Most Popular Books by Matthew White

“An amusing (really) account of the murderous ways of despots, slave traders, blundering royals, gladiators and assorted hordes.”—New York Times Evangelists of human progress meet their opposite in Matthew White’s epic examination of history’s one hundred most violent events, or, in White’s piquant phrasing, “the numbers that people want to argue about.” Reaching back to the Second Persian War in 480 BCE and moving chronologically through history, White surrounds hard facts (time and place) and succinct takeaways (who usually gets the blame?) with lively military, social, and political histories.

Was the twentieth century the most violent in history? Are religions or tyrants, capitalism or communism the cause of most human suffering? Has violence increased or decreased over the course of history?In this wholly original and remarkably ambitious work, ''Atrocitologist'' Matthew White considers man''s inhumanity to man across several thousand years of history. From the First Punic War and the collapse of Mayan rule, to the reign of Peter the Great and the cataclysmic events of the Second World War, White''s epic book spans centuries and civilisations as it measures the hundred most violent events in human history. While sceptical of any grand theory for the causes of human violence, White does share three big lessons gleaned from his careful statistical analysis: one, chaos is more deadly than tyranny; two, the world is even more disorganised than we realise; and three, wars kill more civilians than soldiers (in fact, the army is usually the safest place to be).If we study history to avoid the mistakes of the past, then there can be no more important place to start than this eye-opening and entertaining book.

A compulsively readable and utterly original account of world history—from an atrocitologist’s point of view. Evangelists of human progress meet their opposite in Matthew White''s epic examination of history''s one hundred most violent events, or, in White''s piquant phrasing, "the numbers that people want to argue about." Reaching back to 480 BCE''s second Persian War, White moves chronologically through history to this century''s war in the Congo and devotes chapters to each event, where he surrounds hard facts (time and place) and succinct takeaways (who usually gets the blame?) with lively military, social, and political histories. With the eye of a seasoned statistician, White assigns each entry a ranking based on body count, and in doing so he gives voice to the suffering of ordinary people that, inexorably, has defined every historical epoch. By turns droll, insightful, matter-of-fact, and ultimately sympathetic to those who died, The Great Big Book of Horrible Things gives readers a chance to reach their own conclusions while offering a stark reminder of the darkness of the human heart.

Propelled into Wonder is the captivating debut poetry collection from British poet–priest Matthew White. The poems that inhabit this book are the produce of a life permeated by a myriad of hopes and heartache and demand to be felt as well as read. Featuring reflections on faith, doubt, love, beauty, leadership and loss, these poems are sure to inspire, provoke, amuse and disturb. Complete with beautiful hand-drawn illustrations, Propelled into Wonder is an invitation to pay attention, to undress the soul, and to exhale. In these pages, Matthew White offers psalms for today that have been forged in the excoriating furnace of surrender. This book is offered as raw testimony to the unrelenting advances of grace and that great redeeming light which waltzes our shadows into splendor.

A step-by-step guide to the whole process of putting on a musical, placing a firm emphasis upon good organisation and careful planning. This book describes all the elements involved including: how to choose the right show, budgets and schedules, auditions, rehearsals and performances. There are also sections on set designs, costumes, sound, lighting and publicity.

It is called, with deceptive simplicity, The Village. It is the world of tomorrow, or today. A man known only as Number 6 enters its storybook-like confines. He will learn, over and over again, that inside it there is no freedom, and from it there is no escape. He is without defenses, except for one invisible weapon: his uncrushable spirit.

Through trickery on the part of the oldest son, the Pell family inherits a large sum of money. The members, including twins, Roy and Rex, approach the fortune in very different ways.

Wrongly accused of theft and fired from his job, Guy and his mother join a travelling musical troupe and tour the country.

Buck Carver is an ordinary boy on a ranch. He works the cows with his father and brother and goes to school in the afternoons. But he has fears that others don''t. To assure a safe ride, he taps the saddle horn every time he rides. When something makes him uncomfortable, he tugs on his ear three times. He asks his mother the same questions repeatedly trying to allay his fears. But he still finds himself terrified of the commonplace: the grimy pond, spilled kerosene, and storms. His friend Cherokee Jack provides wise suggestions for combating his worries, explaining that he must decide to Let the Wolf Howl and not feed his fears. But when a shocking event forces him to take action, Buck must choose to face his worst fear or surrender to a disastrous loss. Matthew White brilliantly depicts one boy''s struggle with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in Let the Wolf Howl. This exciting western brings ranching to life in 1880s East Texas.

