Autobiography: historical, political and military Books

706 products


  • The Rise and Fall of the Pahlavi Dynasty: Memoirs

    Motilal Banarsidass, The Rise and Fall of the Pahlavi Dynasty: Memoirs

    15 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    15 in stock

    £30.39

  • Rupa Publications India Pvt Ltd. One Life is not Enough: An Autobiography

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    1 in stock

    £27.14

  • Deep & Deep Publications Autobiographical Writings of Mahatma Gandhi

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    1 in stock

    £14.24

  • Restless as Mercury: Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

    Rupa Publications India Pvt Ltd. Restless as Mercury: Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisM.K. Gandhi's autobiography, "The Story of My Experiments with Truth," reveals his life, family, work, challenges, fasts, jail stints, and political engagements in South Africa. Divided into six books, it portrays his evolution into a leader of disciplined mass movements before returning to India in 1914.

    1 in stock

    £27.74

  • Upendra Nath Banerjee: Memoirs Of A Revolutionary

    Vitasta Publishing Pvt.Ltd Upendra Nath Banerjee: Memoirs Of A Revolutionary

    5 in stock

    Book SynopsisWithin the pages of this book lie the forgotten chapters of Bengal''s revolutionary history; the stories of those unsung heroes of our freedom struggle, whose legacies have been lost in the elusive shadows of time. What remains are their names etched on unfamiliar roadssilent reminders that are rarely acknowledged or retained in the memories of those who pass. Amidst the vibrant streets of Kolkata, there is an Upendra Nath Banerjee Road, a tribute to a fearless revolutionary and thinker and his immense contribution to our freedom movement, but few may appreciate the sacrifices of the person it honours. Memoirs of a Revolutionary, a translation of the Bengali classic, Nirbasiter Atmakatha, Upendra Nath Banerjee wrote himself.

    5 in stock

    £15.99

  • 1 in stock

    £22.90

  • Peeters Publishers A Curious and Convivial Traveller: Edward Roger

    7 in stock

    Book SynopsisIn 2001 the British Museum acquired the first of two ancient Egyptian stelae from the collection of the traveller Edward Roger Pratt (1789-1863) of Ryston Hall, Norfolk, and discovered his 1832-34 unpublished journals for Greece and Egypt and the 136-page album with his own drawings, watercolours, and paper impressions of bas-reliefs from a solo Nile voyage to the Second Cataract. Pratt recorded ancient monuments and sites, many later damaged or destroyed. In Greece Pratt travelled widely and adventurously with scholarly architects and artists studying ancient Greek sites, while in Egypt his guides were the works of the French Egyptologists Jean-François Champollion and Dominique Vivant Denon. A gregarious and enthusiastic traveller, Pratt was supported by extensive consular networks, expatriate communities and other travellers. In this volume his life and travels are reconstructed from his many journals, the travel journals for Greece and Egypt are transcribed and annotated, his maps and plans reproduced, his dispersed antiquities collection reconstructed, and the album drawings are identified and published in colour.

    7 in stock

    £138.75

  • Serving India: A Political Biography of Subimat

    Manohar Publishers and Distributors Serving India: A Political Biography of Subimat

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisThis is the first academic biography of Subimal Dutt, best known as India's longest serving Foreign Secretary, covering the nearly nine eventful decades of his life. It tells the story how a Bengali village boy without any connections had one of the most distinguished careers of his generation without ever forgetting his roots. Struggling all his life between professional ambition and deep spirituality, Dutt never transformed into one of those brown Englishmen' so typical of South Asia's civil servants, but remained a strictly impartial, straightforward and incorruptible officer of as he formulated it himself the vernacular type'. Intellect and discipline brought him into the Indian Civil Service and soon to Delhi, where he excelled as an outstanding administrator and moved into the field of foreign relations.

    1 in stock

    £59.84

  • Turning Points:: A Journey Through Challenges

    HarperCollins India Turning Points:: A Journey Through Challenges

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    1 in stock

    £7.64

  • Never Tell Them we are the Same people: Notes on

    Speaking Tiger Publishing Private Limited Never Tell Them we are the Same people: Notes on

    7 in stock

    Book SynopsisSo while the army was now led by non-fanatical professional, religious fundamentalists with little electoral clout could still openly hurl obscenities about Benazir at a PPP rally.

    7 in stock

    £14.99

  • My Life in Indian Politics

    HarperCollins India My Life in Indian Politics

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisIn this candid account of her life, Kidwai assesses not just her own contribution to public life, but also provides an honest appraisal of the turn in fortunes of the political party she has remained a loyal member of. The reader is treated to rare glimpses into the homes, lives and the hurly-burly of election campaigns over the decades.

    2 in stock

    £20.42

  • Double 9 Books Eminent Victorians

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisEminent Victorians is a seminal work of biography and social commentary published by British writer and critic Lytton Strachey. By offering four unique portrayals of notable Victorian people, the book challenges the standard approach to biography. Cardinal Manning, Florence Nightingale, Dr. Thomas Arnold, and General Charles Gordon are among Strachey's subjects. Strachey takes a sarcastic and critical perspective to their lives, rather than offering hagiographic narratives. He examines their shortcomings, paradoxes, and character complexity, presenting the human side of these great figures. Strachey's style is funny and astute, providing readers with a new perspective on these great figures. When it was initially released, the book's satirical tone and unorthodox biographical format generated quite a stir. Strachey's presentation of these illustrious Victorians as flawed and deficient questioned the conventional veneration for the era's heroes and heroines. Eminent Victorians is more than just a biography compilation; it's a critique of the Victorian society and beliefs that these figures embodied. Strachey's work was influential in altering the biography genre and encouraging a more nuanced and critical assessment of historical characters.

