Biography.

Early life and career.

Sekowsky was born in Lansford, Pennsylvania, and began working in the comics medium in 1941, as an artist at Marvel Comics' predecessor, Timely Comics, in New York City. There he worked as both a cartoonist on such humor features as "Ziggy Pig and Silly Seal", and as a superhero artist on such star characters as Captain America and the Sub-Mariner in issues of "All Winners Comics", "Daring Comics", "Marvel Mystery Comics", "USA Comics", and "Young Allies Comics". Sekowsky developed a reputation as one of the fastest artists in the comics field. Fellow Timely artist Gene Colan commented on his work: "His pencils were something to behold. Very loose, but so beautifully done. At the time, there was no one like him."  During the 1940s, Sekowsky married his first wife, Joanne Latta. Concurrently, he began a complicated relationship with artist Valerie (a.k.a. Violet) Barclay, who was working at the Manhattan restaurant Cafe Rouge. As Barclay recalled in a 2004 interview, "I was 17, and... was making $18 a week as a hostess. Mike said, 'I'll get you a job making $35 a week as a [staff] inker, and you can [additionally] freelance over the weekend. I'll let you ink my stuff'. He went to editor Stan Lee and got me the job. I didn't know anything about inking. [Staff artist] Dave Gantz taught me — just by watching him". Sekowsky bestowed expensive gifts on her even after his marriage to Latta, causing friction in the Timely bullpen, which she left in 1949. She later described the office environment,  Sekowsky, one of the nascent Marvel Comics' mainstays, chose to remain and "make George's life hell", Barclay said in 2004. She further described, "I was married before I met Mike, but my husband's divorce was not final.... [I] had to go to court and get an annulment. Mike paid for it and it cost $350".  Sekowsky continued drawing for Timely in multiple genres through the 1940s and into the 1950s, on such Western characters as the Apache Kid, the Black Rider, and Kid Colt for Marvel's 1950s iteration, Atlas Comics. He later freelanced for other companies, drawing the television show spin-offs "Gunsmoke" and "Buffalo Bill, Jr." for Dell Comics; romance comics (for Crestwood, Fawcett Comics, Nedor, Quality Comics, and St. John Publications); the jungle adventure "Ramar of the Jungle" for (Charlton Comics); war, including Ziff Davis' "G.I. Joe", and others. He continued to draw for Dell in particular through the early 1960s.

DC Comics.

In 1952, Sekowsky began working at DC Comics, where he drew romance comics and science fiction titles under the editorship of Julius Schwartz. Sekowsky drew the first appearance of Adam Strange in "Showcase" #17 (Nov. 1958). Sekowsky and writer Gardner Fox co-created the Justice League of America in "The Brave and the Bold" #28 (March 1960). After two further appearances in that title, the team received its own series which Sekowsky drew for 63 issues. Fox and Sekowsky added to the membership of the Justice League by inducting new members Green Arrow, the Atom, and Hawkman. Among the adversaries which Fox and Sekowsky introduced for the team were Amazo and Doctor Light. "Justice League of America" #21 and #22 (Sept. 1963) saw the first team-up of the Justice League and the Justice Society of America as well as the first use of the term "Crisis" in reference to a crossover between DC's characters. The following year's JLA team-up with the Justice Society introduced the threat of the Crime Syndicate of America of Earth-Three.  Sekowsky married his second wife, Josephine, called Pat, in October 1967.  Sekowsky and writer Bob Haney introduced B'wana Beast in "Showcase" #66 (Feb. 1967). In 1968, Sekowsky became the penciler of "Metal Men". The following year, Sekowsky also became the writer and changed the direction of the series by having the Metal Men assume human identities. The series was canceled six issues later.  At roughly the same time, Sekowsky began working on "Wonder Woman" with issue #178 (Sept.-Oct. 1968), first as artist and then as writer and editor, until issue #196. His run on the series included a variety of themes, from espionage to mythological adventure. He contributed a story about Wonder Woman and Batman to "The Brave and the Bold". Comics historian Mark Voger has praised Sekowsky's work from this era by noting "More than any other artist then working for DC Comics, Sekowsky...captured the look and sensibility of the late 1960s."  Sekowsky wrote and drew features for the series-tryout comic-book series "Showcase" during the last three years of its run. This included "The Maniaks" in "Showcase" #68–69 (June–August 1967) and #71 (December 1967) and "Jason's Quest", an adventure series about a young man on a motorcycle searching for his family, in "Showcase" #88–90 (Feb.–May 1970). He became the writer/artist of the Supergirl feature in "Adventure Comics" as of issue #397 (Sept. 1970) and frequently disregarded continuity by scripting stories which contradicted DC's canon.

Later career.

Upon leaving DC, Sekowsky returned to Marvel, where he had gotten his start in the 1940s. From 1971 to 1975, he sporadically provided penciling for stories in "Amazing Adventures" vol. 2, featuring the Inhumans; and "Giant-Size Super-Villain Team-Up".  Sekowsky and writer Greg Weisman planned a "Black Canary" miniseries in 1984 for DC Comics. After the first issue was pencilled, the project went unpublished due to the character being used in writer/artist Mike Grell's "" series. Elements were used for Weisman's "" short film. Sekowsky returned to "Justice League of America" to pencil a flashback tale in issue #240 (July 1985), which featured the Justice League from his era.  For the last decade of his life, Sekowsky lived in Los Angeles and worked primarily on Hanna-Barbera animated television series, including "Scooby-Doo". After hospitalization with health problems stemming from diabetes, he began freelancing for publisher Daerrick Gross, who was developing a line of skateboard and ninja comics. Sekowsky died before he could complete the assignment.

Awards.

Sekowsky won a 1963 Alley Award for Favorite Novel ("Crisis on Earths 1 and 2" in "Justice League of America" #21 and #22 with Gardner Fox) and a 1981 Inkpot Award.

Michael Sekowsky (; November 19, 1923 – March 30, 1989) was an American comics artist known as the penciler for DC Comics' "Justice League of America" during most of the 1960s, and as the regular writer and artist on "Wonder Woman" during the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Mike Sekowsky (* 19. November 1923; † 30. März 1989 in Los Angeles, Kalifornien) war ein US-amerikanischer Comiczeichner und -autor.


Biography.

Early life.

Payne was born on 4 December 1911 at Saltash, Cornwall. He was the son of Stephen Payne, an English naval architect, and Mireille Louise Antonia (Dorey) Payne, originally from France. He was educated at St. Paul's School in London, the Diocesan College at Rondebosch and the University of Cape Town in South Africa, the universities of Liverpool and Munich, and the Sorbonne.

Career.

As a young man Payne worked as a shipwright, in England and then at the Singapore Naval Base, where he transferred to Army Intelligence. He worked in China between 1941 and 1946, as cultural attaché to the British Embassy and as a teacher at Fuhtan University at Chungking and at Lianda University, Kunming. While in China he became a friend of Joseph Needham. In 1946, Payne met and interviewed Mao Zedong in Yenan, providing background for his 1950 work "". During the interview, Mao correctly predicted that it would take only a year and half for the Communist forces to conquer China after the armistice with Chiang Kai-shek and his followers was broken.  Payne moved to the United States in 1946 and from 1949-54 was Professor of English and author in residence at Alabama College, Montevallo. He became a US citizen in 1953 and settled in New York in 1954, devoting himself to writing and shifting his focus in part from novels and poetry to biography. He was chairman of the Translation Committee of PEN International, and in 1976 co-founded the Translation Center at Columbia University. He edited "The Russian Library" series for Washington Square Press. He died in Bermuda on 18 February 1983.

Marriages.

Payne married Rose Hsiung, daughter of Hsiung Hse-ling, a former prime minister of China, in 1942. They divorced in 1951. He married Sheila Lalwani in 1981.

Writing.

Early writing by Payne included two novels, "The War in the Marshes" and "The Mountain and the Stars". He also reported for newspapers on the Spanish Civil War and from China on the war with Japan. While in China he also wrote autobiographical works, historical novels, and worked on "The White Pony", a compilation of Chinese poetry.  A "workaholic" who often produced several books within a year, Payne wrote over 100 published books, including novels, histories and biographies. He was best known for the biographies, which included studies of Charlie Chaplin, Greta Garbo, Hitler, Lenin, Stalin, Trotsky, Gandhi, Albert Schweitzer, Dostoyevsky, Ivan the Terrible, Chiang Kai-shek, Karl Marx, Mao Zedong, Sun Yat-sen, André Malraux, Shakespeare, Alexander the Great, the White Rajahs of Sarawak and General George C. Marshall. Some of his works were Book of the Month Club selections: these were "The Life and Death of Adolf Hitler" and "The Life and Death of Lenin" as Main Selections; "The Gold of Troy" as a Dual Selection; "The Life and Death of Mahatma Gandhi" and "The World of Art" as Alternate Selections, and "The Rise and Fall of Stalin" and "The Dream and the Tomb" as other selections.  Payne's biographies were sometimes informed by his personal encounters with his subjects. Payne had actually met Hitler in 1937 in Munich at the Hotel Vierjahrenzeiten at the invitation of Rudolf Hess. As Payne recounted in his book "Eyewitness", Hitler offered him a strawberry cream cake. Payne also dined and had long conversations with Mao Zedong in 1946.  As a novelist, Payne used the pseudonyms Richard Cargoe, John Anthony Devon, Howard Horne, Valentin Tikhonov, and Robert Young. In 1954, he published a pastiche novella, "The Deluge", as Leonardo da Vinci; the book was mostly Payne's writing, incorporating "fragmentary da Vinci notes." He also performed translations into English from many languages, including works by Pasternak and Kierkegaard.  Payne contributed many articles to leading magazines including "The New York Times Magazine", "United Nations World" and "Saturday Review". The "New York Times" and "Saturday Review" frequently featured book reviews by him.  Many of Payne's better-known works have been re-published in digital form by the British publisher Endeavour Press. World rights to all works by Payne are handled by David Higham Associates, London, U.K.  Francis Ford Coppola, who was the co-screenwriter of the award-winning 1970 film "Patton", lifted almost verbatim the last words of the film from the first paragraph of Payne's book "The Roman Triumph", ending with the phrase, "all glory is fleeting." Payne received no screen credit for this contribution.

Critical reaction.

