Of the "Great Powers" that dominated Europe from the eighteenth to the twentieth centuries, Prussia is the only one to have vanished ..."Iron Kingdom" is not just good: it is everything a history book ought to be ...The nemesis of Prussia has cast such a long shadow that German historians have tiptoed around the subject. Thus it was left to an Englishman to write what is surely the best history of Prussia in any language' - "Sunday Telegraph".

Leslie S. Klinger has reassembled Arthur Conan Doyle's 56 short stories in the order in which they appeared in the original book editions. A cause for international celebration as this is the most lavishly illustrated edition of the Holmes tales ever produced. Readers will find a cornucopia of insights: beginners will benefit from Klinger's biographies of Holmes, Watson and Conan Doyle; historians will revel in the wealth of Victorian literary and cultural details; Sherlockian fanatics will puzzle over tantalising new theories; and art lovers will be beguiled by the illustrations. The book is introduced by John le Carre.

Kurt Vonnegut's absurdist classic Slaughterhouse-Five introduces us to Billy Pilgrim, a man who becomes 'unstuck in time' after he is abducted by aliens from the planet Tralfamadore. In a plot-scrambling display of virtuosity, we follow Pilgrim simultaneously through all phases of his life, concentrating on his (and Vonnegut's) shattering experience as an American prisoner of war who witnesses the firebombing of Dresden. </p>
Slaughterhouse-Five is not only Vonnegut's most powerful book, it is also as important as any written since 1945. Like Catch-22, it fashions the author's experiences in the Second World War into an eloquent and deeply funny plea against butchery in the service of authority. Slaughterhouse-Five boasts the same imagination, humanity, and gleeful appreciation of the absurd found in Vonnegut's other works, but the book's basis in rock-hard, tragic fact gives it unique poignancy -- and humor. </p>

In the summer of 1900, bands of peasant youths from the villages of north China streamed into Beijing to besiege the foreign legations, attracting the attention of the entire world. Joseph Esherick reconstructs the early history of the Boxers, challenging the traditional view that they grew from earlier anti-dynastic sects, and stressing instead the impact of social ecology and popular culture.

The quest for freedom from hunger and repression has triggered in recent years a dramatic, worldwide reform of political and economic systems. Never have so many people enjoyed, or at least experimented with democratic institutions. However, many strategies for economic development in Eastern Europe and Latin America have failed with the result that entire economic systems on both continents are being transformed. This major book analyzes recent transitions to democracy and market-oriented economic reforms in Eastern Europe and Latin America. Drawing in a quite distinctive way on models derived from political philosophy, economics, and game theory, Professor Przeworski also considers specific data on individual countries. Among the questions raised by the book are: What should we expect from these experiments in democracy and market economy? What new economic systems will emerge? Will these transitions result in new democracies or old dictatorships?

Review
"An intellectual tour of the discipline of comparative politics with some of its most creative pioneers and contemporary practitioners. The carefully organized interviews offer surprising perspectives about our eclectic and evolving field, and remind us of why we became scholars of comparative politics in the first place." -- Edward Gibson, Northwestern University
"This fascinating history of comparative politics offers a panoramic view of major debates and of trends in theoretical and methodological approaches over the second half of the 20th century. It brings the field to life by letting scholars who shaped it sketch their own intellectual biographies. Reading it is a truly enriching and enjoyable experience for any comparativist." -- Evelyne Huber, University of North Carolina
"This book fills a huge void in the profession of political science. Through a series of fifteen carefully prepared and referenced, wide-ranging, and often captivating interviews with many of the most influential scholars of comparative politics, we gain a priceless perspective on the growth of the discipline and the craft of research and theory building. In their intelligent and probing interviews (and very valuable introductory chapters), Munck and Snyder go a long way toward correcting our crippling deficit in professional memory, while revealing the life histories, moral convictions, intellectual passions, and divergent theoretical and methodological approaches that have shaped and advanced comparative politics in the last half-century. This book should be read by everyone who is preparing for, or thinking about, a career in political science, no matter the field." -- Larry Diamond, coeditor, Journal of Democracy
"Reading autobiographical reflections of notable scholars is a pleasurable way of learning about a field of study. These interviews cover a good slice of modern comparative government. They are wide ranging, focused, and informative. And fun to read." -- Nelson W. Polsby, University of California, Berkeley
"To show how great works that have shaped our understanding of politics and society are rooted in individual lives is a wonderful project. Munck and Snyder are the best of guides. Thoroughly informed about the scholarship, they explore the personal side with deftness, tact, and imagination. The result is a series of lively and revealing intellectual portraits." -- Dietrich Rueschemeyer, Watson Institute for International Studies
"A fascinating oral history of comparative politics in the United States. You could read the collected books and articles of all the fifteen leading lights represented here and never grasp the insights that these interviews offer: how wars, immigration, and the economy shaped the research agenda; how the backgrounds, personalities, and life experiences of these scholars guided their work; and how these scholars evaluate one another and those beyond this elite circle. Munck and Snyder have performed an invaluable service to the discipline." -- Michael Coppedge, University of Notre Dame
"This distinctive book frequently illuminates the dynamics of major scholars' research agendas (and of their career paths more generally), thus making it highly recommended reading for researchers in this subfield." -- Choice
"I told my qualitative research class to read at least three of the interviews in the book and summarize what they took from each. The response was amazing. Most of them had read most of the book. They were moved, inspired, and reassured by it. Each of them felt validated by something one of these scholars said. We ended up discussing the interviews through much of the class... the discussion of how real scholars relate their world and their scholarship was so exciting to them that I didn't want to stop it. So thanks... for helping them to bridge the often daunting distance between themselves and the names on the texts they read in class -- it was truly rewarding." -- Margaret Keck, Johns Hopkins University
Product Description
In the first collection of interviews with the most prominent scholars in comparative politics since World War II, Gerardo L. Munck and Richard Snyder trace key developments in the field during the twentieth century.
Organized around a broad set of themes -- intellectual formation and training; major works and ideas; the craft and tools of research; colleagues, collaborators, and students; and the past and future of comparative politics -- these in-depth interviews offer unique and candid reflections that bring the research process to life and shed light on the human dimension of scholarship.
Giving voice to scholars who practice their craft in different ways yet share a passion for knowledge about global politics, Passion, Craft, and Method in Comparative Politics offers a wealth of insights into contemporary debates about the state of knowledge in comparative politics and the future of the field.