Christopher Wilkinson uncovers a fascinating and unexplored side of American musical and social history in this richly detailed account of Don Albert's musical career and the multicultural forces that influenced it. Albert was born Albert Dominque in New Orleans in 1908. Wilkinson discusses his musical education in the Creole community of New Orleans and the fusion of New Orleans jazz and the Texas blues styles in the later 1920s during his tenure with Troy Floyd's Orchestra of Gold. He documents the founding of Albert's own band in San Antonio, its tours through twenty-four states during the 1930s, its recordings, and its significant reputation within the African American community. In addition to providing a vivid account of life on the road and imparting new insight into the daily existence of working musicians, this book illustrates how the fundamental issue of race influenced Albert's life, as well as the music of the era.Albert's years as a San Antonio nightclub owner in the 1940s and 1950s saw the rise in popularity of rhythm and blues and the decline of interest in jazz. There was also increasing racial animosity, which Albert resisted by the successful legal defense of his right to operate an integrated establishment in 1951. In the two decades before his death in 1980, his performances in Dixieland jazz bands and interviews with oral historians concerning his own career were the fitting climax to a multifaceted musical life. Albert's voice and personality, his feelings and opinions about the music he loved, and the obstacles he faced in performing and promoting it, are artfully conveyed in Wilkinson's fluid, accessible, and erudite narrative. Jazz on the Road shows the importance of live performance in bringing jazz to America, and succeeds brilliantly in depicting an era, a locale, and a way of life.

Jazz on the Road: Don Albert's Musical LIfe (Music of the African Diaspora)

Arts & Photography

Wilkinson, Christopher

Music

University of California Press

SBAs for the Final FRCR is an invaluable guide to the new Single Best Answer (SBA) paper for the Final FRCR examination, providing over 350 SBA-style questions and referenced answers written in the style of the Royal College of Radiologists. Each question is accompanied by a concise yet detailed model answer carrying references and additional notes. The answers also act as a useful reference source for many of the key topics found in the syllabus. Questions are categorised in the same six modules that compose the FRCR 2A: • Cardiothoracic and vascular • Musculoskeletal and trauma • Gastro-intestinal • Genito-urinary, adrenal, obstetrics and gynaecology, breast • Paediatric • Central nervous system, head and neck Written by a group of authors who have recently successfully completed the exams, SBAs for the Final FRCR is an essential revision aid for all candidates undertaking the FRCR Part 2A.

SBAs for the FRCR 2A (Cambridge Medicine (Paperback))

Medical Books

Currie, Stuart

Rowbotham, Emma

Karthik, Shishir

Allied Health Professions

Cambridge University Press

Within West Virginia's irregular borders, formed by winding rivers, high ridges, and the pecularities of colonial land surveys, is a sedimentary record of the entire Paleozoic Era. Continents colliding along the eastern coast of North America built huge mountains that shed sediment into a shallow inland sea to the west. Thick wedges of sandstone, shale, and limestone piled up, all folded by later collisions to the east. In West Virginia's Valley and Ridge Province, rsistant, titled sandstones form long ridges that parallel the fold axes, while less folded rock forms the horizontal layers of the Appalachian Plateaus to the west. From Harpers Ferry at the edge of the Blue Ridge through the Allegheny Mountains west to the Ohio River valley, sedimentary rock thickens and thins, hiking valuable layers of coal and reservoirs of oil and gas. Authors Joseph Lebold and Christopher Wilkinson lead you along roads through the Mountain State, past roadcuts exposing contorted rock layers, coral reefs, and ancient red soils. Sidebars provide more details about iconic places such as the New River Gorge, Seneca Rocks, and Dolly Sods, and about unusual geologic features such as the riverless Teays Valley and the karst topography and caverns of the Big Levels.

Roadside Geology of West Virginia

Science & Math

Lebold, Joseph G.

Earth Sciences

Mountain Press Publishing Co.

Clear Meaning is a thorough introduction to the base, the force, the three bodies, the five wisdoms, and the nine vehicles. It is a Tantra of the Great Perfection, also known as Atiyoga or Dzogchen. This Tantra was first put into writing in India by Prahe Vajra, also known as Garab Dorje, who transmitted it to Mañjuśrīmitra, who transmitted it to Śrī Singha, who transmitted it to Padmasambhava. Padmasambhava brought Clear Meaning to Tibet and hid it there in the Eighth Century of our era. Over four hundred years later, Guru Chowang (1212-1270) discovered the book, and released it. Because it was treasured away by Padmasambhava and later revealed, it is known as a Treasure (gTer ma). This Tantra is preserved in the Hundred Thousand Tantras of the Ancients (Nyingma Gyubum), and is here translated for the first time into English.

