Interregnum

Challenging the thought of Zygmunt Bauman on the subject of liquid modernity, where everything has become unstable, precarious and uncertain, Carlo Bordoni (author with Bauman of »State of Crisis«) proposes to look at contemporary society as an »interregnum«, a temporary break with the past. In a condition characterised by anomie, the questioning of democratic achievements and the primacy of an unbridled economy, he offers a new perspective on our social condition. Understanding the interregnum and being aware of its instability and the social degradation that it entails can help us to make the right choices.

‘The crisis consists precisely in the fact that the old is dying and the new cannot be born; in this interregnum a great variety of morbid symptoms appear’ – Antonio Gramsci Is New Zealand’s political settlement beginning to fray? And does this mean we’re entering the interregnum, that ambiguous moment between society-wide discontent and political change? In BWB’s latest book of essays, edited by Morgan Godfery, ten of New Zealand’s sharpest emerging thinkers gather to debate the ‘morbid symptoms’ of the current moment, from precarious work to climate change, and to discuss what shape change might take, from ‘the politics of love’ to postcapitalism. The Interregnum interrogates the future from the perspective of the generation who will shape it. Contributors: Andrew Dean, Max Harris, Lamia Imam, Chloe King, Daniel Kleinsman, Edward Miller, Courtney Sina Meredith, Carrie Stoddart-Smith, Wilbur Townsend and Holly Walker.

The Empire has fallen. The Empire must rise. For twenty years civil war has torn the Empire apart; the Imperial line extinguished after the mad Emperor Quintus was burned in his palace, betrayed by his greatest general and oldest friend, Kiva Caerdin. Against a background of war, decay and violence, men who once served in the proud Imperial army now fight as hands for hire, fodder for greedy lords fighting over the remnants of more glorious times. Kiva’s memories of the Empire are reignited when fighting alongside a fearsome mercenary unit, the Grey Company. Forced to face a dark and shameful past, he struggles to achieve redemption, and defeat an ancient, cunning and bitter rival. Only then can the Empire be unified... and reborn. A historical fantasy of valour, honour, and determination against all odds, Interregnum is the first novel in S.J.A. Turney’s epic Tales of the Empire series, perfect for readers of Conn Iggulden, Bernard Cornwell and Simon Scarrow.

Recent studies of particular areas during the Civil War have shown how kinship and social and educational ties, far from reinforcing county isolationism, frequently drew inhabitants into a far wider network and divided existing loyalties. Following this approach, Dr Warmington's examination of the history of Gloucestershire during the period begins with the descent into war between 1640 and 1642, showing how the two sides formed and why the Parliamentarians had the more durable war machine. He goes on to consider the anarchic situation between 1645 and 1649 and the series of new experiments in government which followed until 1660, undertaken by an almost entirely new governing group of minor gentlemen, elevated through military service to the regime and by religious affiliations. The attempted rebellion of 1659 is examined in detail, and the book concludes with a look at the Restoration of the Stuart dynasty, the Anglican Church, and the sons of the pre-war county ruling elite, exploring how the new regime compared with its Cromwellian predecessors.ANDREW WARMINGTONwas formerly senior research assistant in history at the University of Durham, following a First Class degree from York and a D.Phil. from St Peter's College, Oxford. He is now a freelance research analyst.

The English Civil War was followed by a period of unprecedented religious tolerance and the spread of new religious ideas and practices. Britain experienced a period of so-called "Godly religious rule" and a breakdown of religious uniformity that was perceived as a threat to social order by some and a welcome innovation to others. The period of Godly religious rule has been significantly neglected by historians--we know remarkably little about religious organization or experience at a parochial level in the 1640s and 1650s. This volume addresses these issues by investigating important questions concerning the relationship between religion and society in the years between the first Civil War and the Restoration. How did ordinary people experience this period of dramatic upheaval? How did religious imperatives change and develop? Did people resist Godly imperatives?With its nuanced analysis of Cromwell's England, Church and People in Interregnum Britain will interest religious scholars, enthusiasts of military history, and public historians.

Challenging the thought of Zygmunt Bauman on the subject of liquid modernity, where everything has become unstable, precarious and uncertain, Carlo Bordoni (author with Bauman of »State of Crisis«) proposes to look at contemporary society as an »interregnum«, a temporary break with the past. In a condition characterised by anomie, the questioning of democratic achievements and the primacy of an unbridled economy, he offers a new perspective on our social condition. Understanding the interregnum and being aware of its instability and the social degradation that it entails can help us to make the right choices.