This volume, the earlier of the two-volume official History of Aberdeen, provides a comprehensive picture of the development of the two historic burghs of Old Aberdeen and New Aberdeen over their first seven centuries, from 1100 to 1800. As early as the 14th century, Aberdeen was: recognized as one of the 'four great towns of Scotland'. Early settlement, the growing townscape and social change over the centuries are all traced. Aberdeen's contacts with the sea and other towns overseas and its economy and politics, both local and national, are assessed. And Aberdonians themselves, the vital forces behind the history of the two burghs, are highlighted: their faith and culture, homes and health, and their education and pastimes are all rediscovered.

Situated in southeastern Harford County and edged by the Chesapeake Bay and the Bush and Gunpowder Rivers, the U.S. Army bases known as Aberdeen Proving Ground, Edgewood Arsenal, and Fort Hoyle have been home to ordnance, chemical, technology, and artillery commands. The photographs in this volume include scenes of the fertile farmlands of Aberdeen, Edgewood, and Michaelsville, and their transformation, which began in 1917, into the military base known today as Aberdeen Proving Ground, or APG. Views of daily life on base include the "Toonerville" Trolley, a small-scale train that shuttled commuting personnel between the main gate and the buildings on post. The images document changes in the ways wars have been fought and changes in society as a result of war. Brave officers voluntarily tested the effects of mustard agent and other chemical weapons on protective clothing and gas masks. Local women sewed gas masks for troops and civilians. Women moved into key jobs on base during World War II, manufacturing and maintaining tanks and weapons systems as the need for great numbers of troops depleted the workforce of civilian males. APG scientists led the way into the computer age when they developed ENIAC, the first electronic digital computer.

Aberdeen is full of mysteries, marvels and strangeness, and this book is a comprehensive guide to them all. Here you will encounter magic, witchcraft, folklore and superstitions; contemporary urban legends; gargoyles and graveyards; graverobbers and murderers; stone circles and prehistoric burial sites; UFOs and freak weather; and tales of horror, madness, humour – and dangerous porridge. Many forgotten aspects of the city's strange history are here, from the disturbing (spontaneous human combustion, William Wallace's dismembered limbs, the man who died of fright after a mock execution, and the bodysnatching professors) to the downright bizarre (a talking statue, a wedding celebration which was mistaken for an alien invasion fleet, and golf with giant skulls). The Guide to Mysterious Aberdeen is the tenth in Geoff Holder's acclaimed series. As with the previous volumes, it is profusely illustrated with over 100 photographs and draws on both ancient and modern sources. Full access and location details are given for both driver and walker alike, making this the indispensable companion for anyone exploring the Granite City.

Academic theologians, when they write, normally decide for themselves what to discuss. Admittedly, these days, they may work under pressure, to ensure tenure, to advance their prospects, or to secure funding for a departmental project. Mostly, however, they work, sometimes for years, on the books which consolidate the vision of theology that has energised their teaching. Sometimes, of course, the contingencies of being invited to review a book, or take part in a conference, lead to what for medieval theologians were 'quodlibets'- responses to 'whatever', topics raised by members of the class during open-ended discussions, sometimes unexpected, even random, treated suggestively rather than fully worked out. This volume is a miscellany of just such papers, a wide ranging collection of papers from books and journals with a strong philosophical leaning.

In 1951, musician Kenneth Peacock (1922–2000) secured a contract from the National Museum of Canada (today the Canadian Museum of History) to collect folksongs in Newfoundland. As the province had recently joined Confederation, the project was deemed a goodwill gesture, while at the same time adding to the Museum’s meager Anglophone archival collections. Between 1951 and 1961, over the course of six field visits, Peacock collected 766 songs and melodies from 118 singers in 38 communities, later publishing two-thirds of this material in a three-volume collection, Songs of the Newfoundland Outports (1965). As the publication consists of over 1000 pages, Outports is considered to be a bible for Newfoundland singers and a valuable resource for researchers. However, Peacock’s treatment of the material by way of tune-text collations, use of lines and stanzas from unpublished songs has always been somewhat controversial. Additionally, comparison of the field collection with Outports indicates that although Peacock acquired a range of material, his personal preferences requently guided his publishing agenda. To ensure that the songs closely correspond to what the singers presented to Peacock, the collection has been prepared by drawing on Peacock’s original music and textual notes and his original field recordings. The collection is far-ranging and eclectic in that it includes British and American broadsides, musical hall and vaudeville material alongside country and western songs, and local compositions. It also highlights the influence of popular media on the Newfoundland song tradition and contextualizes a number of locally composed songs. In this sense, it provides a key link between what Peacock actually recorded and the material he eventually published. As several of the songs have not previously appeared in the standard Newfoundland collections, The Forgotten Songs sheds new light on the extent of Peacock’s collecting. The collection includes 125 songs arranged under 113 titles along with extensive notes on the songs, and brief biographies of the 58 singers. Thanks to the Research Centre for the Study of Music Media and Place, a video of the launch event, held in St.John's, Newfoundland, is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghj6E6-QiLI&t=21s.