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The political map of Eastern Europe changed dramatically in December 1991 when the leaders of Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine huddled together in a Bielavieza Forest retreat and decided to dissolve the 15 union republics, which composed the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). One of those republics was the Belorussian Soviet Socialist Republic (BSSR). A United Nations member since 1945, Belarus has a rich cultural heritage that is seen as a promising base for the development of a solid national identity and for real independence. It is this cultural heritage and sense of history that nourish the ongoing efforts of the nationalist minority, as well as the larger democratic opposition, to resist the regime of President Alaksandr Luka?enka who is bent on restoring ties to Russia. Thus Belarus, with its burdens of the past and potential for the future, finds itself in a struggle that will affect not only its own destiny, but also the international structure of Eastern Europe.The A to Z of Belarus-through its chronology, introductory essays, appendixes, map, bibliography, and hundreds of cross-referenced dictionary entries on important persons, places, events, and institutions and significant political, economic, social, and cultural aspects-traces Belarus' history and provides a compass for the direction the country is heading.

Few religious traditions have generated such diversity and stirred imaginations as shamanism. In their engagements with other worlds, shamans have conversed with animals and ancestors and have been empowered with the knowledge to heal patients, advise hunters, and curse enemies. Still other shamans, aided by rhythmic music or powerful plant helpers, undertake journeys into different realities where their actions negotiate harmony between human and other than human communities. Once relegated to paintings on cave walls, today Shamanism can be seen in performances at rave clubs and psychotherapeutic clinics.The A to Z of Shamanism has the duel task of exploring the common ground of shamanic traditions and evaluating the diversity of both traditional indigenous communities and individual Western seekers. This is done in an introduction, a bibliography, a chronology, and hundreds of cross-referenced dictionary entries, which explore the consistent features of a variety of shamans, the purposes shamanism serves, the function and activities of the shaman, and the cultural contexts in which they make sense.

The A to Z of Slovakia offers an up to date series of cross-referenced dictionary entries on Slovak political, social, and economic development since the creation of the second Slovak Republic in 1993 until its admission into the European Union in 2004. It includes all of the political actors: the presidents, prime ministers, and party leaders, and many leading academics and cultural personalities, including those from the national minorities. It also contains entries on the various institutions of the Slovak Republic like the judiciary, the armed forces, the media, and parliamentary committees as well as entries that explain Slovakia's position and role in international organizations like NATO and the European Union. The historical survey explains how Slovakia, in its post-Communist transformation, was almost excluded, but in the end became a full member of these two institutions.

The A to Z of United States-Southeast Asia Relations identifies the key issues, individuals, and events in the history of U.S.-Southeast Asia relations and places them in the context of the complex and dynamic regional strategic, political, and economic processes that have fashioned the American role in Southeast Asia. This is done through a chronology, a bibliography, an introductory essay, appendixes, and several hundred cross-referenced dictionary entries on key persons, places, events, institutions, and organizations.

The Middle Ages is often viewed as a period of low intellectual achievement. The name itself refers to the time between the high philosophical and literary accomplishments of the Greco-Roman world and the technological advances that were achieved and philosophical and theological alternatives that were formulated in the modern world that followed. However, having produced such great philosophers as Anselm, Peter Abelard, John Duns Scotus, William of Ockham, Peter Lombard, and the towering Thomas Aquinas, it hardly seems fair to label the medieval period as such.Examining the influence of ancient Greek philosophy as well as of the Arabian and Hebrew scholars who transmitted it, The A to Z of Medieval Philosophy and Theology presents the philosophy of the Christian West from the 9th to the early 17th century. This is accomplished through a chronology, an introduction, appendixes, a bibliography, and hundreds of cross-referenced dictionary entries on the philosophers, concepts, issues, institutions, and events, making this an important reference for the study of the progression of human thought.

