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Ichthyopedia: A Biographical Dictionary of Ichthyologists (APS Lightning Rod Press, Volume 10)

Ichthyopedia: A Biographical Dictionary of Ichthyologists (APS Lightning Rod Press, Volume 10)

Our Price: $65.00

This volume offers brief biographical sketches of many individuals who have added to our knowledge o fthe science of ichthyology. It defines “ichthyologist” rather broadly in an effort to give credit to those who, in the absence of research or published contributions, otherwise have made significant collections of fishes, illustrations of fishes, or important donations of ichthyological materials to museums or to individual researchers, as well as to those who made major exploratory expeditions possible. One or more references are cited for each account, alowing access to additional information. Many entries also have a photo or portrait. Credits and Index.

Five Hundred African Voices: A Catalog of Published Accounts by Africans Enslaved in the Transatlantic Slave Trade, 1586-1936

Our Price: $45.00

The importance of published accounts by African slave ship
survivors is well-known but not their existence in large numbers. Fogleman and
Hanserd catalog nearly five hundred discrete accounts and more than 2,500
printings of them over four centuries in numerous Atlantic languages. Short
biographies of each African, print histories of the complete or partial life
story. Five Hundred African Voices an invaluable resource for scholars, teachers,
students, and others wishing to study transatlantic slavery using African
Voices.

Jean-François de Bourgoing’s Grand Mémoire on the War of American Independence (an unpublished manuscript written 1777–1783), two-volume set

Jean-François de Bourgoing’s Grand Mémoire on the War of American Independence (an unpublished manuscript written 1777–1783), two-volume set

Our Price: $90.00

Between 1777 and 1783, Jean-François de Bourgoing served at the Court of Spain as France’s military attaché and principal assistant to the French ambassador. Bourgoing was a French patriot and a friend of Spain. From his unique vantage point he recorded events related to the War of American Independence as they occurred, creating Le Grand Mémoire.

The French and the Americans hoped that Spain would recognize the independence of the United States and enter the war as their ally. Instead, Spain entered the war against England only as France’s ally stipulating that France would help her recover some of her lost possessions. Until the summer of 1781, France continued to try in vain to persuade Spain to join the Franco-American alliance. But the Spanish remained convinced that supporting the independence of the United States would be detrimental to her interest and actively opposed the independence of the United States by attempting to obtain through extensive mediation with England “something less than full independence,” by advocating minimal aid to the Insurgents only “to keep the war going,” and by attempting to change France’s strategy. In 1780 Floridablanca tried very hard to prevent France from sending the Rochambeau expeditionary corps to help Washington.

All the while Spain demanded French naval support and land troops for all her significant operations while refusing to participate in French operations. The French diplomats in Madrid thought that France’s alliance with Spain was counterproductive and harmful to French relations with Americans.

The Grand Mémoire is essential to fully understand not only inter-ally relations but also the effects of the war on France, spectator countries, and individuals who played essential roles in the war: Charles III, Floridablanca, Aranda, John Jay, Louis XVI, Vergennes, Montmorin, d’Estaing and Castries.

Jean-Pierre Cap is the Oliver Edwin Williams Professor Emeritus of Languages at Lafayette College.

North by Degree: New Perspectives on Arctic Exploration

North by Degree: New Perspectives on Arctic Exploration

Our Price: $50.00

In this vol. of papers on the history of late 19th- and early 20th-century Arctic exploration, the authors have examined the social, cultural, technological, and environmental settings in which exploration endeavors were conceived, carried out, described, and understood by the public. The conference honored the 100th anniversary of Robert E. Peary’s historic 1908-09 North Pole Expedition. These papers are a subset of those presented at that gathering in May 2008 and are authored by scholars from various disciplines, incl. English, art history, anthropology, archaeology, history, ethnohistory, and Native Amer. studies. They cast light on aspect of exploration initiatives not examined in most biographies of explorers, official expedition narratives, or overviews of the history of Arctic exploration. Illus.

Life of C. S. Rafinesque, A Man of Uncommon Zeal

Life of C. S. Rafinesque, A Man of Uncommon Zeal

List Price: $50.00

Our Price: $50.00

Charles Boewe’s study of Constantine Samuel Rafinesque (1783-1840) began more than 50 years ago. It was materially advanced by Boewe’s ability to explore archival resources in both Philadelphia and Lexington during his own extended residence in those cities where Rafinesque himself lived. Later, when based in South Asia, Boewe’s travels to and from the United States enabled him to seek out Rafinesque documents in European repositories. The result of these efforts was the discovery of hundreds of pages of fresh documentation in eight countries, written in four languages. All of this material, along with letters from the hitherto unknown Rafinesque family archives in Paris, is the foundation of this narration of the life of an early 19th-century naturalist and philologist. Includes a CD, “The Correspondence of C. S. Rafinesque.” Illus.

