The history of decadent culture runs from ancient Rome to nineteenth-century Paris, Victorian London, fin de siècle Vienna, Weimar Berlin, and beyond. The decline of Rome provides the pattern for both aesthetic and social decadence, a pattern that artists and writers in the nineteenth century imitated, emulated, parodied, and otherwise manipulated for aesthetic gain. What begins as the moral condemnation of modernity in mid-nineteenth century France on the part of decadent authors...

Luchino Visconti's The Leopard (Il Gattopardo, 1963) tells the story of an aristocratic Sicilian family adjusting to the realities of political and commercial modernity after the unification Italy during the Risorgimento.The film, starring Claudia Cardinale, Burt Lancaster and Alain Delon, met with success upon its initial release, winning the Palme d'Or at Cannes and having a successful theatrical run in Europe. Despite this, however, it did not ...

The sharp increase in oil revenues since 2002 has left the Arab Gulf States with billions of petro-dollars. But how will these countries fare in the post-oil era? The rulers of these states are taking serious measures to ensure the survival of their economies, and indeed their regimes, in a world with scarce mineral resources. This volume explores the extent to which these countries have been and will be able to prepare for the future by transforming themselves into serious international d...

Another day dawns over the Houses of Parliament and Maxwell Murray, 'Chief of Staff', researcher and what sometimes feels like nanny to the hapless MP Eliot Oakcroft, has much to do. Invitations for Oakcroft to consider, party correspondence, and, here and there, some legitimate constituency business. All while keeping the honourable member for Middlebury-Mid out of trouble and the inevitable media spotlight.But today, there's something a little different. Miranda Cley is seeking E...

The Romantic myth of Bohemia originated in the early nineteenth century as a way of describing the new conditions faced by artists and writers when the previous system of aristocratic patronage collapsed in the wake of the Age of Revolution. Without the patron system, the artist was free to move around, to seek an audience wherever fortune beckoned. This marketing model likening the artist's vagabond career to the "gypsy" life helps to explain part of the bohemian myth, but not all of it. ...

Ernst Lubitsch's Trouble in Paradise (1932) was released at a critical moment in cinema history, just after the advent of synchronized sound technology and just before the full implementation of the production code. By the time of its release, Lubitsch had already directed more than 50 films, but it was unlike anything he had done before. Aside from being his first non-musical talking picture, the film introduced a level of sophistication and visual subtlety that established the b...

When it comes to James Joyce's landmark work, Ulysses , the influence of three literary giants, Homer, Shakespeare, and Dante, cannot be overlooked. Examining Joyce in terms of Homeric narrative, Dantesque structure, and Shakespearean plot, Weir rediscovers Joyce's novel through the lens of his renowned predecessors.

One of the few things Eliot Oakcroft MP knows is the secret of political survival: hire competent people and take the credit yourself. Luckily, Maxwell Murray and Diana Burton keep his office running with only occasional homicidal thoughts. Then Eliot is manoeuvred into taking on intern Robin Leishman, nephew of the formidable constituency chairwoman Dame Barbara Chard. Robin is ambitious, energetic - and utterly intolerable. Max and Diana soon find themselves wondering which of them will ...

The meaning of decadence varies with context, depending on what (or who) is understood to have declined, decayed, or degenerated. These negative meanings are familiar from history (the decline and fall of Rome), sociology (the decay of communities), morality (the degeneration of values), and more, including such popular conceptions of decadence as excess and corruption. At the same time, all of this negative decadence has found positive cultural expression, principally in literatu...

Decades of stagnating demand for beer and the emergence of global brewing conglomerates had seen many of Britain’s longstanding breweries disappear and a decline in the diversity of beer styles on offer. However, following similar developments in the USA and Australia, the emergence of new craft breweries in the UK, producing small batch beers in an ever-increasing range of styles has re-vitalised the industry. Supporting employment both within brewing and hospitality while contributing to...

Do you want to learn how to know what God's will is for your life?Seeking God's guidance is a focus for many believers, and this book provides practical guidance on the subject of knowing God's will, different aspects of God's will and how to avoid the dangers awaiting those who live outside God's will."Knowing God's Will for your Life" is arranged into fifteen short chapters and covers topics such as: The Will of God in Prayer, the Will of God in Service and the Will of God ...

First published in 1988, The Bhopal Syndrome documents one of world’s worst industrial disaster: The Bhopal gas tragedy of 1984. The tragedy exposed a variety of issues plaguing rapid development such as the negligence of corporations and government, prioritizing of commercial benefits over human lives, inadequate post-disaster rehabilitation and compensation, and frightening levels of environmental pollution. The author argues that the Bhopal gas tragedy is being replicated acros...