It can be argued that cinema was created in France by Louis Lumi_re in 1895 with the invention of the cinZmatographe, the first true motion-picture camera and projector. While there were other cameras and devices invented earlier that were capable of projecting intermittent motion of images, the cinZmatographe was the first device capable of recording and externally projecting images in such a way as to convey motion. Early films such as Lumi_re's La Sortie de l'usine, a minute-long film of workers leaving the Lumi_re factory, captured the imagination of the nation and quickly inspired the likes of Georges MZli_s, Alice Guy, and Charles PathZ. Through the years, French cinema has been responsible for producing some of the world's best directors_Jean Renoir, Jean-Luc Godard, Fran_ois Truffaut, and Louis Malle_and actors_Charles Boyer, Catherine Deneuve, GZrard Depardieu, and Audrey Tautou. The A to Z of French Cinema covers the history of French film from the silent era to the present in a concise and up to date volume detailing the development of French cinema and major theoretical and cultural issues related to it. This is done through a chronology, an introduction, photographs, a bibliography, and hundreds of cross-referenced dictionary entries on many of the major actors, directors, films, movements, producers, and studios associated with French cinema. Going beyond mere biographical information, entries also discuss the impact and significance of each individual, film, movement, or studio included. This detailed, scholarly analysis of the development of film in France is useful to both the novice and the expert alike.

The A to Z of Israeli Intelligence provides detailed information on the various agencies, operations, important leaders and operatives, and special aspects of tradecraft through a chronology, an introduction, a dictionary full of cross-referenced entries, and a bibliography suggesting further reading.

This book provides a comprehensive work of reference for people interested in the Vikings, including entries on the main historical figures involved in this dramatic period, important battles and treaties, significant archaeological finds, and key works and sources of information on the period. It also summarizes the impact the Vikings had on the areas where they traveled and settled. There is a chronological table, detailed and annotated bibliographies for different themes and geographical locations, and an introduction discussing the major events and developments of the Viking age.

Horror is one of the most enduring and controversial of all cinematic genres. Horror films range from the subtle and the poetic to the graphic and the gory but what links them all is their ability to frighten, disturb, shock, provoke, delight, irritate, amuse, and bemuse audiences. Horrors capacity to serve as an outlet to capture the changing patterns of our fears and anxieties has ensured not only its notoriety but also its long-term survival and its international popularity. Above all, however, it is the audiences continual desire to experience new frights and evermore-horrifying sights that continue to make films like The Exorcist, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, Night of the Living Dead, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Psycho, Ringu, and The Shining captivate viewers.The A to Z of Horror Cinema traces the development of horror cinema from the beginning of the 20th century to the present day. This is done through a chronology, an introductory essay, a bibliography, and hundreds of cross-referenced dictionary entries. Entries cover all the major movie villains, including Frankenstein and his monster, the vampire, the werewolf, the mummy, the zombie, the ghost, and the serial killer; the film directors, producers, writers, actors, cinematographers, make-up artists, special effects technicians, and composers who have helped to shape horror history; significant production companies and the major films that have come to stand as milestones in the development of the horror genre; and the different national traditions in horror cinema as well as horrors most popular themes, formats, conventions, and cycles.

On October 31, 1517, the German Priest Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses challenging the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church on the door of the church in Wittenberg. It is widely held that this act triggered the large exodus from the Catholic Church, which became known as the Protestant Reformation. Lutheranism, one of the many Protestant movements that were spawned as a result of this revolution, is largely founded on the teachings and writings of Martin Luther.The A to Z of Lutheranism sheds light on the many and varied concerns of the church, from its earliest manifestations in the 16th century to recent decisions at the turn of the 20th century. This is accomplished through a chronology, an introduction, a bibliography, an appendix, and hundreds of cross-referenced dictionary entries on important persons, major events and institutions, the theology and ethics, significant concepts, and the broader social, cultural, and economic impact of Lutheranism and its worldwide expansion.

