Biography: historical, political and military Books

Book Synopsis300 years ago, in April 1721, a smallpox epidemic was raging in England. Lady Mary Wortley Montagu knew that she could save her 3-year-old daughter using the process of inoculation. She had witnessed this at first hand in Turkey, while she was living there as the wife of the British ambassador. She also knew that by inoculating - making her daughter the first person protected in the West - she would face opposition from doctors, politicians and clerics. Her courageous action eventually led to the eradication of smallpox and the prevention of millions of deaths. But Mary was more than a scientific campaigner. She mixed with the greatest politicians, writers, artists and thinkers of her day. She was also an important early feminist, writing powerfully and provocatively about the position of women. She was best friends with the poet Alexander Pope. They collaborated on a series of poems, which made her into a household name, an 'It Girl'. But their friendship turned sour and he used his pen to vilify her publicly. Aristocratic by birth, Mary chose to elope with Edward Wortley Montagu, whom she knew she did not love, so as to avoid being forced into marrying someone else. In middle age, her marriage stale, she fell for someone young enough to be her son - and, unknown to her, bisexual. She set off on a new life with him abroad. When this relationship failed, she stayed on in Europe, narrowly escaping the coercive control of an Italian conman. After twenty-two years abroad, she returned home to London to die. The son-in-law she had dismissed as a young man had meanwhile become Prime Minister.

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Book Synopsis'Through thick and thin, never separate. Stick together, guard each other, and live for one another.' As Hitler's war intensified, the Ovitz family would have good reason to stand by their mother's mantra. Descending from the cattle train into the death camp of Auschwitz, all twelve emerged in 1945 as survivors - the largest family to survive intact. What saved them? Ironically, the fact that they were sought out by the 'Angel of Death' himself - Dr Joseph Mengele. For seven of the Ovitzes were dwarfs - and not just any dwarfs, but a beloved and highly successful vaudeville act known as the Lilliput Troupe. Together, they were the only all-dwarf ensemble with a full show of their own in the history of entertainment. The Ovitzes intrigued Mengele, and amongst the thousands on whom he performed his loathsome experiments, they became his prize 'patients': 'You're something special, not like the rest of them.' It was this disturbing affection that saved their lives. After being plunged into the darkest moments in modern history, this remarkable troupe emerged with spirits undimmed, and went on to light up Europe and Israel, which offered them a new home, with their unique performances. Giants reveals their moving and inspirational story.Trade Review"An astonishing story: both wretchedly sad and oddly uplifting - Giants can scarcely fail to stay with you." Mail on Sunday '[An] amazing story sympathetically and eloquently told ... The authors show great respect and affection for the Ovitzes ... Theirs was a life worth living and a story very worth telling.' New York Review of Books "Their remarkable story, extensively researched, is so beautifully and sympathetically written that it fully deserves to appeal far beyond its core audience." BBC History Magazine

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Book SynopsisPioneer aviator, numero uno industrialist, institution-builder, philanthropist and manager par excellence, J.R.D. Tata was a nation builder who continues to be a source of inspiration to both young and old. Having placed India on the aviation map of the world with his pioneering flight in 1932, he went on to guide the destiny of his brainchild Air India with the same enthusiasm and eye for perfection which informed his other ventures.As an industrialist, JRD is credited with placing the Tata Group on the international map. Apart from being a businessman par excellence, he was a patron of the sciences and the arts, a philanthropist and yet a man with a passion foriterature, fast cars, skiing and flying. As a philanthropist, he was respected for building and keeping alive the tremendously active Tata charitable trusts and adding some of his own. As a founder of institutions he played a seminal role in the founding of Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research and the National Centre for the Performing Arts among many others and advocated family planningong before anybody had visualized that population would be a problem.But it is as an inspirer of men that JRD will always be remembered. With an uncanny knack for selecting the right man for the right job, his greatest achievementay in his ability to weld a team and get the best out of persons who differed greatly in outlook, character and ability. Filled with an unmistakable zest forife, his desire to instil and inspire a spirit of initiative and enterprise was always evident and heed those working for and with him, in the only way he knew: with affection.

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Book SynopsisRash Behari Bose led armed struggle for Indian independence, from bombing Viceroy in 1912 to founding Azad Hind Fauj in 1940s. Inspired mutinies, created support network globally. INA handed to Subhas Chandra Bose. British left India quickly after WWII.

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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

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Book SynopsisThis final volume in John Röhl's acclaimed biography of Wilhelm II explores the Kaiser's role in the international crises leading up to the outbreak of war in 1914. It also charts his experience of exile in Holland and his frustrated hopes that the Nazis would restore him to the throne.Trade Review'A masterpiece and one of the greatest political biographies of our times.' Simon Sebag Montefiore, The Times'The single most important recent contribution to the debate on the causes of the First World War.' BBC History Magazine'One of the outstanding biographies of the past twenty years.' Philip Mansel, The Spectator'A powerful and impressive thesis.' Jonathan Sperber, The Times Literary Supplement'Devastating.' Norman Stone, Literary Review'Magisterial is the only word that adequately describes Röhl's final installment of his authoritative biography of Kaiser Wilhelm II. This massive tome examines in a most engaging way the personal role the Kaiser played in facilitating the major political and diplomatic crises leading to the Great War … Highly recommended.' M. A. Mengerink, Choice'Reviewers of Röhl's work will find it difficult to avoid echoing each other: adjectives such as 'monumental' and 'definitive' are well-nigh inescapable in the face of this enormous achievement … Future researchers with an interest in any aspect of the Kaiser's life or his role in the government of Imperial Germany will find Röhl an indispensable guide to the documentary record.' Andrew G. Bonnell, European History Quarterly'This book is the final instalment of John Röhl's exhaustive and magisterial three-volume biography of Kaiser Wilhelm II. Like the two preceding parts, this volume is meticulously researched, full of new insights, beautifully written and, notwithstanding its great length and substantial weight, difficult to put down. Taken either on its own or as the culmination of a trilogy, it is a monumental achievement…This is an outstanding work. So much new research and scholarship has gone into completing it that it is difficult to imagine what other new documents might be out there waiting to be unearthed that would materially add to what Röhl has written. Equally, with this volume and its two predecessors in the public domain it is hard to see why anyone else would attempt a new study of Wilhelm II. While no work of history ever has the final word, surely this is as close to definitive as a biography can get.' Matthew S. Seligmann, The English Historical Review'Scholars of the period owe a great debt to Röhl. Whether, in the final analysis, one agrees with his reading of Wilhelm, Röhl has redirected attention to the importance of human agency in history. In tandem, he has also liberated his subject both from being a caricature, a cardboard cutout knave, and from the less-than-benign neglect of those with structuralist predilections.' T. G. Otte, The Journal of Modern HistoryTable of Contents1. Death and transfiguration; 2. The Kaiser and England during the Boer War; 3. 'I am the balance of power in Europe': Wilhelm between Britain, Russia and France; 4. The Boxer Rebellion and the Baghdad Railway; 5. The shabby compromise: Wilhelm II and Bülow's Chancellorship; 6. Wilhelm II and the Germans, 1900–1904; 7. 'We two make history and destiny is in our hands!' Kaiser and Tsar on the eve of the Russo-Japanese War; 8. The Anglo-German antagonism: the Kaiser, the King and public opinion; 9. The Kaiser and America; 10. Uncle and nephew: Edward VII and the 'encirclement' of Germany; 11. East Asia in flames: the Russo-Japanese War and its consequences; 12. Operational plans for a war in Western Europe; 13. 'Paris must get one in the eye from us one day!' The Kaiser and the First Morocco Crisis; 14. 'A turning point in the history of Europe', or the fiasco of Björkö; 15. Balance of power or hegemony? The Anglo-German conflict and the quarrel with King Edward; 16. Humiliation in Algeciras; 17. 'Encirclement': caught in the web of the Entente; 18. Germany's 'Dreadnought Leap': the Kaiser and 'his' navy; 19. The zenith of personal monarchy: the Kaiser and the government on the eve of the great crisis; 20. 'Kings are only human, after all': scandals at the Hohenzollern court; 21. Prince Eulenburg's downfall: the campaign against the Liebenberg 'Camarilla'; 22. The Kaiser's visit to Windsor and Highcliffe, November-December 1907; 23. The hot summer of 1908: on the verge of war with Britain; 24. 'Our Kaiser and his People!' The crisis of Wilhelm's personal monarchy; 25. Nemesis: Wilhelm II and the Daily Telegraph affair; 26. Upheaval in the Balkans: Kaiser Wilhelm and the Bosnian Annexation Crisis of 1908–09; 27. The 'pantomime': from Bülow to Bethmann Hollweg; 28. Wilhelm and the direction of foreign policy under Bethmann Hollweg; 29. The king is dead, or new hopes of an agreement with England; 30. Agadir: the leap of the Panther; 31. 'The enemy identified': the acceleration of the naval race and the growing menace of war; 32. 'Already leader of the United States of Europe'? The Kaiser and the debacle of the Haldane Mission; 33. November 1912: the strategic switch from West to East; 34. Deterrence: the unresolved problem of Britain's neutrality; 35. 'Berlin has warned us off again': the 'postponed racial war against Slavdom'; 36. Kaiser and Reich: Wilhelm's Personal Monarchy on the eve of war; 37. 'With head held high and hand on hilt!' Preparations for war 1913–14; 38. Summer 1914: the decision for war; 39. The Kaiser's last Norwegian cruise; 40. Confusion in Potsdam: the fear of Britain's involvement; 41. Into the abyss: the outbreak of war; 42. The Supreme War Lord in the First World War; 43. The Kaiser's war aims; 44. Downfall: the collapse of the Hohenzollern monarchy; 45. The unicorn in winter: a new life in exile; 46. 'Blood must flow, much blood': the Kaiser and the 'swinish' Weimar Republic; 47. Monarch by the grace of Hitler? Wilhelm II and the Third Reich.

