Books published by Pennsylvania State University Press

Explores the life of Henry Lawson's iconic Australian 1896 short-story collection While the Billy Boils, from its creation and publication to its evolving public perception over the years. Examines the literary history and publishing industry of Australia, from the 1890s to the present.

A collection of essays that explore the philosophy and political theory of John Rawls from a variety of feminist perspectives.

Examines the genre of portraiture and the political and cultural role of images in Revolutionary France. Focuses on portraiture as a privileged site for the elaboration of modern notions of selfhood and political agency.

A collection of essays that explore the collapse of economic growth in Venezuela since the 1970s. Essays discuss the relevance of public investment, labor markets, fiscal policy, institutions, politics, and values.

Building on a feminist conception of individual autonomy, explores the obligation of the state to foster autonomy in its citizens, particularly the most vulnerable, through social service delivery. Draws on both successful and less successful examples of service delivery to generate a theoretical account of the autonomy-fostering state.

Explores the relationship between ethnicity and the buildings, personal belongings, and other cultural artifacts of early Pennsylvania German immigrants and descendants. This title demonstrates that more than anything, socioeconomic status and religious affiliation influenced the character of the material culture of Pennsylvania Germans.

The emergence of Latin American firebrands who champion the cause of the impoverished and rail against the evils of neoliberalism has changed the landscape of the Americas in dramatic ways. This biography presents one of these charismatic figures, Lopez Obrador of Mexico, who is known in his country by his adopted nickname of "Little Ray of Hope."

James Miller offers an account of T.S. Eliot's early years, showing that the emotional springs of his poetry were American. He was born in 1888 in Missouri and in 1905 left the Midwest for Milton and then Harvard. This portrait of the poet and the man takes seriously his American roots.

This collection of essays, with diverse perspectives and theoretical approaches, challenges the boundaries of scholarship on Russian foreign policy in the post-Soviet era. Drawing on archival sources and interviews, it covers issues such as Russia's decision to use military force in Chechnya.

Examines how the religious environment around Emily Dickinson, specifically New England Protestantism, helps in understanding her poetry, and conversely how her poetry brings attention to religious aspects of her culture and surroundings.

Originally published in 1854. Memoirs and observations of Philip Tome, an early Pennsylvania pioneer, adventurer, and hunter who served as an interpreter for two of the Seneca Nation's most important chiefs, Cornplanter and Governor Blacksnake. Includes a preface by folklorist Henry Shoemaker.

First published in 1875. A detailed history of the Pennsylvania Railroad, its construction, management, and the various lines and their stations, starting with the first experimental track laid down in 1809 in Delaware County and continuing as the railroad expanded westward across the state.

Originally published in 1898. Biographical sketches of women in Pennsylvania who played a valuable role in the American Revolution. Discusses their family history, their character, and their contributions to the revolutionary effort.

Originally published in 1912. A collection of stories focusing on Pennsylvania's folklore, history, and wildlife, set in the Bald Eagle Mountains of Centre, Clinton, Lycoming, Juniata, and Union counties.

Examines the place of rhetoric in John Locke's political and philosophical thought. Traces the close ties between rhetoric and experience as they form the basis for a theory and practice of judgment at the center of his work.

A collection of essays weaving together theoretical insights from philosophy, sociology, economics, psychology, literature, and history, as well as the authors' personal narratives, to examine the forms and persistence of white privilege.

Analyzes the deliberations and impact of the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). Argues that while it failed to realize its idealistic goals, its very failure generated valuable contestation within and beyond the TRC process.

An examination of David Hume's philosophy of religion that situates his conception "true religion" within the context of his overall science of human nature, his rejection of popular religion, and his Ciceronian influence.

Examines how the Jews in the Crown of Aragon in the twelfth through fourteenth centuries negotiated the overlapping jurisdictions and power relations of local lords and the crown.

Examines key moments in the early history of the blogosphere to understand how bloggers use digital media technology to engage in public argument. Explores blogging from a rhetorical perspective, asking how the digital medium of communication changes the conditions for persuasion.

Examines the ways religion influenced reform during the American Revolution in New Jersey. Focuses on two pivotal figures: Jacob Green, a Presbyterian minister who advocated revolution, and Thomas Bradbury Chandler, an Anglican minister and a leading loyalist spokesman.

An English translation, in rhyming couplets, of the French playwright Jean Racine's Britannicus. Includes critical notes and commentary.

Examines the book collection of Thomas Connary, a nineteenth-century Irish Catholic New England farmer, to reconstruct how Connary read and annotated his books. Reveals how books can structure a life of devotion and social participation, and presents an authentic, holistic view of one reader's interior life.

Evaluates Christine de Pizan's literary engagement with fifteenth-century French politics. Locates the writer's works within a detailed narrative of the complex history of the dispute between the Burgundians and the Armagnacs, the two largest political factions.

An English translation of Da pintura antiga by the sixteenth-century Portuguese artist Francisco de Hollanda, who was sent to Rome in 1538 by the Portuguese royal family to study art and architecture. Contains a treatise on painting and four dialogues, three featuring Michelangelo.

First published by Penn State Press in 1992, William Moraley's first-hand account of bound servitude provides a glimpse of life among the lower classes in England and the American colonies during the 18th century. This revised edition features additional information and shows how to read and interpret Moraley's autobiography.