Payne was described in 1947 as "a poet and a believer in the permanent power of beauty", and as a "young English author whose versatility and prolific output have astonished the literary world". The New York Times in 1950 called him "the most versatile writer of the year". Orville Prescott, book reviewer for the "New York Times", claimed that "No man alive can write more beautiful prose than Robert Payne."  Payne's biography of Hitler was seen as attempting to "humanize the inhuman Hitler". The American critic Christopher Lehmann-Haupt wrote that the effect of this approach was "interesting and terrifying". The historian Alan Bullock commented that Payne's focus on Hitler's personal life resulted in a good account of Hitler's earlier years, but proved less productive for his later life when he "becomes absorbed in politics". "The Biography Book" recognised the "narrative and imaginative power" of Payne's account, while stating that "it incorporates speculation as fact". One example of this was the book's acceptance of claims by Bridget Dowling (Hitler's sister-in-law) and others that Hitler had spent time in Liverpool before 1914, a claim later described as "conclusively disproved".  Payne was said to be "a firm adherent to the conspiracy theory of politics" and among biographies of Lenin, Payne's book was described as "the easiest to read... also the easiest to forget". The "Los Angeles Times" commented on the Leonardo biography that "Payne makes a persuasive case... The biography is... a rendering of respect and admiration for the man."

Pierre Stephen Robert Payne (4 December 1911 – 18 February 1983) was an English-born author, known principally for works of biography and history, although he also wrote novels, poetry, magazine articles and many other works. After working in Singapore and China, he moved to the United States in 1946 and became a professor of English literature. From 1954 onwards he lived as a writer in New York.

Pierre Stephen Robert Payne (* 4. Dezember 1911 in Cornwall; † 3. März 1983) war ein britischer Schriftsteller (Romane, Biographien, Sachbücher).


Plot.

In 1375, a small diplomatic mission from the Korean kingdom Goryeo travels to Ming China to meet the Hongwu Emperor, but they are arrested in retaliation for the death of a Chinese diplomat in Goryeo. They are put in chains and taken across a desert. However, Mongol raiders suddenly show up and kill the Chinese soldiers transporting them, while killing some Koreans in the process. The Mongols ride off, leaving the rest of the Koreans to die of hunger or thirst.  The head of the Korean soldiers in the group, General Choi-Jung, takes command because the two diplomats are dead. Later, they discover that the Mongols have kidnapped the Hongwu Emperor's daughter so they ambush the Mongol convoy and rescue the princess. Yeo-sol, a former slave of one of the diplomats, defeats the Mongol general Rambulwha in single combat, but allows the latter to live and escape.  The Koreans flee with the princess, determined to return her safely to the Chinese capital, Nanjing, to atone for their diplomatic failure. The Mongols give chase in the hope of recovering the princess and presenting her to their Khan while the Koreans head towards a coastal fortress the princess tells them about, where they expect to find safe haven. Along the way, the Koreans pick up some Chinese peasants who are also fleeing from the Mongols.  Fighting their way through Mongol search parties, the group experiences many internal conflicts stemming from social class, love, and honour. The lower-class soldiers chafe under their poor treatment in comparison to the soldiers of the upper-class. They have little confidence in their young general, and prefer taking orders from their veteran sergeant, Dae-Jung. The princess has difficulty adjusting to the rough necessities of her position on the run. Choi-Jung and Yeo-sol become nemeses, competing for the affections of the princess and exchanging blows on several occasions.  When the group finally reaches the fortress, they are disappointed to see that it is nothing more than abandoned ruins. At the same time, the Mongols have caught up with them and have set up a camp outside the fortress. As the Koreans prepare to make a last stand, the princess attempts to give herself up to the Mongols in exchange for peace, but Yeo-sol and Choi-Jung stop her. A fight breaks out between the two men and the Mongols, resulting in Yeo-sol being captured. Rambulwha, who is impressed with Yeo-sol's skill, offers to let the latter join his army but Yeo-sol refuses and returns to the fortress to help his fellows. In the final battle, the defenders' gunpowder traps backfire when the Mongols launch a fire attack and stage a raid on the fortress. Yeo-sol sacrifices himself to save the princess while Choi-Jung and Rambulwha kill each other. All the Koreans perish along with their Mongol enemies, except for Dae-Jung. The princess stays with the peasants at the fortress and promises to tell her father of the Koreans' sacrifice while Dae-Jung builds a makeshift raft and sails back to Goryeo.

Historical context.

The film presents a fictionalised account of a real Korean diplomatic mission sent to China in 1375. Chun-Yong Son was to present a herd of horses as gifts to the Hongwu Emperor but he and his party were reported to have been exiled and there was no record of their return to Korea. At the time, the Ming government was unhappy with Korea as the Korean government continued to acknowledge the Mongols as the legitimate rulers of China (this was true until 1378). Eventually the Koreans managed to gain favour with the Ming government and the relationship became very cordial.  The film also portrays the political conflicts in China at the time, between the fading Mongol-ruled Yuan dynasty and the new Ming dynasty that returned China to Han Chinese rule.

Musa (; lit. "Warrior"), released as both "The Warrior" and "The Ultimate Warrior" in English-speaking countries, is a 2001 South Korean epic action drama film directed by Kim Sung-su, starring Jung Woo-sung, Ahn Sung-ki, Joo Jin-mo and Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi. The semi-historical story follows the adventures of a Korean peace delegation as they try to get back to Korea through the inhospitable deserts of northern China.

Musa – Der Krieger (Hanja: ; Hangeul: ) ist ein südkoreanischer Film aus dem Jahre 2001, gedreht von Kim Sung-su.


Etymology.

Birgunj was established as a conglomerate of several villages in and around Gahawa Mai Temple. Gahawa Mai Temple remains the epicenter of the town. The settlement was named after the Rana Prime Minister Bir Shamsher, thus acquiring the name Birgunj.

History.

Ancient.

Before the establishment of Birgunj, the main center of Parsa district was Alau, Nepal.In July 1959 From Sugauli King Rajendra Bikram Shah has a history of setting up a military camp in Alau of Parsa district.  Birgunj was founded in 1897 by 11th Rana Prime Minister Bir Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana; the ancient name was Gahawa. Before the establishment of Birgunj Bazar, the surrounding villages Baghi, Alau, Barewa, Kalaiya, Prasauni, Inaruwa, Chhapkaiya existed. To establish Birgunj Bazar in a forest covered area, Bir Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana appointed his trusted duo Siddhvir Mathema and Dhadjavir Mathema (two brothers) respectively in Birgunj as the ruler of Mal Ada and Kath Mal Ada. In this connection, Siddhvir Mathema distributed free land and timber and provided cash assistance to the homeowners in Birgunj. The act had subsequently required Siddhvir Mathema to pay the death penalty.  After the death of Bir Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana, Dev Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana became Prime Minister, but within three months Chandra Shumsher Jang Bahadur Rana had driven Dev Shamsher and made himself Prime Minister. The people of Late Bir Shamsher Rana and Dev Shamsher Rana did not tolerate Chandra Shamsher Rana. Bir Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana'special man Siddhivir Mathema, was accused of conducting an inspection of a reservoir treaty and carrying out three lakh irregularities on his forehead. When Siddhivir showed the calculations he had spent on setting up Birganj Bazar, he was declared invalid and an order was issued to pay the money immediately. After answering that he could not pay for what he did, As a punishment, the signboard was stick on his chest and move it around the market. The verbal verdict of the death sentence was decided to cut off and kill. After hearing about verbal of death sentence to Mathema who worked day and night without eating to establish Birgunj Bazar, Late Bir Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana's wife has paid 3 lakh and rescued Mathema from the death penalty.  Chandra Shamsher also wanted to displace Birgunj Bazar, which his brother had established. He wanted to remove the Birgunj bazaar from there and set it in Rautahat. According to the move to displace the market, In 1959, it raided the main market from Raxaul to Birgunj and extended the rail line service to Amalekhganj. From the link, the train used to run around the houses, exploding and terrorizing the residents. Later, the rail link was moved to the east of the market (outside the market). The Raxaul city in India, which is currently connected to Birgunj as the main gateway to Nepal, was not established. At that time Indian trains operated only till Sugauli.

Modern.

On 18 May 2006, the parliament of Nepal declared that the country would become a secular state. This led to unrest by Hindu fundamentalist groups across Nepal; the town of Birgunj was forced to close for nearly two years and was disturbed for more than 10 years.

Demographics.

According to the 2011 Census, Birgunj had a population of 133,238. It is the second biggest city in Terai and the fifth biggest city in Nepal after Kathmandu, Pokhara, Lalitpur, and Biratnagar. It serves as the headquarters of the Parsa District. Although Nepali is the official language, the native Bhojpuri language is the main language spoken. In addition to Bhojpuri, several other languages are spoken, including Maithili, Hindi, English and Newari.

Topography, geology and soils.

Birgunj is located in the Terai plain which is the northern part of the Indo-Gangetic plain. Birgunj metropolitan city has an elongated shape. The variation in altitude is in the range of 78 m to 95 m when moving from south to north of Birgunj. Although the range of altitude variation is small, but there is a high micro-topographical variation. The city lies about 90 m above sea level. Quaternary sediments are mainly found in the area. Soil is very fertile that consists the mixture of clay, silt and sand.

Climate.

The climatic condition is sub-tropical monsoon with a very hot and wet summer. The mean annual temperature ranges from. The annual rainfall ranges from about with an average of. Majority of the precipitation occurs during June, July, August and September.

Surface and Ground Water.

Sirsiya in the west and Singaha in the east are the two major rivers in Birgunj. Both rivers flow from north to south. During monsoon, these rivers are flooded and river bank cutting at the bends is common. The water level is very low in these rivers during winter. The depth of Groundwater table is approximately between deep with fluctuation during wet and dry season.

Economy.

In 1964 when Birgunj Sugar Factory Ltd. was established by the Government of Nepal in collaboration with the Soviet Union (at present, Russia) with initial crushing capacity of 1,000 metric tons which later increased to 1,500 metric tons (Rajak, 2006). This was the first sugar mill established in the public sector. Later on, this mill was liquidated due to heavy losses.  Birgunj is a major business centre of Nepal, especially for trade with India. Almost all trade with India occurs through this route. The Indian border town of Raxaul has become one of the busiest towns for heavy transportation due to high trade volume. With a large number of industries set on the Birgunj-Pathlaiya industrial corridor, Birgunj produces a wide range of products such as pharmaceuticals, textiles, vegetable ghee, plastic, steel, plastic, cigarettes, aluminium, among others. Almost 56% of the total products of Birgunj are exported to the Indian state of Bihar.  Birgunj Customs holds a major contribution in terms of revenue earnings in the nation. On 16 July 2004 Birganj Inland Dry Port came in operation to improve trade operation and address the concerns in handling the large volume of goods.  The India-Nepal oil pipeline construction that began on March 9, 2018 saw its completion up to. The Amlekhgunj-Raxaul oil pipeline connecting the two countries has been laid along the Pathlaiya-Simara-Jitpur, Parwanipur and Birgunj bypass roadway. According to the reports, major part of the pipeline alignment is covered in the Birgunj-Pathlaiya commercial highway.

Tourism.

