{"title":"Pocket Essentials","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"byzantium-capital-of-an-ancient-empire-9781843445951b","title":"Byzantium: Capital of an Ancient Empire","description":"\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003eToday it is known as Istanbul, the modern city which stands at the crossroads of Europe and Asia. For centuries past, it was Constantinople. But before that, it was Byzantium, and it gave its name to an ancient empire.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAncient Greeks, led by a man named Byzas, founded the city in the seventh century BC. A millennium later, it was revitalised by the Roman emperor Constantine the Great, who played a crucial role in making Christianity the official religion of the Empire. When the Roman Empire in the West collapsed, it was Byzantium that kept the imperial idea alive. For centuries, surrounded by hostile neighbours, Byzantium remained a Christian city at the heart of a Christian empire. As the new religion of Islam expanded, it was Byzantium and the Byzantine Empire that stood on the frontline of the confrontation between two faiths. When, in 1453, the city fell to the Turks and its last emperor died, the world was changed forever.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Byzantine Empire created remarkable art and architecture and a lasting cultural and religious legacy. Giles Morgan provides a concise history of a city which gave its name to an extraordinary civilisation.","brand":"Pocket Essentials","offers":[{"title":"Bargain","offer_id":42817344077904,"sku":"9781843445951B","price":8.49,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0592\/8173\/5760\/files\/9781843445951-l.jpg?v=1785864634"},{"product_id":"utopia-pocket-essential-series-9781842433164b","title":"Utopia (Pocket Essential Series)","description":"\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003eFor more than 2,000 years utopian visionaries have sought to create a blueprint of the ideal society: from Plato to HG Wells, from Cloud cuckoo land to Shangri-La, the utopian impulse has generated a vast body of work, encompassing philosophy and political theory, classical literature and science fiction. And yet these utopian dreams have often turned to nightmare, as utopia gives way to its dark reflection, dystopia.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003eUtopia \u003c\/span\u003etakes the reader on a journey through these imaginary worlds, charting the progress of utopian ideas from their origins within the classical world, to the rebirth of utopian ideals in the Middle Ages. Later we see the emergence of socialist and feminist ideas; while the twentieth century was to be dominated by expressions of totalitarian oppression. From the novel to the political manifesto, from satire to science fiction, utopias have always reflected the age that gave rise to them, and this guide will explore this historical context, offering both an analysis of the key texts and an account of their political and cultural background.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eToday, it is claimed that we are witnessing the death of utopia, as increasingly the ideals that give rise to them are undermined or dismissed. These arguments are explored and evaluated here, and contemporary examples of utopian thought used to demonstrate the enduring relevance of the utopian tradition.","brand":"Pocket Essentials","offers":[{"title":"Bargain","offer_id":42817473839184,"sku":"9781842433164B","price":7.49,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0592\/8173\/5760\/files\/9781842433164-l.jpg?v=1785865034"},{"product_id":"st-george-knight-martyr-patron-saint-and-dragonslayer-9781843449652b","title":"St. George: Knight, Martyr, Patron Saint and Dragonslayer","description":"\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003eSt. George is a figure that bridges many worlds. At the heart of the myths and legends surrounding this English icon lies the story of an Early Christian Martyr persecuted by the Roman Empire. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003eBut England is only one country to have adopted this legendary soldier saint as their patron. Other countries including Germany, Armenia, Hungary, Portugal and Malta have all claimed him as their own. In ST. GEORGE, Giles Morgan explores the history and relevance of this most popular icon across the globe.\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Pocket Essentials","offers":[{"title":"Bargain","offer_id":42820513562704,"sku":"9781843449652B","price":5.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0592\/8173\/5760\/files\/9781843449652-l.jpg?v=1785880049"},{"product_id":"the-universe-explained-condensed-and-exploded-9780857301161b","title":"The Universe: Explained, Condensed and Exploded","description":"The single biggest and most difficult question that exists? From early religions through Greek Philosophy and Western Science, man has attempted to discover the meaning of the Universe and our place within it.