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Book SynopsisThe authorised life story of the king who gave up his throne for love, by one of our most distinguished biographers.In this masterly authorized biography, Philip Ziegler reveals the complex personality of Edward VIII, the only British monarch to have voluntarily renounced the throne.With unique access to the Royal Archives, Ziegler overturns many myths about Edward and tells his side of the story from his glamorous existence as Prince of Wales to his long decline in semi-exile in France. At the heart of the book is an unflinchingly honest examination of Edward's all-consuming passion for Wallis Simpson, which led to his dramatic abdication.Elegant and devastating, this is the most convincing portrait of Edward ever published.Trade Review‘Philip Ziegler is a master of biographical narrative …Seldom has such exhaustive research been made so compellingly readable’ Michael Holroyd ‘Ziegler has told Edward’s story with consummate skill’ Sarah Bradford, Sunday Times ‘Beautifully written and constructed’ Michael Bloch, Sunday Telegraph ‘Ziegler writes with urbanity and generosity but is unflinching in his judgements … an exemplary biography’ Richard Davenport-Hines, Times Literary Supplement ‘A splendid book of impeccable scholarship, admirably written, moving, ironical and at times very amusing …’ Robert Blake, Country Life ‘A book of such compelling interest and frankness that it is difficult to put down … a very fine book’ New York Times Book Review ‘I found Ziegler’s book riveting’ Paul Barker, Listener ‘He writes brilliantly’ Christopher Hudson, Evening Standard

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Book SynopsisNever less than compelling She consistently succeeds in bringing what might otherwise seem dusty and remote to vivid life' Tom Holland, Literary ReviewStarts with an erupting volcano and then gets more exciting Wonderfully rich, witty, insightful and wide-ranging' Sarah BakewellIn a dazzling, lively new literary biography, Daisy Dunn weaves together the lives of two Roman greats: Pliny the Elder, author of Natural History, and his nephew Pliny the Younger, who inherited his uncle's notebooks and intellectual legacy.Breathing vivid life back into the Plinys, Daisy Dunn charts the extraordinary lives of two outstanding minds and their lasting legacy on the world.A fascinating,compelling andexcellent biography' Simon Sebag MontefioreImmensely entertaining and readable Thoroughly recommended'Sunday TimesTrade Review‘A fascinating, compelling and excellent biography of the two great Plinys of Ancient Rome, as well as a celebration of nature, a study of literature and the human soul, and a lens into Roman society itself … This work of both scholarship and entertainment, arranged in Plinyesque seasons rather than strict chronology, is a delight that befits their high standards.’ Simon Sebag Montefiore ‘Starts with an erupting volcano – and then gets more exciting. A wonderfully rich, witty, insightful and wide-ranging portrait of the two Plinys … and their world.’ Sarah Bakewell 'Daisy Dunn’s book is an absolute delight. Meticulously researched and beautifully crafted, it shines a clear beam of light into the private lives of Pliny the Elder and Younger.' Giles Milton ‘Immensely entertaining and readable …. Dunn has given us a delightful new biography … Thoroughly recommended’ Sunday Times ‘Never less than compelling … Without ever veering into historical fiction, she consistently succeeds in bringing what might otherwise seem dusty and remote to vivid life … A portrait of the Roman Empire that gives the reader something of the shiver down the spine that Herculaneum can inspire’ Tom Holland, Literary Review ‘It is a story …retold with vivid flair…Dunn knits [the two Plinys’] lives together well and analyses the influence that they would have later on scholars from the Italian Renaissance to the English Romantic poets’ The Times ‘An enthralling and ambitious book … Dunn has a great eye for a story, and writes wonderfully’ The Daily Telegraph ‘If only Daisy Dunn’s book had been around back when I was an aspiring classicist … Dunn is a good writer, with some of the easy erudition of Mary Beard … Her translations of both Plinys are graceful and precise … Her enthusiasm, together with her eye for the odd, surprising detail, wins you over’ New York Times

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Book SynopsisThe Times Book of the Year*Winner of the Elizabeth Longford Prize for Historical Biography, 2022**Winner of the General Society of Colonial Wars'' Distinguished Book Award, 2021**Winner of the History Reclaimed Book of the Year, 2022**Shortlisted for the Duff Cooper Prize, 2021*Andrew Roberts, one of Britain''s premier historians, overturns the received wisdom on George IIIGeorge III, Britain''s longest-reigning king, has gone down in history as ''the cruellest tyrant of this age'' (Thomas Paine, eighteenth century), ''a sovereign who inflicted more profound and enduring injuries upon this country than any other modern English king'' (W.E.H. Lecky, nineteenth century), ''one of England''s most disastrous kings'' (J.H. Plumb, twentieth century) and as the pompous monarch of the musical Hamilton (twenty-first century).Andrew Roberts''s magnificent new biography takes entirTrade ReviewGeorge, Roberts writes, "more than filled the role of King of Great Britain worthily; he filled it nobly". After reading this mammoth, elegant and splendidly researched biography, no open-minded reader could possibly disagree - not even an American. -- Dominic Sandbrook * Sunday Times *'Andrew Roberts is our most prodigious biographer ... His demolition of the authors of the Declaration's case against George III is elegant and comprehensive. -- Dominic Lawson * Daily Mail *Magisterial ... George III is notorious for two reasons: losing America and going mad. Roberts provides a fresh and spirited account of both occurrences ... Roberts's fundamentally humane approach to his biographical subjects ... treats George III with as much respect and compassion when sick, blind and deaf as when powerful at the promising start of his reign. The result is a lengthy book that remains engaging throughout. -- Ruth Scurr * The Times *powerful ... a very fine book ... This book should be read by every American whose interest in history goes beyond the feel-good. It is challenging, but richly evidenced and scrupulously argued. ... Coming after his powerful studies of Halifax, Salisbury, Napoleon and Churchill, it consolidates Roberts's position as one of the greatest biographers in the English language today. -- Noel Malcolm * Daily Telegraph *If not for such fierce competition (in the form of such works as Salisbury: Victorian Titan, Churchill: Walking with Destiny and Masters & Commanders) one might be able to unequivocally say that George III is the author's masterpiece. This biography teems with detail, ideas and elegance. Roberts is a great writer - and this is one of his greatest achievements. Roberts sets himself a goal, that of challenging or overturning certain misconceptions that we might harbour about his subject. That George III was a tyrant, unintelligent and a victim of porphyria. Suffice to say, Roberts achieves his goal: mission impossible turns into mission accomplished. Roberts convinces through both persuasive prose and hard evidence (as opposed to just supposition). ... magnificent -- Richard Foreman * Aspects of History *George may become Britain's best-understood monarch, thanks to this impressive new biography. It is unashamedly revisionist. ... Roberts's account is masterly, combining a compelling narrative - one has to keep turning the pages even though one knows the outcome - with analysis that is both cogent and incisive. He appears to have read everything that is in the mainstream and much that isn't, including a wide range of archival sources. ... [George III] has had to wait two centuries for rehabilitation, but it has come at last. Roberts has got deep inside George and his world and has found a man of many sterling qualities. ... tremendous -- Tim Blanning * Literary Review *In this magisterial life of George III, Roberts burnishes his stellar reputation as biographer and historian, dismantling many of the myths that have beset the memory of the man who ruled Britain and Ireland for almost sixty years from 1760. Roberts marshals the evidence meticulously and persuasively to show that George was nothing like the capricious, overbearing, intolerable figure of legend ... It is bracing, too, to see that Roberts has lost none of his disdain for the "Whig interpretation of history" - the comfort blanket of those who believe that Britain's story is one of the steady institutional defeat of autocracy by liberal incrementalism. Now at the top of his game, he has not surrendered the irreverent, revisionist tone that has made him one of the most important public intellectuals of our times. -- Matthew d’Ancona * Tortoise *This superb royal biography ... A book so diligently researched cannot fail to be rich in curious detail and amusing turns of phrase. There are plums on almost every page. -- Hamish Robinson * The Oldie *The strength of this generous new biography is that it correctly portrays George III as a dedicated, benevolent ruler , scrupulous in his constitutional role as head of government and head of state. -- John Martin Robinson * Country Life *Andrew Roberts admires George III, and he is right to do so. The historical image of the king as a tyrant and a lunatic is not remotely true in the first case (a contention Roberts provides much evidence to substantiate) and true only for part of his reign in the second. ... A handsome and thorough biography ... but above all, Roberts has written a superlative political history of the period between 1760 and 1809. -- Simon Heffer * New Criterion *he does his scholarly homework. This is a compendious product of intricate investigation. Roberts has read everything ... It is a magnificent achievement. -- Kate Maltby * Spectator *Andrew Roberts makes a strong revisionist case for the generally maligned George III in this engrossing, brilliant biography -- Andrew Adonis * Prospect Magazine *As his outstanding books on Halifax, Salisbury and Churchill also demonstrate, he is a master of the biography. ... Roberts systematically, cogently and helpfully reinterprets his subject's role and reputation. -- Jeremy Black * History Today *In this mammoth and meticulous biography, Andrew Roberts presents a compelling case for the defence of George III. -- Book of the Week * The Week *Such is Roberts's persuasive interpretation, supported by a wide range of sources and argued with keen insight into political realities. ... It must be hoped that Andrew Roberts's important, serious and timely book plays an appropriate role in the rethinking that can now hardly be avoided. -- Jonathan Clark * Times Literary Supplement *magnificent ... In Andrew Roberts, George has found his Boswell, but one with the wit and erudition of a Johnson. Britain's most misunderstood monarch he may have been, but this biographer has entered into this conscientious king's troubled mind with more than customary empathy. -- Daniel Johnson * Spectator USA *Roberts harnesses a truly extraordinary amount of archival information to offer a comprehensive grasp of a rather tragic, thoroughly misunderstood king. -- Lindsay Chervinsky * Financial Times *This outstanding new biography of George III is timely. The first of the Hanoverians to identify as British was mocked, slandered and vilified during his lifetime and is still regularly cited in the American media as the epitome of tyranny. Over the past two centuries historians have dismissed him as incompetent and despotic. Andrew Roberts has no time for such ill-founded nonsense. ... George has found a true champion in Andrew Roberts, who has ridden up gallantly to challenge unfounded prejudice. ... This impressively researched and scholarly account of the King's life and travails is compulsively readable and, in its tragic end, deeply moving. It is full of fascinating detail, insightful vignettes and vivid local colour. -- Adam Zamoyski * The Critic *Andrew Roberts's mighty Life, drawing on masses of unseen papers locked up in Windsor Castle, turns on its head the lazy idea of George III as a tyrant halfwit...every page is entertaining -- Iona McLaren * Daily Telegraph Books of the Year *This hefty book - elegantly written, the fruit of extensive research - is the case for the defence of Britain's "most misunderstood monarch". -- Robbie Millen * The Times Book of the Year *Deeply researched, it ranges with equal authority from his private life to the military history of the American War of Independence; its tenacious fairness towards its subject gives it the sort of polemical edge that one finds in revisionist history at its best. -- Noel Malcolm * TLS Books of the Year *No other writer, except possibly Alan Bennett, has set out to make us love King George more. Or admire him more ... What makes Roberts's massive biographies so distinctively rewarding is that he provides the reader with enough evidence to undermine his own conclusions. -- Ferdinand Mount * London Review of Books *The book which impressed me most, and which I most enjoyed, this year is Andrew Roberts's George III. It is based on such astonishingly wide-ranging and original research that I felt I was reading about the period for the first time. Unknown facts and wonderful anecdotes had me turning the pages with a curiosity I seldom feel when reading about supposedly familiar events. Andrew Roberts is remarkably even-handed, and there is no special pleading on behalf of this genuinely misunderstood and wilfully misrepresented monarch who did his best to be a good constitutional ruler during a very choppy period in British history. -- Adam Zamoyski * Aspects of History Books of the Year *meticulously researched ... an eye-opening portrait of the man and his times * Publishers Weekly *A deep, expansive study not only of George III but also of the political and social complexities of England and the United States during his reign. -- Kathleen McCallister * Library Journal *a deeply textured portrait of George III [and] a capacious, prodigiously researched biography from a top-shelf historian. -- Kirkusan outstanding and surprisingly moving portrait of a misunderstood king, distinguished by refreshing revisionism but also illuminated by deep humanity. -- Simon Sebag Montefiore * Spectator World Books of the Year *Roberts is in a rich vein of form at present; after bestselling books on Napoleon and Churchill, yet another masterpiece has tumbled from his pen. -- Dan Jones * The Good Web Guide *Roberts has been justly acclaimed as one of his generation's leading historians ... His new biography seeks to challenge popular myths about the monarch. ... Roberts, employing the same flair for original research and ability to convey historical context and vivid prose that he used in previous books ... thoroughly debunks all the assumptions most people have about the king. -- Jonathan Tobin * Washington Examiner *exhaustively researched and written in accessible, non-jargony prose. Meticulous and forensic, it sometimes reads like a defense counsel's case for his client ... Roberts's defense of George III, though, is the fullest, the clearest, and likely to be the most definitive. -- Robert G. Ingram * National Review *Roberts has painted a masterful portrait of a patriotic, diligent and cultivated monarch. ... This new biography is a treasure-house of detail. ... George III is an engaging, humane and at times beautiful testament to the importance of giving our ancestors a fair hearing. -- Harrison Pitt * European Conservative *

