Oxford University Press

'Yes, what is Dionysian? — This book provides an answer — «a man who knows» speaks in it, the initiate and disciple of his god'. «The Birth of Tragedy» (1872) is a book about the origins of Greek tragedy and its relevance to the German culture of its time. For Nietzsche, Greek tragedy is the expression of a culture which has achieved a delicate but powerful balance between Dionysian insight into the chaos and suffering which underlies all existence and the discipline and clarity of rational Apollonian form. In order to promote a return to these values, Nietzsche undertakes a critique of the complacent rationalism of late nineteenth-century German culture and makes an impassioned plea for the regenerative potential of the music of Wagner. In its wide-ranging discussion of the nature of art, science and religion, Nietzsche's argument raises important questions about the problematic nature of cultural origins which are still of concern today.

'One ought to choose something very deliberately, and be faithful to that.' Isabel Archer is a young, intelligent, and spirited American girl, determined to relish her first experience of Europe. She rejects two eligible suitors in her fervent commitment to liberty and independence, declaring that she will never marry. Thanks to the generosity of her devoted cousin Ralph, she is free to make her own choice about her destiny. Yet in the intoxicating worlds of Paris, Florence, and Rome, her fond illusions of self-reliance are twisted by the machinations of her friends and apparent allies. What had seemed to be a vista of infinite promise steadily closes around her and becomes instead a 'house of suffocation'. Considered by many one of the finest novels in the English language, this is Henry James's most poised achievement, written at the height of his fame in 1881. It is at once a dramatic Victorian tale of betrayal and a wholly modern psychological study of a woman caught in a web of relations she only comes to understand too late. This edition reproduces the revised New York Edition, with James's own Preface.

'Anyone who wants to gain a quick idea of how before me everything was topsy-turvy should make a start with this work. That which is called idol on the title-page is quite simply that which was called truth hitherto. Twilight of the Idols — in plain words: the old truth is coming to an end...' Nietzsche intended Twilight of the Idols to serve as a short introduction to his philosophy, and as a result it is the most synoptic of all his books. Continuing in the spirit of its immediate predecessors On The Genealogy of Morals and The Wagner Case, it is a masterpiece of polemic, targeting not only 'eternal idols' like Socratic rationality and Christian morality but also their contemporary counterparts, as Nietzsche the 'untimely man' goes roaming in the gloaming of nineteenth-century European culture. He allies philosophy with psychology and physiology, relentlessly diagnozing the symptoms of decadence, and his stylistic virtuosity is such that the sheer delight he takes in his 'demonic' mischief-making communicates itself on every page. A brilliant new translation, this edition provides detailed commentary on a highly condensed and allusive work.

An outstanding new picture book with an extremely simple text — full of humour with a brilliant twist at the end. Hungry Hen eats and eats and grows fatter and fatter. High on the hill the fox watches and grows thinner and thinner. Until one day he can stand it no longer, but things do not turn out as expected!

Winnie is looking for adventure so she decides to go into space! She magics a rocket and Abracadabra, she blasts into orbit! It's quite tricky dealing with all the controls in a rocket but it's even trickier knowing what to do with hungry extra-terrestrial rabbits... will Winnie have enough magic up her sleeve to save the day?

Toast is a very excited little field mouse — in just a few sleeps it will be his birthday. Toast and Mummy fill their time with all sorts of preparations for the party while Daddy fills his time frantically trying to finish a special, secret present. Toast and Daddy want to know just how many sleeps are left — but for very different reasons!

The cat is on the mat, the island's fun to see, guess who says, 'Toot, Toot' then all fall down with me! Four of Brian Wildsmith's classic pieces of visual story-telling are brought together in this bright and beautiful collection for the youngest readers.