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn the last twenty year these debates have all been stood on their head by amazing discoveries, big bang theory and ideas about new sub-atomic layers. The nature of Time and Space are truly up for grabs.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith a witty and accessible style Osborne leads us on a historical and informative adventure through the philosophies of the universe; including the importance of telescopes, mathematics and relativity theory and ending with contemporary mind-expanding concepts such as the reversibility of time and parallel universes.","brand":"Pocket Essentials","offers":[{"title":"Bargain","offer_id":42821854494800,"sku":"9780857301161B","price":8.49,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0592\/8173\/5760\/files\/9780857301161-l.jpg?v=1785885433"},{"product_id":"secret-societies-9780857301260b","title":"Secret Societies","description":"Secret Societies in one form or another have existed throughout the history of human culture. But what is their appeal? What is it that makes so-called respectable people indulge in peculiar ceremonies, dressed in fanciful costumes uttering blood-curdling oaths of loyalty with the threat of death hanging over them should they reveal the inner workings of the cult? Nick Harding describes some of the best known organisations along with their least known counterparts. He highlights the similarities that these cults have and the basic human psychology upon which they operate.","brand":"Pocket Essentials","offers":[{"title":"Bargain","offer_id":42822387695696,"sku":"9780857301260B","price":7.49,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0592\/8173\/5760\/files\/9780857301260-l.jpg?v=1785887738"},{"product_id":"occult-london-pocket-essential-series-9780857301345b","title":"Occult London (Pocket Essential Series)","description":"\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003eLondon, more than any other city, has a secret history concealed from view. Behind the official façade promoted by the heritage industry lies a city of esoteric traditions, obscure institutions, and forgotten locations. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003eOccult London\u003c\/span\u003e rediscovers this history, unearthing the hidden city that lies beneath our own. From the Elizabethan magic of Dr. Dee and Simon Forman to the occult designs of Wren and Hawksmoor; from the Victorian London of Spring-Heeled Jack to the fin de siecle heyday of Madame Blavatsky and Aleister Crowley. This book describes these practitioners of the occult and their unorthodox beliefs, alongside the myths and legends through which the city has always been perceived. The role of the occult within London's literary history is also outlined, while a gazetteer maps the sites of London's most resonant occult locations.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eToday we are experiencing a renewal of interest in the occult tradition, and Merlin Coverley examines the roots of this revival, exploring the rise of New Age philosophies and the emergence of psychogeography in shaping a new vision of the city.\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Pocket Essentials","offers":[{"title":"Bargain","offer_id":42822431768656,"sku":"9780857301345B","price":8.49,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0592\/8173\/5760\/files\/9780857301345-l.jpg?v=1785887915"},{"product_id":"alchemy-alchemists-pocket-essential-series-9781843446095b","title":"Alchemy \u0026 Alchemists (Pocket Essential Series)","description":"Alchemy has traditionally been viewed as 'the history of an error', an example of mediaeval gullibility and greed, in which alchemists tried to turn lead into gold, create fabulous wealth and find the elixir of life. \u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003eBut alchemy has also been described as 'the mightiest secret that a man can possess', and it obsessed the likes of Isaac Newton, Robert Boyle and many of the founders of modern science. \u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003eThis book explores its history, from its mysterious beginnings in Egypt and China, through the Hellenistic world and the early years of Islam and into mediaeval Europe.\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Pocket Essentials","offers":[{"title":"Bargain","offer_id":42823104266320,"sku":"9781843446095B","price":7.49,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0592\/8173\/5760\/files\/9781843446095-l.jpg?v=1785890880"},{"product_id":"psychogeography-pocket-essentials-9781842433478b","title":"Psychogeography (Pocket Essentials)","description":"\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003eThe term \"psychogeography\" is used to illustrate a bewildering array of ideas, from ley lines and the occult to urban walking and political radicalism—where does it come from and what exactly does it mean? \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003ePsychogeography is the point where psychology and geography meet in assessing the emotional and behavioral impact of urban space. The relationship between a city and its inhabitants is measured