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The History of Medicine (A Very Short Introduction) by William Bynum
Category: Medical | Series: Very Short Introductions Ser.
Against the backdrop of unprecedented concern for the future of health care, this Very Short Introduction surveys the history of medicine from classical times to the present. Focussing on the key turning points in the history of Western medicine, such as the advent of hospitals and the rise of experimen ...Show more
The Immune System: A Very Short Introduction by Paul Klenerman (Nuffield Department of Medicine University of Oxford)
Category: Medical | Series: Very Short Introductions
The immune system is central to human health and the focus of much medical research. Growing understanding of the immune system, and especially the creation of immune memory (long lasting protection), which can be harnessed in the design of vaccines, have been major breakthroughs in medicine. In this Ve ...Show more
The Koran: a Very Short Introduction by M.A. Cook
Category: Philosophy and Religion | Series: Very Short Introductions
Explores the significance of the Koran both in the modern world and in traditional Muslim culture. This book provides an account of the Koran as codex, as scripture, as liturgy, and as the embodiment of truth, and examines its means of formation and dissemination. It also discusses issues of interpretat ...Show more
The Napoleonic Wars: A Very Short Introduction by Mike Rapport
Category: History | Series: Very Short Introductions
The Napoleonic Wars have an important place in the history of Europe, leaving their mark on European and world societies in a variety of ways. In many European countries they provided the stimulus for radical social and political change - particularly in Spain, Germany, and Italy - and are frequently v ...Show more
The Norman Conquest (A Very Short Introduction) by George Garnett
Category: History | Series: Very Short Introductions
The Norman Conquest in 1066 was the last time England was successfully invaded, and was one of the most profound turning points in English history, cataclysmically transforming a disparate collection of small nations into a European state. But what actually happened? How was the invasion viewed by those ...Show more
The Quakers (A Very Short Introduction) by Pink Dandelion
Category: Kindergarten | Series: Very Short Introductions Ser.
The Quakers are a fascinating religious group both in their origins and in the variety of reinterpretations of the faith since. Emerging from the social unrest of the English civil war, the Quakers have gone on to have an influence way beyond their numbers: be it their continued stance against war or th ...Show more
The Renaissance A Very Short Introduction by Jerry Brotton
Category: History | Series: Very Short Introductions
Provides a wide-ranging exploration of the Renaissance, seeing the period as a time of unprecedented intellectual excitement and cultural experimentation and interaction on a global scale. This book guides the reader through the key issues that defined the period, from art, architecture, and literature, ...Show more
The Roman Empire (A Very Short Introduction) by Christopher Kelly
Category: History | Series: Very Short Introductions
The Roman Empire was a remarkable achievement. It had a population of sixty million people spread across lands encircling the Mediterranean and stretching from drizzle-soaked northern England to the sun-baked banks of the Euphrates in Syria, and from the Rhine to the North African coast. It was, above a ...Show more
The Roman Republic by David M. Gwynn
Category: Philosophy | Series: Very Short Introductions
The rise and fall of the Roman Republic occupies a special place in the history of Western civilization. From humble beginnings on the seven hills beside the Tiber, the city of Rome grew to dominate the ancient Mediterranean. Led by her senatorial aristocracy, Republican armies defeated Carthage and the ...Show more
The Scientific Revolution by Lawrence M. Principe
Category: History | Series: Very Short Introductions
The sixteenth and seventeenth centuries witnessed such fervent investigations of the natural world that the period has been called the 'Scientific Revolution.' New ideas and discoveries not only redefined what human beings believed, knew, and could do, but also forced them to redefine themselves with re ...Show more
The Short Story: a Very Short Introduction by Andrew Kahn
Category: Languages and Reference | Series: Very Short Introductions Ser.
What defines a modern short story is much more than a question of length. Despite the efforts of early pioneers like Edgar Allan Poe, the genre was originally synonymous with the anecdote or tale and seen more as entertainment than art. However it has become far more than that, and this VeryShort Introd ...Show more
The Silk Road : a Very Short Introduction by James A. Millward
Category: History | Series: Very Short Introductions
The phrase "silk road" evokes vivid images: of merchants leading camel caravans over deserts and steppes to trade exotic goods in the bazaars of glittering Oriental cities, of pilgrims braving bandits and frozen mountain passes to gather scriptures and spread their faith across continental expanses. Bey ...Show more