Biography: historical, political and military Books
Oneworld Publications The Woman Who Saved the Children: A Biography of
Book SynopsisAn unconventional biography of an unconventional woman. Eglantyne Jebb, not particularly fond of children herself, nevertheless dedicated her life to establishing Save the Children and promoting her revolutionary concept of human rights. In this award-winning book, Clare Mulley brings to life this brilliant, charismatic, and passionate woman, whose work took her between drawing rooms and war zones, defying convention and breaking the law. Eglantyne Jebb not only helped save millions of lives, she also permanently changed the way the world treats children.Trade Review"Here is the story of one of the great women of the world who made a real difference to the lives of the most needy children. Told with Clare Mulley’s sure instinct for the lives of others, this is an extraordinary book about a unique woman, a woman for our times." * Michael Morpurgo *“An insightful biography of a truly remarkable woman. This portrait is especially poignant 100 years on when Eglantyne’s mission remains as relevant and urgent as ever. We must not forget this woman’s determination, and what she set out to achieve. Her vision serves as an inspiration as we each do our bit for children less fortunate than our own”. * Natasha Kaplinsky *"A pleasure to read...a combination of Jebb's own mischievous attitude and Mulley's lively style." * The Times Literary Supplement *"A very good read, telling an extraordinary story." * The Guardian *"Unusual and perceptive...all credit to Clare Mulley, a past winner of the Daily Mail Biographers' Club prize." * Daily Mail *“This centenary edition celebrates the life of an indomitable woman. Compellingly written and meticulously researched, this biography is a monument to extraordinary perseverance. Eglantyne Jebb, without any children herself, actually gave her life to stop children being the innocent victims of adult war. I wish she were here today!” * Joely Richardson *"Brings to life the world of clever and conscientious upper-middle-class women... A valuable account of a forgotten life." * The Sunday Times *"Eglantyne Jebb completely revolutionised public perceptions of charity and our collective responsibility towards children. This excellent book makes plain that Eglantyne's vision is just as powerful - and relevant - today as it was then... Those who read this book will be inspired - as I am - by a woman who dared to think the impossible and turn it into reality. Her example lays down a challenge to us all." * Jasmine Whitbread , former CEO of Save the Children UK *"Wonderful, clever and funny, Clare Mulley's lively and intimate biography brings out the humour, inconsistency, willfullness and just excellent energy of Eglantyne." * Alexander Masters, author of Stuart: A Life Backwards *“This is a truly brilliant book, about a woman who changed the world for the better and forever." * Gordon Brown *"Kept me up half the night - really fascinating and moving - beautifully written and paced…wonderful." * Richard Holmes, prize-winning biographer and author of The Age of Wonder *"A wonderful biography... All of us who continue to build on Eglantyne’s vision are in your debt for giving us the real human being who inspires our work." * Charlie MacCormack, former CEO of Save the Children USA *"This book tells the tale of one of the twentieth century's most inspirational women... I'd urge anyone to pick up this book and be inspired." * Paul O'Grady *"Beautifully constructed and passionately written...evocative, funny and poignant." * Big Issue *"A crisp, masterly biography." * The Good Book Guide *"An interesting biography of a fascinating person who deserves to be better known and appreciated for her work." * Oxford Times *"This biography of Eglantyne Jebb, who established the charity to look after children in the chaos that followed the end of the First World War, brings to life a charismatic woman who changed the way the world treats children." * Waterstone's Books Quarterly *"Sensitive, entertaining and beautifully written, The Woman Who Saved the Children is an absorbing exploration of a life filled with achievement... A sparkling biography of a fascinating woman." * Kate Williams, author of England’s Mistress and Becoming Queen *"Meticulously researched...a testimony to Jebb's remarkable humanitarianism." * Oxford Today *"A very readable story which will strike a chord for many." * The Times *"A fascinating new book." * Western Mail Series *"A most interesting account of a life full of colour and curiosity." * Bury Free Press series *"Admirably researched... Clare Mulley has done Eglantyne proud. Her informative and sensitively written biography will put SCF's founder, and through her SCF itself, well and truly on the global map." * Church Times *
£11.69
Cornerstone Red Platoon
Book SynopsisIsolatedCommand Post Keating - one of the most vulnerable US army bases in Afghanistan. Located at the bottom of a deep valley, soliders are exposed. The Taliban can see every move and attack is imminent.OutnumberedJust before sunrise on 3 October 2009, hundreds of Taliban insurgents open fire from all angles. Red Platoon and the Black Knight Troop are pinned down. They hear the message over the radio: Enemy in the Wire. The Taliban are inside the camp.But never outgunned. This is the heart-stopping, awe-inspiring true story of the platoon's brutal struggle for survival, told by the man who fought to defend his men, and who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his extraordinary bravery.Trade ReviewA brilliant, wrenching book about war … it’s more intense and horrifying than you could imagine * London Evening Standard *Utterly gripping from start to finish … unflinchingly honest about the realities of war. * Bookbag *Awe-inspiring … Utterly gripping from start to finish * CGA Bookclub *Brilliant, wrenching * i *I read the first half of Red Platoon in one sitting and that night had such intense combat dreams that I actually thought twice about picking the book up again. In addition to being a superb soldier, Romesha is an utterly irresistible writer. I'm completely overwhelmed by what he has done with this book. The assault on Camp Keating is a vitally important story that needs to be understood by the public, and I cannot imagine an account that does it better justice that Romesha's. -- Sebastian JungerRendered hour-by-hour and sometimes second by second, here is battle narrative the way it's supposed to be written. Gritty, plangent, and unflinching, Red Platoon is sure to become a classic of the genre. Through his courageous and no doubt painful act of remembrance, Romesha has done his comrades, indeed all of us, a great service—leaving an epitaph that will live through the ages. -- Hampton Sides, author of Ghost Soldiers and In the Kingdom of IceRed Platoon is riveting. Like many who were in either Iraq, Afghanistan, or both, I often read books about the wars reluctantly, because it is hard to capture the essence of the experience. In my view Red Platoon is a brilliant book. Had Clint Romesha depicted the soldiers at Keating as a collection of steely-eyed warriors, their feat would have been impressive. Because he captures the reality of a collection of personalities as diverse as America itself, their courage is truly inspiring. -- General Stanley McChrystal, U.S. Army, RetiredRed Platoon celebrates the most crucial aspect of military operations: the team. Clinton Romesha and the men of Black Knight Troop faced harrowing conditions and a determined enemy during the Battle for COP Keating, and in the process discovered exactly who they are. This account is an important tribute to everyone who fought, and especially to the eight Americans who on that day made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. -- Mark Owen, author of No Easy DayThe book is riveting in its authentic detail, right down to the determined attempts to recover American bodies before the Taliban could. Romesha ably captures the daily dangers faced by these courageous American soldiers in Afghanistan. * Kirkus *Red Platoon exemplifies the courage and resiliency our country was founded on. Clint is a true brother and a man that I look up to. -- Dakota Meyer, Medal of Honor Recipient and author of Into the FireA visceral, heart-pounding account of men in close-quarter combat that is simply impossible to put down. Astonishingly intimate and beautifully written. A word of advice: don't start this book if you're planning on doing anything else for the next few hours. -- Scott Anderson, author of Lawrence in ArabiaThe men of Red Platoon and their actions at COP Keating deserve to be known. Clint Romesha's story takes hold from page one and makes you feel every inch of the battle, but it is the bond between soldiers that will stick with you. Red Platoon is on my list of the best books about the Afghan war. -- Kevin Maurer, bestselling co-author of No Easy Day
£10.44
Biteback Publishing Inside Trump's White House: The Authorized Inside
Book SynopsisAfter dozens of books and articles by anonymous sources, here, finally, is a history of the Trump White House, with the President and his staff talking openly and on the record. In Inside Trump's White House, Doug Wead offers a sweeping, eloquent history of President Donald J. Trump's first years in the White House, covering everything from election night to the biggest political obstacles of his presidency. The book will include never-before-reported stories and scoops, including how President Trump turned around the American economy, how he "never complains and never explains", and insight into how his actions sometimes lead to misunderstandings with the media and the public. Inside Trump's White House features exclusive interviews with the Trump family about the Mueller Report, and narrates their reactions when the report was finally released. Wead successfully gained interviews with the President in the Oval Office, chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, Jared and Ivanka Kushner, Donald Trump Jr, Eric and Lara Trump, and White House insiders for this illuminating history.
£16.00
Biteback Publishing Running For My Life
Book SynopsisThis is the extraordinary true story of how a former British soldier turned extreme adventurer set out to run marathons in the world's most dangerous countries. In 2018, Jordan Wylie trained and ran in Somalia, Iraq and Afghanistan to raise awareness of the plight of children suffering in war zones as well as the funds to help provide education. Risking his life in some of the most hostile places in the world, Wylie defies suicide bombers, official advice, dehydration and exhaustion, as well as his own mental and physical health issues in an incredible tale of endurance and tenacity against the odds. His first race, in Somalia, is moved to Somaliland after a suicide bomber kills 600 people. Running the Baghdad half-marathon brings back painful memories of friends and colleagues he lost when he served there. Finally, at the Afghanistan marathon, he provides a high-profile target for the Taliban, who murder seventeen people the day before he arrives. What makes these three runs even more challenging is the fact that Jordan is affected not just by mental health issues from his own experiences, but also with epilepsy. Alongside the more extreme obstacles, Jordan has to overcome self-doubt - and the doubt of others - to show what can be achieved with belief and fortitude.
£8.99
Hodder & Stoughton Jane Austen at Home
Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER''This is my kind of history: carefully researched but so vivid that you are convinced Lucy Worsley was actually there at the party - or the parsonage.'' Antonia Fraser''A refreshingly unique perspective on Austen and her work and a beautifully nuanced exploration of gender, creativity, and domesticity.'' Amanda ForemanLucy Worsley ''is a great scene-setter for this tale of triumph and heartbreak.'' Sunday TimesOn the 200th anniversary of Jane Austen''s death, historian Lucy Worsley leads us into the rooms from which our best-loved novelist quietly changed the world.This new telling of the story of Jane''s life shows us how and why she lived as she did, examining the places and spaces that mattered to her. It wasn''t all country houses and ballrooms, but a life that was often a painful struggle. Jane famously lived a ''life without incident'', but with new research andTrade ReviewThis is my kind of history: carefully researched but so vivid that you are convinced Lucy Worsley was actually there at the party - or the parsonage. * Antonia Fraser *Jane Austen at Home offers a fascinating look at Jane Austen's world through the lens of the homes in which she lived and worked throughout her life. The result is a refreshingly unique perspective on Austen and her work and a beautifully nuanced exploration of gender, creativity, and domesticity. * Amanda Foreman *A vivid portrait of Jane Austen. A must for any Austenite. * Red magazine *Brilliant and very moving, this book is a fascinating and original exploration of Jane Austen with lots of new material - Worsley brings Austen to life superbly, through her pages she is a flesh and blood woman, intelligent, powerful, contradictory, loving, loved. A magnificent book. * Kate Williams *Rarely, if ever, will you encounter a historian so in command of their material. Truly, this is a dazzling exercise in persuasion, written with sense and sensibility. * Saturday Express *A deep, prolifically researched dive into the houses, vacation homes, and schools where the author spent her life. * Vogue magazine *Worsley offers us much that Austen's admirers wish to know... [she] is entirely convincing. * New York Times *An interesting portrait of Georgian and Regency material culture. There's much intriguing historical detail. * Literary Review *A sprightly new take on Austen's life. * Mail on Sunday *Lucy Worsley 'is a great scene-setter for this tale of triumph and heartbreak' * Sunday Times *
£11.69
Biteback Publishing Beyond A Fringe
Book SynopsisA Times Political Book of the Year A Daily Mail Political Book of the Year A Guardian Political Book of the Year An Independent Political Book of the Year Veering from the hilarious to the tragic, Andrew Mitchell's tales from the parliamentary jungle make for one of the most entertaining political memoirs in years. From his prep school years, straight out of Evelyn Waugh, through the Army to Cambridge, the City of London and the Palace of Westminster, Mitchell has passed through a series of British institutions at a time of furious social change - in the process becoming rather more cynical about the Establishment. Here, he brilliantly lifts the lid on its inner workings, from the punctilio of high finance to the dark arts of the government Whips' Office, and reveals how he accidentally started Boris Johnson's political career - an act which rebounded on him spectacularly. Engagingly honest about his ups and downs in politics, Beyond a Fringe is crammed with riotous political anecdotes and irresistible insider gossip from the heart of Westminster.Trade Review"A cracking good read - full of mischief and shrewd observation. Mitchell lifts the lid on so many layers of the British Establishment, and what he reveals will often make you laugh and occasionally make you want to weep. A human and political must-read." Gyles Brandreth
£11.69
Biteback Publishing Ernest Bevin: Labour's Churchill
Book SynopsisStatesman, pre-eminent leader and founder of the free world's then largest and most formidable trade union, Ernest Bevin was one of the greatest and most inspirational figures of the twentieth century. Minister of Labour in the wartime coalition during the Second World War, he was at Churchill's right hand, masterminding the home front while the war supremo commanded the battle front. Following the war, he was Foreign Secretary at one of the most pivotal moments of international history, responsible for keeping Stalin and communism out of Western Europe, and for creating West Germany, NATO and the transatlantic alliance, all of which underpin European democracy and security to this day. Born into abject poverty, an orphan farm boy from Bristol with virtually no formal education, Bevin's remarkable rise to fame and power is unmatched by any leader to this day. In this insightful and wide-ranging new biography, Andrew Adonis examines how 'the working-class John Bull' grew to a position of such authority, and offers a critical reassessment of Bevin's life and influence. Skilfully bringing to life this extraordinary figure, Adonis explores Bevin's powerful legacy and lessons for our own age, restoring this charismatic statesman to his rightful place among the pantheon of Britain's greatest political leaders.Trade Review"An excellent book which rescues Bevin from 'the condescension of posterity', capturing an extraordinary political figure." - Gordon Brown "Far more people, in my experience, have heard of Bevan than Bevin. Luckily, with this timely biography, Andrew Adonis restores Bevin to his rightful place as not only a Labour Party legend but a giant of twentieth-century history. In this brilliant and most entertaining portrait, Adonis demonstrates the qualities of historian and experienced politician that have made him one of the most quotable commentators of the day." - William Keegan, senior economics commentator, The Observer "Adonis brilliantly captures Bevin's creative genius, propagandist skill and sheer chutzpah." - John Bercow "A biography brimming with colour and insight that brings both the character of the man and his many achievements vividly to life." - Andrew Rawnsley, The Observer "Andrew Adonis writes rivetingly." - Alan Johnson, The Spectator "As a reintroduction to a forgotten giant this is a fine work... Someone should definitely slip a copy of this book into Keir Starmer's backpack." -Robert Shrimsley, FT "Bevin's extraordinary origins and path to politics are captured beautifully in Adonis's account." - Stewart Wood, The Oldie
£17.00
Wordsworth Editions Ltd Seven Pillars of Wisdom
Book SynopsisWith an Introduction by Angus Calder. As Angus Calder states in his introduction to this edition, 'Seven Pillars of Wisdom is one of the major statements about the fighting experience of the First World War'. Lawrence's younger brothers, Frank and Will, had been killed on the Western Front in 1915. Seven Pillars of Wisdom, written between 1919 and 1926, tells of the vastly different campaign against the Turks in the Middle East - one which encompasses gross acts of cruelty and revenge and ends in a welter of stink and corpses in the disgusting 'hospital' in Damascus. Seven Pillars of Wisdom is no Boys Own Paper tale of Imperial triumph, but a complex work of high literary aspiration which stands in the tradition of Melville and Dostoevsky, and alongside the writings of Yeats, Eliot and Joyce.
