Michael Dunne – författare

Since the publication of the edition of John Blund's Tractatus de anima by the British Academy in 1970 there has been widespread acceptance of the importance of this text for the history of thought. Blund (ca. 1175-1248) was probably one of the first commentators on the libri naturales at Paris before the prohibition of 1210, and later introduced them to Oxford. Indeed, apart from the prohibitions of 1210 and 1215, the De anima of Blund is the one text which sheds light on the first reception of Aristotle at Paris. The text was probably composed at Paris, before 1204. Blund taught arts at Paris ca. 1200-1205, then at Oxford towards 1207-1209. He returned to study theology at Paris during the interdict (1208-1214) and the contemporaneous suspension of the schools at Oxford (1209-1214). He was regent in theology at Paris for twelve years, and taught theology at Oxford after 1229.With the Tractatus a whole area of philosophical speculation - namely Greek and Arabic psychology - arrived at Oxford, where it would continue to grow and be debated throughout the century. Blund did not know Averroës but he reflects the state of Latin Aristotelianism during the first third of the thirteenth century. Like his contemporaries Blund regarded the De anima of Avicenna as a commentary on Aristotle; indeed they found it clearer than the text of Aristotle and were guided by it. Blund is faithful to Aristotle and to Avicenna, rejecting, for example, the binarium famosissimum drawn from the Fons vitae of Avicebron. In expounding the doctrine of Aristotle and following the plan laid out by Avicenna, he considers the arguments for and against before offering his own reasoned position in the solutio. He defends the role of the philosopher as considering the nature of the soul and as distinct from theological considerations.This new English translation makes available this important text to a wider audience of scholars interested in philosophy, theology, medieval history and the history of science and psychology. Students who are learning medieval Latin will be able to follow the original Latin with the help of the parallel translation and text notes.

The musical has been called "the most popular form of entertainment in the world." This work examines the subjects, themes, and contemporary relevance of Hollywood musicals through their long popularity, placing each show in historical and political context and analyzing it in detail.A chapter is devoted to how Golddiggers of 1933 (1933) and Stand Up and Cheer (1934) deal with the economic crises of the Depressions. Another addresses race issues by examining the prevalence of blackface minstrelsy in the 1930s and 1940s, looking at productions like Swing Time (1936) and Dixie (1943). Rock and roll culture, which started in the 1950s and threatened America with teenage sex and rebellion, is addressed through such hits as Girl Crazy (1943), Bye Bye Birdie (1963), and Grease (1978).The work also explores dance as a signifier of character, the geography of musicals (such as New York or "the South"), fantasy settings, Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly, and the musical biopic (mentioning biographies of such figures as Ziegfeld, Cohan, Rogers and Hart, Cole Porter, and Jerome Kern). A later chapter discusses intertextuality in such shows as Singin' in the Rain (1952), which refers to many earlier musicals; Kiss Me Kate (1953) which refers to Taming of the Shrew; and All That Jazz (1970) which refers to the life and work of Bob Fosse. The work concludes with an examination of the continuing popularity of the musical with such hits as Moulin Rouge (2001) and Chicago (2002).Instructors considering this book for use in a course may request an examination copy here.

Intertextual encounters occur whenever an author or the author's text recognizes, references, alludes to, or otherwise elicits an audience member's familiarity with other texts. This work ranges from the 1830s to the 1990s and from the canonical American novel to Bugs Bunny and Jerry Seinfield.

Since no other book has been written on this subject, Metapop blazes a trail into new territory. The author writes very clearly and gracefully and expresses what could be difficult critical concepts in concise and comprehensible prose free of jargon. He identifies a major characteristic of our culture and provides a definitive guide to the phenomenon. Metapop is his term for popular culture's reflection of itself in its genres. This ""self-referentiality"" is becoming a major characteristic of our popular culture, one in which genre is meta-physical mirror of itself. Examples occur frequently in films, television shows, the comics, and music. For instance, in Mel Brooks's film Spaceballs, Dark Helmet tracks his nemesis Lone Star by renting and viewing a videocassette of Spaceballs. SCTV, a television program, consists of comic sketches about television programs. Saturday Night Live consistently parodies and satirizes popular films and TV shows. In Moonlighting David Addison breaks off an argument with his cohort Maddie Hayes to explain his side of it directly to the viewing audience. In another instance, country-rock star Jerry Lee Lewis sings ""My life would make a damn good country song."" This is the first study to address the ever-growing curiosity of pop culture's reflection of itself in its art forms and to explore the extent to which ""metapop"" permeates our media and our society. The author's intelligent and well-articulated arguments show that he has identified a novel characteristic of our culture and has provided a definitive guide to understanding.

Anything Is Possible is the inside story of Bournemouth's remarkable Championship winning season and tells how the smallest club in the division defied bookmakers, pundits and the Football League to emerge triumphant from a fiercely fought promotion contest and gate-crashed the richest league in the world.But that is just the end of the story! Only six years earlier, the club was on the brink of liquidation following a series of financial crises and points deductions. The club took a last-ditch gamble on former player Eddie Howe, a 31-year-old former player with zero management experience. It paid dividends and some, as Howe sowed the seeds for an astonishing rise up the leagues.The club rose from League Two to the Championship in four seasons, successes made all the more remarkable as Howe spent 20 months of that period managing Burnley.In 2014/15, Howe eclipsed his previous successes as he led a squad described as 'misfits' by captain Tommy Elphick to the Championship title in the final seconds of the season. Anything is Possible is the quite astonishing story of how a club on the brink of extinction rose through the divisions and reached the promised land of the Premier League.