    1 in stock

    £13.49

  • Doing Time with Nehru – The Story of an

    Zubaan Doing Time with Nehru – The Story of an

    4 in stock

    Book SynopsisIt’s midnight and there are fists pounding on the door. Authoritative voices shouting, “We’re coming in! Get on the floor!” A few terrorized minutes later a family member is dragged out by armed men, disappearing into the night. This scenario is the greatest fear of many twentieth-century families—and to the unlucky, it’s a lived reality. For the ethnic Chinese who had been settled in Northern India for many years, 1962 was filled with moments of terror like these. After the Sino-Indian Border War broke out in 1962, on the authorization of Prime Minister Nehru more than two thousand Chinese-Indians were torn from their homes and placed in local jails before being transported more than one thousand miles to the Deoli internment camp in the Rajasthan desert. Born in Calcutta in 1949 and raised in Darjeeling, Yin Marsh was just thirteen years old when first her father was taken and then she, her grandmother, and eight year old brother were forcibly removed from their home and thrown first into Darjeeling Jail. Upon arrival in Deoli, Yin and her family were assigned to the same bungalow where Prime Minister Nehru himself had done time during India’s war for independence. Eventually released, Yin emigrated to America with her mother. She attended college, married, and raised her own family, all without telling the story of her emotional trauma. It wasn’t until her own college-age daughter began to ask questions and when a friend’s wedding would require her to return to her homeland that Yin was finally able to face what had happened to her and her family. In the fascinating memoir Doing Time with Nehru, the little-known history of how the Chinese were treated in post-Independence India is brought to light and through Yin’s story, readers can glimpse the hardship, cruelty, and harsh lessons required for survival.

    4 in stock

    £11.50

  • When People Doubted My Ability to Walk I Decided

    Pentagon Press When People Doubted My Ability to Walk I Decided

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe very existence of everything in this world is from absolute nothing. You need darkness to feel the presence of light!As I sat down in the chaotic Mumbai suburbs trying to fathom limitless sea of human population around me, it made me realise that there is no limit to the limitlessness. For all who have spent even a little of their time in Mumbai would understand what the city teaches them.... to celebrate humanity. Humanity in all its manifestations; Good, bad, ugly, it doesn’t matter.Born in these very bylanes of the `city limitless` was a child who decided to fly when people doubted his ability to walk!

    1 in stock

    £8.76

  • Autobiography Of Benjamin Franklin: Edited By

    Lector House Autobiography Of Benjamin Franklin: Edited By

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    1 in stock

    £13.30

  • Escape from Pakistan: A War Hero's Chronicle

    OM Books International Escape from Pakistan: A War Hero's Chronicle

    4 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    4 in stock

    £16.98

  • My Inventions: The Autobiography of Nikola Tesla

    www.bnpublishing.com My Inventions: The Autobiography of Nikola Tesla

    15 in stock

    15 in stock

    £12.34

  • Portrait of a Holocaust Child: Memories &

    Gefen Publishing House Portrait of a Holocaust Child: Memories &

    2 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    2 in stock

    £14.39

  • Never Again! Yet Again!: A Personal Struggle with

    Gefen Publishing House Never Again! Yet Again!: A Personal Struggle with

    4 in stock

    Book SynopsisIn this remarkable introduction, Stephen D Smith, the new Executive Director of the USC Shoah Foundation Institute for Visual History and Education, describes the inspiring journey he and his family took in creating the first Holocaust centre in Britain. This story was written in response to many questions. It replies with a powerful challenge to all who think that ''never again'' is really worth the struggle. The Australian Centre for Jewish Civilisation hosts this lecture by Stephen Smith, the new director of the Shoah Foundation Institute at the University of Southern California and co-founder of the Aegis Trust. In his powerful address, Smith discusses the past century of crimes against humanity and genocide: the links between them, and the ways to understand them in order to avoid them in the future.