Even the greatest leaders get distracted by the less meaningful details of daily life and lose sight of what is important. At their worst, we see leaders get way off course and rationalize unethical or illegal activity, and at their best, we see leaders distracted by the day-to-day minutia, losing sight of the dynamic vision that drives their success. They need a quick reminder to serve as a "true north" and keep on track. Leading with Courage: Daily Reminders for the Decision Maker is an opportunity to spend a few minutes in the busy day reminding yourself of the personal and professional things that matter and the impact your decisions have on others.

Reproduction of the original.

A “rawr” is just a roar, and a “moo” is just a moo. And when the owl goes “hoooooo-hoooooo,” is it really asking “who?” But what else is there to know? It’s a big world, and little Willie the Owl has plenty of questions about it and himself. Join him on his journey to discover why he is special in a world so big.

Ever dreamt of putting on a musical from scratch? Or perhaps you already have, but some extra guidance would be welcome. Look no further: this book will give you all the information you need to successfully stage a musical. Placing a firm emphasis on good organisation and careful planning, Matthew White guides the reader through the various stages and processes involved in putting on a musical theatre production: from choosing the right show and creating budgets and schedules, through holding auditions and taking rehearsals, culminating in the final run of performances and the after-show party. The book also explains how to deal successfully with everything from set, costume, and lighting design to ticket sales and publicity. Drawing on his own extensive experience working as a director, actor, and writer in professional musical theatre, the author also talks to other key industry figures to explore how they contribute to the overall process of putting on a show. Staging Musicals is the ultimate step-by-step guide for anyone planning a production, whether working with amateurs, students, or young professionals.

On the front of this pamphlet is a woodcut, representing Matthew Wren, who was successively Bishop of Hereford, Norwich, and Ely, seated at a table, with two labels proceeding from his mouth. One of them is inscribed, "Only Canonicall prayers" as if addressed to four men in black, who are described as "Alter Cringing Priest". On the other label is, "no afternoon sermons" as if addressed to two laymen, "Church-wardens for Articles" who, with their hats in their hands, approach the table. This pamphlet was written by William Prynne. The first edition of "Newes from Ipswich" was published in 1636.

This book analyses the compatibility of data retention in the UK with the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). The increase in the use of modern technology has led to an explosion of generated data and, with that, a greater interest from law enforcement and intelligence agencies. In the early 2000s, data retention laws were introduced into the UK, and across the European Union (EU). This was met by domestic challenges before national courts, until a seminal ruling by the Court of Justice in the European Union (CJEU) ruled that indiscriminate data retention was incompatible with EU law. Since then, however, the CJEU has revised its position and made certain concessions, particularly under the guise of national security. This book focuses on data retention in the UK with the principal aim of examining compatibility with the ECHR. This is explored through a variety of ways including providing an account of democracy and why secret surveillance poses a threat to it, a history of data retention, assessing the seriousness that data retention poses to fundamental rights, the collection of rights that are affected by data retention which are crucial for a functioning democracy, the implications of who can be obligated to retain (and what to retain), the idea that data retention is a form of surveillance and ultimately, with all things considered, whether this is compatible with the ECHR. The work will be an invaluable resource for students, academics, researchers and policy-makers working in the areas of privacy, human rights law and surveillance.

Matthew White se ha hecho mundialmente famoso por su esfuerzo en identificar las peores matanzas de la historia y, lo que es más importante, por cuantificarlas: por establecer, utilizando toda la información posible, el número de las víctimas de cada uno de los acontecimientos que estudia, desdela Segundaguerra persa y las campañas de Alejandro Magno, hasta los genocidios de Ruanda y del Congo. Como dice Steven Pinker, profesor dela Universidadde Harvard: establecer los números de los muertos en cada una de las guerras y las matanzas es “un atroz pero crucial ejercicio, necesario para contestar preguntas como: ¿Ha sido realmente el siglo XX el más violento de la historia? ¿Cuál ha sido la causa de los mayores sufrimientos humanos: las religiones, los tiranos, el capitalismo, el comunismo, la lucha por los recursos o por el territorio? Sin alguna idea acerca de los números de las víctimas, que los historiadores no nos han dado hasta ahora, no podemos ni siquiera comenzar a contestar estas preguntas”.