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Book SynopsisChronicling the development of Randolph's political and racial ideologyTrade Review"Bynum focuses on Randolph’s career in the 1920s, ’30s, and ’40s, when he was formulating his ideas on social justice, race, and class. . . . The result is a deeper look at the ideals that drove Randolph."--Booklist"Bynum does an excellent job of discussing Randolph's attempts to secure bargaining for the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. In doing so, he exposes the shameful behavior of the union movement in its unwillingness to accept blacks."--Labor Studies Journal"Bynum's well-researched monograph makes a useful contribution to the growing body of literature on the 'long' civil rights movement."--The Journal of American History"An intriguing intellectual history."--The Journal of Southern History"Bynum's book is lucid and an excellent work that can be used for both academic research and casual reading. . . . Bynum's research has opened a window to new scholarship on Randolph's thinking, his role in the civil rights movement, and his demands for accountability from the U.S. government."--H-1960s"Relating Randolph's racial, economic, and political thought to his efforts to address injustice, Bynum does an excellent job of positioning Randolph's ideology with that of his contemporaries on the political left. This study is ideal for students and scholars of twentieth-century African American history, labor history, and race relations."--Cary D. Wintz, editor of African American Political Thought, 1890–1930: Washington, Du Bois, Garvey, and RandolpTable of ContentsAcknowledgments vii Introduction ixPart 1. Building Black Identity at the Turn of the Century 1. A. Philip Randolph, Racial Identity, and Family Relations: Tracing the Development of a Racial Self-Concept 3 2. Religious Faith and Black Empowerment: The AME Church and Randolph's Racial Identity and View of Social Justice 24Part 2. Constructing Class Consciousness in the Jazz Age 3. Black Radicalism in Harlem: Randolph's Racial and Political Consciousness 47 4. Crossing the Color Line: Randolph's Transition from Race to Class Consciousness 63Part 3. The Rise of the New Crowd Negroes 5. A New Crowd, A New Negro: The Messenger and New Negro Ideology in the 1920s 85 6. Black and White Unite: Randolph and the Divide between Class Theory and the Race Problem 101Part 4. Blending Race and Class 7 Ridin' the Rails: Randolph and the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters' Struggle for Union Recognition 119 8. Where Class Consciousness Falls Short: Randolph and the Brotherhood's Standing in the House of Labor 136 9. Marching Toward Fair Employment: Randolph, the Race/Class Connection, and the March on Washington Movement 157 Epilogue: A. Philip Randolph's Reconciliation of Race and Class in African American Protest Politics 185 Notes 201 Bibliography 227 Index 237Illustrations follow page 82

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Book SynopsisA captivating compendium of rare and exquisite first-hand records of ocean voyages around the world and in different ages, providing a fascinating insight into exploration and adventure at sea.Trade Review'A captivating collection of exquisite first-hand records providing fascinating insights into exploration and adventure at sea' - Traveller'Beautiful … readers could easily be left with the impression that all 18th-century seafarers were also talented artists' - CNN Travel'Lewis-Jones’s book has everything from illustrated accounts of whaling voyages and naval battles to depictions of Kamchatkan kayakers and fluorescent sea slugs' - The Scotsman'Thrilling ... succeeds in illustrating not only the diversity of maritime sketchbooks but also how vital they were for their creators' - Times Literary Supplement'Magnificent first-hand accounts of the thrills and spills of sea exploration' - The Lady'The sort of book to curl up with … you will relish each turn of the page as you explore the nautical journeys … humorous, poignant and most definitely informative … this is a book to learn from and treasure' - Family Tree'Endlessly diverting and beautifully produced' - Daily Telegraph'A remarkable treasure chest' - Geographical'Gorgeously produced … a lovely present for anyone who’s fascinated by exploration' - Practical Boat Owner'Readers of this beautifully-produced volume will be far from miserable, and may even be inspired to keep their own journals and images of life' - Nautilus Telegraph'One of the most spectacular and fascinating books I have ever read. A real privilege! Superb' - Book Reviews Monthly'Remarkable' - Bookanista'Wide-ranging and beautifully illustrated' - Books of the Year, Spectator

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Book SynopsisThe true story of how Britain''s maritime power helped gain this country unparalleled dominance of the world''s economy, Admirals celebrates the rare talents of the men who shaped the most successful fighting force in world history. Told through the lives and battles of eleven of our most remarkable admirals - men such as James II and Robert Blake - Andrew Lambert''s book stretches from the Spanish Armada to the Second World War, culminating with the spirit which led Andrew Browne Cunningham famously to declare, when the army feared he would lose too many ships, ''it takes three years to build a ship; it takes three centuries to build a tradition.''

