The Trial By Fire Memoirs Of A College Principal

"This autobiography is a rare story of the courage and the conviction of a person holding a position of power and authority, taking on the high and the mighty, refusing to buckle under pressure and do what is unethical and illegal, risking his career time and again. The author had a journey in defiance-fighting relentlessly against the corrupt system. During his two decades long tenure, he had to quite often face ‘the trials by fire’ in order to secure his college with a solid foundation of perennial values, transparency and commitment to truth. The autobiography is in four parts. Part I- Blissful ignorance- narrates the life of a rustic village boy and how he transformed. Part II- Awakening- is about the author’s struggle to find meaning and purpose for existence and becoming a teacher by accident. Part III- Rise- is regarding his appointment as the Principal, the conspiracy to scuttle the appointment and his legal battles. Part IV-Turbulence- is about his uninterrupted nerve-racking duel with multiple authorities to reinstate the truth and justice and protect the institution of Principal. And by taking a high moral ground and displaying mental toughness, he weathered a turbulent period of calculated verbal assaults aimed at making him dispirited and crippled. This is the first time that such an autobiography is penned by the Head of any educational institution, giving a gripping account of his torrid times. The book makes an interesting and inspirational reading. It is rich, engaging and very truthful. The heads of educational institutions, particularly the future generation of academic administrators will profit by the book."

While existing accounts of this period have elevated the exploits of the British soldiers on the battlefield to almost legendary status, the operations of the British Expeditionary Force in the dramatic opening campaign of the First World War remain poorly understood. Based on official unit war diaries, as well as personal papers and memoirs of numerous officers, this study sheds significant new light on the retreat from Mons in August 1914, the advance to the River Aisne in September, and the climactic First Battle of Ypres in October and November. In addition, Gardner provides important insights into the ideas and values of British officers in the initial stages of the war. Beyond explaining the conduct of the 1914 campaign, Gardner analyzes the initial stages of the learning curve experienced by British officers as they grappled with an unaccustomed type of warfare, including the unprecedented scale and intensity of the conflict as well as the advent of trench warfare. He also demonstrates the impact of rivalries among senior officers on the operations of the army. As a whole, the study adds depth to our understanding of command in European armies during the First World War.

Bill Graham – Canada’s minister of foreign affairs and minister of defence during the tumultuous years following 9/11 – takes us on a personal journey from his Vancouver childhood to important behind-the-scenes moments in recent global history. With candour and wit, he recounts meetings with world leaders, contextualizes important geopolitical relationships, and offers acute observations on backstage politics. He explains Canada’s decision not to participate in the 2003 invasion of Iraq and makes a passionate case for why international law offers the best hope for a safer, more prosperous, and just world.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1868.

The author describes his coming of age as a teacher, storyteller, and writer, a personal journey during which he spent fifteen years finding his voice in the classroom, and came to terms with the undervalued importance of teaching.

In 1662, Amy Denny and Rose Cullender were accused of witchcraft, and, in one of the most important of such cases in England, stood trial and were hanged in Bury St Edmunds. A Trial of Witches is a complete account of this sensational trial and an analysis of the court procedures, and the larger social, cultural and political concerns of the period. In a critique of the official process, the book details how the erroneous conclusions of the trial were achieved. The authors consider the key participants in the case, including the judge and medical witness, their institutional importance, their part in the fate of the women and their future careers. Through detailed research of primary sources, the authors explore the important implications of this case for the understanding of hysteria, group mentality, social forces and the witchcraft phenomenon as a whole.

Lady Hyegyong's memoirs, which recount the chilling murder of her husband by his father, form one of the best known and most popular classics of Korean literature. From 1795 until 1805 Lady Hyegyong composed this masterpiece, depicting a court life Shakespearean in its pathos, drama, and grandeur. Presented in its social, cultural, and historical contexts, this first complete English translation opens a door into a world teeming with conflicting passions, political intrigue, and the daily preoccupations of a deeply intelligent and articulate woman. JaHyun Kim Haboush's accurate, fluid translation captures the intimate and expressive voice of this consummate storyteller. Reissued nearly twenty years after its initial publication with a new foreword by Dorothy Ko, The Memoirs of Lady Hyegyong is a unique exploration of Korean selfhood and an extraordinary example of autobiography in the premodern era.