New Releases by David King

David King is the author of Legal & Humble AI (2024), The Legends and Myths of Hawaii: The fables and folk-lore of a strange people (2022), Predica ta din Vechiul Testament are nevoie de mântuire (Your Old Testament Sermon Needs to Get Saved) (Romanian) (2022), The Index of Alkeme (2021), Generation Gap: A science fiction short story (2021).

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Legal & Humble AI

release date: Feb 25, 2024
Legal & Humble AI
In "Legal and Humble AI: Addressing the Legal, Ethical, and Societal Dilemmas of Generative AI," the author takes a deep dive into the murky world of algorithmic bias. With the rise of AI technology, it''s become increasingly clear that our legal and ethical frameworks are struggling to keep up. This book confronts the challenges head-on, offering insights into the complex intersection of law, ethics, and society when it comes to generative AI. From discriminatory hiring practices to biased medical diagnoses, AI algorithms have been found to perpetuate and even exacerbate existing social inequalities. The author explores the ways in which our legal system can adapt to this new reality, with an eye toward creating a more equitable future. Through real-world examples and thought-provoking analysis, "Legal and Humble AI" provides a compelling look at the implications of unchecked AI power. With accessible language and a keen understanding of the subject matter, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in the intersection of technology and society. Whether you''re a legal professional, AI developer, or concerned citizen, "Legal and Humble AI" offers valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities that arise from the widespread use of generative AI. This book is a call to action, urging us to confront the ethical and legal dilemmas posed by AI technology, and to work toward a more just and equitable future.

The Legends and Myths of Hawaii: The fables and folk-lore of a strange people

release date: May 28, 2022
The Legends and Myths of Hawaii: The fables and folk-lore of a strange people
The Legends and Myths of Hawaii: The fables and folklore of a strange people depicts the mythological history of Hawaii. It was written by the last living king on the island, David Kalākaua.

Predica ta din Vechiul Testament are nevoie de mântuire (Your Old Testament Sermon Needs to Get Saved) (Romanian)

release date: Apr 05, 2022
Predica ta din Vechiul Testament are nevoie de mântuire (Your Old Testament Sermon Needs to Get Saved) (Romanian)
Every good sermon proclaims the gospel-even those from the Old Testament. From the miracles of the Gospels to the teachings of the Epistles, the New Testament is saturated with the saving work of Jesus Christ. But where is He in the poetry, prophets, and history of the Old Testament? Your Old Testament Sermon Needs to Get Saved is a practical handbook for preaching Christ from the Old Testament. The book provides a comprehensive but simple hermeneutic for discerning how Jesus is present on every page of the Hebrew Scriptures. You''ll learn why and how to preach Christ from the Old Testament while experiencing the beauty of discovering and teaching how the saving work of Christ permeates the first two-thirds of the Bible.

The Index of Alkeme

release date: Nov 19, 2021
The Index of Alkeme
When thieves attempt to steal a mysterious package from Forthwick University, Addison does the unthinkable—he takes it himself and is propelled on an adventure of a lifetime across a world of steam and diesel on the brink of war. With a self-made scientist, an ace fighter pilot, an expert codebreaker, and a renowned author at his side, Addison must solve the clues and decipher the codes that lead to an object said to unearth ancient technology far beyond their own. Now, the intrepid group of adventurers must race against time to uncover the fabled Index of Alkeme before fanatics can use its secrets to subjugate humankind. If you enjoy dogfights with air pirates, encounters with mystical monks and daemons, and experiencing the dangers of a high-stakes adventure first-hand, you will love this book.

Generation Gap: A science fiction short story

release date: Sep 24, 2021
Generation Gap: A science fiction short story
Harrison has lived his whole life on Mars. The most exciting event of his day is book club until he receives a message from his long-absent father on Earth: "You will understand everything when you see who I am and who you have become." Haunted by his father''s words, Harrison leaves the colony behind and embarks on a journey full of unanswered questions and unexpected danger to return to the cradle of humanity where he will reunite with the man he thought was his father.