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Book SynopsisThe Commentaries of Pius II (1405-1464), the only autobiography ever written by a pope, was composed in elegant humanistic Latin modeled on Caesar and Cicero. This edition contains a fresh Latin text based on the last manuscript written in Pius's lifetime and an updated and corrected version of the 1937 translation.Trade ReviewAeneas Sylvius Piccolomini, the Sienese humanist who became Pope Pius II, describes the election that brought him to the papal throne in a cold, mordant key that anticipates the Italian styles of Machiavelli and Guicciardini...For all his severity, Pius had a delightful way of describing cities and countryside. He could mock himself charmingly, as when he described his stay among the barbarian inhabitants of the British borders, who had never seen wine or white bread, and whose eager young women he refused to sleep with, as he stayed up all night for fear of bandits "among the heifers and nanny goats, who kept him from sleeping a wink by stealthily pulling the straw from his pallet." Pius's Commentaries, presented in a most elegant and informative way by Margaret Meserve and Marcello Simonetta, may well be the most entertaining work in the whole [I Tatti Renaissance Library] series. -- Anthony T. Grafton * New York Review of Books *

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Book SynopsisGeorge Washington spent most of his time farming, often employing experimental methods. Washington saw slave-powered scientific agriculture as the key to the nation's prosperity. Bruce Ragsdale argues that it was slave labor's inefficiency as much as its inhumanity that finally convinced Washington to emancipate the men and women bonded to him.Trade ReviewDelightfully instructive…In this reliable and thorough rendering of ‘the most celebrated farmer of the age,’ Ragsdale undeniably casts new light on Washington on the question of slavery. By bringing to life Washington’s farming world, he does more than that. Washington at the Plow reminds us of the importance of agriculture and its enlightened improvement to America’s founding. In doing so, it illuminates much for early-American specialists and general readers alike. -- Mark G. Spencer * Washington Post *George Washington is typically known as the first U.S. president and a general. But for most of his life he was a farmer, and the implications of this agrarian background are, Ragsdale argues, far-reaching. Washington’s understanding of nation-building was inextricably linked to the concept of land cultivation, and his attempt to modernize farming techniques led him to reconsider, and ultimately reject, slave labor. * Bloomberg *Ragsdale does a masterful job presenting the quandary that slavery created for the first president…[This book] adeptly uses the lenses of agricultural development and slavery to present a multidimensional representation of America’s first—and arguably most revered—president. Both scholars and lay readers will find Ragsdale’s account a strong contribution to the historiography of Washington as a landowner, a public leader, and a private citizen. -- Camille Davis * H-Net Reviews *Bruce Ragsdale’s excellent work advances the scholarship of Washington and slavery using the rich resources Washington left behind…The flowing prose and readability make this book accessible to scholars and a general audience looking for a unique perspective on George Washington the farmer. -- Lynn Price Robbins * North Carolina Historical Review *Washington played a cautious, often contradictory role with respect to slavery. Why he did so is the subject of [this] timely new book…A portrait of Washington deeply rooted in the culture and politics of his era. -- Nicolaus Mills * Daily Beast *A fascinating and richly informative portrait of George Washington focused on how ‘agricultural improvement and the work of nation building were firmly joined in [his] mind.’…Ragsdale’s lucid explanations of agricultural and financial matters and excellent usage of underexamined primary sources make this a must-read for fans of early American history. * Publishers Weekly (starred review) *A landmark work that both deepens and complicates our understanding of George Washington. Ragsdale’s focus on farming—the subject the general and president cared most about—casts new light on nearly every other aspect of his life, not least the vexed issue of slavery. This fascinating book has done more to change my views on Washington than anything I have read in a long time. -- François Furstenberg, author of In the Name of the Father: Washington’s Legacy, Slavery, and the Making of a NationRagsdale depicts a wealthy white man in a slave society aspiring to be an enlightened farmer and a republican icon. Washington at the Plow is detailed, discerning, judicious. -- Richard Brookhiser, author of Founding Father: Rediscovering George WashingtonThis absorbing study of Washington as citizen farmer makes for compelling reading. Ragsdale is an authoritative guide to the famed Virginian’s embrace of agricultural innovations, then being pioneered in Britain, and to his attempts to make the enslaved workforce at Mount Vernon more productive, leading to his subsequent disillusionment with forced labor. He sheds new light on the African American communities on the Washington farms and the former president’s decision to emancipate his slaves after his death. -- Flora Fraser, author of The WashingtonsIn his engagingly written study of Washington as the ‘founding farmer,’ Bruce A. Ragsdale reveals that although the American Revolutionary War and the presidency would take Washington away from Virginia, the cultivation of the plantations at Mount Vernon were never far from his mind. Ragsdale convincingly argues that the ‘story of Washington’s life as a farmer fundamentally reshapes the familiar biography of the general and president.’ -- James MacKay * Agricultural History Review *An excellent book, clearly written and argued. What is most impressive is how far-reaching it is: Ragsdale helps us realize that agriculture tells us so much about Washington’s thought and character, from his plans for the political economy of the new nation to his view of slavery. Washington tried every device he could to make slavery work before eventually deciding the slave system was hopelessly flawed and must be abandoned. Better than anyone, Ragsdale explains Washington’s complicated decision to free his slaves in his will. -- Richard L. Bushman, author of The American Farmer in the Eighteenth Century

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Book SynopsisIn Means of Ascent, Book Two of The Years of Lyndon Johnson, Robert A. Caro brings alive Lyndon Johnson in his wilderness years. Here, Johnson’s almost mythic personality—part genius, part behemoth, at once hotly emotional and icily calculating—is seen at its most nakedly ambitious. This multifaceted book carries the President-to-be from the aftermath of his devastating defeat in his 1941 campaign for the Senate-the despair it engendered in him, and the grueling test of his spirit that followed as political doors slammed shut-through his service in World War II (and his artful embellishment of his record) to the foundation of his fortune (and the actual facts behind the myth he created about it).   The culminating drama—the explosive heart of the book—is Caro’s illumination, based on extraordinarily detailed investigation, of one of the great political mysteries of the century. Having immersed himself in Johnson’s life and world, Caro is able to reveal the true story of the fiercely contested 1948 senatorial election, for years shrouded in rumor, which Johnson was not believed capable of winning, which he “had to” win or face certain political death, and which he did win-by 87 votes, the “87 votes that changed history.”   Telling that epic story “in riveting and eye-opening detail,” Caro returns to the American consciousness a magnificent lost hero. He focuses closely not only on Johnson, whom we see harnessing every last particle of his strategic brilliance and energy, but on Johnson’s “unbeatable” opponent, the beloved former Texas Governor Coke Stevenson, who embodied in his own life the myth of the cowboy knight and was himself a legend for his unfaltering integrity. And ultimately, as the political duel between the two men quickens—carrying with it all the confrontational and moral drama of the perfect Western—Caro makes us witness to a momentous turning point in American politics: the tragic last stand of the old politics versus the new—the politics of issue versus the politics of image, mass manipulation, money and electronic dazzle.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Winner of the Grand Prix de la Biographie Politique""Winner of the Prix littéraire de biographie historique Brantôme""A Choice Outstanding Academic Title of the Year""A fascinating story. . . . Zunz’s account of Beaumont and Tocqueville’s journey and the subsequent writing of Democracy in America is riveting."---Lynn Hunt, New York Review of Books"[A] superbly written biography. . . . Accessible and erudite."---Stephen W. Sawyer, Times Literary Supplement"Zunz has written what must surely be the definitive account of the public life of Alexis de Tocqueville."---Alan Ryan, Literary Review"A masterpiece."---Peter McPhee, Australian Book Review"This biography gives us, often with just a few telling strokes, the ambitious but depressive young aristocrat . . . the Romantic literary self-creator . . . and the liberal politician.""---Jedediah Britton-Purdy, New Republic"Zunz, the foremost living Tocqueville expert, sensitively and masterfully examines the Frenchman’s life in full. . . . Engaging and informative."---Michael M. Rosen, Commentary"As a narrative biography, Olivier Zunz’s The Man Who Understood Democracy succeeds tremendously. The details of Tocqueville’s life—and the events he lived through—are rendered with engaging clarity."---Paul Sagar, The Critic"An informative biography. . . . Zunz explains what Tocqueville learned—and what he failed to notice—during his travels throughout the United States. . . . Zunz also provides a splendid account of Tocqueville’s career as a practical politician in France."---Glenn C. Altschuler, Minneapolis Star-Tribune"A major new biography . . . [Zunz] is ideally matched to his subject. . . . [Tocqueville] could not have a more deeply knowledgeable biographer."---Brooke Allen, Hudson Review"An exhaustively researched and discretely focused biography."---Barton Swaim, Wall Street Journal"The Man Who Understood Democracy must now stand as the authoritative biography of Alexis de Tocqueville, far surpassing the achievements of earlier biographers such as Hugh Brogan. From start to finish, it is elegantly written, judicious, erudite, and a hugely insightful and informative read."---Jeremy Jennings, Tocqueville21"A richly detailed intellectual biography. . . . Wide-ranging and meticulously argued." * Publishers Weekly *"Magisterial. . . . [A] virtuosic account of Tocqueville’s life and work."---Tarek Masoud, Journal of Democracy"A wide-ranging study of the life and thought of the French aristocrat. . . . [An] astute biography." * Kirkus Reviews *"An outstanding new biography of Alexis de Tocqueville that is sure to be the standard for years to come." * Choice *"A self-recommending biography of one of the greatest social science thinkers. Easy to read, and good for both the generalist and specialist reader."---Tyler Cowen, Marginal Revolution"Olivier Zunz’s The Man Who Understood Democracy is an excellent biography of this major figure of political philosophy. It is well-written and judicious in its use of detail."---Theodore Dalrymple, Law & Liberty"Tocqueville has a lot to offer us. The publication of this biography is as much an occasion to engage with his ideas as it is to be inspired by his longing for truth and his commitment to creating conditions conducive to human flourishing."---Suyash Rai, Carnegie India

