Описание: *Includes pictures *Includes historic accounts of the Countess' life and crimes *Includes footnotes, online resources, and a bibliography for further reading *Includes a table of contents "She didn't fear death because inside herself, she didn't conceive it as a common destiny, although she had seen it several times, although it had upset her so many times. Death is what happens to others, to the weak ones, she might have thought in her delirious blindness. As far as the physical pains and punishments were concerned, these had been exciting her ever since she was a child." - Javier Garcia Sanchez, Contesa Dracula Erzs bet B thory The legends of vampires like Dracula have generated massive interest throughout time. Indeed, the story of a man (in some versions a very handsome, dashing man), who feeds on the blood of virgins in order to survive, and who walks the earth only at night, has been revived throughout the centuries in different forms. However, one famous tale that has been lost among the legends is the story of a female Dracula, an educated woman from a well-known family of 16th century Hungary who was so afraid to lose her beauty and young looks that she engaged in dangerous practices, combining witchcraft with exsanguination. Countess Elizabeth B thory is this female Dracula. She is said to have drained the blood of approximately 600 young women, in order to drink it, spread it all over her body as a nurturing blend, or simply to bathe in it. Her preferences for such practices can be explained by several factors, including the practices of the time as far as torture was concerned, her genetic heritage, personal madness, and the fear of fading beauty. Despite the general impression that B thory was exsanguinating these girls and bathing in their blood, it appears that she did much more. Sources indicate that most of the girls had been beaten, tortured, and even forced into particular sexual activities. Regardless, her attempts to do anything to keep her beauty apparently went for naught, because upon her death, B thory was no longer the beautiful and young woman she desired to be. In essence, it seems that all her criminal efforts had been in vain. Based on her behavior and the reactions to it throughout time, it is virtually impossible to set Erzs bet B thory in a character typology. On one hand, she could be considered a bored wife left alone by her husband for long periods of time, time that she used to develop passions for same-sex relations and an acute interest in inflicting pain on her victims. She might be seen as a mentally unstable person who found great joy in torturing others. Perhaps most disturbing of all, there's a possibility that the countess was a common character within the nobility of the 16th century who was acting normally based on the customs and norms of her era. Adding to the mystery of the story is that historical records are still mostly inaccessible because of the language barriers (most historical sources are in Hungarian). As a result, researchers interested in her life story and history usually rely on a limited number of available sources, such as biographies, articles, published letters said to have belonged to her, and scholarly articles on the topic. Countess Elizabeth Bathory: The Life and Legacy of History's Most Prolific Female Serial Killer details the mysterious and sordid history of one of the world's first and worst serial killers. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about Countess Bathory like never before, in no time at all.
Автор: Charles River Editors Название: The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World ISBN: 149288457X ISBN-13(EAN): 9781492884576 Издательство: Неизвестно Цена: 1248.00 р. Наличие на складе: Есть у поставщика Поставка под заказ.
Описание: *Includes pictures *Includes a bibliography for further reading On New Year's Day 1993, Czechoslovakia broke into two separate countries, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Thus ended one of the creations brought about by the Treaty of Versailles after World War I, and as a country that had existed for just under 75 years, Czechoslovakia spent most of its time under the tyranny of fascism or communism. Of course, the country's origins go back far longer than the 1910s, and they were complex and convoluted. The very geography of central Europe meant this territory had been conquered and occupied many times over the course of history, and for much of the modern era, the area belonged to much larger empires, including the Holy Roman Empire, the Austrian Habsburg Empire, and finally the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Nevertheless, two distinct ethnicities had come to make up the bulk of the territory's inhabitants: the Czechs, predominantly in the areas of Bohemia and Moravia, and the Slovaks, in Slovakia. Both peoples had their own Slavic-based languages, but the languages were similar enough to be mutually intelligible. Despite any ethnic similarities, the country that formed in 1918 among the ashes of the Austro-Hungarian Empire was by no means a "nation-state" as most people understand that term. In fact, much of the territory which bordered Germany was inhabited by ethnic German speakers, including one of Prague's most famous sons, the writer Franz Kafka. One of the 20th century's most celebrated authors spoke German as his first language. As such, the lands that became Czechoslovakia had usually existed in some kind of supranational system where identity was allowed to be relatively fluid. Czechoslovakia would also play a crucial role in bringing about World War II, a sign that the area's nationalism, which ultimately split Czechoslovakia apart in 1993, had long spelled danger in a place where so many groups competed for power. The presence of German speakers would serve as a pretext for Hitler's acquisition of the Sudetenland, creating a crisis ahead of history's deadliest war and serving as a harbinger of things to come. The Dissolution of Czechoslovakia: The History of the Central European Nation from Its Founding to Its Breakup examines how the multicultural nation was founded, the inherent tensions there, and how it eventually came apart. Along with pictures of important people and places, you will learn about Czechoslovakia like never before.
Автор: Charles River Editors Название: Decisive Moments in History: D-Day & Operation Overlord ISBN: 1978487428 ISBN-13(EAN): 9781978487420 Издательство: Неизвестно Цена: 1404.00 р. Наличие на складе: Есть у поставщика Поставка под заказ.
Описание: *Includes over 25 pictures of important people, places, and events, including generals, maps, and each of the 5 landing beaches. *Includes a Bibliography for further reading. "The invasion of Europe was planned by a small group of driving, determined, devoted and occasionally furious men." In the 19th century, the Scottish writer Thomas Carlyle famously wrote, "The history of the world is but the biography of great men", popularizing the "Great Man" theory that the course of history is shaped by a select few heroic individuals. While historians and others continue to debate the accuracy of the Great Man theory of history, there is no question that the course of history is permanently altered by decisive moments in time, where a different result would have produced drastically different outcomes. During World War II, the free world literally hung in the balance, with the Axis and Allies engaging in warfare on an unprecedented scale. Although Hitler's Nazi Germany had overrun much of the European continent by 1940, the Allies began to reverse the momentum in 1942. By the end of 1943, with Allied forces firmly established in Italy and the Soviets on the verge of turning the tide in Russia, the British and Americans began to plot the invasion that would liberate Europe from the Nazis. In the first half of 1944, the Americans and British commenced a massive buildup of men and resources in the United Kingdom, while Allied Supreme Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower and military brass planned the details of an enormous and complex amphibious invasion of Europe. Though the Allies used misinformation to try deceiving the Germans, the most obvious place for an invasion was just across the narrow English Channel, and the Germans had built coastal fortifications throughout France to protect against just such an invasion. The invasion across the Channel came in the early morning hours of June 6, 1944. That day, forever known as D-Day, the Allies commenced Operation Overlord by staging the largest and most complex amphibious invasion in human history. The complex operation would require tightly coordinated naval and air bombardment, paratroopers, and even inflatable tanks, all while landing over 150,000 men across 50 miles of French beaches. Given the incredibly complex plan, it's no surprise that General Eisenhower had already written a letter apologizing for the failure of the invasion before launching it, a letter he carried in his coat pocket on that decisive day. Decisive Moments in History: D-Day & Operation Overlord covers the strategic situation and the logistics that went into the buildup, the invasion on each beach, and the aftermath and legacy of the day that eventually guaranteed the liberation of Paris and victory in Europe. Along with pictures of the important people, places, and events of that fateful day, you will learn about D-Day like you never have before, in no time at all.