£6.83
Hodder & Stoughton 100 Nasty Women of History
Book Synopsis''Vital reading'' STYLIST''...hooting with laughter - what a swashbuckler that Hannah Jewell is'' MARINA HYDE''Because 100 Nasty Women is so easy to read and witty, I didn''t expect it to be the life changing, important book that I''m discovering it to be'' PHILIPPA PERRY''A fantastic addition to your feminist library and historical knowledge.'' ANN SHEN, author of Bad Girls Throughout History* * * * * *100 fascinating and brilliantly written stories about history''s bravest, baddest but little known ''nasty'' women from across the world.These are the women who were deemed too nasty for their times, too nasty to be recognised, too nasty to be paid for their work and sometimes too nasty to be allowed to live. When you learn about women in history, they''re often made out to be shining, glittering souls. But when you hear about these Bold-Yet-Morally-Irreproachable Women of History who wTrade Review'Both heartbreaking and hilarious, this book aims to give every woman "who gave zero f*cks" the respect and notoriety they have always deserved and long been denied. Vital reading' * STYLIST *'Laugh-out-loud funny and inspiring . . . Read it to pick a glorious new role model ... and feel more connected to strong women all across time' -- Krista Suh, creator of the Pussyhat Project and author of DIY Rules for a WTF WorldA fun, hilarious read that will make a fantastic addition to your feminist library and historical knowledge -- Ann Shen, author of BAD GIRLS THROUGHOUT HISTORY'Because 100 Nasty Women is so easy to read and witty, I didn't expect it to be the life changing, important book that I'm discovering it to be' -- Philippa Perry'Hooting with laughter - what a swashbuckler that Hannah Jewell is' -- Marina Hyde'Like Rebel Girls for adults' -- Katy Lovell
£10.44
Faber & Faber Nelson
Book Synopsis''Fascinating . . . Shot through with fresh insights . . . No previous biography has attempted anything so comprehensive.'' ObserverNelson is a thrilling new appraisal of Horatio Nelson, the greatest practitioner of naval command the world has ever seen. It explores the professional, personal, intellectual and practical origins of one man''s genius, to understand how the greatest warrior that Britain has ever produced transformed the art of conflict, and enabled his country to survive the challenge of total war and international isolation. In Nelson, Andrew Lambert - described by David Cannadine as ''the outstanding British naval historian of his generation'' - is able to offer new insights into the individual quality which led Byron rightly to celebrate Nelson''s genius as ''Britannia''s God of War''. He demonstrates how Admiral Nelson elevated the business of naval warfare to the level of the sublime. Nelson''s unique gift was to take that which other commanders found complex, and reduce it to simplicity. Where his predecessors and opponents saw a particular battle as an end in itself, Nelson was always a step ahead - even in the midst of terrifying, close-quarters action, with officers and men struck down all around him. ''Excellent . . . Worthy of the stirring events [it celebrates].'' IndependentTrade Review"'It addresses Nelson's career with energy and good sense.' Max Hastings, Sunday Telegraph 'Good on the influence of sea power on history, and also examines in some detail the two controversial episodes of Nelson's life: his treatment of his wife, Fanny, after leaving her for Emma Hamilton, and his alleged betrayal of the armistice given to the defeated Jacobin rebels at Naples, followed by the execution of the Neapolitan officer Francesco Caracciolo.' Evening Standard 'No previous biography has attempted anything so comprehensive... fascinating' Observer"
£12.34
Scotland Street Press 10 Scotland Street: With a foreword from Val
Book SynopsisThis is a triumph. A love letter to the ghosts of Edinburgh. I feel its hand upon my shoulder. – Sara Sheridan As a writer of fiction, I found myself itching to lift some of these characters from the page into the fertile fields of my own imagination. – Val McDermid Anyone who loves Edinburgh and is fascinated by its private histories will be entranced by this book. – The Scotsman About the book 10 Scotland Street – the story of an Edinburgh home and its cast of booksellers, silk merchants, sailors, preachers, politicians, cholera and coincidence and its widespread connections over two centuries across the globe.Trade ReviewThis is a triumph. A love letter to the ghosts of Edinburgh. I feel its hand upon my shoulder. - Sara Sheridan The story that Leslie unfolds for us spreads its threads across the globe. And it moves through different strata of society, painting a kaleidoscopic portrait of social, political, fiscal and financial life in Scotland and beyond, all through the lens of a single flat in a single city [...] We learn how property and wealth were passed through families, not always in the straight lines we imagine inheritance to travel in. It’s not hard to read between the lines of wills and gifts to picture some of the loves and dislikes, the disapprovals and the determination to make good past wrongs. As a writer of fiction, I found myself itching to lift some of these characters from the page into the fertile fields of my own imagination. - Val McDermid A fascinating and thoroughly enjoyable book, a work of prodigious research […] Anyone who loves Edinburgh and is fascinated by its private histories will be entranced by this book. - Allan Massie, The Scotsman Hills proceeds with thorough scholarship […] Above all, she writes really well: fluent, authoritative, persuasive prose, sometimes anecdotal, often slyly colliding formality and contemporary colloquialism. - Broughton Spurtle The writing matches the process of researching in an archive when one’s eye is caught by something not directly concerned with the matter in hand, the so-called ‘rabbit holes’. There is a veritable warren of these […] I was genuinely sad to come to the final page of this book. I heartily recommend it. - Edward Duvall, Old Edinburgh Club
£23.74
Faber & Faber Joan of Arc
Book SynopsisAcclaimed historian and broadcaster Helen Castor tells the story of Joan of Arc as you have never read it before.''Popular history at its best.'' Daily TelegraphHelen Castor brings us afresh a gripping life of Joan of Arc. Instead of the icon, she gives us a living, breathing young woman; a roaring girl fighting the English, and taking sides in a bloody civil war that was tearing fifteenth century France apart.Here is a portrait of a 19-year-old peasant who hears voices from God; a teenager transformed into a warrior leading an army to victory, in an age that believed women should not fight. And it is also the story behind the myth we all know, a myth which began to take hold at her trial: that of the Maid of Orleans, the saviour of France, a young woman burned at the stake as a heretic, a woman who five hundred years later would be declared a saint.Joan and her world are brought vividly to life in this refreshing new tak
£11.69
Upstart Press Ltd Believer - Conversations with Mike Moore
Book SynopsisMichael Kenneth Moore was probably New Zealand’s last working-class Prime Minister and while the book is inevitably political, it is also a remarkable New Zealand story about an ordinary kiwi achieving extraordinary things. This book is based on conversations held with Mike Moore over the past 12 months and reflections on his life and career involving people who were part of it. The chapters focus on key moments in his life – growing up partially crippled in poverty in rural Northland, moving to Auckland and becoming a trade unionist and New Zealand’s youngest MP, losing his seat and fighting the Labour Party to get another one only to be diagnosed with cancer, helping make David Lange Prime Minister and beating Muldoon, the turmoil of the fourth Labour Government including becoming Prime Minister for only 59 days, taking Labour to within two seats of Government and being cruelling deposed as leader by Helen Clark in 1993, the years in wilderness when he came close to setting up a new party and not participating in a coup against Clark, his audacious campaign to become Director General of the World Trade Organisation, becoming New Zealand’s Ambassador to the US and the stroke that cut it short, and his hopes for the future. In a country that celebrates sporting success Moore’s story is also heroic because he has the same traits of smarts, hard work and determination to achieve at the highest levels – despite numerous setbacks – that all New Zealanders admire in the successful.