Those unfamiliar with the prehistory of North America have a general perception of the cultures of the continent that includes Native Americans living in tipis, wearing feathered headdresses and buckskin clothing, and following migratory bison herds on the Great Plains. Although these practices were part of some Native American societies, they do not adequately represent the diversity of cultural practices by the overwhelming majority of Native American peoples. Media misrepresentations shaped by television and movies along with a focus on select regions and periods in the history of the United States have produced an extremely distorted view of the indigenous inhabitants of the continent and their cultures. The indigenous populations of North America created impressive societies, engaged in trade, and had varied economic, social, and religious cultures. Over the past century, archaeological and ethnological research throughout all regions of North America has revealed much about the indigenous peoples of the continent. This book examines the long and complex history of human occupation in North America, covering its distinct culture as well as areas of the Arctic, California, Eastern Woodlands, Great Basin, Great Plains, Northwest Coast, Plateau, Southwest, and Subarctic. Complete with maps, a chronology that spans the history from 11,000 B.C. to A.D. 1850, an introductory essay, more than 700 dictionary entries, and a comprehensive bibliography, this reference is a valuable tool for scholars and students. An appendix of museums that have North American collections and a listing of archaeological sites that allow tours by the public also make this an accessible guide to the interested lay reader and high school student.

This work presents an overview of the Inuit peoples of the Circumpolar North. Unlike other works that focus on traditional Inuit cultures, this work documents the social, political, and economic history of Inuit as part of a globalized world. The work contains information on traditional Inuit cultures, but with special emphasis placed on the recent history of Inuit communities. More than 450 dictionary entries cover issues of society, economy, and politics; influential educators, writers, environmentalists, and politicians; and the many voluntary associations and governmental agencies that have played a role in Inuit history. The introductory essay, chronology, and well-developed bibliography make this an ideal reference source for the researcher or student.

The A to Z of the Kurds covers the largest nation on Earth that does not have its own independent state. Scholars, government officials who are dealing with the Middle East and the Kurds, the news media, as well as the general reader will find this an accessible historical account about a people who are becoming increasingly important for the future of the geostrategic Middle East. Maps, a chronology of Kurdish history, an introductory essay on the Kurds, a dictionary containing several hundred entries on various aspects of the Kurdish experience, and an extensive bibliography comprise this volume.

The decline of institutionalized religion in the increasingly secularized West has been offset by the contemporary spiritual development understood in the form of emerging New Age movements. This reference presents the potpourri of spiritual and psycho-physical therapeutic practices associated with this affirmation of the individual's spiritual freedom, the expectation of a future golden age, the emphasis on self-development, and the holistic pluralism that sets the dominant pulse for innovative spirituality in the twenty-first century. The A to Z of New Age Movements furnishes profiles and explanations of New Age spokespeople and leaders, of a range of human potential and self-help practices, of countercultural spiritual developments, and of different groups and organizations that identify as New Age. The dictionary consists of over 240 individual entries along with an introduction that describes the historical foundations of the New Age orientation and its relation with contemporary Western paganism. It also presents the sociological dimension of New Age expression, as well as the kinds of criticism with which the New Age identity must contend. There is both a New Age Chronology and a bibliography also included.

During the late 11th through the early 14th centuries at least seven major expeditions were made between Western Europe and the Holy Land with the goal of ending Muslim control of Jerusalem. Ultimately the crusaders were driven out, but not before a cultural exchange had taken place that had an immense impact on Western Europe and an equally enormous, albeit less positive, impact on Arabs and the Islamic world. Although the crusades occurred many centuries ago, echoes still resound through the current clashes of nations and ideologies, kidnappings for ransom, assassinations, and the declaring of 'jihad'_all making the crusades an eminently timely subject. This one-volume overview provides an accessible reference work for scholars, students, and general readers on the period with numerous entries on key persons, places, events, battles and sieges, use of weapons and armor, and the deeper issues of the political and cultural background. Complete with a detailed chronology and a bibliography, this work allows readers to learn how Europe was changed forever by these battles with Islam.