World-maps for Finding the Direction and Distance to Mecca

release date: Sep 06, 2021
World-maps for Finding the Direction and Distance to Mecca
Two remarkable Iranian world-maps were discovered in 1989 and 1995. Both are made of brass and date from 17th-century Iran. Mecca is at the centre and a highly sophisticated longitude and latitude grid enables the user to determine the direction and distance to Mecca for anywhere in the world between Andalusia and China. Prior to the discovery of these maps it was thought that such cartographic grids were conceived in Europe ca. 1910. This richly-illustrated book presents an overview of the ways in which Muslims over the centuries have determined the sacred direction towards Mecca (qibla) and then describes the two world-maps in detail. The author shows that the geographical data derives from a 15th-century Central Asian source and that the mathematics underlying the grid was developed in 9th-century Baghdad.

EVOLVE OR DIE

release date: Nov 08, 2020
EVOLVE OR DIE
Success in life involves not just about doing the right things, but also not doing the wrong things. Doing the right things alone will not guarantee success because if you are doing the right things and also doing some wrongs things, the effects of the two will end up cancelling each other out and such person could end up becoming worse off. Being successful require consistent actions, that is being consistent in doing a series of right things that will stack up to give success. Successful people develop a clear mindset on their goals and what they need to do to get there, they understand that without clarity there is no direction. Imagine trying to travel to a destination that you have not been before and you don’t know how to get there, you have no plan, no map and no GPS navigational system, obviously any path will seems like the obvious choice to get you to your destination. It is however certain that such path will not get you to the destination but to somewhere you did not desire, and most likely that will not be a good destination or a preferred choice. And because there is no clarity on how to get to the destination, when obstacles and challenges shows up as they always do, such a persons with no plan of action and objective focus will quickly find every reason to quit.

Six Days in August: The Story of Stockholm Syndrome

release date: Aug 04, 2020
Six Days in August: The Story of Stockholm Syndrome
A rollicking account of the bizarre hostage drama that gave rise to the term "Stockholm syndrome." On the morning of August 23, 1973, a man wearing a wig, makeup, and a pair of sunglasses walked into the main branch of Sveriges Kreditbank, a prominent bank in central Stockholm. He ripped out a submachine gun, fired it into the ceiling, and shouted, "The party starts!" This was the beginning of a six-day hostage crisis—and media circus—that would mesmerize the world, drawing into its grip everyone from Sweden’s most notorious outlaw to the prime minister himself. As policemen and reporters encircled the bank, the crime-in-progress turned into a high-stakes thriller broadcast on live television. Inside the building, meanwhile, complicated emotional relationships developed between captors and captives that would launch a remarkable new concept into the realm of psychology, hostage negotiation, and popular culture. Based on a wealth of previously unpublished sources, including rare film footage and unprecedented access to the main participants, Six Days in August captures the surreal events in their entirety, on an almost minute-by-minute basis. It is a rich human drama that blurs the lines between loyalty and betrayal, obedience and defiance, fear and attraction—and a groundbreaking work of nonfiction that forces us to consider "Stockholm syndrome" in an entirely new light.

Personality Psychology

release date: Feb 10, 2020
Personality Psychology
Larsen, Personality Psychology: Domains of Knowledge About Human Nature, 2nd Canadian Edition features the latest in Canadian research. Content has been updated throughout to ensure information is current, relevant and relatable to today''s student. The new edition continues to adopt the trusted framework of six important domains of knowledge about personality functioning. These domains include: Dispositional, Biological, Intrapsychic, Cognitive/Experimental, Social and/Culture, and Adjustment. This resource is ideal for degree-level Personality Psychology courses, or for any learner eager to explore personality psychology from a Canadian perspective.

