Paul Kennedy

The Parliament of Man is the first definitive history of the United Nations, from one of America's greatest living historians. Distinguished scholar Paul Kennedy, author of the bestselling The Rise and Fall of Great Powers, gives us a thorough and timely account that explains the UN's roots and functions while also casting an objective eye on its effectiveness and its prospects for success in meeting the challenges that lie ahead. Kennedy shows the UN for what it is: fallible, human-based, often dependent on the whims of powerful national governments or the foibles of individual administrators--yet also utterly indispensable. With his insightful grasp of six decades of global history, Kennedy convincingly argues that "it is difficult to imagine how much more riven and ruinous our world of six billion people would be if there had been no UN."

The extraordinary story of the UN - its creation, the threats it has faced, and the possibilities it holds for the future. Can the world be governed by agreement rather than conflict? In 1945 the world's most powerful nation states came together to 'save succeeding generations from the scourge of war and reaffirm faith in the fundamental human rights'. Over sixty years later, the United Nations still doggedly pursues that mandate. Paul Kennedy's The Parliament of Man is a timely history that examines the roots and functions of this unique organization, casts an objective eye on its past effectiveness and assesses whether it will meet the challenges of our present world - from supplying aid during humanitarian crises to combating climate change. Ultimately he shows why, despite its fallibility and its foibles, the UN remains utterly indispensable to our future. 'Wonderful ... a highly readable and sophisticated account' Independent 'Extraordinary ... a retelling of the United Nations story to remind us why it remains a necessary organisation' The New York Times 'A sweeping historical tour ... this is a necessary book' Financial Times

Displaying the beauty and variety of America's most popular wildflowers, naming and locating each of the species, this most unusual book is intended for coloring. Redrawn from the original Smithsonian Rickett plates by Paul Kennedy, well-known illustrator of children's books, each of the 46 renderings is ready to be colored as realistically -- like the cover illustrations -- or as imaginatively as you may choose. Includes 46 illustrations: lady's slipper, black-eyed susan, bird's foot violet, cardinal flower, pitcher plant, trout lily, and others. Botanical identifications, common names, and information on habitats are also included.

Kids who love horses will have hours of fun with the brightly colored pre-cut stencils in this appealing collection. Six sturdy designs depict "man's second-best friend" engaged in a variety of equine activities: running, grazing, leaping, and trotting. Ready to help decorate bulletin boards, posters, walls, furniture, and other flat surfaces, these multi-purpose stencils will also appeal to graphic designers and craftworkers.

This book is a significant contribution to the expanding study of social movements. The essays consider some of the manifold ways in which people join together in popular movements to pursue visions of a different and more just society. They examine the impact of such movements, both on ordinary citizens swept along by demands for change, and on conventional institutions caught in the crossfire between radical protest and the pursuit of more mundane goals. They cast a new light on seemingly familiar themes: participation as a learning experience, the critical ingenuity of leadership but also its failures of judgment and internal divisions and the ever-changing nature of protest in the face of relentless social change. Above all, these essays succeed in capturing the essential vitality and creativity of ideas and language expressed by citizens as they struggle to reinvent their lives and times.

About national and international power in the "modern" or Post Renaissance period. Explains how the various powers have risen and fallen over the 5 centuries since the formation of the "new monarchies" in W. Europe.