SCARECROW PRESS

(P/B) THE A TO Z OF GEORGIA
Situated in the breathtaking Caucasus Mountains between the Black and the Caspian Seas, the country of Georgia sits at the crossroads between Europe and Asia; it has gone through more turbulence and change in the last 15 years-the casting off of the Soviet regime, a civil war, two ethno-territorial conflicts, economic collapse, corruption, government inefficiency, and massive emigration-than most countries go through in 150 years. However, despite all its hardships, this resilient and ancient country, with thousands of years of winemaking,...
Διαβάστε περισσότερα...

(P/B) THE A TO Z OF NORWAY
One of the smallest countries in Europe, Norway has created for itself a position in the world community, which is completely out of proportion to the size of its population. Originally the home of sub-Arctic hunters and gatherers, then of ferocious Vikings, it lost perhaps half of its population to the Black Death in 1349, ended up in a union with Denmark that lasted until 1814, and then became united with Sweden, gaining complete independence only as recently as 1905. Over the centuries the Norwegians eked out a meager living from stony ...
Διαβάστε περισσότερα...

(P/B) THE A TO Z OF AUSTRIA
Austrians today often seem to believe that they have two histories. One is their republican present; the other, the centuries that their forebears spent as part of the multi-ethnic Habsburg Empire. Contemporary Austria is a fixture among Europe's democracies. Yet, it did not achieve this state easily: World War I, the unification with Germany in 1938, and World War II were catastrophes for Austria. In 1995, it became part of the European Union, and its government, culture, and egalitarian economy are far cries from the monarchical and high...
Διαβάστε περισσότερα...

(P/B) THE A TO Z OF BELGIUM
In 1830, the inhabitants of the southern part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands revolted against King William I. The National Congress then declared independence and proclaimed the installation of a parliamentary monarchy, and thus, the new country of Belgium was created. Belgium's vibrant culture and society have produced such artists as Peter Paul Rubens, Jan Van Eyck, and Antoon Van Dijk, as well as the influential scientists Gerardus Mercator and Andreus Vesalius. Brussels, the country's capital city, also houses the headquarter...
Διαβάστε περισσότερα...

(P/B) THE A TO Z OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
Diversity has always been at the heart of Bosnia and Herzegovina's character; even its dual name and physical geography display a particular heterogeneity. The medieval Bosnian state never enjoyed lasting political and ideological unity as its feudal, regional, and religious rifts pulled at the country's seams. Furthermore, because of its location and by a quirk of history, three major world religious and cultural traditions (Catholicism, Islam, and Orthodoxy) became cohabitants in this small Balkan country. Recently, the rebirth of its st...
Διαβάστε περισσότερα...

(P/B) THE A TO Z GUIDE OF FRANCE
From the construction of Notre Dame and the Eiffel Tower to the Fall of the Bastille and the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen to Napoleon Bonaparte's defeat at Waterloo to Albert Camus' L'Etranger and the existentialism of Jean-Paul Sartre, France has been a part of some of the greatest and most memorable events in human history. Author Gino Raymond relates the history of these events in the second edition of The A to Z of France. Through a chronology, an introductory essay, a bibliography, and hundreds of cross-referenced ...
Διαβάστε περισσότερα...

(P/B) THE A TO Z OF INDIA
The Republic of India is the second most populous, the seventh largest by geographical area, and has the fourth largest economy in terms of purchasing power parity in the world. While it has always been an important country, it has often been neglected. Of late, however, there has been much talk of the "new" India, one with greater economic dynamism, a more active foreign policy, and the emergence of a huge middle class. The A to Z of India illustrates the rapidly evolving situation without neglecting the country's ancient past. The chrono...
Διαβάστε περισσότερα...

(P/B) THE A TO Z OF MODERN ITALY
Italy is a country that exercises a hold on the imagination of people all over the world. Its long history has left an inexhaustible treasure chest of cultural achievement. The historic cities of Rome, Florence, and Venice are among the most sought-after destinations in the world for tourists and art lovers, and Italy's natural beauty and cuisine are rightly renowned. Italy's history and politics are also a source of endless fascination. Modern Italy has consistently been a political laboratory for the rest of Europe. In the 19th century, ...
Διαβάστε περισσότερα...

(P/B) THE A TO Z OF THE REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA
Located at the very heart of the Balkans, the Republic of Macedonia has a rich and turbulent history, which reflects all the complexities of the region's past and present-day politics. In the late 19th and the early 20th century, it became the focal point of competition by the fledgling Balkan nation-states over the declining Ottoman Empire's European possessions. Late Ottoman Macedonia was a region, which impressed the external observer with its diversity: ethnic, religious, linguistic, clannish, and territorial identities all overlapped ...
Διαβάστε περισσότερα...

(P/B) THE A TO Z OF BURMA (MYANMAR)
Burma (Myanmar) is a country in crisis, and a political resolution to its problems of national unity seems unlikely to occur in the near future. The purpose of The A to Z of Burma (Myanmar) is to explain in depth the country's political crisis, while also providing detailed historical background. While paying much attention to the personalities and events of the 1962-1988 Burma Socialist Programme Party (BSPP) period, the dictionary focuses on the events, institutions, and personalities of 1988, when a nationwide movement for democracy res...
Διαβάστε περισσότερα...

