If he had not invaded Sicily and Naples, we in the north would have the richest and most civilized state in Europe.' After looking cautiously round the room he added in an even lower voice, 'Of course to the south we would have a neighbour like Egypt.''Was the elderly Italian right? The Pursuit of Italy traces the whole history of the Italian peninsula in a wonderfully readable style, full of well-chosen stories and observations from personal experience, and peopled by many of the great figures of the Italian past, from Cicero and Virgil to Dante and the Medici, from Cavour and Verdi to the controversial political figures of the twentieth century. The book gives a clear-eyed view of the Risorgimento, the pivotal event in modern Italian history, debunking the influential myths which have grown up around it.Gilmour shows that the glory of Italy has always lain in its regions, with their distinctive art, civic cultures, identities and cuisine. The regions produced the medieval communes and the Renaissance, the Venetian Republic and the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, two of the most civilized states of European history. Their inhabitants identified themselves not as Italians, but as Tuscans and Venetians, Sicilians and Lombards, Neapolitans and Genoese. This is where the strength and culture of Italy still comes from, rather than from misconceived and mishandled concepts of nationalism and unity.This wise and enormously engaging book explains the course of Italian history in a manner and with a coherence which no one with an interest in the country could fail to enjoy.

    It includes a full account of Tolkien the linguist, as well as telling how to write all the languages, with guides to grammar and pronunciation, and a complete dictionary of the fourteen languages.Here is a book to deepen and enhance our enjoyment of those classics of Middle-earth, The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Ruth Noel teaches remedial and developmental reading in Riverside, California. She is the author of The Mythology of Middle-earth, on the relation between The Lord of the Rings and European myth in general. "The author is convincing and fascinating as she connects Tolkien's fantasies with the hallowed myths of other cultures." - Publishers Weekly

    It provides a comprehensive, accessible, and jargon-free guide to the forms and structures of Spanish as it is currently spoken and written in Spain and Latin America. Extensive examples are used to illustrate grammatical points, many from contemporary sources in both Spain and the Americas that highlight, where appropriate, differences in regional usage. Levels of usage (formal, colloquial, familiar, and popular) are specified, so that the importance of context in the use of language is recognized. This new edition has been updated throughout; it is the first grammar in English that incorporates the findings of the exhaustive new descriptive grammar of the Royal Spanish Academy (Gramatica descriptive de la lengua espanola, 5300pp). The 4th edition is also more accessible to students; complex explanations have been simplified and clarified, and a glossary of grammatical terms has been added to aid students.

    The rich culture and varied countryside of Italy has attracted and inspired artists and writers through the ages. From the era of the classical "grand tour," when educational visits were made to sites of antiquity on the Apennine peninsula, ever-increasing numbers of tourists have fallen in love with this country. The ars vivendi, or style of living, of its vivacious inhabitants has undoubtedly left just as lasting an impression as the treasures of its cultural heritage. For countless visitors, the simple and yet imaginative cuisine of Italy has now come to symbolize that very Italian love of life.We invite you to accompany us on a culinary giro d'Italia, a tour of Italy that begins in the northeast, leads through he Alpine regions to Liguria in the west, then turns south, through Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany, crossing from Calabria to Sicily, and finally ending on the island of Sardinia.In Friuli-Venezia Giulia, we sample ham from San Daniele and admire the largest frico in the world. In Venice and the Veneto, we are invited to drink a glass of prosecco, while in Trentino-Alto Adige we treat ourselves with a snack of home-cured bacon and the local bread specialty. Lombardy tempts us with Milanese salami and pannettone. In Piedmont we get to know the art of making risotto, and in Aosta Valley we find out about a local hard bread and a reviving herb liqueur. Liguria presents is with pesto and the finest olive oil, while Emilia-Romagna provides the products that are emblematic of Italy -- Parma ham, Parmesan, and mortadella. In Tuscany we sample fine wine, in Umbria we go fishing on Lake Trasimeno, and in Marche we stroll along the culinary trail laid by the composer, Rossini. In Lazio, which includes the capital city of Rome, we track down papal cuisine and savor classic pasta dishes. In Abrizzi and Molise, brightly colored confectionary awaits us, in Campania snow-white mozzarella cheese, in Apulia blond wheat, and in Basilisata brilliant red chili peppers. After a robust breakfast in Calabria, we admire deceptively real-looking marzipan fruits in Sicily and catch langoustines off the Sardinian coast.How does the blue mold get into Gorgonzola? Where did ice cream come from, in the days before refrigerators? What is there to tell about the wine of Piedmont? How are tomato preserves made? How does one recognize a genuine balsamic vinegar? What are the marks of quality that help to distinguish genuine products from imitations? What food was eaten in ancient Rome which specialties were served at court during the Middle Ages, and what culinary innovations accompanied the Renaissance? Culinaria italy takes a look behind the scenes and answers these and many other questions of interest to lovers of Italian Cuisine.With 496 pages and 1,294 illustrations, Culinaria Italy shows us not only the food and drink of Italy, but also the country and its people, from its Alpine crest in the north to the tip of its heel in the south. The 386 tried and tested recipes from the various region visited ensure that a treat for the taste buds follows a pleasurable read.