    4 in stock

    £14.39

  • From the Holocaust to a New Dawn

    Gefen Publishing House From the Holocaust to a New Dawn

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    1 in stock

    £22.09

  • Theodor Herzl: A New Reading

    Gefen Publishing House Theodor Herzl: A New Reading

    2 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    2 in stock

    £26.34

  • On the Wings of Faith

    Gefen Publishing House On the Wings of Faith

    3 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    3 in stock

    £26.34

  • A Time to Kill, A Time to Heal: An Israeli Navy

    Gefen Publishing House A Time to Kill, A Time to Heal: An Israeli Navy

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    1 in stock

    £17.09

  • Me Llamo Rigoberta Menchu y As

    Siglo XXI Ediciones Me Llamo Rigoberta Menchu y As

    15 in stock

    15 in stock

    £19.13

  • The Manley Memoirs

    Ian Randle Publishers,Jamaica The Manley Memoirs

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisFrom stationmaster’s daughter to wife of one of Jamaica’s most charismatic prime ministers, Beverley Manley’s life has been an odyssey. As a young girl, starved of her mother’s love because she was darker than her siblings and forced to do housework while her sisters relaxed, Beverley was a modern-day Cinderella. Her adolescent years were painful, having to carry the burden of her self-loathing, the feeling of inferiority within her own family and the constant echo of her mother’s voice telling her she was good for nothing. However, Beverley defied her mother’s prophecy, and triumphed over her `ordinary’ beginnings first as a model in Jamaica and later becoming a household name on radio, television and the local stage. It was her path at the then Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation (JBC) that would lead her directly to Michael Manley and ultimately to Jamaica House. Marriage to Michael also led to her political awakening; not content to being the docile wife, Beverley assumed an activist role in the governing People’s National Party (PNP), becoming embroiled in the ideological politics of the 1970s that would eventually lead to her estrangement from Michael and the painful self-assessment that came with his affairs and her own. The resulting termination of their marriage forced on her a self-imposed exile in the US where she took refuge from the ire of the Jamaican elite for daring to walk out on one of their own. But Beverley was to redeem herself and earn new respect as a broadcaster, commentator and incisive interviewer on the immensely popular and innovative Breakfast Club radio show. Now older and much wiser, Beverley tells it like it is in this intriguing and revealing memoir. It is a rags to riches story – almost; a story of triumph and loss; of rising again and finally of redemption.

    15 in stock

    £19.42

  • the lives & times of hrh

    Ridge Books the lives & times of hrh

    10 in stock

    Book SynopsisHerman Hochstadt, or hrh, as he is better known, joined Singapore’s civil service in 1960, rising quickly to the position of principal secretary for Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, and later serving as Permanent Secretary in key ministries like Finance and Defense. hrh had an unusual ability to inspire those working for him, and his signature wit and charm are on display in this winning memoir, which deftly weaves together stories of his career and some of the key moments of Singapore’s development. He begins with his Eurasian family’s history in Singapore, including that of his grandfather, John Hochstadt, who founded the Singapore Casket Company. He continues through his childhood, detailing an education that was interrupted by the Japanese occupation, before moving on to his working life, which included influential positions throughout the public and private sectors. Full of warmth and humor, the lives and times of hrh traces a life dedicated to public service in Singapore, from its time as a crown colony through its evolution to the Republic of Singapore.Trade Review“His amusing and frank accounts of how he worked with Lee Kuan Yew during his long career in the Singapore civil service make his autobiography valuable to readers interested in knowing more about Lee’s relationship with his civil service. . . . From reading Hochstadt’s autobiography, the reader gets a sense of how crucial the well-educated University of Malaya graduates were to maintaining and increasing the civil service’s efficiency and expertise, working with the political leaders to implement their policies in an era of early nation-building.” * Journal of the Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society *Best Nonfiction Title, 2021 * Singapore Book Awards *Table of Contents 1. The Hochstadt Family: Early History 2. Pre-War Years and the Japanese Occupation 3. The Hochstadt House at 14 Parkstone Road 4. Schooldays 5. University Days 6. Working Life: The Early Years 7. PMO & More 8. United Nations in New York, London, Nairobi, Dar-es-Salaam, Lusaka, Blantyre, Cairo, Tunis, Algiers, Paris, Belgrade, Moscow, New Delhi, Rangoon, Phnom Penh & Bangkok 9. Ministry of Interior & Defence 10. Ministry of Finance: First Homecoming 11. Ministry of Communication 12. Ministry of Education 13. Monetary Authority of Singapore, Ministry of Finance - Final Homecoming - Ministry of Law & Retirement 14. Afterlife: Non-Resident High Commissioner 15. Afterlife: Singapore Turf Club 16. Afterlife: Export Credit Insurance Corporation 17. Afterlife: Neptune Orient Lines & Maritime Holdings 18. Afterlife: Singapore Casket Company 19. Afterlife: Eurasian Association 20. Epilogue

    10 in stock

    £27.95

  • Home Is Not Here

    NUS Press Home Is Not Here

    10 in stock

    Book SynopsisOne of Asia’s most important public intellectuals, Wang Gungwu is best-known for his explorations of Chinese history in the long view, and for his writings on the Chinese overseas. Here the historian of grand themes turns to the intimate scale of a single life history: his own. "As someone who has studied history for much of my life, I have found the past fascinating. But it has always been some grand and even intimidating universe that I wanted to unpick and explain to myself.... While we talk grandly of the importance of history, we can be insensitive to what people felt and thought.... In time, I realized how partial my understanding of the past was." Wang was born in Surabaya, Java, but his parents’ orientation was always to China; they had travelled to Southeast Asia to help in the education of the Chinese overseas. Wang grew up in the plural, multiethnic town of Ipoh, Malaya, now Malaysia, was educated at home in the Confucian classics and in English medium schools as a colonial subject. He proceeded from Ipoh to National Central University in Nanjing to study alongside some of the finest of his generation of Chinese undergraduates. The victory of Mao Zedong’s Communist Party interrupted his education, and he ends this volume with his return to Malaya. Wise and moving, this is a fascinating reflection on family, identity and belonging, and on the ability of the individual to find a place amidst the historical currents that have shaped Asia and the world.Trade Review"A charming, intimate, and modest autobiography of the childhood and schooling of a great historian of China." -Ezra Vogel, Harvard University"The book is neither overly dramatic nor flowery, but straightforward and written with measured sentimentality and reflection." — Asian Review of Books

    10 in stock

    £17.06

  • From Estate to  Embassy: Memories of an

    Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Pte Ltd From Estate to Embassy: Memories of an

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisThis biography documents K. Kesavapany’s journey from the Malayan estates in the late 1930s to his move to Singapore when he was headhunted to join the Singapore Civil Service in the 1970s, and from his entry into Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) to his subsequent sojourns abroad, such as in Australia, Turkey, Geneva, Jordan, Indonesia, Russia, United Kingdom and Malaysia. After retiring from his last post with the MFA, he took on the position of Director of the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies at the National University of Singapore. This book also elaborates on the next phase of his journey where he holds several prominent portfolios in Singapore’s social and academic scene, such as at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, Dyslexia Association of Singapore, Singapore Indian Association, Inter-Religious Organization, as well as the Singapore International Foundation.

