developing research methods of a fascinating field.

Cornell University Press

"This second edition . . . illustrates how the latest techniques in paleopathology and archaeology are used to identify injury and disease patterns in past human populations. . . . The quality of the text is accentuated by the addition of numerous high quality illustrations, tables, and photographs along with a comprehensive bibliography."--Choice 
"[The authors] enhance their study by employing the biocultural approach. [They] stress the importance of using both the physical evidence, which is obvious, and the cultural proof, which is often less clear, in a multidisciplinary approach to diseases in people who lived in the past. . . . This book is recommended as a good reference source, which will provide both historical background and cultural data on disease. It will be most valuable to the person who seeks information about diseases past, their virulence, and their effect upon a population."--Journal of the American Medical Association 
"Anyone generally interested in the history of medicine in antiquity will want to keep this useful reference book at hand."--Bryn Mawr Classical Review 
"This is an excellent, thought-provoking account, packed with fascinating information. . . . A thoroughly useful book. . . . The authors are to be congratulated on successfully surveying such a broad field of study."--Journal of the History of Medicine

Though apparently in decline during the first half of the 20th century, tuberculosis has reawakened in both developed and developing countries, particularly among susceptible populations with immunodeficiency disorders.

The Bioarchaeology of Tuberculosis: A Global View on a Reemerging Disease

Buikstra, Jane

University Press of Florida

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