Boasting a rich; complex history rooted in Celtic and Christian ritual; Halloween has evolved from ethnic celebration to a blend of street festival; fright night; and vast commercial enterprise. In this colorful history; Nicholas Rogers takes a lively; entertaining look at the cultural origins and development of one of the most popular holidays of the year. Drawing on a fascinating array of sources; from classical history to Hollywood films; Rogers traces Halloween as it emerged from the Celtic festival of Samhain (summer's end); picked up elements of the Christian Hallowtide (All Saint's Day and All Soul's Day); arrived in North America as an Irish and Scottish festival; and evolved into an unofficial but large-scale holiday by the early 20th century. He examines the 1970s and '80s phenomena of Halloween sadism (razor blades in apples) and inner-city violence (arson in Detroit); as well as the immense influence of the horror film genre on the reinvention of Halloween as a terror-fest. Throughout his vivid account; Rogers shows how Halloween remains; at its core; a night of inversion; when social norms are turned upside down; and a temporary freedom of expression reigns supreme. He examines how this very license has prompted censure by the religious Right; occasional outrage from law enforcement officials; and appropriation by Left-leaning political groups. Engagingly written and based on extensive research; Halloween is the definitive history of the most bewitching day of the year; illuminating the intricate history and shifting cultural forces behind this enduring trick-or-treat holiday.
#6169875 in Books Kemal H Karpat 2001-05-03Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.20 x 1.60 x 6.00l; 1.95 #File Name: 0195136187544 pagesThe Politicization of Islam Reconstructing Identity State Faith and Community in the Late Ottoman State
Review
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful. useful but eccentric workBy tarihci202This work looks at the development of national identity among Muslims in the late Ottoman Empire and has significant coverage of Muslims in the Russian Empire as well. It is primarily concerned with the ways in which Muslim identity began to take on political content and in the relationship between this trend and Ottoman reform efforts under Abdulhamit II.There are a lot of things to dislike about this work: the writing is poor and the digressions are frequent. Although I am used to academic writing and this is a field that I am familiar with; I found the book difficult to finish. At an intellectual level; one could also criticize Karpat for his poor understanding of theories of nationalism and his use of outdated research; particularly with regard to the Muslims of the Russian Empire.These criticisms should not be overstated; however. Karpat has done a tremendous job of putting together literature from a variety of fields into one work. His research in the Ottoman archives provides us with a wealth of new data. His analysis; while sometimes fuzzy; nevertheless points to important directions for new research in Ottoman studies.From what I have said here; it should be clear: this is an academic work and only the most diligent would read it "for pleasure." Nevertheless; as a contribution to Ottoman Studies; this is an important book that will need to be considered by any student of the field.
