Ghost Courts of the War Between the States In 1860, news of Abraham Lincoln's election arrived in Charleston like a fire alarm. In the United States courtroom on Chalmers Street, the grand jury simply refused to go on. All eyes are on the judge. In a dramatic moment, Judge A.G. Magrath, tears off his robes and tells jurors and spectators that, rather than continuing under tyranny, his Temple of Justice is forever closed. Thus in this long-since forgotten room took place the first official act of disunion, predating the Ordinance of Secession by over a month and lighting the fuse that lead to war. Preserving a piece of history few knew existed, trial attorney Warren Moise takes the reader back in time to the courts and law practice of a different era. Ride into the frontier town of Spartanburg by night with two tired lawyers where to their surprise they see hundreds of sweating men fighting bare-fisted in the flickering torch light. Just as important, learn the never-before documented role of the bench and bar in the battle for secession and of the Confederate States court, where the CS Attorney prosecuted former US Attorneys James L. Petigru and Edward McCrady for contempt because they defied Confederate law.

In the wake of the conquests of Alexander the Great, the ancient world of the Bible—the ancient Near East—came under Greek rule, and in the land of Israel, time-old traditions met Greek culture. But with the accession of King Antiochos IV, the soft power of culture was replaced with armed conflict, and soon the Jews rebelled against their imperial masters, as recorded in the Biblical books of the Maccabees. Whereas most scholars have dismissed the biblical accounts of religious persecution and cultural clash, Sylvie Honigman combines subtle literary analysis with deep historical insight to show how their testimony can be reconciled with modern historical analysis by conversing with the biblical authors, so to speak, in their own language to understand the ways they described their experiences. Honigman contends that these stories are not mere fantasies but genuine attempts to cope with the massacre that followed the rebellion by giving it new meaning. This reading also discloses fresh political and economic factors.

Warzones are sometimes described as lawless, but this is rarely the case. Armed insurgents often replace the state as the provider of law and justice in areas under their authority. Based on extensive fieldwork, Rebel Courts offers a compelling and unique insight into the judicial governance of armed groups, a phenomenon never studied comprehensively until now. Using a series of detailed case studies of non-state armed groups in a diverse range of conflict situations, including the FARC (Colombia), Islamic State (Syria and Iraq), Taliban (Afghanistan), Tamil Tigers (Sri Lanka), PKK (Turkey), PYD (Syria), and KRG (Iraq), Rebel Courts argues that it is possible for non-state armed groups to legally establish and operate a system of courts to administer justice. Rules of public international law that regulate the conduct of war can be interpreted as authorising the establishment of rebel courts by armed groups. When operating in a manner consistent with due process, rebel courts demand a certain degree of recognition by international states, institutions, and even other non-state armed groups. With legal analysis enriched by insights from other disciplines, Rebel Courts is a must read for all scholars and professionals interested in law, justice, and the effectiveness of global legal standards in situations of armed conflict.

Insider twentysomething Christian journalist Brett McCracken has grown up in the evangelical Christian subculture and observed the recent shift away from the "stained glass and steeples" old guard of traditional Christianity to a more unorthodox, stylized 21st-century church. This change raises a big issue for the church in our postmodern world: the question of cool. The question is whether or not Christianity can be, should be, or is, in fact, cool. This probing book is about an emerging category of Christians McCracken calls "Christian hipsters"--the unlikely fusion of the American obsessions with worldly "cool" and otherworldly religion--an analysis of what they're about, why they exist, and what it all means for Christianity and the church's relevancy and hipness in today's youth-oriented culture.

The Wars of the Jews (also titled The Jewish War) is a history by Roman-Jewish author Flavius Josephus, who chronicles a series of conflicts, skirmishes and events between the Jews, Romans, and other influential groups in the Middle East in the 1st century AD. Comprised of seven books, Josephus' account of the fraught and conflicted period of Judeo-Roman history is written with an urgency expected of a man who personally witnessed and lived through the tumultuous events he describes. Josephus commences his work with an overview of Jewish history from the Maccabees through to the Roman conquest. Rome's victory celebrations, and the temporary transition of the Roman military from a conquering to an occupying force, is detailed. The subsequent suppression of the Jewish revolt and the stages of the First Jewish-Roman war are detailed. The Emperor Vespasian oversaw the renewed conflict: his son Titus proved his personal capabilities as a military commander in the Judean theater. Subsequent to Josephus's history, Titus would succeed his father as Roman Emperor with a reputation of a decorated veteran. Having personally observed the shocking destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., Josephus felt moved to write his own interpretation of the conflicts which ultimately led to the temple's demise. Having traveled throughout the Middle East and to Rome personally, Josephus had a strong grasp of Jewish and Roman cultures. Rather than echo other historians of the era by condemning the Jews for agitating the Roman forces, Josephus instead asserts that the war and consequent damage were the result of fanatical zealots. Their charisma led to swathes of the masses lending their support, leaving the traditional Jewish aristocracy - of which Josephus was a member - unable to rein in the popular fury against Rome. This edition of The Wars of the Jews contains all seven books of Josephus' history in their entirety, together with complete sets of notes which clarify certain passages and terms used in the text, appended at the conclusion of each book. The translation to English is by the respected 18th century scholar, historian and theologian William Whiston.

Winner of the Hugo, Nebula, and Arthur C. Clarke Awards: This record-breaking novel follows a warship trapped in a human body on a quest for revenge. A must read for fans of Ursula K. Le Guin and James S. A. Corey. "There are few who write science fiction like Ann Leckie can. There are few who ever could." -- John Scalzi On a remote, icy planet, the soldier known as Breq is drawing closer to completing her quest. Once, she was the Justice of Toren -- a colossal starship with an artificial intelligence linking thousands of soldiers in the service of the Radch, the empire that conquered the galaxy. Now, an act of treachery has ripped it all away, leaving her with one fragile human body, unanswered questions, and a burning desire for vengeance.