Is your knowledge of The Crusades less than tip-top? Maybe you're curious about Columbus, or you're desperate to read about the Black Death in all its gory detail? Whatever your starting point, this expert guide has it all – from kings, knights and anti-Popes, to invasion, famine, the Magna Carta and Joan of Arc (and a few rebellious peasants thrown in for good measure!). Get ready for a rip-roaring ride through the political, religious and cultural life of the Middle Ages, one of the most talked-about periods in history. Medieval History for Dummies includes: Part I: The Early Middle Ages Chapter 1: The Middle Ages: When, Where, What, Who? Chapter 2: The end of Rome and the not so ‘Dark Ages'. Chapter 3: Angles, Saxons and Feudalism. Chapter 4: The Carolingians grab their chance. Chapter 5: Charlemagne – A new empire is born. Part II: The Making of Europe Chapter 6: The (Holy Roman) Empire Strikes Back. Chapter 7: East Meets West: Islam in the Western Mediterranean. Chapter 8: The Vikings: A threat from the north. Chapter 9: Schism: The Church splits itself in two. Chapter 10: The Normans: The ‘real' Middle Ages begin. Part III: ‘Holy War': Crusading at home and abroad. Chapter 11: Crusade: A call to arms. Chapter 12: The First Crusade Chapter 13: England vs France & Pope vs Emperor Chapter 14: The Second Crusade & The ‘Crusades at Home' Chapter 15: Richard vs Saladin: The Third Crusade Chapter 16: The later Crusades and other failures. Part IV: Parliament, Priories, Provisions & Plague Chapter 17: John, Henry, Rudolf & Edward. Chapter 18: Monks & Merchants: The new power brokers Chapter 19: The Papacy on Tour: Avignon and the Anti-Popes Chapter 20: ‘God's Judgement?': The Black Death Part V: The End of the Middle and the start of discovery. Chapter 21: One Hundred Years of War Chapter 22: The Peasants are Revolting Chapter 23: Agincourt, Joan of Arc & the French recovery Chapter 24: Columbus & The New World Part VI: The Part of Tens Chapter 25: Ten Rubbish Kings Chapter 26: Ten Curious Medieval Pastimes Chapter 27: Ten Great Castles Chapter 28: Ten People Who Changed The World Chapter 29: Ten Great Books (To read next)
This entertaining guide covers the period from 1485 to 1603, exploring the life and times of everyday people (from famine and the flu epidemic, to education, witchcraft and William Shakespeare) as well as the intrigues and scandals at court. Strap yourself in and get ready for a rollercoaster ride through the romantic and political liaisons of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I – and that's not all! Information on surviving Tudor buildings, such as Hampton Court, adds a contemporary twist for readers wanting to bring history to life by visiting these historic sites. The Tudors For Dummies includes: Part I: The Early Tudors Chapter 1: Getting to Know the Tudors Chapter 2: Surveying the Mess the Tudors Inherited Chapter 3: Cosying Up With the First Tudor Part II: Henry VIII Chapter 4: What was Henry like? Chapter 5: How Henry Ran his Kingdom Chapter 6: Divorced, Beheaded, Died; Divorced, Beheaded, Survived: The Perils of Marrying Henry Chapter 7: Establishing a New Church: Henry and Religion Part III: Edward VI, Mary and Philip, and Queen Mary Chapter 8: Edward, the Child King Chapter 9: Establishing Protestantism Chapter 10: Northumberland, Lady Jane Grey and the Rise of Mary Chapter 11: What Mary Did Chapter 12: Weighing Up War and Disillusionment Part IV: The First Elizabeth Chapter 13: The Queen and her Team Chapter 14: Breaking Dinner Party Rules: Discussing Religion and Politics Chapter 15: Tackling Battles, Plots and Revolts Chapter 16: Making War with Spain Chapter 17: Understanding the Trouble in Ireland Chapter 18: Passing on the Baton – Moving from Tudors to Stewarts Part V: The Part of Tens Chapter 19: Ten top Tudor Dates Chapter 20: Ten Things the Tudors Did For Us Chapter 21: Ten (Mostly) Surviving Tudor Buildings
An informative, fun guide to making your own wine It's estimated that one million North Americans make their own wine. Relatively inexpensive to make (a homemade bottle costs from $2 to $4), a bottle with your own label (and grapes) is a fantasy even someone with modest aspirations can fulfill. Author Tim Patterson, an award-winning home winemaker, shows how it's possible for anyone to create a great wine. In Home Winemaking For Dummies, he discusses the art of winemaking from grape to bottle, including how to get the best grapes (and figure out how many you need); determine what equipment is required; select the right yeast and figure out if any other additives are needed; and store, age, and test wine. With detailed tips on creating many varieties – from bold reds and demure whites to enchanting rosés and delightful sparkling wines – this guide is your ultimate winemaking resource.
Trading For Canadians For Dummies stresses the practice of position trading, conducting technical analysis on a company and its performance, and research methods that enable the trader to strategically select both an entry and exit point before a stock is even purchased. Adapted for Canadian readers, this edition discusses the Toronto Stock Exchange, brokerage options in Canada, and how Canadians can become certified traders. With Canadian examples and resources, this is the only guide to trading tailor-made for Canadians.
