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"A book to cherish permanently."  The New York Times.With this ample collection of authentic ballads and songs, you can immerse yourself in the rich tradition and heritage of American folk music. Discover the diversity, spontaneity, free-flowing melody, and sheer invention of scores of songs sung by cowboys and convicts, lumberjacks, hobos, miners, plantation slaves, mountaineers, soldiers, and many others.One of the remarkable features of this collection is its authenticity. Many of the songs were recorded "on location" by noted folklorist John A. Lomax and his even more famous son, Alan, as they traveled around the United States. The results are firsthand versions of music and lyrics for over 200 railroad songs, chain-gang songs, mountain songs, Creole songs, cocaine and whisky songs, "reels," minstrel songs, songs of childhood, and a host of others. Among them are such time-honored favorites as "John Henry," "Goin' Home," "Frankie and Albert," "Down in the Valley," "Little Brown Jug," "Alabama-Bound," "Shortenin' Bread," "Skip to My Lou," "Frog Went a-Courtin'," and a host of others. An excellent introduction, notes on each song, a bibliography, and an index round out this extensive and valuable collection.Musician, musicologists, folklorists, singers  anyone interested in American folk music  will welcome this treasury of timeless song gathered in one handy, inexpensive volume.

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Among the glories of extant medieval manuscripts are the splendid illuminated initials in which geometric, curvilinear, animal, religious and other motifs intertwine to form extraordinarily beautiful and decorative letters.For this striking volume, Carol Belanger Grafton has selected 548 illuminated letters-alphabetically arranged-from 19th-century reprints of medieval manuscripts. Here are magnificently ornamented initials-some the length of an entire margin, another encompassing the page itself, others delicate miniatures. All are imaginatively and beautifully enhanced with royal and saintly figures, mythical creatures, knights in battle, exquisite florals and much more.Encompassing all the letters of the alphabet, and including a selection of hand-colored chromolithographs, this practical archive of lovely copyright-free designs not only provides commercial artists and illustrators with a wealth of usable letters, it offers a splendid sampling of the ancient art of manuscript illuminations.

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A Pictorial Archive from Nineteenth-Century Sources

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Over thousands of years, man has developed an enormous variety of offensive and defensive weapons for use in battle as well as a vast array of armor and other protective devices. Now artists and illustrators can draw on this extensive archive for superb copyright-free illustrations of vintage arms, armor, and other battlefield paraphernalia. Choose from a rich trove of over 750 illustrations compiled from rare nineteenth-century sources. Included are detailed, high-quality depictions  arranged chronologically and, to some extent, geographically  of suits of armor, chain mail, swords, halberds, spears, pikes, lances, crossbows, axes, daggers, helmets, shields, knives, small arms, and a host of other implements, along with scenes of battle, siege, jousts, soldiers, horses, and more. Especially suitable for projects requiring a medieval or old-fashioned flavor, these illustrations reproduce extremely well. They will fill a myriad of needs for battle-related graphic art.

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Treasury of Floral Designs and Initials for Artists and Craftspeople

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You'll find a thousand different uses for this practical archive of royalty-free designs with a floral theme. It includes over 700 wonderfully graceful and imaginative designs featuring flowers, leaves, and vines in delicate interlacements. Most incorporate elaborately embellished letters, initials, monograms, and names.Needleworkers, fabric painters, and other craftworkers will love browsing through these pages for the perfect design to personalize towels, handkerchiefs, bed linens, clothing, and more. Textile designers, graphic artists, and calligraphers will also find the volume brimming with useful ideas and models for creating rich floral designs, illustrated letters, borders, and frames.

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Over the last five thousand years, Indian artists have developed a wide range of unique and decorative artistic styles. This rich collection of copyright-free designs and motifs draws on that heritage to provide today's artists and designers with a stimulating and practical archive of usable material. In this volume are designs adapted from seals, dolls, and toys of the Harappa culture; punch-marked coins and pottery from South India; Ajanta and Bagh murals; Muslim monuments; Buddhist temples; textiles from Gujarat, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and other regions; and much more. Embodying the variety and complexity of traditional Indian design, the motifs in this collection will be of immediate use to artists and illustrators as well as providing an exciting glimpse into the rich store of Indian decorative art.

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Hailed by Darwin as "The Homer of Insects," famed French entomologist Jean Henri Fabre (18231915) devoted hours of rapt attention to insects while they hunted, built nests, and fed their families. Working in Provence, in barren, sun-scorched fields inhabited by countless wasps and bees, he observed their intricate and fascinating world, recounting their activities in simple, beautifully written essays.This volume, based on translations of Fabre's Souvenirs Entomologiques, blends folklore and mythology with factual explanation. Fabre's absorbing account of the scarab beetle's existence, for example, begins with the ancient Egyptians' symbolic view of this busy creature, eventually leading to a careful discussion of its characteristic method of rolling a carefully sculpted ball of food to its den. Elsewhere, he discusses with infectious enthusiasm the physiologic secrets behind the luminosity of fireflies, the musical talents of the locust, the comfortable home of the field cricket, and the cannibalism of the pious-looking praying mantis, among other topics.These charmingly related stories of insect life are a rare combination of scientific study and literary classic that will delight entomologists, naturalists, and nature lovers alike.