(P/B) THE A TO Z OF ICELAND
While Iceland is the second largest inhabited island in Europe, with only 313,000 inhabitants in 2007, the Icelanders form one of the smallest independent nations in the world. Around two-thirds of the population lives in the capital, Reykjavik, and its suburbs, while the rest is spread around the inhabitable area of the country. Until fairly recently the Icelandic nation was unusually homogeneous, both in cultural and religious terms; in 1981, around 98 percent of the nation was born in Iceland and 96 percent belonged to the Lutheran stat...
Διαβάστε περισσότερα...

(P/B) THE A TO Z OF MEXICO
For almost 3,000 years Mexico was the site of some of the most advanced Indian civilizations, most notably the Aztec and Mayan. In many ways, these civilizations were more advanced than their European contemporaries, especially in such spheres as astronomy, mathematics, and city organization. Upon seeing the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan, for the first time, Spanish explorer Bernal Diaz del Castillo was awed by its beauty and confessed he had never seen a city in Spain that could match it. However, Diaz del Castillo's arrival coincided with ...
Διαβάστε περισσότερα...

(P/B) THE A TO Z OF THE HONG KONG SAR AND THE MACAO SAR
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China is located on the southeastern coast of China, and the Macao SAR can be found off of China's southern coast. Both regions have recently been released from European colonial rule: Hong Kong from British control in 1997 and Macao from Portugal in 1999. As SARs, Hong Kong and Macao retain a high degree of autonomy, and they control all issues except those of state (e.g. diplomatic relations and national defense). The A to Z of the Hong Kong SAR and the Macao SAR in...
Διαβάστε περισσότερα...

(P/B) THE A TO Z OF THE NETHERLANDS
The Netherlands, frequently but erroneously called Holland, is one of the most densely populated countries in the world. In the past few decades, it has been undergoing many transformations made possible by its dynamic and fast-moving political landscape. It has shifted from fierce nationalism toward a self-image of tolerance and permissiveness: the national identity and self-consciousness has slowly eroded through decolonization and immigration. Unfortunately, several murders of prominent, controversial politicians have started yet anothe...
Διαβάστε περισσότερα...

(P/B) THE A TO Z OF VIETNAM
Vietnam became part of French Indochina in 1887 and did not regain its independence again until after the Vietnam War. However, despite a relatively peaceful two decades the country experienced little economic growth because of conservative leadership policies. In an effort to change this stagnation, Vietnamese authorities have committed to economic liberalization and enacted structural reforms needed to modernize the economy and to produce more competitive, export-driven industries. The A to Z of Vietnam focuses on the recent changes and ...
Διαβάστε περισσότερα...

(P/B) THE A TO Z OF AUSTRALIA
The last continent to be claimed by Europeans, Australia began to be settled by the British in 1788 in the form of a jail for its convicts. While British culture has had the largest influence on the country and its presence can be seen everywhere, the British were not Australia's original populace. The first inhabitants of Australia, the Aborigines, are believed to have migrated from Southeast Asia into northern Australia as early as 60,000 years ago. This distinctive blend of vastly different cultures contributed to the ease with which Au...
Διαβάστε περισσότερα...

(P/B) THE A TO Z OF LAOS
Laos is the smallest state in terms of population, the weakest militarily, and the least developed economically in mainland Southeast Asia. Yet a glance at the map shows how strategically it is positioned, between Thailand and Vietnam and between Cambodia and China. As in the past Laos was a crossroads for trade routes, so in the future it will be a crossroads for communications in this rapidly developing region. It is even possible to anticipate that the greatness of Laos in the past may be matched by the emergence of Laos in the future a...
Διαβάστε περισσότερα...

(P/B) THE A TO Z OF LATVIA
Located on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, Latvia did not emerge as an independent country until the twentieth century, having been occupied at different times in the past by its larger neighbors: Russia, Germany, Poland, and Sweden. In 1993, Latvia held its first parliamentary election and elected its first president after 50 years of a Communist dictatorship. With the entrance of Latvia in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the European Union in 2004, the "post-Communist" era appears to be over. The A to Z of Latvia details ...
Διαβάστε περισσότερα...

(P/B) THE A TO Z OF MALAYSIA
The A to Z of Malaysia encapsulates the development of Malaysia from prehistory to the early years of the 21st century. It covers not only Malaysia's history but also its politics, economy, multiethnic society, multiculturalism, scientific and technological developments, and the state of its environment. A host of contemporary issues and challenges are featured, including ethnic polarization, economic equity, and polygamy; concepts like Ketuanan Melayu (Malay Dominance), "Malaysian Malaysia," "Malay," and Islam Hadhari (Civilizational Isla...
Διαβάστε περισσότερα...

(P/B) THE A TO Z OF MODERN CHINA (1800-1949)
The A to Z of Modern China (1800-1949) offers a concise but comprehensive examination of the political, military, economic, social, and cultural development of modern China. Instead of focusing merely on the political elites of China, this reference covers a variety of significant persons, including women and ethnic minorities; new historical concepts; cultural and educational institutions; and economic activities. Drawing on newly-available records, including a large mass of governmental and family archives, the narratives presented reve...
Διαβάστε περισσότερα...