Birgunj is main entry to Nepal. So, the city is widely visited by the Indians. Some of good three-star hotels to stay are Hotel Vishwa, Hotel Diyalu, Hotel Makalu and Hotel Suraj which are in main centre of the city. These hotels operate some mini casinos as well.  During Chhath festival,Ghadiarwa Pokhari is visited by mass no people coming from whole country. Vishwa Buddha Vihar, located in the out-skirts of the city. Vishwa is actually shaped like a stupa and has engravings of Lord Buddha facing the cardinal directions of the universe. This place has a tranquil ambiance and it attracts those tourists who want to flee the bustling life of the city. The term vishwa is derived from the word vicchu-wa, which is translated as a resting place for vicchu(s) or Buddhist monks and means a resting place. In the ancient times, the pilgrims stopped at Birgunj in the midst of their journey between Lumbini and Bodh Gaya (India).The mound is protected by a boundary wall, and future excavations may well tell us about the history of not just Birgunj but also its importance to Buddhism 2,500 years ago.  Parsa National Park which is from the city, known for inhabiting Royal Bengal Tigers (Panthera tigris tigris),Asian elephants (Elephas maximus),One-horned Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis),Common Leopard (Panthera pardus) and also various species of mammals,birds and reptiles.The park can visited by one hour drive by bus from the city.

Transport.

Birgunj was built as the closest Nepalese city connecting the capital Kathmandu with India. Birgunj railway station was connected by the Nepal Government Railway (NGR) to Raxaul station in Bihar across the border with India. The railway extended north to Amlekhganj in Nepal. It was built in 1927 by the British but discontinued beyond Birgunj in December 1965.

Rail.

Trains run to major cities of India from Raxaul station (in India, adjacent to Birgunj) and Sugauli station (17 miles from Raxaul) including the Satyagrah Express to Delhi, Mithila Express to Kolkata, Lokmanya Tilak express to Mumbai, and HYD-RXL express to Hyderabad. Thus, Birgunj has direct connectivity to major Indian cities like - Patna, Varanasi, Allahabad, Kolkata, New Delhi, Mumbai, Bhopal, Amritsar, Guwahati, Bhopal, Lucknow, Gorakhpur, Kanpur, Ranchi, Raipur, Nagpur, Hyderabad, etc.

Air.

Birgunj is served by Simara Airport, which lies 9 miles North of the city. Regular flights operate between Kathmandu & Simara. The second International Airport of Nepal is under construction at Nijgadh (22 miles from Birganj). There are plans to connect the new airport, Birgunj and Kathmandu via a "Fasttrack" expressway after its completion. This is expected to reduce travel times between the capital and the commercial capital, Birgunj

Buses.

There are regular bus services to all major cities and towns in Nepal including Kathmandu, Pokhara, Patan, Bhaktapur, Biratnagar, Dharan, Butwal, Nepalgunj, Dhangadhi, Kakarvitta, Janakpur, Bhairahawa(Lumbini), Bharatpur(Chitwan), etc. Local bus services provide transportation inside the city and into its vicinity. Night buses from Birgunj to Kathmandu are the most luxurious bus services in all over Nepal. Birgunj bus park is the centre to find buses for any route,

Tanga.

Horse driven carts locally called Tanga have historically been the mode of transport for the Madheshi people. Today it survives as a popular transportation vehicle between Birgunj and its sister city Raxaul.

Cargo.

The railway track from Raxaul to Birgunj was converted to broad gauge two years after the Indian railways converted the track to Raxaul inside India to broad gauge. Now, broad gauge railway line connects Raxaul to the Sirsiya (Birgunj) Inland Container Depot (ICD) that became fully operational in 2005. Talks have been held to reopen the railway route from Birgunj to Amlekhganj in Nepal by converting it to broad gauge because of its socio-economic importance.  Goods are transported to and from India via Birgunj dry port, which is the key terminal of surface cargo delivery to Nepal. This cargo point on the south connects the heart of the country, Kathmandu, via another key industrial city, Hetauda. It is also served by Tribhuvan Highway, extending from the Indian border at Raxaul through Birgunj and Hetauda to Kathmandu with frequent bus service. Simara Airport — north near the highway in Pipara Simara, Bara district — offers scheduled flights to Kathmandu.  India and Nepal have an open border with no restrictions on the movement of their citizens. There is a customs checkpoint for the movement of goods and third country nationals.

Sports.

The city has its own stadium, Narayani Stadium which is Nepal's second largest stadium after Dasarath Rangasala built on 1981. The stadium has capacity of 15,000 seats.At Present,the stadium is in poor condition.  A national level Cricket Ground is also located beside the Narayani Stadium. The cricket ground has top class outfield and a better cricket pitch. National level and Regional level cricket tournament are regularly held here. Every year day night T20 Cricket tournament is held using temporary flood light towers. Day night cricket match in Nepal was first played here. Nepal national cricket team's players Haseem Ansari, Aarif Sheikh, Avinash Karn and Irshad Ahmed hail from Birgunj. Cricket is the most popular sport and is played more than any other games and sports.

Education.

Birgunj has some history in Education.Education was started in town with the establishment of Trijuddha School by Juddha Shumsher Jang Bahadur Rana during his regime which was among the first three schools to be established in Nepal.  Thakuram Multiple Campus is the first campus (outside Kathmandu valley) in town as well as in Narayani zone. This city has made a rapid development in the field of education by the establishment of many schools and colleges like Moonlight English Boarding School, Gautam School, Alpine Secondary School, Gyan Jyoti Higher Secondary School, GHP secondary school, Shree Adarsha Secondary School, Kadambari Academy, National Infotech college, Birganj College Pvt. Limited, Gurukul Academy, Gyanda Academy, Siddharth College, BPC College, Hari Khetan Campus and Shri Narshingh Madhyamik Vidhalaya.  It has many commerce colleges and a medical college, National Medical College Birganj, The Himal Institute of Health Science, where students from all over Nepal and India come to study.

Media.

Birgunj has many FM Community radio stations including Narayani FM 103.8Mhz, Terai FM, Radio Birgunj, Bhojpuriya FM, Indreni FM, Radio Bindas, Birgunj Musical FM, City FM,Aawaz FM, Public FM etc. It is covered by the local television station, Birgunj Television (BTV). Many local newspapers like Prateek, Loktimes Daily, Kripa, Bhojpuri Time, birgunjsanjal, Jana Aawaz etc. are published. TEDxBirgunj was successfully held on 17 December, that was the first ever TED event conducted in Terai region of Nepal.

Health.

Narayani Sub-regional Hospital is one of the oldest government hospitals of Nepal. National Medical College under TU and Kedia Dental College also under TU are two major institutions providing health facilities. There are many other big and small hospitals, and international standard diagnostic centres throughout the city such as Asharam Hospital, Gandak hospital, Advance Medicare Hospital, Kedia eye hospital, Bhawani Hospital, Mangalam Diagnostic Centre, Vision Diagnostic Private Limited,vayodhya hospital etc. The area extending from Chhapakaiya ward No. 3 up to Gandak is full of private nursing homes and clinics. Mostly the people from village area of Parsa, Bara and Raxaul come here for check ups.

Culture.

Ganesh Chaturthi, Holi, Teej, Krishna Janmasthami, Maha Shivaratri, Durgapuja, Chhath, Dipawali and Eid are major festivals celebrated in Birgunj. Small proportion of the religious diversity of Birgunj is occupied by Buddhists. Thus Buddha Jayanti is also celebrated throughout the city. The culture of this city is not limited to religious diversity but ethnic diversity is found too. People of Madheshi ethnicity occupies greater portion of population which includes castes like Kurmi, Gupta, Sah, Singh, Yadav, Mahato, Rauniyar etc. Marwari people who migrated from Rajasthan are also in great number involved in many economic sectors.There are also large number of Muslims in town celebrating their own festivals like Eid, Bakrid, etc.

Cuisine.

The cuisine of Birgunj has influence of both Nepali and Indian culture. Dal, bhat, roti, vegetable curry, and achar (pickle) are the most widely consumed food items. Tibetan cuisine such as momo and chowmein are also popular among the youths and the elderly. A place named Adarsh Nagar has established its name as the center for street food where food vendors sell varieties of street food during evening time. Food such as Pav Bhaji (bread and vegetable curry) and Chaat (snack made with potato as the main ingredient) are relatively popular.

Birgunj ("also" Birganj; ) is a metropolitan city in Parsa District in Province No. 2 of southern Nepal. It lies south of the capital Kathmandu, attached in the north to Raxaul in the border of the Indian state of Bihar. As an entry point to Nepal from Patna and Kolkata, it is known as the "Gateway to Nepal". The town has significant economic importance for Nepal as most of the trade with India is via Birgunj and the Indian town of Raxaul. Tribhuvan Highway links Birgunj to Nepal's capital, Kathmandu. Birgunj was one of the first three municipalities formed during the rule of Prime Minister Mohan Shumsher Jang Bahadur Rana. It was declared a Metropolitan City on 22 May 2017 along with Biratnagar and Pokhara. Birgunj is currently the second-largest city in the Terai region of Nepal after Biratnagar and Birgunj is the sixth most populated metropolis of the nation.

Birganj ( ) ist eine Grenzstadt im mittleren Terai Nepals, ca. 190 km westlich von Kathmandu, 2 km nördlich der indischen Grenze und dem Grenzort Raxaul auf einer Höhe von ca.. Sie ist Verwaltungssitz des Parsa-Distriktes. Birganj besitzt das Stadtrecht 2. Ordnung.


Territory.

The territory of the ward coincides with that of the Parish and extends along via (street) Santa Lucia and Orsini and their cross streets, the Islet of Megaride with the Borgo Marinari, the Castel dell'Ovo, and via Chiatamone, all features of the Partenope promenade. It extends to the offices of the newspaper "Il Mattino", the so-called “Pallonetto of Santa Lucia” and the slopes of Mount Echia nearly to Monte di Dio. The area is bounded on the north and east by the Royal Palace, the Molosiglio and via Cesario Console, anciently famous as "Rua of the Provenzali".

History.

