University of Chicago Press: New Titles from 'Museum Tusculanum Press'

Narrative Literature from the Tebtunis Temple Library

Kim Ryholt — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Centuries before the Library of Alexandria, ancient Egypt was home to numerous temple libraries, but only a single large-scale one has survived: the Tebtunis Temple library. Abandoned around 200 CE—but rediscovered by archaeologists in 1900—the library’s contents include an array of scientific, religious, and narrative literature from the first centuries of the Common Era. This collection offers some of the narrative literature found there, translated into English— much for the first time. This book contains ten narratives in total—from stories of Prince Inaros to a new version of the mythological “The Contendings of Horus and Seth.”

Essay on the Unity of Stoic Philosophy

Johnny Christensen — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The ancient Stoics repeatedly stressed the monolithic comprehensiveness of their philosophy, and this book is the only one to provide a holistic grasp of their attempt to synthesize the whole of the human condition into a unified view. Originally published in 1962, An Essay on the Unity of Stoic Philosophy was far ahead of its time. Now a pivotal text, it lays out the core ideas of Stoicism and their interconnection against the backdrop of Aristotelian philosophy, providing a coherent understanding of the many—and sometimes divergent—philosophies the Stoics formulated. At once penetrating and lucid, Johnny Christensen’s book is brought back into print in a second edition for a new audience.

Dating the Sagas

Else Mundal — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Anonymously written and transcribed from oral tales, the family sagas of Iceland are notoriously difficult texts to date. In this book, a host of contributors address the methodological problems inherent in dating the sagas, and in the process they offer insightful discussions of the saga form itself. Focusing on the several new written genres that developed in Iceland in the thirteenth century, they locate the dynamic position of the sagas at the intersection of oral and written traditions. In doing so, they highlight the crucial problems of philological research and the importance of accuracy in understanding literary history.

Heibergs and the Theater

Jon Stewart — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Johan Ludvig Heiberg was one of the most famous playwrights, theater critics, and essayists of the Danish Golden Age, and his wife, Johanne Luise Heiberg, was one of its greatest actresses. This first book-length study in English examines the many ways they dominated theatrical life during the period. In these essays, the contributors explore the deep connections between the Heibergs’ far-reaching philosophical and political interests and their theatrical careers. More than just a study of Golden Age theater, this book offers an important look into the ideas and arts that constituted one of the richest eras in modern history.

History and Range Expansion of Peregrine Falcons in the Thule Area, Northwest Greenland

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 05:00:00 GMT

This book covers the discovery and history of the northernmost breeding population of peregrine falcons in the world, located near the Thule Air Base in northwest Greenland. Drawing on thirteen years of research, the authors present a comprehensive set of findings on the biology and ecology of this remarkable population and provide critical evidence and documentation of the ways climate change is enabling profoundly new ranges for migratory populations.

Vessels and Variety

Hanne Thomasen; Kristine Bøggild Johannsen; Annette Rathje — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Addressing topics ranging from production and distribution to iconography and museum collections, Vessels and Variety sheds new light on perspectives in the fields of ancient pottery studies. The contributors cover a wide span of time from the Geometric period to the Roman period, exploring both new materials from recent excavations in the Mediterranean—from southern Italy to the Black Sea—as well as new methodological approaches. With richly illustrated articles, this volume provides an important contribution to the ongoing debates on the role of pottery in ancient societies.

Women of the Danish Golden Age

Katalin Nun — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 05:00:00 GMT

This broad, interdisciplinary work explores the often overlooked contributions of women to the cultural life of the Danish Golden Age. Featuring chapters on novelist Thomasine Gyllembourg, actress Johanne Luise Heiberg, and feminist writer Mathilde Fibiger, it spans three generations of women from the early to late Golden Age, examining the perceived proper role of women in Danish society at the time, including an examination of views by male Golden Age writers and thinkers such as Søren Kierkegaard and Hans Lassen Martensen. Offering a panorama of personalities, literary texts, theater performances, artworks, and sociopolitical debates, Women of the Danish Golden Age is a rich appreciation of the importance of women to Denmark’s cultural life during one of its most flourishing periods.

Nothing to Speak of

Sofie Lene Bak — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 06:00:00 GMT

In October 1943, Adolph Hitler ordered the mass arrest of Jews in Denmark. While many Danish Jews were rounded up and deported to concentration camps, thousands fled to Sweden in one of the most successful—and famous—rescue operations of Jews in wartime Europe. Based on more than one hundred interviews, Nothing to Speak Of sheds new light on this rescue operation, telling the story of what happened to these survivors after October 1943. This richly illustrated volume is the first to deal with the long-term consequences of escape, exile, and deportation during this harrowing time for Danish citizens, uncovering deep and painful memories that still haunt many survivors today.