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Book SynopsisFidel Castro is one of the most interesting and controversial personalities of our time he has become a myth and an icon. He was the first Cuban Caudillo the man who freed his country from dependence on the USA and who lead his people to rediscover their national identity and pride. Castro has outlived generations of American presidents and Soviet leaders. He has survived countless assassination attempts by the CIA, the Mafia, and Cubans living in exile. He has become one of the greatest politicians of the 20th Century. His biography, and the history of his country exemplify the tensions between East and West, North and South, rich and poor. As Castro''s life draws to a close, the question as to what will become of Cuba is more important that ever. Will Castro open Cuba to economic reform and democratization, or stick to his old slogan socialism or death? In this remarkable, up-to-date reconstruction of Castro''s life, Volker Skierka addresses these queTrade Review"A comprehensive and highly readable biography written in a remarkably even-handed tone." The Guardian "Volker Skierka has written the book that those wanting to understand the present-day politics of Cuba and its ruler have been awaiting for a long time. He has done so with a freshness, simplicity and elegance that makes it a pleasure to read ... accessible and fascinating to the casual reader and the specialist alike." BBC History Magazine "An exceptional, evenhanded portrait of an undeniably strong leader's strengths and weaknesses." Midwest Book Review "A fascinatingly good read and a treasure trove of information." Morning Star "Volker Skierka's study of Castro stands out for its admirable clarity and accessibility. Synthesizing a wealth of literature, and casting a cool eye on the official pieties of both Havana and Washington, Skierka has drawn a critical but far from unsympathetic portrait of this extraordinary figure of the Cold War world whose personal tenacity ensured that Cuban Communism survived with him into the new millennium." James Dunkerley, Queen Mary UniversityTable of ContentsList of plates. A Note of Thanks. Acknowledgements. Preface to the English Edition. 1. The Heroic Myth. 2. The Young Fidel. Among Jesuits. Among gangsters. 3. The Young Revolutionary. Storm and stress: Moncada. “Che”, the Argentinean. Stormy crossing on the Granma. A guerillero in the Sierra Maestra. 321 against 10,000. 4. The Young Victor. Communists and “barbudos”. 1,500 revolutionary laws. 5. Old Enemies, New Friends. The great powers at the gates. The CIA, the Mafia and the Bay of Pigs. Fidelismo. “Mongoose” and “Anadyr”. Thirteen days on the brink of a third world war. Three gamblers. 6. The Long March with Che. Moscow, Beijing, and Havana. The new man. The demise of Che. 7. Bad Times, Good Times. War and peace with Moscow. Ten million tons. Into the Third World. The revolution devours its children. 8. Alone Against All. Exodus to Florida. Rectificacion and perestroika. The Soviet imperium collapses. The brother’s power. War economy in peacetime. 9. The Eternal Revolutionary. Class Struggle on a dollar basis. Cuba and the global policeman. Castro, God and the Pope. Freedom or “socialismo tropical”. 10. Don Quixote and History. Notes. Bibliography. Index

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Book SynopsisFluent in both English and French, he served as Hitler’s translator during negotiations with Chamberlain, the British declaration of war and the surrender of France, as well as translating the Führer’s infamous speeches for radio. He has contributed to He Was My Chief, I Was Hitler’s Chauffeur, With Hitler to the End and Hitler’s Last Witness.

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Book SynopsisIn 1836, Charles Henry Harrod found himself in a prison hulk awaiting transportation to Tasmania for seven years’ hard labour.

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Book SynopsisMemorable not for his life but his death, Edward V is probably better known as one of the Princes in the Tower, the supposed victim of his uncle, Richard III. This work presents to us the backdrop to this tragically short life - and reveals how he was both the hope of a dynasty and an integral cause of that dynasty''s collapse.

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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

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Book SynopsisBOB WOODWARD’S NEW BOOK, RAGE, IS AN UNPRECEDENTED AND INTIMATE TOUR DE FORCE OF NEW REPORTING ON THE TRUMP PRESIDENCY FACING A GLOBAL PANDEMIC, ECONOMIC DISASTER AND RACIAL UNREST.   Woodward, the No 1 international bestselling author of Fear: Trump in the White House, has uncovered the precise moment the president was warned that the Covid-19 epidemic would be the biggest national security threat to his presidency. In dramatic detail, Woodward takes readers into the Oval Office as Trump’s head pops up when he is told in January 2020 that the pandemic could reach the scale of the 1918 Spanish Flu that killed 675,000 Americans. In 17 on-the-record interviews with Woodward over seven volatile months - an utterly vivid window into Trump’s mind - the president provides a self-portrait that is part denial and part combative interchange mixed with surprising moments of doubt as

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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 *

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Book SynopsisIn The Gumilev Mystique, Mark Bassin investigates the complex structure of Lev Gumilev's theories, revealing how they reflected and helped shape a variety of academic as well as political and social discourses in the USSR, and he traces how his authority has grown yet greater across the former Soviet Union.Trade Review"The Gumilev Mystique is by far the most authoritative account in English on the ideas and life of a scholar whose star is still rising in Eurasia. In this widely researched book, Mark Bassin explains the popularity of Gumilev and explores the process by which a somewhat repressed figure in the Stalinist period became a guru of the post-Soviet period. The book reads extremely well and has a quality to it that makes the reader want to know what will come next from this outlandish figure whose real life is stranger than fiction." -- David G. Anderson, University of Aberdeen, author of Identity and Ecology in Arctic Siberia: The Number One Reindeer Brigade"A son of two great Russian poets and an inmate of Stalin's Gulag, Lev Gumilev was the founding father of neo-Eurasianism, a powerful ideological framework for claiming Russia's special civilization and for justifying its predominance on the territory of the USSR. In tracing the origins and transformation of Gumilev’s theories, this book provides the best available explanation of the appeal of neo-Eurasianism in Russia,including among its top political leaders." -- Vera Tolz-Zilitinkevic, University of Manchester, author of Russia’s Own Orient: The Politics of Identity and Oriental Studies in the Late Imperial and Early Soviet Periods"In 1996, the government of independent Kazakhstan named a new university after him. In 2005, the capital of Tatarstan commemorated his work by erecting a statue in the middle of Kazan. There is a mountain peak in the Altai range and a street in the Kalmyk Elista named after him. A son of Russia's two major poets, a prisoner of the Gulag, a celebrity historian, and a key figure behind the revival of the Eurasianist movement, Lev Gumilev was the man who provided postsocialist nationalisms with a conceptual lexicon and theoretical models. In this lucid and informative book, Mark Bassin meticulously reconstructs historical details, social networks, and intellectual contexts that shaped Gumilev's essentializing theory of 'biological communities’ and their ethnogenesis. The Gumilev Mystique is an important and timely biography of the ideas that continue to constitute the theoretical core of nation building processes in postcommunist societies." -- Serguei Alex. Oushakine, Princeton University, author of The Patriotism of Despair: Nation, War, and Loss in RussiaTable of ContentsIntroduction Part 1 GUMILEV'S THEORY OF ETHNOS AND ETHNOGENESIS1. The Nature of Ethnicity2. Ethnogenesis, Passionarnost′, and the Biosphere 3. Varieties of Ethnic Interaction 4. The Ethnogenetic Drama of Russian History Part 2 THE SOVIET RECEPTION OF GUMILEV5. Soviet Visions of Society and Nature 6. Ethnicity as Ideology and Politics 7. Gumilev and the Russian Nationalists Part 3 GUMILEV AFTER COMMUNISM8. Neo-Eurasianism and the Russian Question 9. Biopolitics and the Ubiquity of Ethnicity 10. "The Patron of the Turkic Peoples" Conclusion: The Political Significance of Gumilev

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Book SynopsisFrom the admiralty to the miner's strike, from the Battle of Britain to eventual victory over Nazi Germany, Churchill oversaw some of the most important events the world has ever seen. Winning the Nobel Prize in Literature for his personal writing and cautioning against a powerful Soviet Russia in his later years in office, his larger-than-life and complex personality has continued to fascinate writers and historians.In this comprehensive biography, Roy Jenkins faithfully presents these events, while also managing to convey the contradictions and quirks in Churchill's character. Weaving together in-depth analysis and brilliant historical research, Jenkins has succeeded in crafting this magnificent one-volume account packed with insights that only a fellow politician can convey. Bringing to life the statesman, writer, speaker and leader, Churchill is packed with insights into one of the most important figures of the twentieth century.Trade ReviewThere is no doubt that he has surpassed himself. This is the biography of the year. -- Robert McCrum * Observer *This is a first class, well-sustained work of history and a masterpiece of biography. -- Andrew Roberts * Sunday Telegraph *Lord Jenkins of Hillhead is an outstanding biographer . . . it has the narrative power, sweep and sparkle of the author in his prime. -- John Grigg * Times *

