Cărţi în limba engleză

With extraordinary access to the Trump White House, Michael Wolff tells the inside story of the most controversial presidency of our time.

The first nine months of Donald Trump's term were stormy, outrageous - and absolutely mesmerising. Now, thanks to his deep access to the West Wing, bestselling author Michael Wolff tells the riveting story of how Trump launched a tenure as volatile and fiery as the man himself.

In this explosive book, Wolff provides a wealth of new details about the chaos in the Oval Office. Among the revelations:

- What President Trump's staff really thinks of him
- What inspired Trump to claim he was wire-tapped by President Obama
- Why FBI director James Comey was really fired
- Why chief strategist Steve Bannon and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner couldn't be in the same room
- Who is really directing the Trump administration's strategy in the wake of Bannon's firing
- What the secret to communicating with Trump is
- What the Trump administration has in common with the movie The Producers

Never before has a presidency so divided the American people. Brilliantly reported and astoundingly fresh, Michael Wolff's Fire and Fury shows us how and why Donald Trump has become the king of discord and disunion.

Acest set contine 32 fise cartonate:
• 26 fise, cate una pentru fiecare litera a alfabetului: (A-Z)
• SH, TH
• CH
• GH
• OO
• EA
• OA, AU, EU

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Cartea urmareste clasica poveste a Albei-ca-Zapada, intr-un format ce permite lecturarea atat in romana, cat si in limba engleza.
Lucrarea prezinta ilustratii viu colorate.

Fragment:

Imparateasa, manioasa, luift infatisarea unei batrane negustorese si se duse la usa piticilor, unde o incanta pe fata sa cumpere o cingatoare. si cand -ii stranse mijlocul, ii taie rasuflarea, de o lasa pe copila ca moarta si pleca. Cand au ajuns acasa, piticii, speriati, o ridicara pe Alba-aa-Zapada de jos, ii taiara cingatoarea, iar fata isi reveni. La scurt timp, oglinda ii dadu iar de stire imparatesei ca fata traieste. Aceasta isi schimba din nou infatisarea si lua cu ea un pieptene otravit.

Green with envy, the empress took the appearance of old Negus-Torah and went at the dwarfs door, tricking Snow White into buying a belt. When she put the belt on her waist, her breath stopped and the girl was left as dead. When they arrived home, frightened, the dwarfs cutt the belt and Snow White came to life. After a while, the mirror told the queen that the girl is still alive. The empress changed her looks again and visited Snow White with a poisoned comb.

Cartea mea cu 500 de cuvinte bilingve romana-engleza

28 de basme cu mai mult de 500 de cuvinte.

Basmele sunt prezentate in cate o fraza, in romana si engleza.
Cuvintele cheie sunt notate in ambele limbi, fiind insotite de ilustratii, fapt ce ajuta in intelegerea si memorarea mai usoara, a acestora, intr-un mod placut.

Dintre povesti:

Ratusca cea urata, Scufita Rosie, Aladin, Alice in Tara Minunilor, Cenusareasa, Cartea junglei, Pinocchio, Hainele cele noi ale imparatului, Pied Piper din Hamelin, Micuta sirena, Bucle Aurii si cei trei ursi, Jack si vrejul de fasole.

„Tales and Traces of Sephardic Bucharest” is meant to be an open door to a world that nowadays seems drawn from a fairy tale, a beginning, a first step designed to incite the reader’s curiosity and convince him or her, regardless of whether he or she is an expert or just someone interested in the city’s history, to start looking for more sources and information about the presence and contribution of the Sephardim (as well as the Ashkenazim, and the other minorities) to the development and modernization of Bucharest. In the current cultural movement bent on recovering the Romanian capital’s history, with numerous articles, book and albums appearing at an impressive pace, the efforts (and implicitly the results) would be incomplete if they did not take into account this aspect, which is in some respects indispensable, considering that in some fields Sephardic and Ashkenazi Jews were road openers.

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EDITIE BILINGVA

 EDITIE BILINGVA

Un Om-de-Zăpadă, un Îngeraș și prietenii lor din Poiana Căprioarelor îi pregătesc o surpriză lui Moș Crăciun. Ce daruri vor primi în schimb, aflați din paginile acestei cărți încântătoare.