A Poet’s Voice

release date: May 08, 2019
A Poet’s Voice
My name is David Samuel King. I first started writing poetry at the age of fourteen. All my poetry are based on my life—either personal experiences or my views on certain subjects. In my poetry, I found peace and safety from the chaotic environment I was raised in. I am a survivor of drugs, violence, abuse, military, and prison. In writing poetry, I hope to provide a light to people going through some of the same things that I went through. God is great.

Paradise Pd Coloring Book

release date: Feb 04, 2019
Paradise Pd Coloring Book
Coloring Book based on animated series about bad cops. Not bad as in corrupt, bad as in under-performing. They aren''t first responders, they are the worst responders. Paradise PD Coloring Book contains 60 full-paged detailed coloring pages with all characters and best scenes from tv show. Each image is printed on a separate page to prevent bleed-through.

Live An Adventure

release date: Feb 20, 2018
Live An Adventure
ÿ "Life can seem mundane, ordinary or awful - or it can be an adventure..." In this book David King, an international lecturer and a church leader for more than 30 years, is sharing his journey in faith in the hope of inspiring the reader to live a life of adventure in his or her own way, without letting the challenges and stumbling blocks of life deter them from their goals. "Whatever your adventure, I trust you will find helps, hints and concepts which progress you forward... most of all, I trust that my adventure will encourage you to explore Christ, His claims and His church, with a view to including these in your adventure. Remember, the best is yet to come!"

The Future of Professional Photography and Photo Education

release date: Nov 09, 2017
The Future of Professional Photography and Photo Education
This book examines influences from a wide range of fields to identify trend lines and potential future needs for professional photographers. It also addresses potential changes needed in photo-education to prepare students for the highly competitive and ever-changing world of professional photography.

Electronic Commerce 2018

release date: Oct 12, 2017
Electronic Commerce 2018
This new Edition of Electronic Commerce is a complete update of the leading graduate level/advanced undergraduate level textbook on the subject. Electronic commerce (EC) describes the manner in which transactions take place over electronic networks, mostly the Internet. It is the process of electronically buying and selling goods, services, and information. Certain EC applications, such as buying and selling stocks and airline tickets online, are reaching maturity, some even exceeding non-Internet trades. However, EC is not just about buying and selling; it also is about electronically communicating, collaborating, and discovering information. It is about e-learning, e-government, social networks, and much more. EC is having an impact on a significant portion of the world, affecting businesses, professions, trade, and of course, people. The most important developments in EC since 2014 are the continuous phenomenal growth of social networks, especially Facebook , LinkedIn and Instagram, and the trend toward conducting EC with mobile devices. Other major developments are the expansion of EC globally, especially in China where you can find the world''s largest EC company. Much attention is lately being given to smart commerce and the use of AI-based analytics and big data to enhance the field. Finally, some emerging EC business models are changing industries (e.g., the shared economy models of Uber and Airbnb). The 2018 (9th) edition, brings forth the latest trends in e-commerce, including smart commerce, social commerce, social collaboration, shared economy, innovations, and mobility.

The Trial of Adolf Hitler: The Beer Hall Putsch and the Rise of Nazi Germany

release date: Jun 06, 2017
The Trial of Adolf Hitler: The Beer Hall Putsch and the Rise of Nazi Germany
“Gripping… a disturbing portrait of how an advanced country can descend into chaos.” —Frederick Taylor, Wall Street Journal The Trial of Adolf Hitler tells the true story of the monumental criminal proceeding that thrust Hitler into the limelight after the failed beer hall putsch, provided him with an unprecedented stage for his demagoguery, and set him on his improbable path to power. Reporters from as far away as Argentina and Australia flocked to Munich for the sensational, four-week spectacle. By the end, Hitler would transform a fiasco into a stunning victory for the fledgling Nazi Party. The first book in English on the subject, The Trial of Adolf Hitler draws on never-before-published sources to re-create in riveting detail a haunting failure of justice with catastrophic consequences.

