How did religion contribute to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine? Heated disputes and alienation among Orthodox Christians in Ukraine and Russia contributed to Russian aggression in Crimea and Donbas in 2014, and the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. This book examines attempts from the early twentieth century to the present day to liberate the Ukrainian Orthodox Church from Russian control. It explores the causes of bitter alienation, Russia’s use of soft power to maintain control, the development of hate speech used to discriminate against independent-minded Ukrainians, and the transition from soft to hard power from 2014 to the present.

A concise examination of the Middle East conflict surrounding Jerusalem provides historical information while considering Jewish and Arab claims to the city, the political significance of the conflict, and the prospects for both war and peace. Original.

There are few more compelling and more tragic issues in the world today than the bitter struggle between Palestinians and Israelis. Their tiny patch of land, desperately crowded and with few resources, has been a focus for so many years of rival claims and counter-claims that it has become almost impossible to make sense of the daily reporting. The best guide to the region is Anton La Guardia’s highly acclaimed Holy Land, Unholy War. More than any other book, Holy Land, Unholy War disentangles myths and realities and gives a brilliantly clear and thoughtful picture of an unhappy place. This new edition is fully revised and updated to late 2006.

'A tale that encapsulates epic fantasy to its entirety' Fantasy Book Critic, The Year's Top TenI In war, nothing is holy. The third in David Hair's epic Moontide Quartet, perfect for fans of Brandon Sanderson, George R.R. Martin and Robert Jordan. Emperor Constant's crusade is teetering on the edge of disaster. In the wake of a devastating battle, everything has changed: the East is rising, bringing equal measures of hope and despair to Urte. For Elena and Kazim, the victory is a call to arms against the renegade spymaster Gurvon Gyle. For the Queen of Javon, it is a beacon as she seeks new ways to overthrow her usurper husband and reclaim the country for her brother. For Ramon, trapped behind enemy lines, it is one more obstacle in his desperate attempt to get his men safely home. And while the armies of East and West clash in ever-more-bloody conflict, emperors, inquisitors and assassins hunt the Scytale of Corineus, the key to ultimate power, which is in the hands of the most unlikely guardians: failed mage Alaron and market-girl Ramita, pregnant widow of the world's greatest mage. What they choose to do with the Scytale could change Urte forever. 'Filled with action, adventure, magic, love, danger and hope. This is a series I cannot recommend enough' - C.E. Tracy

Sectarian disturbances have been a constant feature of Belfast's history, but probably the most concentrated outburst of violence occurred in the 1920s. Explanations of the conflict centre on its alleged 'pogrom' nature & the suggestion of state collusion in several atrocities. This text challenges these views.