La ce visează oamenii de zăpadă este o poveste despre visuri și despre prietenii care te ajută să le transformi în realitate, despre aspirații imposibile și daruri neașteptate.

Editie bilingva
    Atunci cand Ioana, studenta la Facultatea de Limbi si Literaturi Straine in Bucuresti, il intalneste pentru prima data pe Ken, nu cunoaste prea multe despre el. Nu stie, spre exemplu, ca el apartine unei familii distinse din aristocratia japoneza. Mai mult, nu stie cat de multe complicatii va cauza viitoarea lor relatie. Stie numai ca il iubeste, iar asta ii e suficient. Viata lor capata o aura de poveste, dar, odata cu mutarea in Japonia, Ioana incepe sa resimta presiunea vietii aristocratice. Straina intr-o tara noua si ciudata, ea incearca sa inteleaga cultura japoneza. Oare viitorul Ioanei se gaseste in Japonia, alaturi de sotul ei, sau inapoi in Romania, impreuna cu familia?

 Editie bilingva

    ”Cosmarul american” continua aventurile Ioanei. Dupa divortul de aristocratul japonez, ea se muta inapoi la Bucuresti, unde isi dezvolta o cariera infloritoare in televiziune. Dar dragostea ii bate din nou la usa, iar Ioana se indragosteste de Edward Jones, un scriitor atragator aflat la inceput de drum, pe care aceasta il urmeaza in Statele Unite, unde se si casatoresc. Viata lor de cuplu este plina de bucurii, dar cu timpul fericirea nou-gasita a Ioanei este pusa in pericol de birocratia guvernului american si de discrepantele culturale. In tara tuturor posibilitatilor, ea trebuie inca o data sa preia fraiele propriului destin si sa isi recapete dreptul de a porni in cautarea fericirii.

J. Breckinridge Bayne, un doctor american pe frontul romanesc (1916-1919)

Editie bilingva engleza-romana

Dr. Bayne sosea la Bucuresti exact acum 100 de ani, in noiembrie 1916. Isi oferea serviciile, ca voluntar, dupa ce Romania a intrat in razboi. A operat raniti sub bombardamentele germane asupra Bucurestiului, salvand numeroase vieti. A stavilit epidemii de tifos si holera in satele romanesti. Sub ocupatie, a ramas alaturi de pacientii sai grav raniti si nu i-a parasit nici cand a trebuit sa deschida, pentru ei, un nou spital, ca unic doctor si fara ajutoare de specialitate - o poveste exemplara din Primul Razboi Mondial.     

Istoricul si diplomatul american Ernest H.Latham Jr. a redescoperit aceasta figura fascinanta legata de Primul Razboi Mondial in Romania, americanul Dr. Bayne, si, o data cu el, un fragment de extrem dramatism al istoriei romanesti.

Un studiu sensibil, elaborat cu eleganta, bazat pe o meticuloasa cercetare. - Dennis Deletant

Povestea fascinanta a unui doctor american, care a servit ca voluntar in Romania, la vremea Primului Razboi Mondial. Experienta, relatata in detaliu, ofera o imagine pretioasa a haosului si vicisitudinilor indurate de populatie, de personalul medical, sub atacului devastator al Germaniei si in conditiile dure ale ocupatiei. - Genn Torrey

Sederea doctorului Bayne in Romania are toate ingredientele unui roman de aventuri, in care Bayne ocupa rolul central pe o mare scena, intr-o distributie cu multe personaje. Doar ca nu este vorba de un roman, ci de realitatea insasi. Cartea este un binevenit tribut in onoarea Dr. Bayne, ca si a poporului roman si Romaniei, pe care doctorul a descoperit-o si a iubit-o. - Glee E. Wilson

Lupta lui Bayne cu ranile teribile, cu epidemiile mortale, in conditiile lipsei de personal si instrumentar medical, devotamentul si abnegatia doctorului si a colaboratorilor sai (romani si straini) fata de pacienti, toate aceste episoade ne ajuta sa intelegem mai bine, in ultima instanta, povestea Romaniei in timpul Marelui Razboi. - Bogdan Antoniu

ERNEST H. LATHAM, Jr., Ph.D., American historian and diplomat. He served as the American cultural attache in Romania between 1983 and 1987.
He is the author of the volumes Timeless and Transitory: 20th Century Relations Between Romania and the English Speaking World (Vremea Press, 2012), In Caesar's Household (Vremea Press, 2013) and of numerous articles and reviews about Romania. He edited and reintroduced Athene Palace, by Countess R. Waldeck, republished in several editions and translations. He revised, i.a., the entries on Romania for the Encyclopaedia Britannica, edition 2000. He was Fulbright Professor in Romania, at the Babes-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca and at the University of Bucharest (2000-2002).
He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Bucharest.
At the present time he teaches advanced area studies for Romania and Moldova at the Foreign Service Institute (U.S. Department of State).

