Thursday, 24 September 2026

Doing History: An Introduction to the Problem-Led Study of the Past by KLAUS NATHAUS

'
' provides a guide to how to 'do' historical research. It explains how historians generate questions and position themselves in the scholarly debate, and demonstrates how they define empirical cases and locate primary sources.

A short history on the Gaza Strip by Anne Irfan

Since October 2023, Israel has carried out one of the most brutal military onslaughts in modern
, in response to the Hamas-led attacks of October 7. But Gaza had long been in crisis even prior to the current violence, now widely recognized as genocidal. For seventy-seven years, the Palestinian people have endured displacement, occupation, collective punishment, and ethnic cleansing—with those in Gaza often bearing the brunt of it. With remarkable clarity and compassion, historian Anne Irfan tells the story of the Gaza Strip through six pivotal moments in its modern history, beginning with Israel’s expulsion of the Palestinian people upon its establishment in 1948, when Gaza absorbed more Palestinian refugees per head than anywhere else—a demographic shift that became central to its identity. As Irfan takes us through Israel’s occupations of Gaza, the Palestinian national struggle and formation of the PLO, the first intifada, the creation of the Palestinian Authority, and the rise of Hamas, she tackles widespread historical ignorance and untangles contradicting narratives. Drawing on a decade of research, Irfan weaves in the voices of everyday Palestinians, from farmers who became refugees in Gaza to poets and activists who grew up in the Strip. Featuring a foreword from Gazan writer and analyst Muhammad Shehada, A SHORT HISTORY OF THE GAZA STRIP is an indispensable read for anyone seeking to understand Palestine and its impact on the world. Available now in paperback. https://wwnorton.com/books/a-short-history-of-the-gaza-strip See less

The Worlds of J. R. R. Tolkien, featuring a wealth of breathtaking illustrations, including Tolkien’s own drawings, rare archival images, and spectacular color photos of contemporary locations across Britain and beyond. An illustrated journey into the life and imagination of one of the world’s best-loved authors, The Worlds of J. R. R. Tolkien provides a unique exploration of the relationship between the real and the fantastical and is an essential companion for anyone who wants to follow in Tolkien’s footsteps. Now 30% off with code PUP30: https://hubs.ly/Q04xZ8MB0 #TolkienWeek

Celebrate #HobbitDay by delving into The Worlds of
, featuring a wealth of breathtaking illustrations, including Tolkien’s own drawings, rare archival images, and spectacular color photos of contemporary locations across Britain and beyond. An illustrated journey into the life and imagination of one of the world’s best-loved authors, The Worlds of J. R. R. Tolkien provides a unique exploration of the relationship between the real and the fantastical and is an essential companion for anyone who wants to follow in Tolkien’s footsteps. Now 30% off with code PUP30: https://hubs.ly/Q04xZ8MB0 #TolkienWeek

The Liminal Space: ‘Science’ and ‘Tradition’ by Sheena Panja

in Indian Archaeology explores the relationship between the specialized ‘scientific’ discipline of archaeology and the more fluid realm of ‘collective memory’, defined through textual and oral traditions, in reconstructing the past in colonial and postcolonial India. Drawing on personal letters, official documents, and secondary sources consulted in various archives and libraries, the book examines the emergence and transformation of an ambivalent archaeological methodology through the ideas of colonial officials such as Mortimer Wheeler, the indigenous intellectual response in early twentieth-century Bengal, and the work of post-Independence archaeologists including H.D. Sankalia and B.B. Lal, culminating in the volatile debates of the later twentieth century. The volume highlights how tensions between the public and private lives of practitioners, situated within broader intellectual, political, and social contexts, shaped an ambiguous and often contradictory space within archaeological research. It further argues that this mode of archaeology had significant ramifications for the socio-political landscape of India in the decades that followed. The author, Sheena Panja, formerly Associate Professor in the Department of Ancient History and Archaeology at Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan, West Bengal, currently works as an independent researcher. Over the past two decades, she has been actively engaged in historical and archaeological research in Maharashtra and West Bengal. She has received international fellowships and awards including the Overseas Research Student Award (UK), fellowships from the Society of Antiquaries Trust, the Charles Wallace Trust, the Nehru Trust, and a Visiting Fellowship at Wolfson College, Cambridge. She has contributed extensively to national and international journals and has co-edited Archaeology of Eastern India (2002) and Living with Floods: Archaeology of a Settlement in the Lower Ganga Plains, c.600–1800 CE (2015). To procure your copy, please click on the link below: https://primusbooks.com/.../the-liminal-space-science.../... Happy Reading!! #archaeology See less

Wednesday, 23 September 2026

In "The Disappearance of Insight," Keil investigates how rapid technological change is shaping the world around us

In 1960, the insides of thermostats, cameras, and clocks revealed how they worked. Today, their insides are indecipherable circuit boards. As psychologist Frank Keil notes, younger generations have been raised amid these opaque technologies and black-box AI systems and, as such, have lost direct access to causal understanding. How can we prepare children to find insights and cognitive agency in a world of ever-shrinking opportunities to learn how things work?
—and what this means for our children and their futures. "A striking analysis of childhood and cognition in today’s technology-saturated world." — Tania Lombrozo, author of "Why We Ask Why" Learn more: https://mitpress.mit.edu/.../the-disappearance-of-insight

Sitting at the Guru's feet-teachers students and the education in the Upanishads by Rembert Lutjeharms-10 October 2026 lecture-Oxford Centre for Hindu studies.

From The Corner Of Her Eye : The Many Histories Of Bharatanatyam by Justin Mccarthy

One of India's most important dance forms, Bharatanatyam was created in the 20th century by selectively re-fashioning the dance traditions that preceded it. The generations of women from professional dance communities who carried the dance into the modern era are largely forgotten today. What explains the importance of these traditional dancers in the great South Indian temples and courts, streets and even countryside? How have some of the most recognizable features of the dance, like its half-sitting, open-kneed stance and its wrenching love songs travelled miraculously intact down the centuries? Why were traditional dancers, who came to be known as devadasis, stigmatized, and how did they weather social ostracism and moral outrage? How did this dance become an upper and newly emerging middle class pursuit? Justin McCarthy, a practitioner and teacher of Bharatanatyam, teases out these fascinating stories in this beautifully written, accessible book, at once a cultural and social history. He brings alive celebrated figures from myth and history. There is the celestial Urvashi, dancing through ancient lore. There is the court dancer Madhavi, the anti-heroine of Tamil epics. There is Muddupalani, an 18th century dancer and author of a shockingly erotic poem. There is Rukmini Devi, one of the first non-hereditary dancers. There is Balasaraswati, virtually the only hereditary dancer to sail brightly through the dance as it changed names and hands. But what about the anonymous dancer we see sculpted in stone, one hip slightly out to the side, a candid look on her face? And the unknown dancer painted in a festive scene, all eyes on her as she finishes a jumping step with a flourish? Or the nameless dancer in early studio photography, staring at the camera with apprehensive de!ance? As this book looks for what may have slipped between the cracks, this is also very much their story. Juggernaut Books