Introduction to Electronic Commerce and Social Commerce

release date: Apr 23, 2017
Introduction to Electronic Commerce and Social Commerce
This is a complete update of the best-selling undergraduate textbook on Electronic Commerce (EC). New to this 4th Edition is the addition of material on Social Commerce (two chapters); a new tutorial on the major EC support technologies, including cloud computing, RFID, and EDI; ten new learning outcomes; and video exercises added to most chapters. Wherever appropriate, material on Social Commerce has been added to existing chapters. Supplementary material includes an Instructor’s Manual; Test Bank questions for each chapter; Powerpoint Lecture Notes; and a Companion Website that includes EC support technologies as well as online files. The book is organized into 12 chapters grouped into 6 parts. Part 1 is an Introduction to E-Commerce and E-Marketplaces. Part 2 focuses on EC Applications, while Part 3 looks at Emerging EC Platforms, with two new chapters on Social Commerce and Enterprise Social Networks. Part 4 examines EC Support Services, and Part 5 looks at E-Commerce Strategy and Implementation. Part 6 is a collection of online tutorials on Launching Online Businesses and EC Projects, with tutorials focusing on e-CRM; EC Technology; Business Intelligence, including Data-, Text-, and Web Mining; E-Collaboration; and Competition in Cyberspace. the following="" tutorials="" are="" not="" related="" to="" any="" specific="" chapter.="" they="" cover="" the="" essentials="" ec="" technologies="" and="" provide="" a="" guide="" relevant="" resources.="" p

Disasters and Social Resilience

release date: May 20, 2016
Disasters and Social Resilience
The interconnectedness of communities, organisations, governing bodies, policy and individuals in the field of disaster studies has never been accurately examined or comprehensively modelled. This kind of study is vital for planning policy and emergency responses and assessing individual and community vulnerability, resilience and sustainability as well as mitigation and adaptation to climate change impacts; it therefore deserves attention. Disasters and Social Resilience fills this gap by introducing to the field of disaster studies a fresh methodology and a model for examining and measuring impacts and responses to disasters. Urie Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological systems theory, which is used to look at communities holistically, is outlined and illustrated through a series of chapters, guiding the reader from the theory''s underpinnings through research illustrations and applications focused on each level of Bronfenbrenner’s ecosystems, culminating in an integration chapter. The final chapter provides policy recommendations for local and national government bodies and emergency providers to help individuals and communities prepare and withstand the effects of a range of disasters. This book will be of great interest to scholars and students of disaster and emergency management, disaster readiness and risk reduction (DRR), and to scholars and students of more general climate change and sustainability studies.

Overplayed

release date: Mar 08, 2016
Overplayed
As seen in Focus on the Family magazine. Should I sign up our seven-year-old son for the travel team? What should we do about our daughter''s Sunday morning games? Am I the only one longing for a sane balance between children’s sports, family time, and church commitments? David King and Margot Starbuck offer good news for Christian parents stressed out by these questions and stretched thin by the demands of competitive youth sports. Join King, athletic director at a Christian university, and Starbuck, an award-winning author and speaker, as they investigate seven myths about what’s best for young athletes. Discover with them what it means to not be conformed to the patterns of the youth sports world. Listen in as they talk to other parents, pastors, and coaches about the peril and promise of children’s sports. Learn practical ways to set boundaries and help kids gain healthy identities as beloved children of God--both on and off the field, and whether they win or lose. Equips parents with concrete tips such as: Eight questions to discuss on the way home from the game Five ways to ruin your child’s sports experience Dinnertime conversation starters about your family’s values The one question you can''t not ask your child about youth sports Key Features: Challenges seven common myths about youth sports Offers wisdom for families on decisions such as choosing leagues and how many seasons to play Author Q&As address parents'' common concerns about youth sports Bonus tips and resources for parents, coaches, and pastors Free downloadable study guide available here.