ERNEST H. LATHAM, Jr., istoric si diplomat american.
A fost atasatul cultural al Statelor Unite la Bucuresti (1983-1987). Autorul volumelor Timeless and Transitory: 20th Century Relations Between Romania and the English Speaking World (Vremea, 2012) si In Caesar's Household (Vremea, 2013).
A publicat numeroase articole si recenzii privind Romania.
A readus in atentia cititorilor, cu un amplu studiu introductiv, volumul Athene Palace, de Contesa R. Waldeck (publicat apoi in mai multe limbi si editii).
A revizuit, printre altele, articolele dedicate Romaniei in Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2000. Profesor Fulbright in Romania, la Universitatea Babes-Bolyai din Cluj-Napoca si Universitatea din Bucuresti (2000-2002). Doctorat la Universitatea din Bucuresti.
In prezent sustine prelegeri despre Romania si Moldova la Institutul Diplomatic al Departamentului de Stat American.

E L James revisits the world of Fifty Shades with a deeper and darker take on the love story that has enthralled millions of readers around the globe. Their scorching, sensual affair ended in heartbreak and recrimination, but Christian Grey cannot get Anastasia Steele out of his mind, or his blood. Determined to win her back, he tries to suppress his darkest desires and his need for complete control, and to love Ana on her own terms. But the horrors of his childhood still haunt him, and Ana's scheming boss, Jack Hyde, clearly wants her for himself. Can Christian's confidant and therapist, Dr. Flynn, help him face down his demons? Or will the possessiveness of Elena, his seducer, and the deranged devotion of Leila, his former submissive, drag Christian down into the past? And if Christian does win Ana back, can a man so dark and damaged ever hope to keep her?

    Aceste minidictionar englez-roman ii invata pe copii vocabularul de baza al limbii engleze intr-un mod usor si placut. Fiecare termen este insotit de pronuntia corespunzatoare si de ilustratii sugestive care ajuta la asocierea cuvantului cu semnificatia sa. Este un instrument perfect pentru invatarea limbii engleze!

Editie bilingva romana-engleza

In satucul Fan din Transilvania, iarna a venit mai devreme decat de obicei si a adus la poarta familiei Degetel un catelus zgribulit de frig. Treptat, toata lumea din casa se indragosteste de el, pana si micuta Thea, careia ii era frica de caini. Ghemotocul de blana primeste un nume – Floss – si reuseste sa intre chiar si in gratiile pisicilor. Dar nu trece mult timp si o veste neasteptata vine sa tulbure armonia noului camin al lui Floss.
 

Varsta Recomandata: 7+

Sinaia, land of the Elites. Architecture and history + Carnetel de notite cu magnet - Dan Manea

The book surprises by the novel perspective an architect vision offers upon his hometown. The author brings memorable events in the last 150 years to surface and impresses the reader with the amount of published information and pictures, many of them for the first time, as well as with the passion and generosity he shares the perpetual values that put Sinaia on Europe’s most important cities map with the reader.

The book educates and makes people acknowledge! After reading it, you start paying attention to urban details you ignored before. The promotional campaign that will take place in Sinaia, Bucharest, at a national level and, subsequently, at an international level, aims to accomplish several goals. It aims to catalyse public opinion on an emblematic city, to perpetuate the memory of some great personalities of the national architecture and to value the existing architectural patrimony and a certain way of managing the sustainable development of a human settlement.

Romanian or foreign tourists will rediscover the city also due to the fact that “Sinaia, Oraşul Elitelor” suggests, for the first time in history, thematic touristic itineraries focused on monument buildings and author houses, inside the city and around it. They will also rediscover the city due to the stories inside, where Sinaia shines into another reality, much more profound than the one we were accustomed with.