    Wilde. After all, even fluent English speakers can be at sixes and sevens when told to pick up the "dog and bone" or "head to the loo," so they can "spend a penny." Wherever did these peculiar expressions come from?British author Christopher J. Moore made a name for himself on this side of the pond with the sleeper success of his previous book, In Other Words. Now, Moore draws on history, literature, pop culture, and his own heritage to explore the phrases that most embody the British character. He traces the linguistic influence of writers from Chaucer to Shakespeare and Dickens to Wodehouse, and unravels the complexity Brits manage to imbue in seemingly innocuous phrases like "All right." Along the way, Moore reveals the uniquely British origins of some of the English language's more curious sayings. For example: Who is Bob and how did he become your uncle? Why do we refer to powerless politicians as "lame ducks"? How did "posh" become such a stylish word?Part language guide, part cultural study, How to Speak Brit is the perfect addition to every Anglophile's library and an entertaining primer that will charm the linguistic-minded legions.

    It turns out that all the buzz is well earned. I think this is the best book currently available for learning Python. I would recommend Chun's book over Learning Python (O'Reilly), Programming Python (O'Reilly), or The Quick Python Book (Manning)." --David Mertz, Ph.D., IBM DeveloperWorks(R) "I have been doing a lot of research [on] Python for the past year and have seen a number of positive reviews of your book. The sentiment expressed confirms the opinion that Core Python Programming is now considered the standard introductory text." --Richard Ozaki, Lockheed Martin "Finally, a book good enough to be both a textbook and a reference on the Python language now exists." --Michael Baxter, Linux Journal "Very well written. It is the clearest, friendliest book I have come across yet for explaining Python, and putting it in a wider context. It does not presume a large amount of other experience. It does go into some important Python topics carefully and in depth. Unlike too many beginner books, it never condescends or tortures the reader with childish hide-and-seek prose games. [It] sticks to gaining a solid grasp of Python syntax and structure." --http: //python.org bookstore Web site "[If ] I could only own one Python book, it would be Core Python Programming by Wesley Chun. This book manages to cover more topics in more depth than Learning Python but includes it all in one book that also more than adequately covers the core language. [If] you are in the market for just one book about Python, I recommend this book. You will enjoy reading it, including its wry programmer's wit. More importantly, you will learn Python. Even more importantly, you will find it invaluable in helping you in your day-to-day Python programming life. Well done, Mr. Chun!" --Ron Stephens, Python Learning Foundation "I think the best language for beginners is Python, without a doubt. My favorite book is Core Python Programming." --s003apr, MP3Car.com Forums "Personally, I really like Python. It's simple to learn, completely intuitive, amazingly flexible, and pretty darned fast. Python has only just started to claim mindshare in the Windows world, but look for it to start gaining lots of support as people discover it. To learn Python, I'd start with Core Python Programming by Wesley Chun." --Bill Boswell, MCSE, Microsoft Certified Professional Magazine Online "If you learn well from books, I suggest Core Python Programming. It is by far the best I've found. I'm a Python newbie as well and in three months time I've been able to implement Python in projects at work (automating MSOffice, SQL DB stuff, etc.)