European history between the Renaissance and the General Crisis of the 17th century is dominated by the spectacular triumphs of princes. The development of absolutism was a powerful threat to the liberties which towns had won in the Middle Ages and which were rooted in the aristotelian polis. This neglected story forms the subject of this study, which sets the victories of princely armies against a background of economic and social change, but points to the survival of European republicanism and its significance for the development of modern Europe and the modern West.

Product Description: Der Staub der eingerissenen Berliner Mauer hat sich kaum gelegt, da gerät der ostdeutsche Überwachungsstaat auch schon ins Wanken. Stasi-General HOLGER FRANTZ schreckt vor nichts zurück, um diesen zu retten. In sein Komplott werden zwei unwahrscheinliche Helden verstrickt: der amerikanische Rechtsanwalt, ROLF KELLER, und die aufstrebende Operndiva, SYLVIA MAZZONI, Rolfs frühere Geliebte...read more

Product Description: Against the backdrop of the rugged Sangre de Cristo Mountains, aspiring diva SYLVIA MAZZONI hopes to combine her Santa Fe Opera debut and a romantic reunion with her lover, Washington attorney ROLF KELLER. But Rolf’s old nemesis from law school, CHARLES SLATER, now an archaeologist, intrudes on their tryst...read more

Product Description: In this book, Peter Bernhardt takes us on a grand tour of the botanical realm, weaving engaging descriptions of the lovely shapes and intriguing habits of flowering plants with considerations of broader questions, such as why there are only six basic shapes of flowers and why the orchid family is so numerous and so bizarre...read more

Product Description: "An engaging botanical overview of flowers."-New York Times Book ReviewIn The Rose's Kiss, Peter Bernhardt presents a fascinating and wide-ranging look at the natural history of flowers—how they look, what they do, and their often hidden interactions with the surrounding environment and other living organisms upon which they depend for their survival...read more

Discusses the history and structure of flowers, and their relationship with animals and people (view table of contents)

The botanist-author of Wily Violets and Underground Orchids explores the relationships between people and plants, documenting the life cycles of some unusual plants, as well as the individuals and societies who have become fascinated with them.