Romanii, maghiarii, sasii si secuii au reusit sa creeze aici o lume inconfundabila, care si-a pastrat in mare parte caracterul arhaic.
Orasele transilvanene sunt diferite de tot ceea ce veti vedea in alte parti ale tarii: burgurilor medievale li s-a imprimat o linie baroca dupa ce Transilvania a intrat sub administratie habsburgica.

Orasul de pe malul Cibinului s-a dezvoltat pe locul anticei asezari daco-romane Cedonia.
Intemeierea sa este legata de colonizarea sasilor in Transilvania, in secolul al XII-lea.
A fost atestat documentar pentru prima data in 1191 (Cibinium), fiind numit ulterior Hermannstadt.

Delta Dunarii poate fi socotita veritabila „arca a lui Noe”.
Totul este atat de plin de viata aici: aerul vibreaza de zborul inaripatelor care tasnesc de pretutindeni (pelicani, lebede, cormorani, califari, egrete, lopatari, lisite, vulturi codalbi), sub ape se stravad unduirile pestilor (morun, nisetru, pastruga, cega, biban, stiuca, crap, caracuda, caras), iar prin stufarisuri misuna tot soiul de vietuitoare.

Faith Sunderly leads a double life. To most people, she is reliable, dull, trustworthy - a proper young lady who knows her place as inferior to men. But inside, Faith is full of questions and curiosity, and she cannot resist mysteries: an unattended envelope, an unlocked door. She knows secrets no one suspects her of knowing. She knows that her family moved to the close-knit island of Vane because her famous scientist father was fleeing a reputation-destroying scandal. And she knows, when her father is discovered dead shortly thereafter, that he was murdered.

In pursuit of justice and revenge, Faith hunts through her father's possessions and discovers a strange tree. The tree bears fruit only when she whispers a lie to it. The fruit of the tree, when eaten, delivers a hidden truth. The tree might hold the key to her father's murder - or it may lure the murderer directly to Faith herself. 

A compact masterpiece dedicated to the Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich: Julian Barnes’s first novel since his best-selling, Man Booker Prize–winning The Sense of an Ending.

In 1936, Shostakovitch, just thirty, fears for his livelihood and his life. Stalin, hitherto a distant figure, has taken a sudden interest in his work and denounced his latest opera. Now, certain he will be exiled to Siberia (or, more likely, executed on the spot), Shostakovitch reflects on his predicament, his personal history, his parents, various women and wives, his children—and all who are still alive themselves hang in the balance of his fate. And though a stroke of luck prevents him from becoming yet another casualty of the Great Terror, for decades to come he will be held fast under the thumb of despotism: made to represent Soviet values at a cultural conference in New York City, forced into joining the Party and compelled, constantly, to weigh appeasing those in power against the integrity of his music. 

Barnes elegantly guides us through the trajectory of Shostakovitch's career, at the same time illuminating the tumultuous evolution of the Soviet Union. The result is both a stunning portrait of a relentlessly fascinating man and a brilliant exploration of the meaning of art and its place in society. 

The Sunday Times Number One Bestseller.

A picture hides a thousand words ...

On a hot July day in 1967, Odelle Bastien climbs the stone steps of the Skelton gallery in London, knowing that her life is about to change forever. Having struggled to find her place in the city since she arrived from Trinidad five years ago, she has been offered a job as a typist under the tutelage of the glamorous and enigmatic Marjorie Quick. But though Quick takes Odelle into her confidence, and unlocks a potential she didn't know she had, she remains a mystery - no more so than when a lost masterpiece with a secret history is delivered to the gallery.

The truth about the painting lies in 1936 and a large house in rural Spain, where Olive Schloss, the daughter of a renowned art dealer, is harbouring ambitions of her own. Into this fragile paradise come artist and revolutionary Isaac Robles and his half-sister Teresa, who immediately insinuate themselves into the Schloss family, with explosive and devastating consequences ...

Seductive, exhilarating and suspenseful, The Muse is an unforgettable novel about aspiration and identity, love and obsession, authenticity and deception - a masterpiece from Jessie Burton, the million-copy bestselling author of The Miniaturist.

