Biography: historical, political and military Books

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Book SynopsisThis is the first-ever biography of Vice Admiral Willis A. Lee Jr., who served a key role during World War II in the Pacific. Recognizing the achievements and legacy of one of the war's top combat admirals has been long overdue until now. Battleship Commander explores Lee's life from boyhood in Kentucky through his eventual service as commander of the fast battleships from 1942 to 1945. Paul Stillwell draws on more than 150 first-person accounts from those who knew and served with Lee from boyhood until the time of his death. Said to be down to earth, modest, forgiving, friendly, and with a wry sense of humor, Lee eschewed the media and, to the extent possible, left administrative details to others. Stillwell relates the sequential building of a successful career, illustrating Admiral Lee's focus on operational, tactical, and strategic concerns. During his service in the Navy Department from 1939 to 1942, Lee prepared the U.S. Navy for war at sea, and was involved in inspecting designs for battleships, cruisers, aircraft carriers, and destroyers. He sent observers to Britain to report on Royal Navy operations during the war against Germany and made plans to send an action team to mainland China to observe conditions for possible later Allied landings there. Putting his focus on the need to equip U.S. warships with radar and antiaircraft guns, Lee was one of the few flag officers of his generation who understood the tactical advantage of radar, especially during night battles. In 1942 Willis Lee became commander of the first division of fast battleships to operate in the Pacific. During that service, he commanded Task Force 64, which achieved a tide-turning victory in a night battle near Guadalcanal in November 1942. Lee missed two major opportunities for surface actions against the Japanese. In June 1944, in the Marianas campaign, he declined to engage because his ships were not trained adequately to operate together in surface battles. In October 1944, Admiral William Halsey's bungled decisions denied Lee's ships an opportunity for combat. Continuing his career of service near the end of the war, Lee, in the summer of 1945, directed anti-kamikaze research efforts in Casco Bay, Maine. While Lee's wartime successes and failures make for compelling reading, what is here in this biography is a balanced look at the man and officer.

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Book SynopsisJohn Jenkins, Maine's first Black state senator and mayor of both Lewiston and Auburn, led a remarkable life and his influence extended far beyond his politics and his constituents. He was a four-time world champion in karate and through his business PEP (Personal Enrichment Programs) Talk he gave individuals and organizations the tools for change based on stories and lessons fostering community and the interdependence of mind and spirit. And he was a talented puppeteer who used puppets in presentations to schools throughout Maine. He loved stories, and used them to lower barriers between himself and the largely white audiences of his adopted state.This moving biography by John's friend and Bates College classmate, Chuck Radis, reminds us all of Jenkins' generous spirit and of his contributions to our state. He gave us lessons we would all do well to remember.

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisThe Art of War is an ancient Chinese military treatise by Sun Tzu, a high-ranking military general, strategist and tactician. The text is composed of 13 chapters, each of which is devoted to one aspect of warfare. It is commonly thought of as a definitive work on military strategy and tactics. For the last two thousand years it remained the most important military treatise in Asia, where even the common people knew it by name. It has had an influence on Eastern and Western military thinking, business tactics, legal strategy and beyond.The book was first translated into the French language in 1772 by French Jesuit Jean Joseph Marie Amiot and a partial translation into English was attempted by British officer Everard Ferguson Calthrop in 1905. However, the most popular (and accurate) English language translation was completed by Lionel Giles in 1910. Leaders as diverse as Mao Zedong, General Vo Nguyen Giap, General Douglas MacArthur and leaders of Imperial Japan have drawn inspiration from the work.This edition has 380 footnotes, an introduction, and brief biographies on the 11 main commentators on Sun Tzu''s work. This case laminate collector''s edition includes a Victorian inspired dust-jacket. 

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Book SynopsisMohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born in Western India in 1869. He was educated in London and later travelled to South Africa, where he experienced racism and took up the rights of Indians, instituting his first campaign of passive resistance. In 1915 he returned to British-controlled India, bringing to a country in the throes of independence his commitment to non-violent change, and his belief always in the power of truth. Under Gandhi''s lead, millions of protesters would engage in mass campaigns of civil disobedience, seeking change through ahimsa or non-violence. For Gandhi, the long path towards Indian independence would lead to imprisonment and hardship, yet he never once forgot the principles of truth and non-violence so dear to him. Written in the 1920s, Gandhi''s autobiography tells of his struggles and his inspirations; a powerful and enduring statement of an extraordinary life.It is a true inspiration to read this personal account of the life of the man who freed India from colonization through the Satyagraha - nonviolent protest - movement. His early boyhood life, legal studies, purification, and ultimate salvation of his homeland is carefully recounted in this work of insurmountable importance.

