Most Popular Books by John Wilson

First published in 1988. This book provides a lucid and exceptionally well-informed account at the controversial relationship between politics and leisure. The author combines historical and sociological material to show the ways in which ‘leisure’ has often been a fiercely disputed battleground. Free time and free space have always posed a threat to political authorities, while providing room for experimentation and expression for the citizenry. This has led to extensive attempts at leisure regulation; John Wilson examines the purposes and effectiveness of such regulation in the fields of games sexuality, the mass media, and gambling. He is able to draw on evidence of leisure planning and policy from a wide variety of political regimes, from communist and socialist through social democrat to liberal, conservative, and fascist. The importance of the relationship between political forces and leisure, in subjects as disparate as the future of the Olympic games and the future of full employment, has rarely been so evident. John Wilson has provided an excellent guide to its intricacies.

Who tends to volunteer and why? What causes attract certain types of volunteers? What motivates people to volunteer? How can volunteers be persuaded to continue their service? Making use of a broad range of survey information to offer a detailed portrait of the volunteer in America, Volunteers provides an important resource for everyone who works with volunteers or is interested in their role in contemporary society. Mark A. Musick and John Wilson address issues of volunteer motivation by focusing on individuals' subjective states, their available resources, and the influence of gender and race. In a section on social context, they reveal how volunteer work is influenced by family relationships and obligations through the impact of schools, churches, and communities. They consider cross-national differences in volunteering and historical trends, and close with consideration of the research on the organization of volunteer work and the consequences of volunteering for the volunteer.

"...a richly re-imagined fable which goes far beyond anything the historical record alone might suggest." Russell A. Potter, Arctic Book Review Perhaps, on a barren Arctic shore in the summer of 1849, knowing he was dying, a British Naval officer wrapped his journal in sailcloth and buried it beneath a lonely pile of frost-shattered stones. He was the last of the 129 doomed men of Sir John Franklin's lost Arctic expedition. His name was James Fitzjames and for four years he had carefully recorded the expedition's achievements, hopes and, as things began to go horribly wrong, the descent into madness and eventual death of his closest friends. This is his journal. "A suspenseful and enjoyable read." Booklist "Wilson has managed to make his invented journal seem authentic and his account of the ill-fated adventurers seem plausible...one reads on, fascinated, to the bitter end." The Globe and Mail

Aimed at those entering the profession of journalism, this book contains pithy definitions and sensitive explanations of a wide range of key journalistic topics.

A learned and comprehensive work covering a wide range of major and minor figures, Fiction of the Irish Revival remains a valuable and standard sourcebook to the scholarship on late nineteenth-and early twentieth-century Irish literature and culture.

"Tacitus and Bracciolini: The Annals Forged in the XVth Century" by John Wilson Ross explores a fascinating intersection of Roman history and Renaissance scholarship. This meticulously prepared volume delves into the historiography surrounding Tacitus's "Annals," specifically examining the enduring questions of authenticity raised by Poggio Bracciolini's rediscovery and interpretation of the text. Ross investigates the historical context of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, the period covered by Tacitus, and analyzes the challenges faced by Renaissance scholars in deciphering and verifying ancient sources. Unraveling questions of potential forgery and the complex transmission of classical knowledge, this book offers valuable insights into the world of Renaissance intellectual life and the continuing relevance of Roman historical accounts. Essential reading for anyone interested in Roman history, the Renaissance, and the study of historical texts. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.