£16.19
Orion Publishing Co I Am Malala
Book SynopsisIn the face of Taliban oppression, one girl''s unwavering defiance sparked a worldwide movement. Shot in the head for daring to seek an education, Malala Yousafzai defied all odds, emerging stronger than ever. From a valley in Pakistan to the global stage, she became a beacon of peaceful resistance and the youngest Nobel laureate. I Am Malala is an extraordinary story of resilience, a family shattered by terrorism and the power of one voice to inspire change in the world.''Moving and illuminating'' OBSERVER''Inspirational and powerful'' GRAZIA''Astonishing'' SPECTATOR''A tale of immense courage and conviction'' THE INDEPENDENT''One finishes the book full of admiration'' SUNDAY TIMES''Malala is a true inspiration'' THE SUN''Piercingly wise'' INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAYTrade ReviewMoving and illuminating -- Catherine Bennett * OBSERVER *For sheer inspiration read I Am Malala -- Kirsty Brimelow * THE TIMES *Not only powerful, but also very instructive about the recent history of Pakistan and the pressures of everyday life there. One finishes the book full of admiration both for Malala, and for her father, who has clearly inspired her * THE SUNDAY TIMES *Malala Yousafzai's story begins with her parents being commiserated with after producing a baby girl. In their part of northern Pakistan, she says, rifle shots ring out in celebration of a baby boy's arrival. But there is no such fanfare for females: their destiny is to cook and clean, to be neither seen nor heard... So how did Malala, who barely warranted a mention in her family's genealogy, become destined for the history books as a powerful symbol for girls' universal right to an education? Her memoir I Am Malala tells us how -- Baroness Warsi * DAILY TELEGRAPH *One of the more moving details in I Am Malala is that her mother was due to start learning to read and write on the day Malala was shot - 9 October 2012 -- Kamila Shamsie * The GUARDIAN *Her story is astonishing -- Owen Bennett-Jones * SPECTATOR *This memoir brings out her best qualities. You can only admire her courage and determination. Her thirst for education and reform appear genuine. She also has an air of innocence, and there is an indestructible confidence. She speaks with such poise that you forget Malala is 16 -- Ziauddin Sardar * THE TIMES *Inspirational and powerful * GRAZIA *The medical team that saved Malala; her own stoicism and resilience; the support of her family, now, again in exile, this time in Birmingham; Malala's level-headed resolve to continue to champion education and children's rights - these are all powerful reminders of the best in human nature. Much of the money Malala has been awarded has gone to the Malala fund (www.malalafund.org). "Please join my mission," she asks. It's vital that those of us who can, do -- Yvonne Roberts * OBSERVER *A tale of immense courage and conviction which begins as [Malala] is shot for campaigning for the rights of girls to an education * THE INDEPENDENT *Malala's voice has the purity, but also has the rigidity, of the principled. Whether she is being a competitive teenager and keeping track of who she bet in exams (and by how much) or writing a blog for the BBC that catapulted her on to the international stage - "We were learning how to struggle. And we were learning how powerful we are when we speak" - or talking about Pakistan's politicians ("useless"), Malala is passionate and intense. Her faith and her duty to the cause of girls' education is unquestionable, her adoration for her father - her role model and comrade in arms - is moving and her pain at the violence carried out in the name of Islam is palpable -- Fatima Bhutto * GUARDIAN *The story of the girl shot by the Taliban for speaking up for women's education is one of idealism and stubborn courage, and a reminder that women's rights and many children's rights to education are continually threatened * METRO *She has the heart and courage of a lioness and is a true inspiration -- Lorraine Kelly * THE SUN *One finishes the book full of admiration both for Malala, and for her father, who has clearly inspired her -- Andrew Holgate * THE SUNDAY TIMES *Part memoir, part mission statement. I Am Malala recounts the early life of the Pakistani schoolgirl who spoke out against the Taliban and was shot for her defiance. Her recovery, bravery and stoicism - and her father, Ziauddin - make for shocking and moving reading * EMERALD STREET *Malala's story is gripping, tragic and yet ultimately full of hope. Faced with religious fundamentalism, suicide bombers and death threats her courage, stoicism and wisdom shine through at every turn. The bond she shares with her father - an equally courageous man whose views on equality are at odds with many of his countrymen - is also very movingly described * WOMAN'S WAY *This remarkable book is part memoir, part manifesto. I feel enriched from having read it. I also feel humbled. Our obsession with school performance is suddenly marginalised by a story in which education, quite literally, proves a matter of life and death -- Geoff Barton * THE EDUCATIONAL SUPPLEMENT *It's hard to believe that this intelligent, charismatic and very poised young women is still just 16 years old. There is so much hope and expectation resting on those inspirational small shoulders -- Lorraine Kelly * GLASGOW HERALD *The Pakistani schoolgirl shot by the Taliban has astonished the world with her courage and determination to fight for education and equal rights for women * FINANCIAL TIMES *Honest, insightful and piercingly wise, this is the celebrity memoir to give your teenaged daughter this Christmas -- Katy Guest * INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY *Read the story of the remarkable young woman who refused to be silenced after she was shot in the head by the Taliban on a school bus in 2012. At 16, she has become a global symbol of peaceful protest and the youngest ever nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize * BABY & ME *The media didn't really take on board the fact, which emerges from her book I Am Malala, that every single day for her was a protest. She would hide her pens and books under her clothes on the way to school and ignore the Taliban's threats. She is a role model, not just a victim -- Agatha Johnson * STANDPOINT *It's hard to find the words to describe what this girl has done, not only for young women everywhere, but also for the world in which it feels like the bad guys always win. I'm choked up just writing this * GLASGOW HERALD *I felt both humbled and inspired by I am Malala, the remarkable story of the young educational campaigner from Pakistan's Swat valley, who miraculously survived after bring shot by the dark forces of fundamentalism. Deftly written with the help of an award-winning foreign correspondent, this is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the tortured politics of the Taliban in the North-West Frontier -- Jimmy Burns * THE TABLET *Malala has shown extraordinary courage in campaigning for the millions of girls who are still denied an education. Uplifting and inspirational -- June Purvis * TIMES HIGHER EDUCATION SUPPLEMENT *The inspirational story of the girl who singlehandedly showed that the pen is mightier that the sword should be required reading for people of all ages * ARMY & YOU *A rich and riveting account of a short, brave and admirable life -- Kevin Power * SUNDAY BUSINESS POST (Ireland) *The book is equally Malala's story of love for her family and respect for her father who comes across as an inspirational figure. It is a book of courage and endurance in the face of tremendous odds. I Am Malala should be read by everyone who sees education as an agency of liberation for both boys and girls and an indispensable weapon in the struggle against ignorance and oppression -- Alan Gibbons * ARMADILLO *This courageous and extraordinary young woman has become something of a world symbol. Her stand for education of women in her own native Pakistan was a courageous one, but it should not lead Western readers to think that such things only happened over there. She and her family now live abroad, but as her speeches and appearances show, she continues her campaign for the right of young people everywhere to fully realise their potential * IRISH CATHOLIC *The world is entranced by the story of the 15-year-old girl who was shot in the head by the Taliban because she wished to go to school. Flown over to Birmingham for emergency surgery, she has emerged as an elegant and brave spokesgirl for a better future. This book should inspire girls the world over * CATHOLIC HERALD *Malala is an inspiration to girls and women all over the world -- J.K. RowlingMalala's evocation of place, beautifully and lovingly described, and her paean to her father with his own passion for education, are fascinating. But so is her toughness. She describes seeing a young girl selling oranges, clearly unable to read or write: "I took a photo of her and vowed I would do everything in my power to help educate girls just like her. This was the war I was going to fight." This remarkable book is part memoir, part manifesto. I feel enriched from having read it. I also feel humbled. Our obsession with school performance is suddenly marginalised by a story in which education, quite literally, proves a matter of life and death. * TES *Malala's voice has the purity, but also the rigidity, of the principled. Whether she is being a competitive teenager and keeping track of who she beat in exams (and by how much) or writing about the blog for the BBC that catapulted her on to the international stage ... or talking about Pakistan's politicians ("useless"), Malala is passionate and intense. Her faith and her duty to the cause of girls' education is unquestionable, her adoration for her father - her role model and comrade in arms - is moving and her pain at the violence carried out in the name of Islam is palpable. -- Fatima Bhutto * Guardian *
£9.49
The History Press Ltd Paddy Mayne: Lt Col Blair 'Paddy' Mayne, 1 SAS
Book Synopsis‘The best biography I’ve read recently’ – Colin Bateman, Sunday Independent An excellent examination of Mayne… Ross corrects many of the myths about him that have flourished over the years - History of War magazine ‘This welcome reassessment, officially backed and well-researched, sets the record straight’ – Soldier Magazine‘Paddy’ Mayne was one of the most outstanding special forces leaders of the Second World War. Hamish Ross’s authoritative study follows Mayne from solicitor and rugby international to troop commander in the Commandos and then the SAS, whose leader he later became and whose annals he graced, winning the DSO and three bars, the Croix de Guerre and the Légion d’Honneur.Mayne’s achievements attracted attention, and after his early death legends emerged, based largely on anecdote and assertion. Hamish Ross’s closely researched biography challenges much of the received version, using contemporary sources, the official war diaries, the chronicle of 1 SAS, Mayne’s papers and diaries, and a number of extended interviews with key contemporaries.Ross’s analysis shows Mayne to be a dynamic, yet principled and thoughtful man, committed to the unit’s original concepts. He was far from flawless, but his leadership and tactical brilliance in the field secured the reputation of the SAS, proving he was every bit a rogue hero.Trade ReviewThe best biography I’ve read recently -- Colin BatemanThis welcome reassessment, officially backed and well-researched, sets the record straightAn excellent examination of Mayne… Ross corrects many of the myths about him that have flourished over the years.” * History of War magazine *
£12.34
Cornerstone The Kennedy Curse: The shocking true story of
Book SynopsisNow with an all-new bonus chapter - in the bestselling The Kennedy Curse, 'James Patterson applies his writerly skills to real-life history . . . re-telling the political clan's rise and fall and rise again (and fall again) with novelistic style' (People). ________________________________Kennedys were always taught to win at all costs. And they did - but the price they paid was unimaginable . . .Across decades and generations, the Kennedys have been a family of charismatic adventurers, raised to take risks and excel. Their name is synonymous with American royalty. Their commitment to public service is legendary. But, for all the successes, the family has been blighted by assassinations, fatal accidents, drug and alcohol abuse and sex scandals. To this day, the Kennedys occupy a unique, contradictory place in the world's imagination: at once familiar and unknowable; charmed and cursed. The Kennedy Curse is a revealing, fascinating account of America's most famous family, as told by the world's most trusted storyteller.________________________________Also published as The House of Kennedy in the US.'When I wrote my first novel after several non-fiction works about politics, James Patterson lovingly lambasted me for infringing on his thriller territory. Now I know how he feels as he crosses into non-fiction politics with this juicy and entertaining look at a political family that continues to wield power and influence. He's too good - it isn't fair!' JAKE TAPPER, CNN anchor and author of The Hellfire ClubTrade ReviewWhen I wrote my first novel after several non-fiction works about politics, James Patterson lovingly lambasted me for infringing on his thriller territory. Now I know how he feels as he crosses into non-fiction politics with this juicy and entertaining look at a political family that continues to wield power and influence. He's too good – it isn't fair! -- JAKE TAPPER, CNN anchor and author of The Hellfire ClubJames Patterson applies his writerly skills to real-life history . . . re-telling the political clan's rise and fall and rise again (and fall again) with novelistic style. * People *It is the true history of 'American Royalty' told in the style of a gripping novel * Essential Marbella Magazine *Now with a new bonus chapter . . . told with all the power and verve of a thriller * Choice Magazine *
£10.44
Penguin Books Ltd The Pillow Book
Book Synopsis''A mistress of wry observation and scalding wit ... The Pillow Book retains its fresh, authentic appeal more than 1,000 years after its inception'' Japan TimesWritten by the court gentlewoman Sei Shonagon as a journal for her own amusement, The Pillow Book is one of the greatest works of Japanese literature. A fascinating exploration of life amongst the nobility at the height of the idyllic Heian period, it describes the exquisite pleasures of a confined world in which poetry, love, fashion and whim dominated. From brief reflections to longer, lyrical tales, Shonagon moves elegantly across themes including nature, society and her own flirtations and frustrations, to provide a witty, unique insight into a woman''s life at court in classical Japan.Translated with an introduction by Meredith McKinney
£11.69
Sandstone Press Ltd East of West, West of East
Book SynopsisThis extraordinary book tells the story of a remarkable family caught in Japan at the outbreak of the Second World War in the Pacific. With letters, journal extracts and notes from Hamish Brown’s parents, as well as his own recollections, it brings the era to life: not only life in the dying days of the British Empire, but also the terrible reality of the invasion of Singapore into which they escaped.Trade Review`An insight into history before it became history.’-Michael Pye;` Hamish Brown is a legendary figure.’-Alistair Moffat
£9.49
Verso Books Carlos Slim: The Power, Money, and Morality of
Book SynopsisThe biography of Carlos Slim, one of the richest people of all time, is not just the tale of the first man from a developing country to ever reach the top of the Forbes list of billionaires. It is the story of a character who represents the neoliberal mentality of our times, who mistrusts politicians, believes that the market is the most efficient mechanism for everything (even to combat corruption), and sees philanthropy as a social investment with businesses as the exclusive form of collective wealth.In this new book, produced through years of thorough investigation, Osorno examines this symbol of twenty-first-century capitalism and of Mexico. Similar surreal dimensions lead Osorno to openly ask whether a man as rich as him can also be a good person.Trade Review“One of the world’s best reporters tells the story of Carlos Slim, Mexico’s richest person, and the first from a developing country to make it to the top of the Forbes list. Osorno tells a remarkable tale of how the child of Lebanese immigrants slowly put together an empire that stretches from airlines to telecoms and health care.” —John Freeman, Editor of Freeman’s and author of The Undoing “Piercing the veil of secrecy surrounding one of world’s richest and most private businessmen was never going to be straightforward. In the end it took eight years, more than one hundred interviews, four hundred rejections, and oodles of patience to write the most comprehensive biography of Carlos Slim to date.”—Nina Lakhani, Guardian “After years of investigative journalism with access to confidential files and more than a hundred interviews, Diego Osorno condenses all the details of life that made Carlos Slim the richest billionaire in the world … This book includes the truth about the political, social and historical influence of the entrepreneur with his direct testimony and anecdotes about his peculiar financial maneuvers.” —Vice News “Sophisticated in some things, simple in others, proactive in certain subjects and puerile elsewhere, cosmopolitan and also deeply provincial—a multifaceted portrait emerges from this unforgettable book. Throughout the book, Diego Osorno does not condemn nor glorify but he does expose … This book will lead to an essential discussion about how Mexico creates Slim-style billionaires, about inequality, about influence, about business ethics. And about the legacy of a man with a fortune of $77.1 billion.” —Denise Dresser, La Reforma
£19.00
Biteback Publishing Diane Abbott: The Authorised Biography
Book SynopsisMore than three decades after her election to Parliament, Diane Abbott is still racking up firsts. The first black woman elected to Parliament, she also recently became the first black person to represent their party at PMQs. Abbott came to fame in the 1980s as part of a new generation of Labour activists, quickly dubbed the 'loony left' by right-wing tabloids. Decades later she is still a divisive figure. Inside the Brexit echo chamber she is treated with unparalleled contempt. Yet for her supporters she is a trailblazer, someone who has remained true to her principles and her community after thirty years in 'the belly of the beast'. Based on interviews with her colleagues, her political opponents and friends from school and university, as well as extensive archival research, Diane Abbott: The Authorised Biography traces Abbott's path from London, via Cambridge University, through the media and radical politics into Parliament, and then to the top of Jeremy Corbyn's shadow Cabinet.Trade Review"Diane is a fearless trailblazer whose record of breaking down barriers, overcoming obstacles and fighting injustice is truly inspirational. When I entered Parliament, Diane was the only other black woman in the Commons, and I have had the honour and privilege of working alongside her in fighting for justice and equality over many years. I'm delighted that her amazing story is finally being showcased, and it is beautifully captured in this brilliant book." - Dawn Butler MP "When someone is talked about as much as Diane Abbott is, it's easy to assume you know everything about her. But after this compelling read many will find they knew little at all. Diane earned the title trailblazer long before she stepped into the political arena, and her achievements far exceed the frequent misrepresentations. In this meticulously researched political biography, the story of the first black woman elected to Parliament is not only brought to life, it's brought into context." - Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP "As this excellent biography shows, Diane's story is about staying power in the best traditions of the Caribbean community. Proud of her Jamaican working-class background, she made it to Cambridge, worked in media and the unions and was elected a councillor and MP. At every stage of her life she has defied the odds. She has suffered more racist abuse and vilification than anyone else but she always holds her principles and integrity aloft. An inspiration to this and succeeding generations!" - Jeremy Corbyn
£17.00
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Alexander Hamilton
Book SynopsisYou've seen the show, you've sung the songs, now read the full story of America's most misunderstood founding father. 'I was swept up by the story. I thought it 'out-Dickens' Dickens in the unlikeliness of this man's rise from his humble beginnings in Nevis in the Caribbean, to changing, helping shape our young nation. And it's uniquely an immigrant story and it's uniquely a story about writers... It's an amazing biography' LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA Alexander Hamilton was an illegitimate self-taught orphan from the Caribbean who overcame all the odds to become George Washington's aide-de-camp and the first Treasury Secretary of the United States. Few figures in American history are more controversial than Alexander Hamilton. In this masterful work, Chernow shows how the political and economic power of America today is the result of Hamilton's willingness to champion ideas that were often wildly disputed during his time. He charts his titanic feuds with Jefferson, Adams, Madison, Monroe and Burr; his highly public affair with Maria Reynolds; his loving marriage to his loyal wife Eliza; and the notorious duel with Aaron Burr that led to his death in July 1804.Trade ReviewA mammoth work of research that charted the course of Hamilton's dazzling career and the dark controversies that accompanied it * Guardian *A magnificent biography * Spectator *An elegantly written, richly detailed account of Hamilton's tempestuous life * The Times *Nobody has captured Hamilton better than Chernow * New York Times Book Review *Chernow charts his way through Hamilton's hectic life, and the tumultuous times in which he lived, with aplomb * Military History Monthly *That biography is incredible. It out-Dickenses Charles Dickens -- Lin-Manuel MirandaA brilliant recreation of the society and culture of the time: thoughtful and playful, moving and powerful -- Michael Gove
£14.39
Little, Brown & Company Wisdom of the Bullfrog: Leadership Made Simple
Book SynopsisTHE INSTANT #1 New York Times BESTSELLERThe title "Bullfrog" is given to the Navy SEAL who has served the longest on active duty. Admiral McRaven was honoured to receive this honour in 2011 when he took charge of the United States Special Operations Command. When McRaven retired in 2014, he had 37 years as a Navy SEAL under his belt, leading men and women at every level of the special operations community. In the ensuing four years, he served as Chancellor to the entire University of Texas System, with its 230,000 students and 100,000 faculty and health care workers.During those four decades, Admiral McRaven dealt with every conceivable leadership challenge, from commanding combat operations-including the capture of Saddam Hussein, the rescue of Captain Phillips, and the raid for Osama bin Laden. THE WISDOM OF THE BULLFROG draws on these and countless other experiences from Admiral McRaven's incredible life, including crisis situations, management debates, organizational transitions, and ethical dilemmas, to provide readers with the most important leadership lessons he has learned over the course of his forty years of service. Each chapter provides a Make Your Bed-like parable, rich with insights like those featured in his bestselling memoir, Sea Stories, about the specific leadership traits required to be at the top of your game, including: * Who Dares, Wins* Run to the Sound of the Guns* No Plan Survives First Contact with the Enemy THE WISDOM OF THE BULLFROG is Admiral McRaven's clear-eyed treatise on the leadership qualities that separate the good from the truly great.