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Book SynopsisErnest Shackleton is one of history’s great explorers, an extraordinary character who pioneered the path to the South Pole over 100 years ago and became a dominant figure in Antarctic discovery. A charismatic personality, his incredible adventures on four expeditions have captivated generations and inspired a dynamic, modern following in business leadership. None more so than the Endurance mission, where Shackleton’s commanding presence saved the lives of his crew when their ship was crushed by ice and they were turned out on to the savage frozen landscape. But Shackleton was a flawed character whose chaotic private life, marked by romantic affairs, unfulfilled ambitions, overwhelming debts and failed business ventures, contrasted with his celebrity status as a leading explorer. Drawing on extensive research of original diaries and personal correspondence, Michael Smith's definitive biography brings a fresh perspective to our understanding of this complex man and the heroic age of polar exploration.Trade Review'a scholarly though very readable tome' * The Good Book Guide *'Smith, in illuminating this unforgettable figure, brings his own considerable scholarship in the field to the story' -- Caroline Moorehead * Wall Street Journal *‘Fascinating’ * Bookseller *‘A fascinating book - warm, complex, engaging – just like the man himself. This absorbing new biography strips away the myths and misconceptions to reveal one of the twentieth century’s most important explorers in all his flawed genius.’ * Mick Conefrey, author of Everest, 1953 *"The epic struggles, heroics and unbelieveable hardships of the voyages are wonderfully told. Compulsive reading." * The Irish Times on An Unsung Hero *'Perhaps the most riveting biography I've ever read.' * Orlando Sentinel on An Unsung Hero *

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Book SynopsisAneurin - Nye - Bevan was one of the pivotal Labour figures of the post-war era. As Minister for Health in Attlee's government, his role in the foundation of the NHS, the world's largest publically-funded health service and the centre-piece of the Opening Ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics, changed the face of British society forever. The son of a coal miner from South Wales, Bevan was a life-long champion of social justice and the rights of working people and became one of the leading proponents of Socialist thought in Britain. He was also vehement in his dislike of the Conservative Party - going so far as to oppose the wartime coalition between Attlee and Churchill. Whilst he admired the Marxist critique of capitalism - and felt that the drive for private consumer affluence in the 1950s flew in the face of social good - he was certainly no communist. He was a passionate believer in public ownership but had a complex relationship with the unions, which may have prevented him from becoming party leader. In this book, acclaimed author Nicklaus Thomas-Symonds provides the first full-life biography of Bevan in over two decades, from his birth in Tredegar in the South Wales Valleys in 1897 to his death from stomach cancer at the age of 62 in 1960. Thomas-Symonds considers not just Bevan's political career but also his upbringing, his career in local government in Wales and his relationship with his wife, and fellow Labour MP, Jennie Lee. Drawing on first-hand interviews as well as recently released sources, he provides a unique portrait of one of the great British statesmen of the twentieth century.Trade Review'Nye Bevan was a political colossus, a passionate voice of socialist protest who was also a great creative statesman, an artist in the uses of power whose career fundamentally transformed our society. All these aspects of his career are admirably dealt with by Nicklaus Thomas-Symonds in a balanced lucid work based on a wide range of sources. It is equally strong on Bevan's background in the Welsh mining valleys, his triumph in launching the National Health Service, his role in the internecine wars that beset Labour in the fifties, and his abiding legacy for radicals and socialists at the present time. This is a gripping new analysis of one of the most controversial, but also one of the most charismatic, figures in recent British history.' Kenneth O. Morgan 'Nye is a timely biography. It is over half a century since Michael Foot published the first of his two volumes on Aneurin Bevan which set such a high standard in biographical writing. Not until Nicklaus Thomas-Symonds' new volume has anyone approached Foot's masterpiece in political analysis and historical scholarship. It is timely for two other reasons. Firstly, the biography uses new sources to explore Bevan's working class origins in the valleys of South Wales, giving new importance to his local government experience alongside the more generally accepted and recognised formative influences of his union, the Fed, of independent working class education and of the community enterprise of the Tredegar Medical Aid Society. And secondly, this is a reminder to our new generation of activists and leaders that the collectivist inspiration for Nye's National Health Service and all the radical and reforming spirit of 1945, from legal aid to the culture of the South Bank, should be an enduring inheritance and Nicklaus Thomas-Symonds captures this beautifully. This is essential reading for everyone who wishes to understand the quintessentially benign but audacious rooted character of Nye's generation of organic working class intellectuals who helped civilise our post-war world, and who should continue to inspire us today.' - Hywel Francis MP 'Nick Thomas-Symonds has set out to explain the whole trajectory of Aneurin Bevan's political life, from its crucial nurturing in the South Wales coalfield to his purposeful use of power through the Labour Party in government. With balanced judgement, based on wide research, he succeeds triumphantly in giving us the real Nye: principled and pragmatic, frustrated and fulfilled, a unique fusion of strategy and tactics deployed to empower the British working class he represented brilliantly and served unremittingly. If you only read one book on Nye Bevan then, for its objectivity and illumination, make it this one.' Dai Smith, author of Aneurin Bevan and the World of South Wales 'A very readable and well researched study of one of the true political giants of the twentieth century. This book will be a useful addition to the canon of labour history and British political history more generally.' Matthew Worley, Professor of Modern History, University of Reading 'A lively account of Bevan's political career that is well written and carefully researched' Paul Corthorn, Senior Lecturer in Modern British History, Queen's University BelfastTable of ContentsIntroduction PART ONE: BOY TO MAN, 1897-1919 Chapter 1: The Welsh Valleys Childhood, 1897 – 1911 Chapter 2: The South Wales Coalfield 1911 – 1919 PART TWO: THE MAKING OF ANEURIN BEVAN, 1919-34 Chapter 3: Local Politics, 1919-28 Chapter 4: Monmouthshire County Council and Parliament, 1928-34 PART THREE: ESTABLISHING HIMSELF ON THE NATIONAL STAGE, 1934-45 Chapter 5: London and Jennie Lee Chapter 6: Working Class Unity, 1935-1939 Chapter 7: The Second World War, Part I: 1939 to 1942 Chapter 8: The Second World War, Part I: 1942 to 1945 PART FOUR: CABINET MINISTER, 1945-51 Chapter 9: The Labour Government, 1945-1951 Chapter 10: The Creation of the National Health Service Chapter 11: Bevan’s Record on Housing, 1945-51 Chapter 12: Resignation PART FIVE: IN OPPOSITION, 1951-60 Chapter 13: The Bevanites, 1951-55 Chapter 14: The Pragmatic Bevan, 1955-57 Chapter 15: The Final Years, 1958-60 Conclusion Further Reading