This is the reissued Oxford Colour French Dictionary Plus. This dictionary is an effective and practical reference tool for any student, adult learners, or travellers. It is especially user-friendly, with a colourful design that makes it easy to find the word you are looking for quickly. It also has usage notes, giving you help with tricky and frequently occurring words, verb lists, and grammar notes. The up-to-date centre section helps you build your vocabulary. The main focus of this section is to help you build your vocabulary. We have identified the French words you most need to know, and they are laid out clearly for you here; you will also find them marked with a handy key symbol in the A-Z text of the dictionary. Also included are word games so that you can practise your dictionary skills and learn vocabulary while having fun. The centre section also contains a calendar of holidays and festivals and an updated A-Z guide to French life and culture — ideal for the traveller and for those learning about life in French-speaking countries. 6 months' access to Oxford's premium online dictionary service — Oxford Language Dictionaries Online — is included with this book, so you can find accurate translations and extra resources wherever you are. The site is regularly updated with the latest new words and meanings from Oxford's language research programme, the Oxford Languages Tracker. You can also hear audio pronunciations of each word and can improve your language skills with online cultural notes, guides to writing, and much more.

A totally new edition of the world's most-trusted English course. Tried and tested all over the world, Headway is the course that teachers and learners rely on. Headway works in the classroom: — A realistic, well-supported syllabus. — A measured step-by-step approach. — Careful recycling at every opportunity. — Headway teaches real language in real contexts. — A solid foundation of grammar and skills work. — Useful vocabulary and collocations. — Everyday language in everyday situations. Headway offers full support: — Resources for students in the Workbook, on the Student's Workbook AudioCD, and on the Students' Website at www.oup.com/elt/headway. — Resources for teachers in the Teacher's Book with printable, adaptable resources on the Teacher's Resource Disc, and on the Teachers' Website at www.oup.com/elt/teacher/headway. John and Liz Soars and Headway are names that have become synonymous with English language teaching and learning worldwide. Their strong pedagogic principles, their extensive teaching and teacher-training experience, together with 20 years of writing Headway, all come together in this impressive third edition.

Thomson and Martinet's classic grammar is the most widely used book of its kind. It is popular because its explanations are clear and because it deals thoroughly with the topics which students find most difficult. It is intended for intermediate and post-intermediate learners, but is also a useful source of reference for more advanced students and for teachers. A Practical English Grammar has now been revised and reissued in a fourth edition. The text has been rewritten in many places to bring it up to date. Some material has been rearranged to make it simpler for the reader to compare related topics. There is fresh or fuller treatment of many subjects, notably in the chapters on nouns, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, auxiliary verbs, the infinitive and the passive. A new index contains many more entries and now includes references to every important structural word. These changes, and an improved design, make A Practical English Grammar more informative and easier to consult than ever. The following titles are recommended for use alongside the Grammar: — A Practical English Grammar: Exercises 1 and 2 (also available in low-priced editions). — A Practical English Grammar: Structure Drills 1 and 2.

The Oxford History of Britain tells the story of Britain and its people over two thousand years, from the coming of the Roman legions to the present day. Encompassing political, social, economic, and cultural developments throughout the British Isles, the dramatic narrative is taken up in turn by ten leading historians who offer the fruits of the best modern scholarship to the general reader in an authoritative form. A vivid, sometimes surprising picture emerges of a continuous turmoil of change in every period, and the wider social context of political and economic tension is made clear. But consensus, no less than conflict, is a part of the story: in focusing on elements of continuity down the centuries, the authors bring out that special awareness of identity which has been such a distinctive feature of British society. By relating both these factors in the British experience, and by exploring the many ways in which Britain has shaped and been shaped by contact with Europe and the wider world, this landmark work brings the reader face to face with the past, and the foundations of modern British society. The new edition brings the story into the twenty-first century, covering the changes to British society and culture during the Blair years and the invasion of Iraq and its aftermath.