Clear Meaning: The Force of Wisdom Tantra

Religion & Spirituality

Buddhism

Independently published

The present volume is devoted to the writings of Sakya Pandita, and includes a biography of him written by the King of Gungthang, Zhang Gyalwa Pal. Sakya Pandita is famous among the Tibetans for his contributions in the fields of logic, ethics, and folklore. His Treasure on the Science of Logic (Tshad ma rig gter), Discrimination of the Three Vows (sDom gsum rab dbye), and Treasure of Eloquent Aphorisms (Legs bshad rin chen gter) are monumental contributions to their classes of literature. These works have attracted enormous attention throughout the world, particularly among the scholarly. The present collection of translations is intended to reveal Sakya Pandita’s character as a poet who contributed to many fields of art and leaning. In his lifetime he worked hard at the reconstruction of Samye Library, one of the very first edifices constructed during Tibet’s dynastic period. He contributed largely to efforts at public education and a clear presentation of the Buddhist teachings. He is best known to political historians for his travel to China, where he went with his two nephews and was effectively Tibet’s ambassador to the Mongol court there. In his senior years he retired to Wu Tai Shan. I have translated short works, correspondence, and poetry he wrote over the course of his life in an effort to let my readers see Sakya Pandita’s humanity and enlightened spirit as he himself expressed it. I do not wish to analyze or comment on these works, as I believe they speak for themselves. The Sakya Kabum, or Collected Works of the Sakya Founders, consists of about fifteen thousand pages of writings in fifteen volumes by five men: Kunga Nyingpo, Sonam Tsemo, Dragpa Gyaltsan, Sakya Pandita, and Chogyal Phagpa. Sakya Pandita’s writings take up three volumes of this collection. The translations you are reading represent a sampling of the contents of Sakya Pandita’s life’s work, and are part of a larger translation effort for which I have, at this writing, completed volumes representing the works of all five Sakya Founders, soon to be published. My intention is to continue with this translation effort toward a comprehensive collection of their writings, while it is my hope that the present compendium will give readers a taste for the quality and variety of the literature you may discover. Critical readers will, of course, find much room for improvement. Please note that I have followed Sakya Pandita’s own spellings of Sanskritic loan-words in his work, rather than normalize them into a corrected form of classical Sanskrit. Throughout most of these translations, Tibetan names are converted into a form that will be easy for English readers to read and pronounce. In the case of historical passages, such as those you will find in Sakya Pandita’s Biography of his guru, I have transcribed the Tibetan into Wylie Romanization, so that the historically minded will be able to use this information in their research. I apologize for any inconvenience this compromise in the rendering of Tibetan words may cause. There are many loan words that are already commonly used in English, such as “nirvana.” You will see a very few loan words that I have not translated. One of these is “Upadesha,” which refers to a kind of direct, person to person, often mouth to ear, and experiential advice regarding a teaching or practice. The word “samaya,” indicating the vows or obligations one takes on in entering the esoteric Vajrayana path, is another. I do my best to employ the King’s English, avoiding hybrid usages and terminology that might be confusing for all but a certain class of insiders. The present volume does not contain esoterica for which special empowerments or privileges are considered requisite. There will be content that excites inquiry and discussion, which I consider a good thing.

Sakya Kongma Series: Poetic Wisdom

Pandita, Sakya

CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

This anthology contains works that will be of primary interest to those interested in the literature of the Vajrayana, or Tantra. The nature and content of Buddhist Tantric literature, and how it resembles and differs from non-Buddhist Tantra, are discussed by Sachen Kunga Nyingpo (1034-1102) in his Overview of Tantra. There are more specialized accounts in the opening section to his Pearl Rosary Tika: A Commentary on the Sri Cakrasamvara Mula Tantra, a work of 397 Tibetan pages of which I have translated twenty five pages. These are the pages that describe the transmission and literary concerns of interest to general readers. The section that remains to be translated is a detailed, word by word, commentary on the Samvara Tantra itself, suitable for a more detailed study. Readers looking for a clear description of the place of sexuality in Buddhist Tantra will find the sources here translated attractive.

An Overview of Tantra and Related Works (Sakya Kongma Series)

Nyingpo, Sachen Kunga

Gyaltsan, Jetsun Dragpa

Chogyal Phagpa’s collected writings are preserved in three large volumes of the Sa skya bka bum, the Collected Works of the Sakya Founders. The present anthology is a mere sampling. It is the usual practice of political historians to seek out and document writings directly relevant to policy and political history, while the usual practice of the community interested in Buddhist practice and theory is to seek out and analyze texts that address philosophy or meditative practices. The present anthology represents a different approach. I have brought together for you a large selection of Phagpa’s own writings, ranging from poetry he wrote in praise of yaks and beer to such important documents as his poem for the investiture of the Emperor: In Praise of Friendship. I have included such works as his Rosary of Jewels: Praise of Manjusri on Wu Tai Shan, in which we find one of the earliest recorded documentations of the fantastic spectacle of strange lights on these famous mountains. You will also find a variety of short works that touch on the practice and understanding of Buddhism. It is said that it was at the conferral of the Great Empowerments into the mysteries of Hevajra that Kubala Khan ritually offered Phagpa the entire nation of Tibet. A few poems connected with this empowerment are included in the present collection. The importance of Chogyal Phagpa’s writings and correspondence in understanding Tibet’s influence on the Yuan Dynasty cannot be overestimated. There remain to be translated forty-two letters addressed to the Khans themselves and to Tibetans, ranging in size from one to thirty-five Tibetan pages. There are also numerous explanations of Buddhism written specifically for the Khans, Kubala being foremost, that remain to be translated. It is my intention to proceed in translating these works at the earliest opportunity.