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Book SynopsisAli Shariati is, for many, the ideological father of the Iranian revolution. A charismatic leader and teacher, his radical blend of Islam and Marxism mobilized a whole generation of young Iranians. Now available in paperback, this full-length political biography looks at Ali Shariati's life and thought in the context of the complex and contradictory cultural, social and political conditions of the Iranian society that shaped him.Trade ReviewThis is an outstanding book for its erudition, balance and perception, and a worthy study of an outstanding intellectual figure. Professor Vanessa Martin, Bulletin of SOAS - Rahnema's excellent study deserves the attention of every student of modern Iran. Professor Ali. M. Ansari, The University of St Andrews 'Ali Rahnema's excellent political biography of the radical Iranian intellectual Ali .Shari 'ati...follows the development of his thought skillfully - Rahnema is to be thanked for providing such a readable account of this complex and important man.' Charles Tripp, Times Literary Supplement Ali Rahnema balances sympathy for his subject with scholarly objectivity. He writes with a fluency and charm rare in academic books, sweeping the reader along with his enthusiasm and energy.' Shusha Guppy, Times Higher Educational SupplementTable of ContentsPreface Acknowledgments The Political and Religious setting The Tudeh Party The Kasravi Tendency 2.Mohammad Taqi Shari’ati: Father and Teacher The Centre for the Propagation of Islamic Truths The Centre and the Oil Nationalization Movement The Influence of the Centre 3.The Movement of God-Worshipping Socialists The Split The Homespun Ideology 4.From Child to Adult Ali’s Primary School Secondary School The Adult Child Contradictory Moods Ali and his Books 5.The Young Intellectual and Political Activitst The League for the Freedom of Iranian People The Political Agitator Translations The Median Schools of Islam Khorasan 6.The University Years Political Discontent New Sparks, Friends, Teachers A Patron of Modern Poetry Imprisonment, Marriage and Graduation 7.Paris Observation, Introspection and Adjustment Political Revival and Radicalization (1960-1964) Discrete Presence Penmanship The Congress of the World Federation of Iranian Students 8.Looking to the Future The Pen Socio-political activities The death of Ali’s mother Beyond the National Front Iran-e-Azad The Lausanne Congress 9.Schooling in Paris A Classical Education The Genuine Foundation of Knowledge Massignon Gurvitch Berque Fanon Sartre Theoretical Bridge-building The Islamic Alternative 10.Homeward Bound Salman-e-Pak A Guide to Khorasan Applying to Mashhad University 11.Mystical Murmers Shari’ati’s retreat The Need for God Shari’ati’s Gnosticism Mystical Experiences Annihilation and Assimilation of God Gnosticism and Politics 12.Fictive Mind Shari’ati, Sham, Chandel Chandel and Chapelle Shari’ati and Solange Solange’s death and resurrection Three epids of the fictive mind 13.At Mashhad University The Jacobins The Medium A Patron of Cultural Activities The Relief Worker A Diversion : Shari’ati and Jalal-e Al-e Ahmad 14.Shari’ati’s Audience and Discourse at the University of Masshad Eslamshenasi The intellectual left and Shari’ati The revolutionary left and Shari’ati The religious establishment reacts 15.A Cat and Mouse Game Interrogations The ban on public lectures A mind under pressure 16.Hosseiniyeh Ershad The First Phase The Second Phase The Hejazi Affair Shari’ati’s first taste of Ershad The return to Ershad 17.Ershad A Disturbing Iconoclast The Backlash The struggle for Ershad An unexpected reinstatement 18.Restoration The Nascent Iranian Guerrilla Movement Shari’ati’s Ershad The clerical opposition to Shari’ati Mosaddeqist Criticism The challenges of the revolutionaries 19.The Word Educational lectures: The History and Mastery of Religions A Radical Islamic Ideology 20.Insurrectionary Discourse Religious subversion Political subversion The complete Shi’i party 21.Cultivating Martyrs Ershad: the revolutionary beehive The closer of Ershad 22.Imprisonment The Komiteh Prison A New Day Freedom and Confusion Revisionism: by choice or freedom? 23.The Curtain Falls Rationalization or radicalization? Hejira and Death Epiloguse Notes Select Bibliograhy Index