Fiscal Tiers (Routledge Revivals)

release date: Feb 05, 2016
Fiscal Tiers (Routledge Revivals)
First published in 1984. This book brings together and develops the economic theory relating to the design and operation of systems of non-central government — positing major developments in several areas. It considers what functions systems most suitably perform in non-central governments, and their appropriate size and structure. How these authorities might finance themselves — by taxes, charges or loans — is analysed in detail. It also examines the use of grants by higher tiers of government and how such programmes should be designed. Concentrating on contemporary economic concerns, it relates the theory to practice in countries such as Australia, Canada, West Germany, the UK and USA.

The Texas League Baseball Almanac

release date: Feb 04, 2014
The Texas League Baseball Almanac
Since forming in 1888, the Texas League has produced some of the most beloved American baseball players and seen more than its fair share of colorful events. In 1931, Houston pitcher Dizzy Dean pitched and won both ends of a double-header in Fort Worth, throwing a three-hit shutout in the second game. In 1906, center fielder Tris Speaker pitched for Cleburne to beat Temple 10-3. In 1998, Arkansas'' Tyrone Horne hit for the "homer cycle" in San Antonio, finishing to a standing ovation. "The Texas League Baseball Almanac" delivers day by day the record-breaking events, personal triumphs and memorable games that helped to shape baseball in the region. Join authors David King and Tom Kayser on a nine-inning trip down one of minor-league baseball''s most historic institutions, both in season and off. .

Complete Works of Robert and James Adam and Unbuilt Adam

release date: Sep 13, 2013
Complete Works of Robert and James Adam and Unbuilt Adam
This volume is a unique compendium of the works of Robert and James Adam, both built and unbuilt. It includes 900 illustrations. The Complete Works of Robert and James Adam is reprinted here in its entirety, updated and corrected. This title covers every one of the 230 or so built works, including 12 that have been recently discovered. It is complemented by a completely new title, Unbuilt Adam. This mentions all the brothers'' important unbuilt projects, and it discusses and illustrates 130 of them. This volume gives an exceptionally thorough review of the brothers'' designs. From public buildings to country houses, and monuments to ceilings, it is well informed and erudite. It provides a mine of information for both the expert and the general reader, and it uses the works covered to give an understanding of the Adam manner.

Ross Youngs

release date: May 21, 2013
Ross Youngs
Though Ross Youngs has been enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame since 1972, few have given his remarkable career its due. Born in Shiner and raised in San Antonio, Youngs played his first game as a professional at the age of sixteen, and just three years later, his contract was purchased by the New York Giants, one of baseball''s elite teams in the early twentieth century. Tragically, his promising career ended when he died from an illness at age thirty in 1927. Join author David King in a journey to discover the amazing Youngs as he was and the incredible legacy he left behind.

Baseball in the Lone Star State

release date: Aug 31, 2012
Baseball in the Lone Star State
In short episodic chapters, Kayser and King create a history of this storied minor league, providing a broad picture of the shifting character of baseball operations over the past century or so. Portrayed are the many and varied and often colorful owners, managers, and players who did so much to give this league a powerful place in Texas culture. Accompanying the text are dozens of B&W photos, dating to the founding of the league, and an appendix of baseball statistics, essential information for the true aficionado. With nine teams in states from Arkansas, Texas, and Oklahoma, the Texas League has brought America''s favorite sport to local fans for more than 100 summers. This book chronicles those games, their players, and will delight the legions of diehard fans of teams like the San Antonio Missions or El Paso Diablos or the Midland Rock Hounds who devotedly cheer loudly and boo lustily.