£17.00
Penguin Books Ltd Frederick the Great
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewHighly readable and deeply researched -- Andrew Roberts * Mail on Sunday *Tim Blanning's masterly biography guides the reader through all these wars and chicaneries with great skill and dry-eyed objectivity -- Noel Malcolm * Telegraph (5*) *It is sure to be the standard English-language account for many years. It instructs; it entertains; and it surprises -- Philip Mansel * The Spectator *Tim Blanning is that rarest of scholars, as deft in his command of government and grand strategy as he is in his handling of philosophy and opera, and is rightly regarded as one of Britain's (indeed Europe's) finest historians. This biography finds him at the height of his powers and offers major reassessments of almost every aspect of Frederick's career -- John Adamson * Literary Review *Potsdam, where the founding father of Prussian autocracy built the prettiest of palaces and picked the loftiest of guardsmen, [is] freshly and fascinatingly described by Tim Blanning -- Nicky Haslam * Spectator *A similar mastery of topic is evident from the first lines of Tim Blanning's Frederick the Great: King of Prussia (Allen Lane), a virtuoso study of an exceptionally complex man who, through force of personality, helped to shape an equally complex moment in European history. -- Michael Prodger * New Statesman *A superbly wise and accomplished biographer -- Dominic Sandbrook * Sunday Times *Tim Blanning's Frederick the Great, is as enthralling on its subject's horribly abusive upbringing as on his bold, sometimes foolhardy military campaigns. Blanning is particularly acute in inquiring, without, prurience, into the notorious question of Frederick's sexuality. -- Ritchie Robertson * TLS *
£17.09
Biteback Publishing Jacob's Ladder
Book SynopsisJacob Rees-Mogg is one of the most prominent and controversial figures in contemporary British politics. He is a man who divides opinion in his own party, in Parliament and across the country. An arch-Brexiteer with significant business interests and a large personal fortune, he has long been a vocal critic of the European Union and of Prime Minister Theresa May’s attempts to negotiate a Brexit deal. As chairman of the powerful anti-EU organisation the European Research Group, he has also been a thorn in the side of those seeking to dilute Brexit. While many people mock him for his impeccable manners and traditional attitudes – he has been dubbed `the Honourable Member for the eighteenth century’ – an equally great number applaud him for his apparent conviction politics. Undoubtedly, Rees-Mogg stands out among the current crop of MPs and his growing influence cannot be ignored. In this wide-ranging unauthorised biography of the Conservative Member of Parliament for North East Somerset, Michael Ashcroft, bestselling author of Call Me Dave: The Unauthorised Biography of David Cameron, turns his attention to one of the most intriguing politicians of our time.
£17.00
Oxford University Press The Lives of the Artists
Book SynopsisTranslation of: Vite de' piu eccellenti architettori, pittori et scultori italiani.Trade Review`...a book which has come to be recognised as the single most important contemporary source of information on hundreds of artists of the Italian Renaissance period.' Irish IndependentTable of ContentsIncludes: Cimabue; Giotto; Duccio; Luca della Robbia; Paolo Uccello; Ghiberti; Masaccio; Filippo Brunelleschi; Donatello; Piero della Francesca; Fra Angelico; Fra Filippo Lippi; Domenico Ghirlandaio; Sandro Botticelli; Andrea del Verrocchio; Mantegna; Leonardo da Vinci; Giorgione; Raphael; Titian; Michelangelo
£10.44
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC The International Brigades
Book Synopsis** Shortlisted for the Military History Matters Book of the Year Award **''Magnificent. Narrative history at its vivid and compelling best'' Fergal KeaneThe first major history of the International Brigades: a tale of blood, ideals and tragedy in the fight against fascism.The Spanish Civil War was the first armed battle in the fight against fascism, and a rallying cry for a generation. Over 35,000 volunteers from sixty-one countries around the world came to defend democracy against the troops of Franco, Hitler and Mussolini.Ill-equipped and disorderly, yet fuelled by a shared sense of purpose and potential glory, these disparate groups of idealistic young men and women formed a volunteer army of a size and type unseen since the Crusades, known as the International Brigades. Were they heroes or fools? Saints or bloodthirsty adventurers? And what exactly did they achieve?In this magisterial history, Giles Tremlett tells for the first time the story of the Spanish CTrade ReviewA narrative of astonishing scope … This latest study is a remarkable act of scholarship, as well as being captivatingly readable. The first overarching history of the brigades in English, it is alive with the testimonies of those who fought, and so much richer for stretching far beyond the obvious and famous Anglophone accounts of men of letters … Tremlett is a worthy custodian of their stories. He has created a dazzling mosaic of vignettes and sources, of lives lived and lost, of acts of heroism, solidarity, betrayal and futility, that builds to a grand picture of a conflict that drew idealists from across the world. The war left many of them in despair, injured or dead – but also hardened many more in their determination to defeat fascism. This book is as close to a definitive history as we are likely to get -- Dan Hancox * Guardian *Tremlett’s book marks a heroic episode in the history of the left. At a time when real fascists with real guns are patrolling the streets of American cities, and when far-right violence is on the rise in Spain, the sacrifice of the International Brigaders deserves to be remembered. In doing so, Tremlett reminds us that even just wars are dirty and chaotic, breeding grounds of sadism and injustice, and that the selfless often die first -- Paul Mason * Observer *This evocative study is the first comprehensive history in English of all the 35,000 international volunteers who fought the combined forces of Hitler, Mussolini and Franco in Spain … Far more than a civil war, it was Europe’s war against Fascism. Giles Tremlett encapsulates its huge stakes perfectly … There’s no feeling of a heavy read here, such is Tremlett’s deft handling of the material and page-turning prose. The story races along, replete with memorable stories and poignant vignettes … [A] gripping book … Through it, the 1930s come hurtling into our twenty-first century present -- Helen Graham * Literary Review *The bravery and sacrifices of the volunteers from all over the world who fought fascism in Spain keep alive interest in the civil war. Many of the tens of thousands of books about the conflict are about the International Brigades but there has never been one like Giles Tremlett’s deeply moving and endlessly informative account. Bursting with memorable quotes and anecdotes, it provides, in lucid and compelling prose, the overall history of the Brigades that has been lacking -- Paul PrestonMagnificent. Narrative history at its vivid and compelling best -- Fergal KeaneMore than eighty years after the civil war ended on April 1, 1939, the story of what inspired left-wing sympathisers from all over the world to fight, and what became of them, still fascinates and impassions … It is an epic tale and Giles Tremlett’s The International Brigades nails it with the decisiveness of a political commissar’s bullet to the back of a deserter’s head. Using widely trawled research, he has created an electrifying narrative that brings to life the idealism, suffering, chaos and paranoia of what a journalist at the time called the “most truly international army the world has seen since the Crusades” … A powerful portrayal of an episode underpinned by what Nehru, after visiting a British unit, called “so much human courage, so much of what was worthwhile in life" -- Isambard Wilkinson * The Times *Tremlett deftly interweaves this rich archival material with colourful first-hand accounts from numerous participants … A highly engaging read, helped considerably by the author’s fluid prose style and journalist’s eye for a good story ... A well-researched and comprehensive work of scholarship -- Richard Baxell * Spectator *
£14.24
Boydell & Brewer Ltd The History of William Marshal
Book SynopsisThe career of William Marshal (1146/7-12), who rose from being the penniless, landless younger son of a middle-ranking nobleman to be regent of England in the minority of Henry III, is one of the most extraordinary stories of theMiddle Ages. His biography was completed shortly after his death by a household minstrel and we are fortunate that it survives to give a unique portrait of a twelfth-century knight's life in the early days of tournaments and chivalry as well as his career in warfare and politics.Trade ReviewThis book deserves to become a classic and to find its way into many a university course syllabus and into many a bookcase. * FRANCIA *Table of ContentsIntroduction The History of William Marshal Glossary
£23.74
Biteback Publishing Break-Up: How Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon
Book SynopsisAlex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon's political partnership changed the face of Scotland, bringing the country to within 200,000 votes of independence and holding sway at Holyrood for more than a decade. So how and why has their thirty-year alliance irretrievably broken down? Break-Up tells the inside story of how the once unbreakable unity of the Scottish National Party was ripped apart amid shocking claims of sexual assault. With unrivalled access to both camps and the women who made the allegations, and with rigorously fair-minded reporting, journalists David Clegg and Kieran Andrews go behind the headlines to uncover the truth about this extraordinary episode, in a piece of political history that reads like a thriller. Now fully updated, this is a jaw-dropping tale of inappropriate behaviour in the highest reaches of power, of lies, distrust and alleged conspiracy, with profound implications not only for Salmond and Sturgeon themselves but for Scotland's governing party and the wider independence campaign.Trade Review"A gripping story of power games and hubris" The Observer
£11.69
Marshall Cavendish ELT Impressions of an Invasion: A Correspondent in
Book Synopsis
£12.74
Little, Brown Book Group West with the Night
Book Synopsis* ERNEST HEMINGWAY wrote to a friend: 'She can write rings around all of us ... I wish you would get it and read it because it is really a bloody wonderful book' * introduction by MARTHA GELLHORNTrade ReviewA beautiful and evocative story that deserves to be ranked alongside Karen Blixen's Out of Africa * Time Out *A poet's feeling for her land, an adventurer's response to life * New York Herald Tribune *[Markham] can write rings around all of us . . . I wish you would get it and read it because it is really a bloody wonderful book -- Ernest HemingwayMarkham made her name as one of the first pilots to fly solo across the Atlantic in 1936 . . . A vivacious account of an eccentric life, with Markham's headstrong nature and spirit shining out * Daily Mail *A beautiful and evocative story that deserves to be ranked alongside Karen Blixen's OUT OF AFRICA * Time Out *A poet's feeling for her land, an adventurer's response to life * New York HERALD Tribune *Markham made her name as one of the first pilots to fly solo across the Atlantic in 1936 . . . A vivacious account of an eccentric life, with Markham's headstrong nature and spirit shining out * Daily Mail *
£10.44
Vintage Publishing The Life of Mahatma Gandhi
Book Synopsis‘A monumental yet intimate biography, a vivid portrait of the man, the statesman and the saint’ The TimesMahatma Gandhi became a legend in his own time. A tireless fighter for human rights and for Indian independence, his strategy of satyagraha, or passive resistance, earned him the admiration of millions. Louis Fischer's biography is the definitive account of Ghandi's life; it tells the astonishing story of one man who changed the world forever. This is the perfect read to celebrate and understand Ghandi in the year of the 150th anniversary of his birth.Trade ReviewThe best biography of Gandhi... I was enthralled from the first page...it changed my life * Sir Richard Attenborough *A monumental yet intimate biography, a vivid portrait of the man, the statesman and the saint * The Times *An important work * London Review of Books *Generous and conscientious... You feel Gandhi would have liked it that way * New York Herald Tribune *Equally successful in presenting the world figure with a cure for the world's woes and the plain little man with the kind look and smile * The Times *
£12.34
