Heraldry is often seen as a traditional prerogative of the nobility. But it was not just knights, princes, kings, and emperors who bore coats of arms to show off their status in the Middle Ages. The merchants and craftsmen who lived in cities, too, adopted coats of arms and used heraldic customs, including display and destruction, to underline their social importance and to communicate political messages. Medieval burgesses were part of a fascination with heraldry that spread throughout pre-modern society and looked at coats of arms as honoured signs of genealogy and history. Heraldry in Urban Society analyses the perceptions and functions of heraldry in medieval urban societies by drawing on both English- and German-language sources from the late fourteenth to the early sixteenth centuries. Despite variations that point to socio-political differences between cities (and their citizens) in the relatively centralized monarchy of medieval England and the more independent-minded urban governments found in the less closely connected Holy Roman Empire, urban heraldry emerges as a versatile and ubiquitous means of multimedia visual communication that spanned medieval Europe. Urban heraldic practices defy assumptions about clearly demarcated social practices that belonged to 'high'/'noble' as opposed to 'low'/'urban' culture. Townspeople's perceptions of coats of arms paralleled those of the nobility, as they readily interpreted and carefully curated them as visual expressions of identity. These perceptions allowed townspeople of all ranks, as well as noble outsiders, to use heraldry and its display - along with its defacement and destruction - in manuscripts, spaces (such as town houses, public monuments, halls, and churches), and performances (like processions and joyous entries) to address perennial problems of urban society in the Middle Ages. The coats of arms of burgesses, guilds, and cities were communicative means of individual and collective representation, social and political legitimization, conducting and resolving conflicts, and the pursuit of elevated status in the urban hierarchy. Likewise, heraldic communication negotiated the all-important relationship between the city and wider, extramural society - from the commercial interests of citizens to their collective ties to the ruler.

Early modern heraldry was far from a nostalgic remnant from a feudal past. From the Reformation to the French Revolution, aspiring men seized on these signs to position themselves in a changing society, imbuing heraldic tradition with fresh meaning. Whereas post-medieval developments are all too often described in terms of decadence and stifling formality, recent studies rightly stress the dynamic capacity of bearing arms. Heraldic Hierarchies aims to correct former misconceptions. Contributing authors rethink the influence of shifting notions of nobility on armorial display and expand this topic to heraldry’s share in shaping and contesting status. Moreover, addressing a common thread, the volume explores how emerging states turned the heraldic experience into an instrument of power and policy. Contributing to debates on social and noble identity, Heraldic Hierarchies uncovers a vital and surprising aspect of the pre-modern hierarchical world.

Concepts of visual communication form an explanatory framework for discussing the visual expressions of urban symbolic communication in urban life in towns in the center of Europe in the late medieval and early modern period, including the dramatic times of the Reformation and Counter-Reformation. This book examines the role of images and visual representation by concentrating on the varieties of symbolic communication in towns that made a range of relationships visual: the status and role of urban civic, professional, and religious communities and the relations between the town and its lord or powerful families and individuals. The geographical framework of this book is the region in the former Habsburg countries north of the Danube River embracing the region between western Bohemia and what is today eastern Slovakia, including the borderland towns of northern Austria. Two studies focus on specific local and occupational communities in the Prague towns, but most of the texts in this book focus on small towns by contemporary European standards in which many forms of urban topography, buildings, objects, and monuments survive, even though few written sources have been preserved. Accessing a wide range of literature in regional languages and German for English speakers, this collection describes typical urban landscapes in early modern Central Europe outside the well-known Central European urban centers and traditional areas of study. The book is a relevant new contribution to medieval and early modern studies, not only covering an underappreciated geographical area but also addressing general questions about the history of rituals and performance as well as visual culture, communication, and identity discourses in late medieval and early modern urban space.

The story of a trans-African journey by Landrover from north to south in 1965. This grand safari by the author and his companion was undertaken when most African countries were newly independent, riding on the crest of a wave. Published now, its descriptions and commentary have historical significance.

A comprehensive and fully illustrated field guide to the birds of Venezuela, covering all 1,400 species. Covering the sixth largest avifauna in the world, this guide is essential for anyone exploring the diverse habitats of this beautiful South American country as well as Guyana, northern Brazil and west Suriname. Birds of Venezuela - complete with authoritative text and superb colour plates - ensures that this top birding destination is accessible to all. This field guide has 248 colour plates illustrating more than 1,400 species, covering racial, sexual and seasonal plumage variations. Accompanying text is placed on facing pages for easy reference providing key information, voice and status of all species and subspecies found in the region, including Venezuela's 45 endemic species. Detailed colour distribution maps are provided for every species.

Whether you're day hiking or taking a weekend getaway, hit the road and hit the legendary trail in California, Oregon, and Washington with Moon Drive & Hike Pacific Crest Trail. Make your escape on shorter trips from nearby cities, hit all the national parks along the PCT, or drive the entire two-week route from California to Washington Find your hike along the Pacific Crest Trail with detailed trail descriptions, difficulty ratings, mileage, and tips for picking the right section of the trail for you Discover adventures on and off the trail: Watch the bubbling mud pots below Lassen Peak or admire Joshua trees in the sparse and peaceful Mojave Desert. Savor artisan, homemade-style pies of all kinds in Julian, sample craft beers in Bend, or gorge yourself at Timberline Lodge's gourmet brunch buffet. Cross the Columbia River on the historic Bridge of the Gods, climb into the massive granite peaks of the North Cascades, or catch a magical sunrise over the eastern edge of Oregon's Crater Lake Take it from avid hiker Caroline Hinchliff, who shares her insight on the best spots for wildlife-watching, glamping, or having a Wild moment Full-color photos, strategic itineraries, easy-to-use maps and site-to-site driving times Get the lowdown on when and where to get gas, how to avoid traffic, and braving different road and weather conditions, plus tips for LGBTQ travelers, seniors, and road-trippers with kids With Moon Drive & Hike Pacific Crest Trail's practical tips and local know-how, you're ready to lace up your hiking boots, pick a trailhead, and embark on your adventure. For more epic getaways, check out Moon Drive & Hike Appalachian Trail.