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Book Synopsis'They were not just reporters; they were also pioneers, and Judith Mackrell has done them proud.' –SpectatorGoing with the Boys follows six intrepid women as their lives and careers intertwined on the front lines of the Second World War.Martha Gellhorn got the scoop on D-Day by traveling to Normandy as a stowaway on a Red Cross ship; Lee Miller went from being a Vogue cover model to the magazine’s official war correspondent; Sigrid Schultz hid her Jewish identity and risked her life by reporting on the Nazi regime; Virginia Cowles, transformed herself from ‘society girl columnist’ to combat reporter; Clare Hollingworth was the first English journalist to break the news of the war, while Helen Kirkpatrick was the first woman to report from an Allied war zone to be granted equal privileges to her male colleagues.Barred from official briefings and from combat zones, their lives made deliberately difficult by entrenched prejudice, all six set up their own informal contacts and found their own pockets of war action. In this gripping, intimate and nuanced account, Judith Mackrell celebrates these extraordinary women and reveals how they wrote history as it was being made, changing the face of war reporting forever.'This is a book that manages to be thoughtful and edge-of-your-seat thrilling.' – Mail on Sunday 'Like the copy filed by her subjects, it is an essential read.' – BBC History MagazineTrade ReviewWomen's ability to cope was apparently beyond military imagination, yet ironically, as Judith Mackrell's compelling book shows, navigating newspaper bias and military restrictions often gave women the professional edge . . . They were not just reporters; they were also pioneers, and Judith Mackrell has done them proud. -- Clare Mulley * Spectator *Hugely entertaining and informative . . . the author is excellent on the way that being a girl in a man's world had serious dangers . . . This is a book that manages to be thoughtful and edge-of-your-seat thrilling. -- Katherine Hughes * Mail on Sunday *[Mackrell] has done an extraordinary job of mining their reportage, interviews and memoirs, and creates an experiential tapestry based on their experiences . . . a powerful complement to previous histories of Second World War correspondence. -- Anne Nelson * TLS *Although Mackrell reminds us male war correspondents still roughly outnumber women by three to one, the women in her book prove gender is no barrier to doing the job well. -- Helen Brown * Daily Mail *This book is a salutary reminder that it is not only men who experience wars, and it is not only men who report on them . . . Like the copy filed by her subjects, it is an essential read. -- Lucy Noakes * BBC History Magazine *The female journalists who feature here were pioneers in their fields. -- Frances Cairncross * Literary Review *Brutality goes hand in hand with high spirits. Danger was inseparable from exhilaration . . . This book could easily become a television drama. What women they were, in pursuit of war. -- Sarah Sands * Oldie *An engrossing book, highly recommended. * Choice Magazine *The strength of Mackrell’s insightful book is the way she shows just how many obstacles this courageous sextet faced in getting to the front . . . Women reporting the news from dangerous places may be a common sight today but reading Judith Mackrell’s Going with the Boys is an important reminder that it was not always so. -- Anne Sebba, author of Les Parisiennes and That Woman: The Life of Wallis Simpson, Duchess of WindsorIt’s excellent — beautifully researched, deeply sympathetic, and particularly insightful about Martha Gellhorn and Clare Hollingworth. They and the other women who went to war were pioneers in a dangerous profession who overcame fear and discrimination with grace and skill. Judith shows us clearly why their example is so important to today’s journalism. I really enjoyed it. -- John SimpsonThese six remarkable women writers shared courage, intelligence, competitiveness and a determination not be sidelined into the woman's angle; more than that, they left a legacy for war reporting that has shaped all those who have followed in their steps. -- Caroline Moorehead, Samuel Johnson Prize shortlisted author of Village of SecretsFast-paced and informative, [Going With The Boys] puts these women’s trail-blazing accomplishments in the social, military, and historical contexts we need to grasp how remarkable they were . . . Highly recommended, especially for readers who want to learn about the challenges met by these female pioneers. -- Carolyn Burke, author of Foursome and Lee Miller: A LifeA brilliant, gripping account of six journalists covering World War Two from deep inside the danger zone. Mackrell’s writing so captures the drama of the period that you can almost hear her characters’ typewriter keys tapping out their reports amid the rumble of tanks . . . one of the best books I have read in years. It is thrilling from the first page to the last -- Mary Gabriel, author of Ninth Street WomenA vivid portrait of the women whose clear-eyed reporting brought home the tragedy and heroism of one of history’s most pivotal conflicts. We owe these journalists a great debt. -- Liza Mundy, author of Code GirlsDefinitive, deeply researched, and beautifully told . . . reminds us how a few brave souls can blaze a trail and change the world -- Keith O’Brien, author of Fly GirlsBold newswomen such as Clare Hollingworth and Martha Gellhorn wrote the first draft of World War II, now Judith Mackrell gives us a chance to learn about the lives behind the headlines -- Sarah Rose, author of D-Day Girls[An] immersive and revealing group biography . . . Sparkling quotations from the reportage are woven throughout, and colorful biographical details shed light on the correspondents’ defiance of conventions . . . A rousing portrait of women who not only reported on history, but made it themselves. * Publishers Weekly *An exhilarating read packed with emotion and genuine humanity. A vivid portrayal of six remarkable women who made history reporting on World War II. * Kirkus *

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Book SynopsisMore than a memoir, My Crazy Century explores the ways in which the epoch and its dominating totalitarian ideologies impacted the lives, character, and morality of Klíma's generation. Klíma's story begins in the 1930s, in the Terezin concentration camp outside of Prague, where he was forced to spend almost four years of his childhood. He reveals how the postwar atmosphere supported and encouraged the spread of Communist principles over the next few decades and how an informal movement to change the system developed inside the Party. These political events form the backdrop to Klíma's personal experiences, with the arrest and trial of his father; the early revolt of young writers against socialist realism; his first literary successes; and his travels to the free part of Europe, which strengthened his awareness of living as part of a colossal lie. Klíma also captures the brief period of liberation during 1968's Prague Spring, in which he played an active role; the Soviet invasion that crushed its political reforms; the rise of the dissident movement; and the collapse of the Communist regime in the middle of the Velvet Revolution of 1989. Including insightful essays on topics related to social history, political thinking, love, and freedom, My Crazy Century provides a profoundly rich and moving personal history of national evolution. Ivan Klíma's first autobiography and perhaps his most significant work, it encapsulates a remarkable life largely lived under occupation.Trade ReviewA harrowing yet often uplifting account of living and working under totalitarian rule * Boston Globe *His [Klima's] impassioned memoir is emblematic of Czechoslovakia's struggle - and perhaps the struggle of much of central Europe - during the dark years between the Second World War and the 'Velvet Revolution' of 1989. * Daily Telegraph *As a writer, Klima is more reporter than fantasist. He observes and broods and then he writes it down... Klima has never been one for account-settling and acerbity and My Crazy Century is as interesting for its ruminative account of his emotional and personal turmoils as it is for its chronicling of postwar Czech history. * The Guardian *More than a memoir of an extraordinary life, it is an account of an age - and of the destructiveness of successive and symbiotic forms of totalitarianism, and of a critical intelligence that survived them. * Jewish Chronicle *Table of ContentsMore than a memoir, My Crazy Century explores the ways in which the epoch and its dominating totalitarian ideologies impacted the lives, character, and morality of Klima's generation. Klima's story begins in the 1930s, in the Terezin concentration camp outside of Prague, where he was forced to spend almost four years of his childhood. He reveals how the postwar atmosphere supported and encouraged the spread of Communist principles over the next few decades and how an informal movement to change the system developed inside the Party. These political events form the backdrop to Klima's personal experiences, with the arrest and trial of his father; the early revolt of young writers against socialist realism; his first literary successes; and his travels to the free part of Europe, which strengthened his awareness of living as part of a colossal lie. Klima also captures the brief period of liberation during 1968's Prague Spring, in which he played an active role; the Soviet invasion that crushed its political reforms; the rise of the dissident movement; and the collapse of the Communist regime in the middle of the Velvet Revolution of 1989. Including insightful essays on topics related to social history, political thinking, love, and freedom, My Crazy Century provides a profoundly rich and moving personal history of national evolution. Ivan Klima's first autobiography and perhaps his most significant work, it encapsulates a remarkable life largely lived under occupation.

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Book SynopsisIn 1908 Muriel Matters, known as 'that daring Australian girl', chained herself to an iron grille in the House of Commons to demand votes for women, thus becoming the first woman to make a speech in the House. The following year she made headlines around the world when she took to the sky over the Houses of Parliament in an airship emblazoned with 'Votes for Women'.A trailblazer in the suffrage movement, Muriel toured England in a horse-drawn caravan to promote the cause. But feminism was just one of her passions: Muriel's zeal for social change also saw her run for Parliament, campaign for prison reform, promote Maria Montessori's teaching methods and defend the poor. In this inspiring and long-overdue biography, bestselling author Robert Wainwright introduces us to an intelligent, spirited and brave woman who fought tirelessly for others in a world far from equal.Trade Review[Wainwright] succeeds marvellously in bringing to life a woman who until recently was little more than a name in the history of the suffragette movement. * The Spectator *Muriel Matters's name is apt: she certainly does matter...[a] highly readable biography. * Daily Mail *A long-overdue biography of the most inspiring woman you've never heard of. * All About History *The charm of Wainwright's biography is that he makes us see what an engaging, admirable and sometimes heroic quality it is to be a life-enhancer like Sheila. * Daily Mail, on SHEILA *As social history Sheila Chisholm's life is fascinating... it's undeniably enjoyable to read of all that glitter and gold. -- Selina Hastings * The Spectator, on SHEILA *Nothing short of impressive... Wainwright has revived a legend. * The Lady, on SHEILA *A] compelling biography... As a study of a man whose greatness we would do well to remember and applaud, it sparkles. * The Independent, on THE MAVERICK MOUNTAINEER *Wainwright chronicles it all with aplomb... Wainwright has done a fine job of rescuing his protagonist from the footnotes of climbing history. * Daily Telegraph, on THE MAVERICK MOUNTAINEER *

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Book SynopsisJames VI & I, the namesake of the King James Version of the Bible, had a series of notorious male favourites. No one denies that these relationships were amorous, but were they sexual? Michael B. Young merges political history with recent scholarship in the history of sexuality to answer that question. More broadly, he shows that James's favourites had a negative impact within the royal family, at court, in Parliament, and in the nation at large. Contemporaries raised the spectre of a sodomitical court and an effeminized nation; some urged James to engage in a more virile foreign policy by embarking on war. Queen Anne encouraged a martial spirit and moulded her oldest son to be more manly than his father. Repercussions continued after James's death, detracting from the majesty of the monarchy and contributing to the outbreak of the Civil War. Persons acquainted with the history of sexuality will find surprising premonitions here of modern homosexuality and homophobia. General readers will find a world of political intrigue coloured by sodomy, pederasty, and gender instability. For readers new to the subject, the book begins with a helpful overview of King James's life.

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Book SynopsisKarel Kuttelwascher may have had a German surname, but he was a Czech who became the scourge of the Luftwaffe bombers operating from France and the Low Countries in 1942. Flying with the RAF's legendary No. 1 Squadron, his destruction of fifteen aircraft in only three months earned him the DFC twice in a mere forty-two days, and made him the RAF's top night intruder ace. After his daring escape from German-occupied Czechoslovakia, he flew in the ferocious Battle of France and participated in the final weeks of the Battle of Britain as one of Churchill's 'Few'. During the early circus operations, he clocked up his first three kills before playing a part in the famous Channel Dash. However, it was in the lauded but lonely night intruder role that his individualistic skills came to the fore. Flying a long-range Hawker Hurricane IIC armed with 20-mm cannon, the man the wartime media dubbed the 'Czech Night Hawk' unleashed a reign of terror that included shooting down three Heinkel bombers in just four minutes.

