Throughout history, many individuals have dreamt of becoming a king, queen or president. Some have been successful, while others were pure fantasists. But both types took themselves very seriously, and often produced coins, banknotes, stamps, and heraldic devices as proof of their status. From ancient to modern times, from the Far East to the New World, this book looks at examples of pretend sovereigns and phantom countries, rebel states and royal imposters.

A narrative and pictorial portrait of the political and artistic upheaval that changed the course of Russian history and culture during the first three decades of the century

Overzicht van de belangrijkste stromingen in de geschiedschrijving van de twintigste eeuw.

Author Philip Reynolds examines how marriage acquired a specifically Christian identity in the Latin West during the first millennium after Christ. Beginning with Jesus, everything the Christians did, including getting married, began a process of differentiation. Reynolds offers three themes for theological reflection and interpretation: Jesus teaching, Paul s Letter to the Ephesians, and Paul s justification of marriage as a solution to the problem of sexual desire. Reynolds insights into the Christianization of marriage make this a valuable book at both the scholarly and the practical level.

"Soviet Russia and Tibet" surveys for the first time the entire history of religious and political relations between Russia and Tibet, from the 17th to the late 20th century, focusing on Soviet attempts to win Lhasa over in the 1920s. This is the first investigation into the little-known Bolshevik foreign ministry's strenuous efforts to win Lhasa over to the Soviet cause in the 1920s. Examining the history of relations between Russia (tsarist, Soviet and post-Soviet) and Tibet from the 17th century to the 1990s, the author puts at the core of his narrative the previously unknown story of clandestine negotiations between the Soviet government and the 13th Dalai Lama, forming part of Moscow's bitter struggle against British imperialism in Asia. The book provides insight into Soviet secret diplomacy and draws important conclusions relating to the history of Anglo-Russian competition for Tibet and Tibet's status prior to 1951.

This comparative history of the parallel development of Catholic political parties in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium and The Netherlands contributes to the debate over Germany's "Sonderweg" or "special path" by showing that this aspects of Germany's history was not unique but similar to that of neighbors.

"Priest and Parish in Vienna, 1780 to 1880" details the social, cultural, and political transformation of the Austrian Catholic priesthood in nineteenth-century Vienna. It shows how priests, a very important and influential group in Austria, were changed from servants of the state into political activists working for the contentious Christian Social Party in fin-de-siecle Vienna.