firstly through an imaginative and literary response, secondly on foot through walking the city. This creates a tradition of the writer as walker and has both a literary and a political component. This guide examines the origins of psychogeography in the Situationist Movement of the 1950s, exploring the theoretical background and its political applications as well as the work of early practitioners such as Guy Debord and Raoul Vaneigem. \u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003eElsewhere, psychogeographic ideas continue to find retrospective validation in much earlier traditions from the visionary writing of William Blake and Thomas De Quincey to the rise of the flâneur on the streets of 19th century Paris and on through the avant-garde experimentation of the Surrealists. These precursors are discussed here alongside their modern counterparts, for today these ideas hold greater currency than ever through the popularity of writers and filmmakers such as Iain Sinclair and Peter Ackroyd, Stewart Home and Patrick Keiller. \u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003eThis guide offers both an explanation and definition of the terms involved, an analysis of the key figures and their work, and practical information on psychogeographical groups and organizations.\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Pocket Essentials","offers":[{"title":"Bargain","offer_id":42823810285648,"sku":"9781842433478B","price":7.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0592\/8173\/5760\/files\/9781842433478-l.jpg?v=1785894032"},{"product_id":"the-gnostics-the-first-christian-heretics-9781842433393b","title":"The Gnostics: The First Christian Heretics","description":"\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003eGnosticism - derived from the Greek word gnosis, 'to know'' - is the name given to various religious schools that proliferated in the first centuries after Christ. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003eAlthough largely stamped out by the Church by the sixth century, Gnostocism survived underground through groups such as the Bogomils and the Cathars and influenced the Renaissance, the Enlightenment, the psychologist Carl Jung, the Existentialists, the New Age movement and writers as diverse as William Blake and Albert Camus. Sean Martin recounts its long and diverse history, relevant to this very day.\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Pocket Essentials","offers":[{"title":"Bargain","offer_id":42823997915216,"sku":"9781842433393B","price":7.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0592\/8173\/5760\/files\/9781842433393-l.jpg?v=1785894793"},{"product_id":"a-short-history-of-india-from-the-earliest-civilisations-and-9781843449225b","title":"A Short History of India: From the Earliest Civilisations and Myriad Kingdoms, to Today's Economic Powerhouse","description":"\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003eThe world's largest democracy and second-most populous country, 21st century India is a dynamic nation with a thrusting economy, made up of a variety of beliefs and peoples united under one flag.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003eIts history is a unique story of ancient empires and civilisations, some dating back to humankind's earliest times. Ancient India was home to myriad kingdoms with boundaries that were ever changing while a variety of cultures and religions have flourished over the millennia as the influence of foreign invaders and occupiers has come and gone. The country was under foreign rule from the early 1800s until the demise of the British Raj and independence in 1947.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith countless languages and cultures and many religions, India is one of the world's most diverse nations. From the late 1980s, India has opened itself to the outside world, encouraging economic reform and foreign investment and is now courted by the world's leading economic and political powers, including its one-time enemy, China. It is now a major power with a burgeoning middle class, having made substantial strides in areas such as information technology. It has launched a space programme and, famously, boasts a massive film industry, its 'Bollywood' films being amongst the most-watched in the world. Meanwhile, India still has major issues with poverty and illiteracy and campaigns have been launched to alleviate these problems.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003eA Short History of India \u003c\/span\u003etraces the fascinating path from the India of ancient empires and powerful kingdoms to the flourishing, vibrant nation that it is today.\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Pocket Essentials","offers":[{"title":"Bargain","offer_id":42824771534928,"sku":"9781843449225B","price":14.49,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0592\/8173\/5760\/files\/9781843449225-l.jpg?v=1785897993"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookoutlet.com\/en-ca\/collections\/pocket-essentials.oembed","provider":"Book Outlet","version":"1.0","type":"link"}