A comprehensive history of the Nazi persecution and murder of European Jews, paying detailed attention to an unrivalled range sources. Focusing clearly on the perpetrators and exploring closely the process of decision making, Longerich argues that anti-Semitism was not a mere by-product of the Nazis' political mobilization or an attempt to deflect the attention of the masses, but that anti-Jewish policy was a central tenet of the Nazi movement's attempts to implement, disseminate, and secure National Socialist rule — and one which crucially shaped Nazi policy decisions, from their earliest days in power through to the invasion of the Soviet Union and the Final Solution. As Longerich shows, the 'disappearance' of Jews was designed as a first step towards a racially homogeneous society — first within the 'Reich', later in the whole of a German-dominated Europe.

At last — the secrets of Bletchley Park's powerful codebreaking computers. This is a history of Colossus, the world's first fully-functioning electronic digital computer. Colossus was used during the Second World War at the Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park, where it played an invaluable role cracking enemy codes. Until very recently, much about the Colossus machine was shrouded in secrecy, largely because the codes that were employed remained in use by the British security services until a short time ago. This book only became possible due to the declassification in the US of wartime documents. With an introductory essay on cryptography and the history of code-breaking by Simon Singh, this book reveals the workings of Colossus and the extraordinary staff at Bletchley Park through personal accounts by those who lived and worked with the computer. Among them is the testimony of Thomas Flowers, who was the architect of Colossus and whose personal account, written shortly before he died, is published here for the first time. Other essays consider the historical importance of this remarkable machine, and its impact on the generations of computing technology that followed.

What do the following have in common? Let there be light — A fly in the ointment — A rod of iron — New wine in old bottles Lick the dust — How are the mighty fallen — Kick against the pricks — Wheels within wheels They are all in the King James Bible. This astonishing book «has contributed far more to English in the way of idiomatic or quasi-proverbial expressions than any other literary source.» So wrote David Crystal in 2004. In Begat he returns to the subject not only to consider how a work published in 1611 could have had such influence on the language, but how it can still do so when few regularly hear the Bible and fewer still hear it in the language of Stuart England. No other version of the Bible however popular (such as the Good News Bible) or imposed upon the church (like the New English Bible) has had anything like the same influence. David Crystal shows how its words and phrases have over the centuries found independent life in the work of poets, playwrights, novelists, politicians, and journalists, and how more recently they have been taken up with enthusiasm by advertisers, Hollywood, and hip-hop. Yet the King James Bible owes much to earlier English versions, notably those by John Wycliffe in the fourteenth century and William Tyndale in the sixteenth. David Crystal reveals how much that is memorable in the King James Bible stems from its forebears. At the same time he shows how crucial were the revisions made by King James's team of translators and editors. «A person who professes to be a critic in the delicacies of the English language ought to have the Bible at his finger's ends», Lord Macaulay advised Lady Holland in 1831. Begat shows how true that remains. It will be a revelation to all who read it.

How does an intruder get into Winnie's house? Intruder windows. What does an Australian witch ride on? A broomerang. With pages chock-full of Winnie's and Wilbur's favourites, Winnie's Jokes will leave children in stitches. Great for sharing with family and friends.

Christopher Nibble loves munching dandelion leaves. And he's not alone. All the guinea pigs in Dandeville eat dandelion leaves for breakfast, lunch and dinner. But no-one seems to do anything when the dandelions begin to dwindle. They just carry on munching. In fact the guinea pigs of Dandeville are heading for eco-disaster... But that's where Christopher Nibble steps in. He discovers the last dandelion growing outside his bedroom window and, rather than eat it, he does his horticultural research in the library and then nurtures the dandelion patiently until it has produced a perfect head of tiny seeds. Then he blows the seeds from a hill high over Dandeville so that each dandelion seedling takes root and grows into a new plant. Charlotte Middleton has illustrated her witty, quirky story with charming collage illustrations and her guinea pigs are the most endearing, funky little characters you are ever likely to meet.