Vintage Publishing The Lion House
Book SynopsisChristopher de Bellaigue is the award-winning author of The Lion House: The Rise of Suleyman the Magnificent, which was chosen as a book of the year by The Times, Sunday Times, Spectator and New Yorker among others, as well as five previous books, including The Islamic Enlightenment, which was shortlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-fiction and the Orwell Prize for Political Writing in 2017. As a reporter he has covered war, politics, society and the environment in five continents for the Economist, the New York Review of Books, the Guardian and the BBC. He is the founder of the Lake District Book Festival in Cartmel, Cumbria, an Honorary Fellow of the University of St Andrews and in 2026 he will take up a Visiting Fellowship at All Souls College, Oxford. www.christopherdebellaigue.comTrade ReviewThere are books that enlarge the mind, there are books that enrich the soul, but rarely comes a book so beautifully-written and profound that it manages to do both -- ELIF SHAFAK, author of The Island of Missing TreesThe most daring history book of the year ... told in the present tense with all the dash and flair of a novel. The research is faultless: we are immersed ... it brilliantly conveys a sense of colour and momentum, placing the reader in the thick of the action. Unforgettable -- Dominic Sandbrook * The Times & Sunday Times Best Books of 2022 *This is history, but not as we know it. It is non-fiction posing as a novel, rich in incident and cinematic detail ... it's tremendous -- Justin Marozzi * Sunday Times *An urgent, immersive, present-tense gallop ... the book reads as a non-fiction novel ... cinematically vivid tableaux ... Each spangled scene ... rests on a solid foundation in the primary sources ... De Bellaigue enriches his storytelling with the colourful, meticulous dispatches of its traders, envoys and spies ... behind the bejewelled descriptive prose a thumping pulse of action tugs us through ... de Bellaigue's glittering, deft and often witty prose adds pleasure to each page * Financial Times *Luminous, erudite ... a gripping account that evokes an epic poem, saga or 'book of kings' ... It is as immersive as the blurb claims, conjuring the world of the eastern Mediterranean, Anatolia and south-eastern Europe in the early 16th century with the limpid clarity of the many gems that stud its pages ... Even more than the detail, it is the characters that intrigue and often inspire ... The book leaves the reader with Suleiman truly magnificent * Spectator *Mesmerising . . . steeped in the sensuous detail of banquet and ceremony, stratagem and conspiracy -- Colin ThubronA brilliantly written account of the Ottoman empire in all its opulence and brutality. Rich in colourful historical anecdotes, de Bellaigue brings 16th-century statecraft vividly alive, and offers a chilling insight into the ruthlessness and loneliness of one of the most powerful men of the age * Guardian *A vivid, cinematic account of the rise of Suleyman the Magnificent ... de Bellaigue follows with exhilarating clarity and suspense the era's broader battles across Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East, and the individual trajectories - grand ambitions, rivalries, betrayals - of these outsiders in Suleyman's court, a place rife with intrigue and back-stabbing, rich with colourful characters -- Claire Messud * Harper's *Those lucky readers who come to Christopher de Bellaigue's book in proximity to reading Mantel can suddenly have a new panel thrown open to them like an unfolding altarpiece ... all written in the present tense. This creates the obvious sense of liveliness and urgency ... Bellaigue sets about the task with such confidence and skill that it works ... a dazzling and dark work. Witty and often wise, it speaks to the frailties and the precarity of power -- David Aaronovitch * The Times *Vivid and compelling ... He presents his story like a novel, but it is not fiction; every detail has been diligently researched, for example by perusing diaries in difficult Venetian dialect ... Whether he is describing a lavish dinner for Italian merchants on the Bosporus, the stately progress of Suleiman's armies through the Balkans or a mass circumcision, he has an eye for the colourful, absurd and ironic ... As this book shows, living in the penumbra of such supreme power can be seductive and intoxicating. But the end of the story is often tragic * Economist *Wolf Hall for the Ottoman Empire ... History at its most gripping * Daily Telegraph *This account really grips... it does so by bringing out the fascinating individuals, the adventure, the lurid details, the barbarities, the opulence and squalor and near misses of the story -- Melanie McDonagh * Evening Standard *Poised effortlessly between two worlds and two ages, a book as pungent and mysterious as the age it depicts -- RORY STEWART, former British Cabinet Minister and author of The Places In BetweenA complex piece of history told with extraordinary clarity * Spectator, *Best Books of 2022* *Christopher de Bellaigue has a magic talent for writing history It is as if we are there as the era of Suleyman the Magnificent unfolds -- ORHAN PAMUK, Nobel Laureate in LiteratureEssential reading for anyone wishing to understand political ambition and the role of narcissistic leaders and scheming courtiers in any age -- ROBERT PESTON, Political Editor ITV NewsGripping, novelistic ... brisk and muscular ... written in a sure-footed historical present, the book creates a simulacrum of the 16th century through the painstaking accumulation of attested details ... [giving] the book its vividness and energy ... [De Bellaigue] writes with supreme confidence about power, diplomacy, clothing, avarice, war, statecraft and the exceptional brutality of the era ... While The Lion House unfolds like a novel, through scenes rich with authenticating detail -- Marcel Theroux * The New York Times Book Review *De Bellaigue is a riveting and expert guide to the story of Suleyman's quest for power -- PETER FRANKOPAN, author of The Silk RoadsNarrated with a verve and flair that make the characters burst from the pages. Outstanding history and an incredibly good read -- EUGENE ROGAN, author of The Fall of the OttomansExquisite ... So arresting is this book, so enveloping in the tensions of its narrative, that most readers will feel a pang of sorrow that the tale does not run on. The Lion House leaves us with a tease, or taunt: "Who, apart from God, can say what will come next?" A sequel, surely. Although it was the peak of the Ottoman Empire, Suleyman's reign also offers clear glimpses of a great decline to come. Who better to tell us about it than Mr de Bellaigue? * Wall Street Journal *Non-fiction with the readability of a thriller. Unputdownable -- VICTORIA HISLOP, author of The IslandSensuous and scholarly, meticulously researched and deliciously irreverent, The Lion House is an intoxicating journey through the Ottomans' golden age -- AMBERIN ZAMAN, correspondent, Al-Monitor, Turkey correspondent for the Economist (1999-2016) and Fellow of the Woodrow Wilson Center, Washington, DCReads like the most gripping fiction ... could very well be Netflix's next epic * Radio Times *The Lion House presents a historical universe that captivates and astonishes and is near-impossible to put down. A superb example of historical literature and research -- RICHARD WHATMORE, Professor of Modern History at the University of St AndrewsFull of breath-taking events at the cross-roads of empires at a moment in history when notions such as Europe, Asia, Christianity and Islam were infinitely more fluid and permeable than they are today -- KEREM OKTEM, Professor of International Relations at Ca' Foscari University, VeniceOriginal... de Bellaigue... offers a vivid presentation of events, re-imagined as scenes and episodes... a different, literary kind [of history] -- Noel Malcolm * Times Literary Supplement *De Bellaigue writes with impecable scholarship, piecing together contemporary accounts to create a thrilling narrative * Church Times *De Bellaigue is an expert stylist, sensitive to rhythm and vocabulary, and passionate in his pursuit of the fugitive detail that gives meaning to a whole episode * Literary Review *An exhilarating read -- Rose Shepherd * Saga Magazine *An engrossing book... This is history turned into drama and poetry, awesomely spectacular yet also intensely intimate -- Yasmin Alibhai-Brown * iNews *
£10.44
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Catherine The Great: Portrait of a Woman
Book SynopsisThe fascinating true story behind HBO's Catherine the Great starring Dame Helen Mirren as Catherine the Great. Born into a minor noble family, Catherine transformed herself into empress of Russia by sheer determination. For thirty-four years, the government, foreign policy, cultural development and welfare of the Russian people were in her hands. She dealt with domestic rebellion, foreign wars and the tidal wave of political change and violence churned up by the French Revolution. Robert K. Massie brings an eternally fascinating woman together with her family, friends, ministers, generals, lovers and enemies – vividly and triumphantly to life. History offers few stories richer than that of Catherine the Great.Trade ReviewA biographer with the instincts of a novelist * New York Times *A masterful portrait of a majestic monarch * Publishers Weekly *A sensitive and compelling portrait not just of a Russian titan, but also of a flesh-and-blood woman * Newsweek *
£13.49
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Philip and Alexander: Kings and Conquerors
Book Synopsis'A thrilling read' Tom Holland 'History-writing at its best' Barry Strauss By the end of his short life, Alexander the Great had redrawn the map of the ancient world to create an empire that stretched from the Adriatic Sea to the Indian subcontinent. But his success was not just the product of his own genius and restless energy, it was built on decades of effort by his father. History has portrayed Philip II of Macedon as a one-eyed old man whose assassination allowed Alexander to accede to power. But there was far more to him than this. Through decades of hard fighting and clever diplomacy, Philip unified his country and conquered Greece. His son inherited all of this at the perfect moment for him to win yet greater glory. The work of a master historian, Philip and Alexander describes how Philip and Alexander of Macedon transformed a weak kingdom in northern Greece into a globe-spanning empire and – in so doing – changed the course of history.Trade ReviewAs successful in meeting its ambitions as Philip's kingship, as sweeping as Alexander's conquests -- Tom HollandBelongs on the (sturdy) shelf of any reader interested in military, political, or social history * Minerva Magazine *By pairing the two giants of Macedonia, Goldsworthy helps the reader understand Alexander's life all the better, and sheds light on the achievements and character of Philip * Aspects of History *Sterling scholarship, engaging prose, insightful analysis, and unbiased assessment -- Victor Davis HansonA gripping history that combined deep scholarship with readability... This is an epic history. Very much in the vein of the Tom Holland histories of empire, enjoyable and informative but also gripping' * NB Magazine *Contributes significantly to making these scholarly developments accessible to a very wide audience, through engaging narratives which capture the political complexity of the Greek world both before and after Alexander. The major innovation of Goldsworthy's vivid Philip and Alexander is to pair Alexander's biography with that of his father, Philip II * TLS *Adrian Goldsworthy takes a fresh approach to the well-worn tale, dealing with the gaps in our knowledge with candour and resisting the urge to fill them with speculation * Military History Monthly *
£12.34
Profile Books Ltd We Could Have Been Friends, My Father and I: A