Si può scrivere una storia universale delle atrocità? E se ne può stilare una classifica? Come confrontare misfatti avvenuti in tempi e contesti tanto diversi? Secondo Matthew White, bibliotecario statunitense, ricercatore indipendente specializzato in «atrocitologia», un criterio perfetto non c''è, dunque non rimane che il nudo numero delle vittime: come dice l''autore, «il numero di cui si ha sempre voglia di discutere». Utilizzando le migliori fonti di statistica storica, e compiendo uno studio comparativo senza precedenti, White ricostruisce così i cento avvenimenti più sanguinosi, per un totale di mezzo miliardo di morti, dalla seconda guerra persiana del V secolo avanti Cristo fino al Congo e al Sudan dei nostri anni, passando per decine di eventi meno noti: quanti di voi avrebbero immaginato al sesto posto la rivolta ottocentesca dei Taiping in Cina, con venti milioni di vittime? A ciascuna «atrocità» White dedica un capitolo, e in ogni capitolo avvolge i numeri grezzi con una cronaca militare, politica e sociale di grande utilità e ricca di aneddoti e curiosità inedite, spesso intrisa di ironia e sarcasmo verso l''umana crudeltà e stupidità. Faceto, profondo, duramente realistico, mai ideologico - sfidiamo i lettori a intuire le simpatie politiche dell''autore! - eppure sempre schierato dalla parte delle vittime, Il libro nero dell''umanità, già in corso di traduzione in una dozzina di Paesi, promette di appassionare in tutto il mondo non solo gli amanti della storia, ma chiunque nutra dubbi sulle nostre «magnifiche sorti e progressive».

Existem várias formas de contar a história da humanidade. Matthew White, um autoproclamado especialista em atrocidades, escolheu contar a história pelo seu viés mais sombrio: as mortes. Como William Shakespeare destacou na peça Julius Caesar, "O mal que os homens fazem sobrevive a eles. O bem é geralmente enterrado com seus ossos". A frase resume bem a ideia do livro de White, que reúne os cem eventos com as maiores taxas de mortalidade causadas pelo homem. O resultado é uma surpreendente releitura da História, onde acontecimentos pouco lembrados, como A Revolta Mahdi e a Rebelião Taiping, ganham destaque ao lado das muito estudadas – e sangrentas – Guerras Mundiais. E não só de conflitos é composta a lista de Matthew White. Outros episódios, que muitas vezes são dissociados de seu impacto humano, mostram-se igualmente cruéis, como a conquista das Américas e o período da Dinastia Xin. Cada um dos acontecimentos é contextualizado e seus principais personagens destacados. As consequências para a população – além da óbvia morte – também é esclarecida. Os episódios narrados no livro vão desde a Segunda Guerra Persa (480 – 479 a.C.), que ocupa o 96o lugar na lista, até a Segunda Guerra do Congo (1998 – 2002), o 27o evento mais sangrento da história. Nenhuma parte do mundo escapa da curiosidade aguçada de White, que cobre desde a Revolução Mexicana (46o) até a Guerra Civil Chinesa (19o). Ao ler O grande livro das coisas horríveis , o leitor é convidado, desde o início, a conhecer a história sob uma narrativa diferente, sem seguir os imperadores, reis e ditadores, mas conhecendo seus súditos e o que aconteceu com eles. Quem ganha o primeiro lugar na lista de White? O leitor curioso vai descobrir.

Keert zich o.a. tegen de kritiek van de hoogkerkelijken op prinses Elisabeth van Engeland (keurvorstin van de Palts, koningin van Bohemen).

It is called, with deceptive simplicity, The Village. It is the world of tomorrow, or today. A man known only as Number 6 enters its storybook-like confines. He will learn, over and over again, that inside it there is no freedom, and from it there is no escape. He is without defenses, except for one invisible weapon: his uncrushable spirit.