Winnie and Wilbur love their vegetables. They are regulars at the weekly farmers' market to stock up on their greens, but bringing them back home on a broomstick proves to be rather hazardous. So Winnie decides to grow her own and digs a vegetable patch in her garden. Not having the patience of a true gardener, she uses a little magic to speed up the growing process... only to end up with a garden overrun by enormous vegetables. She uses her giant pumpkin to make pumpkin pies, pumpkin scones, creamy pumpkin soup for Wilbur, and dish after dish of roast pumpkin. She invites all her neighbours to help themselves to pumpkin, too. Eventually the yummy orange flesh is all gone but the shell remains. What can Winnie do with it? She waves her wand, shouts 'Abracadabra!', and something amazing happens... This edition comes with an audio CD where the story is narrated over an imaginative soundtrack of music and effects.

Welcome to the wonderful world of Winnie the Witch and her long-suffering cat, Wilbur. There's the time that a small lost dragon stumbles into Winnie's house after midnight — he's boisterous and fiery and Wilbur is not sure about him at all. There's plenty to celebrate as Winnie's birthday approaches but will the day go according to plan? Probably not! And, if that were not enough, there's the time that poor Wilbur is carried off by a flying carpet with a mind of its own and Winnie has to follow in hot pursuit as the carpet takes Wilbur on a series of adrenalin-rush fairground rides.

Welcome to the wonderful world of Winnie the Witch and her long-suffering cat, Wilbur. Join Winnie as she tries to find a way of making sure she can always see Wilbur her black cat in her black house, watch her as she takes to the skies on her wayward broomstick, and discover what happens when Winnie transforms her wintry garden into a sunny paradise. Three of Winnie and Wilbur's best-loved escapades for young readers are here to enjoy in one bright beautiful book.

How to Write is an introductory guide to writing, aimed at people who think they can't write, or for whom writing is an ordeal. Broken down into short topic-based chapters on everything from beginning to revising, it demystifies the writing process by taking the reader through each stage necessary to bring a piece of writing to a decent finish. The book also offers a wealth of invaluable practical considerations, including when and where to write, when to printout and when to edit onscreen, what type of pen works well for revisions, and the hazards of the paperclip. The author is a seasoned writer whose encouraging but uncompromising guidance will delight as well as instruct. Offering practical advice in a lucid, no-nonsense style, How to Write will be ideal for both students and professional people who need to write during the course of their work.

How does Shakespeare's treatment of human sexuality relate to the sexual conventions and language of his times? Pre-eminent Shakespearean critic Stanley Wells draws on historical and anecdotal sources to present an illuminating account of sexual behaviour in Shakespeare's time, particularly in Stratford-upon-Avon and London. He demonstrates what we know or can deduce of the sex lives of Shakespeare and members of his family. He also provides a fascinating account of depictions of sexuality in the poetry of the period and suggests that at the time Shakespeare was writing most of his non-dramatic verse a group of poets catered especially for readers with homoerotic tastes. The second part of Shakespeare, Sex, — and Love focuses on the variety of ways in which Shakespeare treats sexuality in his plays and at how he relates sexuality to love. Wells shows that Shakespeare's attitude to sex developed over the course of his writing career, and devotes whole chapters to 'The Fun of Sex' — to how he raises laughter out of the matter of sex in both the language and the plotting of some of his comedies; portrayals of sexual desire; to Romeo and Juliet as the play in which Shakespeare focuses most centrally on issues relating to sex, love, and the relationship between them; to sexual jealousy, traced through four major plays; 'Sexual Experience'; and 'Whores and Saints'. A final chapter, 'Just Good Friends' examines Shakespeare's rendering of same-gender relationships.