Santa Lucia has been identified with the history of Naples ever since the Greeks from Cumae landed here to found the small market harbour of Falero, which later gave rise — between the beach, the islet of Megaride and the Pizzofalcone hill — to the "polis" Partenope (from the siren who tried to enchant Ulysses); later that town would be known as Palepoli (“old city”).  In the preimperial Roman age, general Lucullus moved to the area and built his magnificent villa, known as "Oppidum Lucullianum", to which the last Roman emperor Romulus Augustus exiled to live out his days. In the imperial age the area became famous for its proximity to the "platamoniae" caves, where magic rituals were held and in which Petronius set parts of his "Satyricon".  In the 7th century Saint Patricia from Constantinople, directed towards the Holy Land, was shipwrecked here and, according to legend, founded the sanctuary and decided to settle in Naples. In the Middle Ages, the zone decayed and the villa was converted into a monastery by Basilian monks who, during the period of the ducal age, also managed the sanctuary. In the Norman age the monastery was transformed completely to become one of the best equipped fortresses guarding the gulf. In the Angevin age the close harbor was given in concession to the people of the Provençe, the land of origin of the Angevin kings; the area became very important for them, militarily and commercially, and was known by the toponym of "Port of the Provenzali".  In 1588, the sanctuary was given in management to an order of nuns and, as result, was entirely rebuilt for wish of abbess Eusebia Minadoa. The Spanish viceroys, between 1500 and 1700, held the area in particular high regard and embellished it greatly; this included structures by the architect Domenico Fontana beginning in 1599 that essentially transformed a village of fishermen and traders into one of the most prestigious areas of the city. With the arrival of the Bourbon dynasty, the "lucìani" (as the inhabitants of Santa Lucia are called) became intimates of the kings, serving as craftsmen and suppliers of the royal house. The area was a favorite goal of that brand of elite tourism associated with the so-called grand tour. During that period the area hosted a famous casino that saw the presence of various celebrities such as Giacomo Casanova and Alexandre Dumas. The establishment was especially valued by the queen of Naples, Maria Carolina. A single wing of the building survives today as part of a university conference center.

19th century and later.

Already in 1845, the sea level rose considerably, making it necessary to bury the original sanctuary and build a new one on top of it; after the annexion of the Kingdom of Naples to Italy (1861) Santa Lucia underwent a complete transformation, including the enlarging and straightening of the Partenope promenade. It involved reclaiming large tracts of land from the sea and the creation of new streets, all of which has served the area well in this age of modern tourism. The new sections now host a row of modern hotels and a number of sailing clubs. The offices of the Campania regional government are located in "Palazzo Santa Lucia", and the area is the site of the conference center of the University “Federico II " and of the Cervantes Institute of Spanish language and culture.  The area was home to admiral Francesco Caracciolo, who served in the neapolitan navy and then was executed through hanging by admiral Nelson for his service to the Parthenopaean Republic. His body, thrown into the sea, was recovered and is now interred in another famous church in the area, that of Santa Maria della Catena, where an epitaph, placed in 1881, recalls the episode.  The Ports of Santa Lucia were during the 1960 Summer Olympics the Olympic harbors of the Dragon sailboats (quays of Borgo Marinari), Star and 5.5 Metre (quays of Molosiglio). Finn and Flying Dutchman sailboats were instead housed in Mergellina. HRH Crown Prince Constantine won the Gold medal in the event of Dragon sailboats.

In popular culture.

Santa Lucia has been like subject of some traditional Neapolitan songs, among which is the most famous, "Santa Lucia" and "Santa Lucia Luntana", a musical symbol of Neapolitans leaving home to emigrate to America.

Borgo Santa Lucia, or simply Santa Lucia (italian for Saint Lucy), is a historical rione of Naples, Italy. The area rises around the street of the same name and takes that name from the basilica of, of which the presence is attested since the 9th century, on the river of the sea, in spite of legend that would have it founded by a granddaughter of Constantine I.

Borgo Santa Lucia (oder einfach "Santa Lucia") ist ein historischer Ortsteil von Neapel, das zum Stadtteil "San Ferdinando" und zum Verwaltungsbezirk ("Municipalità") I gehört.


In Scotland.

The term is widely used in Scotland, particularly the Highlands, to describe such roads. Passing places are generally marked with a diamond-shaped white sign with the words "passing place" on it. New signs tend to be square rather than diamond-shaped, as diamond signs are also used for instructions to tram drivers in cities. On some roads, especially in Argyll and Bute, passing places are marked with black-and-white-striped posts. Signs remind drivers of slower vehicles to pull over into a passing place (or opposite it, if it is on the opposite side of the road) to let following vehicles pass, and most drivers oblige. The same system is found very occasionally in rural England and Wales, as well as Sai Kung District in the New Territories. Sometimes two small vehicles can pass one another at a place other than a designated passing place.  Some A-class and B-class roads in the Highlands are still single-track, although many sections have been widened for the sake of faster travel. In 2009, the A830 "Road to the Isles" and A851 on the Isle of Skye have had their single-track sections replaced with higher-quality single-carriageway road.

In mountains.

In remote backcountry areas around the world, particularly in mountains, many roads are single-track and unmarked. These include many U.S. Forest Service and logging roads in the United States. In Peru, the second of two overland transportation routes between Cuzco and Madre de Dios Region, a 300 km heavy-truck route, is a single-track road of gravel and dirt.  When practical, it is usually considered better for the vehicle going downhill to yield the right of way by stopping at a wide spot. The reason seems to be that it may be harder for the vehicle going up to get started again. At least in California, it is also the vehicle going downhill that must back up, if it is too late to stop at a wide spot.

Types.

Chicanes.

Chicanes are often placed on residential streets as a more aesthetic means to slow-down cars.

One-lane passages.

Sometimes, for budget reasons, and where traffic is fairly low, bridges exist as single-track corridors. Tunnels in remote areas can also be one lane when the tunnel is short and traffic is low, when building a hill or blasting away the mountain is too cost prohibitive.

One-way single-track roads.

Single-track roads also exist as one-way stretches. Exit and entrance ramps for freeways and motorways are among common examples of one-way single-track roads.

Private single-track roads.

The most common example of private single-track roads are long driveways of rural properties such as country houses and farm property.

Ice roads.

The mountain passes on the Dalton Highway in Alaska have a rule where goods-carrying northbound truck traffic has the right of way, while returning southbound traffic has to stop, as mentioned on "Ice Road Truckers". The reason behind this procedure is that traffic going north is in somewhat of a hurry to deliver equipment to Deadhorse, Prudhoe Bay, and the drill site over the frozen Arctic Ocean.

Temporary one-lane restrictions.

When reconstruction is being done on 2-lane highways where traffic is moderately heavy, a worker will often stand at each end of the construction zone, holding a sign with "SLOW" or "GO" written on one side and "STOP" on the reverse. The workers, who communicate through yelling, hand gestures, or radio, will periodically reverse their signs to allow time for traffic to flow in each direction. A modification of this for roadways that have heavier traffic volumes is to maintain one direction on the existing roadway, and detour the other, thus not requiring the use of flaggers. An example of this is the M-89 reconstruction project in Plainwell, MI, where westbound traffic is detoured via county roads around town.

User etiquette.

If lines of sight are long, and both drivers are familiar with the road, vehicles heading towards each other can adjust their speed so as to arrive at a wide spot at the same time and pass slowly, avoiding the need for either vehicle to stop.  When two vehicles meet head-on, generally the drivers confer to decide in which direction lies the closest wide spot, and together they travel there, the lead vehicle necessarily in reverse gear.  In Scotland, most drivers are accustomed to single-track roads. When opposing traffic is encountered, the first driver to reach the nearest passing place pulls over, no matter which side, and flashes the headlights to signal the other car to proceed forward. It is customary for both drivers to then acknowledge each other with a wave as they pass. At night, both drivers acknowledge each other by flashing their headlights as they pass.  Usually when there is a brief one-lane bottleneck of a 2-lane road, traffic will usually yield to oncoming traffic already in the bottleneck. One-lane single-track roads usually have no conflict.  In the United States, if the situation permits, both vehicles will pull off the road slightly and pass in this manner. Although saving time, this process can cause ruts and erosion along the edge of the road. For this reason, single track roads are generally used in places with very low traffic volumes, though one-lane stop-gap measures will have a STOP and YIELD on a sign construction workers flip.  If there are no passing places or wide parts of the road then start of the road is considered as the passing place.

A single-track road or one-lane road is a road that permits two-way travel but is not wide enough in most places to allow vehicles to pass one another (although sometimes two compact cars can pass). This kind of road is common in rural areas across the United Kingdom and elsewhere. To accommodate two-way traffic, many single-track roads, especially those officially designated as such, are provided with passing places (United Kingdom) or pullouts or turnouts (United States), or simply wide spots in the road, which may be scarcely longer than a typical car using the road. The distance between passing places varies considerably, depending on the terrain and the volume of traffic on the road. The railway analog for passing places are passing loops.

Eine Single track road ist eine schmale Straße, die lediglich für ein einziges Fahrzeug breit genug ist. Sie sind in Großbritannien sehr verbreitet. Single track roads haben im Allgemeinen in regelmäßigen Abständen Ausweichstellen (engl. "passing places"), die es gestatten, Verkehr aus entgegengesetzten Richtungen aneinander vorbeizuführen.


Life and career.

Family background and early life.

Bush was born in Dulwich, South London, on 22 December 1900, the third and youngest son of Alfred Walter Bush and Alice Maud, née Brinsley. The Bushes were a prosperous middle-class family, their wealth deriving from the firm of industrial chemists founded by the composer's great-grandfather, W. J. Bush. As a child Alan's health was delicate, and he was initially educated

Royal Academy and after.

At the RAM, Bush studied composition under Frederick Corder and piano with Tobias Matthay. He made rapid progress, and won various scholarships and awards, including the Thalberg Scholarship, the Phillimore piano prize, and a Carnegie award for composition. He produced the first compositions of his formal canon: Three Pieces for Two Pianos, Op. 1, and Piano Sonata in B minor, Op. 2, and also made his first attempt to write opera – a scene from Bulwer Lytton's novel "The Last Days of Pompeii", with a libretto by his brother Brinsley. The work, with Bush at the piano, received a single private performance with family members and friends forming the cast. The manuscript was later destroyed by Bush.  Among Bush's fellow students was Michael Head. The two became friends, as a result of which Bush met Head's 14-year-old sister Nancy. In 1931, ten years after their first meeting, Bush and Nancy would marry and begin a lifelong artistic partnership in which she became Bush's principal librettist, as well as providing the texts for many of his other vocal works. In 1922 Bush

Music and politics.

Bush had begun to develop an interest in politics during the war years. In 1924, rejecting his parents' conservatism, he joined the Independent Labour Party (ILP). The following year he joined the London Labour Choral Union (LLCU), a group of largely London-based choirs that had been organised by the socialist composer Rutland Boughton, with Labour Party support, to "develop the musical instincts of the people and to render service to the Labour movement". Bush was soon appointed as Boughton's assistant, and two years later, he succeeded Boughton as the LLCU's chief musical adviser, remaining in this post until the body disbanded in 1940. Through his LLCU work, Bush met Michael Tippett, five years his junior, who shared Bush's left-wing political perspective. In his memoirs Tippett records his first impressions of Bush: "I learned much from him. His music at the time seemed so adventurous and vigorous". Tippett's biographer Ian Kemp writes: "Apart from Sibelius, the contemporary composer who taught Tippett as much

1930s: emergent composer.

