This book argues that the Knights of Labour in Ontario, traditionally viewed as an outlier to the mainstream labour movement, had a huge impact on claThis book argues that the Knights of Labour in Ontario, traditionally viewed as an outlier to the mainstream labour movement, had a huge impact on class-consciousness in 19th century Canada....more
This and An Actor Prepares and Building a Character are not academic books on theatre history. But they are far too important and influential to ignorThis and An Actor Prepares and Building a Character are not academic books on theatre history. But they are far too important and influential to ignore. In the Actor Prepares Trilogy, Stanislavski defines acting as a very serious activity requiring immense discipline and integrity. He lays out a system for acting that demands a kind of psychological realism that was rarely seen in pre-19th Century acting styles. It is common for teachers of acting to regard the works of Stanislavski as the beginning of the modern era in terms of how young theatre artists are trained....more
This and An Actor Prepares and Creating a Role are not academic books on theatre history. But they are far too important and influential to ignore. InThis and An Actor Prepares and Creating a Role are not academic books on theatre history. But they are far too important and influential to ignore. In the Actor Prepares Trilogy, Stanislavski defines acting as a very serious activity requiring immense discipline and integrity. He lays out a system for acting that demands a kind of psychological realism that was rarely seen in pre-19th Century acting styles. It is common for teachers of acting to regard the works of Stanislavski as the beginning of the modern era in terms of how young theatre artists are trained....more
This and Building a Character and Creating a Role) are not academic books on theatre history. But they are far too important and influential to ignoreThis and Building a Character and Creating a Role) are not academic books on theatre history. But they are far too important and influential to ignore. In the Actor Prepares Trilogy, Stanislavski defines acting as a very serious activity requiring immense discipline and integrity. He lays out a system for acting that demands a kind of psychological realism that was rarely seen in pre-19th Century acting styles. It is common for teachers of acting to regard the works of Stanislavski as the beginning of the modern era in terms of how young theatre artists are trained....more
A rare translated text by a Japanese historian, showing perspectives of the common Japanese of the war. This book received a fairly controversial rep A rare translated text by a Japanese historian, showing perspectives of the common Japanese of the war. This book received a fairly controversial reputation in Japan after several attempts by the Ministry of Education to censor certain parts. ...more
Discussion of the evolution of the English language in Singapore after independence, related domestic policy, how it affects education, social movemenDiscussion of the evolution of the English language in Singapore after independence, related domestic policy, how it affects education, social movements and chances, and even how it affects foreign policy and international standing in economics and business. It also gives a solid history on the developments of Singapore's economy and political system. Awesome read....more
This book is many years old now, but it remains an important study of late Joseon politics, and in particular the rule of the Daewongun, a de facto reThis book is many years old now, but it remains an important study of late Joseon politics, and in particular the rule of the Daewongun, a de facto regent, in the 1860s and 1870s as well as the three-year period (1873-1876) between the Taewongun's loss of power and the "opening" of Korea. ...more
This book is revisionist, but in a good way. Departing from many traditional viewpoints, Duncan ties the decline of the Goryeo and the rise of the JosThis book is revisionist, but in a good way. Departing from many traditional viewpoints, Duncan ties the decline of the Goryeo and the rise of the Joseon into the Goryeo conflict between the authority of the central bureaucracy and of the local aristocracy and sees continuity between the elite of the two regimes while refuting the claims of a stagnant medieval Korea. Warning: The text is not the easiest read for those not well acquainted with the history of the epoch....more
This book is an important work of social history that explores how the introduction and application of Neo-Confucianism changed the life of Koreans onThis book is an important work of social history that explores how the introduction and application of Neo-Confucianism changed the life of Koreans on a more everyday level and borrows from anthropology....more
This book is a study of the Japan House of Busan during Tokugawa Japan and late Joseon Korea, and how contacts between Koreans and Japanese created anThis book is a study of the Japan House of Busan during Tokugawa Japan and late Joseon Korea, and how contacts between Koreans and Japanese created an interconnected economy in southeastern Korea and southwestern Japan. The title is intentional - a "frontier" has different implications from a hard "border"....more
While not the best or the most in-depth text in English on the Taiping Rebellion, Spence's text is probably the most accessible to readers and is the While not the best or the most in-depth text in English on the Taiping Rebellion, Spence's text is probably the most accessible to readers and is the second best available. This is a wonderful piece of work covering the entire rebellion from Hong Xiuquan's early life, to the Taiping ideology, to its battles with the Qing and internal rivalries, and finally to its fall....more
The newest of the three English language books on the Imjin War, Swope writes from a Chinese perspective and uses a lot of Chinese primary sources. ThThe newest of the three English language books on the Imjin War, Swope writes from a Chinese perspective and uses a lot of Chinese primary sources. Though his text has been criticized for providing flawed information, as a military historian, Swope gives an excellent account of the capabilities of the Ming military. It is best to read The Imjin War: Japan's Sixteenth-Century Invasion of Korea and Attempt to Conquer China, Samurai Invasion: Japan's Korean War 1592 -1598, and Swope together....more
The second of the three books on the Imjin War, Turnbull writes from a mostly Japanese perspective. His book tends to favor the Japanese over the MingThe second of the three books on the Imjin War, Turnbull writes from a mostly Japanese perspective. His book tends to favor the Japanese over the Ming and the Koreans....more
One of the three main English accounts of the Imjin War, perhaps the only thing that comes close to a "world war" in East Asia. This is not the most cOne of the three main English accounts of the Imjin War, perhaps the only thing that comes close to a "world war" in East Asia. This is not the most comprehensive text on the war but it gives an excellent introduction. Hawley uses mostly Korean sources for this book and writes from a Korean perspective, so the book does suffer from a pro-Korean bias....more