    15 in stock

    £12.74

  • Hong Kong Confidential: Life as a Subversive

    Blacksmith Books Hong Kong Confidential: Life as a Subversive

    2 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    2 in stock

    £14.39

  • My Life, My Purpose: A Tanzanian President

    Mkuki na Nyota Publishers My Life, My Purpose: A Tanzanian President

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    1 in stock

    £38.00

  • Zev's Los Angeles: From Boyle Heights to the

    Academic Studies Press Zev's Los Angeles: From Boyle Heights to the

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisA LA Times Bestseller“…[A] compelling history of our city’s last half century, as conveyed through the life of one of our most impactful leaders. …” — Los Angeles Mayor Karen BassThis is the story of Zev Yaroslavsky, the son of Ukrainian Jews who immigrated to the United States in the early 1920s. His memoir charts the journey of a young social activist who battled to free Soviet Jews before becoming one of the most consequential elected officials in Southern California. Fiercely independent, he combined an activist’s passion with a seasoned politician’s skill to challenge the region’s power brokers. He fought the Los Angeles Police Department’s excessive force and political spying policies, led the effort to ban local taxes from funding the 1984 Olympics, teamed with President Clinton to avert a catastrophic county bankruptcy, helped develop L.A.’s modern transit system, won a bruising battle with real estate interests to save the Santa Monica Mountains from rapacious development, and was pivotal in the development of Walt Disney Concert Hall and the modernization of the iconic Hollywood Bowl. “I may be part of the establishment,” he said on the day he was first sworn into office, “but the establishment is not part of me.” Trade Review“Zev’s Los Angeles is a compelling history of our city’s last half century, as conveyed through the life of one of our most impactful leaders.Zev Yaroslavsky’s career in public service spanned Los Angeles’ emergence as a global city and some of its most trying times. His personal story is essential to understanding where our city is today, and where L.A. and the nation's cities are headed in the future. A must read for anyone curious about leadership and governing in changing and challenging times.” — Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass“In his upcoming memoir, Zev Yaroslavsky takes readers on an uplifting and inspiring journey of personal faith, public service, and the shaping of Los Angeles. The son of Jewish immigrants from Ukraine, his story is a quintessentially American one. From modest beginnings, Yaroslavsky left a lasting mark through his work on expanding health care, implementing innovative housing programs, and growing our city’s public transportation network. Zev gives readers an inside look into the life of one of the most empathic and effective leaders I’ve known, as well as insight into the challenges he overcame along the way. This memoir is for any reader looking for inspiration about their own ability to effect change in their community.”— U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)“Zev’s Los Angeles: From Boyle Heights to the Halls of Power, the autobiography of, well, Zev, revisits the period in which Los Angeles became what we know today: big and complex, multiracial, exciting, divided and far deeper than what meets the eye. Zev Yaroslavsky left a lasting mark on L.A. over decades on the City Council and the Board of Supervisors, and his thoughtful reflections earn his memoir an honored place in the history he helped make and now helps to understand. … Aided by former Los Angeles Times writer Josh Getlin, Yaroslavsky manages the dual tales of his own life and the broader L.A. story. The result is satisfying at every level: a solid history, an insightful analysis of power and a sincere reflection on a life of service.”— Jim Newton, Los Angeles Times“In Yaroslavsky’s book… you surely learn a lot about local politics… But there’s another set of lessons embedded in this memoir, about what it looks like to animate one’s values and honor one’s heritage while engaged in the deeply transactional and often cynical day-to-day of politics. … The long arc of his career combines idealism, ethical behavior — in four decades, not a whiff of scandal — and service to the greater good, the community. … That is to say, Yaroslasvky, who retired in 2014, left the city far better than he found it. God knows there’s still a lot left for a new generation of politicians to do. They have a fine example to follow.”— Rob Eshman, The Forward“Los Angeles can be harder to understand than most big cities. … Move to Boston or New York, and those cities will teach you how to be a Bostonian or a New Yorker. Move to Los Angeles, and the metropolis will more or less lie there, unfurled and opaque, awaiting instructions. … The place doesn’t tend to define its people. The people, in the aggregate, define the place. How that works is the subject of a new book by Zev Yaroslavsky, who has been a Los Angeles civic leader for the last five decades. … The book… is billed as a political memoir, but it is also a history of the people and policies that have shaped the city.”— Shawn Hubler, New York Times (California Today)“Yaroslavsky—former City Councilman, now retired from the County Board of Supervisors—has written, with Josh Getlin, an account of his years in government that will impress the most jaded critic. … Yaroslavsky writes that he intended his book to be ‘a history as much as a memoir,’ and the result is a studied account, written with an evident eye on posterity. … Yaroslavsky has provided an engrossing account of a tumultuous era and the often-subterranean battles that have shaped the city of Los Angeles. He may even give the reader a new appreciation for the work of a politician.”— Kathleen Hayes, The Jewish Journal“Zev Yaroslavsky led a long and highly productive political career that deserves proper ink. His history is our history… I highly recommend Zev’s Los Angeles to anyone who cares about the future of Los Angeles, especially those considering getting into politics or public service. … Zev’s book gives the reader an insider’s look at all Zev helped get done while in office. It’s a rather remarkable list, really. While reading this book, you will feel like you are right there in the meetings with him as he dashed about, pulling every lever of power he could in pursuit of a good cause. … Public policy can be dry, boring, and wonky. This book is anything but.”— Jeff Hall, Brentwood News“The son of Ukrainian immigrants turned one of the most important politicians in post-World War II Los Angeles walks readers through his life and career with anecdotes and asides in a style that’s just like him — plain-spoken, insightful, confident and crusading.”— Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times (California Column)“Zev's Los Angeles is a peerless guide to the history, politics, and culture of the City of Angels. No one knows L.A. better. And no one conveys it in precisely this way—spellbinding, unvarnished, and yet elegant. It reads as if Zev were doing what he does best--holding court with that mix of photographic recall, a penchant for the piquant, the unmistakable no-nonsense style, and the staggering command of policy. This book is, at once, the story of one man's undying commitment to his city, a brilliant and revealing biography of LA, and a first-class primer on how to forge good governance at the local level. It should be of interest to all who are interested in how a city works—and how it should work.”— David Myers, Distinguished Professor and Sady and Ludwig Kahn Chair in Jewish History, University of California, Los Angeles“Politicians often avoid risk until they are forced to do the right thing. Not Zev. With little political upside, he aggressively stood up for all civil rights, stared down LAPD bullies, and championed women’s rights. Throughout his 40-year career, he wielded political power not for himself, but to right wrongs. He passionately lived up to his oath of office—to faithfully protect and defend the Constitution. He has earned my respect and my friendship.”— Connie Rice, Civil Rights Lawyer, Author of Power Concedes Nothing“Zev Yaroslavsky will be remembered as one of L.A.’s most consequential public officials. He played a central role in nearly every major public policy from his upset 1975 council election in 1975 to his retirement as a county supervisor in 2014. This remarkable political autobiography offers one person’s journey through L.A.’s modern history. With acute perceptions, deep feeling, and detailed insider recollections of the key players and dramas, Yaroslavsky takes the reader from his family roots in the Russia empire to the swirling multiethnic and radical politics of Boyle Heights, to his efforts on behalf of Soviet Jewry, to navigating the changing L.A. political scene through massive crises. In so doing, Yaroslavsky links his own story to the larger L.A. narrative. The book stands as an invaluable resource for students of public service in troubled times, and for those who hope to understand this complicated, ever-hopeful, and diverse region.”— Raphael J. Sonenshein, Executive Director, Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs, California State University, Los Angeles “Zev’s Los Angeles… works precisely because, like Zev, the tone is earnest. Over a long career of working through the endless bureaucracy that characterizes local politics, not to mention having to weather complaints from all sides of the Jewish community, Zev never lost sight of his dedication to serve the public good. … In this sea of cynicism, Zev has offered us a testament to the power of earnestness, a power rooted in one of our most precious resources: trust. … The key lesson I gleaned from Zev’s book is that you can be hip and cool and the world’s greatest schmoozer, but if you really want to accomplish good stuff in life, it’s best to be earnest. … It may even get people to like you.” — David Suissa, Jewish Journal (Editor's Note)“In this compelling memoir, Zev Yaroslavsky chronicles Los Angeles’ evolution into one of the world’s great cultural capitals and his role in that transformation. From Disney Hall and the Hollywood Bowl, to the L.A. Opera, to the region’s museums and more—his influence in expanding L.A.’s cultural footprint is a remarkable legacy. I have been privileged to share many of the challenges and exciting moments in that history.”— James Conlon, Music Director, Los Angeles Opera, International Conductor“At a time of highly polarized, partisan politics, Zev Yaroslavsky’s memoir offers an insightful and very personal view of an era when Los Angeles leaders came together to tackle the most difficult issues facing the region, from police accountability and preserving green space, to protecting the region’s fragile safety net and expanding accessibility to the arts. Zev's Los Angeles: From Boyle Heights to the Halls of Power is required reading for students of leadership and government, and aspiring policymakers on what it takes to be an effective, issue-oriented leader.”— Miguel Santana, President and CEO of the Weingart Foundation“[This] book is an informative recollection that anyone familiar with the local political scene for the past fifty years will find fascinating reading that reminds [readers] of the evolution of [the] city and takes [them] behind the scenes in City Hall, the County Hall of Administration and other seats of power. In Yaroslavsky’s case, he consistently used his increasing power for the public good.” — John Welborne, Larchmont Chronicle“Zev’s Los Angeles… is a fascinating book covering the extraordinary public service of an unlikely young activist whose unlikely election to the Los Angeles City Council in 1975 coincided with the transformation of Los Angeles into [a] major metropolis.So much has changed in the city over the past four decades, it’s hard to appreciate what it was like. Fortunately, Yaroslavsky invites you in, sits you down, and gives you the whole story.” — Patricia Lombard, Larchmont Buzz“Political memoirs generally fall into at least one of two categories, boasting or tattling—the first motivated by vanity, the second by revenge.Zev’s Los Angeles, subtitled ‘From Boyle Heights to the Halls of Power,’ falls into a third category: teaching, motivated instead by the desire to impart knowledge, wisdom, and experience. Also, maybe ‘inspiring,’ as in encouraging young people to consider politics and elective office as an admirable and productive career choice.” — Joel Bellman, The Canyon Chronicle“I have watched Zev work but until I read this memoir, I had no idea of the scope of his activism and the impact he has had on so many areas… [I]t is a fabulous and exciting read… personal, political in the best sense of its meaning, and a veritable history of the city over the past 100 years. … Zev’s intellect and curiosity are contagious, and his passion for everything decent and good is the mark of the man. Those virtues are revealed on every page of this memoir. I urge you to read it.”— John L. Rosove, The Times of Israel (Blog)Table of Contents“I Will Love You Forever, if You Let Me”: A Dedication to Barbara Edelston Yaroslavsky (1947-2018)Introduction1. Roots of a Legacy: Shimon Soloveichik2. My Parents: Minna and David3. The Sandman Awakens4. Coming of Age5. The Walls Have Ears6. “Why Zev?”7. Be Indispensable to Your Constituents8. The Taxpayer and Renter Revolt9. The Untold Story of the 1984 Olympics10. Taking on the LAPD11. Big Money and the Battle to Preserve Neighborhoods 12. The Mayor’s Race That Never Was13. Sudden Change14. Designed Not to Govern15. The Crisis That Nearly Bankrupted the County16. The Transit Revolution17. Arts and Culture: Los Angeles’ Golden Age18. God Isn’t Making Mountains Anymore19. Confronting the Homeless Crisis20. Tragedy and Resurrection at MLK Hospital21. Every Cause Needs a Champion22. Witness to History 23. Who Could Have Imagined? Epilogue Index