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Book SynopsisThis instant Sunday Times bestseller tells the story of two fighter pilots whose remarkable encounter during the Second World War became the stuff of legend.Five days before Christmas 1943, a badly damaged American bomber struggled to fly over wartime Germany. At its controls was a twenty-one-year-old pilot. Half his crew lay wounded or dead. Suddenly a German Messerschmitt fighter pulled up on the bomber's tail - the German pilot was an ace, a man able to destroy the American bomber with the squeeze of a trigger. This is the true story of the two pilots whose lives collided in the skies that day - the American - 2nd Lieutenant Charlie Brown and the German - 2nd Lieutenant Franz Stigler.A Higher Call follows both Charlie and Franz's harrowing missions and gives a dramatic account of the moment when they would stare across the frozen skies at one another. What happened between them, the American 8th Air Force would later classify as 'top secret'. It was an act that Franz could never mention or else face a firing squad. It was the encounter that would haunt both Charlie and Franz for forty years until, as old men, they would seek out one another and reunite.Trade ReviewWell worth reading... A Higher Call pounds along with the all-action rhythm its genre seems to demand, but still manages to rescue the idea of German chivalry from cliché... A Higher Call is deeply felt by its author and deeply affecting to read. Apparently humans react more sentimentally to films and books consumed on aeroplanes than on the ground. I read this at 30,000ft... but I suspect it would have ambushed my emotions anywhere. -- Giles Whittle * The Times *A truly awe inspiring story of wartime chivalry -- Tony Rennell * Daily Mail *A riveting story of humanity and mercy set against the ghastly backdrop of war * Publishers Weekly *A remarkable story... Brown and Stigler, former enemies who became friends, died within months of each other in 2008. Their story is worth retelling and celebrating. * USA Today *

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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 *

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Book SynopsisFifty years after his death, Portugal's Salazar remains a controversial and enigmatic figure, whose conservative and authoritarian legacy still divides opinion. Some see him as a reactionary and oppressive figure who kept Portugal backward, while others praise his honesty, patriotism and dedication to duty. Contemporary radicals are wary of his unabashed elitism and scepticism about social progress, but many conservatives give credit to his persistent warnings about the threats to Western civilisation from runaway materialism and endless experimentation. For a dictator, Salazar's end was anti-climactic—a domestic accident. But during his nearly four decades in power, he survived less through reliance on force and more through guile and charm. This probing biography charts the highs and lows of Salazar's rule, from rescuing Portugal's finances and keeping his strategically-placed nation out of World War II to maintaining a police state while resisting the winds of change in Africa. It explores Salazar's long-running suspicion of and conflict with the United States, and how he kept Hitler and Mussolini at arm's length while persuading his fellow dictator Franco not to enter the war on their side. Iberia expert Tom Gallagher brings to life a complex leader who deserves to be far better known.Trade Review‘Tom Gallagher’s immensely detailed portrait of a fascinating man is itself fascinating. The author is a distant presence, coolly objective and disinclined to judge his huge cast of politicians, soldiers, diplomats and bishops. He allows readers space to come to their own conclusions.’ -- The Telegraph‘The humane and open-minded story of a man whose legacy has been erased but who could well be regarded as the most consequential minor statesman of the 20th century.’ -- Wall Street Journal'A highly astute analysis of a kind of authoritarianism and a mode of political leadership much more relevant to the present Western experience than that of the Third Reich, the Soviet Union, Fascist Italy or Franco's Spanish State... this book is an important comment on the rise of "authoritarian liberalism."' -- The Critic'Sketches a clear-eyed account of liberalism’s alternatives.' -- The American Conservative'A vivid, balanced and enormously enjoyable biography of Antonio Salazar, head of Europe's longest-lived right-authoritarian regime. The best introduction to Portuguese affairs in the middle decades of the twentieth century.' -- Stanley Payne, Emeritus Professor of History, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and author of 'A History of Spain and Portugal''Salazar remains a mystery, even to the Portuguese, but this book goes a long way towards deciphering him. Beautifully written and meticulously researched, this is both a biography and an intellectual portrait. Salazar was a normal man, but a very unusual dictator, whose thought and action continue to pose a challenge to democratic politics in Europe and elsewhere. A much needed and long-awaited book.' -- Bruno Macaes, former Europe Minister of Portugal and author of 'The Dawn of Eurasia''A long-overdue outsider's approach to the controversial Salazar and his regime. Building on a wide array of sources and interpretations, this insightful portrait of Salazar's political persona offers a remarkable analysis of his foreign policy and geopolitical views. A great read!' -- Livia Franco, Professor of Political Studies, Catholic University of Portugal, and Associate Researcher, European Council on Foreign Relations'An insightful account of one of Europe's lesser-known but truly intriguing twentieth-century statesmen. Gallagher's comprehensive biography helps explain how, over four decades, Salazar kept an iron grip on an unruly country, and outfoxed bigger international powers arrayed against him.' -- Barry Hatton, author of 'Queen of the Sea: A History of Lisbon' and 'The Portuguese: A Modern History'

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Book SynopsisHanna Reitsch longed to fly. Having broken records and earned the respect of the Nazi regime, she was the first female Luftwaffe test pilot, and eventually became Adolf Hitler’s personal heroine.An ardent Nazi, Hanna was prepared to die for the cause, first as a test pilot for the dangerous V1 flying bombs and later by volunteering for a suggested Nazi ‘kamikaze’ squadron. After her capture she complained bitterly of not being able to die with her leader, but she went on to have a celebrated post-war flying career. She died at the age of 67, creating a new mystery – did Hanna kill herself using the cyanide pill Hitler had given her over thirty years earlier? Hitler’s Heroine reveals new facts about the mysterious pilot and cuts through the many myths that have surrounded her life and death, bringing this fascinating woman back to life for the twenty-first century.

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Book SynopsisLion Rampant is Robert Woollcombe's graphic account of his experiences as a front-line infantry officer with the King's Own Scottish Borderers during the desperate battle for Normandy and the Allied advance into Germany. Vividly evoking the confusion, horror and comradeship of war - from the killing fields of Normandy bocage, through house-to-house fighting in shattered Flemish towns, to the final Rhine crossing - Lion Rampant is a powerful, authentic and moving story, telling with extraordinary clarity how the author, his fellow officers and the men of his company lived through one of the most bitter campaigns in history.Trade Review"'One of the most vivid personal memoirs of the Second World War. Few writers have bettered his description of the experiences of front line infantrymen under the stress of battle.' (Max Hastings) 'Lion Rampant is much more than the story of one man's war: it speaks for many, with modesty, eloquence, and a fine blend of objectivity and enthusiasm. It is a story of comradeship, endurance and sheer fighting skill.' (Cecil Day-Lewis) 'Perhaps the best picture - painted in dark colours shot through by the bright light of valour - that has yet been given of war.' (Glasgow Herald)"

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Book SynopsisCallaghan term in office was dominated by industrial unrest, culminating in the Winter of Discontent', laying the foundations for Margaret Thatcher's election victory in 1979

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Book SynopsisPillay, a trailblazer in Human Rights Law, was born in 1941 to a humble Indian family in apartheid South Africa. She faced enormous obstacles to her aspirations for further education and a meaningful career. However, in 1967 she was the first black woman in South Africa to set up a law practice which she used to defend many anti-apartheid activists. She also used her skills to protect the rights of political prisoners and remarkably, in 1973, she succeeded in obtaining legal representation and basic amenities for the inmates of Robben Island.In 1995 when the first democratic government was formed in South Africa, Nelson Mandela nominated Pillay as the first black female judge in the Supreme Court. In the same year she joined the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. Since then Pillay has become one the world's leading advocates in the field of human rights.The biography of Navi Pillay is part of Arcadia's BlackAmber Inspiration series edited by Rosemarie Hudson, founder of BlackAmber. These pocket-sized biographies, aimed at students and general readers alike, celebrate African, Caribbean and Asian heroes.