This volume examines significant individuals and developments in American political, economic, social, and cultural history between the years 1913 and 1933. It was a time of momentous change including involvement in World War I, the Red Scare, the Jazz Age, the Crash of 1929, and the onset of the Great Depression. It covers the presidencies of Woodrow Wilson, Warren G. Harding, Calvin Coolidge, and Herbert Hoover and the shift from reformism to conservatism. Prohibition and gangsterism symbolized the apparent failure of politics. The A to Z from the Great War to the Great Depression covers this important period in American history with a chronology, an introductory essay, a bibliography, and hundreds of cross-referenced dictionary entries on everything from automobiles, chemicals, and electrical goods, to mass entertainment and the rise of Hollywood, radio, and sport.

During the 1970s and 1980s, national-security regimes in Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay declared war on suspected subversives, carrying out campaigns of mass human rights violations. The A to Z of the "Dirty Wars" describes the period, including the background and aftermath.

The Lesbian Liberation Movement is both a movement that encompasses liberating a sexual practice from stigmatization and a political movement challenging the dual oppression of women by the patriarchy's assumption of male supremacy and heterosexuality. Over the years, much has been written on homosexuality and the Gay Liberation Movement, yet much of the focus has been on male homosexuals, especially male homosexual activity and the politics that activity raises. The A to Z of the Lesbian Liberation Movement: Still the Rage is a comprehensive overview and resource guide for one of the most invisible social political movements: the Lesbian Liberation Movement. This book helps to make the still-active movement visible_the history, successes, setbacks, controversies, and issues. This book is a good resource for those studying this social political movement, containing a chronology, contextual overview, dictionary entries that cover persons, laws, terminology, issues, and countries, and an extensive bibliography of primary resources and current work.

Although relatively few in number-there are only a few hundred thousand members worldwide-the Religious Society of Friends has had an unusually strong impact. Originating in Great Britain in the 17th century, the denomination has since expanded to many other parts of the world while its spiritual influence has reached even further. Concepts such as the 'inward light' and 'friendly persuasion' are familiar well beyond their own circles and others have often heeded the Quakers' call for cooperation and peaceful resolution of problems as the wisest counsel.

Film lovers all over the world are familiar with the masterpieces of Eisenstein and Tarkovsky. These directors'' unique achievements were embedded in a powerful process that began under Russia''s last tsar and underwent several periods of blossoming: the bourgeois cinema in the 1910s, the revolutionary avant-garde in the 1920s, the Thaw in the 1950s, and the awakening of national cinemas in the 1960s and 1970s. The A to Z of Russian and Soviet Cinema is the first reference work of its kind in the English language devoted entirely to the cinema of the Russian Empire, the Soviet Union, and the post-Soviet period, including both the cinematic highlights and the mainstream. The cinemas of the former Soviet republics, including Ukraine, Belarus, Armenia, Georgia, Lithuania, and Latvia, are also represented with their most influential artists. Through a chronology, an introduction essay, a bibliography, and over 500 cross-referenced dictionary entries on filmmakers, performers, cinematographers, composers, producers, studios, genres, and outstanding films, this reference work covers the history of Russian and Soviet filmmaking from 1896 to 2007.

The French Revolution remains the most examined event and period in world history. Most historians would argue that it was the first "e;modern"e; revolution, an event so momentous that it changed the very meaning of the word revolution to its current connotation of a political and/or social upheaval that marks a decisive break with the past, moving the society in a forward or progressive direction. No revolution has occurred since 1789 without making reference to this first revolution, and most have been measured against it. When revolution shook the foundations of the Old Regime in France, shock waves reverberated throughout the western world.The A to Z of the French Revolution examines the causes and origins; the roles of significant persons; crucial events and turning points; important institutions and organizations; and the economic, social, and intellectual factors involved in the event that gave birth to the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen, the introduction of universal manhood suffrage, and the Napoleonic Empire. An introductory essay, chronology, and comprehensive bibliography complement the more than 400 cross-referenced dictionary entries, making this a great resource for students and history enthusiasts alike.

