The Unexpected Revolution

'History as you've never seen it before.' Dan Snow 'A wonderful, eclectic and entertaining history of everything, full of fascinating, surprising stories.' Suzannah Lipscomb Did you know that the history of the beard is connected to the Crimean War; that the history of paperclips is all about the Stasi; and that the history of bubbles is all about the French Revolution? And who knew that Heinrich Himmler, Tutankhamun and the history of needlework are linked to napalm and Victorian orphans? In Histories of the Unexpected, Sam Willis and James Daybell lead us on a journey of discovery that tackles some of the greatest historical themes - from the Tudors to the Second World War, from the Roman Empire to the Victorians - but via entirely unexpected subjects. By taking this revolutionary approach, they not only present a new way of thinking about the past, but also reveal the everyday world around us as never before.

The United States of America stands on the precipice of a New American Revolution which will either end our nation as we currently know it or propel us to new heights. Living among us is a remarkable group of revolutionaries, all Millennials, who are tasked with saving and restoring this great nation. Reminiscent of Founding Fathers George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, these God-called young men and women also share commonalities with Martin Luther and Bible heroes Moses, Gideon, David, Daniel, Esther and Nehemiah. Phill Bettis reveals how these emerging leaders will challenge and question almost everything as they begin an incredible journey toward reemergence of personal responsibility, genuine leadership and discovering God again. These unexpected leaders will face daunting challenges as many in the United States are close to giving up on our economy and political environment. Negativity abounds in the media, and instead of being united, citizens are rapidly choosing sides and asking if there is any way to turn America back to the great nation she once was. Full of encouragement and unabashed reality, The Little Book of Annoying Questions seeks to inject a healthy dose of optimism into our public discourse. Bettis pulls no punches, asking difficult questions that force one to confront the issues of our day. Questions posed to our institutions and to us are simultaneously uncomfortable and inspiring. Those questions reveal a remarkable path to preserve our legacy of freedom and American exceptionalism. Timely and compelling, The Little Book of Annoying Questions opens the door to conversations necessary to save the heart and soul of the United States.

The story of an unexpected hero The Last Communard offers a brilliant, striking portrait of revolutionary Europe through a remarkable personal story. In 1871, Adrien Lejeune fought on the barricades of the Paris Commune. He was imprisoned for treason when the Commune fell and narrowly avoided execution for his role in the struggle for a new future. In later life, he immigrated to Soviet Russia, finding fame as a revolutionary icon. In his native country, he was vaunted as a hero, a touchstone of revolutions past during France’s interwar dramas. Abandoned by the Soviet regime, he languished, fortunes foundering, in Russia. Having led a long and extraordinary life, he died in Siberia in 1942 while fleeing Moscow as the Nazi armies swept across western Russia. It was another thirty years before he returned to Paris, his ashes coming to rest in the Communards’ plot of the Père Lachaise cemetery, on the centennial of the uprising, a symbol of France’s undying radical tradition. Gavin Bowd’s stunning narrative shows how an individual can be swept up in the fierce tides of history, and at the same time be defined by his own efforts to force those tides into a different, and better, course. Lejeune’s life captures war and revolution in a tumultuous period of European history.

Facing the Unexpected presents the wealth of information derived from disasters around the world over the past 25 years. The authors explore how these findings can improve disaster programs, identify remaining research needs, and discuss disaster within the broader context of sustainable development. How do different people think about disaster? Are we more likely to panic or to respond with altruism? Why are 110 people killed in a Valujet crash considered disaster victims while the 50,000 killed annually in traffic accidents in the U.S. are not? At the crossroads of social, cultural, and economic factors, this book examines these and other compelling questions. The authors review the influences that shape the U.S. governmental system for disaster planning and response, the effectiveness of local emergency agencies, and the level of professionalism in the field. They also compare technological versus natural disaster and examine the impact of technology on disaster programs.

Since the Cultural Revolution, data have been uncovered to illuminate that tumultuous decade. In this volume 13 scholars examine the gap between the ideology of the Revolution and the harsh and contradictory reality of its outcome. They focus particularly on the violence, coercion, and constant tension between the need for centralization to enforce policies and the need for decentralizing decision-making if those goals were to be achieved.

Explains how bold efforts at profound progressive change provoked a powerful reactionary backlash that led to the imposition of brutal, regressive dictatorships.