A social history of British civilian life in the months following the declaration of the end of the second world war. On the 8th of May in 1945 British Prime Minister Winston Churchill finally announced to waiting crowds that the Allies had accepted the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany and that the war in Europe was over. For the next two days, people around the world celebrated. But the “slow outbreak of peace” that gradually dawned across the world in the summer of 1945 was fraught with difficulties and violence. Beginning with the signing of the German surrender to the Western Allies in Reims on 7 May, The Summer of ’45 is a “people’s history” which gathers voices from all levels of society and from all corners of the globe to explore four months that would dictate the order of the world for decades to come. Quoting from generals, world statesmen, infantrymen, prisoners of war, journalists, civilians and neutral onlookers, this book presents the memories of the men and women who danced alongside Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret outside Buckingham Palace on the first night of peace; the reactions of the vanquished and those faced with rebuilding a shattered Europe; the often overlooked story of the “forgotten army” still battling against the Japanese in the East; the election of Clement Attlee’s reforming Labour government; the beginnings of what would become the Iron Curtain; and testimony from the first victims of nuclear warfare in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Combining archive sources and original interviews with living witnesses, The Summer of ’45 reveals the lingering trauma of the war and the new challenges brought by peacetime.

Four girls. One summer. And a pact to do the impossible. Skyler, Ellie, Scarlett, and Amelia Grace are forced to spend the summer at the lake house where their moms became best friends. One can’t wait. One would rather gnaw off her own arm than hang out with a bunch of strangers just so their moms can drink too much wine and sing Journey at two o'clock in the morning. Two are sisters. Three are currently feuding with their mothers. One is hiding how bad her joint pain has gotten. All of them are hiding something. One falls in love with a boy she thought she despised. One almost sets her crush on fire with a flaming marshmallow. One has a crush that could change everything. None of them are the same at the end of the summer.

From New York Times bestselling author Margaret Peterson Haddix comes a novel about friendship and what it really means to be a family in the face of lies and betrayal. Fourteen-year-old Avery Armisted is athletic, rich, and pretty. Sixteen-year-old Kayla Butts is known as “butt-girl” at school. The two girls were friends as little kids, but that’s ancient history now. So it’s a huge surprise when Avery’s father offers to bring Kayla along on a summer trip to Spain. Avery is horrified that her father thinks he can choose her friends—and make her miss soccer camp. Kayla struggles just to imagine leaving the confines of her small town. But in Spain, the two uncover a secret their families had hidden from both of them their entire lives. Maybe the girls can put aside their differences and work through it together. Or maybe the lies and betrayal will only push them—and their families—farther apart. Margaret Peterson Haddix weaves together two completely separate lives in this engaging novel that explores what it really means to be a family—and what to do when it’s all falling apart.

Inhaltsangabe:Abstract: The aim of the research presented here is to assess student satisfaction at the Aarhus School of Business (ASB) for the Summer University that was first introduced in July 2006. The European Performance Satisfaction Index (EPSI) was adapted to incorporate student satisfaction in order to reach this aim, and was used as the main approach in our thesis. The necessary data was gathered from online surveys we derived from the students. Two studies complemented this model. On the one hand, structured interviews were conducted with all relevant lecturers and on the other hand, a survey was conducted in two waves with Summer University participants. In the first wave, the students initial expectations were measured and in the second wave it was the degree of fulfilment for these expectations that were measured. Results from the EPSI model indicated that participants of the Summer University were satisfied overall with the program and will remain loyal. Surprisingly however, the variable image showed no direct impact on perceived value, satisfaction, and loyalty. The results from the interviews showed that lecturers were well chosen, but not adequately prepared for the program. In addition, the survey results indicated that expectations were to some degree fulfilled, but certain attributes of lecture quality experienced a negative disconfirmation of expectations. Furthermore, the direct comparison of data from the lecturers and the students suggested problems with the information flow between ASB, the lecturers, and the students. From these findings it can be concluded that overall, the Summer University was a success in the introduction of a new study program; however, there are some areas that need to be improved. Thus, our suggestions include new positioning and better marketing for next year, concrete improvement of quality attributes and information flow, and a strategy for sustainability and expansion of the Summer University. Our work successfully presents student satisfaction with a threefold approach, not used hitherto. Combining all three approaches in one dissertation and establishing linkages and interrelations between them, provides an extensive insight towards student satisfaction. Considering ASB Summer University took place for the first time in 2006, the insights we provide and the recommendations we are able to give, will influence the further organisational and managerial development of the program. When [...]