Anna Ross – författare

Beyond the Barricades is an original study of government after the 1848 revolutions. It focuses on the state of Prussia, where a number of conservative ministers sought to learn lessons from their experiences of upheaval and introduce a wave of reform in the 1850s. Using extensive archival research, the work explores Prussia's entry into the constitutional age, charting initiatives to transform criminal justice, agriculture, industry, communications, urban life, and the press. Reform strengthened contact with the Prussian population, making this a classic episode of state-building, but Beyond the Barricades seeks to go further. It makes a case for taking notice of government activity at this particular juncture because the measures endorsed by conservative statesmen in the 1850s sought to remove the feudal intermediaries that had lingered long into the nineteenth century and replace them with an array of government institutions, legal regimes, and official practices. In sum, this book recasts the post-revolutionary decade as a period which saw the transition from an old to a new world, pivotal to the making of modern Prussia and ultimately, modern Germany.

How did states expand in the mid-nineteenth century? While scholars now associate the period after the 1848 revolutions with a striking increase in state activity, few have demonstrated how new state-building measures were put into practice. From France to Hungary and Scandinavia to Spain, State-Making in An Age of Revolution shows how officials went about implementing reform. With original contributions grounded in extensive archival research, this volume casts light on the scale at which officials relied on elites, professionals, and technical experts both inside and outside of government - and even from outside their own states - to carry out their expanding work. Together, these findings help us to re-think the reach and nature of growing states during these pivotal decades of change.

Little pockets of happiness are around us all the time,waiting to be discovered.We just have to slow down, pause andfind our Happy.Paint rainbow skies, plant seeds, smell the earth after it’s been woken up by raindrops, jump in puddles, stargaze on dark evenings, dance your heart out, share a book – and at the end of the day cuddle up and let yourself be held by arms that feel like home. This is Happy. Where do you find yours? This is a joyful picture book for very young children, full of delight in the world, outdoors and indoors, showing how happiness can be found in the smallest things. The lyrical story and beautiful illustrations encourage children to slow down and use all their senses to notice and enjoy the natural world. Happiness is truly all around us.