Internet meme meets classical art in Svetlana Petrova's brilliant FAT CAT ART. Featuring her twenty-two-pound, ginger-colored cat Zarathustra superimposed onto some of the greatest artworks of all time, Petrova's paintings are an Internet sensation. Now fans will have the ultimate full-colour collection of her work, including several never-before-seen pieces, to savour for themselves or to give as a gift to fellow cat lovers.

From competing with Venus s sexy reclining pose (and almost knocking her off her chaise lounge in the process) in Titian s Venus of Urbino, to exhibiting complete disdain as he skirts away from God s pointing finger in Michelangelo s Creation of Adam, Zarathustra single-handedly rewrites art history in the way that only an adorable fat cat can.

Full colour throughout

"It's official. That thing that classic art has been missing is a chubby reclining kitty." The Huffington Post

A deeply personal, intimate conversation about music and writing between the internationally acclaimed, best-selling author and the former conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

In Absolutely on Music, internationally Haruki Murakami sits down with his friend Seiji Ozawa, the revered former conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, for a series of conversations on their shared passion: music. Over the course of two years, Murakami and Ozawa discuss everything from Brahms to Beethoven, from Leonard Bernstein to Glenn Gould, from Bartók to Mahler, and from pop-up orchestras to opera. They listen to and dissect recordings of some of their favorite performances, and Murakami questions Ozawa about his career conducting orchestras around the world. Culminating in Murakami’s ten-day visit to the banks of Lake Geneva to observe Ozawa’s retreat for young musicians, the book is interspersed with ruminations on record collecting, jazz clubs, orchestra halls, film scores, and much more. A deep reflection on the essential nature of both music and writing, Absolutely on Music is an unprecedented glimpse into the minds of two maestros.

A selection of the music discussed by Murakami and Ozawa is available at harukimurakami.com.


“What most fascinates about Absolutely on Music is how it unlocks the challenging question of what makes for genius in the performance of music. . . . [It is] a book that opens a new side of [Murakami’s] authorial persona and that will open doors for people who want to love classical music. It is a quirky, oddly compelling book carried along by the smooth, laid-back rhythms of its relaxing conversations. Reading it, I found myself digging out pieces I hadn’t listened to in ages, engaged with a newfound appreciation. . . . Readable, accessible, highly entertaining, educational.” —Scott Esposito, San Francisco Chronicle

“Fascinating. . . . Ozawa is a beloved figure, known more for his modesty, preparation and smiling-hippie looks than for breaking batons. In Absolutely on Music, he appears in conversation with his countryman, the renowned Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami. Their discussions are prompted by listening to recordings together and range from musical personalities to the nuts and bolts of running an orchestra. Mr. Murakami is a non-musician who is nevertheless quite well-listened. . . . Murakami stays in the background of these conversations, but his preparation and curiosity draw out Mr. Ozawa wonderfully.” —The Wall Street Journal

“Absolutely on Music is an unprecedented treasure, valuable if for no other reason than that these conversations mark the first time that Ozawa has reflected at length on his 50-plus years of conducting. . . . Talking about music is like dancing about architecture, it’s often said, but what joy to watch these two friends dance. . . . One of this book’s central pleasures is that of watching a kind of translation at work. With an enthusiast’s brio, Murakami sallies forth with his idiosyncratic, often fanciful ideas about Ozawa’s music.” —The Guardian

“Refreshingly honest and enthusiastic, a mental sampler from both the writer and the musician. . . . The subject matter veers and twirls, from the philosophy of education to the phrasing of a specific passage, to the bringing out of an inner voice. And perhaps therein lies the charm of this book—material that only a music wonk could love, some spicy ‘Real Housewives of Vienna’ type dish, intellectual probing of the most arcane musical subjects, and personal expressions of amazement and sheer joy.” —The Buffalo News

“Fascinating. . . . Enthralling. . . . What comes through in these conversations is the devotion both men feel for music; the degree to which every detail of a work matters to them; and the strength of their yearning to connect to great symphonies and concertos (and the composers who penned them).”—The Seattle Times

“Irresistibly seductive.” —Evening Standard

“A useful guide [that] is also about the way the concert hall’s values of composition and rhythm can apply to any kind of creative life.” —A.V. Club

“Intriguing insights about the nature of music. . . . Deliberate and contemplative. In some ways, these conversations are High Fidelity for classical music fans.” —Publishers Weekly