Book SynopsisA FINALIST FOR THE US NATIONAL BOOK AWARD 2023 FOR NONFICTION 'Profoundly personal as well as historically significant ... In his moral clarity and baring of the heart, Shehadeh recalls writers such as Ghassan Kanafani and Primo Levi' Hisham Matar, New York Times Aziz Shehadeh was many things: lawyer, activist, and political detainee, he was also the father of bestselling author and activist Raja. In this new and searingly personal memoir, Raja Shehadeh unpicks the snags and complexities of their relationship. A vocal and fearless opponent, Aziz resists under the British mandatory period, then under Jordan, and, finally, under Israel. As a young man, Raja fails to recognise his father's courage and, in turn, his father does not appreciate Raja's own efforts in campaigning for Palestinian human rights. When Aziz is murdered in 1985, it changes Raja irrevocably. This is not only the story of the battle against the various oppressors of the Palestinians, but a moving portrait of a particular father and son relationship.Trade ReviewPowerful ... It's a mark of Shehadeh's brilliance that this latest revisiting is full of surprises: it's even in tone, but jet-fuelled by implicit emotion; there's no conventional suspense, but it is absolutely gripping ... masterly -- Rachel Aspden * Guardian *A striking story of loss, heartbreak and political perfidy ... This is a tragedy within a tragedy, of a father and son who, despite their similarities, failed to understand one another, against the backdrop of dispossession of the Palestinian people -- Lara Marlowe * Irish Times *Highly readable ... thought-provoking * Observer *Slim but powerful - rich in recent historical detail with a poignant personal trauma threading in and out of it. This is a Palestinian memoir that will endure -- Gerald Butt * Church Times *Praise for the author: 'Palestine's greatest prose writer * Observer *Going Home cements the author's reputation as the best-known Palestinian writing in English * Guardian *Luminously clear-sighted ... By turns lyrical, witty and shrewd, Shehadeh is an excellent walking companion * Prospect *Shehadeh is a great inquiring spirit with a tone that is vivid, ironic, melancholy and wise -- Colm TóibínRaja Shehadeh is a buoy in a sea of bleakness -- Rachel Kushner
£10.44
GMC Publications Churchill in Quotes: Wit and Wisdom From the
Book SynopsisChurchill in Quotes celebrates the life and wit of this iconic figure combining archive photography with the inspiring speeches, wry remarks and cutting comments he was known for. Sir Winston Churchill, statesman, orator and former Prime Minister was a man whose words gave hope and inspiration to the British people, and many are as relevant today as they were during the war years. Churchill's speeches were not always confined to serious political rhetoric and motivation: his off-the-cuff quips and comments displayed a wry wit and humour. This book is a celebration of an outstanding figure in British history, presented in almost 200 photographs, hand-picked from the vast archives of the Press Association, many of which have remained unseen since they were first published in the newspapers and magazines of their day. SELLING POINTS: . Updated format of bestselling Churchill in Quotes with a refreshed and contemporary design . Includes 200 historical images from the archives of the Press Association . Photography of major events in Churchill's life and career
£11.69
Atlantic Books American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of
Book Synopsis***THE INSPIRATION FOR CHRISTOPHER NOLAN'S NEW FILM OPPENHEIMER***THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERWINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE FOR NONFICTION'Reads like a thriller, gripping and terrifying' Sunday TimesPhysicist and polymath, as familiar with Hindu scriptures as he was with quantum mechanics, J. Robert Oppenheimer - director of the Manhattan Project that developed the atomic bomb - was the most famous scientist of his generation. In their meticulous and riveting biography, Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin reveal a brilliant, ambitious, complex and flawed man, profoundly involved with some of the momentous events of the twentieth century.Trade ReviewA riveting account of one of history's most essential and paradoxical figures. -- Christopher NolanReads like a thriller, gripping and terrifying by turns... No more absorbing biography will, I predict, come out this year, nor, given the dangers we face, a more important one. -- John Carey * Sunday Times *I hate to say it, but, if you zip through all six hundred pages of the book before seeing the film, you'll enjoy the ride more. -- Anthony Lane * New Yorker *Fascinating... Enthralling... All previous works on the topic are, in the nicest possible sense, blown out of the sky by a book which is, in both the proper and metaphorical meanings, monumental. -- Mark Lawson * Esquire *No previous biography has... matched the power, range and lucidity of Martin Sherwin and Kai Bird's Life... Its combination of meticulous scholarship and felicitous prose grasps the drama of Oppenheimer's life in all its riveting complexity. * Sunday Telegraph *A giant among biographies, a life story that at times reads like a thriller but which is also deeply authoritative and persuasively informative.... Magisterial. * Observer *This is a magisterial biography: a masterpiece that has taken decades to put together. -- Kathryn Hughes * Mail on Sunday *A tremendous work of scholarship. * Financial Times *Dazzling... Rich in incident and enigma... It wears its scholarship lightly and whisks the reader through the story at thriller-like pace. * New Statesman *Magisterial... There have been many books on Oppenheimer... but American Prometheus is the first to attempt to explore more than a single facet... It is a portrait of the man, the times, the science, and the politics... It is a vaulting ambition, and it is amply rewarded. -- Judith Flanders * Spectator *The definitive biography... Oppenheimer's life doesn't influence us. It haunts us. * Newsweek *A work of voluminous scholarship and lucid insight, unifying its multifaceted portrait with a keen grasp of Oppenheimer's essential nature... It succeeds in deeply fathoming his most damaging, self-contradictory behavior. * New York Times *A masterful account of Oppenheimer's rise and fall, set in the context of the turbulent decades of America's own transformation. It is a tour de force. * Los Angeles Times Book Review *There have been numerous books about Oppenheimer but they can't touch this extraordinary book's impressive breadth and scope. * Miami Herald *The first biography to give full due to Oppenheimer's extraordinary complexity... Stands as an Everest among the mountains of books on the bomb project and Oppenheimer, and is an achievement not likely to be surpassed or equaled. * Boston Globe *Table of Contents1: "He Received Every New Idea as Perfectly Beautiful" 2: "His Separate Prison" 3: "I Am Having a Pretty Bad Time" 4: "I Find Work Hard, Thank God, & Almost Pleasant" 5: "I Am Oppenheimer" 6: "Oppie" 7: "The Nim Nim Boys" 8: "In 1936 My Interests Began to Change" 9: "[Frank] Clipped It Out and Sent it In" 10: "More and More Surely" 11: "I'm Going to Marry a Friend of Yours, Steve" 12: "We Were Pulling the New Deal to the Left" 13: "The Coordinator of Rapid Rupture" 14: "The Chevalier Affair" 15: "He'd Become Very Patriotic" 16: "Too Much Secrecy" 17: "Oppenheimer Is Telling the Truth" 18: "Suicide, Motive Unknown" 19: "Would You Like to Adopt Her?" 20: Bohr Was God, and Oppie Was His Prophet" 21: "The Impact of the Gadget on Civilization" 22: "Now We're All Sons-of-Bitches" 23: "Those Poor Little People" 24: "I Feel I Have Blood on My Hands" 25: "People Could Destroy New York" 26: "Oppie Had a Rash and Is Now Immune" 27: "An Intellectual Hotel" 28: "He Couldn't Understand Why He Did It" 29: "I Am Sure That Is Why She Threw Things at Him" 30: "He Never Let On What His Opinion Was" 31: "Dark Words About Oppie" 32: "Scientist X" 33: "The Beast in the Jungle" 34: "It Looks Pretty Bad, Doesn't It?" 35: "I Fear That This Whole Thing Is a Piece of Idiocy" 36: "A Manifestation of Hysteria" 37: "A Black Mark on the Escutcheon of Our Country" 38: "I Can Still Feel the Warm Blood on My Hands" 39: "It Was Really Like a Never-Never-Land" 40: "It Should Have Been Done the Day After Trinity" Epilogue: "There's Only One Robert"
£12.34
Orion Publishing Co Ataturk
Book SynopsisThe definitive biography of the father of modern Turkey, a powerful figure in the still-unfolding drama of the Middle East.With the collapse of the Ottoman Empire after the First World War came the emergence of new nations, chief among them Turkey itself. It was the creation of one man, the soldier-statesman Mustafa Kemal, who dragged his country from the Middle Ages to the twentieth century, and in defeating Western imperialists inspired 'the cause of the East'. Lord Kinross writes of the intrigues of empires, the brutalities of civil war, personal courage - showing us Ataturk, the incarnation of glory - as well as of Kemal's youthful ambition, and his problems with his wife.
£17.09
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Take Six Girls: The Lives of the Mitford Sisters
Book Synopsis'Wonderfully readable... Emphasises their sheer extraordinariness and celebrates them' MAIL ON SUNDAY. The eldest was a razor-sharp novelist of upper-class manners; the second was loved by John Betjeman; the third was a fascist who married Oswald Mosley; the fourth idolized Hitler and shot herself in the head when Britain declared war on Germany; the fifth was a member of the American Communist Party; the sixth became Duchess of Devonshire. They were the Mitford sisters: Nancy, Pamela, Diana, Unity, Jessica and Deborah. Born into country-house privilege, they became prominent as 'bright young things' in the high society of interwar London. Then, as the shadows crept over 1930s Europe, the stark – and very public – differences in their outlooks came to symbolise the political polarities of a dangerous decade. The intertwined stories of their lives – recounted in masterly fashion by Laura Thompson – hold up a revelatory mirror to upper-class English life before and after World War II.Trade ReviewI was enthralled and charmed by this group biography of all six Mitford sisters, which tells the intertwined stories of their stylish scandalous lives in a fresh and admirably concise way – and with a striking contemporary sensibility too * Bookseller, Editors Choice *Engaging... Thompson's is an astute, highly readable and well assembled book, and she writes with particular intelligence about the sisters' self-mythologising and their ongoing hold on the public imagination' * The Observer *Thompson is marvellous at mapping and explicating the webs or skeins of sibling rivalry [in this] gripping and appalling family saga * The Times *The first book to consider "the whole six-pack" in the post-Mitford age. And what a remarkable story it is... Thompson retells the story with great style and illuminating detail' * The Independent *Thompson has written this book with generosity and delicacy. It is amusing, poignant and perceptive as a portrait of the sisters' long lives and changing times, and of their own apparent inability to change with them * Book Oxygen *A breezy vigorous argument for the sisters' powerful, unrepeatable significance... Thompson combines a subtle understanding of history with enjoyably crisp, tart insights: this is an excellent place either to begin with the Mitfords or proceed with them' * Mail on Sunday *I was captivated by this group biography, which tells the story of the Mitfords' sensational lives in a fresh and concise way * Sunday Express *A wonderful telling of an extraordinary family living in extraordinary times * Yorkshire Gazette & Herald *This is a careful, realistic assessment of their virtues, follies and charm * Daily Mail. *Not the first-ever book about the Mitford sisters - but it might well be the best of the lot' * Reader's Digest. *Thompson's wonderfully readable biography emphasises their sheer extraordinariness and celebrates them * The Mail on Sunday *This book builds rich individual portraits, especially of the unfathomable Diana * TLS *Gives a great insight into the relationship between the sisters as their lives unfold * Irish Independent *It's brilliant on the most fascinating and least explored sister, Diana... A wonderful book' * Mail on Sunday *
£11.07
Biteback Publishing Going for Broke
Book SynopsisIn the middle of 2019, Rishi Sunak was an unknown junior minister in the local government department. Seven months later, at the age of thirty-nine, he was Chancellor of the Exchequer, grappling with the gravest economic crisis in modern history. Michael Ashcroft’s new book charts Sunak’s ascent from his parents’ Southampton pharmacy to the University of Oxford, the City of London, Silicon Valley – and the top of British politics. It is the tale of a super-bright and hardgrafting son of immigrant parents who marries an Indian heiress and makes a fortune of his own; a polished urban southerner who wins over the voters of rural North Yorkshire – and a cautious, fiscally conservative financier who becomes the biggest-spending Chancellor in history. Sunak was unexpectedly promoted to the Treasury’s top job in February 2020, with a brief to spread investment and opportunity as part of Boris Johnson’s levelling-up agenda. Within weeks, the coronavirus had sent Britain into lockdown, with thousands of firms in peril and millions of jobs on the line. As health workers battled to save lives, it was down to Sunak to save livelihoods. This is the story of how he tore up the rulebook and went for broke.
