"I have undertaken merely to give a sketch of the work my husband did for his country during the years of the great war, to tell the motives and impulses which animated him, to explain to his friends throughout the world how it came that he abandoned his art and his career to plunge into politics and to indicate how little he regards the sacrifice he has made.... I simply know that he has given to Poland the best that was in him and more than that can be asked of no man."

The Voynich Manuscript resides in a library at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. No one can read the manuscript, break its cipher, or identify its provenance. Nothing like it exists. No one mentions it until 1912. Why? Golden Fleece tells the story of London antiques dealer Wilfred Voynich, his relations with British intelligence, and the provenance of his 1912 cipher. In this book, author Robert C. Williams posits that Voynich’s manuscript was not an early modern find but a modern creation by Voynich himself and others using materials acquired from an antiques warehouse in Florence, Italy. The tale of Voynich and his manuscript suggests a modern hoax comparable to Piltdown Man that combines history, espionage, revolution, and cryptography. About the Author Robert C. Williams is a retired Russian historian who has taught history at Williams and Davidson College and Washington University in St. Louis. He has also served on the boards of Agnes Scott College and Wesleyan University and is a co-founder of History Associates Incorporated. He has a special interest in choral and barbershop singing and his family camp on Kezar Lake in Maine. He and his wife Ann married in 1960 and have three children and four grandchildren. He is the author or co-author of eighteen books, one of which, Russian Art and American Money, 1900-1940, was nominated by Harvard University Press for the Pulitzer Prize.

"Can you distil the essence of a country into just 100 words? We think so. 'Quarks, Elephants & Pierogi: Poland in 100 Word' will make you fall in love with a country with one of the most unusual histories out there. It'll also show you how languages intersect and whole cultures arise, and make you realise just how interwoven our world is. Along the way, you'll find out why quarks are made from curd cheese, learn what elephants have to do with a Central European country, and discover how pierogi saved an entire town. Plus, you'll get to enjoy 100 illustrations by Polish graphic designer Magda Burdzyńska"--Back cover.

The celebrated pianist Ignacy Jan Paderewski was the rave of Paris, London, and New York audiences in the early twentieth century, with annual concert tours across the continents. But during World War I, Paderewski set music aside and turned to politics, becoming an eloquent spokesman for the country of his birth, Poland, then occupied by the empires of Russia, Germany, and Austria. Through his fame as a musician, Paderewski gained access to the top political leadership of France, Britain, and the United States. His devoted wife and collaborator, Helena, facilitated and accompanied virtually his every move. Her memoirs, written in English for a US audience and as a tribute to the US contribution to the Allied victory and help in the restoration of Poland, are the story of this great international adventure. In addition to being the constant companion and confidante of her famous husband, Helena was a woman with a broad range of practical interests and commitments. Her humanitarian and social work projects ranged from a care home for elderly female veterans of the struggle for independence, to care homes and feeding stations for refugee children, to her flagship endeavor, the Polish White Cross, an organization with some twenty thousand members over which she presided. She is one of the key sources on the historical events in which she participated or her husband told her about.

The first scholarly account of massive and fateful pogrom waves, interpreted through the lens of folk culture and social psychology.

The first half of the 20th century was perhaps the most turbulent in history. Two world wars and numerous smaller conflicts significantly changed the geopolitical map, resulting in an unprecedented number of changes throughout the world. Some of the leaders in the period made an indelible mark on their nation and, in some cases, the world; others are scarcely remembered even in their own homeland. Nearly 1,200 emperors, kings, queens, presidents, prime ministers, premiers, emirs, and other heads of state or government served from 1900 through 1945, and all are included in this comprehensive reference work. Each biographical profile first gives birth and death dates, then gives an account of how the leader came to power and an overview of his or her term in office. The profiles are packed with data.