Byzantium was one of the greatest empires that ever existed. It reigned over extensive regions around the Mediterranean and in Eastern Europe from its founding by Constantine in 324 to the fall of Constantinople in 1453. During this period, its emperors had not only secular powers but also religious, dominating the Orthodox church that spread into Slavic lands.

The history, religion, culture, and archeology that this rivalry has sparked between the Arabs and Israelis over the same piece of territory is traced in this book, which offers the essential details using neutral terms and thereby allowing readers to draw conclusions for themselves.

Alongside the older and more established religions, there are hundreds, indeed, thousands more, which have recently emerged. These 'new religious movements' or NRMs_for lack of a better name_are not only numerous, they are also extremely varied and stem from a wide array of sources.

Consisting of 192 Member States, the United Nations was founded in 1945 to maintain international peace and security; to develop friendly relations among nations based on the respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples; to achieve international cooperation in solving problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character; and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion. Just how successful the UN has been in maintaining these goals is covered in The A to Z of the United Nations. Author Jacques Fomerand provides a comprehensive dictionary of nearly 900 cross-referenced entries on the UN's various committees and organizations, its leaders, terms, policies, and major events in which the UN took part. Supplementing the dictionary entries are a chronology, an introduction, a bibliography, and appendixes, which include a reproduction of the UN's Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as well as a list of the Member States and when they joined.

Contrary to many assessments that immediately followed the end of the 1991 Persian Gulf War, that war was neither short nor decisive. The 1991 conflict was the dramatic manifestation of long-standing antagonisms among the principal participants, and its results continue to have a profound effect on the region, a fact that can be seen most clearly in the current U.S.-occupation of Iraq. It is therefore important to determine, on the diplomatic side, just how the war got started, how it was fought, and whether the dramatic ground campaign should have exceeded the mere hundred hours it lasted in order to bring about a more decisive conclusion.With the seemingly endless follow-up to the war continuing, The A to Z of the Persian Gulf War 1990-1991 draws together the results of assessments of the war by a multitude of commentators. This is accomplished through an introduction, a chronology, a list of acronyms and abbreviations, a bibliography, appendixes, and hundreds of cross-referenced dictionary entries on many of the significant civilian and military persons, crucial diplomatic and political actions, as well as the essential military aspects, including the strategy and tactics, the encounters and battles, and the forces and weapons deployed by both sides. As the situation in the Middle East continues to deteriorate, this reference provides an important historical perspective on an increasingly critical issue.

Few periods have given civilization such a strong impulse as the Renaissance, which started in Italy and then spread to the rest of Europe. During its brief epoch, most vigorously from the fourteen to the sixteenth centuries, Europe reached back to Ancient Greece and Rome, and pushed ahead in numerous fields: art, architecture, literature, philosophy, banking, commerce, religion, politics, and warfare. This era is inundated with famous names (Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, Petrarch, Machiavelli, Cervantes, and Shakespeare), and the heritage it left can hardly be overestimated.The A to Z of the Renaissance provides information on these fields through its chronology, which traces events from 1250 to 1648, and its introduction delineating the underlying features of the period. However, it is the dictionary section, with hundreds of cross-referenced entries on famous persons (from Adrian to Zwingli), key locations, supporting political and social institutions, wars, religious reformations, achievements, and failures, which is the heart of this book. Further research is facilitated by the bibliography.

Covering an extensive period and much of the globe, this dictionary presents a year-by-year chronology and alphabetical entries on civilian and military leaders, crucial countries and peripheral conflicts, the increasingly lethal weapons systems, and the various political and military strategies.

The Korean War was the first pitched battle between the communist forces and a coalition of the United Nations. While it was not the last such war in Asia, it did stem the tide in East Asia and permitted South Korea to prosper while North Korea decayed. Dictionary entries summarize the significance of the persons, places, organizations, military operations, battles, weaponry, and other elements of the war.