In March 1931 Bush and Nancy were married in London, before returning to Germany where Bush continued his studies. In April a BBC broadcast performance of his Dance Overture for Military Band, Op. 12a, received a mixed reception. Nancy Bush quotes two listeners' comments that appeared in the "Radio Times" on 8 May 1931. One thought that "such a medley of fearful discords could never be called music", while another opined that "[we] should not cry for more Mozart, Haydn or Beethoven if modern composers would all give us sheer beauty like this".  At the end of summer 1931 the couple returned permanently to England, and settled in the village of Radlett, in Hertfordshire. In the following years three daughters were born. Bush resumed his RAM and LLCU duties, and in 1932 accepted a new appointment, as an examiner for the Associated Board of London's Royal Schools of Music, a post which involved extensive overseas travel. These new domestic and professional responsibilities limited Bush's composing activity, but he provided the music for the 1934 Pageant of Labour, organised for the London Trades Council and held at the Crystal Palace during October.

Second World War.

When war broke out in September 1939, Bush registered for military service under the National Service (Armed Forces) Act of 1939. He was not called up immediately, and continued his musical life, helping to form the WMA Singers to replace the now-defunct LLCU, and founding the William Morris Music Society. In April 1940 he conducted a Queen's Hall concert of music by Soviet composers which included the British premieres of Shostakovich's Fifth Symphony, and Khatchaturian's Piano Concerto. William Glock in "The Observer" was disdainful, dismissing the Khatachurian concerto as "sixth-rate", and criticising the inordinate length, as he saw it, of the symphony.  Bush was among many musicians, artists and writers who in January 1941 signed up to the communist-led People's Convention, which promoted a six-point radical anti-war programme that included friendship with the Soviet Union and "a people's peace". The BBC advised him that because of his association with this movement, he and his music would no longer be broadcast. This action drew strong protests from, among others,

Post-war: struggle for recognition and performance.

Persona non grata.

Bush's return to composing after the war led to what Richard Stoker, in the "Oxford Dictionary of National Biography", calls "his best period". However, Bush's attempts to secure a place in the concert repertoire were frustrated. A contributory factor may have been what the critic Dominic Daula calls Bush's "intriguingly unique compositional voice" that challenged critics and audiences alike. But the composer's refusal to modify his pro-Soviet stance following the onset of the Cold War alienated both the public and the music establishment, a factor which Bush

Opera ventures.

Since his youthful "Last Days of Pompeii", Bush had not attempted to write opera, but he took up the genre in 1946 with a short operetta for children, "The Press Gang (or the Escap'd Apprentice)", for which Nancy supplied the libretto. This was performed by pupils at St Christopher School, Letchworth, on 7 March 1947. The following year he began a more ambitious venture, a full-length grand opera recounting the story of Wat Tyler, who led the Peasants' Revolt of 1381. "Wat Tyler", again to Nancy's libretto, was submitted in 1950 to the Arts Council's Festival of Britain opera competition, and was one of four prizewinners – Bush received £400. The opera was not taken up by any of the British opera houses, and was first staged at Leipzig Opera in 1953. It was well received, retained for the season and ran again in the following year; there was a further performance in Rostock in 1955. "Wat Tyler" did not receive its full British premiere until 19 June 1974, when it was produced at Sadler's Wells; as of 2017, this remains the only professional staging of a Bush opera in Britain.  Bush's second opera, "Men of Blackmoor", composed in 1954–55 to Nancy's libretto, is a

1953–1975.

During his involvement with opera, Bush continued to compose in other genres. His 1953 cantata "Voice of the Prophets", Op. 41, was commissioned by the tenor Peter Pears and sung by Pears at its premiere on 22 May 1953. In 1959–60 he produced two major orchestral works: the "Dorian Passacaglia and Fugue", Op. 52, and the Third Symphony, Op. 53, known as the "Byron" since it depicts musically scenes from the life of the poet. The symphony, a commission from East German Radio, was first performed at Leipzig on 20 March 1962. Colin Mason, writing in "The Guardian", thought the work had a stronger socialist programme than the Nottingman symphony of 1949. The ending of the second movement, a long tune representing Byron's speech against the extension of the death penalty was, Mason wrote, "a splendid piece".

Final years.

In old age, Bush continued to lead an active and productive life, punctuated by periodic commemorations of his life and works. In November 1975 his 50 years' professorship at the RAM was marked in a concert there, and in January 1976 the WMA gave a concert to honour his recent 75th birthday. In 1977 he produced his last major piano work, the "Twenty-four Preludes", Op. 84, of which he gave the first performance at the Wigmore Hall on 30 October 1977. A later reviewer described this piece as "music I'd like to have playing beside me as I sprawled on the grass beneath the trees with an ice-cream, watching a county cricket match on a golden afternoon".  In 1978 Bush retired from the RAM after 52 years' service. His 80th birthday in December 1980 was celebrated at concerts in London, Birmingham and East Germany, and the BBC broadcast a special birthday musical

Music.

General character.

Despite undergoing various changes of emphasis, Bush's music retained a voice distinct from that of any of his contemporaries. One critic describes the typical Bush sound as "Mild dominant discords, of consonant effect, used with great originality in uncommon progressions alive with swift, purposeful harmonic movement... except in [Benjamin] Britten they are nowhere used with more telling expression, colour and sense of movement than in Bush".  John Ireland, Bush's early mentor, instilled "the sophisticated and restrained craftsmanship which marked Bush's music from the beginning", introducing him to folksong

To 1945.

According to Duncan Hall's account of the music culture of the Labour Movement in the inter-war years, Bush's youthful music, composed before his Berlin sojourn, already demonstrated its essential character. His "Dialectic for String Quartet" (1929), Op. 15, created a strong impression when first heard in 1935, as "a musical discourse of driving intensity and virile incident". Christiansen highlights its "tightness and austerity" in contrast to the more fashionable lyricism then prevalent in English music.  Bush's years in Berlin brought into his music the advanced Central European idioms that characterise his major orchestral compositions of the period: the Piano Concerto (1935–37),

Postwar and beyond.

Although Bush accepted Zhdanov's 1948 diktat without demur and acted accordingly, his postwar simplifications had begun earlier and would continue as part of a gradual process. Bush first outlined the basis of his new method of composition in an article, "The Crisis of Modern Music", which appeared in WMA's "Keynote" magazine in spring 1946. The method, in which every note has thematic significance, has drawn comparison by critics with Schoenberg's twelve-note system, although Bush rejected this equation.  Many of Bush's best-known works were

Assessment.

In the 1920s it appeared that Bush might emerge as Britain's foremost pianist, after his studies under the leading teachers of the day, but he turned to composition as his principal musical activity. In Foreman's summary he is "a major figure who really straddles the century as almost no other composer does". He remained a pianist of consequence, with a strong and reliable, if heavy, touch.  Joanna Bullivant, writing in "Music and Letters", maintains that in his music Bush subordinated all ideas of personal expression to the ideology of Marxism. The critic Hugo Cole thought that, as a composer, Bush came close to Paul Hindemith's ideal: "one for whom music is felt as a moral and social

Legacy.

Bush's long career as a teacher influenced generations of English composers and performers. Tippett was never a formal pupil, but has acknowledged a deep debt to Bush. Herbert Murrill, a pupil of Bush's at the RAM in the 1920s, wrote in 1950 of his tutor: "[T]here is humility in his makeup, and I believe that no man can achieve greatness in the arts without humility... To Alan Bush I owe much, not least the artistic strength and right to differ from him". Among postwar Bush students who later led distinguished careers are the composers Edward Gregson, Roger Steptoe and Michael Nyman, and the pianists John Bingham and Graham Johnson. Through his sponsorship of the London String Quartet Bush helped launch the careers of string players such as Norbert Brainin and Emanuel Hurwitz, both of whom later achieved international recognition.  Bush's music was under-represented in the concert repertoire in his lifetime, and virtually disappeared after his death. The 2000 centenary of his birth was markedly low key; the Prom season ignored him, although there was a memorial concert at the Wigmore Hall on 1 November, and a BBC broadcast of

Recordings.

Before Bush's centenary year, 2000, the few available recordings of his music included none of the major works. In the 21st century much has been added, including recordings of Symphonies 1, 2 and 4, the Piano and Violin Concertos, many of the main vocal works and the complete organ works.

Alan Dudley Bush (22 December 1900 – 31 October 1995) was a British composer, pianist, conductor, teacher and political activist. A committed communist, his uncompromising political beliefs were often reflected in his music. He composed prolifically across a range of genres, but struggled through his lifetime for recognition from the British musical establishment, which largely ignored his works.

Alan Dudley Bush (* 22. Dezember 1900 in London; † 31. Oktober 1995 in Watford) war ein englischer Komponist, Pianist und Dirigent. Er war Professor für Harmonielehre und Komposition an der Royal Academy of Music in London.


Background and recording.

After Evanescence was formed by Amy Lee and Ben Moody in 1995, the band released three EPs and one demo CD. In January 2001 they signed with Wind-up Records, their first major label. Composing "Fallen" took eight years; in an MTV interview, Ben Moody said that he wrote with Lee "maybe two or three times in eight years". The album was recorded in California at Track Record Studios, NRG Recording Studios, Ocean Studios, and Conway Recording Studios. Songs were recorded as demos before the recording sessions, and "My Immortal", "Imaginary", and "Whisper" appeared on earlier Evanescence recordings. The album was recorded and mixed from late August to early December 2002. Recording began at Ocean Studios in Burbank, where "Bring Me to Life" was recorded. This recording was later used for the "Daredevil" soundtrack. For that song, Jay Baumgardner used a mix at his studio (NRG Recording Studios in North Hollywood) on an SSL 9000 J. Drum tracks were recorded at Ocean Studios, with Josh Freese playing on selected songs to click tracks of stereo guitars and vocals.  Dave Fortman said that for the rest of the drums, he used a D112 on the inside of the kick drum, a U47 on the outside, and an NS-10 speaker as an outside mic. The producer used 414 microphones on the ride and hi-hat cymbals, recording the drums on two-inch tape on a Studer recorder and inputting the results into Pro Tools. The guitars (Gibson Les Paul, Gibson SG, Mesa Boogie, Marshall Amplification) for the album were cut at Mad Dog Studios in Burbank with an old Mesa Boogie guitar cabinet. Lee's vocals, pianos and the background vocal by the Millennium Choir were recorded at NRG Recording Studios. The orchestral parts were arranged by David Hodges and David Campbell except for "My Immortal", which was arranged by composer Graeme Revell. "Fallen" was mixed over a two-week period at Conway Recording Studios in North Hollywood and mastered by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound in New York City.

Song information.