Acquiring the winning edge in sports-the mental edge Mental conditioning is now seen by many to be as critical to sports success as physical conditioning. And for parents eager to ensure their children have a winning edge-as well as a future college scholarship-nothing could be more critical to success. This book offers readers a comprehensive program to gain that winning edge, providing training tips and techniques along with helpful advice to keep in mind while competing. With practical advice on how to strengthen concentration (and when you shouldn't concentrate), talk yourself into winning, and develop routines that will lead to consistent improvement, the book's full personalized program will help any athlete gain over time the winning edge in any sport With tips on how to regulate your energy to avoid exhaustion; and how to enhance your team's chemistry through sports psychology Loaded with real-world examples from amateur and professional sports of all kinds Applicable to not only sports-but business as well-Sports Psychology For Dummies will enhance any competitor's motivation, focus, and will to win, when facing life's toughest challenges.
Discover the easy path to taking brilliant and memorable photos The popularity of DSLR cameras remains on the rise, yet these digital cameras still present a challenge to novice photographers who lack a foundation in photography skills. This straightforward-but-friendly guide walks you through the 100 most common photos that amateur photographers like to include in their personal portfolios and offers specific advice on getting the correct exposure settings, composition, and lighting while sparing you the technical jargon. Seasoned author and photographer Doug Sahlin includes more than 300 full-color photos on everything from family portraits and pets to nature and sporting events, all aimed at providing you with inspiration as you work to find your own individual style. Skips the technical jargon and shows you where to start for optimal exposure settings. Offers shortcuts, tips, and advice for setting the camera to make specific shots and making impromptu adjustments when needed Includes more than 300 full-color photos of people, nature, sports, events, and places that serve as example and inspiration Helps you get the best photographs from your DSLR while you work with movement in action photos, finicky lighting with fireworks or amusement parks at night, or distance, blur, and intricate details Walks you through troubleshooting the most common digital photography problems Digital SLR Settings & Shortcuts For Dummies delivers the starting point for getting the necessary settings so you can get great digital photos.
Learn Photoshop Elements at your own pace with this unique book-and-DVD training package Photoshop Elements is the leading image-editing software, and this personal training course uses a full-color book plus video tutorials on the DVD to teach you how to use all its features. Each of the 13 lessons is presented with step-by-step instructions and includes lesson files and a video explanation of the concepts. You can learn from leading instructors, and do it at your own pace. Photoshop Elements provides professional quality image-editing tools at an affordable price; this book-and-DVD package offers step-by-step training on the newest version of Elements Full-color book presents 13 lessons you can work through at your own pace, supported by video tutorials and lesson files on the DVD Created by the same team of experts who developed many of the official training programs for Adobe Systems Photoshop Elements 9 Digital Classroom is like having your own personal instructor to teach you Photoshop Elements right in your own home or office. Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.
Go 3D with Google's exciting architectural design software for Mac and Windows Whether you need to learn 3D modeling for business or you're just eager to see what you can create, Google SketchUp and Google SketchUp 8 For Dummies are for you. Available in both a free hobbyist version and a full-featured professional version, SketchUp explodes the myth that 3D modeling software must be complicated to learn and use. This book will take you step by step through downloading and using both versions on both Mac and Windows. There are even video walkthroughs on the companion Web site. Google's exciting 3D modeling software offers hobbyists as well as architects, engineers, and industrial designers a less complicated tool for architectural rendering, urban planning, set design, game design, and other uses This guide explains both the free and professional versions for both Windows and Mac Covers the basic concepts of 3D modeling and how to build a 3D model, print or share your work online, export your drawing to another design package or Google Earth, and create a detailed set of plans Companion Web site features video walkthroughs Google SketchUp 8 For Dummies gets you up and running with 3D modeling quickly and easily.
The indispensable introductory reference guide to HTML, XHTML and CSS Even though new technologies enable people to do much more with the Web, in the end HTML, XHTML and CSS are still at the root of any Web site. The newest edition of this bestselling guide is fully updated and revised for the latest technology changes to the field, including HTML5 and CSS3. Illustrated in full color, this book provides beginner and advanced coders the tools they need to be proficient at these programming languages. Shows you how to create a Web page and formulate XHTML document structure Addresses working with content management systems (WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla), and designing for mobile devices (iPhone, BlackBerry, and Android) Introduces HTML5 and CSS3, tools critical to mobile Web development Reviews working with text, lists, and images, and customizing links Demonstrates ways to employ cascading style sheets (CSS) and get creative with colors and fonts Details integrating scripts with XHTML and understanding deprecated HTML markup tags Written by two veteran computer whizzes, HTML, XHTML and CSS For Dummies will help you get the design results you want!
The classic Acrobat and PDF reference, updated to cover the latest release Consistently the most authoritative and comprehensive resource on the Acrobat PDF format, this standard reference returns with in-depth coverage of the newest version of Acrobat. Written by bestselling author Ted Padova, this book is packed with real-world insights and techniques gained from Padova's daily use of Acrobat under deadline constraints. You'll discover everything there is to know about using Acrobat X for print prepress, the Internet, CD-ROMs, and other forms of media. Popular author Ted Padova shares everything you need to know about the latest release of Acrobat—Acrobat X Explores the updated functions of the new Acrobat and using it for print prepress, the Internet, CD-ROMs, and more As the ultimate resource for all things Acrobat and PDF-related, Adobe Acrobat X PDF Bible is an update of a classic.