    1 in stock

    £22.49

  • Zev's Los Angeles: From Boyle Heights to the

    Academic Studies Press Zev's Los Angeles: From Boyle Heights to the

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisA LA Times Bestseller“…[A] compelling history of our city’s last half century, as conveyed through the life of one of our most impactful leaders. …”— Los Angeles Mayor Karen BassThis is the story of Zev Yaroslavsky, the son of Ukrainian Jews who immigrated to the United States in the early 1920s. His memoir charts the journey of a young social activist who battled to free Soviet Jews before becoming one of the most consequential elected officials in Southern California. Fiercely independent, he combined an activist’s passion with a seasoned politician’s skill to challenge the region’s power brokers. He fought the Los Angeles Police Department’s excessive force and political spying policies, led the effort to ban local taxes from funding the 1984 Olympics, teamed with President Clinton to avert a catastrophic county bankruptcy, helped develop L.A.’s modern transit system, won a bruising battle with real estate interests to save the Santa Monica Mountains from rapacious development, and was pivotal in the development of Walt Disney Concert Hall and the modernization of the iconic Hollywood Bowl. “I may be part of the establishment,” he said on the day he was first sworn into office, “but the establishment is not part of me.” Trade Review“In his upcoming memoir, Zev Yaroslavsky takes readers on an uplifting and inspiring journey of personal faith, public service, and the shaping of Los Angeles. The son of Jewish immigrants from Ukraine, his story is a quintessentially American one. From modest beginnings, Yaroslavsky left a lasting mark through his work on expanding health care, implementing innovative housing programs, and growing our city’s public transportation network. Zev gives readers an inside look into the life of one of the most empathic and effective leaders I’ve known, as well as insight into the challenges he overcame along the way. This memoir is for any reader looking for inspiration about their own ability to effect change in their community.”— U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)“Zev’s Los Angeles: From Boyle Heights to the Halls of Power, the autobiography of, well, Zev, revisits the period in which Los Angeles became what we know today: big and complex, multiracial, exciting, divided and far deeper than what meets the eye. Zev Yaroslavsky left a lasting mark on L.A. over decades on the City Council and the Board of Supervisors, and his thoughtful reflections earn his memoir an honored place in the history he helped make and now helps to understand. … Aided by former Los Angeles Times writer Josh Getlin, Yaroslavsky manages the dual tales of his own life and the broader L.A. story. The result is satisfying at every level: a solid history, an insightful analysis of power and a sincere reflection on a life of service.”— Jim Newton, Los Angeles Times“In Yaroslavsky’s book… you surely learn a lot about local politics… But there’s another set of lessons embedded in this memoir, about what it looks like to animate one’s values and honor one’s heritage while engaged in the deeply transactional and often cynical day-to-day of politics. … The long arc of his career combines idealism, ethical behavior — in four decades, not a whiff of scandal — and service to the greater good, the community. … That is to say, Yaroslasvky, who retired in 2014, left the city far better than he found it. God knows there’s still a lot left for a new generation of politicians to do. They have a fine example to follow.”— Rob Eshman, The Forward“Los Angeles can be harder to understand than most big cities. … Move to Boston or New York, and those cities will teach you how to be a Bostonian or a New Yorker. Move to Los Angeles, and the metropolis will more or less lie there, unfurled and opaque, awaiting instructions. … The place doesn’t tend to define its people. The people, in the aggregate, define the place. How that works is the subject of a new book by Zev Yaroslavsky, who has been a Los Angeles civic leader for the last five decades. … The book… is billed as a political memoir, but it is also a history of the people and policies that have shaped the city.”— Shawn Hubler, New York Times (California Today)“Yaroslavsky—former City Councilman, now retired from the County Board of Supervisors—has written, with Josh Getlin, an account of his years in government that will impress the most jaded critic. … Yaroslavsky writes that he intended his book to be ‘a history as much as a memoir,’ and the result is a studied account, written with an evident eye on posterity. … Yaroslavsky has provided an engrossing account of a tumultuous era and the often-subterranean battles that have shaped the city of Los Angeles. He may even give the reader a new appreciation for the work of a politician.”— Kathleen Hayes, The Jewish Journal“Zev Yaroslavsky led a long and highly productive political career that deserves proper ink. His history is our history… I highly recommend Zev’s Los Angeles to anyone who cares about the future of Los Angeles, especially those considering getting into politics or public service. … Zev’s book gives the reader an insider’s look at all Zev helped get done while in office. It’s a rather remarkable list, really. While reading this book, you will feel like you are right there in the meetings with him as he dashed about, pulling every lever of power he could in pursuit of a good cause. … Public policy can be dry, boring, and wonky. This book is anything but.”— Jeff Hall, Brentwood News“The son of Ukrainian immigrants turned one of the most important politicians in post-World War II Los Angeles walks readers through his life and career with anecdotes and asides in a style that’s just like him — plain-spoken, insightful, confident and crusading.”— Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times (California Column)“In this compelling memoir, Zev Yaroslavsky chronicles Los Angeles’ evolution into one of the world’s great cultural capitals and his role in that transformation. From Disney Hall and the Hollywood Bowl, to the L.A. Opera, to the region’s museums and more—his influence in expanding L.A.’s cultural footprint is a remarkable legacy. I have been privileged to share many of the challenges and exciting moments in that history.”