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Fifteen Eighty Four

Academic perspectives from Cambridge University Press

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Why to Read Twentieth Century Spain: A History?

The 20th century was a difficult time in Spain, where the last 100 years saw civil war, fascism, and a bloody battle for power. Julián Casanova, the co-author of Twentieth-Century Spain: A History, explains the importance of Spain's last century and why it demands to be studied.

Julián Casanova | 11 Nov 2014

What Charles Darwin read on the ‘Beagle’

To mark the launch of our collection of the books known to have been on board H.M.S. Beagle during Darwin's voyage, Dr Alison Pearn describes the library and its importance in the development of Darwin's thought.

Alison Pearn | 10 Nov 2014

The Tragedy at Mt. Ontake (Ontake-san), Japan

Grant Heiken, the author of Dangerous Neighbors, discusses the recent eruption of Mt. Ontake.

Grant Heiken | 7 Nov 2014

Empty Labor

Roland Paulsen, the author of Empty Labor breaks down the idleness that happens in our workdays and how our "empty labor" (hours spent on Facebook, socializing with coworkers, and writing emails when we're meant to be working) can be reduced.

6 Nov 2014

Ben Jonson and The Gunpowder Plot

Author Richard Dutton explores Ben Jonson's work and finds evidence that connects him to the Gunpowder Plot of 1605.

Richard Dutton | 5 Nov 2014

The Turn of the Screw and Edmund Wilson

James Seaton, the author of Literary Criticism from Plato to Postmodernism, discusses the iconic essay "The Ambiguity of Henry James" and how it reshaped the way we think about his literary works.

James Seaton | 4 Nov 2014

Into the Intro: The Language Myth

In this week's excerpt, Vyvyan Evans questions the very foundation of studying language in The Language Myth, arguing that language is not the instinct from birth we've previously thought it to be.

3 Nov 2014

Authorship, Consciousness and the Occult

To wrap up our spooky holiday series on the scholarly side of some Halloween favorites, Andrew McCann, the author of Popular Literature, Authorship, and the Occult in Late Victorian Britain, shares his insights on writing about the occult in the 19th century.

Andrew McCann | 31 Oct 2014

Edgar Allan Poe: The Poet of Halloween

Kevin J. Hayes, the editor of The Cambridge Companion to Edgar Allan Poe and Edgar Allan Poe in Context, offers some recommended reading for Halloween—and all year round.

Kevin J. Hayes | 30 Oct 2014

The Salem Witch-Hunt

Bernard Rosenthal, the editor of Records of the Salem-Witch Hunt, sheds light on America's most famous witch trials and the legacy of fascination that has become impossible to escape.

29 Oct 2014

Here Come the Jumping Spiders

There's always an element of shock or surprise when we discover an unexpected visiting spider, but what about when it's one that can jump?


Arachnophobes: look away now...

Andrew Martin | 28 Oct 2014

From Dickens to Dracula

The vampire and its gothic roots have been part of our Halloween celebrations for centuries. But where do those associations come from, and how have they been rewritten today? Gail Turley Houston, the author of From Dickens to Dracula delves in.

Gail Turley Houston | 27 Oct 2014