£17.00
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC A Scented Palace
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewAn entrancing biography. * Elle *A subtly distilled life. Fargeon’s impressions of Marie Antoinette are particularly compelling. -- Judith Thurman * New Yorker *Rhapsodic and piquant… full of information. * New York Review of Books *The book’s heroes are Marie Antoinette, perfume and Fargeon in that order, but what emerges is a powerful evocation of a lost world. -- Erica Wagner * The Times *Learning about Fargeon’s relationship with the Queen and about the fragrances that he compounded is particularly relevant for me. It is also fascinating to read about the ingredients, many of which are used to this day. -- Evelyn Lauder * Vanity Fair *De Feydeau’s descriptions of Versailles Palace’s obsessions with coiffure, fashion, perfume and cosmetics are alluring. -- Sam Leith * Daily Telegraph *De Feydeau’s lively account gives the reader an additional twist on the life and times of Marie Antoinette and her influence on two of France’s continuing major industries – fashion and scent. * Washington Post *Interesting and well-written. -- Rebecca Chappell * French Magazine *Table of ContentsIntroduction by Catherine Wright Prologue 1. The Main Theme 1748-1774 2. The Touches from the Heart 1774-1782 3. The Basic Tenor 1782-1794 Epilogue Appendix 1: The Palette of Jean-Louis Fargeon Appendix 2: Procedures for the Manufacture of Perfumes Notes
£9.99
Penguin Books Ltd Shackleton
Book SynopsisDiscover the exhilarating true story of Ernest Shackleton''s legendary Antarctic expeditionTold through the words of the world''s greatest living explorer, Sir Ranulph Fiennes - one of the only men to understand his experience first-hand . . .''For anyone with a passion for polar exploration, this is a must read'' NEW YORK TIMES''THE definitive book on Shackleton and no one could have done it better . . . an authentic account by one of the few men who truly knows what it''s like to challenge Antarctica'' LORRAINE KELLY_________In 1915, Sir Ernest Shackleton''s attempt to be the first to traverse the Antarctic was cut short when his ship, Endurance, became trapped in ice.He and his crew should have died.Instead, through a long, dark winter, Shackleton fought back: enduring sub-zero temperatures, a perilous lifeboat journey across icy seas, and a murderous march over glaciers to seek help.Trade ReviewAn insider's look into a very select club ... Fiennes' personal asides help to explain the unfathomable - such as how and why humans could and, more inexplicably, would persist with moving their tortured bodies across tortured landscapes in such extreme cold ... For anyone with a passion for polar exploration, this is a must read. * New York Times *THE definitive book on my hero Shackleton and no one could have done it better. "The Boss" would have heartily approved of such an authentic account by one of the few men who truly knows what it's like to challenge Antarctica -- Lorraine KellyFiennes makes a fine guide on voyage into Shackleton's world . . . What makes this book so engaging is the author's own storytelling skills -- Lorna Siggins * Irish Independent *With first-hand experience of polar expeditions, Fiennes relates these tales of exploration and survival, adding insight to Shackleton's journeys unlike any other biographer * Radio Times *An insider's look into a very select club . . . Fiennes' personal asides help to explain the unfathomable - such as how and why humans could and, more inexplicably, would persist with moving their tortured bodies across tortured landscapes in such extreme cold . . . For anyone with a passion for polar exploration, this is a must read * New York Times *Fiennes brings the promised perspective of one who has been there, illuminating Shackleton's actions by comparing them with his own. Beginners to the Heroic Age will enjoy this volume, as will serious polar adventurers seeking advice. For all readers, it's a tremendous story -- Sara Wheeler * The Wall Street Journal *Praise for Ranulph Fiennes' Captain Scott * - *Fiennes' own experiences certainly allow him to write vividly and with empathy of the hell that the men went through. * The Sunday Times *A valuable corrective to the trend of Scott debunking...One by one, and with the commendable attention to detail, Fiennes explodes the accumulated myths. * Sunday Telegraph *Sir Ranulph Fiennes has done Captain Scott's memory some service...he has certainly written a more dispassionate and balanced account than Huntford ever set out to do. -- Simon Courtauld * Spectator *Full of awe-inspiring details of hardship, resolve and weather that defies belief, told by someone of unique authority. No one is more tailor-made to tell [this] story than Sir Ranulph Fiennes * Newsday *
£11.69
Granta Books Orwell's Roses
Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE ORWELL PRIZE 'I loved this book... An exhilarating romp through Orwell's life and times' Margaret Atwood 'Outside my work the thing I care most about is gardening' George Orwell In 1936 Orwell planted roses at his cottage in Hertfordshire. Over eighty years later Rebecca Solnit encounters them, and is inspired to explore a different side to the great writer and activist to the one we know so well. Following his journey from the coal mines of England to taking up arms in the Spanish Civil War, and his explosive critiques of Stalin and authoritarianism, here Solnit finds a more hopeful Orwell. And in her dialogue with the author and his fascination with nature, she makes unexpected connections with the colonial legacy of the flower garden, discovers photographer Tina Modotti's extraordinary roses, and reveals Stalin's strange obsession with growing lemons in impossibly cold conditions. A fresh reading of a towering figure of the twentieth century, Orwell's Roses finds solace and solutions for the political and environmental challenges we face today, and is a remarkable reflection on pleasure, beauty, and joy as acts of resistance. 'Luminous...It is efflorescent, a study that seeds and blooms, propagates thoughts, and tends to historical associations' New Statesman 'A genuinely extraordinary mind, whose curiosity, intelligence and willingness to learn seem unbounded' Irish TimesTrade ReviewI loved this book, and so will many... an exhilarating romp through Orwell's life and times and also through the life and times of roses -- Margaret AtwoodThis book is brilliant because it is true, and because it rescues Orwell from a kind of dourness and seriousness, and gives him back his humanity and yes, his Englishness. -- James Rebanks, author of English Pastoral and The Shepherd's LifeI so loved this book. It unfolds like the petals of a rose - the political rose, the personal rose - and enacts its subject in the ethics of its beauty and the grace of its resistance -- Jay Griffiths, author of Why RebelWe all know what Orwell hated but Solnit pays attention to what he loved. Orwell's Roses is an ingeniously fresh and unpredictable take on his life and times, and the values he held dear -- Dorian LynskeyThere is nothing more political than a garden, and Rebecca Solnit brings Orwell's life and writing vividly alive through his quiet determination to love the surface of the earth. Orwell's Roses shows how intimately aesthetics is intertwined with ethics, and in doing so, Solnit has given us a truly beautiful book -- Alex Christofi, author of Dostoevsky in LoveThis an enchanting book, as powerful in its arguments as it is enjoyable to read. From a surprising close-up of George Orwell planting three Woolworth roses, Solnit pans to a bracing new vista of the man and his fierce political aesthetic, taking in the injustices of the rose industry and lying Soviet science as she goes. Brilliant -- Lisa AppignanesiThis elegant rambling rose of a book muses on Orwell with all Rebecca Solnit's luminous intelligence and trademark optimism. If "Orwellian" has become synonymous with darkness and oppression, she opens up his life affirming love of gardening, of wild nature and life's physical pleasure, his antidote to the grim puritanism of ideologues -- Polly ToynbeeA tribute by one fine essayist of the political left to another of an earlier generation... the great pleasure of reading [Solnit] is spending time with her mind, its digressions and juxtapositions, its unexpected connections. Only a few contemporary writers have the ability to start almost anywhere and lead the reader on paths that, while apparently meandering, compel unfailingly and feel, by the end, cosmically connected . .. The book provides a captivating account of Orwell as gardener, lover, parent, and endlessly curious thinker -- Claire Messud * Harper's Magazine *The green-fingered and the politically committed alike will want to curl up with this book as the gardening year draws to a close and we reflect on a time during which nature has been more of a solace than usual. * Observer *Elegantly light-footed and freewheeling... a marvellously bracing ramble that passes through a variety of intellectual terrain and physical landscapes * Daily Telegraph *Expansive and thought-provoking... In the hands of a skilled novelist or essayist like Solnit, biography becomes something else entirely * Independent *Idiosyncratic, immensely original work * i paper *Luminous ... part biography, part memoir, a historical and cultural analysis and a work of literary criticism, Solnit's book is a love letter in prose to those roses, to Orwell and to the enduring relevance of his ethical sensibility. It is efflorescent, a study that seeds and blooms, propagates thoughts, and tends to historical associations * New Statesman *The book itself, like petals of a rose unfurling, conveys hope for a better future... a genuinely exceptional mind, whose curiosity, intelligence and willingness to learn seem unbounded * Irish Times *An absorbing read for those with interests in politics and gardening alike * Sunday Telegraph *An entertaining ramble through the author's life and Solnit's consciousness... this rhizomatic exercise yields great blooms * Big Issue *Solnit makes us rethink "Orwellian" to mean not just what he was against but what he was for - nature. Her brilliant essays give colour back to an author we often think of as grey * Daily Telegraph *This hybrid volume blossoms with... insights, non sequiturs and epiphanies -- Margaret Drabble * TLS *A pleasing meditation on the small pleasures and intricate beauties of nature, and a book to see you through to spring -- Books of the year * The Times and Sunday Times *Wonderful and moving... Fine and thoughtful * Spectator *
£10.44
Vintage Publishing Big Sister, Little Sister, Red Sister: Three Women at the Heart of Twentieth-Century China
*SHORTLISTED FOR THE HWA NON-FICTION CROWN 2020*Meet the three women who helped shape the course of modern Chinese history; a gripping story of sisterhood and betrayal from the bestselling author of Wild Swans.They were the most famous sisters in China. As the country battled seismic transformations these three women left an indelible mark on history. Red Sister rose to be Mao's vice-chair. Little Sister became first lady of pre-Communist Nationalist China. Big Sister made herself one of country's richest women. Big Sister, Little Sister, Red Sister takes us on a sweeping journey from exiles' quarters in Japan and Berlin to secret meeting rooms in Moscow, and from the compounds of the Communist elite in Beijing to the corridors of power in democratic Taiwan. By turns intimate and epic, Jung Chang reveals the lives of three extraordinary women who helped shape twentieth-century China.
£12.34
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC The Dark Queens: A gripping tale of power,
Book SynopsisA vivid double biography of two fearless early medieval queens. 'Brings the Merovingian empire to thrilling, bewildering, horrifying life' Helen Castor 'Restores two half-forgotten and much-mythologized queens to their proper place in medieval history' Dan Jones 'Fredegund and Brunhild have finally found a worthy champion' Literary Review Brunhild was a Visigothic princess, raised to be married off for the sake of alliance-building. Her sister-in-law Fredegund started out as a lowly palace slave. And yet – in sixth-century Merovingian France, where women were excluded from noble succession and royal politics was a blood sport – these two iron-willed strategists reigned over vast realms for decades, changing the face of Europe. After Brunhild’s and Fredegund’s deaths, however, their stories were rewritten, their names consigned to slander and legend. From the tangled primary evidence of Merovingian sources, award-winning writer Shelley Puhak weaves a gripping and intricate tale, its characters driven by ambition, lust and jealousy to acts of treachery and murderous violence. The Dark Queens resurrects these two women in all their complexity, painting a richly detailed portrait of a shadowy era and dispelling some of the stubbornest myths about female power.Trade ReviewThe Dark Queens brings the Merovingian empire to thrilling, bewildering, horrifying life. This is the story – told with a sharp eye, at heart-pounding pace – of two extraordinary women who held power in a brutal world that believed their sex couldn't rule. Many scholars 'still don't know what to do' with Brunhild and Fredegund. Shelley Puhak does -- Helen CastorBright, smart, and playful, The Dark Queens is a marvelous trip into the murky early Middle Ages. Shelley Puhak presents a believable and vividly drawn portrait of the Frankish world, and in doing so restores two half-forgotten and much-mythologized queens, Brunhild and Fredegund, to their proper place in medieval history -- Dan JonesOn the one hand, a story of scheming and savagery to make Game of Thrones look tame – on the other, a genuinely important exploration of the relationship between two powerful women, written with zest and verve -- Sarah GristwoodHistory owes more to Brunhild and Fredegund, two queens whose bitter rivalry left a trail of bodies in their wake, than the lies perpetuated by their enemies. So bravo to Shelley Puhak for a remarkable piece of detective work, by turns enlightening and shocking. Anyone who thought that medieval queens spent their time sewing and sighing is in for a surprise -- Amanda ForemanA vivid and engaging tapestry of Merovingian plot and counterplot -- Max AdamsThis gripping saga features everything from gory murders to scandalous nuns. Brunhild and Fredegund are often flattened into early medieval Europe's great villains, but in Shelley Puhak's brilliant telling, they come to rich and nuanced life -- Emma SouthonA well-researched and well-told epic history. The Dark Queens brings these courageous, flawed, and ruthless rulers and their distant times back to life -- Margot Lee ShetterlyA compelling read for those with an interest in early medieval European history, Merovingian history, and women in power * Library Journal *A lyrical and astute assessment of the political maneuvers, battlefield strategies, and resilience of medieval queens and rivals Fredegund and Brunhild... Puhak skillfully draws on contemporaneous sources, including letters, poems, and a vividly told yet obviously biased account by Brunhild's devoted ally, Bishop Gregory of Tours, to create her thrilling history. The resulting is a deeply fascinating portrait of the early Middle Ages that vigorously reclaims two powerhouse women from obscurity * Publishers Weekly *Engaging... Fast-paced and intriguing * Booklist *This is a book that will appeal not only to those with an interest in the Middle Ages, but anyone who loves the cut-and-thrust of court politics and ambition laid bare * All About History *Fredegund and Brunhild were clearly extraordinary women. In Puhak, they have finally found a worthy champion * Literary Review *Complete with maps, illustrations and a cast of characters, this is a vibrant exploration of these complex individuals, their world, and their legacy * BBC History Revealed *Eventful plot, entertaining style and historical credibility * TLS *A gripping tale of power, ambition and murderous rivalry in early medieval France * The Critic *