." --ptonman, Dev Shed Forums "Python is simply a beautiful language. It's easy to learn, it's cross-platform, and it works. It has achieved many of the technical goals that Java strives for. A one-sentence description of Python would be: 'All other languages appear to have evolved over time--but Python was designed.' And it was designed well. Unfortunately, there aren't a large number of books for Python. The best one I've run across so far is Core Python Programming." --Chris Timmons, C. R. Timmons Consulting "If you like the Prentice Hall Core series, another good full-blown treatment to consider would be Core Python Programming. It addresses in elaborate concrete detail many practical topics that get little, if any, coverage in other books." --Mitchell L Model, MLM Consulting "Core Python Programming is an amazingly easy read! The liberal use of examples helps clarify some of the more subtle points of the language. And the comparisons to languages with which I'm already familiar (C/C++/Java) get you programming in record speed." --Michael Santos, Ph.D., Green Hills Software The Complete Developer's Guide to Python New to Python? The definitive guide to Python development for experienced programmersCovers core language features thoroughly, including those found in the latest Python releases--learn more than just the syntax!Learn advanced topics such as regular expressions, networking, multithreading, GUI, Web/CGI, and Python extensionsIncludes brand-new material on databases, Internet clients, Java/Jython, and Microsoft Office, plus Python 2.6 and 3Presents hundreds of code snippets, interactive examples, and practical exercises to strengthen your Python skills Python is an agile, robust, expressive, fully object-oriented, extensible, and scalable programming language. It combines the power of compiled languages with the simplicity and rapid development of scripting languages. In Core Python Programming, Second Edition , leading Python developer and trainer Wesley Chun helps you learn Python quickly and comprehensively so that you can immediately succeed with any Python project. Using practical code examples, Chun introduces all the fundamentals of Python programming: syntax, objects and memory management, data types, operators, files and I/O, functions, generators, error handling and exceptions, loops, iterators, functional programming, object-oriented programming and more. After you learn the core fundamentals of Python, he shows you what you can do with your new skills, delving into advanced topics, such as regular expressions, networking programming with sockets, multithreading, GUI development, Web/CGI programming and extending Python in C. This edition reflects major enhancements in the Python 2.x series, including 2.6 and tips for migrating to 3. It contains new chapters on database and Internet client programming, plus coverage of many new topics, including new-style classes, Java and Jython, Microsoft Office (Win32 COM Client) programming, and much more. Learn professional Python style, best practices, and good programming habitsGain a deep understanding of Python's objects and memory model as well as its OOP features, including those found in Python's new-style classesBuild more effective Web, CGI, Internet, and network and other client/server applicationsLearn how to develop your own GUI applications using Tkinter and other toolkits available for PythonImprove the performance of your Python applications by writing extensions in C and other languages, or enhance I/O-bound applications by using multithreadingLearn about Python's database API and how to use a variety of database systems with Python, including MySQL, Postgres, and SQLiteFeatures appendices on Python 2.6 & 3, including tips on migrating to the next generation! Core Python Programming delivers Systematic, expert coverage of Python's core featuresPowerful insights for developing complex applicationsEasy-to-use tables and charts detailing Python modules, operators, functions, and methodsDozens of professional-quality code examples, from quick snippets to full-fledged applications

    For years, experts have argued over the tiny details of exactly how they do what they do, and how their various components interact. What's undeniable is that, far more than being just a loudness booster the unique combination of tubes, capacitors, resistors, and transformers in these amps can contribute enormously to the quality of sound derived from any electric guitar. In this thorough and authoritative book, Dave Hunter cuts through the marketing hyperbole, and the blind faith, and supplies all the information you need to choose the right amp, and get the best from it. The book also features exclusively conducted, in-depth interviews with leading figures in the tube amp-building world - including Ken Fischer, Mark Sampson, and Michael Zaite - and even provides full instructions on how to construct your own high-quality tube guitar amp from scratch.