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Book SynopsisSixteen men were executed in the aftermath of the Easter Rising in Ireland, 1916: fifteen were shot and one was hanged. Their deaths changed the course of Irish history. But who were these leaders who set in motion events that would lead to the creation of an independent Ireland? The executed leaders of the Easter Rising were a diverse group. This book contains fascinating accounts of the life stories of these men and recounts the events that brought each of them to rebellion in April 1916.Trade Review'Written in a simple and accessible style, with human interest stories that brought out the essence of each of the personalities' * Damien Tiernan, RTE *Table of ContentsContents Abbreviations 9 Acknowledgements 10 Introduction 11 Patrick Pearse 23 Thomas Clarke 41 Thomas MacDonagh 57 Edward Daly 72 William Pearse 82 Michael O’Hanrahan 96 Joseph Plunkett 106 John MacBride 120 Seán Heuston 131 Michael Mallin 143 Éamonn Ceannt 155 Con Colbert 170 Thomas Kent 181 Seán Mac Diarmada 188 James Connolly 202 Roger Casement 219 Endnotes 231 Bibliography 245 Index 250

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Book SynopsisIn Martin McGuinness, The Man I Knew, Jude Collins offers the reader a range of perspectives on a man who helped shape Ireland's recent history. Those who knew Martin McGuinness during his life talk frankly about him, what he did and said, what sort of man he was. Eileen Paisley speaks of the influence she believes her husband, Ian, had on him; former Assistant Chief Constable Peter Sheridan recounts how the Derry IRA targeted him as a Catholic RUC policeman; peace talks chairman Senator George Mitchell comments on the role he played in talks that led to the Good Friday Agreement; and Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams remembers the man who for so many years was his closest colleague. Other contributors include; Ulster Unionist MLA Michael McGimpsey, prominent Irish-American Niall O’Dowd, peace talks chairman Senator George Mitchell, 54th Comptroller of the State of New York Thomas P. Di Napoli and Presbyterian minister David Lattimer.

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Book SynopsisIn the War of Independence, military leaders such as Michael Collins, Liam Lynch and Liam Deasy secured Irish independence from a country that had seemingly limitless resources of men, money and arms. The British, lacked the one thing which the Irish possessed in abundance: a burning conviction in the justice of their cause. First published in 1973, Towards Ireland Free is the story of one of these leaders. Liam Deasy was just twenty at the time of the 1916 Easter Rising. He enrolled in the Volunteers in Bandon in 1917 and by 1921 was in command of the West Cork Brigade. In this account of the War of Independence in West Cork, he vividly recreates the tense and hope-filled atmosphere of those years and provides a rich gallery of portraits of those alongside whom he fought. Best of all, he recounts in great detail famous episodes such as the successful attacj on the British Naval Sloop in Bantry, Howes Strand and Ballycrovane Coastguard stations, the ambushes at Kilmichael and Crossbarry and the raid on Fastnet rock.

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