“A strange and delightful book. Murakami and Ozawa sit sipping hot hojicha tea, snacking on persimmons, and discussing in riveting detail works by Mahler, Bartok, Beethoven, Brahms, and many other central figures in the history of Western music. . . . While he defers to Ozawa on technical matters, [Murakami] describes music with rich and suggestive metaphors and images that capture something essential about the spirit of the music.” —The Christian Science Monitor

“Transcribed from conversations between the phenomenal Japanese author Murakami (who ran a jazz club in his youth) and magician-with-a-baton Seiji Ozawa, whom I remember fondly as conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra in my student days long, long ago? I cannot resist. For all your smart readers.” —Barbara Hoffert, Library Journal

“Engaging. . . . [Murakami’s] knowledge of music is beyond impressive, as anyone who has read his novels already knows. He loves jazz, and one of the most interesting passages involves exchanges about blues in Chicago in the 1960s. Ozawa also declares a deep admiration for Louis Armstrong. . . . A work that general readers will enjoy and the musical cognoscenti will devour.” —Kirkus Reviews

“The book shines as a deep exploration into how a conductor does his job and how performer personalities, logistical factors, and mundane bureaucracies can change an orchestra’s sound. . . . The book also dishes insider gossip on the greats: Leonard Bernstein is a anti-hierarchical mensch, while Glenn Gould is a fascinating ‘eccentric.’” —New Republic

“A special book. . . . Look to this for insights into the broader world of music.” —The Worcester Telegram

“Soaring conversations that are at times erudite, funny and deeply personal. . . . An important and engaging reflection on the career of a great conductor.” —The Providence Journal

“Haruki Murakami loves music, from naming one of his most beloved novels Norwegian Wood (recalling the hit from The Beatles) to being the former owner of a jazz club in Tokyo. In these brilliantly illuminating conversations with his friend, the former conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Seiji Ozawa, these two creatives discuss the power of music. From pop-up orchestras to Brahms, these two insightful artists trace the way music has impacting them and society in general.” —BookRiot

“[A] glimpse into the minds of . . . two maestros and their creative process. Never a stormy debate, the talks make sweet melodies that may linger on for many readers—especially book and music lovers. . . . This book is easy reading and music is ‘absolutely’ the winner.” —Otago Daily Times (New Zealand)

Jim Francis has finally found the perfect life - and is now unrecognisable, even to himself. A successful painter and sculptor, he lives quietly with his wife, Melanie, and their two young daughters, in an affluent beach town in California. Some say he's a fake and a con man, while others see him as a genuine visionary. But Francis has a very dark past, with another identity and a very different set of values. When he crosses the Atlantic to his native Scotland, for the funeral of a murdered son he barely knew, his old Edinburgh community expects him to take bloody revenge. But as he confronts his previous life, all those friends and enemies - and, most alarmingly, his former self - Francis seems to have other ideas.

When Melanie discovers something gruesome in California, which indicates that her husband's violent past might also be his psychotic present, things start to go very bad, very quickly.

The Blade Artist is an elegant, electrifying novel - ultra violent but curiously redemptive - and it marks the return of one of modern fiction's most infamous, terrifying characters, the incendiary Francis Begbie from Trainspotting.

The authors trace the emergence of Ataturk and Reza Shah through the constitutional revolutions in Iran and the Ottoman Empire, which led to the introduction of European social models, the establishment of dictatorship and of secularist reforms. This produced in both Turkey and Iran highly authoritarian, nationalist, and quasi-westernised states, where the personality cult of the leader defined the politics of each country.

This revised edition builds upon and updates its twin themes of Turkey's continuing incorporation into the capitalist world and the modernization of state and society. It begins with the forging of closer links with Europe after the French Revolution, and the changing face of the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century. Zurcher argues that Turkey's history between 1908 and 1950 should be seen as a unity, and offers a strongly revisionist interpretation of Turkey's founding father, Kemal Ataturk. In his account of the period since 1950, Zurcher focuses on the growth of mass politics; the three military coups; the thorny issue of Turkey's human right's record; the alliance with the West and relations with the European Community; Turkey's ambivalent relations with the Middle East; the increasingly explosive Kurdish question; and the continuing political instability and growth of Islam.