— James Conlon, Music Director, Los Angeles Opera, International Conductor“Zev’s Los Angeles is a compelling history of our city’s last half century, as conveyed through the life of one of our most impactful leaders.Zev Yaroslavsky’s career in public service spanned Los Angeles’ emergence as a global city and some of its most trying times. His personal story is essential to understanding where our city is today, and where L.A. and the nation's cities are headed in the future. A must read for anyone curious about leadership and governing in changing and challenging times.” — Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass“At a time of highly polarized, partisan politics, Zev Yaroslavsky’s memoir offers an insightful and very personal view of an era when Los Angeles leaders came together to tackle the most difficult issues facing the region, from police accountability and preserving green space, to protecting the region’s fragile safety net and expanding accessibility to the arts. Zev's Los Angeles: From Boyle Heights to the Halls of Power is required reading for students of leadership and government, and aspiring policymakers on what it takes to be an effective, issue-oriented leader.”— Miguel Santana, President and CEO of the Weingart Foundation“Politicians often avoid risk until they are forced to do the right thing. Not Zev. With little political upside, he aggressively stood up for all civil rights, stared down LAPD bullies, and championed women’s rights. Throughout his 40-year career, he wielded political power not for himself, but to right wrongs. He passionately lived up to his oath of office—to faithfully protect and defend the Constitution. He has earned my respect and my friendship.”— Connie Rice, Civil Rights Lawyer, Author of Power Concedes Nothing“Zev's Los Angeles is a peerless guide to the history, politics, and culture of the City of Angels. No one knows L.A. better. And no one conveys it in precisely this way—spellbinding, unvarnished, and yet elegant. It reads as if Zev were doing what he does best--holding court with that mix of photographic recall, a penchant for the piquant, the unmistakable no-nonsense style, and the staggering command of policy. This book is, at once, the story of one man's undying commitment to his city, a brilliant and revealing biography of L.A., and a first-class primer on how to forge good governance at the local level. It should be of interest to all who are interested in how a city works—and how it should work.”— David Myers, Distinguished Professor and Sady and Ludwig Kahn Chair in Jewish History, University of California, Los Angeles“Zev Yaroslavsky will be remembered as one of L.A.’s most consequential public officials. He played a central role in nearly every major public policy from his upset 1975 council election in 1975 to his retirement as a county supervisor in 2014. This remarkable political autobiography offers one person’s journey through L.A.’s modern history. With acute perceptions, deep feeling, and detailed insider recollections of the key players and dramas, Yaroslavsky takes the reader from his family roots in the Russia empire to the swirling multiethnic and radical politics of Boyle Heights, to his efforts on behalf of Soviet Jewry, to navigating the changing L.A. political scene through massive crises. In so doing, Yaroslavsky links his own story to the larger L.A. narrative. The book stands as an invaluable resource for students of public service in troubled times, and for those who hope to understand this complicated, ever-hopeful, and diverse region.”— Raphael J. Sonenshein, Executive Director, Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs, California State University, Los Angeles “Zev’s Los Angeles… works precisely because, like Zev, the tone is earnest. Over a long career of working through the endless bureaucracy that characterizes local politics, not to mention having to weather complaints from all sides of the Jewish community, Zev never lost sight of his dedication to serve the public good. … In this sea of cynicism, Zev has offered us a testament to the power of earnestness, a power rooted in one of our most precious resources: trust. … The key lesson I gleaned from Zev’s book is that you can be hip and cool and the world’s greatest schmoozer, but if you really want to accomplish good stuff in life, it’s best to be earnest. … It may even get people to like you.” — David Suissa, Jewish Journal (Editor's Note)“[This] book is an informative recollection that anyone familiar with the local political scene for the past fifty years will find fascinating reading that reminds [readers] of the evolution of [the] city and takes [them] behind the scenes in City Hall, the County Hall of Administration and other seats of power. In Yaroslavsky’s case, he consistently used his increasing power for the public good.” — John Welborne, Larchmont Chronicle“Zev’s Los Angeles… is a fascinating book covering the extraordinary public service of an unlikely young activist whose unlikely election to the Los Angeles City Council in 1975 coincided with the transformation of Los Angeles into [a] major metropolis.So much has changed in the city over the past four decades, it’s hard to appreciate what it was like. Fortunately, Yaroslavsky invites you in, sits you down, and gives you the whole story.” — Patricia Lombard, Larchmont Buzz“Political memoirs generally fall into at least one of two categories, boasting or tattling—the first motivated by vanity, the second by revenge.Zev’s Los Angeles, subtitled ‘From Boyle Heights to the Halls of Power,’ falls into a third category: teaching, motivated instead by the desire to impart knowledge, wisdom, and experience. Also, maybe ‘inspiring,’ as in encouraging young people to consider politics and elective office as an admirable and productive career choice.” — Joel Bellman, The Canyon Chronicle“I have watched Zev work but until I read this memoir, I had no idea of the scope of his activism and the impact he has had on so many areas… [I]t is a fabulous and exciting read… personal, political in the best sense of its meaning, and a veritable history of the city over the past 100 years. … Zev’s intellect and curiosity are contagious, and his passion for everything decent and good is the mark of the man. Those virtues are revealed on every page of this memoir. I urge you to read it.”— John L. Rosove, The Times of Israel (Blog)Table of Contents“I Will Love You Forever, if You Let Me”: A Dedication to Barbara Edelston Yaroslavsky (1947-2018)Introduction1. Roots of a Legacy: Shimon Soloveichik2. My Parents: Minna and David3. The Sandman Awakens4. Coming of Age5. The Walls Have Ears6. “Why Zev?”7. Be Indispensable to Your Constituents8. The Taxpayer and Renter Revolt9. The Untold Story of the 1984 Olympics10. Taking on the LAPD11. Big Money and the Battle to Preserve Neighborhoods 12. The Mayor’s Race That Never Was13. Sudden Change14. Designed Not to Govern15. The Crisis That Nearly Bankrupted the County16. The Transit Revolution17. Arts and Culture: Los Angeles’ Golden Age18. God Isn’t Making Mountains Anymore19. Confronting the Homeless Crisis20. Tragedy and Resurrection at MLK Hospital21. Every Cause Needs a Champion22. Witness to History 23. Who Could Have Imagined? Epilogue Index