£10.44
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Isabella of Castile
Book Synopsis''Packed with vivid character sketches and lyrical description, Tremlett has told a gripping story, full of beauty and darkness'' The TimesWINNER OF THE 2018 ELIZABETH LONGFORD PRIZEIn 1474, a twenty-three year old woman ascended the throne of Castile, the largest and strongest kingdom in Spain. Ahead of her lay the considerable challenge not only of being a young, female ruler in an overwhelmingly male-dominated world, but also of reforming a major European kingdom that was riddled with crime, corruption, and violent political factionism. Her marriage to Ferdinand of Aragon was crucial to her success, bringing together as it did two kingdoms, but it was a royal partnership in which Isabella more than held her own. Her pivotal reign was long and transformative, uniting Spain and laying the foundations not just of modern Spain, but of the one of the world's greatest empires. With authority and flair, acclaimed historian Giles Tremlett Tremlett relates the story of this lTrade ReviewMagisterial ... Tremlett’s contention, which he supports with a sublime presentation of facts and interpretation, is that Isabella represents the first member in the exclusive club of great European queens who exercised sovereign power in their own hand -- Starred Review * Booklist *Richly enjoyable … He seeks to understand his subject, while never underplaying the appalling impact of some of her decisions. Packed with vivid character sketches and lyrical description, Tremlett has told a gripping story, full of beauty and darkness * The Times *A triumphant and chilling account of the rise of Spain and its New World conquests * Daily Telegraph *Magnificent * Sunday Telegraph *This is a most enjoyable book – a lively, intense page-turner written in straight-forward, unpretentious prose … Tremlett balances academic scholarship with journalistic flair to produce an enthralling biography -- Rebecca Rist * Tablet *Magnificent * Daily Telegraph *Tremlett uses his gifts as a writer on Spain’s history to offer us a voluminous biography with fluent and evocative narrative that fully exploits the romantic aspects of the age * Times Literary Supplement *Splendid ***** * Daily Telegraph *The reign of Isabella of Castile and her partnership with Ferdinand of Aragon saw the beginning of the transformation of Spain into a major global power. Tremlett offers a detailed assessment of a woman who to her supporters, was a great Christian monarch, but to her detractors was a fanatical tyrant * Mail on Sunday, Best Paperbacks *Brings to life “Europe’s first great queen” – in reality, “a usurper” – who began the unification of Spain and, less attractively, the expulsion of both Jews and Muslims, in an early example of ethnic cleansing * Daily Telegraph *
£16.14
Yale University Press The Making of Oliver Cromwell
Book SynopsisThe first volume in a pioneering account of Oliver Cromwell—providing a major new interpretation of one of the greatest figures in historyTrade Review“Mr. Hutton writes in a mellifluous style, and his mastery of the material, displayed most clearly in the book’s endnotes, is impressive.”—Barton Swaim, Wall Street Journal“Hutton is a distinguished historian of 17th-century England, and writes with dispassionate authority about the religious and political context of Cromwell’s early life. The result is an absorbing story of a man born into relative wealth and security, apparently lacking ambition yet with an impulsive, brooding temperament.”—Jerry Brotton, Financial Times“[Hutton] brings to this biography an acute sensitivity to the religious debates; and he has a feel for geography and landscape which enlivens the narrative throughout. He writes, as ever, with fluency and flair. . . . In Hutton’s account, we see the real measure of the man. . . . For an up-to-date view this book now leads the field.”—Michael Braddick, Times Literary Supplement“Hutton’s book is intelligent, well documented, and stylish.”—Keith Thomas, New York Review of Books“[Hutton] is incapable of writing a dull sentence. . . . No one can read this book without coming away with their understanding of Cromwell deeply enriched.”—John Adamson, Sunday Times“[Hutton] uses his deep knowledge of the period, and not a little wit, to ask the right questions and when no definitive answer can be given, as is often the case, teases out plausible explanations. He makes a virtue of this tentative, uncertain but enthralling process, inviting the reader into a shared experience of discovery.”—Paul Lay, Times (UK)“The Making of Oliver Cromwell had me spellbound. . . . The way in which [Hutton] weighs the evidence for each theory about the young Cromwell exhibits the finest aspects of the historian’s profession. . . . The product of a lifetime’s study, the book has changed my view of the Lord Protector.”—Andrew Roberts, BBC History Magazine, “Books of the Year”“With painstaking research and imaginative sympathy, Hutton recreates his world from the ground up . . . easing out the tensions between [Cromwell’s] deep religious faith and political ambition. A landmark biography and model of historical scholarship.”—Dominic Sandbrook, Sunday Times, “Books of the Year: History”“I loved The Making of Oliver Cromwell. . . . The drama is always vivid, with the 1644 battle of Marston Moor is a particular highlight; the evocation of the seasons beautifully done.”—Tom Holland, BBC History Magazine, “Books of the Year”“A compelling portrait of Oliver Cromwell’s early life and initial rise to power. . . . Lucid and propulsive.”—Niall Allsopp, Seventeenth-Century News“Hutton has produced a superb, coruscating, immensely stimulating profile of the rising Cromwell. The key questions about this singularly fascinating man—his role in the regicide, his Irish policy, his designs on the crown—cry out for a sequel. Hutton dangles the prospect—‘if I continue to deal with Cromwell’s life.’ Yes please.”—Jessie Childs, Daily Telegraph“Splendid. . . . [Cromwell’s] is a unique story of personal achievement in British history: the rise from obscure country gentleman to head of state. No one—not even Oliver’s distant ancestor Thomas, who rose from Putney publican’s son to Henry VIII’s right-hand man—ever made it as far. Hutton’s book concentrates on the years before this final leap was made.”—David Horspool, The Oldie“The pivotal figure of the 17th century features in The Making of Oliver Cromwell, which meticulously takes the Lord Protector’s story to 1645, showing how his gifts as a soldier equipped him for leadership.”—Simon Heffer, Daily Telegraph, “2021’s Best Histories”“The Making of Oliver Cromwell is radical, powerful and persuasive, and it will cause a stir. It stands as a landmark challenge to the hagiographical tendencies of some of the historiography. Hutton’s assertion that Cromwell is ‘definitely not somebody to be taken simply at his word’ is utterly convincing. Whether his callous and calculating Cromwell will supplant more sympathetic versions remains to be seen, but his book will surely set the terms of debate for years to come.”—Anna Keay, Literary Review“Ronald Hutton offers a compelling profile of the civil war leader whose actions—including his conquest of Ireland—remain controversial.”—History Revealed“This is a rich and immensely enjoyable book, and Hutton’s expert, sceptical eye ensures that the manifold contradictions and paradoxes of its subject are always kept in view. . . . As a military history of the English Civil War in which Cromwell is centred, this book is unlikely to be surpassed.”—Marcus Nevitt, Spectator“Excellent. . . . [Hutton] convinces even royalists of the extraordinary gifts of Cromwell.”—Harry Mount, Country Life“In this revelatory biography . . . Hutton’s persuasive treatment makes Cromwell both more comprehensible and more interesting.”—Michael Prodger, New Statesman“Hutton is a wonderful military historian; his account of the decisive Battle of Naseby is masterly. . . . Another distinctive aspect of Hutton’s narrative is a lyrical emphasis on the natural world in which the human action takes place. . . . At the close we are left with a far fuller picture of Cromwell the man.”—Melanie McDonagh, Catholic Herald“Hutton does not gloss over the warts of this complicated man. . . . Behind his readable, pacey prose, which should keep the non-specialist engaged, . . . is a lifetime of scholarly endeavour in this most violent period of the history of the British Isles.”—Judith Maltby, Church Times“[Hutton’s] analysis of Cromwell’s military campaigns is outstanding. He writes of great strategy with crystal clarity, and his battle narratives are vivid, imaginative and gripping.”—Neil Faulkner, Military History Matters“This is definitely not just another book on the only English commoner to become the overall head of state, but brilliantly seeks a new perspective and fresh assessment of his character. . . . [Hutton] uses his findings to analyse the enigma of Cromwell in a non-partisan, even-handed way, but does not simply take Cromwell at his word from documents.”—Don Smith, Battlefield Magazine“Parallels between Cromwell’s era and our turbulent times have inspired a flurry of recent studies. Ronald Hutton’s latest fascinatingly details his ascent from Huntingdon country gentleman . . . to Member of Parliament critical of king and established Church.”—Brian Cooper, Church of England Newspaper“Hutton’s biographical approach offers a fascinating study of a complex and flawed human being who did not seem destined for glory. Hutton portrays Cromwell as a man who made mistakes, who was able to manipulate situations to his own advantage, and who coupled this with genuine military skill and a zeal for his work.”—Charlotte Young, British Catholic HistoryChoice Outstanding Academic Title 2022“Excellent. Hutton combines outstanding story-telling with impressive analysis. For the first time he cuts through Cromwell’s earnest talk to the slyness. What emerges is something we have not had for a very long time—a really ‘fresh’ life of this major figure in British history.”—John Morrill, author of Oliver Cromwell and the English Revolution“Hutton has given us a rich and radical reassessment of Oliver Cromwell. Essential reading for all who wish to understand this towering figure and his turbulent times.”—Miranda Malins, author of The Puritan Princess“A gripping, often lyrical and sometimes waspish biography that succeeds brilliantly in its aim: making sense of the most complex and fascinating man in British history.”—Tom Holland, author of Dominion“A brilliantly fresh and original account of the early life of Oliver Cromwell. Powerfully written, stunningly well-researched and brimming with new insights and perspectives, Hutton’s book provides us with perhaps the most vivid and immediate portrait we have ever had of the future Lord Protector.”—Mark Stoyle, author of Soldier and Strangers
£12.99
Oneworld Publications The Red Prince
Book SynopsisWar, revolution and love - dazzling medieval history from a rising starWar, revolution, treason and love - the thrilling tale of Sir John of Gaunt brought to life by medieval history''s rising star. ‘The Red Prince announces Helen Carr as one of the most exciting new voices in narrative history.’ Dan Jones Son of Edward III, brother to the Black Prince, father to Henry IV and the sire of all the Tudors. Always close to the English throne, John of Gaunt left a complex legacy. Too rich, too powerful, too haughty… did he have his eye on his nephew’s throne? Why was he such a focus of hate in the Peasants’ Revolt? In examining the life of a pivotal medieval figure, Helen Carr paints a revealing portrait of a man who held the levers of power on the English and European stage, passionately upheld chivalric values, pressed for the Bible to be translated into English, patronised the arts, ran huge risks Trade Review‘In Shakespeare’s Richard II, John of Gaunt gives the “this scepter’d isle… this England” speech. This vivid history brings to life his princely ambitions and passion.’ -- The Times, Best Books of 2021‘Helen Carr has captured the drama of [John of Gaunt’s] life and the tensions inherent in it in a compelling portrait. In so doing, she reminds us of the contradictions of a period remote from our own, not just in time but in values and beliefs too… Carr has brought to life one of the major figures of medieval England.’ -- Linda Porter, Literary Review‘The Red Prince is not…just a book of battles and wars. Carr’s John of Gaunt is a man who loved as passionately as he fought… Carr’s sensitive use of contemporary sources paints a poignant deathbed scene… in The Red Prince it is the towering figure of John of Gaunt, a thoroughly European Englishman, who takes centre stage and it’s a stirring and memorable performance.’ -- Leanda de Lisle, The Times‘Helen Carr is a really exciting new talent in the world of history writing, whose work strikes a perfect balance between lucidity and scholarship. Her debut, The Red Prince, is a beautifully nuanced portrait of an oft misunderstood man.’ -- Rebecca Rideal, author of 1666: Plague, War and Hellfire‘Superb, gripping and fascinating, here is John of Gaunt and a cast of kings, killers and queens brought blazingly, sensitively and swashbucklingly to life. An outstanding debut.’ -- Simon Sebag Montefiore‘A long overdue reappraisal of one of medieval England’s greatest but most enigmatic figures. The Red Prince announces Helen Carr as one of the most exciting new voices in narrative history.’ -- Dan Jones, author of the Plantagenets and The Hollow Crown‘Helen Carr is one of the most exciting and talented young historians out there. She has a passion for medieval history which is infectious and is always energetic and engaging, whether on the printed page or the screen.’ -- Dan Snow‘Deploying vivid and compelling prose alongside her considerable scholarship, Helen Carr fully succeeds in restoring John of Gaunt to his rightful place – in the first rank of medieval princes. This is an excellent book, that brings the fourteenth century back to life through a thoughtful parade of intriguing characters – none more fascinating than John of Gaunt himself.’ -- Charles Spencer, bestselling author of Blenheim and Killers of the King‘John of Gaunt is a name to conjure with – an English duke who sought to become a king in Spain, a complicated, controversial man to whom, as “time-honour’d Lancaster”, Shakespeare gives one of his greatest speeches. Helen Carr puts him centre stage: The Red Prince is the rattling good story of a life lived on an epic scale, told with care, insight and humanity.’ -- Helen Castor, author of She-Wolves and Joan of Arc‘Helen Carr tells the gripping story of John of Gaunt’s dramatic and controversial career, from the wars he waged across Europe to the political intrigue and rebellion he faced at home, and above all the way in which his life was marked by profound love, and loss. This is an engaging and moving portrait of one of the leading figures of the Hundred Years War.’ -- Sophie Thérèse Ambler, author of The Song of Simon de Montfort‘This biography explores the motivations of a complex figure who, for years, skilfully moved through a world of chivalry, legislative machinations and enormous wealth… This is a compelling profile of a pivotal figure in English history.’ -- History Revealed‘His fame has faded in recent years but Helen Carr’s absorbing new biography returns him to his rightful place.’ -- Daily Mail‘An absorbing biography of one of the great figures of the English past.’ -- New European‘[The] opening reference is… typical of the nuances of Carr’s portrayal of an often-misunderstood figure… Carr presents an authoritative account, acknowledging all aspects of a complex character whose devotion to royal privilege was equally a convoluted illustration of his own interests.’ -- Emma J. Wells, TLS‘Helen Carr’s spellbinding and richly researched debut biography… looks at one of the major medieval figures in Britain with a fresh and appealing perspective… Carr tells his story with conviction and fascinatingly rich detail.’ -- Boisdale Life
£9.89