In The Rule of Empires, Timothy Parsons gives a sweeping account of the evolution of empire from its origins in ancient Rome to its most recent twentieth-century embodiment. He explains what constitutes an empire and offers suggestions about what empires of the past can tell us about our own historical moment. Parsons uses imperial examples that stretch from ancient Rome, to Britain's «new» imperialism in Kenya, to the Third Reich to parse the features common to all empires, their evolutions and self-justifying myths, and the reasons for their inevitable decline. Parsons argues that far from confirming some sort of Darwinian hierarchy of advanced and primitive societies, conquests were simply the products of a temporary advantage in military technology, wealth, and political will. Beneath the self-justifying rhetoric of benevolent paternalism and cultural superiority lay economic exploitation and the desire for power. Yet imperial ambitions still appear viable in the twenty-first century, Parsons shows, because their defenders and detractors alike employ abstract and romanticized perspectives that fail to grasp the historical reality of subjugation. Writing from the perspective of the common subject rather than that of the imperial conquerors, Parsons offers a historically grounded cautionary tale rich with accounts of subjugated peoples throwing off the yoke of empire time and time again. In providing an accurate picture of what it is like to live as a subject, The Rule of Empires lays bare the rationalizations of imperial conquerors and their apologists and exposes the true limits of hard power.

We live an information-soaked existence — information pours into our lives through television, radio, books, and of course, the Internet. Some say we suffer from 'infoglut'. But what is information? The concept of 'information' is a profound one, rooted in mathematics, central to whole branches of science, yet with implications on every aspect of our everyday lives: DNA provides the information to create us; we learn through the information fed to us; we relate to each other through information transfer — gossip, lectures, reading. Information is not only a mathematically powerful concept, but its critical role in society raises wider ethical issues: who owns information? Who controls its dissemination? Who has access to information? Luciano Floridi, a philosopher of information, cuts across many subjects, from a brief look at the mathematical roots of information — its definition and measurement in 'bits' — to its role in genetics (we are information), and its social meaning and value. He ends by considering the ethics of information, including issues of ownership, privacy, and accessibility; copyright and open source. For those unfamiliar with its precise meaning and wide applicability as a philosophical concept, 'information' may seem a bland or mundane topic. Those who have studied some science or philosophy or sociology will already be aware of its centrality and richness. But for all readers, whether from the humanities or sciences, Floridi gives a fascinating and inspirational introduction to this most fundamental of ideas.

As Ian Bremmer and Preston Keat reveal in this innovative book, volatile political events such as the 2008 Georgia-Russia confrontation — and their catastrophic effects on business — happen much more frequently than investors imagine. On the curve that charts both the frequency of these events and the power of their impact, the «tail» of extreme political instability is not reassuringly thin but dangerously fat. Featuring a new Foreword that accounts for the cataclysmic effects of the 2008 financial crisis, The Fat Tail is the first book to both identify the wide range of political risks that global firms face and show investors how to effectively manage them. Written by two of the world's leading figures in political risk management, it reveals that while the world remains exceedingly risky for businesses, it is by no means incomprehensible. Political risk is unpredictable, but it is easier to analyze and manage than most people think. Applying the lessons of world history, Bremmer and Keat survey a vast range of contemporary risky situations, from stable markets like the United States or Japan, where politically driven regulation can still dramatically effect business, to more precarious places like Iran, China, Russia, Turkey, Mexico, and Nigeria, where private property is less secure and energy politics sparks constant volatility. The book sheds light on a wide array of political risks — risks that stem from great power rivalries, terrorist groups, government takeover of private property, weak leaders and internal strife, and even the «black swans» that defy prediction. But more importantly, the authors provide a wealth of unique methods, tools, and concepts to help corporations, money managers, and policy makers understand political risk, showing when and how political risk analysis works — and when it does not. «The Fat Tail delivers practical wisdom on the impact of political risk on firms of every description and valuable advice on how to use it. Ian Bremmer and Preston Keat offer innovative thinking and useful insight that will help business decision-makers find fresh answers to questions they may not yet know they have.» Fareed Zakaria, best-selling author of The Post-American World «Political risk has become increasingly complex, and The Fat Tail provides a truly new way to quantitatively assess it in established and emerging markets. It is essential reading for any CEO with multinational interests.» Randall Stephenson, Chairman, CEO and President, AT&T Inc. «Should be essential reading for anyone involved in international business even — perhaps especially — in places that seem politically stable.» Bill Emmott, former editor-in-chief of The Economist.