According to Amy Lee, "Going Under" is about a previous emotionally and physically damaging relationship: "And when you're at the end of your rope, when you're at the point where you realize something has to change, that you can't go on living in the situation that you're in. It's cool. It's a very strong song." "Going Under" was "Fallen" second single. "Bring Me to Life" is a nu metal-rap rock song written in common time and performed at a moderate tempo (96 beats per minute). Written by Lee, Ben Moody, and David Hodges, the song was conceived when an acquaintance asked Lee in a restaurant if she was happy in her current relationship. When Lee realized that she was not, the lyrics "wake me up inside" were inspired. The singer confirmed that the song was about longtime friend Josh Hartzler, whom she married in 2007.  "Everybody's Fool", also by Lee, Moody, and Hodges, is about celebrities with false images. In a VH1 interview, Lee said: "My little sister was really getting into these, I don't want to offend anyone, but like really fake, cheesy, slutty female cracker-box idols, and it really pissed me off. She started dressing like them and she was like 8 years old. So I gave her the talk and I wrote a song." "My Immortal", a piano rock ballad written by Moody with a bridge by Lee, is based on a short story Moody wrote; in the album booklet he dedicates the song to his grandfather, Bill Holcomb. "Haunted" is also based on a Moody short story which was posted on the Evanescence fan forum, EvBoard.com. "Tourniquet" was originally written for Christian metal band Soul Embraced, which included future Evanescence member Rocky Gray. "Imaginary", a song from Evanescence's 1998 self-titled EP, was originally intended as "Fallen" fourth single. The midtempo "Taking Over Mes lyrics are about Lee being consumed by another person's obsession with her. "Hello" remembers one of Lee's sisters, who died of an illness in 1987 at age three. The lyrics of "My Last Breath" explore emotional survival, with the lack of air a metaphor. "Whisper" features the Millennium Choir singing in Latin against muted guitars, but the choir is credited in the booklet by each individual vocalist rather than by the choir's official name.

Critical reception.

"Fallen" received generally positive reviews from music critics. Johnny Loftus of AllMusic wrote that the album “does include flashes of the single's PG-rated nu-metal ("Everybody's Fool," "Going Under"). But it's the symphonic goth rock of groups like Type O Negative that influences most of "Fallen"." "Entertainment Weekly", graded the album B-minus: "The genre now too old to be called nü-metal isn't exactly overflowing with spine-tinglingly great vocalists – let alone female ones. Amy Lee, lead singer of gloomy Arkansas rockers Evanescence, is an exception." Kirk Miller of "Rolling Stone" said that "when vocalist Amy Lee croons about lying 'in my field of paper flowers' or 'pouring crimson regret,' she gives Fallen a creepy spiritual tinge that the new-metal boys lack."  "Billboard"s Christa Titus called the album a "highly polished, hook-filled affair." Melissa Maerz of "Spin" gave it four out of five stars: "Nu metal gets a powdering of Andrew Lloyd Webber theatrics as Lee aces her piano A-levels, adds a string section, and tackles capital letter issues – God ('Tourniquet'), Love ('Going Under'), and Death ('Bring Me To Life') – with the grandeur they deserve." Adrien Begrand of "PopMatters" opined that the album "has a small handful of transcendent moments, but a complete lack of musical adventurousness has the band mucking around either in stultifying nu-metal riffage, pretentious high school journal caterwauling, or even worse, both." Begrand praised Lee's "soaring, enchanting, angelic" voice, writing that "Evanescence would be nothing" without her. Christopher Gray of the "Austin Chronicle" found the album to be "a little too by the numbers to fully capitalize on Lee's obvious talents." According to "Village Voice" critic Robert Christgau, "Their faith, as embodied in Amy Lee's clarion sopralto, lends their goth-metal a palpable sweetness". He jokingly concluded, "Now if only it wasn't goth-metal at all." In 2017, "Rolling Stone" ranked "Fallen" number 99 on their list of "The 100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time", calling it an "unlikely classic" with "a horror-movie-level ambience that was as chilling as it was campy".

Commercial performance.

"Fallen" was a commercial success, selling more than 17 million copies worldwide since its 2003 release. The album debuted at number seven on the "Billboard" 200, with more than 141,000 copies sold in its first week, and it has sold more than 8 million copies in the United States to date. "Fallen" was the eighth-bestselling album of 2004 and the nineteenth-bestselling album of the 2000s. By October 2011 the album had spent 106 weeks on the "Billboard" 200, with 58 of those weeks in the top 20. Peaking at number three on June 14, 2003, it re-entered the chart at number 192 on March 13, 2010. "Fallen" spent 223 weeks on the Top Pop Catalog Albums chart after it fell off the "Billboard" 200. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified the album platinum in April 2003; by June 2008, it had reached seven times platinum.  On the UK Albums Chart, "Fallen" debuted at number 18 with sales of 15,589 copies. The album reached number one (with 38,570 copies sold) seven weeks later, after "Bring Me to Life" topped the UK Singles Chart. It sold 56,193 copies in December 2003, its highest week of sales (although it was number 28 on the chart that week). "Fallen" spent 33 weeks in the top 20 and 60 weeks in the top 75. The album re-entered the UK chart at number 35 the week after the release of Evanescence's second studio album, "The Open Door". It was successful elsewhere as well, topping the charts in more than ten countries and reaching the top ten in over twenty countries worldwide. According to Nielsen SoundScan figures, after more than three months in the top 10 of the Canadian Albums Chart "Fallen" peaked at number one on August 13, 2003 with sales of 8,900 copies.

Christian controversy.

Although Evanescence was originally promoted in Christian stores, the band later made it clear that they did not want to be associated with Christian rock. In April 2003, Wind-up Records chairman Alan Meltzer sent a letter to Christian radio and retail outlets explaining that despite the "spiritual underpinning that ignited interest and excitement in the Christian religious community", Evanescence were "a secular band, and as such view their music as entertainment." Meltzer also wrote that even the label "strongly feels that no longer belong in Christian markets." Soon after receiving the letter, many Christian radio stations pulled "Fallen" songs from their playlists. Terry Hemmings, CEO of the Christian music distributor Provident, was puzzled by the band's about-face: "They clearly understood the album would be sold in these channels." In 2006, Lee told "Billboard" that she had opposed Evanescence being identified as a "Christian band" from the beginning; Moody had supported it, whereas she had not. In 2011, Lee told the "San Antonio Current": "I am a Christian, and I'm proud of being a Christian, but [Evanescence] has never been a 'Christian band.'"

Personnel.

Credits adapted from the liner notes of "Fallen".

Fallen is the debut studio album by American rock band Evanescence, released on March 4, 2003, by Wind-up and Epic Records. After releasing several EPs and a demo CD, the group signed to Wind-up in January 2001. Writing songs for "Fallen" started near the time of the band's formation; several of the songs that would feature on the album appeared on the band's earlier releases. "Fallen" was recorded between August and December 2002 in several locations, including Conway Recording Studios in Hollywood, California. This was followed by a two-week period of mixing at Conway Recording Studios in North Hollywood. It is Evanescence's only album to feature guitarist Ben Moody, who left the band later in 2003.

Fallen (engl. für: „"abgestürzt"“/„"gefallen"“ im Sinne von heruntergefallen oder gestorben) ist das Debütalbum der US-amerikanischen Metal-Band Evanescence. Drei Songs („Whisper“, „Imaginary“ und „My Immortal“) wurden vom Demoalbum "Origin" entnommen, das nur in limitierter Auflage in Little Rock erschienen war. Das Nachfolgealbum "Anywhere but Home" ist eine Konzertaufzeichnung des Albums "Fallen".


Plot.

Brothers Terry (Colin Farrell) and Ian (Ewan McGregor), who live in South London, were raised by a weak father Brian (John Benfield) who runs a restaurant, and a strong mother Dorothy (Clare Higgins) who taught her sons to look up to their uncle Howard (Tom Wilkinson), a successful plastic surgeon and businessman.  The brothers buy a sailboat at an oddly low price, despite its near pristine condition. They name it "Cassandra's Dream", after a greyhound that won Terry the money to buy the boat. Knowing nothing of Greek mythology, they are unaware of the ominous antecedents of this name—the ancient prophetess Cassandra, whose prophecies of doom went unheeded by those around her.  While driving home from a day's sailing in a borrowed car, Ian crosses paths with beautiful actress Angela Stark (Hayley Atwell), with whom he becomes infatuated.  Terry has a gambling addiction that sinks him deeper in debt. Ian wishes to invest in hotels in California to finance a new life with Angela. To overcome their financial problems, they ask Howard for help. He agrees to help them, but asks for a favor in return: they must murder someone for him. Howard faces imprisonment for unspecified crimes and his future is threatened by Martin Burns (Phil Davis), a former business partner who plans to testify against him. Howard asks his nephews to get rid of Burns, and in return he will reward them financially. After initial reluctance, the brothers agree.  They make two zip guns, untraceable and easily destroyed. Lying in wait in Burns' home, their plan is foiled when Burns arrives with a woman. Their resolve shaken, they leave and agree to commit the murder the next day.  The next day, they succeed in carrying out the murder and later destroy the guns. Ian is content to move on as if nothing happened, but Terry is consumed by guilt and begins abusing alcohol and other drugs. His behavior frightens his fiancée (Sally Hawkins), who tells Ian about the situation and that Terry believes he has killed someone. After Terry confides that he wants to turn himself in to the police, Ian goes to Howard for advice. They agree there is no alternative but to get rid of Terry. Ian plans to poison Terry during an outing on the boat. Ian can't bring himself to kill his own brother, and attacks him in a fit of rage. In the chaos, Terry knocks Ian down the steps into the cabin, killing him.  The boat is later discovered adrift by the police, and the audience learns that Terry snapped and drowned himself after killing his brother. The last shot is of "Cassandra's Dream", still in beautiful condition despite the tragedies it set in motion.

Soundtrack.

This is the first Woody Allen film since "Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask)" to have an original score commissioned for it. The score was composed by Philip Glass.  It was also his first film released with a stereo soundtrack. Allen previously eschewed stereo although often employing Dolby Stereo and Dolby Digital technologies to convey a higher quality mono soundtrack. The film is stereo for its music only.

Critical response.

The film received mixed reviews from critics. Review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a score 46% based on reviews from 116 critics. Another aggregator Metacritic gave the film an average rating score of 49 out of 100, based on 31 reviews.  Manohla Dargis commended the film in her review for "The New York Times". Although offering criticism such as the film feeling "too lightly polished and often rushed, as if he had directed it with a stopwatch," she suggests that Allen's film "is good enough that you may wonder why he doesn't just stop making comedies once and for all." Roger Ebert compared the film negatively to Sidney Lumet's similarly themed "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead," adding: "The Lumet film uses actors who don't look like brothers but feel like brothers. Allen's actors look like brothers but don't really feel related." He rated the film two out of four stars, and noted that Allen's previous film "Match Point" presented the material more effectively.  Damon Wise of "Empire" magazine concluded that "Cassandra's Dream" was "[a] clumsy, clichéd morality play that may actually represent the lowest point of Allen's recently chequered career." Paul Jordan also compared the film to a morality play—but considered that praise: "Allen gets past the guard of a modern audience which would not have taken seriously the appearance of a Mephistopheles or an Old Scratch. Uncle Howard is a chilling 21st Century Tempter, fulfilling the heart's desire in return for murder and leading his nephews to terrible perdition."  In his "Best of the Decade" article, "New Yorker" critic Richard Brody called "Cassandra's Dream" one of the best films of the 2000s: "Few aging directors so cogently and relentlessly depict the grimly destructive machinery of life, and every time the word 'family' is uttered, the screws tighten just a little more."  In 2016 film critics Robbie Collin and Tim Robey ranked it as one of the worst movies by Woody Allen.

