Bøger udgivet af Reaktion Books

Empire of Tea is a cultural history of tea, from its ancient origins in China to its position as the world's favorite beverage today. It shows how tea was one of the first truly global commodities, and gave rise to the earliest cultural and economic exchanges between China and Britain.

In this ground-breaking book Alison Green provides the first critical history of visual artists curating exhibitions.

Drawing on over thirty years of study, leading scholar Paul R. Laird describes Bernstein's work as a conductor, composer, music educator and commentator, evaluating all his major compositions.

Niccolo Guicciardini's enlightening biography offers an accessible introduction to Newton's celebrated work in mathematics, optics and astronomy and to how Newton viewed these scientific fields in relation to his quest for the deepest secrets of the universe, matter theory and religion.

Lucy M. Long explores the fascinating history of honey, tracing its use and meanings through numerous cultures.

Dan Torre uniquely explores the natural, cultural and social history of cacti - with particular emphasis on how these remarkable plants have been represented in art, literature, cinema, animation and popular culture around the world.

A unique exploration of the biology and history of sheep, as well as their place in literature and the other creative arts.

A new, critical account of the life and work of influential French painter Paul Cezanne.

Lorna Piatti-Farnell describes the story of how this fruit (which is technically a berry) has become one of the most popular foods on the planet.

An exploration of how 'north' has been represented in art and literature.

A new critical biography of Leon Trotsky, a strong leader of Soviets and one of the most important figures of twentieth-century Communism. This biography delves deep into Trotsky's life and relationships to reveal and understand his complex character and actions.

In this comprehensive global history, Alan Mayne explores the evolution and meaning of the 'slum', from its origins in London early in the nineteenth century to its use to describe favela communities in the lead up to the Rio de Janeiro Olympic games in 2016.

Kiff Bamford traces the circuitous journey of Jean-Francois Lyotard life and work, unravelling the thrust of Lyotard's main philosophical arguments, his struggle with thinking and his confrontation with the task of writing and thinking philosophy differently.

What exactly is a ghost? Are poltergeists, wraiths and revenants technically ghosts? How does 'ghost' relate to 'soul'? And how many different kinds of ghost are there? Ghosts: A Supernatural History is a historical and global exploration of these mysterious apparitions.

Though people generally do not think of them in such terms, crows are remarkably graceful: from the tip of a crow's beak to the end of its tail is a single curve, which changes rhythmically as the crow turns its head or bends toward the ground. This book presents a survey of crows, ravens, magpies and their relatives in myth, literature and life.

Sting: From Northern Skies to Fields of Gold is the first book to examine the relationship between Sting's working-class background in Newcastle, his subsequent life and the creativity and inspiration behind his music.

Empires and Anarchies: A History of Oil in the Middle East looks not only at the great discoveries but the transformation of peoples and societies, the empires and the anarchies it has engendered.

Magnificent and mysterious, Tibet has been a source of fascination for outsiders for centuries, and its grand landscapes and vibrant culture have especially captivated photographers. But the country is both geographically and politically challenging, and access from the outside has never been easy. With this book, Clare Harris offers the first historical survey of photography in Tibet and the Himalayas, telling the intriguing stories of both Tibetans and foreigners who have attempted to document the region's wonders on film. Harris combines extensive research in museums and archives with her own fieldwork in Tibetan communities to present materials that have never been examined before--including the earliest known photograph taken in Tibet, dating to 1863. She looks at the experimental camera-work of Tibetan monks--including the thirteenth Dalai Lama--and the creations of contemporary Tibetan photographers and artists. With every image she explores the complex religious, political, and cultural climate in which it was produced. Stunningly illustrated, this book will appeal to anyone interested in the dramatic history of Tibet since the mid-nineteenth century and its unique entanglements with aesthetics and modernity.

In this eye-catching, beautifully illustrated book, bestselling author Desmond Morris tells the compelling story of cats in art, from prehistory until the present day.

Peter Davidson's The Last of the Light is a meditation on twilight in the Western arts and imagination, in thought, painting and literature.

Orwell's Nose is John Sutherland's original and imaginative account of the life and work of George Orwell, exploring the 'scent narratives' that abound in Orwell's fiction and non-fiction. Orwell covered his tracks well; this illuminating and irreverent book provides a new understanding of one of our most iconic and influential writers.

This is a new history of gypsy music, from traditional performers such as Taraf de Haidouks and the Boban Markovic Orkestar, to more experimental groups such as Gogol Bordello. Covering the 13th century to the present, and from Romania to New York, Moscow and Andalusia, Gypsy Music reveals the remarkable diversity of this exuberant art form.

In Oysters: A Global History Carolyn Tillie delves into the culinary, artistic, sexual, historical, and scientific history of the humble bivalve.

Highly regarded woodpecker expert Gerard Gorman presents a unique natural, social and cultural history of woodpeckers.

Filled with beguiling images throughout, Lizard is a unique and sometimes surprising introduction to this popular but little-understood reptile. Boria Sax describes the diversity of lizard species and traces the representation of this reptile in cultures worldwide.

This comprehensive, highly illustrated new study examines Titian's long career and varied output. Tom Nichols argues that Titian's works were self-consciously original, freely and intentionally undermining the traditional, more modest approach to painting in Venice at that time.

The Space Within explores how interior space has been integral to the development of Modern architecture from the late 1800s to today, and how generations of architects have engaged with interior space and its experience in their design processes.

A Philosophy of Loneliness explores the different kinds of loneliness, the philosophy of emotions, why some people are lonelier than others, and the psychological and social characteristics that dispose people to loneliness.

This is an absorbing account of the life and work of one of Russia's most inventive and exuberant novelists and playwrights.

This is the first truly global survey of the history and variety of communist poster art. Each chapter is written by an expert in the field, and examines a different region of the world: Russia, China, Mongolia, Eastern Europe, North Korea, Vietnam and Cuba.