Climate Crises in Human History

Our Price: $15.00

This volume considers the response of selected cultures to climate events that have been documented from the archaeological and geological records. It includes articles by participants in a 2008 conference at the University of Pennsylvania’s Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology as well as other prominent scholars. The essays, which range over the Americas, Europe, Africa, SE Asia and the Near East, and over several millennia, may serve as a corrective to dogmatic claims about the future of climate and of mankind, and as a spur to the dispassionate study of both. Illus.

Darwin's Disciple: George John Romanes, A Life in Letters

Our Price: $60.00

Darwin's Disciple is a careful biographical study of the life and letters of George John Romanes (1848-1894), who was a strong advocate for Darwinian evolution. "Because of his cental role in definding evolution and his close relationship with Darwin during the last decade of Darwin's life, Romanes's life and career deserve a fresh look." This publication by Joel Schwartz is the culmination of more than thirty-five years of work in this history of biology, particularly nineteenth-century natural history and the role played by prominent early evolutionists in shaping the debates in evolutionary biology.

Chindali and English Dictionary with an Index to Proto-Bantu Roots: The Chindali Language of Malawi: Volume 1

Our Price: $60.00

Chindali is a Bantu language of eastern Africa, spoken in the southwest Mbeya region of Tanzania and in the northern Chitipa District of Malawi. Estimates suggest that there are approximately 70,000 speakers in Malawi and 150,000 in Tanzania. The language is classified as M.21 in the Tervuren (Bastin 1978) revision of Guthrie’s (1967-70) zone classification. However, there is much dialectical variation. In Malawi, not only are there varieties known as Chindali, but also the very closely related variety known as Chisukwa. This dictionary focuses on the Chindali varieties spoken in northern Malawi, excluding Chisukwa. Contents: Guide to the Dictionary; Bibliography: Linguistic Studies of Chindali; References; A Chindali-English Dictionary; An English-Chindali Index; An Index to Proto-Bantu Roots; Appendices: A. Chindali Kinship Terms; B. Paradigms of Chindali Pronouns; C. Paradigms of Chindali Demonstratives; D. Numbers and Time; E. Verbs of Perception; F. Verbes of Location and Position; G. Verbs of Motion; Map: General Region in Which Chindali Is Spoken; References.

Grammatical Sketch of Chindali: The Chindali Language of Malawi: Volume 2

Our Price: $35.00

Chindali is spoken along the northern border of Malawi and in southwestern Tanzania. There are approximately 70,000 speakers in Malawi and 150,000 speakers in Tanzania. It is classified as M.21 in the Turveren (Bastin 1978) revision of Guthrie’s (1967-70) zone classification. This grammatical sketch represents the language as spoken in the region of northern Malawi. It differs in important ways from the variety spoken in Tanzania, especially in verbal morphology. It also differs from a closely related dialect called Chisukwa, primarily in tone and some sounds, as well as with some verbal conjugations. The Ndali people live in close proximity to the Sukwa people. Contents: Introduction; Part 1: Phonology; Part 2: Noun Morphology; Part 3: Noun Modification; Part 4: Verbs: Structure and Morphology; Part 5: Verb Types; Part 6: Verbs: Constructions and Phrases; Part 7: Ideophones; Part 8: Syntax; Part 9: Invariable Forms. Appendices: A. Verb Templates; B. Paradigm of the Verb “uku.lima” ‘cultivate; hoe’. References.

Narratives of Chindali Life and Culture: The Chindali Language of Malawi: Volume 3

Our Price: $40.00

The Ndali people occupy a small area of northern Malawi and southern Tanzania. Relatively little has been published on their language, life, or culture. This volume presents short personal narratives on various aspects of the Ndali world in Malawi, as related by 16 individuals, men and women ranging in age from their late teens to early 40s. These texts constitute a representative sample from more than 30 individuals who provided nearly 50 narratives collected in 1994 by Loveness Schafer. They provide not only a glimpse of Ndali culture and life, but also a sampling of how Ndali narrative is constructed. Contents: Folk Histories of the Ndali and Sukwa Peoples; Birth of a Child; Death and Funerals; Marriage; Food and Food-Producing Activities; Music; Musical Instruments; Old and New: ‘Traditional Beliefs’, and ‘A Person Who Has Never Seen a Plane’; Folk Art: Two Folk Tales, Two Poems.