Sakya Kongma Series: Chogyal Phagpa: The Emperor’s Guru

Phagpa, Chogyal

This book contains translations of three Tantras on the Great Perfection (rDzogs chen). A Tantra is a sacred, and often esoteric, work of literature. The Great Perfection is held by its followers to be the highest pathway in the Buddhist tradition. The teachings these Tantras contain are considered so rare and precious that the first two, The Secret Wisdom of the Great Perfection and Clarity Equal to the Limit, clearly declare themselves to be secret. The third Tantra, on the other hand, Vajrasattva of the Great Sky, insists that it must be taught to anyone who wishes to study it. The Secret Wisdom of the Great Perfection in particular sets very definite limits on just who should be allowed to read it, and insists its distribution is to be limited, while The Great Sky of Vajrasattva demands that it be taught without limitation. All of these works are considered "Old Translations," and may date as far back as the 8th century of our era. They are retained in a compendium of manuscripts knows as The Hundred Thousand Tantras of the Old Ones, or rNying ma rgyud 'bum. The importance of this literature for historians, linguists, those who focus on the History of Ideas, scholars and practitioners of Buddhism, specialists in classical literature, and those who focus on esoteric tradations cannot be overestimated. The works contained herein also give us a window into the condition of Indian, Chinese, and Silk Route concerns of the period in which the Tang Dynasty was at its height and during which the Tibetan Empire was still strong.

Secret Wisdom: Three Root Tantras of the Great Perfection

Literature & Fiction

Raksita, Vairocana

World Literature

This is a Tantra of the Great Perfection tradition of Buddhism, and is a thorough presentation of instantaneous enlightenment, translated from a Tibetan manuscript first translated into Tibetan in the 8th Century by Vairochana Rakshita. The literature of the Great Perfection is divided into three sections: The Mind Section, the Space Section, and the Upadesha instruction Section. The Great Tantra of Vajrasattva is a Root Tantra of the Space Section. It is also one of the earliest translations into Tibetan. The text itself is beautiful, poetic, and full of life, conveying the principle of instantaneous enlightenment in a way that will engage you.

The Great Tantra of Vajrasattva: Equal to the End of the Sky

Rakshita, Vairochana

When the Mongol Empire was at its height it controlled the world from China and Korea to Russia on into Eastern Europe, South-east Asia, and Persia. It was during this period that a ten year old Tibetan child, Phagpa (1235-1280), was taken to the court of the Khans. Educated there by his uncle, Sakya Pandita, he grew up speaking both Mongolian and Tibetan. While in his twenties, he created the first written alphabet for the Mongolian language. He became a religious advisor to Kublai Khan, and officiated at his installation as Emperor. As Kublai Khan had granted him regencies over the thirteen myriarchies of Tibet, he was titled Chogyal, or “Dharma King.” He was on familiar enough terms with the leaders of the Mongol empire, including Kublai Khan, that he wrote letters to them. These letters are documents of state that offer us a window into the Yuan Dynasty. Phagpa, as a monk, exhorts the Khans to understand the ways of Buddhism, and also speaks out on such practices as massacre and the chopping off of hands. He speaks out for the right of public assembly. He presents economic theories regarding the taxation of the populace, while decrying the seizure of assets. While doing these things, he also speaks to the personal concerns and situation of his readers. We read of the despair of Duchess Pundari, for example, whose good husband had died unexpectedly and whose wealth was being stolen. These letters, being written in a world where many religions were known and to readers who were not necessarily sympathetic to Buddhism, also offer us brilliant presentations of Buddhist ideas as they were taught to non-Buddhists. The larger part of Tibetan Buddhist literature was written by and for scholars in the tradition. Here we have preserved Buddhist teachings intended for an audience not already familiar with the tradition. The Advice for King Hoko, for example, gives a detailed explanation of the Buddhist view on the structure and development of the universe. While these letters were addressed to only one individual, a member of the Mongol Court, they were written with an understanding that they would be read by many. Because of the brilliant presentation each represents, they have become texts used for teaching by Tibetan Lamas through the centuries, and even today we will hear of Lamas giving seminars focused on these letters. I hope that these translations will also serve to give communities who study the Dharma a reliable text to work from.

Advice to Kublai Khan: Letters by the Tibetan Monk Chogyal Phagpa to Kublai Khan and his Court

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Wilkinson, Christopher. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Wilkinson, Christopher