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Written for the jeweler who wishes to expand his jewelry repair department, this profusely illustrated manual will help both novices and experienced crafters. It provides clear, step-by-step instructions for cleaning and repairing jewelry and setting stones, as well as complete descriptions of the tools and equipment needed, and their proper use and care.Newcomers to the trade will find detailed explanations of such basic procedures as filing, soldering, buffing, and mounting presented in full detail. Readers will also find easy-to-follow discussions of developments in ultrasonics, steaming, electroplating, and other important techniques.With this simply written guide, jewelers will be able to perform a wide range of repair jobs on premises, enabling them to offer customers faster, better service. This will not only increase repair volume but will help sales as well. For this updated edition, Mr. Hardy has added an extensive appendix reprinting questions and his answers to them from American Horologist and Jeweler, of which he was technical editor for sixteen years, along with discussions of various salient topics.

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Students of German language and literature will welcome this dual-language edition of five stories by Franz Kafka (18831924). Considered one of the greatest modern writers, Kafka wrote tales that brilliantly explore the anxiety, futility, and complexity of modern life.The stories in this volume are "The Metamorphosis" (thought by many critics to be Kafka's most perfect work), "The Judgment," "In the Penal Colony," "A Country Doctor," and "A Report to an Academy." Along with the original German texts, Stanley Applebaum has provided accurate English translations on facing pages, affording students an ideal opportunity to read some of Kafka's finest stories in the original, to discover the passion and profundity of this extremely important figure in modern European literature, and to upgrade their German language skills.

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Novelist, historian, and critic Bernard De Voto calls this book the "best one-volume history of the Civil War I've ever read." David Madden, Director of the United States Civil War Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, considers it "the most powerful of all short histories of the Civil War published since the Depression." These and many other authorities have been won over by the author's profound grasp of the great conflict, and also by his conceptual power, narrative drive, and muscular prose.Now Civil War buffs and general readers alike can enjoy the noted historian's audacious, staccato-like style as he brings the events, figures, and campaigns of the War Between the States vividly to life. Beginning in Washington, D.C., on the day of Lincoln's inauguration, the narrative moves swiftly on to the battles of Bull Run, Shiloh, Vicksburg, Antietam, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Chickamauga, the Wilderness, and, ultimately, to Lee's surrender to Grant at Appomattox Court House.Avoiding footnotes and other academic trappings, the author describes in absorbing, highly readable detail the drama of military campaigns and battlefield strategies, studding his narrative with fascinating anecdotes and asides on Lincoln, Grant, Lee, Sherman, Jackson, and other leaders. Enhanced with 50 maps of battle sites, this fascinating popular history will thrill any Civil War buff and will also appeal to a wide audience of general readers.

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A Guide to Fine and Correct Piano Playing

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Born in Poland in 1830, Theodor Leschetizky was a pianist, teacher, and composer. Although he toured widely as both a player and conductor, and composed two operas and a number of piano pieces, it was as a teacher that he achieved his greatest renown. A pupil himself of the great Carl Czerny, Leschetizky went on to instruct an entire generation of world-class pianists, including Paderewski, Schnabel, Moiseiwitsch, Brailowsky, and many others.In this legendary, hard-to-find book, his pupil and assistant Malwine Bree recorded the principles and techniques of the "Leschetizky Method" of piano instruction. Approved by Leschetizky himself, the clear, easy-to-follow text, profusely illustrated with music examples and photographs of hand positions (Leschetizky's own hands), covers every aspect of piano technique: finger exercises, scales, octaves, chords, arpeggios, the glissando, embellishments, dynamics, the pedal, and many other topics. Also included here is a fascinating article, "Practical Hints on Piano Study" by Ignace J. Paderewski, along with other articles on hand and finger exercises, other piano methods, and more. Any student and teacher of piano will want to have this classic instruction manual, difficult to locate in the past, but now available in this attractive, inexpensive edition.

