As one of the oldest and largest private collections in the Czech Republic, the significance of the Lobkowicz Collections lies in its comprehensive nature, reflecting the cultural, social, political and economic life of the region over five centuries. With the passage of the restitution laws in the early 1990s, it became possible for the Lobkowicz family to reassemble most of their extensive collections, featuring world-famous paintings by Brueghel, Canaletto, Bellotto, Cranach, Rubens, Veronese and many others, as well as manuscripts by Beethoven and Mozart among its many treasures. This beautifully illustrated guide is published to complement two exhibitions opening during 2007 - one at the Lobkowicz Palace in Prague and the other at Nelahozeves Castle - that mark the reunification of the Lobkowicz Collections after more than 50 years. Featuring sections on paintings, rare books, music, decorative arts and hunting, and including a comprehensive study of the history of the Lobkowicz family, this is the first book to present the full scope of the collections to the public. SELLING POINTS: *First publication available to the general public on this renowned collection *Features world-famous works by Bruegel, Canaletto, Bellotto, Cranach, Rubens and Veron 53 colour & 7 b/w illustrations

Among Christian devotional works, My Utmost for His Highest stands head and shoulders above the rest, with more than 13 million copies sold. But most readers have no idea that Oswald Chambers's most famous work was not published until ten years after his death. The remarkable person behind its compilation and publication was his wife, Biddy. And her story of living her utmost for God's highest is one without parallel. Bestselling novelist Michelle Ule brings Biddy's story to life as she traces her upbringing in Victorian England to her experiences in a WWI YMCA camp in Egypt. Readers will marvel at this young woman's strength as she returns to post-war Britain a destitute widow with a toddler in tow. Refusing personal payment, Biddy proceeds to publish not just My Utmost for His Highest, but also 29 other books with her husband's name on the covers. All the while she raises a child alone, provides hospitality to a never-ending stream of visitors and missionaries, and nearly loses everything in the London Blitz during WWII. The inspiring story of a devoted woman ahead of her times will quickly become a favorite of those who love true stories of overcoming incredible odds, making a life out of nothing, and serving God's kingdom.

Perhaps most impressive of all is Prague Castle, a vast fortified bastion, built around the soaring High Gothic Cathedral of St Vitus and embracing not only the Royal Palaces but also several mansions of the Bohemian and Austrian nobility.

Illustrated in color throughout, this handsome volume presents selected papers from an international symposium held in June 2001 marking the completion of a ten-year project to conserve the Last Judgment mosaic, at St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague. The project was a partnership between the Office of the President of the Czech Republic, the Prague Castle Administration, and the Getty Conservation Institute. The goal of the symposium was to present the methodology, research, and results of the project, which involved conserving one of the finest examples of monumental medieval mosaic art in Europe. The volume's essays are divided into three parts, which cover the historical and art-historical context, conservation planning and methodology, and project implementation and maintenance. Topics addressed include the history, iconography, and visual documentation of the mosaic; the development and application of surface cleaning and protective coating techniques for the mosaic's glass tesserae; and post-treatment monitoring and maintenance.

This book examines the fate which befell some of the great artistic works taken during the Nazi era. It explores the ways in which such things are being regained or retained and the modern initiatives that are being taken to assist claimants.

Of Gardens records a great adventure of continual discovery not only of the artful beauty of individual gardens and landscapes but also of the intellectual and historical threads that weave them into patterns of civilization. Deitz's vivid descriptions and recollections allow readers to share in the experience of her extensive travels.

"In this extraordinary volume, Krishan Kumar provides us with a brilliant tour of some of history's most important empires, demonstrating the critical importance of imperial ideas and ideologies for understanding their modalities of rule and the conflicts that beset them. In doing so, he interrogates the contested terrain between nationalism and empire and the legacies that empires leave behind."--Mark R. Beissinger, Princeton University "This is an excellent book with original insights into the history of empires and the discourses and rhetoric of their rulers and defenders. Kumar's writing is lively and free of jargon, and his research is prodigious. He manages to bring clarity and perspective to a complex subject."--Ronald Grigor Suny, author of "They Can Live in the Desert but Nowhere Else": A History of the Armenian Genocide "A masterly piece of work."--Anthony Pagden, author of The Burdens of Empire: 1539 to the Present