Death in the City of Light

release date: Jun 05, 2012
Death in the City of Light
The gripping, true story of a brutal serial killer who unleashed his own reign of terror in Nazi-Occupied Paris. As decapitated heads and dismembered body parts surfaced in the Seine, Commissaire Georges-Victor Massu, head of the Brigade Criminelle, was tasked with tracking down the elusive murderer in a twilight world of Gestapo, gangsters, resistance fighters, pimps, prostitutes, spies, and other shadowy figures of the Parisian underworld. But while trying to solve the many mysteries of the case, Massu would unravel a plot of unspeakable deviousness. The main suspect, Dr. Marcel Petiot, was a handsome, charming physician with remarkable charisma. He was the “People’s Doctor,” known for his many acts of kindness and generosity, not least in providing free medical care for the poor. Petiot, however, would soon be charged with twenty-seven murders, though authorities suspected the total was considerably higher, perhaps even as many as 150. Petiot''s trial quickly became a circus. Attempting to try all twenty-seven cases at once, the prosecution stumbled in its marathon cross-examinations, and Petiot, enjoying the spotlight, responded with astonishing ease. Soon, despite a team of prosecuting attorneys, dozens of witnesses, and over one ton of evidence, Petiot’s brilliance and wit threatened to win the day. Drawing extensively on many new sources, including the massive, classified French police file on Dr. Petiot, Death in the City of Light is a brilliant evocation of Nazi-Occupied Paris and a harrowing exploration of murder, betrayal, and evil of staggering proportions.

Energy, Transport, & the Environment

release date: Mar 05, 2012
Energy, Transport, & the Environment
Sustainable mobility is a highly complex problem as it is affected by the interactions between socio-economic, environmental, technological and political issues. Energy, Transport, & the Environment: Addressing the Sustainable Mobility Paradigm brings together leading figures from business, academia and governments to address the challenges and opportunities involved in working towards sustainable mobility. Key thinkers and decision makers approach topics and debates including: energy security and resource scarcity greenhouse gas and pollutant emissions urban planning, transport systems and their management governance and finance of transformation ·the threats of terrorism and climate change to our transport systems. Introduced by a preface from U.S. Secretary of Energy, Steven Chu and an outline by the editors, Dr Oliver Inderwildi and Sir David King, Energy, Transport, & the Environment is divided into six sections. These sections address and explore the challenges and opportunities for energy supply, road transport, urban mobility, aviation, sea and rail, as well as finance and economics in transport. Possible solutions, ranging from alternative fuels to advanced urban planning and policy levers, will be examined in order to deepen the understanding of currently proposed solutions within the political realities of the dominating economic areas. The result of this detailed investigation is an integrated view of sustainable transport for both people and freight, making Energy, Transport, & the Environment key reading for researchers, decision makers and policy experts across the public and private sectors.

Nanomech

release date: Feb 26, 2011
Nanomech
Left behind by his childhood friend, Aiben ekes out his existence as a cybermancer acolyte and part-time starship mechanic on a backwater world. He leads an uncertain life until the Zenzani Protectorate invades his home and destroys everything he has ever known. Aiben soon learns that the molecule-sized machines, which augment his mind and body, have a centuries-old plan for him involving nanotechnology, genetic manipulation, and hyperspatial thought. Now, along with his companions, an old soldier, and a sentient mechanoid, he journeys to a world of fabricated prophecies where he must navigate the treacheries of war and espionage to find an ancient weapon and a long-forgotten people that will bring his past crashing into his future and seal his destiny forever.

A Pete Seeger Discography

release date: Nov 12, 2010
A Pete Seeger Discography
Pete Seeger is one of the most recorded artists in American history, and his recording catalog tells us not just the story of his career but the story of our culture and its political and social history. A Pete Seeger Discography: Seventy Years of Recordings is a comprehensive listing of the 45s, 78s, LPs, and CDs recorded by Seeger in his various incarnations: with the Almanac Singers, with the Weavers, as a solo artist, and with other musicians and contributors. David King Dunaway provides information, with easy to use cross-references, on rare recordings and archival collections. The discography offers details on Seeger''s recording history, including the album title, song(s), other artists on the recording, the publisher and number, and the year or exact recording date if known, as well as the original release date and the re-releases of each recording. Structured to make locating details easy for readers, the recordings are organized chronologically and categorized by albums, singles, private pressings, and foreign releases. Readers can easily cross-reference through album and song title indexes and a contributing artist index. An appendix listing the unreleased archival holdings of the Smithsonian Folkways collection under Moe Asch completes the volume, and a photospread with more than 30 of Seeger''s album covers convey a pictorial recording history of this well-loved artist. The authors gratefully acknowledge Furthermore: a program of the J.M. Kaplan Fund, for their funding assistance in preparing this discography.

