John Harris

Imagine a giraffe that can sail from Alexandria, Egypt, to Marseille, France, in a boat with a special hole for her neck. Imagine a giraffe that can walk from Marseille to Paris in forty-one days, wearing stylish boots and a cape. Imagine a giraffe that captures the attention of a hundred thousand spectators in Paris as she parades through the city, inspiring paintings, poetry, porcelain designs, and even an exotic hairstyle. Imagine Belle, a gift from the pasha of Egypt to the king of France in 1827, a giraffe who made history. This book presents Belle’s true story, told in the imagined words of her devoted Sudanese caretaker, Atir, who accompanied her on her journey to Paris and stayed with her till her death eighteen years later. Illustrated with artifacts and paintings from the nineteenth century and with Jon Cannell’s jaunty artwork, Belle’s remarkable story both captivates and informs. An author’s note and pronunciation guide are included.

Playing and watching sport can teach us a great deal about wider social issues. This book looks at how identities are constructed and reinforced in sport, exploring notions of race, class, sexuality and nationalism. With contributions from international experts, this book is key reading for students of sociology and sports studies.

Playing and watching sport can teach us a great deal about wider social issues. This book looks at how identities are constructed and reinforced in sport, exploring notions of race, class, sexuality and nationalism. With contributions from international experts, this book is key reading for students of sociology and sports studies.

This book presents an investigation of a number of areas of interest in the study of language change, dealing in particular with questions of how patterns of pronunciation vary across both time and space. Most of the illustrative material is drawn from non-standard dialects of English, especially the varieties spoken in Ireland (Hiberno-English). The theoretical issues discussed include the following: what role do articulatory and linguistic constraints play in determining the direction of sound change? How do social and political pressures influence the resolution of competition between conflicting local non-standard linguistic norms? Besides addressing such general issues, the book also offers insights into several specific areas in the history of English, both in its standard and vernacular forms. It will thus be of interest to English-language specialists as well as to historical linguists, sociolinguists and phonologists.