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Godowsky, Hofmann, Lhevinne, Paderewski and 24 Other Legendary Performers

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Learning from a virtuoso is something that any piano student would love to do. But while master classes are rare, this remarkable book allows us to share the thoughts, musical insights, and experience of the world's greatest pianists.In 28 separate interviews, these legendary artists talk about piano technique, musical development, what is required to achieve virtuoso piano artistry, and many other topics related to keyboard performance. Included are Busoni's "Important Details in Piano Study," Rachmaninoff's "Essentials of Artistic Playing," Paderewski's "Breadth in Musical Art," Grainger's "Modernism in Pianoforte Study," as well as fascinating perceptions and commentary from Bachaus, Carreno, Gabrilowitsch, Godowsky, Hofmann, Lhevinne, Scharwenka, and other masters.Containing a wealth of information and practical advice, including biographical sketches of each musician, Great Pianists on Piano Playing is a one-of-a-kind collection that piano students, teachers, and any music lover will treasure.

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230 Folk Songs and Spirituals, Religious and Secular

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From joyous gospel to deeply felt blues, this wonderful collection contains vintage songs sung and played through the years by black Americans  at work, in church, and for pure entertainment. Included are spirituals, blues, work songs, and a variety of social and dance songs.This important volume was originally compiled in 1940 by Dr. John W. Work, the noted musicologist affiliated with Fisk University and the celebrated Fisk Jubilee Singers. In it, he discusses the origins and history of black American folk music, the influence of slavery and African cultures, and the lyric significance of such much-loved songs as "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot," Steal Away to Jesus," "Lord, I Want to Be a Christian," and "John Henry." These informative notes lead up to the heart of the book: the complete words and music for 230 religious and secular songs, including "Study War No More," "Keep Me from Sinking Down," "You May Bury Me in the East," "Rock of Ages," "Go Tell It on the Mountain," and many others.This is an indispensable treasury of music for singers, musicians and all readers seeking a comprehensive sourcebook of black American folk music. It will be equally welcomed at parties, family get-togethers, sing-alongs, church events, and other gatherings where people want to play and sing these classic folk songs that are an integral part of American musical history.

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For centuries, Spain has produced some of the world's most exquisitely beautiful ceramic tiles. Their often spectacular decorative richness has enhanced such settings as the Alhambra in Granada and the Great Mosque in Cordoba, but even on a more homely level, tiles have long been a staple of Spanish design and decor. Tiles are ubiquitous in all sorts of buildings, large and small, public and private, architect-designed or strictly vernacular.In this volume, the author has brought together nearly a hundred classic Spanish tile designs from the turn of the twentieth century. Predominantly blue, green, red, and brown with white backgrounds, the tiles incorporate stylized flowers, leaves, and other plant forms, abstract and geometric figures, stars, and suns.

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Compiled by noted Irish author Padraic Colum, this treasury of time-honored tales from the fairy-haunted folklore of the Emerald Isle includes these favorite stories: "Fedelma, the Enchanter's Daughter," "When the King of the Cats Came to King Connal's Dominion," "The Sword of Light and the Unique Tale," "The Town of the Red Castle," "The King of the Land of Mist," "The House of Crom Duv," and "The Spae-Woman."Brimming with sly humor, whimsy and imagination, these delightful tales offer hours of enjoyable reading. Nine full-page illustrations and numerous other decorations by Willy Pogany further enhance the text with a mood of timeless enchantment.

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Mathematical Handbook for Scientists and Engineers

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Definitions, Theorems, and Formulas for Reference and Review

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Anyone whose work involves mathematics and its methodology  especially engineers and scientists  will appreciate this authoritative handbook, which provides convenient access to information from every area of mathematics. A reliable source of helpful definitions, theorems, and formulas, it features an easy-to-follow format outlining mathematical methods for speedy, accurate solutions to the most demanding problems.Among the topics covered are Fourier transforms, z transforms, linear and nonlinear programming, calculus of variations, random-process theory, special functions, combinatorial analysis, numerical methods, game theory, and much more. By concisely tabulating related formulas and omitting proofs, the authors have packed a remarkably large amount of material into a single, handy volume. Appropriate introductions, notes, and cross-references appear throughout the text, showing the interrelations of various topics and their significance to science and engineering.Illustrated throughout with numerous figures and tables, this volume represents a valuable resource for both students and professionals.

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Literally hundreds of thousand of plants have been given botanical names. Of this huge number very few have English names, and these have become established more by use than by anything else. Thus, there has long been a need for a comprehensive guide to plant nomenclature and the standard classification system in the plant world. This is that book. Here is the first compact dictionary that combines definitions of botanical names in general usage, with information on their derivation and guides to pronunciation. For the vast number of horticulturalists, gardeners, and plant lovers interested in the origin and derivation of plant names, this book will be an invaluable reference. Generic and specific names are listed in alphabetical order, and for each name the author, a noted botanical expert, identifies the root words in Greek and Latin, gives the accepted definition derived from them, and indicates the preferred English pronunciation. In numerous instances he offers interesting historical information or anecdotes about plants and their introduction to gardens. An especially useful feature of this work is a monumental index, which provides a cross-reference from some 1,800 common plant names to corresponding botanical ones. For the specialist, the thoroughness and authoritativeness of this book make it an indispensable resource. The layperson will appreciate its convenience, usefulness, and reliability in identifying and classifying plants, as well as its abundance of interesting facts and lore  all leavened with touches of humor.

