David Potter

Few studies of the history of provincial France have hitherto spanned the conventional medieval/early-modern divide, and David Potter’s detailed examination of war and government in Picardy, a region of France hitherto neglected by historians, has much to say about the development of French absolutism. Picardy emerged as a province after the campaigns of 1470–1477, and its experience of the first period of absolutism provides an enlightening contrast with that of other, more outlying provinces: the Picard nobility was notable for the extent of its participation in the army, the court and the government of France. David Potter provides a detailed analysis of the organisation of French military power in the province, and its impact during the period of the Habsburg-Valois wars. The work concludes with Picardy about to enter a difficult period of civil war.

'I am proud to say that I knew Jock Stein as a football manager, as a colleague and as a friend . . . he was the greatest manager in British football . . . men like Jock will live forever in the memory' - Sir Alex Ferguson During his long reign at Celtic, Jock Stein was a legendary figure in the world of football. He led a youthful Celtic side to a memorable European Cup triumph in Lisbon in 1967 and was in charge of the home-grown Celtic teams which won nine Scottish league championships in a row as well as numerous domestic trophies. Tom Campbell and David Potter have produced an affectionate and in-depth portrait of Stein but are not afraid to delve below the surface of the legend to examine the manager's mistakes and failings as well as his triumphs and strengths. Calling upon such expert witnesses as Bobby Murdoch, Ronnie Simpson and Charlie Gallagher, and on a host of other important figures in the game, this book presents a detailed and fully rounded picture of a man who, at the height of his powers at Celtic Park, revolutionised the game of football in Scotland.

Literary Texts and the Roman Historian looks at literary texts from the Roman Empire which depict actual events. It examines the ways in which these texts were created, disseminated and read.Beside covering the major Roman historical authors such as Livy and Tacitus, he also considers the contributions of authors in other genres like:* Cicero* Lucian* Aulus Gellius.Literary Texts and the Roman Historian provides an accessible and concise introduction to the complexities of Roman historiography.

Literary Texts and the Roman Historian looks at literary texts from the Roman Empire which depict actual events. It examines the ways in which these texts were created, disseminated and read.Beside covering the major Roman historical authors such as Livy and Tacitus, he also considers the contributions of authors in other genres like:* Cicero* Lucian* Aulus Gellius.Literary Texts and the Roman Historian provides an accessible and concise introduction to the complexities of Roman historiography.

This book aims - through translations of key documents concerning communal religious violence, political confrontation and war - to provide the means to study the French Wars of Religion through the most important contemporary sources. Documents include: -Key legislative acts of the period from the edicts concerning religion and toleration in 1560-62 to the 1590s - Sources on types of religious violence during the early years of the wars - A detailed examination of the massacre of Saint Bartholomew - And the breakdown of royal authority in the 1580s and its restoration by Henry IV. Each section is accompanied by a commentary which guides the reader through the documents translated.

A survey of French history from the reign of Louis XI to the outbreak of the Wars of Religion that isolates some of the controversial theories of the period: state building, nobility and clientage and the Reformation and discusses them with full attention to the regional diversity of France. It also introduces the reader to recent research on the court and government set in the context of the basic social and economic movements of the period. It is argued that the basic identity of France as a nation was reinforced under the aegis of monarchical legitimacy backed by the nobility and the church, setting the pattern for the rest of the Ancien Regime.

To the practical modern mind, the idea of divine prophecy is more ludicrous than sublime. Yet to our cultural forebears in ancient Greece and Rome, prophecy was anything but marginal; it was in fact the basic medium for recalling significant past events and expressing hopes for the future, and it offered assurance that divinities truly cared about mere mortals. Prophecy also served political ends, and it was often invoked to support or condemn an emperor's actions. In "Prophets and Emperors," David Potter shows us how prophecy worked, how it could empower, and how the diverse inhabitants of the Roman Empire used it to make sense of their world. This is a fascinating account of prophecy as a social, religious, and political phenomenon. The various systems of prophecy--including sacred books, oracles, astrological readings, interpretation of dreams, the sayings of holy men and women--come into sharp relief. Potter explores the use of prophecy as a nieans of historical analysis and political communication, and he describes it in the context of the ancient city. Finally, he traces the reformation of the prophetic tradition under the influence of Christianity in the fourth century. Drawing on diverse evidence--from inscriptions and ancient prophetic books to Greek and Roman historians and the Bible--Potter has produced a study that will engage anyone interested in the religions of the ancient Mediterranean and in the history and politics of the Roman Empire.

Few studies of the history of provincial France have hitherto spanned the conventional medieval/early-modern divide, and David Potter's detailed examination of war and government in Picardy, a region of France hitherto neglected by historians, has much to say about the development of French absolutism. Picardy emerged as a province after the campaigns of 1470–1477, and its experience of the first period of absolutism provides an enlightening contrast with that of other, more outlying provinces: the Picard nobility was notable for the extent of its participation in the army, the court and the government of France. David Potter provides a detailed analysis of the organisation of French military power in the province, and its impact during the period of the Habsburg-Valois wars. The work concludes with Picardy about to enter a difficult period of civil war.

Contains Cicero’ s De Oratore and Brutus, influential sources over the centuries for ideas on rhetoric and train­ing for public leadership. The De Oratore, written in 55 B.C., argues that rhetoric is socially significant because states are established and main­tained through the leadership of eloquent men. The three books of dialogues in this volume feature discussions between well-known figures in Roman history, in­cluding Lucius Crassus, Marcus An­tonius, Quintus Lutatius Catulus, Quin­tus Marcius Scaevola, Caius Aurelius Cotta, Julius Caesar Strabo Vopicus, and Publius Sulpicus Rufus. The Brutus continues the theme of the dialogues, giving a history of eminent orators whose performances exemplify the Ciceronian theory that rhetoric final­ly adds up to leadership.