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Book SynopsisThe definitive account of an icon who shaped gender equality for all women. In this comprehensive, revelatory biography — fifteen years of interviews and research in the making — historian Jane Sherron De Hart explores the central experiences that crucially shaped Ginsburg’s passion for justice, her advocacy for gender equality, and her meticulous jurisprudence. At the heart of her story and abiding beliefs was her Jewish background, specifically the concept of tikkun olam, the Hebrew injunction to ‘repair the world’, with its profound meaning for a young girl who grew up during the Holocaust and World War II. Ruth’s journey began with her mother, who died tragically young but whose intellect inspired her daughter’s feminism. It stretches from Ruth’s days as a baton twirler at Brooklyn’s James Madison High School to Cornell University to Harvard and Columbia Law Schools; to becoming one of the first female law professors in the country and having to fight for equal pay and hide her second pregnancy to avoid losing her job; to becoming the director of the ACLU’s Women’s Rights Project and arguing momentous anti-sex-discrimination cases before the US Supreme Court. All this, even before being nominated in 1993 to become the second woman on the Court, where her crucial decisions and dissents are still making history. Intimately, personably told, this biography offers unprecedented insight into a pioneering life and legal career whose profound impact will reverberate deep into the twenty-first century and beyond.Trade Review‘Readable and rewarding … Ginsburg is a true-blue legal icon.’ -- Michelle Olsen * NPR *‘Engaging and admiring.’ * The Wall Street Journal *‘An accomplished account of Ginsburg’s life that also probes the fissures of feminism as it developed over the past 70 years … offers a humane and definitive portrait of Ginsburg’s life and times, full of context and colour.’ -- Frieda Klotz * Sunday Independent *‘[A]n excellent biography based on archives and interviews with colleagues and friends: In its comprehensiveness, range and attention to detail, this is a vivid account of a remarkable life ... De Hart’s chapters on the landmark cases Ginsburg argued, which were the original core of her book project, are detailed and accessible.’ -- Jeffrey Rosen * The Washington Post *‘In a revealing new biography, 15 years in the making, Jane Sherron De Hart helps untangle the mystery of the decorous Ginsburg as feminist gladiator.’ -- Dahlia Lithwick * The Atlantic *‘This hefty book of more than seven hundred pages portrays the history of an outstanding legal expert known and applauded for her advancement of gender equality and civil rights. It is an American story that should be read as an example of what is possible when one has family support, internal grit, moral certainty, and scholarly expertise. Read about Ginsburg’s role in the ACLU, look into case histories, watch her as a college professor, look at the political wrangling, and examine her performance as a judge in the Appeals Courts and as a Supreme Court Justice. This is a wondrous tale, recorded well, that resounds as an American epic.’ -- Aron Row * Seattle Book Review *‘An in-depth biography of the Supreme Court justice who has become a pop-culture icon.’ * USA Today *‘De Hart’s thorough biography relates this life story with a nice sense of the sweep of feminist and legal history that is contained within it.’ * Minneapolis Star Tribune *‘The first comprehensive biography of Ruth Bader Ginsburg … De Hart excels in explaining the majority opinions, and later the dissents, in which she participated with remarkable clarity, illuminating the issues, the competing positions, and the significance of each in language easily grasped by readers with no legal training (for a nonlawyer, De Hart has a remarkable grasp of court jurisprudence) ... A monumental biography of one of the most influential and revered Supreme Court justices of the last century.’ STARRED REVIEW * Kirkus Reviews *‘De Hart's great strength is her ability to explain Ginsburg's cases and the legal strategies she employed … An insightful, fascinating, and admiring biography of one of America's most extraordinary jurists.’ * Publishers Weekly *‘Meticulously researched … Ginsburg’s career is skillfully placed within the context of American social and political history.’ * Library Journal *‘Passionate and thorough … A major event in scholarship on American law.’ * Washington Monthly *‘Scholarly, yet accessible … Rewarding and compelling.’ * Pittsburgh Post-Gazette *‘Magisterial and timely … Written in clear language and grounded in historical context.’ * The Forward *‘Compelling … De Hart succeeds in showing us that the 107th person to be appointed to the Supreme Court is much more than a pop culture icon.’ * Jewish Journal *‘A masterful biography that adds depth and insight to Ginsburg's only-in-America life story.’ -- Kenneth Jost * Washington Independent Review of Books *‘De Hart displays an impressive grasp of each area of Ginsburg's legal influence, from women's rights to voting rights to gay rights to immigrant rights, with a particular focus on striking down laws that discriminated on the basis of gender.’ -- Mary Ann Gwinn * Newsweek *‘Does a daunting job of restoring Ginsburg’s impressive roots … As Martin Luther King Jr. said, ‘The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.’ De Hart leaves no doubt that, in Justice Ginsburg’s hands, that arc will undoubtedly continue to bend.’ -- Priscilla Kipp * BookPage *‘A rigorous, comprehensive, deftly written biography.’ * The National Book Review *‘Couldn't have come at a more opportune time ... This in-depth tome clocks in at more than 500 pages, but promises a first-of-its kind look inside RBG's personal and professional lives ... already at the top of our holiday shopping lists for the formidable women and girls in our lives.’ -- Quinn Keany * Popsugar *‘De Hart dynamically devotes more than 500 pages to the amazing life of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg … This extensively documented account … is also quite engaging and very easy to read.’ STARRED REVIEW -- Kathleen McBroom * Booklist *Praise for Women's America: refocusing the past: ‘Women's America is exceptional at providing a variety of perspectives, experiences, and knowledge about women's economic, social, cultural, political, and sexual lives throughout a broad expanse of time and geography.’ -- Sandra Slater, College of Charleston

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Book SynopsisWhen the Soviets invaded Afghanistan in 1979, the forces of resistance were disparate and divided mujahideen groups, as interested in fighting each other and competing for Western arms as opposing the Russians. The exception was Ahmed Shah Massoud, the military strategist and political operator who solidified the resistance and undermined the Russian occupation by leading its members to a series of defensive victories. Sandy Gall was embedded with Massoud during Soviet offences and reported on the war in Afghanistan for a number of years. He has now written an illuminating biography of this charismatic guerrilla commander, which contains excerpts from the surviving volumes of Massoud's diaries. Massoud's prolific diary-keeping was little known during his lifetime, and his entries detail crucial moments in his life and throw fascinating light on his struggles, both in the resistance and in his personal life. Born into an ostensibly liberalising Afghanistan in the 1960s, Massoud ardently opposed communism and Mohammed Daoud, Afghanistan's puppet leader. He quickly rose to prominence and distinguished himself by coordinating the defence of the Panjshir Valley against repeated Soviet offensives. As the occupation wore on, Massoud became the resistance's unifying force. Massoud's assassination in 2001 presaged the attack on the Twin Towers just two days later and it is widely believed to have been ordered by Osama bin Laden. Forever the underdog in a life dominated by conflict, Massoud's attempts to build political consensus in Afghanistan were ultimately frustrated. Despite that, he is recognised today as a national hero.Trade Review"A new book drawing on... years of reporting from Afghanistan and Massoud's personal diaries."-- "Diplomat" "Ahmad Shah Massoud was one of the greatest military commanders of the 20th century and was instrumental in forcing the Soviets to retreat from Afghanistan in 1989. Yet, he is now barely known in the West. That will surely change as a result of Gall's authoritative, beautifully written and deeply reported biography of Massoud."--Peter Bergen, author of The Rise and Fall of Osama bin Laden "Gall's knowledge of the jihad is encyclopaedic. He was the first well-known journalist to make the dangerous journey into occupied Afghanistan and bring the human cost of this terrible war to our TV screens. To produce such a book at the age of 93 deserves admiration. . . .A strength of Gall's book is its detailed discussion of Pakistan's malign interference in Afghanistan, where the Taliban are their proxy force."--Matthew Leeming "Spectator" "I can think of no one better than the legendary foreign correspondent Sandy Gall to tell the compelling story of Ahmad Shah Massoud's extraordinary life and death. . . . Gall weaves analysis, first-hand reporting and primary sources into a brilliant and important book."--Jeremy Bowen "The unputdownable story of an authentic Afghan hero by one of the greatest chroniclers of modern Afghanistan's travails, and occasional triumphs."--Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles, former British Ambassador to Afghanistan, and British Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan "This book is essential reading for those who want an insider's understanding of the Afghan civil war."-- "Literary Review" "This is a remarkable book, both a coruscating memoir by Gall and a revealing insight into a guerrilla leader--one whose reputation ranks with the icons of revolutionary insurgency and whose thinking is here revealed in his own words."--Hew Strachan "When conceived several years ago, the book was planned as the largely admiring record of one of the great might-have-beens of history, and also-obliquely-as the last testament of the gallant Sandy Gall himself, who will be 94 in October. It remains both of those things, but the events of the past fortnight also give an urgency to the story."--Charles Moore "Telegraph" "With the West's own military venture in Afghanistan now unravelling, Gall's book serves two timely purposes. One is to retell Massoud's legendary campaign against the Soviets, which saw him dubbed 'the Afghan who won the Cold War'. The other, though, is to ask whether more Western support for him in the 1990s could have led to a better Afghanistan."--Colin Freeman "Telegraph" "Afghan Napoleon: The Life of Ahmad Shah Massoud by British journalist Sandy Gall, dedicated to Afghanistan's illustrious statesman, is a remarkable undertaking that delves into the multifaceted intricacies of a nation devastated by war and ruined by its adverse geography."-- "Eurasia Review" "Afghan Napoleon offers an overdue portrait of one of the most remarkable figures of the twentieth century. Napoleon tried to conquer the world; Massoud by contrast fought the world-scale Soviet empire to a stand still on behalf of his people from a tiny valley in Afghanistan. In this book we see, not just the daily nuts and bolts of his military genius but catch glimpses of the social graces and the warmth that made this man so beloved among his followers."--Tamim Ansary, author of The Invention of Yesterday: A 50,000-Year History of Human Culture, Conflict, and Connection

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Book SynopsisInterlacing the life and work of the seminal 20th century philosopher, Hannah Arendt, this biography explores her critique of Saint Augustine and her biographical essay on Rahel Varnhagen. It also accentuates Arendt's commitment to recounting lives and narration and reflects on her perspective on Judaism, anti-Semitism and the "banality of evil."Trade ReviewThe portrait that emerges is quirky, intentionally subjective, and finely detailed. Kirkus Reviews An elegant, sophisticated biography replete with powerful psychoanalytic insight. Political Theory.OrgTable of ContentsBibliography Notes Female Genius: General Introduction A Biography "So Exposed" Chapter 1: Life as a Narrative Love According to Saint Augustine Chapter 2: Superfluous Humanity The Meaning of an Example: Rahel Varnhagen Chapter 3: Thinking, Willing, and Judging Arendt and Aristotle: A Defense of Narration The Tale of the Twentieth Century To Be Jewish Among the Elements in the Structure The Example of France What Is Modern Anti-Semitism? Imperialism... and Totalitarianism The Banality of Evil Faith and Revolution... in Society, That Sanctified Hearth The "Who" and the Body The Dialogue of the Thinking Ego: The "Split," Melancholy, Tyranny From the Interior Man to the Violence of the Life Process The Taste of the Spectator: Toward a Political Philosophy Judgment: Between Forgiveness and Promise

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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