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Over 400 illustrations in this superb pictorial archive trace the evolution of clothing styles, armor, and weapons during the medieval period in Central Europe. Unsurpassed in its comprehensiveness and variety, the volume draws upon a wealth of authentic primary sources, including written accounts, contemporary paintings and sculpture, and the remains of textiles and other relics.A profusion of apparel and weaponry are depicted, ranging from the simple tunics and robes of peasants, blacksmiths, gardeners, shoemakers, fishermen, and other common laborers to the fur-lined cloaks and brocaded garments of the aristocracy. Tools and utensils used by peasants as well as the battle equipment and armor of warriors are also pictured and described, with special emphasis on how these weapons were handled, carried, and used in combat.Accompanied by a scrupulously researched and well-documented text, these royalty-free illustrations not only offer general readers an intriguing and authentic insight into a past age but also provide artists, historians, students of weaponry, and theater and film professionals with a highly accurate source of reference material.

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Eduard Wagner, Zoroslava Drobná, Jan Durdík

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In the waning days of the 19th century and on the eve of a new technological era, French, English, and American inventors (as well as a host of charlatans, stuntmen, and profiteers) were racing to be the first to achieve powered, heavier-than-air flight. At the center of this activity were two little-known bicycle mechanics from Dayton, Ohio  Wilbur and Orville Wright.This highly regarded volume, considered by many to be the definitive study of the Wrights, tells the full story of the brothers' lives and works: from their early childhood and initial fascination with flight, through the years of experimentation with gliders on the sand dunes of Indiana, to the exhilarating days on the Outer Banks of North Carolina where they perfected the design for the initial flyer, culminating in the historic first flight in December, 1903, at Kitty Hawk. The book also relates in detail the bitter patent fight and exhausting legal battles that followed as well as Wilbur's untimely death and Orville's later years.Author Fred Howard, an expert on early aviation technology and member of the team that edited a multi-volume edition of the Wright brothers' papers for the Library of Congress, is uniquely qualified to tell this story. He not only provides a remarkable account of the brothers' enormous achievements, but has also captured the spirit of an extraordinary era, paying tribute to the contributions of such legendary aviation pioneers as Octave Chanute, Samuel Pierpont Langley, Glenn Curtiss, Alberto Santos-Dumont, Louis Bleriot, and many others.Unparalleled in its scope and colorful depiction of the Wright brothers and their times, this authoritative and thoroughly entertaining work will thrill and delight aviation buffs, students of American history, and anyone fascinated by the early days of flight.

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This clearly written, lavishly illustrated guide to the age-old art of lace-making allows even novices to fill a treasure chest with lovely tatted designs.Veteran tatting instructor Rozella Linden has included clear, step-by-step instructions that will help you create simple rings and picots for such projects as earrings, a small sunflower, and an ice crystal as well as chains for flower pins, a small rosette, a lacy square, and a snowflake ornament  among other designs. Advanced tatters will find directions for completing elegant projects that include a tatted necklace (which can also be used as edging), an oval doily, a fancy snowflake, and a delicate table mat.Over 65 drawings and photos enhance this collection of easy-to-do but very attractive patterns that will not only inspire and delight anyone interested in this intriguingly beautiful craft but also enable even beginning tatters to create treasured possessions of exquisite handmade lace.  

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You dont have to love math to enjoy a hand of cards, a night at the casino, or a puzzle. But your pleasure and prowess at games, gambling, and other numerically related pursuits can be heightened with this entertaining volume, in which the authors offer a fascinating view of some of the lesser-known and more imaginative aspects of mathematics.A brief and breezy explanation of the new language of mathematics precedes a smorgasbord of such thought-provoking subjects as the googolplex (the largest definite number anyone has yet bothered to conceive of); assorted geometries  plane and fancy; famous puzzles that made mathematical history; and tantalizing paradoxes. Gamblers receive fair warning on the laws of chance; a look at rubber-sheet geometry twists circles into loops without sacrificing certain important properties; and an exploration of the mathematics of change and growth shows how calculus, among its other uses, helps trace the path of falling bombs.Written with wit and clarity for the intelligent reader who has taken high school and perhaps college math, this volume deftly progresses from simple arithmetic to calculus and non-Euclidean geometry. It lives up to its title in every way [and] might well have been merely terrifying, whereas it proves to be both charming and exciting."  Saturday Review of Literature.