Cassandra's Dream is a 2007 dramatic thriller film written and directed by Woody Allen. Filmed in the United Kingdom, it was released in 2007 in Europe and in January 2008 in the United States. It was developed as a British-French-American co-production.

Cassandras Traum (Originaltitel: "Cassandra’s Dream") ist ein Filmdrama aus dem Jahr 2007 von Woody Allen, der Regie führte und das Drehbuch schrieb.


Design and description.

The last 17 boats of the third batch were significantly modified from the earlier boats. They had a stronger hull, carried more fuel and their armament was revised. The submarines had a length of overall, a beam of and a draft of. They displaced on the surface and submerged. The S-class submarines had a crew of 48 officers and ratings. They had a diving depth of.  For surface running, the boats were powered by two diesel engines, each driving one propeller shaft. When submerged each propeller was driven by a electric motor. They could reach on the surface and underwater. On the surface, the third batch boats had a range of at and at submerged.  "Spur" was armed with six 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes in the bow. She carried six reload torpedoes for a grand total of a dozen torpedoes. Twelve mines could be carried in lieu of the torpedoes. The boat was also equipped with a 4-inch (102 mm) deck gun.

Construction and career.

HMS "Spur" was built by Cammell Laird and launched on 17 November 1944. So far she has been the only ship of the Royal Navy to bear the name "Spur". During her wartime career, "Spur" claimed to have sunk a total of eleven junks in the Strait of Malacca, during her service in the Far East. The boat survived the Second World War and was sold to the Portuguese navy in November 1948, where she was renamed NRP "Narval". She was broken up on 1 October 1969.

HMS "Spur" was a S-class submarine of the third batch built for the Royal Navy during World War II. She survived the war and was sold to Portugal in 1948.

Die HMS Spur (P265) war ein U-Boot der britischen Royal Navy im Zweiten Weltkrieg. Das U-Boot wurde 1948 an Portugal verkauft und diente der portugiesischen Marine mit dem Namen Narval (S160) bis 1969.


Montgó Nature Reserve.

The Montgó Nature Reserve encompasses 2150 hectares (5312 acres) around the mountain. It includes a coastal section that covers over. The Reserve contains important archaeological finds such as cave paintings, Phoenician amphoras and the remains of Iberian settlements. Because of its extraordinary wealth of flora, fauna and ecosystems the park was declared an officially protected nature reserve in 1987. The reserve runs almost parallel to the coastline, joining the coastal area via a flat area known as ‘les Planes’ which ends at Cap de San Antoni.

Formation of the Montgó.

The mountain was formed during the Cretaceous period, some 70 million years ago, when plate tectonic processes forced the African and European continental plates upwards, creating spectacular mountainous landscapes such as that of the Montgó. Over the next few million years, strong erosion and rock slides sculpted it to the shape it has today.  The geological composition of this Nature Reserve is characterized by Cretaceous materials. On the lower parts, marl and marlaceous lime abound, while the escarpments are formed by compact limestone.

Flora.

The geology and climate of the Montgó has fostered more than 650 species of flora. The primitive Mediterranean oak, which once dominated the mountain before over-exploitation by man, is still present, as is Mount Atlas Pistachio, rosemary, white hellebore, rock lavender, marine juniper and cistus.  In the higher more humid areas there are a number of endemic plants such as the "Hippocrepis Valentina" and the Valencian rock violet, as well as the blue Mediterranean fan palm (usually seen in the plains), the only palm species to grow wild in Europe. In addition, the "Carduncellus Dianius" or ‘Hierba Santa’ as it is known in Spanish, is unique and only found here and in Ibiza.  The Montgó flora also includes Kermes oak groves dotted with mastic trees and "rhamnnus alaternus", as well as the Mediterranean scrub. On the summit there is red lavender and Kermes oak. These take over from the communities of holm oak which dominate the more protected areas with deeper soil.  On the cliffs of the Cap de Sant Antoni, the vegetation is characterised by plants adapted to growing in the fissures, cracks and sherves of the cliff, and able to withstand contact with salt water. In the areas closest to the sea, Marine Fennel and the everlasting flower, "Helichrysum decumbens", can be found. As one moves away from the sea and the salinity decreases the valencian rock violet appears as well as cave scabius on the steeper slopes. On more level ground, diannic endemic plants can be found (the town of Denia takes its name from the cult to the Roman goddess Diana) such as the valencian rock violet and also diannic pitiusic vegetation (in reference to the nearby archipelago Pitiusas) such as rock thistle and valerian can be found.  On the plain, as on the hillside, lavender and Kermes oak grow mingled with repopulated aleppo or carrasco pine and vegetation typical of unirrigated land. Shady cliffs, with their increased humidity level, isolation and inaccessibility encourage the growth of endemic plants such as valencian rock violet, Cave Scabius, "Sanguisorba ancistroides", and" Sarcocapnos saetabensis". On wider shelves, a community of Black Sabina and "Chamaerops humilis" has developed. In areas exposed to the sun, various communities of species adapted to high temperatures and scarce humidity levels are located, such as "Chaenorrhinum crassifolium" and "Teucrium hifacense".

Fauna.

The marine bird life comprises the yellow-footed gull ("Larus cachinnans"), Sandwich tern ("Sterna sandvicensis") and Audouin's gull ("Larus audouinii"), amongst other species. The peregrine falcon and the Eurasian eagle owl live on the Montgó as well as eagles, ravens, seagulls and an abundance of other migratory birds. In the higher areas the patiamarilla gull nests and Audouin's gull winters along with Bonelli's eagle.  In total there are eight species of birds of prey in the Montgó Natural Park which have been documented to be breeding. Four of these species are nocturnal (eagle owl, Eurasian scops owl, tawny owl and the little owl) and the other four diurnal (goshawk, peregrine falcon, kestrel and sparrow-hawk). They feed on the many rabbits, foxes, toads, snakes, badgers, dormice, country rats, badgers, gineta, weasels and bats which share their mountain home. Although there is no concrete evidence as yet, it is probable that buzzards, short-toed eagles and the Eleanora's falcon also reproduce in the Montgó park.  Due to shortages of places to collect water, amphibians are rare, although the common toad and the corridor toad ("Bufo calamita") are still found. Reptiles are more frequent, such as the common small lizard, the ocelad lizard, the horseshoe snake, and, most exotically, the Iberian "eslizón". As regards invertebrate species, there are a great number of gasteropedes communities and insects.

Human inhabitants.

The first evidence of human presence on Montgó dates to the Paleolithic period some 30,000 years ago. During this period, small nomadic groups occupied the caves and hills that faced the sea in the Cap de San antoni. The communities lived a hunter-gatherer way of life, and were able to survive thanks to rich fishing grounds, plentiful supply of animals and mild temperatures. Evidence of human presence in past millennia can be seen in the famous paintings in Migdia cave. Elsewhere on the mountain Stone-Age hand-axes and flints have been found along with Roman pottery and Muslim ceramics.  At the beginning of the 10th century the moorish Caliph, Abd ur Rahman the Third, made a special trip from Cordoba to collect over a hundred medicinal herbs from the slopes of Montgó.  At the end of the 19th century, a high demand for raisins led to the cultivation of the Moscatel grape on its slopes. Today, these areas have been largely abandoned due to difficulty in accessibility and non-profitability. Yet some vines, which produce the sweet grape variety, mostly the Mistela of the Marina Alta, as well as some citrus products, are still grown.

Climatic conditions.

Clouds are often seen forming around the peak of Montgó even when the sky is clear elsewhere. This is caused by Orographic lift. Humid air from the Mediterranean is forced up towards the summit of the Montgó, then condenses and falls as rain. Despite its dry and austere appearance, rain is common on the mountain, with peak precipitation occurring between September and November. However, during the summer there is often a long period of drought.

Climbing the Montgó.

It is possible to climb to the top of Montgó from all sides. The excursion leads through numerous eco-systems: stony terrain, croplands, pine forests and scrub land. The ascent takes about four hours. At the summit of Montgó one will find the remains of the Casa de Biot, an Iberian settlement of the eighth century B.C. From the summit there are magnificent views of the coast and the sea and on a clear day, Ibiza can be seen.

Legislation protecting the Montgó.

Decree 25/87 issued on March 16, 1987 by the Consell of the Generalitat Valenciana declared the Montgó a Natural Park. This decree has since been modified by Ordinance 110/92. Law 5/88 issued on June 24, 1988 by the Generalitat Valenciana protects the nature reserves of the Province of Valencia.

Montgó () is a mountain in Alicante Province, Spain, which rises to. It is the last spur on the Cordillera Prebética Mountain Range and is located in the Marina Alta region in the north of Alicante between the towns of Dénia and Xàbia. The mountain rises dramatically from the valley floors surrounding it and dominates the skyline for miles around. Its craggy cliffs are home to some of the most unusual flora and fauna in Spain. The mountain is renowned for its rock formations, cliffs, caves and natural harbours. From the Xàbia side Montgó is often said to resemble the head and trunk of an elephant. The mountain can be easily reached by highway CV-736 which links Denia with Jávea, both of which are accessible via the AP-7 motorway or the N-332 national highway.

Der Montgó (seltener auch Mongó) ist ein Berg im Südosten Spaniens, im Norden der Costa Blanca, in der Nähe der Küstenstädte Dénia und Xàbia mit einer Höhe von. Der Montgó selbst und das ihn umgebende Gebiet ist Naturschutzgebiet („Parc Natural el Montgó“).


Publication history.

Created by Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz, Silver Sable first appeared in "The Amazing Spider-Man" #265 (June 1985). The inspiration for the character comes from safari cards bought by DeFalco. After her debut, she made occasional appearances in various Spider-Man titles, often (but not always) as an ally. Marvel Comics began to publish the series "Silver Sable and The Wild Pack" in June 1992, written by Gregory Wright and penciled by Steven Butler. This series lasted for 35 issues, until it was canceled in 1995.  After the cancellation, Silver made occasional guest appearances in various comics. A limited series titled "Sable and Fortune" and featuring Silver Sable and Dominic Fortune began in 2006. Originally solicited as a six issue series, "Sable and Fortune" was later shortened to four issues.

Fictional character biography.

