Synopses & Reviews
This book is an introduction to the Pharaonic war machine of New Kingdom Egypt from ca.1575–1100 bc. Written by a respected Egyptologist, it concentrates on Dynasty XVIII and the Ramesside period, in which the Egyptians created a professional army and gained control of Syria, creating an “Empire of Asia.”
The author highlights technological developments during this period, such as the new use of chariots and siege technology, and considers the socio-political aspects of warfare, particularly the rise to power of a new group of men. At the same time, he evaluates the military effectiveness of the Egyptian state by looking at the logistics of warfare; each chapter is followed by an “excursus” in which the logistical issues are analyzed in detail.
The text incorporates pictorial and archaeological materials, ensuring a fully rounded treatment of the subject. A chronological table listing dynasties and pharaohs also helps readers to gain an overview.
Review
"Esseintally two books in one, this is both a useful reference guide and a detailed introduction tot he postwar British novel." Recommended."
Choice
Review
"For anyone interested in Egyptian military history, and wanting to learn more than the simple dry facts and the well-known major battles, then this book is an absolute must. The author is to be congratulated on this major contribution to our knowledge of warfare in ancient Egypt, presented in a very readable book, suitable for the beginner as well as the real enthusiast."
Ancient Egypt "A very handy and innovative introduction on the war machine of New Kingdom Egypt (ca. 1550-1070 BC)... shows a thorough familiarity with the ancient sources and relevant literature on military topics, ancient and modern... Spalinger's book is a stimulating and highly competent study no one who deals with New Kingdom warfare should overlook." Bryn Mawr Classical Review
Synopsis
A Companion to the British and Irish Novel 1945–2000 serves as an extended introduction and reference guide to the British and Irish novel between the close of World War II and the turn of the millennium.
The Companion embraces the full range of this rich and heterogeneous subject, covering: specific British and Irish novels and novelists ranging from Samuel Beckett to Salman Rushdie; particular subgenres such as the feminist novel and the postcolonial novel; overarching cultural, political, and literary trends such as screen adaptations and the literary prize phenomenon. All the essays are informed by current critical and theoretical debates, but are designed to be accessible to non-specialists.
The volume as a whole gives readers a sense of the vitality with which the contemporary novel continues to be discussed.
Synopsis
A Companion to the British and Irish Novel 1945-2000 serves as an extended introduction and reference guide to the British and Irish novel between the close of World War II and the turn of the millennium.
Synopsis
A Companion to the British and Irish Novel 1945-2000 serves as an extended introduction and reference guide to the British and Irish novel between the close of World War II and the turn of the millennium.
- Covers a wide range of authors from Samuel Beckett to Salman Rushdie
- Provides readings of key novels, including Graham Greene’s ‘Heart of the Matter’, Jean Rhys’s ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’ and Kazuo Ishiguro’s ‘The Remains of the Day’
- Considers particular subgenres, such as the feminist novel and the postcolonial novel
- Discusses overarching cultural, political and literary trends, such as screen adaptations and the literary prize phenomenon
- Gives readers a sense of the richness and diversity of the novel during this period and of the vitality with which it continues to be discussed
About the Author
Brian W. Shaffer is Professor of English and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs for Faculty Development at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee. He is the author of The Blinding Torch: Modern British Fiction and the Discourse of Civilization (1993) and Understanding Kazuo Ishiguro (1998). He is also the co-editor with Hunt Hawkins of Approaches to Teaching Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness” and “The Secret Sharer” (2002).
Table of Contents
Notes on Contributors.
Preface.
Acknowledgements.
PART I Contexts for the British and Irish Novel, 1945-2000:
1. The Literary Response to the Second World War: Damon Marcel Decoste (University of Regina).
2. The ‘Angry’ Decade and After: Dale Salwak (Citrus College).
3. English Dystopian Satire in Context: M. Keith Booker (University of Arkansas in Fayetteville).
4. The Feminist Novel in the Wake of Virginia Woolf : Roberta Rubenstein (American University in Washington).
5. Postmodern Fiction and the Rise of Critical Theory: Patricia Waugh (University of Durham).
6. The Novel and the End of Empire: Reed Way Dasenbrock (University of New Mexico).
7. Postcolonial Novels and Theories: Feroza Jussawalla (University of New Mexico).
8. Fictions of Belonging: National Identity, Literary Culture, and the Novel in Ireland and Scotland: Gerard Carruthers (University of Glasgow).
9. Black-British Interventions: John Skinner (University of Turku, Finland).
10. The Recuperation of History in British and Irish Fiction: Margaret Scanlan (Indiana University South Bend).
11. The Literary Prize Phenomenon in Context: James F. English (University of Pennsylvania).
12. Novelistic Production and the Publishing Industry in Britain and Ireland: Claire Squires (Oxford Brookes University).
13. The Novel and the Rise of Film and Video: Adaptation and British Cinema: Brian McFarlane (Monash University).
14. The English Heritage Industry and Other Trends in the Novel at the Millennium: Peter Childs (University of Gloucestershire).
PART II Reading Individual Texts and Authors:
15. Samuel Beckett’s Watt: S. E. Gontarski (Florida State University) and Chris Ackerley (University of Otago).
16. George Orwell’s Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four: Erika Gottlieb (Ryerson Polytechnic University).
17. Evelyn Waugh’s Brideshead Revisited and Other Late Novels: Bernard Schweizer (Long Island University).
18. Modernism’s Swansong: Malcolm Lowry’s Under the Volcano: Patrick A. McCarthy (University of Miami).
19. Graham Greene’s Heart of the Matter and Other Late Novels: Cedric Watts (University of Sussex).
20. William Golding’s Lord of the Flies and Other Early Novels: Kevin McCarron (University of Surrey).
21. Amis, Father and Son: Merritt Moseley (University of North Carolina).
22. Iris Murdoch: Margaret Moan Rowe (Purdue University).
23. Academic Satire: the Campus Novel in Context: Kenneth Womack (Penn State University).
24. Lawrence Durrell’s Alexandria Quartet: Julius Rowan Raper (University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill).
25. The Oxford Fantasists: C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien: Peter J. Schakel (Hope College).
26. Muriel Spark’s The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie: Bryan Cheyette (Southampton University).
27. Doris Lessing’s The Golden Notebook: Judith Kegan Gardiner (University of Illinois at Chicago).
28. Jean Rhys’s Wide Sargasso Sea: John J. Su (Marquette University).
29. John Fowles’s The French Lieutenant’s Woman: James Acheson (University of Canterbury, New Zealand).
30. Angela Carter: Nicola Pitchford (Fordham University).
31. Margaret Drabble: Margaret Moan Rowe (Purdue University).
32. V. S. Naipaul: Timothy Weiss (Chinese University of Hong Kong).
33. Salman Rushdie: Nico Israel (City University of New York).
34. The Irish Novel after Joyce: Donna Potts (Kansas State University).
35. Anita Brookner: Cheryl Alexander Malcolm (University of Gdañsk, Poland).
36. Julian Barnes’s Flaubert’s Parrot: Merritt Moseley (University of North Carolina).
37. Kazuo Ishiguro’s The Remains of the Day: Cynthia F. Wong (University of Colorado).
38. Ian McEwan: Rebecca L. Walkowitz (University of Wisconsin).
39. Graham Swift: Donald P. Kaczvinsky (Louisiana Tech University).
40. The Scottish New Wave: David Goldie (University of Strathclyde).
41. A. S. Byatt’s Possession: A Romance: Lynn Wells (University of Regina).
42. Pat Barker’s Regeneration Trilogy: Anne Whitehead (University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne).
Index.