    2 in stock

    £16.19

  • Exile From Argentina: A Jewish Family and the

    Information Age Publishing Exile From Argentina: A Jewish Family and the

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisEduardo Faingold chronicles his family's experiences before, during, and after the military dictatorship in Argentina (1976-1983). He uses his diaries, interviews in Latin America and Israel, documents and pictures given to him by his family and friends and studies the works of political scientists, historians and journalists. He begins with his family history from the time when his ancestors immigrated in the 19th century from Byelorussia and Bessarabia to Argentina as a part of the Baron de Hirsch's emigrant wave that established farming villages in the provinces of Santa Fe and Buenos Aires. Then, using his family's history as background, he discusses his life as an exile in Israel and Denmark from 1976 to 1979, his return to Argentina to comply with his military service in the Argentine Marine Infantry and his return to Israel in 1980.In a revealing preface to the second edition of Exile from Argentina, the author updates the family history and notes some important political events in Argentina and Israel in the 1980s and beyond that help contextualize the author's experiences. Notably, as the author points out in this new preface to Exile from Argentina, by the end of the first quarter of the 21st century, all his siblings and their families, as well as his mother, the descendants of his ancestors who emigrated to Argentina from Byelorussia and Bessarabia at the turn of the 19th century to escape the violence of the Russian pogroms, are now scattered in five continents, living their lives in cultures as varied as those of the United States, Brazil, Israel, Norway, Sweden, and Australia. Finally, this new edition of Exile from Argentina features a trove of historical photos and documents of the author and his family which were not included in the first edition of the book.

    15 in stock

    £42.75

  • Exile From Argentina: A Jewish Family and the

    Information Age Publishing Exile From Argentina: A Jewish Family and the

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisEduardo Faingold chronicles his family's experiences before, during, and after the military dictatorship in Argentina (1976-1983). He uses his diaries, interviews in Latin America and Israel, documents and pictures given to him by his family and friends and studies the works of political scientists, historians and journalists. He begins with his family history from the time when his ancestors immigrated in the 19th century from Byelorussia and Bessarabia to Argentina as a part of the Baron de Hirsch's emigrant wave that established farming villages in the provinces of Santa Fe and Buenos Aires. Then, using his family's history as background, he discusses his life as an exile in Israel and Denmark from 1976 to 1979, his return to Argentina to comply with his military service in the Argentine Marine Infantry and his return to Israel in 1980.In a revealing preface to the second edition of Exile from Argentina, the author updates the family history and notes some important political events in Argentina and Israel in the 1980s and beyond that help contextualize the author's experiences. Notably, as the author points out in this new preface to Exile from Argentina, by the end of the first quarter of the 21st century, all his siblings and their families, as well as his mother, the descendants of his ancestors who emigrated to Argentina from Byelorussia and Bessarabia at the turn of the 19th century to escape the violence of the Russian pogroms, are now scattered in five continents, living their lives in cultures as varied as those of the United States, Brazil, Israel, Norway, Sweden, and Australia. Finally, this new edition of Exile from Argentina features a trove of historical photos and documents of the author and his family which were not included in the first edition of the book.

    15 in stock

    £76.50

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