The operations of Wild Pack and Silver Sable International drive the national economy of the fictional small European state of Symkaria. The name "Wild Pack" had been used by the mercenary squad led by Cable for some time, until a legal notice forced them to change it to "Six Pack".  The State of Symkaria is adjacent to Latveria, the nation ruled by Doctor Doom. Silver Sable and Victor Von Doom have an annual diplomatic dinner at Castle Doom, situated in Doomstadt. Apparently, the friendship between the two states is deep-rooted and dates back to World War II.  The family of Silver Sable is composed of her father Ernst Sablinov, her uncle Morty, and the young cousin Anna, who Silver Sable calls her niece, orphaned daughter of an unnamed uncle. Silver's mother, Anastasia Sablinova, was killed in front of her by enemies of her father, who ran a Nazi-hunting group. After this traumatic event, she was trained by her father to become a Nazi-hunting mercenary. After her father's death, she became the leader of the Wild Pack, a team formed by Ernst to apprehend international criminals. She also founded her own company, the Silver Sable International. Like her father's, Sable's squad originally focused on bringing Nazi war criminals to justice, but over time they started to accept other type of missions for profit.  Silver was briefly married to the Foreigner, an international assassin and the head of the 1400 Club, but they divorced after she discovered his attempt to kill the President of U.S. After that, their relation varied between non-belligerent and attempts to kill one another.  Uncle Morty functions as Sable's assistant, organizing some missions and sometimes trying to influence her sense of judgement. Silver supports Anna's boarding school education. When HYDRA agents took over Anna's school, Sable infiltrated it, rescuing the hostages with the help of Spider-Man, Sandman, and the Wild Pack.  While hunting the international criminal Black Fox to recover valuable gems stolen by the thief, she was inadvertently thwarted by Spider-Man. She was later hired by a South African government to neutralize the international terrorist Jack O'Lantern. She enlisted Spider-Man's aid against the Sinister Syndicate, and forms a first alliance with the Sandman. Some time later, she joined forces with Spider-Man, Paladin, Solo, and Captain America to track down Sabretooth and the Red Skull, who masterminded a plot to put the United States against Symkaria. She later worked with Spider-Man to steal incriminating documents from a Maggia money launderer; soon after, she formed The Outlaws. An intelligence mission in Iraq resulted in the death of a Wild Pack member, and she denied compensation to the slain man's family due to his negligence. She devised an initiation test for the Prowler to join The Outlaws, while teaching him a lesson in humility in the process. She hired The Outlaws to retrieve a Symkarian nuclear device in England and to rescue the kidnapped daughter of a Canadian official.  Sable's cordial diplomatic relationship with Doctor Doom once proved almost fatal when the annual dinner happened to fall on the time when Doctor Doom's castle had been overtaken by an alien impersonator during the Infinity War crisis. Although Silver noticed that the doppelgänger looked differently, she interpreted it as Doom's desires to change his look. During the dinner, Sable's driver was killed by Doom's robots and a human butler was killed by the doppelgänger himself. Sable protested the brutality and was attacked herself, leading to a chase throughout the castle. The Silver Sable International's solder came to rescue her, despite Sandman himself also having been replaced by another doppelgänger.  Silver has collaborated with various superheroes, including the aforementioned Spider-Man, the Punisher, Daredevil, Luke Cage, Venom, and Captain America. Sandman was a mercenary working for Silver Sable as part of her Wild Pack for a long time, heading The Intruders, the squad of superpowered mercenaries employed by Silver Sable International.  Later, Sable was hired to protect Professor Wolfgang Hessler holed up in the Symkarian monastery of St. Eboars. Wolfgang knew of a powerful genetic weapon and, attacked by guilt, was working on a neutralizing agent to give to the world so the weapon would be useless. For this mission, Silver Sable hired a new team formed by, Paladin, and what she thought was Nomad but turned out to be Madcap. The group fought the Heroes for Hire, who had been hired to take the Professor. Sable's team had the upper hand until Deadpool freed his Heroes allies and Luke Cage turned out to be a traitor, sending the Professor off to the Master of the World.  During the "Shadowland" storyline, Silver Sable ended up paired up with Misty Knight, Paladin, and Shroud when Daredevil's Hand ninjas secretly targeted members of the mafia.  During the "Ends of the Earth" storyline involving one of Doctor Octopus' schemes, Silver Sable recovered Spider-Man and Black Widow after the Avengers are defeated by the Sinister Six. She joined them in an attack on a Sahara facility controlled by Doctor Octopus, with the three defeating Sandman after Spider-Man's allies at Horizon Labs helped determine a way to identify the one particle of sand containing Sandman's consciousness. She was apparently drowned by the Rhino in the final battle when Rhino pinned her to the ground in a flooding corridor in Doctor Octopus' base. Even though Doctor Octopus' plan had been stopped, Rhino also decided to kill himself in the process after the loss of his own wife. However, Madame Web later revealed to Spider-Man that Silver Sable did not perish in the fight within Doctor Octopus' underwater base.  She was later seen with other dead people in a Peter Parker's post-mortem experience.  She has later revealed to be alive, as she requested Spider-Man's help in thwarting a recent coup of Symkaria organized by Norman Osborn. Sable explained that she had survived her confrontation with the Rhino by using her suit to cloak herself, distracting him long enough for her to escape, using her apparent death to discreetly hunt down most of her enemies.

Powers, abilities, and equipment.

Silver Sable is an athletic woman with no superhuman powers. She is a formidable hand-to-hand combatant, and skilled in various martial arts. She is also an expert marksman, swordsman, and gymnast. Silver Sable also possesses strong leadership capabilities.  Silver Sable wears synthetic stretch fabric lined with Kevlar throughout the torso. She often carries a katana, chais (three-pronged half-moon throwing projectiles), a stun gun, and a derringer. Silver Sable generally has the latest technology and equipment at her disposal, provided by Silver Sable International.

Other versions.

Spider-Verse.

In the "Spider-Verse" storyline, a character resembling Silver Sable but called Sable appears as a member of the Hounds who work for Verna of the Inheritors. She and the other Hounds accompany Verna to Earth-1610 to hunt Miles Morales. She is killed by the Superior Spider-Man, and his allies Spider-Punk and Assassin Spider-Man.

Ultimate Marvel.

The Ultimate Marvel iteration of Silver Sable is the mercenary leader of the Wild Pack. A mercenary from Symkaria, she had a troubled childhood, apparently ignored by her father and abused by her alcoholic mother. In reality, her father hunted Nazis and she forgave him at his deathbed, deciding to follow his footsteps. While an antagonist to Spider-Man, she is not actually a villain so much as a bounty hunter, and she holds no particular ill-will towards Spider-Man.  As the central antagonist in the "Silver Sable" story arc, Silver Sable was hired by Donald Roxxon to capture Spider-Man for questioning. After weeks of tracking, Sable's mercenaries mistakenly captured Flash Thompson. As they discussed whether to murder Thompson to prevent him from identifying them, Flash escaped. Sable's Wild Pack later captured and brought Spider-Man to Roxxon, who wanted to know why Spider-Man had been defending his company from super villain attacks. Not believing Spider-Man's explanation that he was only in a position to defend the company through sheer chance, Sable and Roxxon ran a background check on him, but this caused a high level S.H.I.E.L.D. alert. While listening to Roxxon's argument for protection, Sable's Wild Pack were attacked by the Vulture. After escaping the chaos, Sable threateningly demanded Roxxon to pay the reward money and swore she will kill Roxxon if their names were told to the authorities.  During the "War of the Symbiotes" story arc, Silver Sable and her Wild Pack members were hired by Bolivar Trask to capture Eddie Brock Jr. Sable and the Pack captured Venom after a fight with Spider-Man. However, Sable spared Spider-Man from being taken by the Wild Pack as a thanks for subduing Venom. After delivering Venom to Trask, Sable's Wild Pack provided security for Trask's experiment to remove the Venom symbiote. However, the Beetle breached the facility, paralyzing Sable with knockout gas. Sable's Wild Pack later fought with the Venom symbiote after it abandoned Brock and possessed Spider-Man. Sable's Wild Pack tried to subdue Venom, but were unable to do so until the Ultimates arrived. Despite trying to escape, the Ultimates took the Wild Pack into custody, with Sable being tranquilized by the Wasp. Sable and the Pack were then imprisoned by S.H.I.E.L.D.

What If?

In the "What If?" storyline "What If Spider-man had married the Black Cat?", after Black Cat was accidentally killed by the Paladin, Silver Sable and Spider-Man entered into a romantic relationship due to their shared grief over the loss of their loved ones. Uatu the Watcher left it ambiguous whether this relationship will work out or not.

In other media.

Television.

Live-action.

Sony cancelled its planned female team-up film "Silver & Black" in August 2018 with the intention of reworking it as two separate solo films focusing on each of the title characters, Black Cat and Silver Sable. "Silver & Black"s planned director Gina Prince-Bythewood was expected to remain involved as a producer. By January 2020, the project was believed to be in development as a television series, which Prince-Bythewood confirmed in April 2020. She suggested that it could be a limited series and that had the potential to be released on Disney+.

Film.

In March 2017, it was reported that Sony Pictures was developing a Black Cat and Silver Sable-centered film with writer Christopher Yost. It was intended to be a part of a shared universe called Sony Pictures Universe of Marvel Characters, centered on characters from the "Spider-Man" mythology, beginning with "Venom" in 2018. The film was to be more adult-oriented and though it would have taken place in the same reality as the Marvel Cinematic Universe, they would have not crossed over with each other. In May 2017, it was announced that Gina Prince-Bythewood would direct the film, now titled "Silver & Black". Production was to begin in March 2018, but the film was later delayed "indefinitely". Prince-Bythewood revealed that the cause of the delay was due to script issues. While the film was initially scheduled to be released on February 8, 2019, Sony removed the release date from the schedule.  In August 2018, Sony announced that "Silver & Black" was canceled in favor of having both characters having their own feature films. "Black Cat" was reportedly be a re-worked version of the "Silver & Black" script, while the studio searches for screenwriters for "Silver Sable". Prince-Bythewood will serve as a producer on both projects. The film is believed to be cancelled in favour of the proposed live-action television series.

Silver Sable (Silver Sablinova) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She is a mercenary, hunter of war criminals, leader of the Wild Pack, and owner of Silver Sable International. Although sometimes a legitimate mercenary, her methods and motives have sometimes brought her into conflict with other superheroes. Occasionally, she is seen as an ally of Spider-Man and other heroes.

Silver Sable ist ein weiblicher Comic-Charakter und eine Comicreihe von Marvel Comics. Markant an dieser Söldnerin, die für das Gute kämpft, ist ihr langes weißes Haar sowie die Tatsache, dass sie fast immer eine Schusswaffe und/oder ein Schwert bei sich trägt.