Singing Out

release date: Apr 14, 2010
Singing Out
Intimate, anecdotal, and spell-binding, Singing Out offers a fascinating oral history of the North American folk music revivals and folk music. Culled from more than 150 interviews recorded from 1976 to 2006, this captivating story spans seven decades and cuts across a wide swath of generations and perspectives, shedding light on the musical, political, and social aspects of this movement. The narrators highlight many of the major folk revival figures, including Pete Seeger, Bernice Reagon, Phil Ochs, Mary Travers, Don McLean, Judy Collins, Arlo Guthrie, Ry Cooder, and Holly Near. Together they tell the stories of such musical groups as the Composers'' Collective, the Almanac Singers, People''s Songs, the Weavers, the New Lost City Ramblers, and the Freedom Singers. Folklorists, musicians, musicologists, writers, activists, and aficionados reveal not only what happened during the folk revivals, but what it meant to those personally and passionately involved. For everyone who ever picked up a guitar, fiddle, or banjo, this will be a book to give and cherish. Extensive notes, bibliography, and discography, plus a photo section.

Khloe Kardashian Meets the Easter Bunny: an American Play

release date: Apr 19, 2009
Khloe Kardashian Meets the Easter Bunny: an American Play
A young poet named Jelly Roll suffers from theatrical visitations of Peter Cottontail; plus, he meets an adolescent girl who believes that she is the unearthly incarnation of the Pop-Cultural Star dubbed Khloe Kardashian; indeed, this tale even transcends teen angst, touching upon things divine, such as a daughter''s need and love for her father. Furthermore, the pre-pubescent Jelly Roll ushers in true wisdom for the psychotic sub-characters, him playing the part of a Little Aristotle in hopes of healing the woes of those around him.

Vienna, 1814

release date: Mar 24, 2009
Vienna, 1814
“Reads like a novel. A fast-paced page-turner, it has everything: sex, wit, humor, and adventures. But it is an impressively researched and important story.” —David Fromkin, author of Europe’s Last Summer Vienna, 1814 is an evocative and brilliantly researched account of the most audacious and extravagant peace conference in modern European history. With the feared Napoleon Bonaparte presumably defeated and exiled to the small island of Elba, heads of some 216 states gathered in Vienna to begin piecing together the ruins of his toppled empire. Major questions loomed: What would be done with France? How were the newly liberated territories to be divided? What type of restitution would be offered to families of the deceased? But this unprecedented gathering of kings, dignitaries, and diplomatic leaders unfurled a seemingly endless stream of personal vendettas, long-simmering feuds, and romantic entanglements that threatened to undermine the crucial work at hand, even as their hard-fought policy decisions shaped the destiny of Europe and led to the longest sustained peace the continent would ever see. Beyond the diplomatic wrangling, however, the Congress of Vienna served as a backdrop for the most spectacular Vanity Fair of its time. Highlighted by such celebrated figures as the elegant but incredibly vain Prince Metternich of Austria, the unflappable and devious Prince Talleyrand of France, and the volatile Tsar Alexander of Russia, as well as appearances by Ludwig van Beethoven and Emilia Bigottini, the sheer star power of the Vienna congress outshone nearly everything else in the public eye. An early incarnation of the cult of celebrity, the congress devolved into a series of debauched parties that continually delayed the progress of peace, until word arrived that Napoleon had escaped, abruptly halting the revelry and shrouding the continent in panic once again. Vienna, 1814 beautifully illuminates the intricate social and political intrigue of this history-defining congress–a glorified party that seemingly valued frivolity over substance but nonetheless managed to drastically reconfigure Europe’s balance of power and usher in the modern age.
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